What's your gear list for a 3 night backpack trip into the Uintas?

[ibenick]

Cozy, huh? That's something I never would've thought of.

I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't just be easier and not much difference in weight to use a foldable bowl or a cheap plastic measuring cup? I'm a fan of both, especially the folding bowl. Easy to clean, just unfold and lick (especially easy with dogs around).





And if you're eating freeze dried meals the measuring cup can sure come in handy for getting the right amount of water in there.

[Scott Card]

I am liking this thread. It has been a while since I have backpacked for any length of time or distance. I just got a sweet new backpack and I am itching to go.

http://www.ospreypacks.com/images_pr...122_260_xl.jpg


Thanks for all the lists and reminders.

BTW, I usually take a cup that I have marked a line where one cup is or prior to the trip I get the cup I am taking an see how much it holds. If I can't figure it out from there, I got problems.

[CarpeyBiggs]

I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't just be easier and not much difference in weight to use a foldable bowl or a cheap plastic measuring cup? I'm a fan of both, especially the folding bowl. Easy to clean, just unfold and lick (especially easy with dogs around).





And if you're eating freeze dried meals the measuring cup can sure come in handy for getting the right amount of water in there.

how hard is it to measure two cups? pretty much every cheap tupperware cup has some form of measuring on it, and they weigh like 1.5 ounces. make a reflectix cozy for it, and it weighs 3 ounces. another .2 ounces for the alcohol stove and the cook kit is complete, less than 5 ounces (plus fuel) tupperware cups can be used over and over, and for anything (oatmeal, dehydrated meals, freezer bags, hot cocoa, pudding, whatever...)

[ibenick]

how hard is it to measure two cups? pretty much every cheap tupperware cup has some form of measuring on it, and they weigh like 1.5 ounces. make a reflectix cozy for it, and it weighs 3 ounces. another .2 ounces for the alcohol stove and the cook kit is complete, less than 5 ounces (plus fuel) tupperware cups can be used over and over, and for anything (oatmeal, dehydrated meals, freezer bags, hot cocoa, pudding, whatever...)

Did I give the impression that I thought it was hard to measure two cups? My bad, I was just trying to say it's nice to have something with it marked, so yeah a tupperware with a 1 cup mark, pretty much the same thing. Or even marking the inside of a cooking pot. The point of my comment was that any cheap plastic cup seems easier and not much heavier (if at all) than putting a freezer bag full of boiling liquid into a padded envelope held in place by paper clips. Any cheap plastic cup like the folding bowl, measuring cup or the tupperware cup you mentioned would be fine.

[ibenick]

I'm interested in what everyone is packing for a stove on a trip like this.

Dan, what's your alcohol stove setup like? I had a friend bring one on a trip last year, he hadn't used it before and he ran out of fuel on the second day. It didn't seem very efficient and boil times were ridiculous but he might have been doing it wrong.

What about everyone else?

If the weather isn't too cold in the Uintas I like to use an MSR Pocket Rocket (3 oz excluding fuel) and a some variation of titanium pot. If I'm solo I use a little titanium kettle called the MSR Titan. If I'm cooking for a small group I bring the MSR 2 liter titanium pot. The only issue I've had with this setup in the Uintas was on a night where temps dipped down to the teens. The isobutane doesn't work very well when it gets really cold so I had to continually cup it with my hands. I also have a white gas setup if I think it's going to be freezing but it's not nearly as simple/easy to use.

Here's my stuff:
Pocket Rocket (3 oz plus fuel)


cooking solo:
Titan Kettle (4.2 oz)


and if I'm cooking for a group:
2 liter titanium pot (8 oz)

[DOSS]

Did I give the impression that I thought it was hard to measure two cups? My bad, I was just trying to say it's nice to have something with it marked, so yeah a tupperware with a 1 cup mark, pretty much the same thing. Or even marking the inside of a cooking pot. The point of my comment was that any cheap plastic cup seems easier and not much heavier (if at all) than putting a freezer bag full of boiling liquid into a padded envelope held in place by paper clips. Any cheap plastic cup like the folding bowl, measuring cup or the tupperware cup you mentioned would be fine.

I think that you are missing the fact that no matter what you have to have some kind of container to bring your food in. So your food is either in a ziplock bag that you pour into your bowl and pour your hot water into that and eat it.. or you skip the bowl and just eat it out of a ziplock bag. Ziplock bag, bowl, pot, cleaning or ziplock bag, pot, cozy done :)


since I have weighed in here is my list - it is modified based on distance and comfort level I would like

Pack
Sleeping bag
pad
hammock
Tarp with stakes cord

First aid kit (all your normal drugs + some scotch or Vodka to help with sleep ;) )
gear repair kit (mostly duct tape wrapped around my trekking pole)
personal care kit (includes 100% deet, TP, Dried baby wipes, and maybe a KFC wipe or 2 and a toothbrush with paste)
Water filter or aqua mura tabs
Hydration pack and 1 wide mouth Nalgine (or a big mouth Gatorade bottle)

Clothes depend on the weather forecast but mostly what I wear in and a outer protection layer
Poncho big enough to cover pack while hiking (often used as my camp tarp depending on forecast again)

Food 99% of the time I take no cook food so I don't have to deal with a stove but If I do I usually take one of my alchy stoves and a uber lightweight pot and my cozy to reheat ziplock food in :) a great place to get tons of good meal ideals for backpacking is here http://www.wildbackpacker.com/

Also for big group trips it is fun to take brownie mix and make brownies for everyone (you actually boil it in an oven bag oddly enough)

Trekking pole(s)
Nav Gear
flashlight and batteries
trowel
entertainment stuff

that is basically it every trip has its own requirements and I try to take as little as possible and have as many things as possible do double duty.
I would suggest in the Uintas even if you are taking a tent to take a tarp that you can set up so that you are not just stuck in your tent when afternoon showers hit :)

[DOSS]

I'm interested in what everyone is packing for a stove on a trip like this.

Dan, what's your alcohol stove setup like? I had a friend bring one on a trip last year, he hadn't used it before and he ran out of fuel on the second day. It didn't seem very efficient and boil times were ridiculous but he might have been doing it wrong.

I have a number of stoves actually.., I love my pocket rocket though :) For the cold with isobutane sleep with your fuel and if you can dig a little bit into the ground and have the fuel tank sitting in a bit of water, this stops it from icing up and failing on cold mornings as the water is usually a bit warmer than the air :)


Alcohol stoves are finnicky and have a learning curve, his failure to learn this before he got on the trail is what caused his problems :) Part of the alcohol stove thing is that you make your own stoves, they are light and in general fun. If you are in a hurry to get your water boiled don't use a alchy stove.. My quickest boil time has been 6 minutes for 2 cups. But you have to have your stove dialed in, use the correct pot (often this is a pot I have made myself too :), the correct wind screen etc.

What I plan to eat on the trip will dictate what I am going to take for a stove, Pocket Rocket, Achy stove, wood burner mini hobo, peak 1 liquid fuel etc :)

[ibenick]

I think that you are missing the fact that no matter what you have to have some kind of container to bring your food in. So your food is either in a ziplock bag that you pour into your bowl and pour your hot water into that and eat it.. or you skip the bowl and just eat it out of a ziplock bag. Ziplock bag, bowl, pot, cleaning or ziplock bag, pot, cozy done :)

No, I get that concept. I guess it's just where the folks who are really into fast and light and I differ. I'm just picturing this plastic bag in a padded envelope and a bunch of paper clips and pouring hot water into it and it seems like a disaster to me. And you'd have to individually bag all your oats too instead of all in one bag. And what if you have a tiny hole in your bag? I dunno, I'm all about carrying a little extra weight for the simplicity and ease of use. I like to use the lightest option when it makes sense but as you can tell I am far from a superlight backpacker.

[DOSS]

No, I get that concept. I guess it's just where the folks who are really into fast and light and I differ. I'm just picturing this plastic bag in a padded envelope and a bunch of paper clips and pouring hot water into it and it seems like a disaster to me. And you'd have to individually bag all your oats too instead of all in one bag. And what if you have a tiny hole in your bag? I dunno, I'm all about carrying a little extra weight for the simplicity and ease of use. I like to use the lightest option when it makes sense but as you can tell I am far from a superlight backpacker.

Don't get stuck on the padded envelope there are better and less cumbersome ways to do it . I also thought that the use of freezer bags would make things more difficult but after going out with someone who was comfortable with the concept and saw the simplicity all of the yummy stuff they were eating while I was stuck with the same stuff every day and they were lighter weight I saw the light.

In the end I think everyone has to find what works for them, I am not as oz conscious as it may seem ;) I pack a little different for almost every trip.. guess it is part of the fun for me

[CarpeyBiggs]

something like this, if it's windy i use the caldera. pocket rockets are good too, the biggest problem is the fuel canister, but for 3 nights it's only a couple ounce difference. the alcohol stove was very worthwhile for thru hiking though, because canisters are hard to find, alcohol is universal.

http://www.antigravitygear.com/calde...3-cup-pot.html

[spinesnaper]

I have ditched my pocket rocket (3.3 oz) and now carry a titanium snow peak stove that weighs 1.9 oz. I plan my meals for just boiling water and use a 3.4 oz Evernew titanium pot that holds 21 oz of water. Utensils is a sea to snow aluminum spork (0.6 oz) and for cups I have a cheap but light green plastic cup marked in cups and ounces up to 8 ounces for "precision" water measuring. It weighs 1.0 oz and my other cup that stays warmer longer for morning coffee is a nameless plastic uninsulated mug that weight 1.5 oz and nests with the other mug. The Evernew pot has a top and silicone coated foldable handles and holds the small snow peak gas cannister (about 1.1 hours of burn time) and the stove. Sadly all my other gear is equally geeky and light. Who says you can't be light and comfortable?

My snake bite and advance first aid kit is my 5.3 ounce McMurdo PLB with GPS.

Gear whore. I know.

Well at least it's a hobby that doesn't give you an incurable case of clap.

[mr. incognito]

Wow. Thanks Mr. Incognito. Getting rid of the bite kit! I had a couple of incidents years ago where I ended up with rattlers literally between my legs on two separate occasions, hence why I picked up the kit. One of which was literally on the top ridge line of the Wellsville mountains at about 8600 feet. Fortunately, neither incident ended up in a bite.
Do you know anything about the rattle snake vaccine shots that vets give to dogs? From what I was told it gives them a bit of an immunity that really just gives you more time to get the dog into the vet for treatment. I've been getting all three of my dogs the shot annually. Wondering if that might be a waste too?

Exactly my point you had a couple close calls and were not bitten. that is almost always the story, the danger is drastically overblown.
I have seen rock climbers and hikers literally on top of rattlesnakes or actually step over them and they had no idea the animal was there until I pointed it out to them. At campgrounds in a National Monument where I work seasonally with the rangers during biological surveys, they monitor the locations of dozens of snakes just off trail and have to quietly move a few that venture into high use areas from time to time. If the general ignorant population got wind of this a panic would ensue. Campground is always full of both visitors and snakes with no problems to report. Unfortunately last year a couple campers were prosecuted for destroying two snakes on federally protected lands that they perceived as dangerous (more likely they noticed the animals and dragged them out of their habitat and killed them) "It was coming right at me!!" um, no. I myself had a literal face to face unexpected encounter that spanned no more than 5 inches from the end of my nose. Danger is minimal unless you make physical contact with the snake or get the rare bellicose individual snake.

Many snakes will "dry bite" during a defensive bite where little or no venom is actually injected. They can strike approximately half their body length, a little more on a down hill slope, so for snakes averaging 2-4 feet in length even 3 feet is a relatively safe distance. Look before you place hands and feet, inspect before you sit down, and eyeball anything before you pick it back up and you should always be fine. I have been at hibernaculums with dozens of snakes in less than 20 feet (on a cliff ledge no less) and have quietly picked my way through them. They are defensive creatures. Collecting firewood/moving rocks and placing hands where you can't see, or rock climbers suddenly grabbing at high ledges are the only realistic scenarios for an accidental bite.

I am not sure what they put in veterinarian dog rattlesnake vaccines but if it is even the most minute part of actual snake venom, yes they will build up antibodies, but they could become sensitized to the venom or the serum solution used and build antibodies to it just as easily. Horses, goats,and sheep have all been used to produce antivenins for human envenomation. Horse serums are no longer used because people were having a more severe reaction to the serum than the bite in the first place. The venom specialists of the world are split on the potential benefits of immunization to venom in general. Vet medications don't go through the same rigorous testing standards as human drugs, who knows what is in there. a vial of CROFAB antivenin for humans goes for about 2,000 dollars and you will need several in the case of a bite. I can't imagine how a less than say 50 dollar shot (I don't know I am not a dog owner) can be high quality worthwhile well researched medication or they would have the stuff for people who work with snakes by now, right?

I suppose it could provide a slight resistance to a bite like the vets claim and reduce the severity of reaction to a bite. Sounds logical. Even some people have tried it both with injections and allowing bites (!!!!) with mixed results. Even these extreme measures will not make anyone or anything rattlesnake immune. It seems like wearing a bullet proof vest to bed in case of a shooting drive-by to me. Unless you are in constant contact with snakes why bother? A responsible dog owner should be able to get a wayward dog away from a random snake encounter before it is bitten and if it should happen the dog will probably survive it anyways.
We do adverse dog training with rattlesnakes where the dog is shock collared and has the ability to hear and see a snake in a ventilated double layered enclosure, every time he goes to smell, zap. They learn quickly that snake smell/sound is no bueno.
I will confer with my colleagues about vet dog anti-snake vaccines and report a better answer as to the validity and value of dog snake venom inoculations if I get a chance.

[mr. incognito]

I'm interested in what everyone is packing for a stove on a trip like this.

I am not telling you what stove I use because I actually saw it in the "antiques" display of older stoves at Kirkam's the other day. But REI still sells the fuel canisters so I don't see the point in replacing it because it works fine. Actually it out-performs some "Latest and Greatest" stoves that my friends have bought as far as cooking time and heat output much to their chagrin. Changing the canister is a pucker moment though, because it is not threaded rather a puncture and rubber seal thingy so I throw it like a grenade in case there is still fuel inside. If it ever leaked while in use it is a bomb.

[mr. incognito]

little cans of sterno make good emergency heat sources and emergency cooking sources too.

[blueeyes]

This is a great thread! I am still working up the nerve to do my first backpack trip with my son. Still collecting necessary items. Love all the information here.

[accadacca]

I am liking this thread. It has been a while since I have backpacked for any length of time or distance. I just got a sweet new backpack and I am itching to go.

http://www.ospreypacks.com/images_pr...122_260_xl.jpg

Nice! I was eyeballing those packs at Kirkhams the other day. It will probably be my next pack.


My tip: I use a little twine to tie a couple milk jugs to my pack by their handles. They work great around camp for mixing gatoraid, koolaid, etc. They are also very easy to pump water into and I usually keep one full of H20 to have on hand.

[blueeyes]

good stuff here - http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/5159...ng-gear-items/

After reading this site I AM going backpacking

On the long trails backpackers can be seen adding olive oil to everything but their drinking water, in an effort to get more precious calories and stem the weight loss which occurs from burning 6,000+ calories per day.

And he has a great home made pot cozy!

[DOSS]

After reading this site I AM going backpacking
And he has a great home made pot cozy!

if you like ultralight and don't want to buy dudes book check out Practicalbackpacking.com Great resource for all things backpacking.. recipes, DIY gear, etc

[blueeyes]

Thanks Doss!

[gnwatts]

I love my Jet Boil stove. It boils water quick. Last winter I warmed up the canister in my sleeping bag before I got up. It took a little while longer to get up to speed, but worked acceptably well. The french press accessory for coffee is nice. My backpack is a Arcteyx Naos 55, which is water proof. Very comfortable, the pack pivots on the hip belt, which I like on tight steep descents. It is bomber, it has taken a beating and still looks great. When I use a tent it is an old Garuda 1 person single wall. It weighs 3 pounds and is surprisingly large, even has a vestibule that my pack fits in, and it is very skinny, which is handy.