Gear list....good bad and ugly.... [Archive] - WhiteBlaze

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Smile

10-09-2005, 16:46

SGT Rock

10-09-2005, 17:45

Ready for all the comments for this list, interested in advice, thanks in advance for your time! Several items are not listed such as boots since I am getting new ones, and I will be getting a solo shelter and lighter 15 degree bag shortly, but here it is for now, ready for a shakedown hike in a week or two....
Since you didn't list anything but weight, I'll guess on some stuff.

BEFORE FOOD/WATER

TENT: 80.4 oz
Kind of heavy for solo, you could probably cut at least a couple of pounds here. Sort of depends on what you want and need. 80.4 + 33.79 for stakes, poles and tent is on the high side. I would try for something around 32 ounces for the whole thing but be willing to accept up to 48 ounces if needed.

Bag: 33.6
What sort of rating and fill?

Pack: 56.7
Poles/stakes: 33.79
trekking poles 20.7
Emerg kit: 5.4
What is in it?

Pack cover: 5.2
Sounds heavy for a pack cover. Check out sil-nylon or a pack liner like a trash compactor bag and you can cut that in about half.

Crocs 10.8
1 pr long und: 15.6
Microfleece heavy: 11.9
water filter 18.6
you could change the filter for tablets or chemicals and save a pound and they will never break or freeze.

1 Capilene shirt 6.8
Sleeveless shirt 4.4
undergarments 4.6

Does all this clothing count only what is in the pack or does it include what you plan to wear?

Rain Jacket 1.4
What kind of rain jacket is that?

Rain Pants 7.9
hat 1.4
liner sox .8
3 prs socks 6.2
Bandana .8
rope 1.8
gloves .5
emerg. CPR mask 2.9
headlamp 2.7
whistle .4
tp .8
knife 3.8

339.89/16
21.24 lbs.
Overall that ain't bad. How about the following:

stove, fuel, cookset, spoon, food bag, water bottle(s) or bladders, lighter, map, compass, guidbook, notepaper for a journal, camera, sleeping pad, towel, hand cleaner, and duct tape.

Smile

10-09-2005, 20:31

Whoops, I sure did leave out alot, this is what I currently have, I'm heading out for a three day hike this week.

First I'll start with the bag question.
Currently I have a Mtn Hdwr 40 degree, going to get the Marmot Helium 15 degree for women ( so far my first choice) that will reduce weight for the bag to approx 1.13

Tent - YES! Way to heavy, going to change to a tarpent, probably the Virga - 23 ounces.

I assume you mean what it in the emergency kit:
Includes nylon bag,WP Matches/fatwood, blanket, clear poncho/tarp, illumistick, 6hr instant heat toe/hand warmer (2).

Pack Cover, granite gear M. I like the idea of a plastic bag actually, good idea.

Can't do the tablets or chemicals, makes me feel sick.

Clothing - everything including what I'm wearing. All the clothing I'll take.

Rain Jacket: Marmot shell - reweighed - I was wrong 10 oz. ( I ended up changing the 9v in the scale and reweighed, missed this one, thanks for catching it for me.

Wasn't going to do the stove thing, eat raw, maybe a little heavier on the outset. Dehydrating and rehydrating in bottle daily during day for meal in evening.

Spoon - titanium .4, fork titanium .6 ( was considering just the spoon.)

Water bottle, nalgene 6.4
and another standard water bottle, lite from a bottled water purchase.

OK, need to add the following for sure:
Guidebook: 6.8 ( can take off covers for less weight)
Camera - not taking one for now. otherwise digital 12.7 oz including case.
no towel, last summer traveled for a month without one, drip dry - just time consuming.
hand cleaner- hand sanitizer - no idea of weight.
duct tape - already around pole and figured into the weight there.
Thermarest pad 1.8
Toothbrush/baking soda - 1.8 oz.

I can't believe I forgot my pad, probably because I keep it inflated in a closet and it wasn't in my gear pile ( see photo of gear pile on trailjournals.com/smile)

frieden

10-09-2005, 20:40

This looks like a good list. I can't do the chemicals, either, but will carry a couple of tablets just in case. You should consider at least a half of a bandana for a towel. It comes in handy for all sorts of things, and it doesn't weigh much.

Smile

10-09-2005, 20:49

Good idea, I forgot, I not only dripped dry but did use the bandana for my face. I actually carried two last year, one clean one nasty for sweating ;-)
They are just so great to have along, so many uses!

SGT Rock

10-09-2005, 22:09

First I'll start with the bag question.
Currently I have a Mtn Hdwr 40 degree, going to get the Marmot Helium 15 degree for women ( so far my first choice) that will reduce weight for the bag to approx 1.13
I hear good things about that bag. I think that is a good choice.

Tent - YES! Way to heavy, going to change to a tarpent, probably the Virga - 23 ounces.
I also hear good things about that tent too., another good choice.

I assume you mean what it in the emergency kit:
Includes nylon bag,WP Matches/fatwood, blanket, clear poncho/tarp, illumistick, 6hr instant heat toe/hand warmer (2).

Honestly, not to offend, but it sounds like you have some weight in their you won't need. If you already have rain gear and a tarp tent, you won't need the poncho, same thing about having a sleeping bag, unless you plan on loosing that and having your first emergency kit, I would loose that too. The same could also be said about the light stick. Hand warmer, well I guess, but a fire can be built most anywhere with the right practice. However it is what is missing that concerns me. I would add stuff like a small tube of super glue, some gauze pads, a couple of small bandages, about 6 naproxen, a couple of immodium, a sewing needle, some floss, a couple of small safety pins, and some neosporin.

Pack Cover, granite gear M. I like the idea of a plastic bag actually, good idea.
Try trash compactor bags. Tough as all git-out and not to heavy. You can have someone send them in mail drops later if you like them, space them out so you get a new one every month with your maps, letters, or whatever.

Can't do the tablets or chemicals, makes me feel sick.
Honestly, try iodine with vitamen C. No taste and they are shown to be as effective as filters in Roland Mussler's book. Take them out with you on a practice hike and try them. If it works, you save yourself some weight on your thru later when you go. And if it doesn't work, you only carry a little extra weight for your shake down.

Clothing - everything including what I'm wearing. All the clothing I'll take.

Rain Jacket: Marmot shell - reweighed - I was wrong 10 oz. ( I ended up changing the 9v in the scale and reweighed, missed this one, thanks for catching it for me.

Wasn't going to do the stove thing, eat raw, maybe a little heavier on the outset. Dehydrating and rehydrating in bottle daily during day for meal in evening.
Try it and see if you like it. I perssonally find hot food and beverages a comfort item that is part of what makes backpacking fun. There are other ways to cut weight. Of course some people are happy that way.

Spoon - titanium .4, fork titanium .6 ( was considering just the spoon.)

A plastix lexan spoon would weight 0.3 ounces and is all the utensil you will need, especially if you end up going cold food only anyway.

Water bottle, nalgene 6.4
and another standard water bottle, lite from a bottled water purchase.

I use a system with a 3L bladder (no hose) for camp and long dry stretches and a 1L bottle for drinking from. Yse a platy and a gatorade bottle and you will have 2 times the capacity for half the weight.

OK, need to add the following for sure:
Guidebook: 6.8 ( can take off covers for less weight)
Camera - not taking one for now. otherwise digital 12.7 oz including case.
no towel, last summer traveled for a month without one, drip dry - just time consuming.
hand cleaner- hand sanitizer - no idea of weight.
duct tape - already around pole and figured into the weight there.
Thermarest pad 1.8
Toothbrush/baking soda - 1.8 oz.

I can't believe I forgot my pad, probably because I keep it inflated in a closet and it wasn't in my gear pile ( see photo of gear pile on trailjournals.com/smile)
Use a bandana for a towel and you should be fine. a 2 ounce bottle of hand sanatizer is a good thing to have and can be used as fire starter. I also think you have the wrong weight on your thermarest.

Smile

10-10-2005, 08:44

Honestly, not to offend, but it sounds like you have some weight in their you won't need. If you already have rain gear and a tarp tent, you won't need the poncho, same thing about having a sleeping bag, unless you plan on loosing that and having your first emergency kit, I would loose that too. The same could also be said about the light stick. Hand warmer, well I guess, but a fire can be built most anywhere with the right practice. However it is what is missing that concerns me. I would add stuff like a small tube of super glue, some gauze pads, a couple of small bandages, about 6 naproxen, a couple of immodium, a sewing needle, some floss, a couple of small safety pins, and some neosporin.Honestly, not to offend, but it sounds like you have some weight in their you won't need. If you already have rain gear and a tarp tent, you won't need the poncho, same thing about having a sleeping bag, unless you plan on loosing that and having your first emergency kit, I would loose that too. The same could also be said about the light stick. Hand warmer, well I guess, but a fire can be built most anywhere with the right practice. However it is what is missing that concerns me. I would add stuff like a small tube of super glue, some gauze pads, a couple of small bandages, about 6 naproxen, a couple of immodium, a sewing needle, some floss, a couple of small safety pins, and some neosporin.

No offense taken - I welcome the schooling!
Great ideas, will make these adjustments.

A plastix lexan spoon would weight 0.3 ounces and is all the utensil you will need, especially if you end up going cold food only anyway

I have one of those, will switch out.

I use a system with a 3L bladder (no hose) for camp and long dry stretches and a 1L bottle for drinking from. Yse a platy and a gatorade bottle and you will have 2 times the capacity for half the weight.

Doable, I have an MSR 2 L dromedary bladder, can use it as well - another good weight suggestion - do you carry yours fairly full and just pour into the gatorade bottle? I'll lose the nalgene. I used to carry it because when using my stove ( which I may end up doing)I had the option of fillingl the nalgene with hot water and place in my bag if I was a little chilled, I've just come to like it but at 6.4 ounces in the grand scheme of things it is a tad heavy ;-)

Thermarest - yes I incorrectly typed in the weight it is 1 lb 8 oz according to my trusty pelouze, glad that I caught the battery issue when I did.

Thanks SGT for all your advice, I'll do this shakedown hike and see what all I can change, stuck with this tent for this particular hike, but looking forward to the Virga purchase in a few weeks or so. Will also test the raw food situation on this hike and make a final decision on that as well. Interesting article about Doug Walsh, a guy who just finished the CDT in Sept. hiking raw, his trail journals are interesting in that they offer some unique ideas and alternatives for boosting calories with raw foods - which may or may not help some hikers plan a snack stash for when the stove dies or you run out of fuel. His site is here Raw HIke (http://www.rawhike.com/index.shtml)

SGT Rock

10-10-2005, 11:20

Thanks for the link on raw foods. I know Ray Jardine, who is a raw food advocate and big time ultralight backpacker with lots of experience, could not make a raw food diet work for him on the trail. I would be interested to hear if it works out for you.

As to water. I usually only cary the one liter in my gatorade bottle. Since I use chemicals, if I am down to half and pass a water source I chug the remainder and fill it up again, add chemicals (if needed) and keep going. The process only takes a few seconds usually. I've learned to do this after going without water for a while because I made a bad decision to pass water at some point. If I am approaching a camp that is said to be dry or I expect may be dry, then I will tank up on the way in. If I am hitting a dry section then I may carry another 1-2 liters in the bladder.

If you plan to filter, you may wat to carry even more water to avoid having to break out the pump and do the chore so often, but that would make more weight to carry - remember water weighs 1.04 ounces per fluid ounce, so a liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds in addition to the 1 pound of filter you carry. I can't stress enough how cool a water system iodine and Vit C is to good tasting and healthy water while keeping the weight down.

Jaybird

10-10-2005, 11:52

21 1/4 LBS BEFORE FOOD & WATER?

WOW! SOUNDS a bit heavy to me!

....& a 5LB tent?...you must LOVE that tent!

i'd try to trim to the TEENS if possible.

good luck w/ yer hike :D

Smile

10-10-2005, 12:00

jackiebolen

10-10-2005, 13:46

Get rid of the rain pants. I carried mine for 300 miles or so and only used them once. Switch up the water filter to drops for some weight savings. Also, ditto with the tent. Far, far too heavy.

SGT Rock

10-10-2005, 13:50

Ok Sgt Rock, I'll give the iodine/C thing a try, is there a name for this product that you use, or is a separate purchase, a little confused. The weight issue is certainly worthy of a try, but how safe is the water compared to my filter and I was under the impression that chemicals have to "sit" for quite a while. Your thoughts?

Jaybird - going with another tent - you're right 5 lbs is crazy, but for my shakedown hike it's the only tent I have right now - I'm less my hiking buddy so have a whole tent to carry for a weekend hike. I would really love to get into the teens! :o
I use Portable aqua plus: http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/poaqplwatr.html

Yes, it does take some time to do it right. You put in the iodine and let it sit 30 minutes and then you add the vit C pill, it is ready to drink almost instantly after adding the Vit C. So you get the benefit of vitamins in your diet and water without the taste of iodine. Roland Mussler's book compared the reported rates of illness of people using iodine and people using filters and found lower reported rates of illness in long-distance hikers using iodine. There are also scientific analysis of filters that finds the effectiveness drops after multiple uses.

Anyway, the time is not that big a deal, and actually takes no time if you have a good strategy. When you start, you use tap water and camel up good. Eventually you have to re-fill your water after you finish that last half, drop in your iodine and start walking. When you finally do get thirsty again (usually more than 30 minutes later) drop in some Vit C and drink. Eventually you do it again - pass water source, finish that last half of water, add tablets, start walking. Repeat until you hit camp. At that point you fill your bladder and treat it as one of the first camp chores. Set up your shelter, get you bag and pack situated, change shoes for boots, etc, and now it is time for adding some Vit C and the water is ready to use.

Note there is no setting up or taking apart of a filter, no sitting around pumping water, no messing with clogs, no freezing up of the filter, and no cross contamination. Actually, by adding solubles into your water you also change the freezing point so that it won't freeze as easy in your containers either.

In the morning, after breakfast, drink up any leftover water and have a liter ready for carry that is already treated OR drink it all up and start another liter treating while you walk. After all that water in the morning the only concern you should have is getting rid of liquids in the first 30 minutes, not being thirsty :D

Smile

10-10-2005, 17:12

Good deal, will give it a go.

jackiebolen, what kind of pants do you suggest. I'm thinking in the spring it will be pretty cold, my only "long" pants will be a pair of long underwear - so I was thinking long underwear with rain pants over for waterproof shell, save carrying another pair of pants.....but I might be really cold. Ideas anyone - has to be LITE.

SGT Rock

10-10-2005, 17:15

Just my $0.02

Take the pants. They won't break your back, and you can send them home later if you want to. If you use them and decide you like them, then you will be happy, and if you send them home later you will be happy.

Smile

10-10-2005, 18:34

Happy is good.

I tried a few pair on at the outfitters and wasn't really impressed, warmth but not waterproof or lite.

Seeker

10-11-2005, 02:21

smile,

about water filters/chemicals... i use aquamira, which uses phosphoric acid (like in mtn dew/coke) to activate the chlorine dioxide (i think) that releases the oxygen that purifies the water... 7 drops of each in a little cap, wait 5 minutes til it turns green/yellow like mtn dew, pour it in your 1qt bottle, wait 20 minutes, and you're done... chlorine dioxide is what many (though not all) municipal water companies use to purify their water... you can also do larger quantities at a time... i have a 6 qt bladder that takes 42 drops...

regarding taste, i can't taste anything... my brother claims he can taste something, and prefers to hump a filter (he also carries a pillow, maglite, and canned food... but i still love him...) back to taste... i was out just this weekend, and it's been dry here lately. all the springs and creeks are really low... but i cleaned up a batch of really nasty swamp water, full of old oak leaves (very brown and acidic), and it was fine... still a little yellowish, but very drinkable...

soulrebel

10-11-2005, 09:28

patagonia houdini pants 3.1oz in small--awesome for hiking, camp, and sleeping...

Great for the brush although thorns will snag on ripstop nylon more easily than heavy rainpants or cordura but it's really inconsenquential in the big scheme of things...

ula amigo (9ozapprox)or that pur gravity bag filter will allow you to carry 1.25-2 gal's of water up the trail for stealth camping, bathing, or just to have extra at the shelter...or perhaps a platy carry bag ---4L (2.7oz) we are 2 peeps---- nylon bucket etc are nice luxuries...

purell .5 floz plastic sample size weighs 0.8 when full--this will last someone 5-15days depending on whether you carry other soap or if your name is pigpen from peanuts this doesn't matter...

MacGyver2005

10-11-2005, 12:18

... i use aquamira, which uses phosphoric acid (like in mtn dew/coke) to activate the chlorine dioxide (i think) that releases the oxygen that purifies the water...
Part A is 2% chlorine-dioxide. Part B is 5% phosphoric acid.

ClO2 in water forms a mixture of Chlorous acid and chloric acid. That is Solution A. When mixed with a small amount of Phosphoric acid, it changes to HypoChlorous acid and Chlorine dioxide which is a yellow gas. The HypoChlorous acid is a stroing germicide. It is not toxic to humans in small amounts, but is very toxic to many bacteria.

Regards,
-MacGyver
GA-->ME

jackiebolen

10-11-2005, 12:26

Pants...I used a pair of medium weight running tights under shorts for the first bit. Then when it was warm enough, I would just hike with the shorts. I had a pair of lightweight long johns for sleeping in at night that I used for PJ's the entire trip.

alanthealan

10-12-2005, 12:41

I used that bag and was warm/hot, I only zip the bag fully maybe 15 times. I switched to a fleece in the summer.
As far a h2o treatment and bad taste you can try stabilized oxygen it has no taste. I used it until I just quit treating.
I carried rain pants to start never used them except for camp. I also brought long underwear, I used them mostly to prevent chaffing then they went home. For the summer I had a light pair of brushed nylon pants [like exffoical] for camp wear. They were great for bugs and having something dry to put on/sleep in. The summer sweat soaked my shirt/shorts and they never really dried. At the end of summer I switched back to my rain pants. I wished I would have just kept my summer pants instead. As far as warmth you either get in you sleeping bag or walk.
I don't understand why people fore go hot food, but carry a pump and tent. Alcohol stoves don't add much weight if it is efficient and you don't lug liters of fuel. I used the Ion.
I wished I had taken a digital camera.
Has any one ever looked into using stove fuel as a hand sanitizer?
I used a ridgerest to save weight and to not worry about puncher but many folks would never had parted with there therm-a-rest.
I used a water bladder until it fell apart. They are a bit of a pain. Mice chew the valves, they leak, and you can't see how much water you have. I used gator aid bottles. Skinny bottles make dipping water easier. On the other hand some folks love there bladders for hand free quenching.

rambunny

10-12-2005, 17:46

Hi good luck on your hike. Have you considered leaving the tent at home and just setting up the rain fly with a ground cloth? This saved me 3 lbs. I have used denatured alcohol as a hand sanitizer, not sure if i was accomplishing my purpose-anyone know? I used bleach 1 drop per liter for h2o purification-it was kept in a labled eye drpper bottle. I use the disposable rain jackets all the time. Love them. And remember plastic bags can add warmth.

Smile

12-20-2005, 02:30

Completely have overhauled my pack, thanks for all of the great advice! Will post a final list before my thru for another critique.....never too late to go with a lighter piece of gear! Special thanks to Trailtalker who allowed me to try a bunch of her light gear to turn me towards the ultralite crowd!

ScottP

12-21-2005, 20:20

I'd second the aqua mira...It probably won't make you sick, because as cited above, the end effect is what most municipal water supplies use. Iodine has been shown to have some super-long term negative health effects. Everyone here gave great advice...remember to buy your backpack last, after you know how much suspension and volume you need. Also, if you decide to go frameless I would recommend a lot of practice/shakedowns before you hit a long trail with a frameless pack. it doesn't work for everyone.