View Full Version : a few lessons from first backpacking adventure
1. Don't keep your water filter packed inside your backpack :)
2. Speaking of the water filter, I practiced using it at home before I left. But I only practiced the part where you squeeze the water in the bag, thru the filter, into a bottle. I did NOT practice filling the bag from a "reservoir" -- At home, I just filled the bag from the tap :) ...DON'T DO THAT! fill up your sink enough so that you can try getting water into the bag, as if you're at a lake.
3. A spare camelbak might not be a bad idea. A leaky camelbak is a serious problem!
4. On packing up the next morning, one part I found particularly "energy draining" and time-consuming was packing up the air mattress. I'm on my hands and knees, on the ground, trying to squeeze all the air out of it and fold it up really tight in order to get it back in it's little stuff sack. Kind of an awkward and uncomfortable process. Any hints or tips on this?
What filter? Sawyer i assume?
SteelCut
09-01-2015, 14:46
2. Speaking of the water filter, I practiced using it at home before I left. But I only practiced the part where you squeeze the water in the bag, thru the filter, into a bottle. I did NOT practice filling the bag from a "reservoir" -- At home, I just filled the bag from the tap :) ...DON'T DO THAT! fill up your sink enough so that you can try getting water into the bag, as if you're at a lake.
3. A spare camelbak might not be a bad idea. A leaky camelbak is a serious problem!
If you try to fill up a dirty water bag by lying it flat as if at a lake, you will not be able to fill up at alot of water sources on the AT such as low flow springs. Instead, use a zip lock bag to use to scoop water up and then pinch the opening to form a funnel and pour into dirty water bag. Repeat until dirty water bag is full.
A "spare" anything other than maybe a spare pair of socks makes no sense. Instead use something more leak proof ... like gator aide or smart water bottles. Carrying a couple of these bottles creates your redundancy and more easily replaceable rather than a single large camelback which is a single point of failure.
4. On packing up the next morning, one part I found particularly "energy draining" and time-consuming was packing up the air mattress. I'm on my hands and knees, on the ground, trying to squeeze all the air out of it and fold it up really tight in order to get it back in it's little stuff sack. Kind of an awkward and uncomfortable process. Any hints or tips on this?
Dont stuff into original stuff sack. Leave the extra stuff sacks at home and roll up the pad best you can and place in pack surrounded by sleeping bag and camp clothes to avoid punctures.
What filter? Sawyer i assume?
Yes, mine is the Sawyer.
Shutterbug
09-01-2015, 15:02
...
4. On packing up the next morning, one part I found particularly "energy draining" and time-consuming was packing up the air mattress. I'm on my hands and knees, on the ground, trying to squeeze all the air out of it and fold it up really tight in order to get it back in it's little stuff sack. Kind of an awkward and uncomfortable process. Any hints or tips on this?
This is what I do:
1. Before I get up, I open the valve on the air mattress (thermorest) and allow most of the air to be forced out.
2. I start rolling from the foot and roll the mattress up without folding it. This forces out most of the air.
3. Then I lay it out on the ground cloth and fold the sides toward the middle. With the sides folded in, I roll it tightly. When I get it rolled to the valve, I close the valve and slide the mattress into the stuff sack.
The entire process takes less than 2 minutes.
If you try to fill up a dirty water bag by lying it flat as if at a lake, you will not be able to fill up at alot of water sources on the AT such as low flow springs. Instead, use a zip lock bag to use to scoop water up and then pinch the opening to form a funnel and pour into dirty water bag. Repeat until dirty water bag is full.
Yeah, you can't even fill up the clean bag that comes with this filter system by lying it flat in a lake. That was my point -- better to find this out at home, then once you get to the lake! Mine comes with a syringe -- for the purpose of filling the bag. But, I neglected to bring it with me, since I didn't prepare well enough ahead of time. So, as the topic heading, this was a lesson learned!
"Instead use something more leak proof ... like gator aide or smart water bottles".
I did have a nalgene bottle for redundancy. However, my pack has no pockets that are easy to get to, in which to store bottles like this. The pockets are more towards the back, so you either have to carry them in your hands or hang around your neck, and lose the convenience of the tube that comes with a camelbak, if you only have one, and it breaks. I think an extra one might also be good if you have a long distance to go between water sources....
"Dont stuff into original stuff sack. Leave the extra stuff sacks at home and roll up the pad best you can and place in pack surrounded by sleeping bag and camp clothes to avoid punctures".
Ok, thanks, I'll try that. I've already ditched the stuff sack for the sleeping bag, and I have one for a jacket that I don't use either. I had a bear canister on this trip, taking up a lot of room in the pack, so everything (including the air mattress) had to be as small as I could get it. I won't be taking that thing again, unless I'm somewhere where it's absolutely required!
SteelCut
09-01-2015, 15:06
YMine comes with a syringe -- for the purpose of filling the bag.
The syringe is actually for cleaning the filter via backflushing. Though I suppose you could use it to fill the bag. But I think the zip lock bag (or small cup) method would be easier
swisscross
09-01-2015, 15:38
Cut a smart water bottle in half and use the bottom as a cup/scoop for the water.
Store water filter, bag and what ever in above smart water cup.
Open valve on mattress while in sleeping bag. Fold not roll.
hikernutcasey
09-01-2015, 15:42
A lot of good advice has already been posted but I would just add that so much of your experience will improve by simply doing it again and again. I've got almost half the trail done now and I still tweak how I do certain things after each trip. It's all part of the fun and part of learning what works best for you.
Shutterbug
09-01-2015, 15:50
... 3. A spare camelbak might not be a bad idea. A leaky camelbak is a serious problem! ...
When I fist started backpacking, I carried a lot of redundant items--just in case something failed. Over the years, I have learned to emphasize reliability rather than redundancy. Redundancy adds unnecessary weight. Buy reliable gear, check it carefully before you start and leave the spares at home.
you can also buy a little plastic container of nutter butters, eat them, and then use the cup as a scoop...I saw this on youtube, so I can't claim credit for the idea.
I highly advise having a scoop of some sort because there is a good chance that your water source will not be deep enough to scoop the dirty bag in.
1. Don't keep your water filter packed inside your backpack :)
2. Speaking of the water filter, I practiced using it at home before I left. But I only practiced the part where you squeeze the water in the bag, thru the filter, into a bottle. I did NOT practice filling the bag from a "reservoir" -- At home, I just filled the bag from the tap :) ...DON'T DO THAT! fill up your sink enough so that you can try getting water into the bag, as if you're at a lake.
3. A spare camelbak might not be a bad idea. A leaky camelbak is a serious problem!
4. On packing up the next morning, one part I found particularly "energy draining" and time-consuming was packing up the air mattress. I'm on my hands and knees, on the ground, trying to squeeze all the air out of it and fold it up really tight in order to get it back in it's little stuff sack. Kind of an awkward and uncomfortable process. Any hints or tips on this?
build yourself a funnel with a soda bottle. Cut it in half and tape the two caps together and drill a hole in the caps. Use the bottom half of the bottle as a scoop.
This is what I do:
1. Before I get up, I open the valve on the air mattress (thermorest) and allow most of the air to be forced out.
2. I start rolling from the foot and roll the mattress up without folding it. This forces out most of the air.
3. Then I lay it out on the ground cloth and fold the sides toward the middle. With the sides folded in, I roll it tightly. When I get it rolled to the valve, I close the valve and slide the mattress into the stuff sack.
The entire process takes less than 2 minutes.
Ok, I'll test this out in the backyard. Thanks, Shutterbug!
The syringe is actually for cleaning the filter via backflushing. Though I suppose you could use it to fill the bag. But I think the zip lock bag (or small cup) method would be easier
That's what I thought I had read when I bought it -- that the syringe was for backflushing. That's why I left mine at home. A couple of guys stopped by my campsite, and one of them also had the sawyer filter. He had his syringe, and let me borrow it, and it worked fine for filling the bag -- but I think I agree that a zip lock might be even better; I'll give that a try!
build yourself a funnel with a soda bottle. Cut it in half and tape the two caps together and drill a hole in the caps. Use the bottom half of the bottle as a scoop.
Another good idea...thanks!
JRinGeorgia
09-01-2015, 18:05
The syringe is actually for cleaning the filter via backflushing. Though I suppose you could use it to fill the bag. But I think the zip lock bag (or small cup) method would be easierHowever you use the syringe, it should either touch dirty water or clean water, not both. You should not use it to fill the dirty bag and then also use it to backflush or you risk contaminating the clean end of the filter.
MuddyWaters
09-01-2015, 18:08
I will guess you got some kind of self inflating pad.
First, open the valve while you are lying on it and let most of the air go out before you ever get up.
Then, get up , fold it in half lengthwise, roll it up expelling air as you go, close valve, put rubber band around, stick in pack.
with a neoair, this takes about 30 seconds.
When I fist started backpacking, I carried a lot of redundant items--just in case something failed. Over the years, I have learned to emphasize reliability rather than redundancy. Redundancy adds unnecessary weight. Buy reliable gear, check it carefully before you start and leave the spares at home.
Other than water items, I carry the following which may be considered redundant; an extra short sleeve shirt, and a long sleeve shirt (for layering), extra small fuel cannister -- (how do you know when the "open" one is going to run out?), and batteries for my headlamp.
As for water; Well, for one thing, I'm out west, and I do tend to drink a LOT of water on some of these hot, dry days. Plus I've had problems with a leaking camelbak. What happened is that in the area I was going to hike in (Desolation Wilderness, in the Sierras), they "strongly recommend" a bear cannister. So, when I had everything packed inside the pack, and all squished in really tight, due to the cannister, all was fine -- UNTIL I strapped on the pack and started walking. As soon as I did, I could feel water dripping out of the bottom of the pack, on my butt. Took it down to REI and they couldn't figure out what was going on either. You could take that camelbak (the 3 liter one) out of the pack and squeeze it as hard as you wanted, and it wouldn't leak. But we couldn't get it to stop leaking in the "real world" situation -- being crammed inside the pack with the bear cannister and everything else.
So, I bought an Osprey 2.5 liter bladder, and tested it out, and it worked fine. Got it out on the trail, and the 1st day, all was fine. But when I filled it up the next morning, I was having problems with the lid. I finally thought I had it, got it packed up, started to walk out -- and -- it started leaking! By the time I got it back out of the pack, about a liter had leaked out.
So, it's experiences like this that's driving my thinking about redundancy.
Another thing, regarding the sawyer filter. I recall the REI guy telling me that it's re. ally easy to damage the bag -- to tear it where it's connected to the opening. So I think it's good to have at least a spare for that. Weighs almost nothing.
Odd Man Out
09-01-2015, 20:18
For filling the bladders, I use the cut-off water bottle trick for a bailing bucket that weights only a few grams and can be sued to store the filter. I no longer use the Sawyer bladder. I found it to be too small and had to refill too many times. I have two 1 L Evernew bladders. I want to be able to carry enough water for dry camping, if necessary. But having 2 bladders (rather than one large one) gives you a back up in case one breaks. I am not using these with a hydration hose for drinking on the move.
I too let the air out of the air mattress while on top of it. Then I sit up, pull the pad onto my lap, rotate it so the valve is now down by my feet, and start rolling or folding from the bottom so the air is squeezed out as I go. I will put in back in the stuff sack, just to keep it contained in the pack. I don't worry if parts are sticking out. It gets packed between the clothes bag and the sleeping bag, so I don't see much puncture risk. If the conditions are right, I might do this outside the tent to roll it up, but I don't want the pad to get wet or dirty. I like the idea of being able to pack everything while in the tent, even if it requires a bit more yoga-like maneuvering, but I want to make sure I am able to pack up in the tent if it's raining.
Now you know :)
Half an empty water bottle or a ziplock bag makes a handy water scoop to fill your Sawyer water bladder (I've done both). If you use water bottles, or soda bottles, your Sawyer filter will fit on the top of one so it can be used as a bladder. Most people like Smart Water bottles. I think they are too long, but they could make good water scoops. Deflate your air mattress while lying on it. You can roll it up. It doesn't have to fit into the stuff sack, it just needs to fit into your pack.
There are directions for cleaning/sterilizing your water filter and water bags on the sawyer bags. Don't be afraid to clean the syringe, too. Its used for backflushing, not for filling water bladders, but I suppose it would work for filling the bags. Sawyer has directions on their website, too. I carry a two liter sawyer bladder with my squeeze and my GF carries a one liter bag. It gives us extra water storage when we need to dry camp.
Thanks OddManOut, Muddywaters and all for the advice re. the air mattress!
@jefals
Get a couple Smart Water bottles. Get one with the flip top squeeze top, and a larger one or 2 as well. The squeeze top can also be used to back-flush your Sawyer Squeeze, thus eliminating the syringe. Cut off the bottom of a soda bottle that is just slightly larger than your SmartWater bottle. You can use it to scoop up water at places with minimal water for your dirty bag or bottle. Some folks prefer Gatorade bottles instead of hydration bags as well.
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Vegan Packer
09-02-2015, 00:48
I have very limited experience in this arena, and I was going to post a separate thread on the issue, but....
On a recent trip, my buddy and I came across what amounts to about a cup or fist sized depression for our water collection. He was carrying a heavy pump, and I was carrying plastic bags, a Platypus bag, and a Sawyer mini. The space was very confined, but the base was solid but porous rock, and the water was clear.
On the good side, once water was extracted from the depression, it would take a few seconds to refill from the ground, but it would refill. Once full, it reached a leveling point, and it would stop there without running over, so it wasn't like I could just wait patiently for the depression to runneth over.
I first tried to scoop up the water with the plastic bag. That pretty much got almost nowhere. I tried using a large leaf to build a trail to my collection bag, but that also did nothing, as the water would have to run uphill in order to flow over the leaf and into the bag. The base was rocky, so I couldn't enlarge the depression or create a trail from it to my bag.
After a few tries, my friend pulled out his pump. The little intake fit into the deepression without a problem. Surprisingly, the pump worked great, and we were able to fill four liters in just a few minutes.
Since that episode, I have switched to an MSR Hyperflow. (I still carry my mini as a backup when going solo.) It works great, and it is much faster than dealing with squeezing with the mini. However, this led to my Great Water Bottle Quandary, as I call it.
One of the other great things that I love about the Hyperflow is that it fits right onto their proprietary water bottle lid, the Quick Connect Adapter. I connect the pump onto the lid, and it is set. I can stand upright while filtering, holding the pump with both hands, and it stays connected to the bottle. I don't have to deal with squatting for prolonged periods while trying to aim the stream (often missing with a fair amount) into my storage bottle, which often tries to tip over if not in an ideal, level location. Using the Mini, it became a real pain to try to squeeze with one hand while holding the bottle with the other.
On the bad side, in order to take full advantage of this MSR system, their lid only fits onto their proprietary Quick Connect Adapter lid, and those only fit onto wide mouth bottles, which meant that I had to switch over to heavier Nalgenes, though I did get the lighter versions that are made from HDPE. Sure, I could just go with the pump and not use the lid (and that may be the best that I can do, in the end), but that would bring me back to aiming into the bottle, and having to worry about my water bottles tipping over, which always seems to happen when they are nearly full. :rolleyes: Between the pump, the Nalgenes and the Quick Connect Adapters, this has added more weight to my kit than I would like.
My best compromise would be to have their proprietary connector fitting onto my original bottles with small screw caps, but I am not aware of such an adapter. Jetflow makes an adapter that will go from a wide mouth soft canteen into a Sawyer mini, so I can use that as a backup without having to carry another bag, but the adapter adds a little more weight to the system. It all adds up.
The last alternative would be to just use one of the Quick Connect Adapters onto my canteen bag, and then I can try to carefully pour from there into the lighter bottles.
I love the pump, and I am okay with the added weight of that, but it is the heavier bottles and lids that I'd like to avoid.
That's as far as I have gotten on the issue.
Thanks Vegan Packer for all your great info. As to filling from that depression you mentioned, I'd think that Sawyer syringe would have made that easy. (Someone mentioned that it's really for backflushing, but I think you can use it for both -- assuming you can get clean it between. Or get two syringes).
I am definitely going to check out some more pump options. The sawyer is more work than I'd like -- but it's very lightweight and fits in my pocket -- and there's surely something good about that!
SteelCut
09-02-2015, 06:46
The sawyer is more work than I'd like -- but it's very lightweight and fits in my pocket -- and there's surely something good about that!
Are you using the Mini Sawyer or the larger original size ?? I found the Mini to have too low a flow, took forever to filter a couple of liters of water, and needed to be back flushed constantly. I switched the original squeeze filter and love it. The water flows through the filter mainly by gravity once you give the bag a bit of a squeeze to start the flow. Much easier and much faster and without having to constantly back flush.
LittleRock
09-02-2015, 08:11
3. A spare camelbak might not be a bad idea. A leaky camelbak is a serious problem!
4. On packing up the next morning, one part I found particularly "energy draining" and time-consuming was packing up the air mattress. I'm on my hands and knees, on the ground, trying to squeeze all the air out of it and fold it up really tight in order to get it back in it's little stuff sack. Kind of an awkward and uncomfortable process. Any hints or tips on this?
No need for a spare CamelBak. Just carry a few feet of duct tape. It will patch minor leaks (not gaping holes) long enough to last the rest of your trip or until the next resupply point. CamelBaks are pretty tough - I've never heard of anyone ripping a gaping hole in one.
In general, duct tape is a good thing to bring hiking. It can be used as a "quick fix" for rips and tears in many situations - water container, pack or pack cover, rain gear, tent, shoes/boots, etc. I've even heard of people using it to cover blisters.
On the air mattress, ditch the stuff sack. Roll it up, sit on it to squeeze out the remaining air, then put a rubber band around each end.
build yourself a funnel with a soda bottle. Cut it in half and tape the two caps together and drill a hole in the caps. Use the bottom half of the bottle as a scoop.
Or get a tornado tube from Amazon. Use the top part of a smart water bottle or whatever bottle has the same threads as the Sawyer. I dip the funnel into the water and just let it fill up a Evernew soft bottle.
I will guess you got some kind of self inflating pad.
First, open the valve while you are lying on it and let most of the air go out before you ever get up.
Then, get up , fold it in half lengthwise, roll it up expelling air as you go, close valve, put rubber band around, stick in pack.
with a neoair, this takes about 30 seconds.
Not self-inflating -- I have to blow it up. Btw, I did see a youtube once where a guy used a big plastic bag, like a yard-waste bag, and he was able to inflate his air mattress by squeezing the air from the yard waste bag into the air mattress valve. Neat trick, if you want to carry that extra bag.
Many similar ideas regarding getting that thing packed up. I'll be practicing later today...Thanks everyone!
we have a blow up pad as well, and watching this video helped us. We happen to own this pad, but it could be done with any pad I bet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rNx88aL7uE
we have a blow up pad as well, and watching this video helped us. We happen to own this pad, but it could be done with any pad I bet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rNx88aL7uE
He makes it really look easy! I never did the first roll before. I spent considerable time with it flat, just pressing down on it trying to get most of the air out, then, folding very carefully and slowly rolling it up, squeezing it tightly as I went... A WHOLE LOT SLOWER than this video! So I'll be practicing ! :) Thanks!
TheOneGuy
09-07-2015, 01:46
Maybe obvious, but rolling out all of the air from the pad, plugging it, then unrolling and rerolling/ folding the flat pad should make things super easy.
Rocket Jones
09-07-2015, 18:07
I'm sorry, but after having not one, but two camelback failures, the last thing I would want to do is to keep depending on one, let alone carry a spare. Go for reliability instead. You can rig a tubing/straw/bite valve to fit a standard water bottle cap, if it's that important to you. Or get a bottle holder (or two) that attaches to your shoulder straps. I never understood the desire to keep a potentially leaky water source inside my pack where I'm trying to ensure that my gear stays dry.
iAmKrzys
09-07-2015, 22:42
As for water; Well, for one thing, I'm out west, and I do tend to drink a LOT of water on some of these hot, dry days. Plus I've had problems with a leaking camelbak.
I was never excited about water bladders as I suspect over time it is hard to keep them clean and free of mold.
If you get larger sawyer pouches (e.g. 32-oz) you can use them to carry unfiltered water and filter it later and as long as you don't have a spilling accident you should be fine. I actually carry 2 bags since a puncture would be a significant setback. Also, a small 8-oz water bottle will work to fill a pouch - it will be just more time consuming.
gregpphoto
09-07-2015, 23:15
Bladders are a waste, can break at any time, have fun being dehydrated or dead cuz you wanted weight savings/convenience of a straw. Plus theyre nearly impossible to dry fully when done. Plus not something youre taking to work. Nalgene is king. Recycled plastic bottles just shy of that (great for lightweight, but not for long term use). Water is the most critical thing you carry, more so in some environments than others. You can manufacture shelter and just about everything else to survive but not water. Why so many people chance their enjoyment or even lives with paper thin plastic is beyond me. Ive yet to hike with a pack that didnt accommodate water bottles on the sides, and its not terribly difficult to stop for 4 seconds, reach back, drink, and put it back and be on my way. If youre so time driven that you cant do this, maybe find a new hobby. The woods might not be for you.
Casey & Gina
09-08-2015, 00:40
You can totally fill the dirty bag using a lake or river - just scoop with it. Once at a spring I did not see any pipe so spent some time digging out a hollow in the ground where the water was flowing, and kept lowering the bag into it trying to hold it with enough shape to fill up maybe halfway, then filtering that. After getting almost done, some other hikers came by and pointed out that the main part of the spring, with a fast-flowing pipe, was 20 feet farther down the trail. :/
I have a custom hydration setup that I really like, I will detail it:
* I use Platypus everything except the filter itself, which is a standard (not mini) Sawyer.
* Each of our packs has a 3L bladder. In theory we don't have to fill them all the way, but in practice we do and skip more water source stops. YMMV...3L bladders give good flexibility and either way I am sure there are points where we will be glad to have the capacity!
* I also carry 2 2L platypus bags so we can each carry 5L if we really feel a need to, not that I foresee this happening...or as backups should a bladder fail. They weigh next to nothing.
* I cut the hose for each bladder where the tube comes out of the pack, maybe a foot up from the bite valve, and inserted a quick-release valve. The female side, which automatically does not allow water flow when disconnected, is on the bladder side. I used 2 Platypus quick disconnect kits for this.
* I bought a Platypus 2L dirty water bag and an abundance of extra hose. The bag is a lot nicer and more durable than the Sawyer ones.
* I have permanently-attached two pieces of hose to each end of the sawyer filter - each about 6 inches long. A male quick disconnect end is affixed to each end. The one on the dirty side is grey to match the grey connector on the dirty bag, so no question of confusion. This folds up nicely for storage.
* I have two six-inch pieces of hose with a screw-top end which attaches to the 2L water bottles - one has a male quick disconnect, and the other a female.
10
Here's how it all works:
* I collect water in the Platypus 2L dirty water bag. I then connect the sawyer filter assembly to the dirty bag.
* To refill my pack directly, I disconnect the bite valve piece of tubing, and connect the Sawyer filter directly to the bladder hose. I do not take the Platypus bladders out of our packs ever. This works if I have our packs near the stream. I use Hoser bladders as these are simpler and do not have a risk of anything coming open in the pack.
* If the stream is a hike away from camp/shelter, I instead take the 2L Platypus soft bottles, and the 6-inch tube with the female end, and filter into them, so then I only have to hike to the stream carrying the filter and soft bottles in their stuff sack. When I then return to camp, I use the 6-inch tube with a male end, to connect to the bladder hose, and squeeze the filtered water in to my pack.
* If I am thirsty, I suck water straight out of the sawyer via the male end off the clean side that does not stop water flow when disconnected.
* When done, I grab the dirty hose on the sawyer and swing it around in a circle, which forces all water through and out the clean side, making the pack weight of the filter lighter.
* If I need to backflush the filter, I use a soft bottle full of clean water, with the 6-inch hose with a female end connected to the clean end of the sawyer, and give it a good hard squeeze. More effective than the syringe, and keeps me from having to pack it. The 2 2L soft bottles are less bulky and probably weigh the same as the syringe, and are more versatile.
* If I do need water from a difficult source, I use a titanium cup that's part of my cookware setup to scoop it bit by bit into the dirty bag.
* Since any way I set it up, the connected components are leakproof, I don't have to worry about screwing up and making a wet mess. If I am lazy and not in a hurry, I can use the soft bottles to filter in to, hang up the dirty bag from a branch (using it's included strap), and let gravity do it's job, which works just fine with the Sawyer.
* This all packs neatly into a small stuff sack that my tent's original aluminum stakes came in (I use smaller titanium replacements), and fits into the top pouch on my pack along with other things I like to be able to get at relatively quickly but don't mind taking off my pack to get to (trowel, toiletries, insect repellent, etc.).
Here is the entirety of what is needed for this setup for 2 hikers/packs sharing a single filter setup:
* 2x Platypus Hoser hydration bladders, I use the 3L size. $20 each: http://amzn.com/B001KZGYMW
* Sawyer PointOne Filter - Personal System, 1 pouch. $35: http://amzn.com/B005EHPVQW
* Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Reservoir Replacement Kit. $20: http://amzn.com/B00AZVMS72
* Platypus GravityWorks 4.0L Hose Kit. $16: http://amzn.com/B004LASYJE (maybe you like the hose clamp that came with this for the clean hose on the filter...I found it unnecessary bulk but YMMV)
* 2x Sawyer Inline Adapters for Screw On Filters. $5 each: http://amzn.com/B008JX0QP4
* 3x Platypus Quick Disconnect Kits. $19 each: http://amzn.com/B001HAFJ3A
* 2x Platypus 2L Platy Bottles. $10 each: http://amzn.com/B000J2KEGY (you can get by with just one)
Total cost: $198. Ouch, I know, but a very streamlined system that keeps me happy and efficient when on the trail. If I knew I would end up spending that much starting out I probably would have not done it, but it happened organically over time as I refined my system bit by bit between various hikes. I am extremely happy with the end result!
Casey & Gina
09-08-2015, 00:53
This item, as part of your cookware setup, makes a great backup for water storage if you worry about a bladder failure:
http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-bot-bottle-pot.html
I'm sorry, but after having not one, but two camelback failures, the last thing I would want to do is to keep depending on one, let alone carry a spare. Go for reliability instead. You can rig a tubing/straw/bite valve to fit a standard water bottle cap, if it's that important to you. Or get a bottle holder (or two) that attaches to your shoulder straps. I never understood the desire to keep a potentially leaky water source inside my pack where I'm trying to ensure that my gear stays dry.
Yeah, I mentioned earlier I had a wierd problem with my 3 Liter cbak. Stuffed inside a crammed backpack, (mainly crammed due to bear cannister), and testing in my backyard, the cbak was leaking. But there wasn't a hole in it, and the lid was closed properly. I unpacked it and took it out, and you could squeeze the bag as hard as you could and not get water to come out. But everytime I put it back inside the pack, repacked it and started walking with it, it leaked. Took it down to REI and those guys couldn't figure it out either. Bought a 2.5 liter Osprey, and it worked fine.
So, I know what you're saying, and there are pros and cons. That cbak is 100 ounces. As long as it DOESN'T leak, it's a pretty convenient way to carry that much water. Hard plastic bottles with that much water, I'd think would be a little unwieldy, and obviously anything less requires more water sources, more stopping and filtering/filling....
And I can put mine in the outside pocket of my pack, just in case. I do also carry a 1 Liter nalgene, and I can, if I choose, hook a couple of additional bottles to shoulder straps.
This item, as part of your cookware setup, makes a great backup for water storage if you worry about a bladder failure:
http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-bot-bottle-pot.html
Raptelan, no way can I wrap my head around all that info you posted about your custom setup! :) I was interested in what you said about the extra 2 liter bladder. I've thought about doing the same thing on a long section with limited water source. Camelbak makes a backpack formfitted to the bladder -- so, the only thing you can get in that pack is the bladder that comes with it. (It does have some zippers, and you could probably get some empty ziplock bags in there, or gloves -- something small and flat -- but that's it). And it has shoulder straps. So, I was thinking about using the regular c'bak inside my backpack and loosening up the straps on this other camelbak pack so I could wear that one outside my backpack as well. Now I've got 6 liters.
I tried this setup, walking around in my backyard, with my fully loaded backpack, and this extra one in back. Just walking around the backyard was a little wobbly, and would take some getting used to. But one section I want to do, said that there's 75 miles with no water, so you definitely need something innovative.
Casey & Gina
09-08-2015, 12:40
Raptelan, no way can I wrap my head around all that info you posted about your custom setup! :) I was interested in what you said about the extra 2 liter bladder. I've thought about doing the same thing on a long section with limited water source. Camelbak makes a backpack formfitted to the bladder -- so, the only thing you can get in that pack is the bladder that comes with it. (It does have some zippers, and you could probably get some empty ziplock bags in there, or gloves -- something small and flat -- but that's it). And it has shoulder straps. So, I was thinking about using the regular c'bak inside my backpack and loosening up the straps on this other camelbak pack so I could wear that one outside my backpack as well. Now I've got 6 liters.
I tried this setup, walking around in my backyard, with my fully loaded backpack, and this extra one in back. Just walking around the backyard was a little wobbly, and would take some getting used to. But one section I want to do, said that there's 75 miles with no water, so you definitely need something innovative.
I will try to take some pictures or maybe make a YouTube video later. I am really not much into those sorts of things but pictures are worth a thousand words and all.
Last time I was on the AT I saw a couple hiking who had their hydration bladders attached with a caribiner or something to the outside of their packs and it seemed to work just fine. Personally, I like a larger pack that fits everything inside than a smaller one with a bunch of stuff strapped onto the outside of it, but to each their own, either can certainly work!
I also see that a lot of people on the trail don't filter at all, at least at the springs. I reckon springs are probably a pretty safe source but personally I filter everywhere just to be on the safe side. Doesn't take much time or hassle.
Casey & Gina
09-08-2015, 12:51
Another lesson I learned from shakedown hikes... We initially bought Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite pads. Pretty pricey and honestly didn't find them very comfortable to use. I guess you can get used to anything, but we are used to sleeping on a firm futon at home so a firm surface seemed preferable. Noticed a lot of hikers having Ridgerest or XLite pads strapped to their packs. After our first weekend out, we bought RidgeRest Classic closed cell pads to try out, took both and ended up liking them much better. Returned the NeoAir pads and saved all the money I spent on the hydration setup, hah! The closed cell pads weigh one ounce more each and are very bulky, but yield us a better night sleep and the added bulk is really not any problem. I love that they are rugged and I don't have to worry about puncturing them too. Just goes to show that more expensive is not always better FOR YOU, and despite all the reviews and reading you may do online, you don't really know how well you will like something until you get out there and try it out!
I had a bear canister on this trip, taking up a lot of room in the pack, so everything (including the air mattress) had to be as small as I could get it. I won't be taking that thing again, unless I'm somewhere where it's absolutely required! I'm pretty sure that most of the bears in Tahoe live in town. I've been on the TRT at least 40 days and never seen a bear on the trail. My brother lives in Incline and he had a bear living in his dumpster for a number of months (the old dumpsters that didn't lock...). Every year, a bear or two walks into the Incline Hyatt employee cafeteria for a snack.
I just use my cook pot to pour the water into the Sawyer bottle or a Platypus.
flemdawg1
09-08-2015, 13:37
I've used camelback bladders for 8 years. Only once have I had one leak (pinhole). They aren't as difficult to clean and dry as other make them out to be. And the convenience of drinking while moving is worth whatever overblown hassles have been mentioned.