Basic Gear

DarkReazon

DarkReazon

Joined
Jan 15, 2003
Messages
202
Hello Everyone,

I have a few quick questions, and was hoping the answers were within the excellent skill base on these forums ;)

I am interested in basic survival skills and gear. This summer I have a trip planned for Tobermory, Ontario (anyone here familiar?). Looking to do hiking/camping with minimal luxuries. In terms of knives, I'll be bringing my Swamp Rat Howling Rat, a Becker Campanion, a SAK and a Leatherman. Going for one week. Other than a small base of inherited knowledge, and things learnt as a wee kid in Cubs (hey, it was fun at the time ;)) I am looking for references on what would be a good inventory. Day hikes will be common, some areas are particularly rocky, so any recommendations for boots? Any backpack recommendations? I have a North Face Mojave which has held up amazingly well across the years, but I fear it will be too small for the job. Also, what type of tent/portable lodging, sleeping bag, etc.

Well, hopefully I don't sound like too much of a dumbass, but any books/references would be great. I've checked out Ranger Rick's site, and found some valuable info, but as this is a planned outing, I hope I will not have to improvise TOO many things.

I throw myself at the mercy of the forum.

Regards,

Shaun.
 
Hi Shaun,

Welcome to BFC! Here is a quick $0.02 off the top of my head on gear:

Sleeping bags: For synthetics check out www.wiggys.com for bombproof "guaranteed for life" very reasonably priced bags. Also look into the Hot Deals section of www.campmor.com at the bags there. For goose down bags, I recommend Feathered Friends or The North Face bags. FF on recommendation of friends whose word I trust and TNF from personal experience.

Knives mentioned: While I like both Swamp Rat & Becker knives quite a bit, the Howling Rat and Campanion are too much alike in size and functionality to justify carrying both IMHO. YMMV The same redundancy comment might also be said of the Leatherman and SAK, depending on which models of each we're talking about. My personal setup that I like a lot is a big/little knife combo coupled with the SAK/Leatherman of your choice kept handy in a pocket all the time.

Depending on the amount & type of chopping that may be required (sorry, not familiar with the area you're visiting), the chopper of choice might be either a big knife (10"-14" blade) or an axe. That assumes you are proficiently practiced & safe with an axe. If not, go with a saw & a big knife. Use the saw to section the wood and the knife with baton to split it. Saw could be either a fold-up Swedish type saw (more aggressive tooth pattern, but heavier) or a folding pruning saw (shorter blade, finer teeth, but lighter weight to pack).

It is assumed that you WILL have a personal mini-survival-kit and at least a SAK on your person at all times.

Packs: In addition to your primary backpack, for day hikes I recommend a hydration pack. Look into ones with about 1000-1400 cubic inches of cargo hauling capacity, depending on your needs and body size, in addition to a water bladder of 100-128 oz (70 oz bare minimum). The brand names I'm familiar with are Camelbak, Gregory Packs, and Platypus. Other brands can be found on eBay and possibly at local sporting goods stores.

Miscellaneous gear: Don't forget the small stuff that can make all the difference. Toilet paper! Sunscreen, sunglasses, long-billed or brimmed hat. DEET & head-net if in bug season. Clean clothes dedicated to sleeping duty. Extra sox (at least 2 pr for rotated daily use & 1 pr for sleeping).

Info & links: For more info check out this forum, the Swamp Rat Survival forum, www.equipped.com forum, and websites that specialize in lightweight backpacking information. Do a Google search to find the bazillions of these types of sites on the web. You may want to consider making some of your own gear if you have the inclination and talents in that direction.
http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=11 (Swamp Rat Survival Forum)
http://www.datasync.com/~wksmith/welcome.html (lightweight gear info)
http://www.rei.com/rei/learn/index.jsp?ls=Camping (REI camping info link page)
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html (make your own info)
http://www.golite.com/ (lightweight gear mfr)
http://www.campmor.com (see Hot Deals Section for cheap prices)
http://www.cabelas.com/ (I buy Sportsman Space Blankets here)
http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/agcatalog/index.tam (Brigade Quartermaster (BQ), source for SAS Pocket Survival Manual & other military/camping oriented gear)
http://www.gotfire.com/ (source for ferrocium firestarter rods)
http://www.riteintherain.com/ (waterproof paper available at REI, BQ, etc)
http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html (if you want an axe)
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/ (much info on mini-kits & tools)
http://www.solarveil.com/ (sun-blocking clothes & fabric, plus hats with neck drapes)

HTH, -- Greg --
 
Wow :)

Thanks alot guys. I'll be getting to work on those links shortly Greg. In terms of the big knife vs. axe, my father started me out chopping firewood when I was about 10 years old or so, so as far as axe safety and use I would say I'm proficient. I'm awfully good at splitting at least :D. I will look into acquiring a camp axe (Gerber Sport Axe, or Gerber Backpack Axe seem to fit the price/performance/portability bill) The redundancy was an intentional idea behind the SAK/Leatherman. SAK is equiv. to the Huntsman and the Leatherman is a Juice KF4 (which has held up to all my abuse this far). The Rat/Campanion combo might end up being a comparrison experiment in hard use ;) I'll bring a digital camera.


For hydration packs, I've been looking at the Camelbak line, I will look into the other brands you mentioned as well. In terms of size, I am 5'11.5" and 195lbs so my water demands should be about average (I surmise).

It might be overkill, but I've recently ordered the SAS Survival Manual, US Army Survival Manual, and Wilderness Survival by Davenport. My trip isn't until May, so I still have time to acquire gear/awareness.

Thanks again guys, it is very much appreciated. Now, to get to work on those links.


If I run across any other dilemmas, I'll post 'em as well.


Regards,

Shaun.
 
I've read/heard good things about North Face, Sierra Designs and Mountain Equipment COOP. Any particular 2 man, 3 season tent advice?

Regards,

Shaun.
 
Tents info: Bibler tents are kind of the Cadillacs of outdoor accomodations, and priced accordingly. The Biblers enjoy a reputation as being bombproof enough for multi-expedition use. Moss Tents is another company with a history of quality. Moss was bought out by MSR in 2001 and the link below is for MSR tents. My personal tent is a very old Early Winters model weighing 3.5 pounds with room for 2 small-medium sized people & their gear. Its tapered conical shape sheds wind extremely well! The downside is that it is way too short (approx 36" max ht) to stand up inside of it. Unfortunately, EW no longer makes gear, having morphed into a yuppie clothing/gadget mfr. Sad. :(

Your initial post mentioned "minimal luxuries" so the Chouinard Megamid that Carl linked would be a good consideration for a lightweight shelter. As an alternative, there is a lot on info in this forum and on the web regarding tarps tents. They are also called bashas by the British and are sometimes called hootches.

http://www.biblertents.com/2002/ (Bibler tents)
http://www.mosstents.com/ (MSR tents)
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/CategoryDisplay?cgrfnbr=17305&cgmenbr=226 (Campmor Hot Deals tent section)
 
Wow recommending a Bibler for someone who is just getting into it is like showing someone who just got their drivers licsence a Ferrari. I don't think you have too much to worry about if you only doing day hikes for about a week in Ontario. Are you going to be in the backcountry for a week, or are you going to be returning to a base camp after dayhikes? If you are staying out for the week you will want a pack that holds~5000ci, for dayhikes ~1000ci. For a week in the woods I would try to keep my pack around 35lbs if not less. What are you going to eat? I usually carry dehydrated foods by MountainHouse(so easy to make!), AlpinAire, GORP etc, and catch some fish for a few meals. You are definitely going to need to pick up a water filter system-I have the Sweetwater unit at the moment and it has served me well. As for a sleeping bag- I would recommend a synthetic over a down bag(I have both) because it will keep you warm even if it is soaked, although slightly heavier and less packable than down(look at Sierra Designs, Mountain Hardwear). I would also look at some white gas burning stoves-such as an MSR whisperlite etc. Just take a look at MSR's (mountain safety research) website, they have alot of quality products for decent $. I have thier Zoid1 tent for summer camping(weighs only~2.5lbs), and for winter camping I have an old Walrus expedition tent which weighs ~8.5lbs. If you are going minimalist(which is usually the goal-to keep weight down) I would take a look at basic shelters such as the black diamond betamid, but hope it doesn't rain! I think those are mainly designed for snow cave coverings. As for boots it depends on how much weight you are carrying and what kind of terrain, be warned, you have to break them in before you head out hiking though, otherwise your feet will regret it. Look for some clothing that will dry quickly, and wick moisture. Check out Campmor, they have excellent deals and Sierra Trader. I could go on forever about backpacking supplies, but this should cover some basic supplies. Wow all this talk is making me want to drop everything a go for a trip! Don't forget emergency first aid kit, compass, whistle, waterproof matches, and all other basic survival equipment. Hope this helps.:D :cool:
 
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