Need input on basic backpacking equipment

[Trishness]

Would rather ask all the experienced backpackers out there (rather than a saleperson at REI or Popular who just wants to sell me stuff) for feedback on basic equipment that is pretty light to carry in a backpack. I'm planning on taking my day hiking to the next level in 2004 and do some overnighters but want the least amount of weight to pack. What does everyone recommend as far as tents/sleeping bags etc etc. I appreciate your feedback.

I was fortunate enough to have a generous friend lend me an internal frame backpack that will fit my small frame (I'm barely 5'1")

Also, if anyone has any used equipment they no longer use, let me know too.......I may interested in buying it.



Trish
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[Shawn]

My basics: REI Sub Kilo down bag, thermarest light 3/4 pad-don't forget the repair kit. Mountain Hardware PCT one person tent, First Need Deluxe water purfier. A very small canister stove-mine is a GAZ but you can find smaller lighter ones now. MSR water bladder with sucky tube. Some kind of light rain gear, I have the blue REI stuff, probably could do better now, but it serves as another layer in cold weather as well as some water protection but it isnt real good, I get as wet from perspiration as from rain. Pack cover. Make your own first aid kit in a 1qt freeze ziplock. Get a compass, reflecting signal mirror, one small pot 2 qt maybe, about all the cooking you do is boil water soup noodles rice, etc.

$.02
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The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

[Trishness]

Thanks for the input. I have the rain gear, first aid kit etc. I carry all that in my pack for day hiking. My main concern was tent/sleeping bag/pad and water purifier. I saw a sleeping bag on REI.com for 49.99 (a Polar Pod +20 SHORT) that weighs 3 pounds and was thinking of ordering it. I only need a small tent so I'll keep your suggestion in mind.

Thanks!

Trish
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[ck1]

What I thought I'd offer up Trish was this...there's a store in California called Adventure 16. I discovered it on one of my college trips out west from Chicago. They've got a comprehensive packpacker checklist. I've used it as a guide ever since. As I'm sure anybody who backpacks can tell you, what you bring along will change over time. Regardless, this list covers most everything. You can view the list here... http://www.adventure16.com/outdoor/checklist.html

I've uploaded my article "Gear Lists" that I wrote a while ago. It may also help. I'll let you know when Mike's got it in the article section.

As for the specific gear, I'd keep my advice simple...buy the lightest, best gear you can afford. Head over to REI and pick up a GEAR GUIDE from Backpacker magazine. It's the most comprehensive collection and review of outdoor gear available. Though it's this year's guide, the info is invaluable, and plus, you might get lucky and find some of the items on sale, as next year's gear is coming out, as is the new gear guide.
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[Daryl]

My experience... a small 2 person tent isn't much bigger the a one person tent. Backpack with a buddy, share the tent and split the load. Just don't have chili for dinner.

Also, when with other people, plan ahead with the group, bring only one stove, one first aid kit, one water filter... It saves a lot of space and weight
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[Trishness]

Thanks for all your input.....and I definitely wasn't planning on chili for dinner especially when sharing a tent! Randy sent me a complete list of backpacking equipment when I was planning on doing the overnight Friday.

I only need a small tent for me since I'm kinda pinted sized anyway. I'm going to have to hunt around for a good deal on those.

Thanks guys!

Trish
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[mike t]

If you're interested in lightweight, read-Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's guide to lightweight hiking. (easily searched at the engine of your choice) Be advised though that some of his stuff is PUMPKIN CRAZY, but plenty of it makes good sense. Read him and pick out what is useful to you. I wish I had read him before I bought some of the gear I have, as I might have made different choices. Some ultralight gear is really expensive but if you hunt around or are willing to make stuff you can really do it on the cheap. Also keep in mind that a pack doesn't have to be super sturdy if you are only hauling around 20-25 pounds, but then you do lose flexibility if you want to haul more weight somewhere down the road cuz the cheap packs just won't take it
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Mike T
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less is more

[Trishness]

Love the avatar Mike! And I thought I had a tan line problem

The advice is well taken and I'll read up on it some more.

Thanks for the input. I value everyone's opinion


Trish
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[Shawn]

You can share a back pack tent but only with someone you know (or want to know) very well.

I move around way to much during the night to share a tent much.
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The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

[Trishness]

I can only think of a few people I would actually share a tent with even though I'm pretty compact and don't take up much space. And forget chili for dinner because then they's sleeping outside!

But it's a great idea to share a tent instead of bringing two of them.
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[matt gilbert]

Depending on what time of year you go, skip the tent. Or only take the poles and the rainfly, or skip the rainfly and take the rest. I have two tents for different situations. I have one small bivy style tent and and another two person Mountain hardware light wedge II.

I'm with sredfield on the filter, I have a first need purifier also and I don't go anywhere without it (in fact it accompanied me all the way along the dutchman trail).

I have three different bags. One down, one holofil, and I just got a new one at the Popular sale on friday that I haven't had the chance to use yet. They'both weigh about the same, the poly bag is about 3.5 pounds (40 degrees) and the down bag is about 3 pounds (30 degrees). Under that goes the 3/4 length thermarest.

For food and cooking I always carry mountain house freeze dried entrees and a small esbitt (solid fuel) stove. I use my sierra cup to heat the water for the food and then use the cup for whatever drink I want. In addition to that I always carry a special camelbak bladder full of my favorite wine (usually chianti).

Other than that all you should need is your clothing, rain gear and your personal items. With food and water I usually weigh in around 25 pounds (for 2-3 days)

When you decide where you're going let me know I'd love to come along.

[mike t]

I agree with Matt on the tent. Jardine (from the book) is a big fan of tarps. I have a siltarp 8X10 that weighs in at like 11 or 13 ozs or something insane like that... and gives you a huge amount of area coverage for you, gear, friend, friends gear. I also own tents though too for various situtations.

I added a pic to my Tapeats album in the Gallery to explain (sort of) my avatar.
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Mike T
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[cactuscat]

My tent suggestion is the Eureka Apex 2A - it's a great light weight two person, that I use just for myself. If you were sharing it, it's got two doors which is nice for avoiding having to crawl over each other to get in and out. If you want a tiny one person, the Eureka Solitaire rocks, or MSR Zoid or Microzoid are nice. By the way, Trish I am one of those sales people at Popular, so once you have an idea what you want, if you come see me I'd be happy to help you out! (We don't work on comission at Popular, so it's not just about selling you something. I really want to help people get the right gear so that they can enjoy hiking and backpacking as much as I do! )

[Tom Treks]

I will have to second the Eureka choice. I also have an Apex2A and love it. Even though made for 2, the extra room is awesome for one. The Solitaire is a bit tiny, but larger than most other bivvy style tents. Can't beat the price on either one. If you can fork out a few extra bucks, the Eureka Zeus Exo would be my second (well, would have been first had I seen it at the time) choice. It's a fairly roomy "2" person, and saves about a pound of weight compared to the Apex.

Incidently, I think Popular has Therma-Rest pads at 30% off now. Definitely get one of those.

Hey cactuscat, is Eureka still offering that $30 rebate on the Apex stock at Popular?

Definitely go see her Trish.

[CatValet]

Another opportunity is to check out the clearance items at web stores like Bentgate.com, Sierra Trading Post and REIoutlet.com. Last year's models can be had for great savings. REIoutlet has two nice tents, the Orion AST by Sierra Design and the Kelty Zen model for sale right now. I'm not familiar with what Eureka is making now, but MSR has a good reputation. Whatever you get, upgrade the stakes to premium ones that don't pretzel.

For sleeping bag, I'd be tempted to focus on Polarguard fill. I love down, and own a couple, but the synthetics are very good now, especially for the temperatures we encounter here in Arizona (Zero and above). Temperature ratings vary by manufacturer. I prefer to identify the "Loft" as it is a constant factor. Six inches (three above you, three underneath) is generally good to zero. I've noticed that several makers, noteably Sierra Designs, have started offering varying lengths for shorter persons, instead of the old "too long" or "way too long" options that you would have faced before. If you tend to "sleep cold", a +20 bag may be a tad "light duty" for your only bag (it's easy for me to talk, I've got four, but if I had to make do with one, it would be a polarguard bag with a 0 to +10 rating). Saturday morning at Charlebois, I still has a slug of ice in two nalgene water bottles -in the tnet-I had frozen solid at home the night before. Last February at Reavis, it was 26 when we got up, so maybe down to low twenties that night.

For a sleeping pad, I think Themarest hands down. I prefer the thick LE luxury version, but then I'm a thick luxury guy, and need the padding more than you.

I see lots of shorter people with packs that don't fit them. Be sure it fits your torso measurement, which is from the bump on the lower neck, to the line between the pelvic ileac crests (in English the small of your back). Get a pack fitter who knows how to fit one, and take some time. Try it on weighted! Once you know your torso length (I'll take a wild guess at 14 3/4"), call around and see what packs are available to fit that torso length. I would start with Gregory, Osprey and ArcTeryx (Christmas is coming....). The difference between a really great pack and an OK pack is night and day. It really makes a difference on a hike like we just did.

Once you have all this new weight, are your footware up to the challenge? That's why CK1 recommends the lust list, er, Gear Guide. From here, it's a slippery slope of fun stuff-R