gear – Page 49 – besthike.com

September 26, 2007

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.

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.

September 24, 2007

humour – African American Boycott of L.L. Bean Enters 80th Year

Perhaps LL Bean should advertise on this blog after all. They are going to need some good will after this spoof newscast.

The CEO of L.L. Bean pleads with black leaders to forgive his company for whatever it’s done to cause this decades-long boycott.

Click PLAY or watch it on The Onion News Network.
African American Boycott of L.L. Bean Enters 80th Year

September 11, 2007

GEAR – Leatherman lightweight multitool – Skeletool

Joel “Boing Boing Gadgets” Johnson has just posted this Leatherman Skeletool, a full-featured Leatherman tool whose every non-essential surface has been swiss-cheesed with holes to lighten its weight to a mere five ounces. It costs $72 — or you can go lighter with a carbon-fiber model for $96.

I miss my multitool days — after losing half a dozen to the TSA, I had to give up a years-long habit of always carrying one. Since there, there must have been one billion moments where I wished I had my pliers, knife, and hoof-pick still attached to my hip.

Leatherman Skeletool lightweight multitool — Boing Boing Gadgets

Thanks Warren.

September 6, 2007

best hiking shoes EVER

I’ve been wearing Dunham Waffles for most of the past 10 years.

Then Dunham was bought by New Balance. The status of my favourite shoes is now in limbo.

For this season I bought the #1 Trail Shoe as chosen by Outside Magazine from Amazon.

As a back-up, I bought some cheap New BalanceÂ® 603 Country Walkers which fit surprisingly well (since New Balance offers shoes in wide sizes). Turned out I LOVED the inexpensive walking shoes using them on major hikes in Yukon and the Sierra Nevadas.

I am buying 3 more pairs for the future, I like them so much.

Men’s New BalanceÂ® 603 Country Walkers

July 28, 2007

Jetboil vs MSR vs Primus stoves

I have been quite happy with my Jetboil stove, after learning the quirks.

Last year Ryan Jordan on the Backpacking Light Magazine podcast did a detailed review of the Jetboil and two copycat competitors.

When you next comparison shop for a new camping stove, be sure to include those three on your list.

“Backpacking Light Trends (Audio Program): Integrated Canister Stove Systems,” by Ryan Jordan. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-0364).

Leave a comment if you have a recommendation.

July 13, 2007

All-in-one Map Tool review

It’s very rare for me to add any item to my “base” hiking kit. (It’s too heavy already.)

The new essential must be very valuable. Or very light.

The All-in-one Map Tool is both. I carry it with my map and compass.

Bob Moseley from Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Co. asked me to test this award winning product.

I took it with me on a solo kayak hiking trip out of Bamfield, British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. Since the weather was good, I was able to paddle directly to the Deer Island group, the closest to town.

It was a great, relaxing trip. I saw bear, seals, sea lions and nearly stepped on a baby puffin.

Normally mornings on this, the “Shipwreck Coast” are fogged in. On a previous trip to the nearby Broken Group Islands we were a number of times confused in the fog. It’s essential to know where you are on the map, have an exact compass bearing, and a good estimate of your speed and distance to the next island.

The All-in-one Map Tool is ideal in this situation as it has 6 different, easy-to-read map scale rulers to help estimate distance.

More photos from this trip – flickr

Sadly I had atypically excellent weather and did not need to do any dead reckoning in the morning.

So I’ll take it heli-hiking into the Tombstone Mountains in the Yukon in August. Certainly I should have a good chance to get lost there, having to rely on Topo, compass and map tool for survival.

All-in-one Map Tool – US$18 – Brooks Range Mountaineering Equipment Co.

June 28, 2007

review – Jetboil coffee maker

Some were underwhelmed with my “preferred coffee system”.

Perhaps I need to step up.

Since I’m already using the JetBoil stove / pot combo, I’ll pick up a JetBoil coffee press based on this good review:

Here’s the basics of how the Jetboil French Press works.

1. Get some water and fill up the cup
2. Light up the micro burner
3. Boil the water
4. Scoop in the coffee
5. Stir the coffee into the boiling water
6. Press it on down
7. Drink some amazing coffee on the side of the mountain you’re currently on.

Review: Jetboil French Press Hiking and Camping Personal Coffee Maker | Single Serve Coffee – SingleServeCoffee.com

June 14, 2007

PCT – Mountain Hardwear Sponsorship?

Just so you know, Mountain Hardwear, if you kit me out completely, I’ll be happy to do the PCT and report back on the extended field test.

From the Mountain Hardwear blog:

Our industry professionals have compiled a list of recommended gear which should get you through the Pacific Crest Trail in high spirits. …

* Sleeping Bag/Bivy
* Tent
* Baselayer
* Shells
* Backpacks
* Gaiters
What gear should I bring on the Pacific Crest Trail?

If they deny me that sponsorship, I’ll need to try their Mission Project Challenge (video). Post my trip report on their Mission Project blog.

How do you like my chances?

June 9, 2007

Mont-Bell lightweight gear

It’s been years since I heard the name Mont-Bell.

The company withdrew from the U.S. market for a long while.

Then I heard Dr. Ryan Jordan of BackpackingLight.com call Mont-Bell one of the top 3 manufacturers of interest to ultra-light hikers. (He did not name the other two.)

I’d love to get to their mothership store in Boulder, Colorado to try the high end gear for myself. It’s difficult to shop over the internet.

Mont-Bell America – official website

June 6, 2007December 12, 2024

lost overnight – Syncline Loop, Utah

Things can go wrong, fast.

A series of decisions, all which seemed reasonable at the time. Even experienced hikers can get lost in canyon country.

Three friends, planning on a challenging day hike on the standard Syncline Loop in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, got stuck overnight without provisions. ~~One suffered some hypothermia.~~

Rich posted a detailed account of how it happened:

Now, we didn’t really have much in the way of food. I had brought a few slices of bread, some saltines, a jar of peanut butter and, of course, plenty of water. We each had a similiar supply.

We planned on stopping at the grocery store on our way to Moab but, somehow that slipped our minds. …

So, we figure … we’d probably find a bit of trail food at the visitor center.

Well, we soon found out there was nothing at all in the way of trail food at the visitor center. The Island of the Sky Visitor Center is a little more than a Ranger Station. In fact, I really like Canyonlands because it doesnt have any amenities.

The desert is one place your really do need the 10 essentials. And extra water. Even if setting out only for an hour or two.

They made one last urgent scramble to get up and out.

… we saw … a potential exit. It was crazy and we were all really uncertain but, we pushed on. Every second getting closer to darkness.

Of course, as they do in the desert, temperatures plunged with the setting sun. Thankfully, we still had clear skies and little to no wind. We climbed higher and higher.

… It is endless!!!

For certain, that mile or so was the most intense and rugged hiking I have ever done in my life. Naturally, I loved every minute of it but, my lungs would argue otherwise. We had been on the trail for nearly 10 hours.

No pretty pictures on this post. Just three wiser hikers the following morning when the sun finally came up. Cold, but never in any real danger.