Category: gear

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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

home3.jpg

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

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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 can’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 40° Celsius to -20°, 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

Brunton Optimus Nova Multi Fuel Expedition Stove

Brunton Optimus Nova Multi Fuel Expedition Stove

Leave a comment if you have an opinion on the Optimus or any other multi-fuel stove.

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10 day vehicle survival kit – $25

yago104-2.jpgJeffrey Yago posted a good reminder for outdoor enthusiasts.

Be ready in case of accident in the wilds. Or, more likely, in the event you are called on to help someone less experienced in the wild.

You MIGHT question his math, however.

It seems like every winter there are news stories of people getting stranded for weeks in bad weather while driving through the many remote areas of our country. In fact, this past winter, our nation held its breath waiting for news of James Kim and his family who got lost traveling the snowy roads of Josephine County in Oregon …

While his wife and daughters, who stayed with their vehicle, were eventually found alive, he succumbed to the cold as he hiked through snow looking for help for his family. And there are also many cases of people trapped for days in their vehicles after skidding over a bridge embankment, even though they were only a few hundred feet from a busy highway.

10 day survival pack for your vehicle for just $25

(via Lifehacker)

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gear – Pacific Outdoor ECO THERMO 6 sleeping pad

Hiking is one of the most environmentally friendly activities.

But we can do even better.

Backpacker magazine chose the Pacific Outdoor ECO THERMO 6 sleeping pad as an Editor’s Choice Gear award winner for 2007 in the GREEN category.

A sleeping pad alone won’t save us from climate change. But when a small company pioneers green-manufacturing techniques, uses sustainable materials in a unique way, and offers consumers a feel-good choice, it’s a big step in the right direction, one that we hope other manufacturers follow. Not to mention, this is one damn comfortable pad.

Click PLAY or watch the video on YouTube.

More videos from Backpacker Magazine. Kudos for posting videos on YouTube, by the way.

This looks like a worthy competitor to the ExPed sleeping pad.

(via the always entertaining GOblog)

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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.)