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I use the GSI Soloist and I like it. The newly revised version has ounce markers on the pot now.
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Jul 29, 2019 06:53
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I only use my pot to boil water for mountain House type meals. So I just use a 600ml toaks titanium with a Soto Amicus. Only negative is I can't fit both a small canister of fuel and the stove in the pot when packing. But it's a light as hell combo to just heat up water.
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Jul 29, 2019 16:03
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Backpacking and Camping Gear Megathread: Smoking Pots to Get High
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Jul 29, 2019 17:04
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I use a Ti pot just because I read some hippie bullshit about aluminum consumption. Someone please validate my purchase
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Jul 31, 2019 02:29
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:I use a Ti pot just because I read some hippie bullshit about aluminum consumption. Someone please validate my purchase American’s (I am one too) spelling of aluminum is vastly inferior to the British spelling aluminium, far as I’m concerned you’re fighting the good fight by protesting that issue
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Jul 31, 2019 03:16
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I found some videos by a fella named Darwin on the Trail: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18exdGWh7piVWisrnDXiZg I find him a bit annoying but he does have some decent ideas/reviews of some cheapo gear. Specifically, these 3 videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leMyVAsgFjU - PT.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZVZ_QplWE0 - PT.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf9733I4gnw - PT.3 2 questions: Does the collective goon community concur with some of this poo poo? Can, if there's any merit here, these be added to the OP for a beginner kit suggestion? I'm finding that as I gear up, there's some stuff already that I shouldn't have gotten or that weighs me down. The jetboil rules, but I agree it's heavy as poo poo.
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Jul 31, 2019 17:19
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Darwin is great, very chill and enjoyable to watch. I mainly like his hiking vlogs. He's also very open about his choices in gear, why he may change his mind, and why some of his options may not be for everyone (eg he cold soaks the same meal every night, but he admits that's because he really just doesn't care about eating the same thing over and over. He's not anti-stove or variety or whatever). I can't comment on his individual gear choices, but I don't think he's a bad guy to look for suggestions from. Personally he's far more minimalist and ultralight than I intend to be.
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Jul 31, 2019 17:49
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Yeah Darwin is pretty good, he’s very much of the “these are my options but ultimately use whatever gear works best for you” and he’s very good at explaining the reasoning behind what he uses and why.
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Jul 31, 2019 18:05
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I've identified some holes in my gear, and the biggest one is water. I need to get a filter. I'm 100% going to go after his (and every other UL person's) suggestion of the Smart Water bottles + Sawyer filter. After that, I'm pretty much game to go and do whatever. I could use a pillow, but that's low priority. Some decent hiking boots might be a good call, right now I'm using trainers but they're bound to get all hosed up.
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Jul 31, 2019 19:49
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Sawyer filters work great and are super light. They're not fast or effortless, though, if you care. Personally I have no regrets getting a gravity filter (we have a Platypus Gravityworks). It costs and weighs more (just under 12oz I think), but the quality of life improvement is huge. Just hang it up while you set up camp, and 4 L of clean water are waiting by the time your tent is up. Like I said before though, I'm definitely not ultralight.
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Jul 31, 2019 20:00
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Cannon_Fodder posted:I could use a pillow, but that's low priority. My pillow was low priority until I got one and noticed the difference. Now it’s top priority next to alcohol and poo poo paper. Jokes aside my limiting... thing?.. is definitely sleep quality. I got my food, water, warmth and comfort on par, just gotta nitpick ways to sleep as well as possible.
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Jul 31, 2019 20:38
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I had a sawyer for my first real trip and I fuckin hated it, watching with envy as my friend had filled up three liters with hit katadyn pump by the time I’d gotten half a liter out of my sawyer So I got a katadyn sport pump for a while and used that And recently ditched that for the Katadyn BeFree (I think?) and it strikes a drat fine balance between weight and utility
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Jul 31, 2019 20:44
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Cannon_Fodder posted:I've identified some holes in my gear, and the biggest one is water. I need to get a filter. I'm 100% going to go after his (and every other UL person's) suggestion of the Smart Water bottles + Sawyer filter. I've been through a lot of pillows (side sleeper) and finally settled on the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Large pillow. Very nice soft touch, big enough for side sleeping, ~4oz. Small weight penalty to pay for a good night of sleep. The large is slightly thicker than the regular, too, which is nice for my neck. I do all my 3-season hiking in trail runners. 1lb on your feet is like 6lbs on your back. A pair usually lasts me 400-600 miles. Footwear is very personal so try on a lot of stuff, don't just use what the internet recommends.
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Jul 31, 2019 21:08
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khysanth posted:I've been through a lot of pillows (side sleeper) and finally settled on the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Large pillow. Very nice soft touch, big enough for side sleeping, ~4oz. Small weight penalty to pay for a good night of sleep. The large is slightly thicker than the regular, too, which is nice for my neck. I ran through a ton of miles on my old Merrell shoes. London, NYC, Brazil (cities, towns, trail running, and hiking), as well as daily use. I simply haven't had the budget to throw at 90 dollars of shoes. 
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Jul 31, 2019 21:51
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Sockser posted:I had a sawyer for my first real trip and I fuckin hated it, watching with envy as my friend had filled up three liters with hit katadyn pump by the time I’d gotten half a liter out of my sawyer I'm sure I've posted about it already but I really like the BeFree. It filters as fast as I can drink, so I can just drink from it directly, or filter a 1L bottle in no time and be on my way. I haven't used another filter as fast or as convenient, plus it's super light and small.
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Jul 31, 2019 22:38
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+1 for the BeFree. I have the 1L version and it’s perfect.
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Jul 31, 2019 22:44
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I like the Sawyer. But I do carry some tabs because they barely even register on my scale and I can just drop those in wait 20-30 minutes then I'm good.
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Jul 31, 2019 23:14
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Rolo posted:+1 for the BeFree. I have the 1L version and it’s perfect. +n for the BeFree — it’s super fast, easy, light and cheap—the unobtanium trio of gear. I hated filling and fighting the squeeze on my sawyer, but I love the bags, and carry four of the liter ones for when I need to have extra capacity to mule clean water to camp. Pot chat, I really loving love my Olicamp XTS pot. It’s got built in heat exchanger fins, which make it more efficient for boiling, the silicone coated handle means I no longer carry a pot grabber with me, and the silicone lid makes for crazy fast boil times. And it’s cheap! And my gas canisters and ion stove and lighter all tuck neatly inside. I used to have the snow peak titanium pot set, but I hate how the lid doesn’t clamp to the pot, and just rattled around. Silicone snap shut lid is just god tier. I use the ion stove, which I think is identical to the MSR pocket rocket 2. Very much like the tiny lightweight design.
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Jul 31, 2019 23:27
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Sleep is very important to me. Spending the day hauling gear over a bunch of miles usually leaves me pretty worn out. Waking up to do it again the next day is much easier to do when you've had a good nights sleep. If you sleep like poo poo, you're going to be in a bad mood and probably not feel as good on the trail. As a side sleeper, I need a decently thick air pad and pillow. I used to carry a cheap field and stream brand poly filled pillow for years but it wasn't that comfortable and took up a lot of space. I upgraded to an inflatable pillow and I like it quite a bit. Its small and light. https://www.rei.com/product/142507/cocoon-sleeping-bag-hood-pillow For water filters, almost all brands use the same size hose so they're pretty interchangeable and easily modified. I use a platypus gravity works filter which comes with two 4L bags but I rarely bring both of them. I can even bring just the actual filter with me and put it inline on my drinking hose if I want to go lighter. Most times I just bring the filter and hose, one 4L bag for dirty water and my 3L drinking bladder.
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Aug 1, 2019 00:17
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For trips that I’m not so concerned about weight (50 pound pack heyooooo!) I’ve been a huge aficionado of the ALPS Mountaineering Ready Lite Cot, so much so that I’ll outright take it in lieu of a pad (though having both is pure luxury. At 5.25 pounds it’s admittedly a massive weight cost, but good god does it make a real big difference, especially in areas with rockier terrain and whatnot.
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Aug 1, 2019 01:28
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I bought a Cnoc Vecto bladder which pairs with the Sawyer filter and turns it into a gravity feed system. https://cnocoutdoors.com/ Another option to consider if you already have a Sawyer filter. They also have a BeFree threaded version as well.
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Aug 1, 2019 05:16
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I chose the MSR Trailshot filter since I also use it for long distance trail running. Very compact and has worked great for me. As a data point, crossed paths with another fastpacker in the Sierra backcountry and he was using a collapsible filter bottle to fill his soft flasks and seemed to like it ok. We both remarked that, at that altitude and so deep in the backcountry, it was probably completely unnecessary for us to be filtering the water.
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Aug 1, 2019 05:16
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FCKGW posted:I bought a Cnoc Vecto bladder which pairs with the Sawyer filter and turns it into a gravity feed system. Cnoc bladder + sawyer w/ coupling + smart water bottles worked like a charm on my last backpacking trip. I could fill two liters pretty quickly with minimal effort.
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Aug 1, 2019 05:23
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Thanks for the pot recommendations. I wound up picking up a GSI Halulite 1.1 pot which seems to work alright. I just tested it with my Snow Peak GigaPower stove. It boiled a liter of cold tap water in a bit over 6 minutes. The Toaks 1100ml titanium pot looked really nice, but I just couldn’t justify dropping over $50 on a pot I’ll only use a few times a year (until my kids get older at least)  Next question: what size first aid kit do you guys usually bring with you on backpacking trips? I just picked up an Adventure Ultralight .7 but it seems like it might be a bit big for a first aid kit. My only other portable kit is an REI trekker which is on the opppside side of the spectrum — far too small.
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Aug 2, 2019 00:31
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I just assembled my own. Standard sandwich size freezer ziplock which is 3/4 full. I put it in a small size bright orange dry bag. I drew a cross and wrote first aid in it with a sharpie so it's official.
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Aug 2, 2019 01:29
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My first aid kit fits in a small (i.e. sandwich size) ziploc bag. A couple items below are usually with my toiletries or general utility items but whatever: couple kinds of elastic / adhensive tape small thing of antiseptic ointment few bandages/dressings few wipes small amount of hand sanitizer little tincture of bezoin few blister pads tick card, small tweezers small needle, thread tiny scissors (from small swiss army knife) some ibuprofen, immodium, and antihistamines It weighs a few oz and really covers anything you would really need. I don't bring splints, etc. since these can be improvised well enough from other items. Squeezing a soft water bag works better than most wound irrigating syringes, and those are not really needed anyway. You can include some gauze if you want, but it's largely unnecessary. Some people bring crazy poo poo like sutures and hemostatic bandages (celox, combat gauze etc.) which I guess is great if you find yourself pinned down by Charlie but these things are really overkill, are not recommended in 99% of injuries you are likely to encounter, and most people don't use them appropriately. You really don't need much for an adequate first aid kit.
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Aug 2, 2019 04:28
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one band-aid and a mixed fistful of loperamide, ibuprofen, and diphenhydramine
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Aug 2, 2019 07:40
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Right on. I’ll probably stick with the .7 and take out the unnecessary bits. It’s only marginally bigger than a zip lock bag anyway, and comes with a fair number of things I expect I might use.
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Aug 2, 2019 14:52
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Pillow, headlamp, and sawyer filter ordered. My big trip is next week. Despite sounding like a complete nerd, I'm going to practice packing up my bag a few times before we head out. More to see how it all comes together than anything else. 
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Aug 2, 2019 15:28
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I like having a small bottle of liquid bandage in my kit. Most common places for me to get minor cuts and scrapes are near joints where small adhesive bandages just end up falling off. I should warn you though, liquid bandage does tend to sting a bit.
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Aug 2, 2019 16:21
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Sawyer squeeze is quite fast when you squeeze the pouch. Sawyer mini is too small. Flow is bad and it clogs easily. My friend had a huge 10 liter katadyn filter and it was very fast. It's like befree but 10x larger. Haul 10 liters to camp in the evening. Cook, fill bottles etc. and still you can do the same next morning. It was somewhat heavy though, big and very expensive. I use katadyn pills after filtration to kill potential viruses just in case, or I boil the filtered water. ---- My cheap Silva "designed in sweden" trekking poles broke. They had some glued together parts which aren't glued together anymore, so only the elastic cord keeps the poles together now. I ordered Black Diamond Trekking Pro aluminium poles. They aren't foldable so one less thing to break. Also the brand is more trusted than Silva so I hope the BD poles last longer than two years. I looked at carbon poles and didn't see the point. They shave maybe 10% of the weight at least in BD's lineup, for extra cost and they come with the risk of catasthropic failure.
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Aug 2, 2019 21:13
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The Cascade Mountain carbon fiber trekking poles are on clearance at Costco right now, I think $20 or $25 bucks or so, a steal at that price. Review here: https://andrewskurka.com/cascade-mountain-tech-quick-lock-trekking-poles-review/
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Aug 2, 2019 21:19
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In addition to the stuff already mentioned, I like to include a small vial of treatment for poison oak (tecnu) and a larger container - like maybe an ounce or two - of treatment for sunburn (aloe gel or similar). Tecnu in particular is useful because it's also a wash for clothing that's been affected by poison oak oils, so you can treat the rash & clean like a sleeve or sock or whatever as well. My wife is especially vulnerable to poison oak so she showed me that stuff. also, when selecting band aids ("plasters" for you brits) I like the waterproof ones, like Nexcare.
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Aug 2, 2019 21:22
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Wasn't sure which backpacking thread to post, but this one says gear, so... sorry if wrong thread. Goons have always given me better targeted advice for my rando-work stuff. I need 1 new pack, but am prepared to buy 2 different sizes. I pack non-ergo stuff around in terrain that varies from playa to quite steep. Usually carrying small to mid-sized packs because half the time they are lashed to a larger pack. Thinking to remove that last step. I'm getting away from the larger piece of equipment that has to be mounted to its own packframe (or a mule)... Work photos!   This was a Dakine snowboard pack I picked up at a garage sale. Loved the fit, but too small. Barely could throw that toughbook in there.  Kelty that's been around, definitely got my moneys' worth, eventually broke every single buckle. This would hold a lot and I like the non-toploader entry. I tried on a newer one and it just felt "off". Like plenty tall but not as deep, front to back. Larger items like batteries won't fit.  I had this Mammot framed climbing pack that had a large, deep single compartment that was perfect for carrying short distances and those yellow cases would slip right in, batteries on top. Waist strap sucked so short distances only. Made an awesome weekend pack, fit in overhead/under seat for travel. It was toploader but had a U-zipper on the back that was full-frame, which I normally used. One problem I have with testing a pack in store is even if they weigh it down, it is still weighted more ergonomically and around what you'd want for a backpacking load. Those photos above are say 45 lbs with personal food and water in the pack. My last trip was more like 55 lbs. I went to an REI and started stuffing extra heavy poo poo in a pack and they got upset. The sales guys said it wasn't rated that high, which they didn't know if that was because it isn't comfortable beyond that, or the stitching/frame can't handle it. Comfort is relative. Right now for me would be not looking like this: with the smaller pack on the left lashed to the packframe (60#) on the right. Migrating away from this gear to more of the yellow-pelican sized boxes.  I don't like "top access only" packs. I'm looking to replace the Mammot for something framed in the "wide mouth but not huge category - like <40l", and the Kelty, which was 65l, I think. I borrowed a coworker's Osprey Atmos (I think?) for a week. It seemed like a great technical pack, but I felt off-balance, like it was too far away from my back with the air-trampoline thing. This weekend going to go to REI and see if they have a Gregory pack because read it sits a little closer to the body. It is top load but also has a U-zipper. I'm hoping for a larger pack to leave my hands free more. Anyone spent some time with one, and think it can carry a heavier load than advertised? More like 65#?
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Aug 2, 2019 23:19
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Did you look at the Mammut Trion line? They have a big front access flap and its pretty popular with photographers, real easy to get big crap in and out. Biggest downside is no real adjustability.. you can't raise/lower the shoulder straps for example. I have the most average body type possible so it fits me perfectly and I love it. I've maxed out at around 35 pounds though so can't speak to how well it takes really heavy loads. AtlasPacks is another brand to look in to. They're a botique label but are targeted at photographers and they get pretty solid reviews.
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Aug 2, 2019 23:48
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I also thought of the Mammut Trion packs. The front access flap makes it very easy to access whatever without going through the top. It sits close enough to the body that I am comfortable climbing in it. I've loaded it up to 40 lbs on an actual trip and 60 lbs for training, and I think it holds the weight well. No real internal frame, though (just a hard panel). Which is probably not great if you've got various large awkward shaped items not packed closely together (as opposed to typical mountaineering loads with lots of smooshy stuff filling space and providing structure).
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Aug 3, 2019 00:11
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I will look at those, thank you!
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Aug 3, 2019 00:30
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Only panel loader which I know is seek outside's exposure 5000ci. https://seekoutside.com/exposure-5000-panel-loading-backpack/ Expensive and it probably isn't large enough 
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Aug 3, 2019 05:44
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Verman posted:Sleep is very important to me. Spending the day hauling gear over a bunch of miles usually leaves me pretty worn out. Waking up to do it again the next day is much easier to do when you've had a good nights sleep. If you sleep like poo poo, you're going to be in a bad mood and probably not feel as good on the trail. As a side sleeper, I need a decently thick air pad and pillow. I used to carry a cheap field and stream brand poly filled pillow for years but it wasn't that comfortable and took up a lot of space. I upgraded to an inflatable pillow and I like it quite a bit. Its small and light. I've tried inflatable pillows but always found them uncomfortable. I found a dry bag with some clothes in worked just as well but I usually just roll up my gillet and use that as a pillow. I'm abysmal at sleeping in tents though, so I usually just accept that the first night I'm only gonna get a couple of hours sleep then the next night I'll just sleep because I'm so tired. Dangerllama posted:Thanks for the pot recommendations. I wound up picking up a GSI Halulite 1.1 pot which seems to work alright. I just tested it with my Snow Peak GigaPower stove. It boiled a liter of cold tap water in a bit over 6 minutes. I got a toaks pot and it is really nice. I only slightly regret how much I spent on it and I didn't even buy the super light version because I was worried about bending it.
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Aug 4, 2019 09:43
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| # ? May 16, 2024 08:05 |
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hemale in pain posted:I've tried inflatable pillows but always found them uncomfortable. I found a dry bag with some clothes in worked just as well but I usually just roll up my gillet and use that as a pillow. I'm abysmal at sleeping in tents though, so I usually just accept that the first night I'm only gonna get a couple of hours sleep then the next night I'll just sleep because I'm so tired. That is the downside of titanium, it is super fragile and I bent my snow peak skillet just through packing it down in my bag. I’m also in the same boat, I’m not a big inflatable pillow fan. I’m on my second one of these Dutchware Argon Pillows, after I left my first one on a plane. Loved it so much I bought another. Plus they’re only 18$, or 10$ if you wanna diy it. Small and very soft, but just enough support to help me sleep. pumped up for school posted:I need 1 new pack, but am prepared to buy 2 different sizes. That’s awesome! What exactly is it you do? This is tough... at that weight, I’d recommend an external frame pack like Kelty, and lash poo poo to the outside since that’s what they’re made for, but flying might be tough with that. Capacity wise a rucksack might be your next best bet, but it’s a top loader. I just got a Mission Workshop Fitzeroy for work and travel, which has been awesome. Feels indestructible, waterproof, wide open top, carries heavy loads comfortably with optional hip belt, and even fits in Spirit Airline’s personal item slot so no extra carry-on fees and slips right in the overhead bin. I think what you need is a modular pack with molle webbing for strapping poo poo to the outside, more like the military uses since they also have bulky heavy equipment similar to you. I’d skip REI, you’re not gonna find what you need there. Maybe play around with the build your own pack feature on Mission Workshop too: https://missionworkshop.com/products/arkiv-bag-series Legit very nice packs that I can enthusiastically recommend for more rough and tumble travel than lightweight backpacking. Goruck might be another one to look into, goons were recommending that to me when I was asking about packs, along with Civic Backpacks from Evergood. They don’t have much in the way of packs, but I really like Wiggy’s gear too for winter clothing. Durable materials, oversized zippers, made in the US, but bulkier and heavier than a lot of backpacking aimed bags and jackets because it’s aimed at durable daily work wear. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 05:09 on Aug 5, 2019 |
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Aug 5, 2019 05:06
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