What I Use.

Continuing with the posts on backpacking I am going to list out what I use and why. Hopefully, it will be useful for some of you.

Survival Knife– I need to note now that when I backpack I do not consider myself to be in a survival situation. If I were headed into the wilds of Alaska I would take a different blade than I take backpacking. I don’t consider it a survival situation because I wouldn’t expect to spend weeks fighting for my life. I might have to spend a few days in an area I know and have good information on, with civilization relatively close. For backpacking I want a good utility knife, sturdy without a lot of extras. So, I use a three-inch locking blade. Anything more is overkill. I headed out once a few years ago with a K-bar and Leatherman wave. It was ridiculous. The K-bar is a combat knife and the wave is a multi tool with plier, what was I going to kill? A bear? For the last seven years I have carried a Gerber Air Ranger. An old review can be found here. If you want a very high quality knife at top dollar then check out these guys.

Flashlight –Well, I have tried all sorts of things. Now that technology has delivered LED lights they are the undisputed champions for lightweight backpacking. For ease of use I would recommend a lightweight headlamp. I use one from Princeton Tec. I have tried to go lighter by using an LED key light and it turned out to be a bad decision. Due to a strange turn of events Phil and I had to hike for hours in the dark with my RED LED KEY LIGHT. Trust me, it is worth a bit of extra weight for the convenience of an LED headlamp. Just like with the knife, if I were headed to an area where I was in real long term survival danger I would tend towards a tougher LED light and in my experience no company is better than Surefire. (I worked for a police supply company and we were a vendor for Surefire.)

Backpack – One of the biggest savings that you can get is from your backpack. Switching from a “standard” internal frame to an ultra light may very save a good five pounds. I used to use a Dana Designs pack that was great…but far too heavy. I now use a Granite Gear Vapor Trail and it is just as fantastic, but weights a lot less. It weighs in at around 2 pounds. (I have had it for a while, so it is a bit different than newer versions.) Could I go lighter? Yes, but I don’t. The reason is that going lighter entails using materials that are super light but are not all that strong and because I often end up off trail climbing around on rocks and scrambling I need a sturdier pack that can take a few bumps and scrapes without ripping open. The Vapor Trail provides a strong pack, with lots of room at a great weight. The only complaint that I have is that the side pockets aren’t sewn out away from the bag so once the pack is stuffed it can be hard to get larger items in and out of the side pockets.

Sleeping Bag – One great thing about going ultralight is that you will save money as you buy less gear that weighs less. Unfortunately, getting an ultralight sleeping bag is a big expense. You can go cheaper by going with a synthetic bag, but it won’t be as compressible. I would recommend the Marmot Pounder. If you are ready to make the investment then go with a top quality down bag designed to be super light. I have a ten-year old Western Mountaineering bag that packs down to the size of Nalgene and weighs about a pound and a half. Newer bags should hover around one pound for 40-degree bag. If you want more warm go for a bit more loft, but I wouldn’t go for anything below a 30 degree bag unless you plan on heading out in cold weather.

Hammock – This is where many people think that what I do is a bit radical until they try it. Basically, I have given up the weight of a tent and sleeping pad for a hammock. There are a number of advantages to using a hammock:

• Much lighter shelter setup


• More comfortable (using a Brazilian or Mayan style hammock)


• Above the ground and away from:


• Insects, Reptiles…etc.


• Water


• Relaxing swinging motion


• Can be used to carry people out in the case of an emergency


• No need to find perfectly flat ground


• Can be setup in minutes (if not seconds)


• Almost no campsite impact

The disadvantages:

• Not all that useful above the tree line


• Can get cold on the underside without insulation

For me the advantages far out weigh any disadvantage but unless you follow a bit of advice you will be miserable. It took some experimenting to develop a setup that really works. First, you need to use a Brazilian or Mayan style hammock that will allow you to sleep relatively flat. Other hammock systems could make you very uncomfortable for extended durations, like sleeping. Also, I strongly recommend using Tree huggers and carabineers to setup your hammock. They are sturdy and are superior to using something like parachute cord. The hammock I use is Byer’s amazonas.The design has changed a bit since I bought mine five or so years ago, but the basics are the same. It is a Brazilian style hammock and only costs $20. With the Tree Huggers a pair of good climbing carabineers you have yourself a solid shelter setup. The only thing missing is a tarp. I use a large silnylon tarp that I attach using mini-carabineers. Most larger sized silnylon tarps will do. They are strong, waterproof (you may have to sue seam sealer) and very light. A good tarp will run $70-$100 and will weight about 8 ounces. Now, I do make a tradeoff here. First, I do not carry tent stakes. Most ultralight setups will suggest running spectra line from the tarp to the ground and then staking. I don’t because I really don’t like carrying tent stakes and more often than not it doesn’t rain. Also, I have developed a system for securing my tarp around me without them. Now, if I were going into the backcountry and I thought rain was likely I would use spectra cord but not stakes and I would use rocks and branches to tie down the ends. I DO bring a tarp that is a bit larger than some people like about 10’ x 8’. While this does weigh a bit more it allow me to use the tarp to cover a wide area when it rains. It is great to be in the woods when it is raining but getting stuck in a very small area can be tiresome. (Being a tent for long periods of time is worse!) With a larger covered area I can move around a bit and enjoy myself while the rain comes down.

Trowel – The magic orange trowel! Well, it may be shocking, but I don’t bring one. This one is all about experience. As I walk out to relieve myself I pick up a sturdy stick or rock. I still dig down as deep as required, I just don’t have to walk around with the trowel in my pack and I don’t have to worry about contamination.

Hydration – I definitely deviate from the mainstream on hydration, but I have a lot of experience and personal reasons why I do what I do. First, I do not use a sports tube. It isn’t that I have anything against them it is that I have a hard time hydrating with them. The first time I tried one I was with Nate and we climbed some 4000’ in a few hours. When we got to the top I pulled out my reservoir and realized that instead of going through a good 3 liters I had maybe had a half a liter. I threw up a few times that evening and had a pretty good case of AMS. I didn’t recover until morning. A month later I was backpacking in the Golden Trout Wilderness with the usual crew. I tried my best to get water in me through the tube but I had the same result. I couldn’t really tell how much water I was getting and I had a rough night.

So, I have forgone the tubes and I use Sigg containers. Using a Sigg I have a better feel for my liquid intake and I can get in larger quantities at once, which is more natural for me. I not only didn’t hydrate well with the tube, but I didn’t like sipping a bit here and there. I also like the Sigg over a Nalgene because the top is smaller, lighter (20% over comparable size Nalgene) and fits the water screen I use when filtering. Also, the caps are sturdier, and won’t break when they are attached to something with a carabineer; and don’t hold excess liquid in the cap when opened. What they are not great for is cooking. Nalgene containers are nice when you need to measure liquid.

For additional storage I use a Platypus reservoir. They are super light and pack down well, when I don’t need the carrying capacity. The drawback is that since I don’t drink from a hose I have to occasionally stop and fill my Sigg from my Platypus. It’s a minor inconvenience to maintain hydration.

As for what I put in my water I use Nuun. And I wholeheartedly recommend it. It is bar none the best stuff out there, and I have tried just about everything. The best part, for me, about using an additive like Nuun is that the light taste helps me to drink more which is key. But the best part about Nuun is its portability. Nuun is a tablet that comes in a convenient tube. The tabs disperse themselves in water. Unlike traditional sports drinks Nuun only adds the electrolytes and a bit of flavoring so it doesn’t have the bulk of the powders. Also, the taste is very mild which is perfect since most people’s tastes change a bit when they are exercising. I love the stuff!!

Purification – Ok, like with many other items I have tried just about everything and I have settled on Aquamira. First, I should state that I hate pumping water. It is unnecessarily time consuming and pumps often get clogged on long trips. Since Aquamira is a liquid purification system I don’t have to worry about those annoying pumps and I don’t have to carry the weight. Aquamira is tasteless, easy to use and very light weight. The drawbacks are that you have to weight a few minutes for the stuff to work and that you have to filter the gunk out of the water. I use a convenient micro screen that fits over my SIGG bottle.

Canister – If you have to take a bear canister with you there really is only one choice, Bear Vault. It will put a dent in your lightweight plans, but it isn’t all bad news. Having a bear vault does mean that you don’t have to worry about hanging anything, you can get to anything any time you want and you have a ready stool. Because most of my time is spent in Yosemite, I often have to include my Bear Vault.

Cooking – The yearly backpacking trip that I attend with friends I don’t worry much about cooking. Our fearless leader Paul does all of the cooking and food prep, and he is gourmet. When I have cooked in the past I use a lightweight stove that uses canister gas and I carry a single titanium pot. I have been working on using a titanium kettle and using the fire to heat the water, foregoing the gas and stove all together.

As for eating utensils I bring a titanium spork and an Orikaso bowl/plate. I have tried a number of things are this one works well. I love the spork, but I am still not 100% sold on the Orkaso.

Food – I have already posted to the blog my philosophy on food. If there is any item that I am guilty of over packing it is in the category of food. I don’t do well with “food bars” so I need to use real food. As I have said before I like a specific type of gourmet bread found at Nugget Market (in the Sacramento area) and cheeses like Gouda and Havarti. They work well. As for packaged backpacking food I don’t like most of them but Enertia Trail Foods makes good stuff. (A good store to find backpacking food is Wilderness Dining.) This last summer I broke down and brought Almond Snickers and Payday bars. They worked well, though it is probably not a good idea to be eating concentrated sugars. Oh, well, at least I got them down. The main tip here is bring foods that are balanced, provide a big calorie intake in a small package and bring things that you will eat. Oh, another great product is Power Butter.

Clothing – Clothing is where most people over pack and end up with a heavy pack. The most important thing to understand is layering. You need a few items that layered together provide the warmth you need, and will allow you to adjust. Also, it is imperative to have a waterproof outer shell. Not having one may mean that you have to carry extra gear…like a poncho. What I do is carry a set of clothes for on the trail and one for bed. I DO NOT add any more than that! This means that I only have two pairs of socks, two pairs of under wear…etc. Having only two isn’t a problem, but for some it may seem like a sacrifice. I am a fan of getting in the water when I go into the backcountry, so every few days I go swimming with my “trail” clothes on. I then switch into my night time clothes and let my trail clothes dry. The system works well, but may take some getting used to. As for layering I generally bring Marmot PreCip (windproof) pants and vest, a thin, but warm fleece layer and then a super light waterproof shell. I would highly recommend that one of your layers is wind proof, or at least wind resistant. Wind will be the most likely thing to bring the chills. If you are heading out at any time other than summer then you may need to step up the layers. Just remember to layer and not to bring things that you are unlikely to use.

Hiking Poles – In the last few years I have starting using trekking poles while backpacking. Most people seem to start to use them to compensate for an injury or they have bad knees. For me I thought it would help with pacing and would allow me to be a little lazier with my steps so that I could hike even more with my head up. I like the poles, they work great, but they do use more energy and they add weight. Using them or not is a personal thing that only comes with experience.

Buff – These multiuse bandannas made famous by the TV show Survivor are great. I love them and I always have one with me going into the backcountry. Why bring a simple piece of cloth when you can bring one that, thanks to its material and shape, can be used in a variety of ways!

The best store for gear is backcountrygear.com. They have almost everything.

Here is a table of what I bring and I have included the cost for those of you who have asked. Note: Some of the items listed are not exactly what I have since something I can't find everything online. Also, some of the weights are a bit high, like my sleeping bag, because I have had them for 10 years and the technology has lightened things up since then. When I get around to replacing some of my old gear my weight should drop another pound or so. Also, this is a base configuration and I may throw something out or put something extra in, but in most cases this is my exact setup. (For some reason blogger throws in extra space when you table something, so you need to scroll down.)

	Weight (ounces)	Cost
Sleep System
Western Mountaineering 40 Degree Bag	22	$350.00
Byer Amazonas Hammock	11	$25.00
Silnylon Tarp	10	$100.00
Ursalite Carabiners (Non-weight bearing) (6)	0.66	$15.00
Black Diamon Neutrino Carabiners (2)	2.5	$20.00
Tree Hugger (2)	7	$30.00
Pack System
Granite Gear Airpocket Small (2)	1.14	$10.50
Granite Gear Air Compression Sack	3.2	$25.00
Granite Gear Vapor Trail	30	$160.00
Clothing
Marmot Power Stretch Glove	1.3	$25.00
Marmot Precip Pants	9	$70.00
Marmot DriClime Vests	8	$70.00
Marmot Approach Jacket	18	$120.00
Smartwool Liners	1	$8.00
Smartwool Hiking Socks	2	$13.95
Marmot Beanie	2	$22.00
Thermax Underwear	8	$40.00
Miscellaneus
First Aid Kit (includes first aid, toothbrush..)	6	$30.00
Sunscrean, Repellent	4	$15.00
Aquamira	3	$13.00
Princeton Tec Scout Headlamp	2	$22.00
Sigg Bottles 1L	5	$30.00
Platypus Resevoir 3L	1.5	$12.00
Whistle	0.2	$5.00
Snow Peak Titanium Spork	1	$12.00
Gerber Air Ranger Lock Blade	3	$45.00
	Ounces/Pounds	Cost
Total	162.5/10.16	$1,268.40