Category: gear

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lightweight Dirty Girl Gaiters

My hiking buddy Mark Glaser invented “InstaGaiters” years ago. He wears modified women’s nylon stockings.

Looks like he should have patented the idea. This is similar:

From the Happy Feet blog:

Gaiters are an important for trail runners, and for that matter, hikers, adventure racers, and even walkers. They cover the top of the shoe and prevent debris from going inside the shoe. It is this debris, between the shoe and sock, which leads to hot spots and blisters. A simple pair of gaiters can help prevent problems.

For my money, I like the gaiters made by Chrissy Weiss, called Dirty Girl Gaiters. Chrissy has a lock on gaiters that make a statement. They are bold and colorful. They are in-your-face patterns that inspire. Most of the runners yesterday wore Chrissy’s gaiters. They are made from soft, comfortable four-way stretch spandex unisex with gaiter hooks under the front shoe lace and secures to the back of the shoe with a self-adhesive Velcro strip. They are dirt-cheap for $13 per pair, including postage.

And, yes, guys are wearing them too. A lot of guys.

Happy Feet

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Dirty Girl Gaiters – photos

(via Two-Heel Drive)

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custom made sleeping bag – Kluane Mountaineering

I really should get a new bag. Perhaps -5C.

Ewen from Outdoor Video Magazine recommends a Canadian company, Kluane.

He describes his good experience getting them to make him a custom down jacket.

As for their sleeping bags:

Kluane built its reputation on the quality of its sleeping bags and Kluane down sleeping bags are, we believe, the finest obtainable anywhere. No other sleeping bag offers all the design and construction features found on Kluane bags.

Consider the following: Hot cutting (we use heat to cut our material so the seams will not fray); 1.9 oz. ripstop nylon (not as light as others, but it will last a long time)

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800 loft Canadian white goose down; heavy duty YKK delrin two-way zips; nylon tricot baffles (again, not as light as others, but we have never had a returned product because of baffle failure); heavy double zipper baffles, channel block baffle and differential cut (except Inner, Summerthought and rectangular bags) and hidden stitching (there are only two exposed seams in the whole bag).

Sleeping Bags – Kluane

I will be up at their home base in Edmonton in a couple of weeks to check them out.

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replace your Swiss Army Knife with an Atwood

Warren Long suggested this knife to lighten your pack yet some more:

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Joel sums up: “Atwood’s multitools, unlike the common flip-out models, tend to be made from just a single piece of metal with various nubs that enhance the functionality. For instance, the ‘Mini Son of PryThing‘ above has a prying tool, a blade, and a bottle opener, wrapped with a simple cord around the hilt that is easily replaceable.”

Boing Boing

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camping – where is the salt?

Oh … taped to the meal package. Of course!

Thanks Jason!

One thing I’ve tried to do over the years is to simplify my in-camp procedures by reducing the number of odds and ends I carry. Something that’s always bothered me is fumbling through my Ziplock of condiments to dig out that one specific spice I need for the meal at hand. Then, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of it before” moments last week.

goose-creek-029.jpgSimply put, I figured I could tape meal-specific condiments to their respective packages with masking tape, thus eliminating one more storage bag from my pack. Now, I plan ahead so when mealtime comes, I have exactly what I need all in one place.

… Here you can see salt packets taped to the top of dehydrated eggs.

Homemade Backpacking Gear | by Jason Klass

Jason posted a video of this so-simple-I-never-would-have-thought-of-it-on-my-own idea on his Gear Talk blog.

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Banff Mountain Festival 2007, Oct 27 – Nov 4

I am planning to head out to Banff for the festival, my first time ever.

Though films are at the “heart of the festival”, there is much more happening. The Mountain Book events, for example. And the Adventure Trade Show for gear.

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The 32nd annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, presented by National Geographic and New Balance, brings you the world’s best mountain films and speakers. Experience the adventure of climbing, mountain expeditions, remote cultures, and the world’s last great wild places — all brought to life on the big screen. …

Banff Mountain FILM festival

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Banff Mountain Festivals 2007 SCHEDULE

I am still trying to decipher the ticketing page. They need fewer options.

Leave a comment if you are going to be there.

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newfangled water purifiers – I am CONFUSED

I’m fed up with traditional water filters.

Are any of the too-good-to-be-true innovations worth trying?

If so, leave a comment below this post.


MSR Miox Water Purifier with Batteries
MSR Miox Water Purifier with Batteries – Amazon

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iStraw – official website

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SteriPEN products – official website

(via Darren Barefoot)

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non-hiker tackles the West Coast Trail

janet.jpgJanet Wilson, as part of her 50th birthday fitness program, decided to walk our #1 hike in the World.

She did the research, bought the gear, finished a series of training hikes (adding 5lbs each time), grabbed her husband … and headed for the wild Shipwreck Coast.

… I suggested to my husband that for my birthday he give me, not some extravagant present or party, but his support and partnership in tackling a big physical goal: hiking the West Coast Trail.

It was something I had always wanted to do, but now I was not at all sure my aging carcass could withstand the training, let alone reach a point where it could carry a 40 pound pack over rough terrain for 7 days. But I decided to try. I read every book and web account on the trail I could find.

… we bought all the rest of our gear: the Mutha Hubba tent and footprint, Exped 7 Downmats (a bit heavy, but I knew I needed a great sleep to recover at nights), MontBlanc DownHugger sleeping bags, a SilTarp II for the inevitable rainy days, MSR’s Superfly stove and fuel canisters (3), hiking poles (purchased last and on impulse, but one of the best purchases we made) and a Katadyn Vario MicroFilter …

See Janet’s entire trip report – WesternWilson – The West Coast Trail, September 2007

Congratulations. We are proud of you Janet!

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We’ve linked Janet’s trip report to our West Coast Trail information page.

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TracMe Personal Locator Beacon

UPDATE: Check the comment by Kevin Stoltz. He is very negative on this device:

… how TERRIBLE this device is as an emergency rescue device. The ONLY positive thing is it’s size. It is a low power radio beacon which means someone else has to initiate the search (whether or not you’re actually in need of help). The TracMe is only useful once rescue parties get close. PLBs on the other hand are activated by the individual in distress and result in a distress signal (including location coordinates) being sent to satellites which in turn are relayed to the appropriate search and rescue organization. PLBs operate at 406MHz and have an extremely low false alarm rate.

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original post:

The Hiking Ideas – Wilderness Trailcraft blog is investigating methods of sending for help in case of emergency.

This is the first device small enough for me to seriously consider:

tracme.jpgOn Monday I posted a story about the Spot Satellite Messenger device and I got a comment from Kevin Stoltz from PLB Rentals. He helped differentiate the category of PLBs from other messenging devices by saying the PLBs have more transmitting power – therefore they are a better safety device.

He also mentioned to me to check out another device called TracMe.

So I did. Here is a shot of the TracMe and here’s what the TracMe website lists as the unique features of their device:

• Voice beacon – can be monitored by anyone on the existing radio emergency channel.

• Does not automatically instigate a search and rescue – about 98% of distress alerts detected from inadvertently activated beacons are false.

• Extremely small and light weight.

• Low cost – less than half the cost of existing beacons.

• Very low cost for the Search and Rescue (SAR) crews.

• A search can be performed with a single aircraft and one ground crew of 2 to 3 people.

• Will operate continuously for about 7 days – this gives the rescuers ample time to locate the beacon.

• Single use – once the unit has been activated, it can be deactivated but not reused.

• Shelf or storage life should be up to 10 years.

TracMe Personal Locator Beacon

– Hiking Ideas – Wilderness Trailcraft

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my gear 2007 – besthike editor

Rick McCharles

After being drenched several days in series on the John Muir Trail by the remnants of Hurricane Dean, I finally got a chance to dry out my gear in the hot morning sun.

It gave me a chance to take photos of my current gear set. This is about as light as I have ever hiked on a multi-day trip. I used everything I carried on big trips in the Yukon and the JMT.

Sleeping system: MSR Hubba tent, down sleeping bag, silk sleeping bag liner, 3/4 length therm-a-rest, dry bag stuff sack “pillow”, headlamp.

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Tent and sleeping bag are stored in a kayak dry bag with purge valve. (Heavy, but worth it, I think.)

kayak-bag

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Outdoor clothes: unlined nylon pants, wicking t-shirt, ultra lightweight wind jacket, Gortex jacket, long brim baseball cap.

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Tent and camp clothes: fleece pants, shirt and “touque” (hat), down vest, tent socks.

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Shoes and socks. I, as usual, took only 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of outdoor socks. Ultimately this turned out to be a mistake. Due to the unusual, unexpected amount of rain I eventually got blisters. (Very rare for me.)

shoes

Hydration: Nalgene water bottle, extra soft drink water bottle, MSR water filter. (I would use chemicals next time.)

hydration

Food: Large bear vault, spoon, JetBoil stove, extra fuel canister. (Started with 7 days grub.)

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Navigation / Entertainment: Topo maps, hiking guidebook, novel, iPod Nano (books on MP3), All-in-one Map Tool. I know, this is VERY HEAVY and could be reduced.

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Defecation: Toilet paper, lighter, disinfectant gel, Camp Suds, paper soap.

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Personal items in hip pack: Cash, Swiss Army Knife, sun screen, note pad, pen, Tylenol, mini-toothpaste, mini-toothbrush, mobile phone, etc. Camera and extra batteries.

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Finally, and importantly, bandanas and a Buff. Multi-purpose.

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Everything fits into my lightweight Virga backpack by Granite Gear.

Virga

I will make very few changes for my next long hike. This works for me.

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Compare this with Caroline’s gear list for the PCT: As The Crow Flies blog.

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bag your poop on Mt. Whitney, California

UPDATE: Steve Sergeant posted a terrific Wildebeat audiocast on this last year – The Poop on Mount Whitney

Pack out what you pack in.

This is the age-old outdoor rule. And here, taking this decree to the extreme, is a good friend of mine who recently climbed Mt. Whitney in California.

I’ll let you guess what he’s packing out.

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Photo of the Day (9/13/07) – Gadling

I hiked Whitney in 2006. Some of the pit toilets were still in place, though they stunk to high Heaven.

In 2007 you must bag it.

Pack-out kits are available at the InterAgency Visitors Center in Lone Pine, and at Crabtree Ranger Station. They are also available at many stores that sell hiking, backpacking and climbing equipment. You should also bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. A kit will serve a person for 2 to 3 days.

Each kit contains two plastic bags for securely “double-bagging” your waste. The large inner bag contains a powder that absorbs liquids and turns into an odor-fighting gel. The outer zip-closure bag seals everything up for transport.

How to Use Pack-Out Kits

1. Find a secluded location.
2. Spread the large inner bag on the ground. Don’t spill the powder!
3. Crouch over the bag and relieve yourself. Dispose of toilet paper in the bag.
4. Tie a loose knot in the bag, and then seal it inside the zip-close outer bag.

Inyo National Forest

It’s no big deal. These pack-out kits work quite well.

Organize to hike Mt. Whitney, highest peak in the continental USA.