New gear for old hikers -- big 4 plus a couple

[George in VA]

Hi All,


My wife and I are coming off a 10 year backpacking hiatus and are looking to re-do our gear from what we used in the Colorado high country during the 1990's to hiking on the AT in Virginia where we now live. We'll mostly be doing 30 to 60 mile chunks of the AT with the slight possibility of a thru-hike in a couple years or so. We'll be using the gear from April through late September. The goal is to be out hiking with a total pack weight of about 30lbs for me and 25lbs for her including food and fuel.

I'm 45, 6'2", and 215lbs. My wife is 5'10" and weighs a lot less. Both in good shape. We tend to do most of our hiking together. With all the post Christmas sales and coupons going on, here's some of the major gear we're thinking about replacing.

1. Switching out our Sierra Designs Stretch Dome 4 season tent for a Tarptent Rainshadow 2. 9lbs to about 2.5lbs.

2. Replace our old Peak 1 Feather 442 dual fuel stove and pot for a Caldera Cone keg alcohol stove and pot. 2.5lbs to about 8oz.

3. We use a Marmot Moraine semi-retangular Dryloft shelled sleeping bag and a cloth coupler. Total weight with stuff sack is 4lbs 14oz. I think we'll keep using this as it's only 2.5 lbs each and is very warm, roomy, and comfortable. Long sized bag by itself is 3lbs 7oz.

4. Switch our packs from a pair of large sized Dana Design's Terraplanes to one ULA Circuit ( for me ) and one ULA OHM ( for her ). A weight drop from 8lbs each to about 3lbs each. NOTE: Final pack types will be based on actual purchased gear weight and volume but the ULA's should work if I meet my goals.

5. Switch our old orange Thermarests for new NeoAir's. 2.5lbs each to about 1 pound each.

and my favorite one of all...

6. Drop heavy leather boots, crampons, ice ax, etc for a single pairs of 14oz. trail runners and some Leki corklite trekking poles!!! :)


Let me know what you think -- especially as it relates to a couple hiking together in somewhat warm weather on the southern AT.


There is a bunch of other gear related stuff ( clothing etc. ) I need to check on but I'll do that in separate posts.


Thanks,

George

[Storm]

I'm still pretty new to this backpacking thing but it sounds like you are on the right track to lighten up. I bought a ULA Catalyst and am totally satisfied with it. Don't think you can go wrong ULA packs, haven't heard anyone putting them down.

Since I hike alone I went with the Tarptent Moment and have to say they are also a great company to deal with. Good luck and see you on the trail.:sun

[Blissful]

Sounds good George. Good selections. Weight is in ounces though, so watch your other necessities that can quickly add up

[Franco]

Hi George
I just got all excited about a couple of extra bits of gear that arrived yesterday so I expect that you should be a lot more excited to get all those new toys.
We have similar taste.
I have both the first and the current versions of the Circuit. The old works very well at 25 or so lbs but can do 35 or so. The new one (roll top) is slightly larger too.
Haven't used that apart for some quick tests.

My Caldera Cone is the TiTri version from TiGoat, 550ml. I like the wood burning option.
The 750ml would be the closest to the Keg set up, but for two maybe the 900 would be better (?)
The Neo works well for me too and of course I use the TT shelters but only the solo versions.
(the Rainshadow is BIG)
Franco

[Rocket Jones]

Something else to consider about the Rainshadow is that you enter from the front. A model like the Double Rainbow has dual doors, one on each side. Some prefer that.

[Grits]

Go under forum and check out the articles section of whiteblaze there is a lot of good information there that will help.

[BrianLe]

Looks like a lot of fine choices to me; my one comment is along the line of what Rocket Jones said. My wife and I use a Tarptent Squall 2, which is quite similar to the Rainshadow 2. Overall we like it fine, but indeed, the one thing she misses from our previous (heavier, double walled) tent is the dual side entry. For one of us to get up during the night, it's more likely that the other will be disturbed, and particularly for the person sleeping away from where the mesh door opens.

What you might consider instead is Lightheart Duo (http://lightheartgear.com/LightHeart_Gear/Duo.html). Weight is 2 pounds (not including stakes or two required trekking poles), and this is a double walled (not single walled) tent with dual side door entry.

I'm buying the cuben version of their Solo, so don't have personal experience with this tent yet, but have read a lot of positive reviews, and I had the pleasure of meeting Judy (who designed and makes these) at Trail Days this year in Damascus. The particularly cool thing about this tent, apart from the double wall (at single wall weight) is the ability to roll up those walls for clear but buggy nights. It's a pretty roomy tent too, with nice headroom where you want it; with the Squall or Rainshadow you have to sort of scoot your butt to the entrance of the tent to sit upright --- not a big deal, but I prefer the way the Lightheart Duo puts the headroom in the middle.

[George in VA]

Hi All,

Thanks for the quick replies. Having looked at a bunch of the articles and elswhere on WB I was pretty sure I was on the right track but you never know. I really appreciate the real world use reports on things like how a pack rides at a certain weight or single/double doors on a tent for two people on the AT. I'll try to look into those things a bit further. I probably need to check into the large footprint of the Rainshadow 2 and how easy it is going to be to find a place for it along the trail. Also, it appears I need to study up on the different options that the Caldera Cone offers. I do need a pot system that would work well for two people.

Thanks for the info,

George

[HeartFire]

This is Judy from LightHeart Gear. To clarify a few things mentioned above the LightHeart Duo is a 'hybrid' tent, 2 walls are double and 2 walls are single, So, it is not a true double wall tent, The Duo does not convert to the 'Star Gazing Mode' the way the Solo tent does. The Duo weighs 2 lb, has 2 doors - side entry and as soon as I can get a tent up outside and get pictures, I will have the "wedge' up on the website. This is a way I modify the fly so it can be set up as an awning - gives you room to cook under the fly, leave it up in the awning position for continuous views even in the rain. each wedge flap adds about 2 ounces to the total weight of the tent, the duo can have one or both sides of the fly modified. The wedge/awning does require an extra pole. This is not an issue if both hikers sharing the tent use hiking poles.

Judy aka HeartFire of LightHeart Gear http://www.lightheartgear.com (http://www.lightheartgear.com/)

[jtbradyl]

You might want to reconsider on the backpacks. You can do a lot better coming in about 4 lbs + or - a little bit.

[4eyedbuzzard]

This is Judy from LightHeart Gear. To clarify a few things mentioned above the LightHeart Duo is a 'hybrid' tent, 2 walls are double and 2 walls are single, So, it is not a true double wall tent, The Duo does not convert to the 'Star Gazing Mode' the way the Solo tent does. The Duo weighs 2 lb, has 2 doors - side entry and as soon as I can get a tent up outside and get pictures, I will have the "wedge' up on the website. This is a way I modify the fly so it can be set up as an awning - gives you room to cook under the fly, leave it up in the awning position for continuous views even in the rain. each wedge flap adds about 2 ounces to the total weight of the tent, the duo can have one or both sides of the fly modified. The wedge/awning does require an extra pole. This is not an issue if both hikers sharing the tent use hiking poles.

Judy aka HeartFire of LightHeart Gear http://www.lightheartgear.com
Nice looking tents

[skinewmexico]

You might want to reconsider on the backpacks. You can do a lot better coming in about 4 lbs + or - a little bit.

Huh? Four pounds total isn't bad.

List looks good to me. I'd look at the Western Mountaineering bag with a coupler.

[dpnoll]

George,
My wife has a Circuit and I have an Ohm. Both very good choices. Cooking for two you might want to look at the tri-ti sidewinder with the 1.3 ltr pot. That pot is perfect for two people.

[Red Hat]

You might want to reconsider on the backpacks. You can do a lot better coming in about 4 lbs + or - a little bit.

If their stuff can fit in the Circuit and Ohm, great! Otherwise, maybe a Catalyst and a Circuit would do. but I recommend the ULA packs for sure!

[bigcranky]

The Tarptent Rainshadow II is a nice tent, with plenty of room for two hikers and gear. We owned the original version and used it hiking with our daughter. Since then we've bought a Six Moons Designs Lunar Duo, which I love. Two doors, two big vestibules, and no seams in the roof canopy. The interior volume is simply incredible. For a big guy like me, it's great.

Has your wife tried the ULA Packs? Mine has, and they didn't fit her the way she likes. I have an Ohm, and it's a great pack, but I would recommend that she try on some Osprey packs, especially the women's versions.

[George in VA]

Hi again All,


Excellent information! I really appreciate you all taking the time to help with this.

Looking through the forums it looks like the Caldera Cone Sidewinder with the 1.3L Ti pot is a beautiful set up for two people hiking together. Also has a wood burning option. Thanks for the tip. I think this is what we'll get.

Most seem to like the NeoAir's so we'll get those. Plus they will fit our existing sleeping bag coupler system.

I'm still leaning towards the Tarptent Rainshadow 2 for a few reasons. One, we are somewhat tall people and this tent gives us a lot of room for both ourselves and our gear. Getting in and out in the middle of the night shouldn't be a big issue because the entryway is so large and the tent is so wide ( 92" wide or 78" wide with the floor up ). Also, I tend to throw off a lot of moisture while I sleep and I'm hoping that the large interior volume of the Rainshadow 2 combined with the big front door will allow us to use a single wall tent without getting wet. Let me know if I'm wrong about any of this.

I think we'll, at least, start out with our existing sleeping bag system. I do love the look of the WM bags as well as some of the other makers. I'm curious about one thing. Nobody seems to talk about shell materials anymore in regards to sleeping bags. My 17 year old Dryloft shelled Marmot down bag was always great because it never got wet -- you could sit in it in the snow and it would stay dry. The one 3 week AT hike I did 25 years ago between Springer and Fontana dam taught me that backpacking day after day in the rain is a reality. I'm concerned about keeping a down bag dry if the side or footbox gets pressed up against the tent wall. -- Do the new bags all use some sort of water repellant coating or is there some new shell material that is so ubiquitous that nobody even thinks about it anymore? A spray coating maybe? Just curious.

Trailrunners and trekking poles are a go. Really looking forward to these items. Goodby heavy boots!

The backpacks will be the last items purchased based on the weight and volume of the other gear we purchase. Looking forward to trying out a ULA but am not 100% married to the idea. Could end up with another maker depending on fit of the backpack and weight. ( I remember having the main stay in the Dana Designs Terraplane custom bent by our outfitter in Colorado so I know that custom fitting in addition to hip belts and shoulder straps can make a big difference in how a pack rides and feels -- I'll have to check into this with ULA )

Let me know what you think of my list for a couple hiking together on the AT. I'm also aware that talking about gear isn't the same as using it for a year in the field and finding out what really works for each individual person. Just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to send a reply. Happy New Year!


George

[hobbs]

George Also checkout Zpacks.com, Another website for UL gear and i see your thinking of Tarptent. Great I order a single from henry for my thru. Also you have
mountain Laural design another producer. Just options for you. Good luck!!!

[Franco]

George
I shot a video of the Rainshadow II.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNf837Dl1B0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNf837Dl1B0)
This is showing a set up for 3 so of course for two you will have more space inside for packs and to spread your gear out.
As you can see it is easy enough for me to get in and out with the poles straight, but I am only 55.
Easier if you spread them out a bit. .
As far as getting out at night, the zip is a two way job, so if you zip the door up with the sliders at the center (that is at the bottom) you then just open your side of the door.
Franco

[dpnoll]

George,
When you have taken a few trips with your new gear make sure you write up a trip report with pictures and post it. Here is a link to pictures from some of my trips.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/d1948n/sets/ Have a great time.

[garlic08]

Excellent plan to get the packs last. My only thought on your list was that the packs might be slight overkill. They're the best packs out there, for sure, but with the light loads you're talking about you might do OK with Z-packs or Gossamer Gear, saving a few ounces and a few dollars.

[LIhikers]

My wife and I use a Rainshadow II by Tarptent and it's a great tent.
For 2 people it's quite spacious and of course it's light weight is nice too. Even when we have our dog, a large shepherd, along there is plenty of room.
It has a big footprint, due to it's size, but you can use it in smaller spaces if need be by the use of creative pitching.
One person getting in or out doesn't disturb the other because both the "beak" and the net door can open either half at a time, or both sides at the same time.
We've found it to be easy to set-up and to pack up with no problem.
I don't know what else to tell you about it, but if you have any questions send me an e-mail or PM and I'll try to answer them.

[Wags]

man you've dropped significant weight from your pack. wait until you feel the difference how you feel at the end of the day!!! congrats

[Tinker]

An alcohol stove is not terribly efficient for heating up large quantities of water. They are best for solo hikers, though they are nearly foolproof, which is the big draw to me.
I use alcohol in cool to warm weather when I'm by myself.
When I'm with another person in cool to warm weather I use a cannister stove.
When I'm by myself in winter I use Esbit or wood fires (I have a Zzip stove).
When I'm with another person in winter I use white gas (Whisperlite stove in my case).
Sleeping with alcohol fuel in cold weather can make it work more efficiently, but it will never be as efficient at quickly heating large quantities of water as fossil fueled stoves (besides, it's difficult to gauge exactly how much fuel you'll need per use, due to the low btu output in cold weather, and simmering is more luck than science with alcohol, so gourmet cooking is not easy).

[George in VA]

Hi again All,


Thanks everyone for all the good information. I feel I've learned a lot these past few days and gotten a good feel for some of the new gear that's out there. Time to start spending some $$$ :)

Thanks for the info on the alcohol stove Tinker. We are going to be using the Sidewinder only during warm weather ( May - September ) so hopefully it will be all right. We will see. I've only ever used Wisperlites and the Feather 442 myself -- they are about the only things that will work at 12,000 feet in the wind and cold of the Colorado high country ( and then only with a good windscreen ) Push comes to shove, I've still got the 442.

Thanks for the video link Franco -- Nice to see the tent going up. Also, thanks to LIHikers & bigcranky for the real world reports on the Rainshadow 2. Thanks to everyone for all the good backpack information as well as gear information in general. I appreciate it.


George