Backpacking

[FN Phat]

You fellas are hardcore.

[BigPiney]

What a great trip (and for us, a great read). How much did your pack weigh at the start? I'm curious because hauling a 50 lb. pack up and down steep terrain is hard enough (you know us old dudes have balance issues); I don't want to think about the problems I'd face coming down that river. I'm guessing hiker poles aren't all that helpful.

Also, do you always filter/purify your water in the back country?

My goal leading up to this trip was to get a pack that actually fit and go much lighter. This entailed a new sleeping bag at Christmas last year and the new pack for my birthday this year. I think fully loaded the pack was 35 or so pounds. I was dissapointed, but this did include the 100 oz of water in the bladder, which is 6.5 lbs in and of itself. I was around 25 with most of my food and before water and the bear canister. The last day, with very little food left, I am guessing I was about 21 pounds. It was barely noticable.

The hiking poles helped immensely. I have never used them before, mainly because those that do look like huge tools, but I relented this time and got some before the trip. For normal hiking, especially the ascents adn descents, they really did make a difference. But in the water, they really helped to balance in some precarious places. Kept me from going downstream a couple of times.

Wow. What an incredible trip. Thx for taking the time to write it up. You'll remember that one for the rest of your life. Puts our measly 18 miler last week to shame.

Any other pics of the Tehipite valley?

Just got some from the other guy that had a camera. Will upload momentarily.

[bluegoose]

I tried hiking poles for the first time this weekend and loved them. I was reluctant to try them out because a) i thought that they looked stupid, and b) I thought they would be more of a nuisance than a help.

And while I most likely did look pretty stupid it made a huge difference with hiking economy and comfort. They were especially nice going uphill,and once I figured out how to hold them going downhill were very nice also on the descents. Not a huge difference on the flats. They were kind of annoying when we were bush whacking off trail or through a very narrow section with lots of vegetation.

By the end of the trip I was to the point that if I lost or broke them I would make sure to buy a nice, new pair before my next trip.

[BigPiney]

Also, do you always filter/purify your water in the back country?

Forgot to answer this. Yes, always.

I used this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Aquamira-Water...ords=aqua+mira

My friend used just a little squeeze bottle of chlorine. Put in a few drops and let it sit for a while.

The Aquamira is essentially the same thing, but it eliminates the chlorine taste. So bleach would be a lot cheaper and he just uses the little bottles that some people would keep consecrated oil in.

This was my first time using this stuff, and I thought it worked well. More than enough for 2 people for a week. I would probably use it again, especially since it is really light.

[Paperback Writer]

Forgot to answer this. Yes, always.

I used this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Aquamira-Water...ords=aqua+mira

My friend used just a little squeeze bottle of chlorine. Put in a few drops and let it sit for a while.

The Aquamira is essentially the same thing, but it eliminates the chlorine taste. So bleach would be a lot cheaper and he just uses the little bottles that some people would keep consecrated oil in.

This was my first time using this stuff, and I thought it worked well. More than enough for 2 people for a week. I would probably use it again, especially since it is really light.

Another gear question: tents. Did you guys use tarps/bivy sacks or lightweight tents? I've started using a hammock or hammock/bivy sack on colder nights on over nighters with the Boy Scouts. I still set up a tent if there's a chance of rain so I can duck inside if a downpour comes. I'm thinking of going tentless on future backpacking excursions but sometimes find myself above treeline or in campsites sans trees (boulderfields/meadows). Also, worried about staying dry during a night time downpour with just a tarp/bivy sack. I've read of ultra-lite backpackers ditching tents and going with just a tarp/bivy sack/sleeping bag. I have some doubts as those who die of hypothermia during a cold rain don't live to post about it. Anyway, I'm impressed by the light pack wieghts and wondering how tents may have factored into it.

[BigPiney]

Another gear question: tents. Did you guys use tarps/bivy sacks or lightweight tents? I've started using a hammock or hammock/bivy sack on colder nights on over nighters with the Boy Scouts. I still set up a tent if there's a chance of rain so I can duck inside if a downpour comes. I'm thinking of going tentless on future backpacking excursions but sometimes find myself above treeline or in campsites sans trees (boulderfields/meadows). Also, worried about staying dry during a night time downpour with just a tarp/bivy sack. I've read of ultra-lite backpackers ditching tents and going with just a tarp/bivy sack/sleeping bag. I have some doubts as those who die of hypothermia during a cold rain don't live to post about it. Anyway, I'm impressed by the light pack wieghts and wondering how tents may have factored into it.

I had a small tarp for my solo night. Left that in the car when we met up and I shared a 2 man tent with my friend. There was only one niight where it was needed. That was up at 10,500 or so and we used the fly, just to keep warmer. It was my friends, a MSR Hubba Hubba, if I recall correctly. Weighs in at just ovr 4 lbs. I carried the tent body and footprint. He carried the poles and fly. So roughly 2 lbs apiece. Not too bad, but not really ultra light.

The other guys I was with had a Big Agnes tent (they tell me the g is silent) which comes in just over 2 lbs. So they would have been a pound less a person. Not a lot, but if you are carrying for yourself, that is a big difference.

Guy in my stake makes these, and he is a S&R guy and swears by them. Of course he does make them. Or you could make your own for around 50 bucks or so: http://www.skidmore.edu/~pdwyer/galleries/bivy/

Personally I think I will always stick witha tent, just because sometimes it is nice to get away from the bugs if they are out. And the extra warmth is very helpful in the high county.

[SteelBlue]

Speaking of water purification, my steripen has now failed me at least once on every trip. On two of those trips, I think the batteries were too old, so I chalk that up to my own error. But on this last trip, I put in brand new batteries out of the box and the pen failed on day 3. Now, I did get it working again, but the thing is much too fickle to rely on as the only means of purification imo. Goose's filter is a no fail and works fast. Had he not had it along the last few times I might be typing this in between trips to the bathroom whilst fighting giardia.

And to weigh in on the tent vs tarp: for me, having a bug screen is worth a couple extra pounds in the pack. I use a Eureka bivy tent. It performs well in rain (at least the reviews say so) and up until this last trip it had been a good tent (the pole for the foot section snapped on me) even if I don't care for some of its functionality. It's a 2.5 pound tent, not much bigger than a coffin, but the fly holds in warmth nicely and the bug/snake screen is just nice to have.

[BigPiney]

One of my favorite purchases for this trip was a new mug, or cup. I got one of these http://www.amazon.com/Sea-to-Summit-...ef=pd_sim_sg_4 and loved it. Bought the bowl that goes with it after I got home. They nest inside each other and are super lightweight. I am a big fan.

[bluegoose]

Speaking of water purification, my steripen has now failed me at least once on every trip. On two of those trips, I think the batteries were too old, so I chalk that up to my own error. But on this last trip, I put in brand new batteries out of the box and the pen failed on day 3. Now, I did get it working again, but the thing is much too fickle to rely on as the only means of purification imo. Goose's filter is a no fail and works fast. Had he not had it along the last few times I might be typing this in between trips to the bathroom whilst fighting giardia.

I love my filter, but it is a bit big and bulky. When taking day trips up to the upper lakes it is pretty impractical. There are plenty of pluses and minuses, but overall I am very happy with it.

[ERCougar]

Speaking of water purification, my steripen has now failed me at least once on every trip. On two of those trips, I think the batteries were too old, so I chalk that up to my own error. But on this last trip, I put in brand new batteries out of the box and the pen failed on day 3. Now, I did get it working again, but the thing is much too fickle to rely on as the only means of purification imo. Goose's filter is a no fail and works fast. Had he not had it along the last few times I might be typing this in between trips to the bathroom whilst fighting giardia.

And to weigh in on the tent vs tarp: for me, having a bug screen is worth a couple extra pounds in the pack. I use a Eureka bivy tent. It performs well in rain (at least the reviews say so) and up until this last trip it had been a good tent (the pole for the foot section snapped on me) even if I don't care for some of its functionality. It's a 2.5 pound tent, not much bigger than a coffin, but the fly holds in warmth nicely and the bug/snake screen is just nice to have.

I keep meaning to say something about this. I'm not a fan of the steri pen. Mine hasn't outright failed, but it's very buggy--sometimes I get the green light, sometimes not, and it seems very random. And it makes me nervous with a bladder, when I'm not convinced the uv light is even hitting everything. And it's a pain if you're doing several bottles at a time. Im a fan of bg's system too, at least in theory. And I'll just use my msr filter or tabs on short hikes.

As for tents, my wife spent two years backpacking with convicted felon teens and swears by her bivy tent she still owns.


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[Jeff Lebowski]

As for tents, my wife spent two years backpacking with convicted felon teens and swears by her bivy tent she still owns.

Really? She work for one of those hoods-in-the-woods programs?

[ERCougar]

Really? She work for one of those hoods-in-the-woods programs?

She did. I was her first date after she quit that job. That helped my odds a lot.

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[Jeff Lebowski]

She did. I was her first date after she quit that job. That helped my odds a lot.

Ha!

My BIL lives in a fairly rural part of Southern Utah next to where some of these companies used to operate. He would often see a few kids walk on his property with no shoes and sore feet (they take their shoes when in the woods to lesson odds of escape) and they would give him some story about having run out of gas and ask him for a ride to the nearest bus station. He would ask them if they were hungry and of course they were always starving so he would invite them in for pancakes while he walked outside and would call the home office to come and fetch them.

[Eddie]

Well...

I was getting all excited at the prospect of picking up a steripen for all of my clean water drinking needs. But the recent posts here have convinced me that maybe that isn't the way to go.

So now I'm back to the "which filter" dilemma. I really do like the gravity fed filters for the lack of work. And I love the idea of a gravity fed filter with two bags so that I can just set it up overnight and have a back full of water in the morning. But I really dislike the idea of using one of those when we are en route and water is needed while hiking.

Back to square one...

[bluegoose]

So now I'm back to the "which filter" dilemma. I really do like the gravity fed filters for the lack of work. And I love the idea of a gravity fed filter with two bags so that I can just set it up overnight and have a back full of water in the morning. But I really dislike the idea of using one of those when we are en route and water is needed while hiking.

Back to square one...

You've pretty much summed up my gravity filter system. Great for having around camp, but a bit of a nuisance on the go. I love having 4 liters of water hanging on a tree in camp, ready to use. And not having to pump those 4 liters is an added bonus. Its not exactly heavy to pack around if I needed to take it on a day hike, but it takes up a bit of space if I were to put it in my camel back. Maintenance is also really easy, as there is no scrubbing of the ceramic like there used to be. Just have to back-flush every so often to keep it clean.

All that said, I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a little peace of mind in the back country. I've thought about going with the pills like piney uses, but I may just pick some up as a back-up in case my msr filter fails.