Newbie Weekend Hiking

[monster8]

First post here, a lot of good reading! Yesterday I did the AT approach trail from the base of the falls to springer mountain and back for the first time. Whoo! It was a long but good hike. I would like to start camping/hiking for the whole weekend.
I have just been using a black Targus backpack that I used while in college to carry my books around. Problem is, my back is dripping with sweat while hiking, not exactly a hiking backpack! :)
I just ordered a Tarptent Contrail, neoair regular and repair kit.
Do I just sleep directly on the neoair? Or do I get some sheets, or some light quilt or sleeping bag? I keep reading posts about people recommending a certain sleeping bag or a quilt for summer, but they are all like 250 dollars and up! Are these expensive things the popular choice for summer camping? I guess I am looking for some popular recommendation for light, cheap, summer sleeping.
From reading many posts on here I settled on the contrail and neoair as they seemed to very popular choices and are highly rated. I haven't found these for sleeping bag/quilt or a backpack.

It also seems as though Leki is a popular choice for some hiking sticks, so I think I will order the Thermolite AERGON Antishock, as my joints can't handle the trail without some support.

[monster8]

Wow, my brain must be still on the trail, the topic should have read "Newbie Weekend Hiking".

[daddytwosticks]

Welcome! If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy some cheap, lightweight gear first and take many short weekend hikes. Use these short hikes as shakedowns...look at what gear others are using and ask questions...most everybody on the trail loves to talk gear. Do more research here on this site, especially search for threads on hiking cheaply (dirtbagging, $300 challenge, etc.). Have fun and don't stress the gear choices too much. :)

[gregp]

Keep your eye on Steep and Cheap (http://www.steepandcheap.com/?CMP_ID=PD_GOO005&CP=Google&CMP=KNC-Google&mv_pc=250&s_kwcid=TC%7C5489%7Csteep%20and%20cheap%7C%7CS%7Cb %7C2660722881) for anti-shock Lekis. I've seen them a couple of times this weekend for $60.

As for the bag, a lot of folks recommend the Campmor bags. They really are a good price for what you get. campmor 20 degree down bag (http://www.campmor.com/goose-down-20-degree-mummy-sleeping-bag-regular-1.shtml?source=CI&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=40065) Might be a little warm for summer but you can always just drape it over you like a blanket.

Good luck! Lots of great advice to be found on this site.

:welcome

[HiKen2011]

I just use ski poles for hiking. I have 3 sets that I bough from Salvation Army store for $2.00 per set! I just bring them home and cut off to fit me. They are not adjustable, but for 2 bucks who cares.;)

Detour

[Mountain Wildman]

Welcome Monster8,
I purchased the fitted sheet for my Large NeoAir mainly for summer sleeping when I will use a light sheet or blanket instead of a sleeping bag, It makes it a lot easier to roll over on the mattress and the mattress stays under me instead of being pushed out from under me when I roll over or move, Also a little more comfortable than sleeping on the somewhat sticky grippy NeoAir surface.
A good backpack and popular choice might be something like an Osprey or Deuter, They both offer an "Air" model that allows air flow between the pack and your back.
As far as summer sleeping, I have done all of my camping here in the Northeast in Connecticut, Mass, New York and Vermont and in the summer I usually slept with my sleeping bag unzipped and just pulled it over me during the night when I got chilled a little, I would imagine it is much warmer where you live. I plan on using just a bed sheet or light blanket in the hot summer months and my Feathered Friends Winter Wren for the colder months on my Thru-Hike next year.
Good choice on the Tent and mattress!! Leki are good and popular poles and have a lifetime guarantee from what I understand. I purchased a set of Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles and may switch to Leki if they fail me.

[ChrisFol]

First post here, a lot of good reading! Yesterday I did the AT approach trail from the base of the falls to springer mountain and back for the first time. Whoo! It was a long but good hike. I would like to start camping/hiking for the whole weekend.
I have just been using a black Targus backpack that I used while in college to carry my books around. Problem is, my back is dripping with sweat while hiking, not exactly a hiking backpack! :)
I just ordered a Tarptent Contrail, neoair regular and repair kit.
Do I just sleep directly on the neoair? Or do I get some sheets, or some light quilt or sleeping bag? I keep reading posts about people recommending a certain sleeping bag or a quilt for summer, but they are all like 250 dollars and up! Are these expensive things the popular choice for summer camping? I guess I am looking for some popular recommendation for light, cheap, summer sleeping.
From reading many posts on here I settled on the contrail and neoair as they seemed to very popular choices and are highly rated. I haven't found these for sleeping bag/quilt or a backpack.

It also seems as though Leki is a popular choice for some hiking sticks, so I think I will order the Thermolite AERGON Antishock, as my joints can't handle the trail without some support.

-First thing that I would do is return your NeoAir, IMHO it is an expensive and over-rated piece of gear. Get yourself a nice CCF pad and put that additional $100 that you have just saved towards one of those "expensive things" from Western Mountaineering, Feathers Friends or Montbell etc. This IMHO is a much better investment.


-Forget the antishock poles-- another marketing gimic. Save yourself $30 (put that towards the bag also) and over 10oz in weight and look at a pair of Lightrek 4's.

-Purchase your pack last, the idea is to get your pack to fit your gear and not your gear to fit the pack.

- Since you are interested in summer camping, have you thought about a tarp+biviy set-up? $70, 13oz 8x10 tarp and a $120 bivy (TiGoat) totals $190. Which is $10 less than the contrail and about 1lb lighter.

[gregp]

The contrail only weighs 24oz. You'd be hard pressed to find a tarp-bivy combo a pound lighter than that. And definitely not for $190.

[Slo-go'en]

Since you live in the deep south, a cheap fleece bag from Wal-Mart will be more than enough for the summer and maybe even into the early fall. If you get serious about this and want to extend the seasons, then get a real bag. For now, put you money into a good pack, then into some titanium cooking gear.

[LIhikers]

In the heat of summer I've used a fleece blanket that I paid $15 dollars for.

[Tinker]

If you're talking strictly summer hiking (and in the South), I'd recommend that you don't get anything warmer (colder rated) than a 40 degree bag, unless you're an extremely cold sleeper - that's up to you to determine. Just carry extra clothes for a cold summer night. Also: a tent holds a lot of warmth, uncomfortably so in the summer (that's why I started hammocking, at first summer only, and now year-'round) so you won't need a really warm bag. For summer ground sleeping a blow up air-only mattress will be more comfortable. A down, fiber, or foam filled mattress is insulation which will direct your body's heat back to you. A very thin piece of closed cell foam can be used underneath the pad to protect it from sharp objects or on top of the pad if you need insulation during a summer cold snap.

[ChrisFol]

The contrail only weighs 24oz. You'd be hard pressed to find a tarp-bivy combo a pound lighter than that. And definitely not for $190.

Hmm, really? How about a 6x8, 9.2oz tarp from Campmor for $60 and a TiGoat Ptarmigan bivy for $120/6.8oz.

Total: $180/16oz-- half a pound lighter and $20 in the pocket. Spend an extra $10 for a bigger (8x10) tarp and you will still save $10 and about 4oz.

Lets not forget that this is also a more versitile set-up and protects better against the elements in the correct pitch than a Contrail. I can also leave the biviy at home if need be and just bring a head net and save another 6.5oz, but I digress.

[gregp]

Hmm, really? How about a 6x8, 9.2oz tarp from Campmor for $60 and a TiGoat Ptarmigan bivy for $120/6.8oz.

Total: $180/16oz-- half a pound lighter and $20 in the pocket. Spend an extra $10 for a bigger (8x10) tarp and you will still save $10 and about 4oz.

Lets not forget that this is also a more versitile set-up and protects better against the elements in the correct pitch than a Contrail. I can also leave the biviy at home if need be and just bring a head net and save another 6.5oz, but I digress.

Yeah really Chris. In your first post you said "about a pound" and now you're saying about half a pound. You also aren't including guylines and stakes for the tarp in that weight which are included in the weight of the contrail. You also aren't including a ground cloth which would be a good idea with the set up you are suggesting. Your set up is indeed more versatile, but also more complicated and IMO requires more experience to safely use than the contrail. Personally, I think he made a good choice for his shelter all things considered.

[ChrisFol]

Yeah really Chris. In your first post you said "about a pound" and now you're saying about half a pound. You also aren't including guylines and stakes for the tarp in that weight which are included in the weight of the contrail. You also aren't including a ground cloth which would be a good idea with the set up you are suggesting. Your set up is indeed more versatile, but also more complicated and IMO requires more experience to safely use than the contrail. Personally, I think he made a good choice for his shelter all things considered.

Greg, my tarp with guylines and the cords on weighs 9.8oz. The inexpensive 6x8 will also weigh under 10oz. Vargo Ti Stakes, 2oz for 8 stakes and a piece of cut down and shaped tyvek is approx 1.5oz. Total is 13.3oz. That is pretty close to a pound off.

A bivy is an optional piece of gear depending on the weather expected, but for an extra 7oz it is nice to have. NB, I don't use a ground cloth with a bivy.

Anyway, this conversation is getting a little silly. My very basic point was that there are lighter and more inexpensive set-ups than a Contrail. With that said, I do agree with you that the OP made a good choice with his shelter. However my only gripe with the Contrail, if I may say so, is that its pitched shape offers very little in the way of serious wind protection and if I was the OP I would also consider the Moment, which is $15 more and 4oz heaver, but you get better protection and a useable vestibule.

[bigcranky]

Hmm, really? How about a 6x8, 9.2oz tarp from Campmor for $60 and a TiGoat Ptarmigan bivy for $120/6.8oz.

Hey, Chris,

Yes, you can get a nice light tarp and bivy combo. However, a 6x8 tarp is VERY small and NOT a good choice for a beginning hiker, IMHO. The Tarptent Contrail is much easier to set up and provides a lot more interior space and protection.

A 6x8 tarp is something for an experienced tarper (er, tarpist?)



Hiya, Monster,

You'll want to find something to stay warm -- sleeping bags are the most commonly used option. You'll want something made for backpacking, not one of the huge car-camping bags at wallymart. You can buy a nice summer bag for under a hundred bucks, just get a synthetic mummy bag rated to about 40-F degrees. Later on you can buy a warmer and more expensive bag for colder weather.

Yes, sleep on the Neoair. Inside the Tarptent, natch.

Backpacks -- you're going to get sweaty in most backpacks. If you live in the area, your best bet might be to go to Mountain Crossings outfitter on the Trail at Neels Gap in GA. They should be able to help you find a decent pack without spending a ton of cash.

Wear synthetic clothes, like nylon or polyester, and avoid cotton, even in summer. (Cotton gets wet and doesn't dry very quickly.)

Take a look at the sample lists on the front page of Whiteblaze, and read the Dirtbagging article on how to shop for good gear without spending a lot.

Happy trails.

[ChrisFol]

Hey, Chris,

Yes, you can get a nice light tarp and bivy combo. However, a 6x8 tarp is VERY small and NOT a good choice for a beginning hiker, IMHO. The Tarptent Contrail is much easier to set up and provides a lot more interior space and protection.

A 6x8 tarp is something for an experienced tarper (er, tarpist?)


Agreed, I always recommend a large (8x10), cheap, silnylon tarp to beginners and stress the importance of practicing to set it up beforehand in one's backyard until they are comforatable doing so.

With the 6x8, I was just showing what is possible as far as weight and options are concerned-- once the user has aquired the experience, then trimming weight is easy.

[monster8]

Wow! I wasn't expecting so many replies so quickly! Thank you for all the great information!
I will definitely keep doing the research, so much information, taking me a while to digest.

gregp, thanks for the tip on Steep and Cheap, I didn't know about this site.

I went with the NeoAir over a standard pad due to my side/stomach sleeping habits. I just can't sleep well on anything relatively hard (even some regular mattresses at my parent's house). And, I am only 25! Eeek! :)

Thanks ChrisFol for the suggestions on the tarp. Now I know how to go light! :) I figured I would give the Contrail a whirl first since it seemed fairly simple, and then if I start really getting into this I can upgrade/downgrade to the tarp bivy setup. :)

Thanks for the tips on the fleece blanket and sleeping bags. I will do some more research into these. Maybe I will just wear my snuggie! haha
The campmor 20 degree bag is fairly cheap at 120.

I also didn't know there were fitted sheets for the neoair, nice!

[mykl]

Slumberjack actually makes some decent 40 degree bags that come in rectangular or mummy. A lot of their bags are light and pack small, not to mention cheap, around $60-. I've been using the 40 degree Slumberjack Talon long for about 4 years now, for the summer. Its holding up very well after lots of use and abuse. Used it last week with lows in the mid forties and was warm and comfi. You don't need to spend a lot, its a choice to for the most part. Save your $, enjoy the trail and this board.
Check some of these out
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/SubCategory___40000000226_200368355?ip_navtype=Adv ancedSearch&catFilter=&searchKeywords=200368355&ip_sortBy=&filters=Manufacturer%20Name%7ESlumberjack%7ESlumbe rjack%20%2819%29&ip_constrain=&pageSize=24&catType=&searchCategory=browsefilter&manNameFilter=&sizeFilter=&ip_state=&priceFilter=&currentPage=&colorFilter=

[Rick500]

Also watch for Black Diamond trekking poles on steepandcheap.com ... I bought a pair a few weeks ago and they're great. A bit cheaper than the Lekis.

(Disregard if you're taller than 5' 10"...)

[tammons]

Since you are starting out and you already have an ultralight pad and ultralight tent you might as well keep on shopping for lightweight equipment.

The basic formula you want to follow for a 3 season pack is 6# for the big four, IE tent, pad, sleeping bag and pack, and 6# for everything else. That will put you at a 12# base weight without food or water.

For packs you could go with a used Jam II for now but it might be too small depending on the rest of your Eq. Best to buy a new pack last.

Better yet would be a Gossimer Gear Mariposa plus but its expensive.

Neither have an external frame to keep the pack totally off your back, but external frame packs are heavy.

There are some internal frame packs that have superb mesh that rides on your back and that helps a lot.

You want a pack liner and a pack rain cover too. A liner is just a trash compactor bag. A rain cover you can buy or make. If you have an extended poncho then you dont need a pack rain cover.

That said if you want to try an external frame pack there should be plenty of used ones around.

I would also carry an elcheapo Walmart blue pad and put your neoair on top of that for extra protection. Thats good in the winter too for extra ground insul.

Get some frost king sliding glass door film and cut to fit the contrail and use that under your tent floor for more protection.

You need a sleeping bag of some sort or a quilt.
A 45dF bag would be a good one. You want to keep that under 2# if possible.

Campmor sells a down mummy, 20dF 2#4oz for $120. Thats really too warm for summer but perfect for colder weather. They also sell a Slumberjack tourlite 40 for $50, 2#4oz and that would be good for summer. Its probably more like a 50d bag. I have never used either.

That takes care of the big four and will end up at around 6# if you get a light pack.

If in very hot weather a fleece bag or bag liner would work too. They are light but a bit bulky. You could also just go buy a length of fleece on sale somewhere and sew in a footbox for a fleece top quilt.

For the rest of your equipment, check out my list. To keep that under 6# you will need to spend some $ on a few things like insul cloths for 3 seasons.

Get a set of driducks rain gear. ITs cheap and light. Cost about $12 on sale.

Make your own gear (MYOG) an alcohol beer can stove and cookset and learn how to bag cook.

A aquamira filter, some tubing, some chlorine drops and a couple of 32oz water bottles makes a cheap and ultralight water setup.

Buy a good electronic oz scale and either do a complete list or a spreadsheet before you buy anything else. Then you wont buy anything too heavy, and have to sell all your heavy gear alter to buy new lighter stuff later.

Go to my list for some ideas on the balance of Eq and how much it should weigh.
Keep in mind that is a hammock setup so my big 4 will be a bit different.

You might want to add or subtract some things.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ArT1lVGeXD9EdEhVZGNMdTdYSlhIN2VCTF8zMHpRZ kE&hl=en