View Full Version : Inexpensive gear recommendations
Prettywoman0172
09-20-2010, 13:02
I am looking for an inexpensive pack, sleeping bag and hiking boots for my 13yr old daughter to use on 1-4 day hikes. It will need to fit her sleeping bag, pad, clothes and some of the food and water. If she ends up hiking any long distances with me I will be willing to upgrade her pack, bag, pad and boots. I just want to make sure that she is really interested first.
After 7 miles last weekends she told me that I must have a stress fracture in my head if I thought hiking was actually fun. But the next day she came racing home from school to tell me she had a 4 day weekend coming up and wanted to go hiking :)
Hell, I dont even know if I am really interested yet. :) Its hard and it hurts..but I just cant get that trail outta my head.
Thanks.
A
Look at packs in the 'daypack' category. There are some nice packs that would double as book bags for school. Buy on sale. Nothing too technical. Jansport 'big student' and some others about 2000ci or less.
Also with kids, base camping is a good idea. Take day hikes, with packs for lunch and emergency gear and layers and 10 essentials. Go to scenic vistas and such then head to your camp for marshmallows and ghost stories around the fire.
Kids are not interested in miles on the trail, they want 'peak' experiences with you and stories to tell their friends.
LOL. I've been wondering what to get my daughter for her birthday, something that might rekindle her hiking spirits. Thinking about a small pack, or trail runners. She will turn 11, but only weighs 65 pounds. You are very lucky she is motivated at 13. I'm going snakey this fall.
Hard to get good lightweight stuff in kids sizes. Such a HUGE variety of adult stuff, but so little variety of good lightweight kid's stuff. I think kids could benefit from UL stuff even more than adults, especially to keep them motivated.
It would be awesome if a smaller ULA pack fit her.
Torso height? If 15" or close a ULA CDT is supposed to fit.
http://www.ula-equipment.com/cdt.asp
Mountain Wildman
09-20-2010, 13:21
Jansport makes very affordable packs and they come with a lifetime warranty.
Sierra Trading Post has a lot of good deals on everything you mentioned and Campmor as well in their Hot Deals section listed under Sales.
bigcranky
09-20-2010, 13:22
For a sleeping bag I would highly recommend the Campmor 20-F down bag. It's not expensive and it's light and compact and warm. It's a better choice all around than a 20-F synthetic bag for most hikers. The other option is one of the REI down bags -- I think the Halo is the current model, these are often on sale for very good prices.
As for hiking boots, what is she wearing now? I'd go for comfort over everything else -- a decent low cut lightweight hiking shoe or trail runner.
Pack: I have an original Gregory Z-pack in size Small that my daughter used when she was that age. It's a reasonable compromise between weight and carrying capacity and cost. Whether it fit properly or not depends of course on your daughter. But if you are interested you can PM me for details and I can offer you a very good price on it.
Here is a pack I use as a daypack. It's changed a little. It is usally reduced to $50 at patagonia factory outlets, like in Freeport Maine. It can function as a light overnighter because it has nice bottle pockets. It might not carry all she wants if she is big, and won't fit her if she is small.
Maybe it will work though. Works for me in summer for short overnighters.
http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-lightweight-travel-pack-bag?p=48816-0-609
So will small adult sizes fit her?
Prettywoman0172
09-20-2010, 13:31
My 13yr old daughter is 5'6 and about 230lbs. So adult sizes are what I am looking for. She is wearing sneakers right now and lots of cotton. I have a North Face day pack and an LL bean Lumbar day pack. Both are just too small. We cannot even get her sleeping bag in there. I am not interested in base camping right now. Her and I have done loads of that. We drove the East Coast this summer and camped all the way. It was during 8 days in the Michaux State Forest that I found the AT. I am interested only in walking right now. She knows that is says she is on board. I still dont want to invest a whole lot just yet though ;)
A
IronGutsTommy
09-20-2010, 13:38
yeah for that body type shes basically an adult. you can find deals though. id just go site hunting , they all have sale and clearance sections
A good light pack would do you both good. I think the ULA packs are the better packs, but the Go-Lite Jam2 can safe some $$. I got my Go-Lite Jam2 for $100, in Large, at 20oz for 4200ci. The ULA Circuit is $200 and 36oz for 4200ci, but is supposed to be the better pack. The smaller ULA Packs might make better choices than either, if you can pack small enough. Personally I like the extra volume. You can often save weight by not having to worry about volume too much. It can make a blue foam pad easier, for example, which will safe both weight and $$$ for the same warmth. You can bring a sleeping bag without overcompressing it also, and go with a cheaper bag that might not compress as well for the same warmth. The ULA Ohm and CCDT are still a decent size though, and lighter and cheaper than $200 Circuit but I think pushing it for multidays into Spring and Fall. The Go_lite Jam2 is a very good choice at $100, if you can find it on sale as I did.
For hiking shoes or trail runners she need to try them on. At 230 she will want something with cushion and support, but a trail runner might still work very well. I've bought alot of trail runners on sale. Sales are great, but they need to fit well also. I have a great pair that are everything I want in a trail runner, except proper width. lol. So they must fit. After that I look for support, cushion, and toe protection. The more weight on your feet, the more support, cushion, and toe protection you need, so it depends on how light I am travelling. What I always look for though is something that will not absorb any water. I don't want waterproof. I actually prefer something that drains well. But I don't like material and padding that holds water. They don't just dry slower, but you can't even change your socks without them being instantly soaked, unless you go to liners or something. Best I've found is something that just drains really well and doesn't absorb water. Then you can still use liners if you want to be dry, but most times I prefer slightly damp wool socks that are breathing really well.
brotheral
09-20-2010, 14:15
Jansport makes very affordable packs and they come with a lifetime warranty.
Sierra Trading Post has a lot of good deals on everything you mentioned and Campmor as well in their Hot Deals section listed under Sales.
Have to agree that Jansport makes some decent packs at reasonable prices. I have a Cordillera 33 that I use for long day hikes where I want to pack a good lunch, rain gear, and misc emergency gear. I'm sure you could find a decent framed backpack for < $ 100.00.
I would get a boot or shoe with good support. Look for good sales.... I've found them at Sierra Trading (excellent return policy) and CampMor.
Also: make sure the waist belt is properly sized...
Happy Trails
I suggest reading the article How to Dirtbag like a Professional in the articles section of this web site. You'll get some good ideas for low-cost gear.
A great sleeping bag can really keep the motivation level up. At 5'6" you can save some weight and stay warmer with a shorter bag. Fit and features like the neck baffle, and a really warm and snug hood area, are very important for getting maximum warmth for a given weight. For saving $$$, you can go with synthetic or 600fill bags on sale, but you still need a good design and a good fit. The shell material should be light. Most of the weight should be in the insulation. For a 5'6" person you should be able to get alot of good year round use out of a bag in the 2 to 2.5 pound range. I would get a good Spring/Winter/Fall bag first, as you can always wing it mid-summer with a blanket or just bring the 2.5 pound bag. Winter might be sketchy, but you can still take shorter overnights closer to trailheads on warmer weekends. Shorter trips mean more predictable weather, but you still have to be careful at higher elevations.
brotheral
09-20-2010, 14:25
For example :I just checked at Campmor. They have a "Big Bear 63", 13'-16'' torso. Retail at $135.00. Hot Deal for $59.97.
You'll certainly be able to find something new or used....
Danielsen
09-20-2010, 16:03
I have used several of the cheap, no-reputation Outdoor Products backpacks and loved them. Wal-mart carries the Arrowhead and Skyline packs. I use a modified arrowhead as a frameless UL pack and the stock Skyline pack as my go-to pack for just about everything. I also have their Pinnacle pack, available through campmor, whose suspension fits me better than any of the expensive name-brand packs I've owned. I recently got it out of the closet and stripped it down and it's now a very comfortable sub-3-pounder that should make an excellent winter pack.
All 3 of those were purchased for about $30 apiece. Might be worth a look, for you.
Also, the campmor 20 down bag is probably the best value you can find in packable 3-season bags anywhere.
A blue closed-cell foam pad cut to size is cheap, lightweight, and highly functional.
Walmart's athletic wear line is good for some base layers.
Plenty of good deals out there. Shouldn't be too hard to get her outfitted. :)
Old Hiker
09-20-2010, 16:06
Also check Wal-Mart's sporting goods dept when hunting season is here. They have a pretty good selection of camo backpacks that seemed pretty functional, if a bit on the heavy side. Not too expensive, either. Try to catch them on sale after the season starts to wind down.
I have an REI Rising Star pack that I bought for my son about 10 years ago. It's been used twice, has a shortish torso, twin aluminum stays, a large stretch mesh pocket on each side, and a top lid with 2 pockets that I'd be willing to sell. I kept it in case my wife ever decided to hike overnight again, but at this stage in the game it's not likely she will. I think I paid around $80.00 for it and would be willing to sell it for $40.00 plus shipping. If your daughter doesn't like it I will refund all but the shipping costs. I would like to see someone actually use it and enjoy it. It's forest green and black and the capacity is around 3,000 cu. in.
mister krabs
09-20-2010, 18:18
For example :I just checked at Campmor. They have a "Big Bear 63", 13'-16'' torso. Retail at $135.00. Hot Deal for $59.97.
You'll certainly be able to find something new or used....
it's 44 and purple at sunny sports. (http://www.sunnysports.com/Prod/CategoryID_2179/Context_2144/Sort_Price/DescSort_0/JNSBB63.html?Hit=1)
I second the campmor sleeping bag
Feral Bill
09-20-2010, 20:17
I have an REI Rising Star pack that I bought for my son about 10 years ago. It's been used twice, has a shortish torso, twin aluminum stays, a large stretch mesh pocket on each side, and a top lid with 2 pockets that I'd be willing to sell. I kept it in case my wife ever decided to hike overnight again, but at this stage in the game it's not likely she will. I think I paid around $80.00 for it and would be willing to sell it for $40.00 plus shipping. If your daughter doesn't like it I will refund all but the shipping costs. I would like to see someone actually use it and enjoy it. It's forest green and black and the capacity is around 3,000 cu. in.
My kids grew up with a couple of these. My son outgrew his and modified it into a daypack. My daughter (20) still uses hers. Neither has ever complained about these packs They are well worth considering.
FB
Funny, if I had only paid $60 for my 6 pound Kelty I might still be using it.
But I paid $200 or more, on sale, so I learned to hate it and gave it away to my buddy.
With friends like me, who needs enemies. lol