PDA

View Full Version : Gear Advice



charliethruhike
09-11-2013, 11:13
You may have seen my last thread about general advice for the trail, well what about gear advice? the two questions that come to mind when I think of gear:

What gear did you wish you had?
What gear did you wish you didn't have?
What is your viewpoint on lightweight hiking?
If you hike with a dog:

What gear does your dog usually carry?
What gear did your dog end up not needing?


This is again for my blog (http://noviceallthings.blogspot.com) just like the last one!

quasarr
09-11-2013, 11:46
Why don't you post your gear list so you can get some answers that better apply to you? With this big of a question, you are going to get all kinds of answers from people with very different hiking styles.

Tipi Walter
09-11-2013, 12:38
I backpacked 15 years with a dog and first off, the dog has to carry his own food so the breed has to be big enough to do so. My dog carried up to 18 days of his own food w/o a problem (moist packs dog food, etc, augmented with treats and fresh eggs on occasion or whatever you're eating).

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2010/15-Days-with-a-Red-Hilleberg/i-rfkgGmL/0/M/TRIP%20105%20043-M.jpg

charliethruhike
09-11-2013, 17:27
Why don't you post your gear list so you can get some answers that better apply to you? With this big of a question, you are going to get all kinds of answers from people with very different hiking styles.

Well that's the idea! I'm looking for broad answers, and I'm hoping to either compile a list of gear tips, or pick the ones that seem like they would be the most helpful on my blog.

charliethruhike
09-11-2013, 17:41
I backpacked 15 years with a dog and first off, the dog has to carry his own food so the breed has to be big enough to do so. My dog carried up to 18 days of his own food w/o a problem (moist packs dog food, etc, augmented with treats and fresh eggs on occasion or whatever you're eating).

A few questions:

How much food did your dog eat each day?
How big of a difference was there between your backpacking days and the days at home?
Did your dog lose any weight while backpacking? Gain any weight when you got home?
Physically did you see any problems caused by the miles? Any ways you think the hiking helped?

Tipi Walter
09-11-2013, 17:57
A few questions:

How much food did your dog eat each day?
How big of a difference was there between your backpacking days and the days at home?
Did your dog lose any weight while backpacking? Gain any weight when you got home?
Physically did you see any problems caused by the miles? Any ways you think the hiking helped?



On backpacking trips my dog was limited to two moist packs a day like in below fotog.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51k3N6DZtWL._SY300_.jpg
He carried two per day and up to 30-35 balanced in his pack. If I could do it all over again I'd get better quality food for him, like Blue Buffalo, etc. He was a 55-60 lb chow mix.

Your second question is really unanswerable as we were out all the time and he was raised outdoors. Sometimes on long hiking days he layed on the ground in camp and became a Pancake---flat. It worried me. But heck we were both tired. Of course I believe hiking helped him and me both---physically. We enjoyed each other's company a lot. Only advice I can give it to make sure your dog sees the vet on a regular basis and he has his heartworm medicines etc.

Oh yeah---always keep your dog leashed when in camp.

fredmugs
09-11-2013, 19:40
I wish I had a tent that weighs less than 3 pounds.
Although I love my Sea to Summit sleeping bag I wish I had bought something with a lower temp rating.
My viewpoint on lightweight hiking is that as I get older it becomes more important. The weight doesn't both my back, shoulders, etc. but it is beginning to take a toll on my feet.

quasarr
09-12-2013, 16:01
Well that's the idea! I'm looking for broad answers, and I'm hoping to either compile a list of gear tips, or pick the ones that seem like they would be the most helpful on my blog.

Well I LOVE sharing my opinions on things :) So here they are!!

I am all about lightweight hiking! Now, most people wrongly think that hiking light requires paying a million billion dollars for a bunch of titanium crap. WRONG! (not that I am innocent in the spending department myself :p ) You'll often hear, "shedding pounds is cheap, shedding ounces (or grams!!) is expensive." Which means, to go from a 35 lb base weight (weight of all gear excluding food, water, and fuel) to a sub 15 lb base weight is actually cheaper!! But to go from say, 12lbs to 9 lbs you might be buying some expensive things like cuben fiber.

For example!! A blue foam sleeping pad from Wal-Mart costs less than $10 and weighs less than 7oz, while an inflatable Thermarest can cost $50+ and weigh 2lbs or more! An ultralight backpack such as the ULA CDT costs $135 and weighs 24oz, while some monstrous Gregory from REI will run upwards of $300 and weigh 4-5 lbs at the very least!!

Another lightweight principle is that the less you carry, the less you need. If you have less gear, you can use a lighter pack because you don't need heavy-duty suspension, frame, etc to carry a lighter load. If you have a light load, you won't need big boots for ankle support and can wear sneakers instead.

The very worst thing you can do is walk into REI and say, "Hey fellas, I need everything! Outfit me in your best lightweight gear!" This is a ticket to spending a ton of money and still carrying 30 lbs of gear. Just because something has the word "light" in the title doesn't mean it's so! I have seen many an "ultralight cook kit" that weigh 2 lbs.

I now see lightweight hiking as minimalist hiking. The lightest option is always to leave something at home. Every item you place in your pack is a choice. It's a choice you made that this item is important enough to carry for thousands of miles over many many mountains. Now, I have been known to pack 2 cans of beer, a kielbasa, and an entire cherry pie for the first night out of town ... :banana But since my pack is so light, I don't suffer by carrying an extra few pounds for a bit!