Category: gear

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gear – “kitchen sink” for hiking

Over at Backcountry.com, Rocky Thompson’s making fun of hikers who want to haul the “kitchen sink” with them on the trail.

GRANITE GEAR OUTBACK KITCHEN SINK… But I have friends who would buy this.

Get two of Granite Gear’s Kitchen Sink and you can haul them from the creek to your campsite by balancing them on a stick over your shoulders. Better yet, get your kids to do it. You can tell them it’s “ninja training” after they see Kill Bill. Or you could just get one Kitchen Sink and end up spilling water inside both your shoes while trying to scramble back to camp with an awkward bucket.

Backcountry.com: The Goat » Bringing the Kitchen Sink

GRANITE GEAR OUTBACK KITCHEN SINK – BUY IT NOW (and prove me right)

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Scoutmaster: The World of Spoons and Sporks

spoon.jpgMy only utensil is a metal spoon which I keep handy in my hip pack. (Of course I have the Swiss Army Knife too for slicing.)

Scoutmaster posted a comic round-up of more expensive alternatives if you want to impress others at the campground:

… a spoon is a spoon – one of the few things in life that cannot be substantially improved upon- although we try. Do we really need this many sporks (or over priced specialty camping spoons) in the world?

Scoutmaster: The World of Spoons and Sporks

(via Two-Heel Drive)

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looking for a new hiking jacket

My Marmot PreCip jacket is getting old. I should replace it soon.

The editor of Wilderness Trailcraft switched from a PreCip to the O2 Rainwear Jacket by RainShield.

“This jacket is nearly perfect for me because it is extremely light (5.7 oz), a bit fragile and very cheap. I bought mine on Amazon for just under $30! Fragile is no problem when you don’t wear it very often.”

Rain Shield O2 Breathable Rain Jackets

Rain Shield O2 Breathable Rain Jackets

Looks interesting.

Lightweight raingear on the cheap – Wilderness Trailcraft

Also being tested is the (slightly heavier) Zealot Jacket by Outdoor Research. I’ll be watching that blog to hear which jacket they like best.

Zealot Jacket - Men\'s by Outdoor Research

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books on ultralight Backpacking

The two most popular books on Amazon.com right now are:

  • 1) The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail, Ryel Kestenbaum, 2001
  • 2) Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide), Don Ladigin, 2005

    • Of the two, I prefer the Ladigin as it is more accessible to beginners, friendlier in format and … weighs only 8oz. (It’s published by Falcon, a company we often criticize on this site. Good job with this book.)

    A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking

    Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide)

    In Australia I was surprised to see the vast majority of hikers with heavy, traditional (out-of-date) gear. The lightweight movement clearly has not reached Down Under.

    Experienced ultralight hikers will find more of interest on-line. But the inexpensive Ladigin book would be an ideal gift for any hiker you know who could easily reduce the size of their base pack weight.

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    best bear-proof food container?

    There are a number of bear canisters on the market. Be aware that the list of “approved” canisters changes. For the latest information on bear canisters approved by the National Park Service</a.

    For tips on how to pack your canister, read The Care and Feeding of Your Bear Canister by Tom Reynolds.

    Pacific Crest Trail Association – Bears

    Cramming 18 pounds of food into a canister may, at first, seem impossible. However, following these instructions and a little planning and patience will accomplish the task.

    source – Tom Reynolds

    I am most interested in the “Ursack”, myself. (I could have used one in Australia to keep out pesky possums.)

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    Katadyn Combi water filter – trashed

    katadyn_combi.jpgI tried.

    I tried to embrace the highly touted Katadyn Combi water filter.

    But it is simply too “fussy”.

    Something always goes wrong with this filter. It won’t pump. It won’t open. It needs cleaned too often.

    I give up.

    Many like the Combi, but I agree with this review:

    I bought this because of its flow capacity, the dual filtering through carbon and ceramic elements, and its rugged appearance. I have taken it on three heavy-duty backpacking trips into the Adirondaks and the Laurentians of Quebec. The filter was quickly clogged by the dark waters in these regions. I was constantly scrubbing the ceramic element. Replacement elements are quite expensive. On the trail, its weight becomes noticeable. The casing of mine eventually broke. Maybe it works well on the kitchen tap, but it’s too expensive, too heavy, too much work, and not tough enough for the wilderness. I believe there are better values available.

    rkylepalmer from Cranbury, NJ, USA – on OutdoorReview.com

    Just bought a SweetWater – Microfilter on the advice of a local expert.

    I’ll report back on how well it works after my next major hike.

    SweetWater - Microfilter

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    what’s with Dunham boots?

    My favourite hiking footwear is made by Dunham. The last store selling Dunham in my city of a million people dropped the line.

    dunham.jpg

    Why are the excellent Dunham products so poorly distributed?

    Their “store locator” web page has been “under construction” for as long as I can recall.

    When I phoned the customer information line I was surprised to get an immediate answer.

    But was then directed to the “Canadian number” (877) 738-6426 where I was left hanging.

    Dunham seems to have been acquired by New Balance. I hope retail distribution improves with new management. I like to try on new footwear, not buy it online.

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    hikers rescued by calling 911

    Note to self – “remind everyone to bring along their mobile phones”

    The 34-year-old had gone hiking on Dec. 24 in East Sooke Regional Park, about 25 kilometres west of Victoria. After losing his way in the heavily wooded area, he called the 911 emergency number on his cellphone. …

    The hunt failed to turn up the hiker overnight but searchers continued in the morning and found him at 9:20 a.m. on Dec. 25.
    …

    It’s not the only time in the past week that a dying cellphone has been used by someone to facilitate a rescue in British Columbia.

    A man trapped by trees in Vancouver’s Stanley Park during recent storms remembered he had a cellphone in his backpack and called rescuers. He had been trapped for six days.

    B.C. hiker rescued after 911 call on dying cellphone

    (via Hiking News)

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    what’s the best headlamp?

    Turk (a.k.a. – Ryan Miles) of ekho.info posed an important question on the Around the Campfire forum:

    … when it comes to flashlights and headlamps. Wide beams, focused beams, 9 bajillion lumens, tactical lights, every color of the rainbow LED etc etc.

    So here is my question. Seriously… what is everyone doing that they need so much light?

    I am not against headlamps by any means. But really do you need one unless you are on trail after sun down? Or big powerful flashlights for that matter?

    All I have ever used is a maglite solitare, pelican L1 and photon freedom micro. Its plenty of light for me.

    So. This is not a slam to anybody with a big powerful light. But convince me, educate me if you will, explain to me … what exactly you do with that light, and what aspects of hiking life does it make better?

    Whats the deal with Light? – Around the Campfire

    In my defence, Turk, I do like a bright light for reading in the tent. In fact, I’ve been known to wear 2 headlamps! My eyes are not as good as they once were.

    Princeton Tec Quad 4-LED Headlamp (Black or Blue)
    Princeton Tec Quad 4-LED Headlamp (Black or Blue)