Scenario for Beckerheads: Gear for a year

tradewater

tradewater

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You’re going to the boonies long term and have to be self sufficient and on the move. All four seasons and varied terrain. Mountains, valleys, hills and hollows, steams, flatlands and woods. You’re going to need durable stuff you know won’t fail, regardless of the circumstances. May not be the latest style or prettiest, but you‘re willing to bet your life on it. Okay, what’s the consensus for the Beckerhead all purpose, hard use loadout? Be specific.

Categories:

1. Steel
2. Shelter
3. Sleep system
4. Cookware/stove
5. Water purification
6. Fire starter
7. Accessories/Possibles/food gathering
8. Firearm
9. Pack


I’ll fire the first shot

1 BK2, SAK, Wetterlings 19” axe, Laplander saw
2 Hennessy hammock
3 North Face Cat’s Meow, wool blanket, USA goretex bivy bag
4 Zebra pot 14cm., (still thinking about the stove), graniteware cup, spoon and fork from the kitchen drawer
5 Iodine crystals
6 Gobspark (a BIG one) and a few BICs
7 Commenga compass, FAK (homemade), bandana, sewing kit, 550 cord, fishing kit, headlamp and batteries
8 Rossi 22/410 matched set
9 Large ALICE pack
 
BK-2 & BH-11
Hen easy Hammock expedition size
Military 3 season synthetic fill
Stainless steel 3-4 qt coffee pot, grate
Pump, iodine crystals, fine brass screen
4x magnesium block and ferro sticks
Silva ranger compass
2x -110 size conabear traps, trotline, numerous bandanas, 550-cord, cleaning rods .22 cal
Ruger MK-II, detachable scope, (1000 rnds)
Bull Pack
 
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Categories:

1. Steel ( bk2, vik farmer, GB wildlife, folding saw, Leatherman, vise grips)
2. Shelter (some sort of hammock)
3. Sleep system (Coleman cloudcroft)
4. Cookware/stove (pocket rocket, canteen cup, collapsible frying pan)
5. Water purification (tablets with a canteen, nalgene bottle, and collapsible bottle marked as unsafe)
6. Fire starter (BIC, army firesteel)
7. Accessories/Possibles/food gathering (fishing line, bait like peanut butter, tons of cord, sharpening stone, first aid kit, GPS beacon for major emergencies, deck of cards, compass, Topo map, lots of plastic bags, hand warmers, whiskey,salt and pepper, hat, thermal clothing, warm weather clothing, beef jerky)
8. Firearm ( Henry ar-7)
9. Pack ( don't know. if I had a choice a kirafu of some kind since I don't have a BIG pack like that)
 
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I'll bite.
BK7, BK11 and Leatherman ST300, and a mini diamond hone to keep em sharp
An old US military sheltercloth tent, Vietnam era
A Eureka Casper and a Thermarest zlite
Esbit stove, canteen cup, 'Nam era US mil mess kit
Katadyn Hiker filter
A blastmatch or strike force steel
Small fish kit, FAK, paracord, watch, Cammenga compass, good map, duct tape, tabasco sauce, jerky
Mosin-Nagant m91/30, 100 rounds at least, and a glock 36, 100 rounds at least
either an ALICE pack or a MOLLE 3 pack.
 
I dont have all that much to add
just curious if the folks participating are adding up the weight of their gear

remember you gotta haul that stuff around....
 
Mine weighs appx. 30 lbs all said and done, not too bad. (with 50 rounds of ammo for each gun)
PS- I forgot to list a P-38! Doh!
 
1. Steel - BK2 and GB Small Forest Axe or similar. Size is great. Just freaking great. Probably also my 11 would be on me, A razor knife with the snap off blades would be great to have too. Everything convexed. Strop and grinding compounds.
2. Shelter - Hammock with integrated rain system, second tarp for living area or more extreme storm protection. I prefer square or almost square for versatility.
3. Sleep system - Insulated pad of your choice, the new NeoAir would get my vote ($$$). Here in CO, DOWN. A lot of other places synthetic bags are a better choice.
4. Cookware/stove - Hobo style bottom feed wood burner. I like my Snowpeak Mug with coffee press. Going for a year, I would probably want some sort of shallow pan too, but I don't use one usually. Probably also a Ti Kettle for strictly H2O duties. Some sort of low profile grate for meat would be good too.
5. Water purification - Sawyer drip feed. I have yet to see / experience a better overall solution. Especially thinking about a year with potentially no service/parts. Make that 2 Sawyers, and a piece of extra tubing. Done.
6. Fire starter - The only thing you can really pack away and count on long term is fire steel and practice. I would practice, and keep some tinder in a ziploc or something for after the tarp is up. Strike anywhere matches or a bic are nice, but save them for when you're too cold/wet for the fire steel.
7. Accessories/Possibles/food gathering - Crank radio, Snare line, FAK, Emergency fishing kit if you're lucky to be near real water, deck of cards, Headlamp w/ red led option, extra batteries, extra batteries, extra batteries. If you want a back up light, be sure it uses the same batteries.
8. Firearm - .22 lightweight rifle and pistol. Possibly a take down survival type rifle. 1000 rds or so. I like those .22/.410 combos, but how much .410 to carry is a question/concern.
9. Pack - backpacker > tacticool.

Aside from the cookware, the rifle, and excessive ammo, this is basically my solo load out. My hammock doesn't have integrated shelter, but it would be nice to have it for the extra space the tarp could provide. It's probably 30lbs dry, clothes, rain gear included. With food, water, libations, 40-50 lbs isn't unheard of. My REI pack handles that weight with ease and my smaller climbing pack will still gobble it up, but without the comfort of frame-stays and padding.

Cheers,
M.
 
Rsmith_77 said:
I dont have all that much to add
just curious if the folks participating are adding up the weight of their gear

remember you gotta haul that stuff around....
Click to expand...

If i gotta survive on my own for a year i dont care how much it weighs and if i only can carry it for 5 ft per day before im tired, itll keep me alive
 
I'll get my stuff together and offer up a list, but I'll be honest, my gear loadout, right now, as it sits, will pretty much get me for as long as I need it to. For years I've been working on condensing, and building my pack, and its almost done. There are a few things I wanna add, but I don't need them, just want them.

My pack, 30lbs, wet and ready. GTG anywhere, anytime.

Moose
 
The question about weight consideration ... the answer is yes, its a consideration. Looking at the lists presented so far I'm not seeing much weight at all. Of course the criterion for this post is fairly narrow, winter cloths, boots, etc are not a part of the criterion.*
A lot of people are into minimalistic camping and hiking today, but for a years walk about living on the equipment you carry, I've found that 60 lbs. is my target weight. Food and water have mass and therefore weight, clothing, which is not a category here gets heavy fast.*
My experience is you cn always throw items away if you have to much or to many "treasures" but if you start out without them and need additional stuff and don't have it life can get miserable quick.*
Better to much than to little is my rule of thumb.
 
If I had to roll out for a year, I'd take some dry packs until I get my food source running, but a 12ga is my "refridgerator" so to speak. Back that up with a 22lr pistol, my Emmrod/tackle, and some spare rounds, I'm gonna eat something for sure.

Same with water. I carry 5k gallons around with me. MSR Miniworks is great stuff and I back it up with Aquamira A/B drops.

I carry a bivvy sack, hammock, poncho, 30degree bag, and my kitchen.

I've condensed alot down, to just the bare essentials, but everything in my pack has a definite use.

I wanna keep the weight down if I'm foot mobile, for fear of mechanical injury. If I'm gonna be on the water, then weight goes up, as I'm yakin'.

Laff if you want, but alpaca's are great beasts of burden, and if I gotta stay mobile for a year, I'm gettin' something to carry my gear.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
I wanna keep the weight down if I'm foot mobile, for fear of mechanical injury. If I'm gonna be on the water, then weight goes up, as I'm yakin'.

Laff if you want, but alpaca's are great beasts of burden, and if I gotta stay mobile for a year, I'm gettin' something to carry my gear.

Moose
Click to expand...

Which is why as I got older I liked canoe camping a lot better than backpacking. Thicker thermarests, dutch ovens, ice chests, folding chairs, all the accoutrements of modern civilization can fit in a canoe. And in my canoe camping club someone always had a battery powered blender for the strawberry daiquiris around the evening campfire. :D One couple even carried solar panels to charge the batteries for their blender.
 
weaponeer said:
Which is why as I got older I liked canoe camping a lot better than backpacking. Thicker thermarests, dutch ovens, ice chests, folding chairs, all the accoutrements of modern civilization can fit in a canoe. And in my canoe camping club someone always had a battery powered blender for the strawberry daiquiris around the evening campfire. :D One couple even carried solar panels to charge the batteries for their blender.
Click to expand...

Now that's just plain old school roughin' it. I'm sure Lewis and Clark had a margarita machine on their trip, but they had folks to bear the burden. :D

Moose
 
I have a sweet cooler with a 400 watt amp and a solar panel to thump the tunes.
 
yeah, boots are huge. My choice would be Danner desert Acadias, with goretex. Freakin' awesome boots.
And I also forgot flashlight. Streamlight pt1aa, rechargeable battery , small dynamo to handcharge it.
 
Rsmith_77 said:
I dont have all that much to add
just curious if the folks participating are adding up the weight of their gear

remember you gotta haul that stuff around....
Click to expand...

We have to carry this stuff?? :eek:





1. Steel
2. Shelter
3. Sleep system
4. Cookware/stove
5. Water purification
6. Fire starter
7. Accessories/Possibles/food gathering
8. Firearm
9. Pack

1. BK5 :D
2. my 11'x12' nylon tarp
3. below 0 sleeping bag, fleece sleeping bag, grand trunk hammock
4. swiss mess kit or a fold up twig stove
5. SS water bottle (beckerhead bottle :D) and purification tabs
6. firesteel.com army steel 4"
7. bank line/550 cord, guitar strings (snare trap system), fishing kit, FAK
8. 22MAG marlin (only one I's got right now)
9. might be my alice pack (medium)
 
1 BK2, CSM11, Ontario SK5, Bahko saw
2 Trek Light Hammock, tarp
3 Hotcore Roma-300, wool blanket, Goretex rain jacket shell
4 Bush buddy wood stove, Canteen shop kit, Snow Peak Trek 900, titanium fork, knife, spoon
5 Iodine crystals, Bandana
6 Swiss Fireseel, Ronson lighter(waterproof)
7 1st aid kit(waterproof bag), bandana, sewing kit, 550 cord, fishing kit, headlamp and batteries
8 Guns nah. Recurve bow my buddys old man make me over 10 years ago. 20 arrows.
9 Rush 24(maybe 72) + attachable moab 10

Yea it's going to be heavy, what of it? It didn't say I was going anywhere. Just that I gotta last.:D
 
Well, I figure that I can screw this up real quick! :D
Some of the gear I have, some of the gear I don't, and now I kinda want. LOL.


1. Steel: BK-14, BK-2(or7or10) , Gerber retractable saw
2. Shelter: small pack tent+tarp
3. Sleep system: Fleece sleeping bag, 40 deg bag, cold-weather down bag (I think I could layer)
4. Cookware/stove: Billie can, scout-style mess kit (stainless), 24oz spackleware cup. My soupcan stove.
5. Water purification: Plan A: Boil it! Plan B: Iodine tablets+bandanna
6. Fire starter: Gobspark ranger, much PJCB, a lighter or two, and waterproof matches
7. Accessories: My FAK, repair kit, edible plants guide(I need the help), 200' 550 cord, my fishing kit (Includes rudimentary fly-tying gear+wire leaders that also serve as snares, thread, etc.).
8. Firearm: Ruger 10/.22 compact w/synthetic stock. + much ammo, 2 extra mags.
9. Pack: Medium ALICE pack--hellcat modded.
 
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