gear – Page 51 – besthike.com

April 30, 2007

Light Backpacking says abandon Swiss Army Knife

Sacrilege! They say:

I have two beautiful Swiss Army Knives and love them.

BUT they weigh four ounces each and I donâ€™t need all the extras they offer.

So I purchased for 99 cents a small knife with plastic handle I found in a clear plastic bin on the counter of my local hardware store. It was put there to be an impulse buy. But itâ€™s been a trusty little friend, weighing a half ounce. Great for cutting cheese, salami, or cord.

LightBackpacking.com Make Your Backpack Light in 2007 – One of the â€œTen Essentialsâ€

Personally, I can’t bear to leave behind my Swiss Champ.

In fact, I may upgrade to the Wenger Giant Collector’s Swiss Army Knife. (Let’s see a bear try to swallow this.)

Practical Travel Gear

April 28, 2007

The Gear Junkie gets it right

When columnist Stephen Regenold set out his list of Greatest Gear of 5 Years, he must have known the potential for indignant outcry was great.

Gladly, the Gear Junkie got it right:

#1 The Original Buff

Nothing else Iâ€™ve tested over the past five years has stuck with me as much as the Original Buff, a hard-to-categorize headgear piece thatâ€™s essentially a tubular hat made of a thin, stretchy, seamless synthetic fabric that hugs your head to wick sweat or keep the sun and wind at bay.

I use Buffs year-round, as headbands in the summer, hats in the spring and fall, and balaclavas during the wintertime. They are lightweight, multi-functional items that have become literally indispensable for me during outings that range from ultra-endurance races to nightly jogs through my neighborhood. (Original Buff, $18.50; www.buffusa.com)

The Gear Junkie – The Daily Dose

The lowly bandana is my #1 piece of gear. But I will get Buff.

I also like his #4 pick, the Granite Gear – Virga Ultralight .

Given to me as a gift, this is my go to pack for cycling and short walks.

For multi-day hikes I use the heavier Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude.

(via Adventure Blog)

April 24, 2007

why you should you take condoms on the trail

So you’re out in the woods hiking alone, and you want to cook some Ramen.

Dang, you forgot your matches. And your lighter. But you’ve got a condom and some water. Think you can start a fire?

This guy can.

Use A Condom to Make Fire? – Gadling

April 17, 2007

Alpacka lightweight raft

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }
.flickr-yourcomment { }
.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }
.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Raft 11cropped, originally uploaded by adamnoman.

I think I need this for pioneering a new route on Vancouver Island.

The Alpacka packraft rolls up to about the size of a 3-person tent and weighs only 4 pounds. Add the Alpacka deck for 11-ounces more and you can motor through rapids in the inflatable bathtub.

Itâ€™s a pretty cool little boat, but itâ€™ll set you back almost $800. Itâ€™s a lot of money, but apparently itâ€™s more than just a pool toyâ€”the little boat is popular for long backpacking trips and gaining access to unclimbed ranges.

Backcountry.com: The Goat Â» Blog Archive Â» Lightweight Inflatable Kayak Looks Suspiciously Like Tire Inner Tube

Thanks Rocky!

Alpacka rafts

April 16, 2007

puncture-resistant Therm-a-Rest

If you use a Therm-a-Rest long enough, you invariably wake up one night on a deflated mat. If itâ€™s a slow leak, youâ€™ll re-inflate it every two hours when your violent shivers wake you up. Then youâ€™ll probably forget to patch it when you get back home making your next trip just as much fun.

But now Therm-a-Rest is selling ToughSkin mats with a layer of foam between the air pocket and face fabric that blocks thorns and broken beer bottles from poking through. What took so long?
Backcountry.com: The Goat Â» Puncture-Resistant Sleeping Mats – Rocky Thompson

ToughSkin by Therm-A-Rest

On the same topic, I heard an excellent audiocast interview with Greg Garrigues, GM of award winning Pacific Outdoor Equipment. (Who knew mat technology was so sophisticated!)

Greg is quite knowledgeable about the materials and technology that goes into making comfortable sleeping mats. And he explains the season, gender, size, and genre-of-user specific features that are available in the Pacific Outdoor Equipment line of sleeping mats.

Practical Backpacking podcast #26

I’m still using the ExPed 7.

April 13, 2007

New Zealand hiking patches

Back in the 1970s I collected patches from my travels. Sewed them on to my old backpack travelling Europe.

Patches are back. At least in New Zealand. They make an ideal retro Great Walk souvenir.

The patches are inspired by New Zealand’s wonderful natural landscape and unique fauna and flora. Focusing on the National Parks, the patches feature iconic images ranging from alpine wilderness and volcanic mountain to rugged coastline; rainforest to montane forest and tussock grassland; glaciers, cascading rivers and serene lakes.

NZ Patches.com

April 13, 2007

what’s the best backpack for a dog?

“Can I take my dog on this hike?”

That’s the critical question for many.

As an increasing number of trails disallow dogs overnight in the backcountry, it’s becomes a more important question.

One of the best hkes we know that allows dogs overnight is Paria Canyon in Utah. If you can recommend others, please leave a comment below this post.

Also leave a comment if you have a recommendation on a dog backpack. There’s some good buzz on the internet about the Kyjen models available from about US$20.

The Quick Releaseâ„¢ Dog BackPacks will give your dog maximum comfort and convenience when hiking with you. The backpack is designed with an adjustable harness and removable pack. Large storage pockets hold food, water and other gear. Made with extra-strong nylon for durability. Quick Release Dog BackPacks feature the “quick release” leash holder for use when approaching other hikers, dogs, or wildlife. Available in four sizes to fit most dogs.

The Kyjen Company :: Outdoor Gear for Pets

Check also â€” HikeWithYourDog.com

April 4, 2007

do you carry an MP3 player on the trail?

I’m often embarrassed to admit I do.

But look at this. Crow is up front with her electronic dependence.

For the upcoming PCT trip Iâ€™m bringing the iriver T10 2gb MP3 player with fm radio. It weighs 1.7 ounces 48 grams without battery. It has a little clip to clip it on to anything or clip it on to the neck lanyard it comes with.

… one AA battery; the battery is supposed to last 45 hours. I put a lithium battery in it because it is lighter and last longer then a regular battery, so Iâ€™m thinking maybe it will last 100 hours on one battery.

If I super compress my files, I think I can get 100 hours of stuff on it. It also records, so a person could record their thoughts along the way with the built in microphone.

… I have ordered a pair of Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones …

… Last summer, my son downloaded, for me, 300 hours of â€œThis American Lifeâ€, a NPR radio documentary show. Sadly I have listened to all 300 hoursâ€”twice. But that would have made great listening, on the trail.

For music on the trail, I find folk, country and show tunes the most effective hiking music, with most stuff by Johnny Cash being about the most perfect hiking tempo.

As The Crow FliesÂ» Blog Archive Â» Radios and mp3 players for the long distance hiker.

I’ve carried a Rio Cali for years, finally losing it atop the highest mountain in Tasmania.

After some research I opted for an iPod Nano. The proprietary battery is a problem â€” but I plan to get the portable charger, as well.

Another planned add-on is the Griffin iTalk microphone.

I mostly listen to audio podcasts (BBC, CBC, NPR, TWIT, etc.) as well as books on MP3.

I only listen on the trail when I REALLY need it. But in the tent at night the MP3 is a Godsend.

What about you? Do you carry an MP3? What do you listen to?

Scott Williamson Yo-Yo-ing the PCT, twice

Recommended – A great audio podcast was posted by BackpackingLight.com.

Scott Williamson is best known for his thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail. He has walked the trail nine times in its entirety, including a Yo-Yo from Mexico to Canada and back – twice.

… topics from his 191-day Yo-Yo of the PCT in 2006, including the psychological challenge of touching the Canadian border and having to turn around and go back; on-trail surgery for septic blood poisoning; the use of ultralight footwear (by Inov8) for long-distance hiking; and more.

Scott is featured in an upcoming film about long distance hiking on the PCT entitled Tell It On the Mountain.

Podcast: Scott Williamson and Yo-Yo-ing the Pacific Crest Trail @ Backpacking Light

That same page hosts a trailer of the soon-to-be-released film.

movie – Tell It On The Mountain (official website)

Scott Williamson – official website

Scott and his new bride will be doing the PCT the summer of 2007. Congratulations and good luck!

March 23, 2007

gear – Brunton Optimus Nova Multi Fuel stove

When I first traveled overseas to hike I took an MSR Whisperlite International Liquid-Fuel Stove. Everyone did in the 1990s. It was really the only option.

And I didn’t forget the MSR WhisperLite and Whisper Lite Int. Expedition Stove Service Kit. I NEEDED it.

The WhisperLite was dirty and unreliable. (Is it any better now?)

I finally gave mine away after the time it turned into a Molotov cocktail in my hand. I threw it like a grenade.

In 2007 I’m trying to use the much acclaimed JETBOIL system though not without some problems.

I go to the trouble of finding and transporting canisters.

Next time I need a multi-fuel stove I’m leaning towards the Brunton Optimus. Especially after reading this endorsement on the Walking the Wall blog from China:

Our stove is a Brunton Optimus Nova Multi-fuel Expedition Stove, and it is a miraculous piece of equipment. I (Brendan) have been through more stoves in the last 20 years than I care to count, and I have never had a liquid-fuel stove that remotely compares. I still marvel at the thing every day. I just canâ€™t stop. …

As anyone who has used liquid-fuel stoves knows, they tend to clog. A lot. Most liquid-fuel stoves sold in Western countries burn white gas, which burns hot and is squeaky clean compared to fuels that are availabe in developing countries like diesel, petrol or kerosene. And still they clog.

In six months of continuous use, in temperatures from 40Â° Celsius to -20Â°, our stove has never clogged seriously. It rarely requires cleaning. And this is using regular old petrol, a filthy, inefficient fuel for camping-stove purposes.

Walking the Wall