(Part 2) Top products from r/backpacking

I just bought that stove. It's excellent. Mine

I really considered that pack. Ended up going to REI buying one there, since I wanted to make 100% I'd be comfortable in it. Ended up with the REI Mars 85 for $119 on clearance. I love it.
If you have the time to order and return it, I'd try the one you linked.

I considered a spork, but I find that I prefer having two separate utensils to manipulate food. I got the $3 3 piece set at REI and like it.

That Stanley cookpot was a close contender for me. I ended up with the coleman aluminum set that the Boy Scouts use. It's $6 and very light.

I don't know that you'll need the drysacks, but they are decent. WalMart sells that brand. I ended up getting their three stuff sacks for $5.
Wal Mart also has nifty things like clips, zipper pulls, and other random useful stuff in their camping section.

I've never had Mountain House, but at those prices I'll pass. Here's the food list I'm working on - goal is cheap and easy to purchase (no DIY dehydration, etc.)

I don't think you'll need the firesteel. Waterproof matches, two lighters ought to be enough. I just made my mind up on this last night - pulled the steel from my pack.

I can not stress good socks enough. These are my single favorite thing out of my gear.

This mug is good, insulated, cheap, has a lid, and light.

This underwear, dear god. Another must.

I didn't do the steripen, ended up with the Katadyn Hiker Pro instead. The cool thing is that it comes with quick disconnects to add to your hydration bladder so you can pump water straight from the river into your bladder via the sip tube - no need to even open the pack! For me, with an 85 liter pack and a 3 liter platypus, this was really nice.

On this recommendation, I bought this tent at Walmart for $22. I'm 6' and fit it snugly diagonally. Very, very light (maybe 2 pounds, packed), and seems like it will do the trick. Haven't spent the night in it. The material is barely water resistant and the rainfly is tiny, so I carry a lightweight tarp just in case and use it as the footprint when I don't need rain protection. It's lighter and roomier than anything I could find under $120.

This bag is a little on the heavy side at 4.5 pounds, but I couldn't find a better-reviewed bag under $80. (at ~$90, the North Face Cat's Meow is the way to go).

Never done it, I'm coming from Texas to try it.

It's one hell of a hike thats for sure, but I don't think its extremely strenuous overall. There are some climbing parts near the end around Glencoe and I think its a bit up and down around Loch Lomond, but overall I think it's supposed to be a bit nice with a hill climb here and there.

Granted, I do backpack outdoors a fair amount and I'm used to tent camping every night. I know the WHT has bunkhouses and hostels all along the route, so you can get a decent nights rest and some warm grub every night. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to tent camp the whole way or stay at some of the places.
You're definitely welcome to join, even if you just want to meet me at one of the towns on the route and hike a day or two just to try it out.

On the entire backpacking/get out note, I think its a great idea. I'm 26, been working since college, and I'm going insane. I think we're all so focused on "save save save/work work work, I'll do the fun stuff when I retire" that we don't pay attention to the fact that we we'll be too exhausted to do anything when we're done.

So I guess my additional tips/ideas are:

1. When you're on the road, stuff just happens, good or bad, and you just need to go with it. The best things come out of it.
   
2. I enjoyed this book, kind of helped me get over anxieties of being on the road for awhile.
   Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
   
   
   

Sleeping bags: I just upgraded to enlightened equipement quilts and would suggest it but I believe those are out of your price range. My old bag was a eureka silver city 30F (retailed around $80). My husband used to use a teton sports 20F bag off amazon (cheap, sorta light for a budget bag, and decent quality).

Sleeping pads: You mentioned thermarest sol. I own a zlitesol pad and it is a great pad. I like that I can strap it to my pad very easily (accordion shape). It has a decent Rvalue for its weight as well. The pad is bombproof--it will take a beating and still work great. On the other hand it isn't particularly comfortable. I ended up upgrading to a exped synmat ul7 pad due to the fact that I am a side sleeper and the zlite started to hurt my hips especially in cold weather.

cooking utensils: This depends on what you plan on eating. I simply use a titanium long spoon. (It also comes in a spork version). I prefer the long handle because I tend to eat a lot of the dehydrated packs of foods. The long handle keeps my fingers from getting sticky/covered in my dinner.

Food: For dinners you cant go wrong with the simplicity of a dehydrated pack such as Mountain house. My favorite flavors include lasagna with meat sauce and chili mac. Only downside is that they are not super healthy and tend to be on the heavy side. For snacks I will take an assortment of cliff bars, snickers, trail mix, pepperoni, babybell cheese, crackers.

first aid kit: mine is homemade and has tape, tweezers, small roll gauze, a few bandaids of various sizes, 2 alcohol wipes, benedryl, emergency blanket, small amount of repackaged ducttape, safety pin, triangle bandaid, zip tie for gear repair, 6 waterproof matches, spare AAA batteries (for headlamp).

hiking socks: I use several different kinds. I love my darn tough and cabelas mini crews. I also have a large fluffy pair of wigwams for sleep socks.

pants: DONT WEAR JEANS. I wear a pair of woman's trail pants by Cabelas. My husband wears a pair of zipoff pants also from cabelas.

base layers: I use midweight in those temps. Wouldnt hurt to heavyweight if you are typically cold.

Hopefully this helps. Good luck and have fun.

I hike the mountains in MT multiple times a month. Mostly day hikes but I also do 1-5 day trips whenever possible. I prefer the cold so my gear is oriented to that. I won’t give full descriptions but I’ll link you what I use very comfortably. You can check the items out up/downgrade as needed. At least you’ll have an idea of what can work.


Also, the bulk of my gear money is spent on comfort clothing, not the main items I list below. All wool. Head to toe. Can score nice wool at the good will/thrift store sometimes. Good luck!


Tent – 110.00 got mine on sale for 75.00 so look for deals


sleeping bag – ICW 84.95. I’m certain I paid less so shop around


backpack – Tenzig 2220. 149.95. Most comfortable pack I’ve owned. Currently year 2 of using it. I think I paid 200 so this might be a good deal


Boots – for day hike I use Field Blazer – 100ish bucks for above 0, and Woody Elite – 200ish bucks for below 0.


For multi day trips with no snow I use Ventilator – About 100ish bucks. They have low and mid. I own both but prefer the low.



My kit is always evolving but these are some things I always carry no matter what -


--My knife + ferrocerium rod. (I put hundreds of dollars into my knives - but you can carry a mora for 10.00)

--A lifestraw. (10 bucks?)

--My own medkit (pieced together based on needs over the years) (10-25ish bucks?)

--Extra socks. (Good wool socks - 6-15 bucks)

--Day hike - plastic military canteen. (buck or two at thrift) Multi day - Stainless steel cup/bottle system (40-80+ bucks, or can go aluminum for short term and half the price)

--Paracord + tarp. (15 bucks or less for both and in good weather + fire the tent isn't even necessary with these. If the bears are out I always use a tent though)

--Pocket fishing kit I made with extra fishing line. (5 bucks)


What's in my pocket - Bic lighter, phone, compass, chapstick, whistle, hand warmer packx3, instant coffee.


This is for me, solo hiking in the mountains. I often carry much more depending on what i'm out to do, but these are items that in my experience will never leave my pack. I also always carry my Alaskan.

Stoves - I use a super cat stove. I've carried both canister and white gas stoves in the past, but this simple alcohol stove works best for my needs. The JetBoil really is only for boiling water. If you want to cook, you should get just about any other stove. The BioLite is very gimmicky. There are other backpacking woodstoves that work just as well, but weigh far less (My two favorites are the EmberLit and the Sierra Zip Stove). And since the charging port on the BioLite only puts out 400mA, you will not get any significant charge for your devices in the 20 minutes you will be operating the stove.

Shelter - I think you are going to be far more comfortable in a good sleeping bag under the tarp tent than you will in the bivy. Bivies suck. Really. And the emergancy tarp is not going to insulate you from the ground. It has zero insulation value. Get a closed sell foam pad or an insulated inflatable pad.

Packs - I love osprey packs. They are great. The only thing you want to do is not to buy too big of a pack. You will just end up filling it up with useless gear. Buy the pack last. Once you have everything else, put it in a box and measure the volume. Then you know how much capacity you need. Then weigh it. Now, when you go to the store to try on the packs, they will hopefully have weighted pillows that you can fill the pack with and see how it carries with the amount of gear you plan of carrying.

Well, ultralight backpacking is a little different than "REI" backpacking. The larger portion of the backpacking industry has tried to fulfill their customer's (legitimate) desire for comfort in the backwoods, while neglecting to remember that people actually have to carry that stuff. You have a (ballpark) 6 lb backpack, 3 lb. sleeping pad, 2 lb. stove kit, 4 lb. sleeping bag, 1 lb. first aid kit, 5 lb. tent, etc. etc. and the comfiest backpack in the world can't solve a 50 lb. pack weight.

I recently got into ultralight (less than 10 lbs. base pack weight) backpacking, and really enjoy it and have only gained comfort in the backwoods from a much more pleasant hiking experience (which is what we're doing out there for 80% of the day). Pretty much all the same amenities, just doing them a little smarter with different products and more pre-planning. I'd suggest this excellent book as a good starting place, if you're interested.

Here is some general advice:

• You are not going to fit the glove liners under the OR Versaliners. The Versaliners already have glove liners plus shells - they are a 2 part system. Or maybe you just want backup gloves.
  
  
• That Marmot jacket is not Gore-Tex (it is a proprietary NanoPro material). It is waterproof though - so you are good.
  
  
• I would suggest an insulating layer, like a down puffy jacket. Not fleece.
  
  
• Kahtoola Microspikes are way better than those generic crampons.
  
  
• Why do you need a 'tarp for tent'?
  
  
• That backpack looks like a piece of crap. You already own it? it fits your body? it fits all your equipment? I would seriously reconsider this option.
  
  
• these poles would be a better choice.
  
  
• Garbage bags rip, I would skip or replace with options that are seriously waterproof. Or maybe a trash compactor bag.
  
  
• drop that lifestraw and bottle. replace it with a sawyer squeeze and a gatorade or smartwater bottle. Better in all ways.
  
  
• that stove does not use propane, but rather a butane/propane mix. You'll need specialized canisters for this.
  
  
• headnet is key, good decision.
  
  
• 100ft of paracord seems excessive. so does the webbing. what's it for?
  
  
• How will you carry/store your food (and things that smell like food)?
  
  
• Magnesium fire starter seems like junk. I would recommend a bic lighter (or 2)
  
  
• There are better backpacking fishing rods, for about the same price. unless you already know you like this one. If you are relying on fish as part of your diet - you'll need quite a bit more equipment (lures, bait, line, knife, etc.).
  
  
• Hand warmers are a waste of space/weight/money. If anything - get an extra pair of gloves. These chemical things often fail and don't last long.
  
  
• VHF radios require a FCC license to use. are you certified to use this type of radio?
  
  It looks like you aren't very experienced. If you have some more detailed questions I'm happy to answer...

Yes. Military surplus gear is top notch, although it may be heavier. I bought a used, military surplus (synthetic, mummy, -10ºF) sleeping bag for $45 on Amazon. It isn't too heavy (≈4 lbs.) and it kept me very warm in 20 degree weather with wind (I slept outside-- but I was wearing layers). When it came in the mail, it was clean and undamaged.

The bottom line is, yes, don't be afraid to look into used gear. Definitely consider military surplus. Most resellers have standards that ensure the product is in good condition and clean.

This is the bag I bought in case you care:
http://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-Weather-Sleeping-Genuine-Military/dp/B007Z1IDC4

You do not have to spend a lot. Here are some suggestions that I choose to use even though I could spend the money on more expensive gear.

Pack: Rent until you decide you want to do this a lot and have already bought the rest of your gear

Tent: rent it for this trip if you don't already have one. If you do, it's best to split it up, poles and fly for you and tent for him or vice versa

Sleeping bags, bring them if you have them or rent

Stove: http://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpacking-Canister-Ignition-silvery/dp/B00ENDRORM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396264963&sr=8-1&keywords=backpacking+stove Works just as well as the 50$ one.

Water filter: http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396265006&sr=8-1&keywords=sawyer+mini+water+filter cheap, durable, no moving parts to worry about and it's super light

Pot: A lot of people use this, but it might be a bit small for you depending on what kind of food you're going to cook but this works well for freezer bag meals http://www.amazon.com/Stanco-Non-Stick-Grease-Strainer-Black/dp/B000MVTIOQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396265044&sr=8-1&keywords=grease+can

Long Johns and other clothing: Walmart usually has decent options. Make sure that they are synthetic. You may find that you already have a few things if you look through your clothes at home. Depending how thick they are your snowboarding socks might make good hiking socks or if you have long underwear for snowboarding they would be useful camping.

What are you doing for shoes? Do not waste money on boots if you don't already have them. 90% of trails can be done in good running shoes and 95% of trails can be done in light hiking shoes.

Misc hints: For water bottles just re-use old gatorade bottles, those nalgenes are super heavy. Think about getting two hiking poles instead of just walking stick but this is a preference thing. Avoid cotton at all costs and have fun!

Congratulations! I think it's very cool that you're going to be setting out to do this. I've thought about it. I don't think very many people have thru hiked this trail. There's a book about a couple who did it that might be worth trying to hunt down. The name escapes me, but it obviously has "Bruce Trail" in the title.

I would really suggest trying to go light weight with gear. Check out r/ultralight. I've found it MUCH tougher to go ultralight with gear from Canada than the States. I suggest giving this book a read for consideration:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841

Also, here's an interesting article about someone who thru hiked it:

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2258732-walking-the-bruce-trail-end-to-end-in-30-days/

SO much more, but good luck!

Yes they are off my list because I ended up purchasing them. The pad was the [Klymit Static V](Klymit Static V Lightweight Sleeping Pad, Green/Char Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RFG0NM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kesFxbNDWCCR4) and the bag was the [Teton Trailhead 20](TETON Sports TrailHead 20F Ultralight Sleeping Bag, Orange/Grey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JTLKCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dgsFxbG1YRZ7S). I wasn't feeling the quality of the Teton bag so I ended up returning that. Never used it on the trail but laying in my bed with it I didn't like the feel of the fabric. That's one thing that I'm going to put more money into. As for the pad though it's awesome. Took my sickly lungs about 20 breaths to blow up but it works well. It definitely doesn't need to be pumped up as tight as an air bed. Good quality item there that o would buy again.

If I can chime in on the cookware stuff. I agree with u/rusty075 about switching to aluminum as a good way to save weight.

Traildesigns has some pretty inexpensive aluminum cookware. Decent stuff for under thirty dollars.

Im playing around with the stanco grease pot that I read about on an ultralight forum. Its 9 dollars and seems to work just fine for boiling water.
Switching from aluminum might save you half a pound.

I just recently went on my first backpacking trip. It was just an overnight trip, but I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Esbit-Ultralight-Folding-Pocket-Tablets/dp/B001C1UGVO

It was the cheapest (10 dollars including enough fuel for a day or two), smallest stove I could find, it was rated well and I got free shipping. After using it, I was very happy with it. I used it to boil water for coffee, and I cooked hotdogs and chili with it as well.

I was literally just using it on the ground (and I only brought a small lantern and some glow-sticks with me for light. I was able to cook on it in the dark nonetheless. Super easy and effective.

If I decide to go on longer trips, I might get something bigger, but then again I might not. It's pretty awesome.

The only downside is that the fuel has a bad odor, and you have to wash your hands (or wear gloves) when handling it. Simple problem to fix though. Just don't sit downwind of it and keep your food covered if possible.

This guy has some good info

Kristen Gates has great info on ultralight gear and has tons of experience.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a good read.

Youtube also has anything you could ever want to learn.

Also since you will be packing around trees. Many long distance hikers have sworn by hammocks, they are good alternative to tents when attempting to save weight.

It's bulky (even with the compression bag) but good enough as a standard sleeping bag, the coldest weather I used it was a little below freezing in a tent and it did fine, the link you gave claims down to -50*F, I find that hard to believe, but I'm sure someone else can chime in on the colder temps. If it were me, I'd go with something else.


Also, while of the subject of military gear, I would like to say that a poncho liner + poncho is a match made in heaven.

My hiking partner helped out, so to give you an idea, one of us took care of boiling water and cooking the starch (rice & pasta) interchangeably, while the other boiled water and rehydrated the proteins and sauces.
It took about 45-50 minutes to rehydrate each meal, but we had plenty of daylight left and I used my awesome Emberlit titanium stove to save on isobutane. I just kept on feeding it dry twigs inside a fire ring.

I didn't mind the time it took as it was one of the highlights of our trip aside from all the amazing Roosevelt elk and wild life we saw at every turn.

As everyone else has said, ditch the sleeping bag.

Unlike everyone else, I offer a solution.

The poncho liner aka "the woobie" is the greatest creation on earth. I got one of these while I was in the military and have dragged it around the entire earth with me. Soft, perfectly warm, lightweight and highly packable. I don't know how this secret hasn't escaped the military. I will send you a link, you won't regret it!

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Military-Weather-Poncho-Blanket/dp/B001L0VX2W

This. Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter. What's cool about it is that it uses gravity to filter the water. You fill it up, hang it from a tree, and then have the tube fill something up (bladder, bottles, canteen, etc.) while you go about other tasks. Excellent time/effort saver. I probably would avoid using it on stagnant water except in an emergency, but it wprked splendidly on all the lakes and creeks we found. Excellent product. Makes your life so much easier with no pumping or drops of purifier. Also, keeps that natural water taste as well.

a knife is "cool" and all but for actual indispensable usage... a good LEATHERMAN (or Gerber if youre so inclined.).

I'm a huge fan of the "wingman" model. Its my most used work tool and I'd never leave home camping/backpacking without it.

http://www.amazon.com/Leatherman-831426-Wingman-Multi-Tool/dp/B005DI0XM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417158079&sr=8-1&keywords=leatherman+wingman+black

I went with 1 other friend but I do want to do a solo one soon. >May I ask what kind of fishing rod setup you used.
Pole I have . I recommend it, it is very light and worked well. I didnt catch anything with it yet so hopefully it'll hold up well to that.

Has anybody tried one of those filtered straws where you can just drink out of lakes? e.g. LifeStraw

This just seems like one of those cool gadgets I don't want to buy, for fear of it being stupid, but which I'd love to get as a gift.

I'm not an expert by any means, but if you have any inclination to do mountaineering activities as well you should check out Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. It has a section on types of water purification/filtration. Link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-50th-Anniversary/dp/1594851387

With or without a fire starter these Moraknivs kick ass. They range from 11-28 dollars and are a perfectly adequate size for a rugged all purpose blade. The poly sheath is durable and the handle is comfortable enough for prolonged use. More importantly however, it comes in pink!

I got this one on Amazon and can back it up. I use it every single camping trip to dehydrate fruits, veggies, beans, rice, chicken, etc. There are just so many things you can do with one, and they save you so much money on dehydrated/freeze dried food that they pay for themselves in just a few trips.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

If you're looking for a low cost trekking pole, I've always heard good things about the Cascade ones here:
https://www.amazon.com/Cascade-Mountain-Tech-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B007E0ZBZI

Looks like they're lighter and less expensive than the ones on monoprice. You can sometimes find them at Costco for even cheaper too.

Well that can be a long list... here goes though:

Water

Dehydrated food

Cooking utensils (I just bring a small pot/cup and a spork personally)

Stove

Sleeping bag

Tent (two pound, two person from Big 5)

550 paracord

2 tarps

Katadyn base camp filter

Sunshade for camping pad

Multi-tool

Compass

Map

Lighter & matches

Water purifying tablets

I'm sure I'm leaving a few things off, but those are several of the basics

Kelty Grand Mesa

For your first overnight hike, I (and Mountaineering and even Thoreau^1 ) would recommend using whatever you have. Not only do you not need anything fancy, you'll learn what you want to look for in a backpack before you go out and buy one. I'd actually use your day-to-day pack (if you have one) for any non-intense backpacking trip until you learn these things. Or at least start cheap...

[1] In Walden, Thoreau said he never buys new clothes for something until his old ones prove to be insufficient.

I think the difference is the quantity. The bag I used had instructions that's said to use 1/4 of it as a fire starter and the whole bag as an emergency fire if you had absolutely nothing to burn. I needed it to light wet wood so I split a big wet log down the middle and poured an entire bag into a small pile right on top of a flat part of the log. It got it going quickly and I realized I could have probably used less. I've used it since then in way smaller portions to start dry wood and it works great. Pretty much set it and forget it. Thus is the stuff I bought. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008Y5AAKS/ it WA recommended to me by an eod tech in the marine corps

I used this setup minus the hard case. I brought a handful of small inline spinners and plastic grubs/jig heads. I kept the whole thing in a cheap walmart dry bag. I could easily slide it into my pack or strap it to the pack depending on my gear at any given time.

I just ordered this Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit from amazon. Cheap, light, hopefully it will do the trick.

Not at all. Just use the fruit roll sheets instead of the standard tray so there's no drip, or you can use parchment paper on the standard tray. Periodically just break apart the chili and flip it and voila, no mess. This is the dehydrator I use. I think it's a great starter kit for people who want to try dehydrating but don't want to invest in an Excalibur.

A lightweight mora is a good choice.

This one has a fire steel built in - http://www.amazon.com/Light-Fire-FireKnife-Stainless-FireSteel/dp/B007BO9G1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368545221&sr=8-1&keywords=light+my+fire+mora

I enjoyed this one. The same author did one for his PCT thru-hike, but I think it wasn't as good.

I'll also second dec92010's recommendation for A Walk in the Woods.

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Y5AAKS/

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

Life Straw