Gear Question-fusteration

[2011_thruhiker]

Hi,
I am a newbie to the site and I am hoping you all can help me out with my gear issue......

I can't fit my sleeping bag into my pack. I have tried several different bags with packs, coleman, etc and by the time it's all stuffed in my pack, I have no room for anything else, even with a compression bag. And not only that, it's pulling, pushing, tugging (swearing and cursing in between), jumping up and down and sitting on the pack to get it all squished in there....

So, many times I have opted out of bringing the bag with me just because of all the energy used to get it in the pack, but now I am wanting to do some winter hiking (I am getting ready for my thru-hike in 2011) and need to bring a bag with me. What am I doing wrong????? As I am sure it is user error!!! Help me out please!!!!

Thanks!

[2009ThruHiker]

what kind of sleeping bag....and what kind of pack are u using???

[max patch]

You sound like a candidate for a new down bag.

[JAK]

I used to have the same problem in summer, when I tried to get by with a daypack because my regular backpack was just two darned heavy. I used a fanny pack as a front pack. Wasn't much lighter at the end of the day. Finally paid $100 for a Jam2 which solved most of my problems. Anyhow, you need either a bigger pack, or a smaller bag, or you need to ditch some of the rest of your crap.

I have a UL pack that carries 3100ci and I use it in winter.
Its volume gets used up roughly as follows:
800ci for my 72"x28"x0.375" blue foam pad
800ci for my sleeping bag and bivy sack
800ci for my food bag
700ci for my extra fleece layers and odds and sods box.
Other extra layers and water bottles and stuff go on the outside. I also have a Kelly Kettle that doesn't really fit anywhere in winter yet. I don't carry a tent. Just a bivy and rain poncho/tarp. That could save you space. I could also put by blue foam pad on the outside in winter, but prefer it inside.

The other thing you might try is a front pack, until you get a larger pack or a smaller bag or ditch some other stuff. Oh yeah, I save a boatload of space in my pack by wearing a medium/heavy wool sweater and keeping it on all the time and only packing light packable skin/wind/rasin layers most of the time. if extreme winter temps are possible I still need to carry 200wt fleece top and bottoms as extra layers. They do take up alot of room. A little more room would be nice in winter, but a 3100ci pack is workable. A Jam2 is ideal for 2-3 day cross country ski trips, being tall and narrow.

For really long mid-winter excursions you could go the pulk route.

[rafe]

What max_patch said. I'm guessing you have, at present, a bag with synthetic fill. Down compresses much better (especially so for the higher grades, eg. 800 fill versus 600.)

[2011_thruhiker]

I bought my pack at Walmart (not the best pack but great for my 3-4 a day hikes for now, until I decide what I want to upgrade too, as I have hiked a lot but I am not up on the gear thing totally yet, I am on a STRICT budget so I have to choose my gear carefully) I am not sure the model but the diamensions are 15" across, 27" tall, 10" deep. The sleeping bag is Coleman.

This is what I pack:

1. All my food for the entire hike has to fit in a quart sized zip lock bag
2. 1 2 liter bottle of water (clipped on the outside of my pack)
3. 1 change of clothes
4. First Aid kit that fits in a quart sized zip lock bag
5. 1 extra pair of socks
6. Purification pills
7. 10 cotton balls with vaseline for fire starter
8. Tent (straps on the outside of my pack)
9. Camp pot

Ok, see anyting I don't need?

[2011_thruhiker]

Oh forgot, to add, the Coleman sleeping bag was given to me, so my budget for another bag is 100.00. Can you suggest a good bag for that price? I need it to be lightweight and pack well....My budget for a pack is 250.00 anything you can suggest? Anything you see from the stuff that I can forgo? I really need the advice, lol. Thanks!

[Mags]

Oh forgot, to add, the Coleman sleeping bag was given to me, so my budget for another bag is 100.00.

If you can squeeze out another $30 ($20, plus less than $10 S&H), the Campmor house brand down bag is a great budget bag. Light, warm and compressible.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...0&CS_010=40065

Your budget for a pack ($250) is high, so take that $30 and make your budget for a pack $220.

Seriously, you can find many good, light packs for less than $200 now so you should be good to go.

Finally (and many WB regulars are probably sick of this cut and paste ), here's my boiler plate guide to cheap gear:

Quality Gear on the Cheap: If you read those glossy outdoor magazines, you'd think you need a $300 pack, a $300 shell and a $300 fleece. You do not need expensive gear to enjoy backpacking. Often the brand name gear, besides being expensive, is heavy, bulky and overkill for what is supposed to be for the simple joy of walking.


Though written for the Appalachian Trail, the general concepts apply for quality gear on the cheap:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...678#post206678

Some additional information I will add is that you should invest in a decent sleeping bag. The Campmor down bag is rated to 20F and is known as a good budget bag.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...berId=12500226

If you are looking for a light, compressible and warm jacket check out an army liner jacket (mentioned in the above article, but deserves to be emphasized) : http://tinyurl.com/2dfgpk


If you don't mind a bit of sewing, you can make a Montbell Thermwrap clone for less than $20 with the above liner jacket. A men's large comes in at 12oz! Considering a Montbell Thermawrap is $150 and weights 10oz, the cheap way is nice for those on a budget on who need something warm, light and cheap!

Check it out: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41034


Needlong underwear, hats, socks, hats, mittens, etc? Check out Warm Stuff Distributing (formerly known as the Underwear Guys) http://www.theunderwearguys.com All the basics at excellent prices. The items tend to be off-brand, surplus and/or factory irregulars. However, I personally think the off-brand, surplus or irregular is as good (and sometimes better than) the Patagucci clothing. Sometimes warmer, sometimes lighter weight... always cheaper! Fiddlehead (a WB regular) runs this company as well. But, I really do think they have the basics for a good price if you do not have anywhere local/crunched for time.





Finally, for high altitude/desert hiking I suggest a long sleeve polyester dress shirt for the princely sum of $4 from many thrift stores. I've used this type of shirt for literally several thousand miles of backpacking.


The shirt has a handy front pocket that I can stick a map in, too!

(get a short sleeve version for AT hiking)

If you want to lighten up, I'd look into Lighten Up! a Falcon Guide. http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Com...9957158&sr=8-2
A good “meat and potatoes” guide for those who are traditional backpackers and want to lighten up their load.
Not as detailed as other guides, but sometimes too much details gets in the way of the overall
goal. Basically, start with this book if you want to go from 30 lbs
base packweight to 15lbs.

If you are at ground zero for backpacking, I threw together a little primer that may help:
http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.ph...rs-Primer.html

I have my own take on LW bping as well:
http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.ph...s/lwbp101.html


As others have said in the past, the best way to get ready for a backpacking trip is to go backpacking.

By no coincidence, it is also the most fun.

Good luck!

[JAK]

Sounds like you are on the right track and it is mostly just the sleeping bag that is giving you some grief. Just how much of the pack does it take up? There are good options for $100, but you would want to know exactly how much volume you would be saving. If it is taking up 50% of a 4000ci pack then it is definitely for car camping, not for backpacking. You don't have to go to down to make much improvement over a car camper type bag. Those bags can be murder when waterlogged also, but are comfy as heck for car camping.

[2011_thruhiker]

Thank you Mags, I checked out that sleeping bag and really like it so far!!! All your advice is really helpful too. Thank you.

Jak, my bag takes up about 85% of the pack. I like the pack because even though it isn't the best, it is very light weight and comfortable. The downsize to it is lack of useable compartments on the outside. So, for now it works, but definately not for a thru-hike.

The bag is comfortable but a nightmare to pack. So it isn't working at all. Now it';s colder weather up here in the mountains, I have to ditch the bag and get another one.

[skinewmexico]

You can get a Jam2 for $100, or a Golite Pinnacle for $130. Even the new Osprey Exos 58 is only gonna be $200. Take the price difference, and put it in a sleeping bag. I found a LaFuma bag that was 2# and tiny at the REI Outlet (online) for $39, and it has served me well down to about 35 degrees. Be sure to look for used/sale gear. I just got a new Mariposa for $50, and a TNF Beeline for $100.

[aaroniguana]

I love my trusty REI UL45 too but I've found that unless I'm only out for 4 or 5 days, I need more volume. I'll be in the market for a 3000CI bag come Spring.

[budforester]

Fold and roll your sleeping bag so you can lash it across the top and down the sides of your pack. Make a U- shape, like the scouts did in a previous millennium. Keep reading, planning, and shopping. Have fun on some weekend outings, learning what you need and experimenting. Some outfitters have rental gear.

[lunchbx]

go to google and do a search for ultra light backpacking. you might not have the money for all of the suggestions you will find but it will start filling your head with what clothes, food, and accessories you should be bringing. I was also on a strict budget and found all of my gear for free or very cheap at army navy stores and the like. Learn how to modify inexpensive items, or make your own ultralight gear. I have an army issue black synthetic sleeping bag that I went and bought a seperate stuff sack for just to make it pack down well enough to fit everything, my backpack was 60 bucks at an army navy store. shop wise and dont impulse buy and DONT RUSH. take your time picking out the perfect gear for you and your pack and you will eventually find the right setup for you at the price you want. keep at it

[hnryclay]

REI outlet, Campmor, backcountry, and Sierra Trading post all have great prices on good cheap gear. Check them out, they often slash the price of items that are just in last years color scheme, or just are not as popular as they were last year.

[take-a-knee]

Fold and roll your sleeping bag so you can lash it across the top and down the sides of your pack. Make a U- shape, like the scouts did in a previous millennium. Keep reading, planning, and shopping. Have fun on some weekend outings, learning what you need and experimenting. Some outfitters have rental gear.

Yes, and have your spats on, and your 1903 Springfield handy.

[KG4FAM]

Look for REI scratch and dent sales and get there early. They just had one in Kennesaw, GA and I picked up a 320 dollar Gregory Palisade for 125 bucks. Plenty of room all my goodies.

[JAK]

Thank you Mags, I checked out that sleeping bag and really like it so far!!! All your advice is really helpful too. Thank you.

Jak, my bag takes up about 85% of the pack. I like the pack because even though it isn't the best, it is very light weight and comfortable. The downsize to it is lack of useable compartments on the outside. So, for now it works, but definately not for a thru-hike.

The bag is comfortable but a nightmare to pack. So it isn't working at all. Now it';s colder weather up here in the mountains, I have to ditch the bag and get another one.

Holy Smokes that is one Ginormous Sleeping Bag! We have two like that for car camping and backyard camping. Wouldn't dream of humping it anywhere though. If you pack is 15" across, 27" tall, 10" deep that about 4000ci, which is plenty, perhaps less because roundness and such, but it sounds to be like your sleeping bag is one great car camper. I would say its a keeper, but you definitely want something else for backpacking. Sounds like your backpack will do fine for now, and that Mags has you on the right track for a different sleeping bag and such.

3 pounds is a nice weight for a good quality general purpose sleeping bag, whether down or synthetic. The down will outperform the synthetic down to colder sub-zero temperatures, but they will both perform well and hold up well to cold wet condition just above and below freezing, which is the nasty stuff that we have to deal with most and is hardest on sleeping bags and clothes in many ways. A top quality 3 pound down bag can be very pricey though. I don't have my dream bag yet. Might not ever. Lots of good 3 pound bags though, synthetic and lesser quality down bags, so I would aim for something like that on sale someplace. There are some sweet deals in factory outlets sometimes. Gotta do you research for your perfect dream bag, and then find something close enough thats affordable. It might be 0.5 pounds heavier and 400ci pack space bulkier than your dream bag, but be $300 cheaper. For summer you can use the same bag and leave it open with a leg out, or just throw something together if its really warm weather.

[1/4 moon]

as far as packs, ceck out the conduit @ ula-equipment.com , the essence @ sixmoondesigns.com , both of these packs will only cost you about $130 which is way below your budget allowing you to spend more on a quality sleeping bag. Also for $5 at walmart you can get a lightweight sleeping pad that will fit in either one of those. As for a 1 quart ziplock for your food, that seems like pretty small rations to me, i can eat up to a 1 quart ziplock a day(full of food, not the ziplock of course)

[m0rpheu5]

something you may want to look at is a top bag (no insulation on the bottom side). This will compress smaller and the insulation on the bottom is crushed and doesnt do a good job keeping you warm anyways. Top Bags are somewhat more than $100 but you could buy a cheap bag and make a top bag out of it to allow it to compress better and not spend as much money.