camping gear

In My Humble Opinion
21

http://www.outdoorreview.com/defaultcrx.aspx

Is an excellent place to find reviews of camping products.

Also, I don’t think www.sierratradingpost.com has been mentioned yet.

My camping gear consists of:

ArcTeryx internal frame pack (sort of towards the upper-end, but if you look around, you can find a good deal. A bad pack will make you hate backpacking pretty quickly - like within the first 3 miles). Gregory and Mountainsmith also have excellent reputations for backpacks.

Zamberlan Gore-Tex boots (whether you need Gore-Tex depends on the areas you intend to hike in. I wouldn’t trade these boots for anything. They have nice, stiff soles which keep your feet from getting fatigued, and I can walk in 6" of water without getting my feet damp). They’re also tall and stiff enough to prevent rolled ankles when hiking over boulders, downed wood, etc.

Outdoor Research sombrero - a good foldable hat is a must for both sun and rain.

Kelty or Sierra Design tents can usually be had for a decent price. I have the Flashlight, which is a tight fit for 2 people, but weighs in at about 5 pounds.

Moonstone Gore-Tex raincoat - breathable, good quality jacket - on the spendy side unless you watch for bargains.

North Face down 10-degree mummy bag. Nice and toasty, just over 2 pounds, IIRC. Lighter bags will result in less wiggle room, so it’s important to stike a balance.

Sleeping pad - ThermaRest - there is no other. These are foam, and inflate to hold some air, so they are excellent for padding and insulation given their weight and packed size. The 3/4 length is ideal for backpacking.

22

When it comes to a stove, think about altitude/temperature and weight/space. Coleman fuel is refillable and cheap. However, it takes a while to heat up the stove and get moving. Propane/butane are non-refillable (you have to pack out your fuel bottle just to toss it) but starts up faster and can be used faster.

Now, at high altitude and/or cold temperatures, Coleman fuel works better. Propane and butane are gas-phase at STP, and change into liquid at cold temperatures or low pressures.

The individual model is personal preference and what you plan to do. If you’re going car camping, a two-burner Coleman is fine. If you want something light, go with the Whisperlight line (I don’t remember who the manufacturer is.) If you want something lighter than a two-burner but with an easier setup than a Whisperlight, try a Coleman Peak One.

23

Why not just carry an extra disposable lighter or two? :confused:

Don’t get me wrong; the battery-and-steel-wool firestarter works very well. But to me it’s more of a “survival” thing – that is, you crash your plane in the Alaskan outback and you have the battery pack from your handheld tranceiver or the 9v from a pocket radio or the battery from the aircraft and you happen to have some steel wool available. But it’s the thing to use when you don’t have a better means of starting a fire. If you’re going to go to the trouble of carrying the 9v and wool (and as you pointed out, you must take special precautions to prevent an accidental fire; not to mention that you need to learn how to use it effectively), it just makes more sense to me to carry a spare lighter (which can be used more times than a little steel wool).

24

Johnny, the classy bastard (even though he rides a Yamaha) who drinks espresso while hiking beat me to it. It’s a good trick to know, but a couple of bics or even wax dipped kitchen matches are much more efficient. I had one of those magnesium firestarter block jobs once just cuz it was cool to play caveman and make sparks and stuff, but half the time I just used a lighter to make fire. “Me Og. Og make flame!”.

As far as the coleman liquid fuel vs. propane, fuel is fuel. Three propane bottles fill the pockets of my alice pack perfectly with a lot less worry than a can of coleman fuel or gasoline and I’ve used my propane stove and lantern at -30F without much trouble at all. Plus, there is none of that pumping and priming crap. But I would like to mention that I always carry a couple cans of Sterno as a backup. You can’t beat that stuff if you don’t have access to C-4:)

25

You may have noticed that I said to keep all the items I consider as essential in a separate “go bag” - think of it as a “when-things-go-to-hell-in-a-handbasket bag.” As a back-up, this bag will help you get out of trouble. You know, when you leave your faithful BIC down by the lake [yesterday, 10 miles back] when you were cleaning fish, or you find that your camping partner has used all your “weatherproof matches” to light smoking materials. It is a good thing to carry “all the comforts of home” when possible, but I was just trying to say [ineffectually, it seems] that it is good to have a fall-back system for safe camping in the wilds. Where I backpack [see my location], things can go bad pretty quickly if you’re in the middle of nowhere and don’t have the basics on hand. Rescues are frequently carried out up here by the military using helicopters, and a trekker is on his/her own until that helps arrives. I guess I’m just elaborating on the old scout motto, “Be prepared.” This concludes the daily sermonette.

26

radar ralf: I hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression. I certainly don’t want to impugn your outdoor skills, and I see nothing wrong with carrying a battery and steel wool. But why not put a lighter in your “go bag”, in addition to the battery and steel wool?

27

okay

28

I was camping for a month this summer, first time camping since i was a Wee Li’l Ninja. Mostly in the Cumberland Gap area, if you know it, and we did a week in the Smokies. It gets COLD there at night, even in August!

Thermarest: Yes. The 3/4 length is perfect, IMO. Unless you’re going camping someplace totallly flat (Iowa, perhaps?), I’d recomment bringing a small length of anti-slide stuff. That rubbery webbing-esque material that you buy to put under throw rugs so they don’t go sliding all over? Folds up tiny, weighs next to nothing, and you will LOVE it if you need to camp on uneven ground. especially if you don’t have a tent - waking up having slid down a hill through wet, dewy grass is NOT fun.

Boots: I went for a pair of EMS brand boots. They treated me very well, other than a broken lace. Mine are pretty low, but get ones with good ankle support. Gortex is a MUST, but do some extra waterproofing too. I recomment a stiffer sole, but to each their own. Your socks are just as important as your boots: Find a type you really like (I think my fave were a wool/silk blend), and buy a handful of pairs like them. Use liners, too.

Duct Tape: Buy a roll of it. Live by it. There are very few things you can’t fix with duct tape.

Sleeping Bag: Can’t give you much help here, I inherited my sister’s old one. But I’d say for the region, you won’t need more than a 20-degree bag. I’d recommend a liner, just based on my personal preference: I’ve got a CoolMax liner. Adds an extra 5 degrees, and wicks the sweat away.

Other stuff I think you should invest in: Nalgene bottles. Get two or three of them. Go for the hard plastic (the colored type), because iodine tablets stain the other type. Drink LOTS of water. Luna, PowerBars, etc are good, Snickers bars are also good. Bring an ace bandage: it can make a slightly-turned ankle/knee/wrist/elbow/shoulder MUCH more bearable. Don’t both with expensive hiking clothes. I’d recommend a pair of convertable pants and/or a pair of nylon gym shorts. This summer, I swore by my best pair of running shorts, which hav ea built-in CoolMax lining. Forget the flint lighters, and all the fancy gear, beacuse you relaly don’t need it. Invest in a good pair of long underwear, though, and a good water filter.

29

X~Slayer’s suggestion to try out the tent and sleeping bag is right on - the sleeping bag especially. They make these bags for normal sized people, and normal sized people are significantly smaller than I am. If you’re particularly tall or broad shouldered you’ll have trouble being comfortable in a normal sleeping bag. Luckily, a lot of manufacturers make long bags that have a little more girth as well.

Same thing goes for the backpack. Some are made as one-size-fits-all, but the higher quality packs usually come in sizes according to your torso length. Again, try the packs out and see what’s comfortable. Outdoor stores often have sandbags that they use to weight the pack so you can get an idea of how it’ll feel when it’s loaded. The last thing to remember about the pack is to learn how to adjust everything. A couple of small adjustments can make a world of difference over a long hike.

fizgig - I’ve got the same boots, and I can’t say enough good things about 'em. I wore those boots wading through a creek in a pouring rainstorm, and when I finally got to a spot where I could change, everything I had on was soaked except my socks.

30

One quick thing that wasn’t been mentioned…

If you are going to be sleeping in temps that are right around or slightly lower than you bag is rated for, where a hat. I’ve slept comfortably in 15deg weather in my 25deg bag wearing just my trusty hat and longjohns.

Ok, two things. If you’re looking for a pair of indestructable boots and you have a little extra cash, get Limmers. (www.limmerboot.com) I’ve had mine for 5 or 6 years now. Granted, they take about a year to break in, but I use them year round and I’m not even close to wearing them out yet. Have fun!

31

Actually, I recommend always wearing a hat. The saying I go by is “If your feet get cold, put your hat on.”

Also, I don’t believe anyone has brought this up, but always change your socks before you go to bed. Clean dry socks work wonders when you’re trying to sleep, and they’ll keep your bag a little cleaner.

32

Oh. My. God.

I said “where a hat.” Excuse me while I go pit myself.

:smack:

33

After reading my initial post again, I am hereby banning myself from the boards.

Never have I been so ashamed.

-lightingWHATAFREAKIN’tool