A Word about Gear

This recent trip was my first backpacking journey and while I've spent a lot of time thinking about and researching gear, I knew there was no substitution to the education of trial and error. Here is what I used and how it performed. No links. I don't do advertising.

The Pack
I purchased a cheap Outdoor Products internal frame pack at Walmart. The model is Arrowhead 8.0 and I think the capacity is 65L. The model was being discontinued and it was deep discounted to something like $25. Nobody can argue with that price. It may not of had quite the capacity I needed and could use some easy to access pockets, but after inventory was exhausted the next cheapest pack was around $50. I found the option good enough and once I get a little smarter about packing, the size should be workable for a weekend trip.

Food and Cooking
Coleman makes a cheap, light, propane backpack stove. Walmart sells it for about $25. Coleman Max 3001 series. I brought along two 4-ounce propane containers. One was more than enough. It operated reliably. A JetBoil unit might boil a gallon of water in 40 seconds, but cost six times the price.

I purchased a Mountain House beef stew a while ago but never ended up eating it. It sat around. For about four years. So, I brought it along. The package was still air tight, so it was still good. The salt content meant it wouldn't ever go bad. It was terrible. A little beef would have made it better. Gonna try that Packit Gourmet stuff next time.

Breakfast was coffee and oatmeal. I do the same thing when car camping: one plain and one flavored packet of instant oatmeal into a snack zip top bag. Throw it into a bowl (generic stainless sierra cup) with some hot water, and voila: breakfast! This time I added extra raisins. It was perfect.

Coffee is more of a challenge. I measured enough grounds for 32 ounces of coffee (I was supplying for my brother-in-law) and put it into a snack baggie. I measured sugar and powdered creamer for 16 ounces into another baggie. I got a collapsible backpacking coffee maker a while back and never used it. The brand is GSI Outdoors. A quick test run in the kitchen and I was set to go. It worked reliably, was light, small, and a snap to clean. And it made good coffee.

One misstep I did was bringing a full sized boiling pot when I only needed 32 ounces for coffee, plus maybe six for oatmeal. The sucker I brought would have done 64 ounces without breathing hard. I did fill it with other gear when hiking, but still, total overkill. I'll find a better solution next time.

I decided at the last minute to get a water filter. I couldn't determine if there was potable water on the trail, so I ended up getting a Sawyer squeeze water filtration system. It was a little cheaper than the backpacking pump, smaller, and lighter. I didn't end up using it until Saturday and was lucky enough to have an experienced hiker show me how it works. It comes with three bags (16, 32, and 64 ounces) and a syringe for cleaning. All I needed was one bag plus the unit itself, but I didn't know and brought everything. It was easy to use if not all that speedy, and the water tasted great. Tap at the mountain top restaurant was terrible. Not sure how often I'll be using it outside of backpacking, but I really did need it. Raw stream water might have been safe, but also maybe not.

Sleeping
There are two things I splurged on. First is the sleeping pad. Old bones can't sleep on the hard, hard ground. I got an REI Stratus and if I were to complain about it at all, it was that it was a little narrow (20"). The rated weight is one pound four ounces and it packs rather small. It takes 30 breaths to fill. For car camping I have the option of bringing the large and heavy inflatable mattress and the large double-stroke pump, but I won't anymore. Now I'll bring something half the size of the pump, spend less time on set up and take down, and be more comfortable. I can't express how well this sucker performed.

Additionally, I brought the cheap fleece sleeping bag I use for summer camping. I was a little nervous because I didn't know how cold it might get in the mountains, but it was plenty warm. There are better options for sale, but I didn't need it. Not this time, anyhow.

Footwear
A hikers most important piece of gear is his boots. I routinely hike in cheap sneakers and this time I wanted to change that. I splurged on an expensive pair at REI. I used them around the office for a week then took them on an extended day hike with the Boy Scout troop. They are Oboz mid height hikers and I paid somewhere in the $160 range. I have high arches and need shoes to match. They are rather comfortable and provided decent (not amazing) traction, but the bottoms are rather hard. After significant walking, the bottoms of my feet hurt. I'll call them a success but I will investigate inserts.

My hiking socks disappeared prior to the trip. I had a minor epidemic that week. They don't get used except for hikes and stay in my sock drawer the rest of the year. They escaped. I hiked in white athletic socks. They functioned.

Stuff I didn't need
I mentioned in the previous post that I carried a two pound bag of trail mix that I never opened. Lesson learned. I also got a 96 ounce nalgene cantene (their spelling, not mine) that the REI salesman talked me into. Never opened. Luckily it doesn't weigh much. Maybe I would have needed it if there was a potable tap at the campsite. Lastly, I wore one of those cheap paracord bracelets. Just in case I needed a length of rope. Never did, but it wasn't a bad idea. I wore it on my left with my watch and it kept resetting the time. That was a problem.

There are the nuts and bolts of my gear experience. Maybe interesting me to alone, but worthwhile putting on "paper" anyhow. Thank you for ... listening?