*** Official Backpacking Thread ***

PPK96754

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Aruka?c
What brand of tent are you using? I see a "lucy light solar charging", on the tents netting and maybe a Klymit sleeping pad? Neat spot that you picked too! :jamon:
 
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afoaf

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I love the whisperlight....mine has been going strong for over 20 years

I have seen these recommended and am interested in trying this combo:



price is right and weight is lower overall.

my neighbors love the jetboil, but those assholes also like to cook big stupid things
when they camp as an eff-you to those of us living off bagged gruel

while the piezo rigs are super light and very inexpensive, I do appreciate the ability to
take my whiperlight gas bottle attachment off so you can drizzle a little fuel to start
a (safe/legal) fire in a pinch (wind/rain)

the drawback with the whisperlight is that the gas cannister can get finnicky when
it is low on fuel....I usually right-size the amount of gas I bring...maybe I should look
for really small bottles....you use so little of that fuel that you don't really need a lot
for a 3-5 day trip....especially if you're only boiling a pot or two of water a day....so
if the bottle is only a quarter full you really have to be mindful of how it lay relative
to the bottle-top attachment (and ultimately the stove itself)
 
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PPK96754

Miki Dora status
Apr 15, 2015
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Kauai's north shore ~
I love the whisperlight....mine has been going strong for over 20 years

I have seen these recommended and am interested in trying this combo:



price is right and weight is lower overall.

my neighbors love the jetboil, but those assholes also like to cook big stupid things
when they camp as an eff-you to those of us living off bagged gruel

while the piezo rigs are super light and very inexpensive, I do appreciate the ability to
take my whiperlight gas bottle attachment off so you can drizzle a little fuel to start
a (safe/legal) fire in a pinch (wind/rain)

the drawback with the whisperlight is that the gas cannister can get finnicky when
it is low on fuel....I usually right-size the amount of gas I bring...maybe I should look
for really small bottles....you use so little of that fuel that you don't really need a lot
for a 3-5 day trip....especially if you're only boiling a pot or two of water a day....so
if the bottle is only a quarter full you really have to be mindful of how it lay relative
to the bottle-top attachment (and ultimately the stove itself)
MSR has 3 fuel bottle sizes.
1) 325 mL / 11 fl oz
2)591 mL / 20 fl oz
3) ??
I have the first two.
My "original" Whisperlight is about the same age as yours and is Still a workhorse. I'm a gear junkie and keep buying "new chit".
 
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
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Aruka?
What brand of tent are you using? I see a "lucy light" on the tents netting and maybe a Klymit sleeping pad? Neat spot that you picked too! :jamon:
Thanks amigo. It's a big agness 3 person. Not sure the model but it wasn't cheap at the time. Must be at least 10 years old at this point. Pretty lightweight, compact, easy to setup. No complaints! My GF has the Klymit pad which she likes. I just got a Sea and Summit pad last year and I really dig it. It's got the cool stuff sack inflation bag thingy so no more huffing and puffing. Definitely heavier than some but that's one area I feel like it's worth it for me to go a little heavier. I always struggle with sleep on backpacking trips but I have been sleeping slightly less terribly since I got the new pad. I also got one of their inflatable pillows which is better than nothing but it feels like it wants to slide away from me so I'm not completely sold. I think my biggest problem with sleep is the mummy bag which prevents me from laying in my favored position which is on my side with one leg strait, one leg bent.
 

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Phil Edwards status
Sep 17, 2012
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A ton of places disallow those alcohol stoves which is a bummer (if you get caught) and you have to use the screw in canisters.
Also, depending on the area, finding a good spot for a tent AND nearby for a hammock is like winning the lottery.

I use this tent (Zpacks Duplex). It's so damn light, roomy and easy to set up. I have the flex-pole option and rarely use it but it's good if you want freestanding - like in sand where stakes won't really work. Trekking pole setup. I wish I had better pics of just how roomy it is. All of my gear goes in except for food and I can organize everything. Early AM, I pack up and only have to roll up the tent and stick it in the backpack side pocket and I'm on the trail.


duplex.png

duplex2.png
 

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Phil Edwards status
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PPK96754

Miki Dora status
Apr 15, 2015
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Kauai's north shore ~
A ton of places disallow those alcohol stoves which is a bummer (if you get caught) and you have to use the screw in canisters.
Also, depending on the area, finding a good spot for a tent AND nearby for a hammock is like winning the lottery.

I use this tent (Zpacks Duplex). It's so damn light, roomy and easy to set up. I have the flex-pole option and rarely use it but it's good if you want freestanding - like in sand where stakes won't really work. Trekking pole setup. I wish I had better pics of just how roomy it is. All of my gear goes in except for food and I can organize everything. Early AM, I pack up and only have to roll up the tent and stick it in the backpack side pocket and I'm on the trail.


View attachment 94066

View attachment 94067
Whoa!! Niiicce! A big upgrade from the regular nylon tent set up. Pricey, but the cat's meow for tent camping.
I've followed a few folks on YouTube.
"Shug" Emery, hammock hanger, who uses a Dynema tarp over his hammock.
"Darwin on the trail" and "Homemade Wanderlust," "Dixie" both triple crowners from the AT, CDT & PCT hikes have used the Z-pack model tent that you use because of it being light and simple with trekking poles but they're long distance hikers and seek the lowest weight in their camping gear.
again ...... Niiicce set up! :jamon:
 
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afoaf

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So the above two links are the leading Hammock's for "hangers". Warbonnet is from Colorado and was the new guy on the block some years back and opened up a whole new bag of worms for the better. Bug netting, sewn into the hammock, toss the netting over the back of the hammock and just hang out style. Pull the netting back over the ridgeline and zip yerself in for a mosquito free night. Same for Dutchwear gear, but, he gives you options on your hammock and bug netting.that

And then you get into Underquilts (more $$'s) that slip under the hammock to keep you warm with the reason being that sleeping in a bag, mashes the sleeping bag filling, allowing cold air to collect over your back / body throughout the night as you sleep making for an uncomfortable night.

Due to the COVID-19 foolishness, both are back logged on orders. I'm just tossing these out there for a look-see.

Enlightened sells Dutchware on their site:


watch the videos....I'd get a bigger tarp though

enlightened equiipment seems to be the go-to for quilts....what I want to know is if I
can get a wide quilt and use it as an underquilt which I can cinch around the hammock
so I can basically create a little down cocoon to sleep in. no fkn way am I going to buy
an underquilt AND a top quilt.

I'd rather just buy a big fancy pad and stick to the tent game

I slept on the big agnes, the sea to summit is thicker with comparable r-value and weight


 

crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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I love to geek out on gear for a while and then step back and trip out on John Muir heading out into the Sierra back country with nothing but a jacket and a hunk of bread. By himself. Dude was crazy. I admire the guy big time... but he was crazy.
 

afoaf

Duke status
Jun 25, 2008
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I like the concept of the trekking pole tents....I (read: my knees) need trekking poles

to be clear, I'd go either hammock or tent....

everywhere I camped was sandy, decomposing granite

these stakes work great in sand and anything else....light with reflective
threading in the pulls:


I got them for our car camping rig as we were doing beach camping and the rain/fly would
not stake out properly with the default stakes....these are also a bit lighter than the default
set.


I can't figure out the zpack stuff....are these bear bags actually bear proof?!?!


their tents look unreal, but paying an extra $300 to lose 2lbs is a hard sell for me
 

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Phil Edwards status
Sep 17, 2012
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That bag should be renamed. You could bite through that Dyneema if you chewed it long enough (Puncture Strength: 5.2 lb) . It comes with a rope to hang from a tree. I use a thinner Dyneema bag as a liner inside my backpack to waterproof everything.

Once I started using trekking poles everything changed. You hike faster (like a 4 legged animal), can poke/prod logs etc before going over them in rattlesnake areas, the tent thing, strap a video camera/gopro to it, the list goes on.

Going from a Big Agnes Flycreek 2 to that Duplex was like wearing glasses and then getting Lasik. I'd buy one every year if I had to. Of all my gear it's my #1 favorite no conest.
 
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crustBrother

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less u take the better
For me, the minimalism is part of what I'm chasing when I go backpacking. Its part of the escape from the complexities of "normal" life. And its interesting to me to realize how few aspects of "normal" life I find myself really missing after a week on the trail - hot greasy food, rock and roll music, and large quantities of hot water for bathing. The rest of it? Not worth the price of admission in my humble opinion.

Well there is beer. I would miss that too, but I had to give it up a while back to lose enough weight to keep backpacking, skiing, and surfing.
 

afoaf

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Kento

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Jan 11, 2002
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The Bar
For me, the minimalism is part of what I'm chasing when I go backpacking. Its part of the escape from the complexities of "normal" life. And its interesting to me to realize how few aspects of "normal" life I find myself really missing after a week on the trail - hot greasy food, rock and roll music, and large quantities of hot water for bathing. The rest of it? Not worth the price of admission in my humble opinion.

Well there is beer. I would miss that too, but I had to give it up a while back to lose enough weight to keep backpacking, skiing, and surfing.
I loved doing the Trans-Catalina Trail. For my first (and only so far) real foray into backpacking, it was luxurious. 10 - 12 mile days. Places to stop, eat, and drink on the way. Both Little Harbor and Parsons were awesome. Only downside is that you're forced to camp in designated campsites and it's a bit pricey. Oh, and going up Fenceline Road was quite awful. Buffalo Milks at Two Harbors made up for it.

Overall, though, yes, absolutely agreed about getting away from everything and keeping everything simple. Frees the mind from all the extraneous bullshit, of which you realize there is a lot of once you're away from it.

BTW, this is an awesome thread. :shaka:
 
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afoaf

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I think the fussing over gear is an extension of the pursuit of minimalism

how light/little can I go and still thrive out there

I sat and watched bugs at the bottom of a stream for 15 minutes one afternoon
at a watering hole before I caught myself....that was a larf.

I appreciate how all the other noise instantly falls away, revealing the real big
underlying thoughts and ideas in your life that need attention