Gear Advice

C

Caba

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
307
Hi all,

I'm interested in getting into hiking and camping again and would like some ideas regarding gear. I've listed the items I need advice on below. I'm not looking to get the most expensive gear, but I don't mind paying more for a quality product.

-Boots (I'm thinking Zamberlan's as I had a pair before; these would be used for snowshoeing as well)
-Pack (for week long hikes)
-Flashlight (I've looked into a fenix or a surefire)
-Tent (a two person 4-3 season tent)
-Cooking pots (something minimal)
-sleeping bag and pad
-hydration system
-GPS
-first aid kit
-small misc items (fire steel/ storm matches/knife sharpner/ etc)

Thanks for any advice you guys can provide.

Caba
 
Pack: If you have and REI near you, it would be worth the drive to go to one and spend some time there. They'll help you fit the pack and the load it up w/ sandbags. Walk around the store for a bit.
 
Second on a good headlamp... you'll use it more than you think.
I use a Princeton Tec Apex and have put it and it's predecessor(RIP. Bad batteries leaked) through multiple hellacious operations.
They can be bought fairly cheaply now.

First aid kit- Make your own. You can buy tons more necessities and pack what you want for the price of a badly put together, commercially available, so called first aid kit.
 
Can you give us a few details about where you'll be traveling?

A couple thoughts anyway, Good boots are good, Good socks are better. Everyone has a preference, but there isn't much better than good wool socks.
Super-lighters are pretty much a waste of time
Headlamps are amazing. get a light cheapish one (black diamond and petzl are my favorite) if you like having a throwy light as well, I've really been liking my fenix E-11, good throw, light, and cheap. lights are hugely preferential, so buy a good, one, but don't go upmarket until you really know what you want.
If you do want to go with a stove, and are in a good climate for butane, I'm really liking the MSR micro-rocket. it is a laser point hot spot so you'll have to adapt. Otherwise, there are good large burner stoves for the more culinary minded.
First aid, if you have experience, build your own. otherwise, the AMK ones are a good beginning, and you can add things in as you learn what kind of stuff you use most.

Backpacks. Don't buy hype. There are lots of great packs out there, and there are lots of packs with great marketing. What you want to be able to do, is get the pack fitted in the shop by someone who seems to know what they are doing, then throw some ballast in there,(every good store should have a couple sandbags) then carry it around for a while. If the store doesnt want you to do that, find one that does. You won't know if the pack is going to pinch, or ride funny unless you really test it. Every pack is comfortable while empty! As for size, the method mentioned by Thrifty is a good start. If you think you'll want more space, remember, bigger packs are heavier, and some packs don't like being underfilled. Packs with full back plates are better at this, but that makes for a heavy pack. durability is also heavy, so that is something to consider, if you need a really rough pack, or if you are going to be nice to it.

Accessories, KM match cases are great. Having some small gear repair items is worth while. I have a spyderco pocket stone that I like, and the DMT diafolds review really well. having a good firesteel, (like a light my fire, or even a sparklite) is a good thing to have, and practice with.


Dig around the forum, there is a huge amount of great info, and lots of folks willing to answer questions!
 
You can go to rei.com and find all that you'll need. Sierra trading post has some good gear brands for good prices, once you figure out what you want. I was backpacking many years ago but tastes in gear have changed a little since then.

I have tents by Sierra Designs, North Face and REI. They are all good but mine are all intended for different uses.

I have a Kelty external frame pack. Everybody seems to want internal frame packs now. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways.

We started by using water purification tablets in the early 1980's, then went to purification pumps later.

You can probably buy reasonable sleeping bags with synthetic fill, reasonable in weight and price. They do have the advantage that they will work even if they get wet. A good down bag is lighter and insulates better, but works very poorly if it gets wet. I mostly used the thin hard foam sleeping pads. They are cheap and light and work well. If you need more comfort then you can go with something like a therma-rest. They are heavier and more expensive, but provide more padding if you need it.

Boots are a personal thing too. I have backpacked with lightweight boots that are like gorified tennis shoes and they worked well enough. I also have a very stout pair of Raichle leather boots. For a heavy pack on rocky terrain the stiffer boots give added safety, but sure seem to get heavy after awhile.

For short distances, 1 or 2 nights, warm climates, you can get by with a lot less gear so you don't have to have the absolute lightest stuff. For longer trips, more nights, mountains and colder temperatures, you will need more gear so weight is more of an issue. There is a lot of specialized gear that you just don't need. Particularly if you are in a group you don't need spares of everything. By yourself you may have to be more careful.

Ziplock bags are great for organizing gear. In the old days we had to use more expensive stuff sacks.

I never carried more than a small flashlight and a small light knife. The flashlight didn't get used much and the knife was only to open food packages. No bushcraft or anything like that.

And yes, load the pack down and walk around with it in your real boots and socks ahead of time. Across the street from my office was a 15 story office building. Before a big trip I would go over there at lunch and walk up and down their stairs a couple of times. I worked up to 3 trips up and down, and a few times I took my weighted pack and went once or twice with it.
 
Opinions vary. Always have.

LED flashlight or headlight. 10x the battery life of incandescent (still being sold) and much less likely to have the bulb fail. Consider carrying with batteries separate unless you are sure (how?) that is cannot accidentally turn "ON." (No, you cannot carry the batteries reversed as with incandescent.)

Where and when you are going, as suggested, is important in selecting insulation (including sleeping bag and pad), shelter (lots of blood-suckers?), and rain gear (Seattle area or desert?) (and boots?)

Down absorbs moisture in cold weather. Will you have dry, sunny weather to dry it out every day? If not, the insulation value goes down every day.

Many choices in pads. Be sure you can actually get a night's sleep on whatever you consider buying. Its a very personal choice. (Some also need a pillowish thing.)

In wet areas, a 12" square of thin closed-cell foam is nice for keeping your posterior dry when you sit.

I find water bottles better for me than bladders - easier to add stuff and keep clean, but then both my current packs have bottle pockets.

Many "Two-Man" tents fit only two friendly Little People. Try out if possible. Even the floor size can deceive if the sides slant in (You don't want the side against your face.)

The only chemical regarded by EPA, CDC, WMS, Mayo Clinic etc as "reliable" to make water reasonably safe is "Chlorine Dioxide" (tablets; about $.50 a quart of treated water). As we have little virus risk (and some filters that are good against viruses now) filters work. You might wish to cost out the pills vs. the filter. Some say its crazy to buy a filter. Others swear by them. Then there is Life Straw, and individual filter than you suck through. Very few rely on boiling these days.

And yes, those that sell iodine and regular chlorine products disagree with the doctors and scientists. Their products will kill bacteria and viruses. What makes them not "reliable" is that the most common bio-hazard is parasites, and they do not work well against parasites (giardia; cryptosporidium). (References upon request.)

I like three ways to start a fire on the theory that if I need a fire (vs. morale aspect) I really need a fire. For me, that's a BIC, strike-anywhere matches in a WP container, and a ferrocerium rod (I like Lite My Fire.) + a 35MM film container (I stockpiled dozens. Pill containers work.) with cotton smeared with White Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline).

Water-proof breathable doesn't breath much. eVent tests best.

You didn't ask about knives. Ultra-lite types may carry a razor blade or SAK "Classic." Others carry pounds of steel. I like a sturdy 3-4" fixed blade because things rarely fail according to plan.

As always, YMMV. Happy trails!
 
Last edited:
As mentioned above, don't believe tent makers. In other words, don't try to get two into a two man tent- bump it up to a three man. Tent headspace- this measurement only works if your head comes to a point matching the peak of your tent.
Also, if you have anyplace near you that rents equipment, rent a tent your first few times out. If it turns out that camping is not for you, the tent is the only expensive piece of gear that can't really be used for anything else. A good sleeping bag will come in handy forever.

I almost forgot, give a lot of thought to your food. Especially when you're learning all this stuff at once, you want food prep to be simple while having a meal you're happy to eat. And carry in your pack (cans get real heavy real fast).
 
I'm in a different climate so I wont suggest things I know nothing about ie. snowshoeing, cold weather tents etc.

-Cooking pots
I don't recommend titanium, unless you get non stick. I have a set and regret spending the money, nightmare to clean and cook with. Terrible heat distribution. If you're just boiling water they're ok. Get whatever suits your cooking style. I have a cheap non stick pan for the moment. Then I use a honey stove or a microrocket gas stove depending where I'm going.

-Pack (for week long hikes)
I really like osprey packs, they're comfy and lightweight. I have an Exos, crazy comfy bag.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/group/superlight/exos_series

-Flashlight
Petzl AA headlamp. I have an old LED lenser aside from that but rarely use it.

-sleeping bag and pad
For 3/4 season something like the Thermarest xtherm?
http://cascadedesigns.com/en/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/neoair-xtherm/product

I've had a lot of sleeping pads and settled on the Prolite, can't recommend it enough, slept 3 months straight on it no problems. Thermarest make awesome products.

-hydration system
We have plenty of water sources where we are and 95% of it is safe to drink so I just carry 2 of these http://cascadedesigns.com/en/platypus/water-bottles/plusbottle/product it has some kind of filter but nothing I'd trust if you have bad water and then for camp a collapsible sink, holds something like 10 liters (2.5 gallons?). If you need a filter I recommend katadyn, I have one at home and it's brilliant.

-GPS
I like my garmin etrex, waterproof, shock proof (tested), AA batteries last forever and easily replaceable.

-first aid kit
Butterfly stitches, surgical tape, gauze, bandage, moleskin safety pins, antiseptic, needle, thread, alcohol.

-small misc items (fire steel/ storm matches/knife sharpner/ etc)
I carry a swedish firesteel and large bic. The large bic will light more times than the firesteel will spark if you use literally light your tinder and put it away, obviously no use in the wet and goes out if there's a breeze.

I carry one of these fat wood sticks, they're awesome, work when wet, the shavings will take a spark even when wet and you can cut it down to small chunks and use a piece to get a fire going http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/light-my-fire-maya-sticks-88-p.asp

and then of course knives, and a folding saw. I take a small amount of sandpaper backed on a cut down mousemat for sharpening just in case, I don't think I ever used it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks once again for the very detailed advice guys. I'm located in Vancouver B.C. so rain plays a huge factor in gear selection. I'm going to head out to Mountain Equipment Coop (the biggest outdoor gear store in my area) to out your advice to use. Cheers!
 
Hey Caba ... I'm in Vancouver too.

Pretty much anything you buy at MEC is good quality and like REI, if it breaks or doesn't work-out for you, you can easily return it. Given your proximity to the Coast Mountains and the Cascades, I assume you'll be camping in those locations. Summers are dry and winters are wet. You'll always have major elevation gain so light is the way to go. I used to carry so much more weight when I lived in the east, but living in BC, I only use lightweight gear b/c of the elevation change.

I'll go through your list here, but basically, I'd suggest that you head over to MEC and get a feel for what they have and how that relates to your budget. I'd be investing the most cash in the big three: sleeping bag, pack, tent.

-Boots - Zamberlans are great - good place to start. V. high-quality boot. Lots of rough terrain out here so you want a sturdy boot.

-Pack - See what packs are available under the MEC house brand. Try them and weight them in store. Make sure your torso is properly measured.

-Flashlight - flashlights are kinda useless hiking, I'd spend the money on a good headlamp. Petzl or Surefire are both excellent, I own several Petzls and a Surefire minimus which is also excellent. Stay away from Princeton Tec - I've heard of *many* issues with them. If a light fails in the backcountry, it could be very bad. Even though my headlamps have never let me down, I usually also carry a tiny back-up light like the Petzl eLite.

-Tent - Again, MEC house brand makes several good tents. Also, MSR, Black Diamond etc. I'd go 4 season given where you live, but seriously look at weight here.

-Cooking pots - MSR. I use all their titan stuff - excellent and very light. MEC doesn't sell the Titan stuff, but Valhalla Pure does [one block east].

-sleeping bag and pad - If your budget allows, I think the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite [or Summerlite - different cut] is the best all-round Coast Mountains sleeping bag. It's -7C and I used it all winter in the Coast Mountains. It's compresses to nothing and is very light. If it's beyond your budget, check-out MEC's house brand offerings [-7C - -12C would be good for around here] - also excellent [I've owned a couple of their bags]. I've been using Therm-a-rest NeoAir mattresses - very light, roll-up in a v. small package, and they're comfortable. Expensive though.

-hydration system - Platypus - excellent, light, great warranty.

-GPS - Garmin ... again see what fits into your budget.

-first aid kit - make your own or go pre-bought with AMK as suggested above.

-small misc items - I always make sure my knife is sharp before I head out and never carry a sharpener. Perhaps a small diamond sharpener would be OK. UCO stormproof matches from MEC are like road flares once lit. Fire steel ... I bought mine online.

Let us know what you end-up with!
 
Last edited:
Huge MEC fan here too. My main big pack is the MEC Brio. Totally bomb-proof, and heavy, but cheap at the price. The great thing about MEC is also the gear-trade days, and that you can easily find someone looking for what you have if you want to sell. I just got at the MEC wanderer 2 tent. They rate very highly, and its a long proven design. a bit heavy but much cheaper and tougher than the MSR Hubba series. And if you can spend some time looking, there are some great bargains to be had either in the discontinued gear, or the returns. I've never gone wrong with any of my MEC gear, and I've got many hundreds of bucks into that place. And, they also rent some gear too try before you buy, doesn't get much better than that!
 
@redpoint Have you tried the Apache MF sleeping bag from Western Mountaineering? How does it stack up to the Alpinlite?The description says the Alpinlite is a bit more fragile and since I'm prone to breaking things I'm a bit worried if it will hold up over time.
 
@jonnyt16 You have some nice gear there. What kind of conditions have you used your tent in? Does it hold up to heavier winds?
 
Caba said:
@jonnyt16 You have some nice gear there. What kind of conditions have you used your tent in? Does it hold up to heavier winds?
Click to expand...
Honestly, this tent hasn't seen any harsh conditions yet. Moderate wind at worst and no rain. But I read a ton of reviews on it before I bought it and all said that the Seedhouse withstood some tough weather. What I like best about it though is the very fast and easy setup (thanks to the pole hubs) and the height that allows for plenty of headroom when sitting up. Pretty lightweight too at around 3lbs.
 
redpoint said:
-sleeping bag and pad ...
It's -7C and I used it all winter in the Coast Mountains.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember that sleeping bag ratings can be a personal thing. My first bag was rated at 32F which I found meant it would keep you alive at 32F but wasn't very comfortable below about 40F. I'm sure that there are people that would be comfortable with that bag at 32F and others that would be uncomfortable at 50F. It helps to know which one of these you are.

I have 3 tents right now, 2 are 2-man and one is 3-man. When car camping we take the 3-man. It works well with 2 people and has some room inside for gear. My 2-man tents are plenty big for 2 people, and I'm not a small person, but doesn't leave room inside for much gear. If wet weather is possible then take a cover for your pack and leave the pack outside. It is probably hard to find a 3-man tent that would be reasonable for backpacking. Mine is way too heavy for me to use for backpacking and it is an REI dome tent with lightweight aluminum poles. In Texas, Utah and Arizona I've camped a lot and not used a tent at all, it is reasonable in certain climates if you check the forecast first.

Knife and flashlight- when going light I carried a small knife and a small light, but they got used very little. I think a headlamp is a good choice and I would recommend one that has multiple levels of light output. Your most frequent use might be looking at a map in the dark and you don't need much light output for that.

Camera- nobody has mentioned this but I would not think of a backpacking trip without a camera. I carried a film SLR on all of my trips along with 3-6 spare rolls of film. These days there are plenty of good digital cameras that are relatively small and light.

My first backpacking trip was with my brother in law to the grand canyon for 4 nights. I had done a lot of reading and research prior to the trip and I thought I had the right gear. He had a lot of experience and the first thing he did was to dump my pack out on the floor and go through everything one piece at a time. He threw out a few things and I was glad that he did because I didn't miss them and I was glad to have less weight. (We didn't carry a tent on that trip.) Many years later I went on a long trip with some friends and we did the same thing to one of the beginners in our group.

When this brother in law graduated from high school he and a friend went by Greyhound bus to Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado and took off with backpacks following the continental divide for 6 weeks. They had sent boxes of food ahead to several different small towns and they stopped in to pick them up periodically.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top