Sunday, May 31, 2015

Gear Report and Review

Gear Report
-        Trip: Cranberry Lake 50
-         Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights – 50 Miles

Gear Item
Weight (lbs)
        Add Each Item
Backpacks

↓↓

Kelty Lakota
3.7

3.7

Coleman Elate
5.1



Northface Recon
2.65



Sleep System



Kelty Weekender
3

3

Aerobed Pakmat
4.4



Coleman  Bag
3



Kelty Down 40˚ Bag
1.8

1.8

EMS Drool Pillow
0.5

0.5

Shelter



Eureka Solitaire
2.7

2.7

Outdoor Tube Tent
1.5



Cooking



Solo Wood Stove
0.55

0.55

Solo Pot 900
0.5

0.5

Solo Alcohol Burner
0.33

0.33

Pop Can Alcohol Stove
0.12



Fuel
0.5

0.5

Stanley Cookpot
0.45



Insulated Mug
0.15

0.15

Insulated Bowl
0.15

0.15

Utensils
0.1

0.1

Food System
↓Days/Trip↓


Backpacker's Cache
2.7
3
2.7

"FOOD" (lbs./days)
2
6

Water System



Contigo 32 oz. Bottle
0.25

0.25

Sawyer System
0.15

0.15

1 L Platypus
0.1

0.1

Tools/Misc



SOG FastHawk TT
1.3

1.3

Toilet Paper
0.1

0.1

Camp Soap
0.1

0.1

Moist Towelettes
0.1

0.1

Micro Towel
0.1

0.1

Dry Bag
0.25

0.25

First Aid Kit
0.1

0.1

SOL Kit
0.3

0.3

Flashlight
0.1

0.1

Paracord
0.1

0.1

Insect Repellent
0.1

0.1

Guides/Maps
0.25

0.25

Clothing System



Trekking Pants
0.5

 0.5

Wool Socks
0.33

0.33

Shorts
0.5



Underwear
0.33

0.33

Merino Wool Shirt
0.5

0.5

Rain Shell
0.4

0.4

Boots
1.25



Camp/Ford Shoes
0.75

0.75



Total Lbs.
28.9


Above items were all packed/carried

Worn:
  • -         100% Polyester T-Shirt (Nike DryFit)
  • -         100% Polyester Light-Weight Long-Sleeve T-Shirt (EMS)
  • -         Nylon/Spandex Trekking Pants (EMS Trailhead Zip-Off)
  • -         Merino Wool Light-Weight Socks
  • -         Ex-Officio Underwear
  • -         Trucker Cap (EMS)




Reviews:

Pack:                                              Kelty Lakota 65L

Figure 1: Fully Packed
I was initially skeptical about this pack. I had gotten it for free through a rewards program at work a few months prior, and this was the first time that I had used it on the trail. I had spent the couple weeks prior to the trip trying different packing and sizing arrangements, and had walked a couple miles around the neighborhood with it laden to get used to it. It did offer a base weight that was more than a pound lighter than my other 65L pack, a Coleman Elate. I had primarily been doing car or base camping in the past and typically had only used a day pack on the trails. This pack ended up being very stable and comfortable, and accommodated my equipment without bursting at the seams. There are enough pockets to organize gear by “genre”, and they are well placed to allow for easy access to items when necessary. The hip-belt also has a convenient pocket in which I could fit my cell phone (only used for pictures) and maps. The cinch straps are very functional and well located. The only item I carried on the outside of the pack was my sleeping pad, in which there is a strap system on the bottom that conveniently accommodated it. I will likely upgrade my pack in the future, but I was pleased with it overall and intend on using it for my next several backpacking trips.

Sleep System:
  • -         Kelty Weekender Sleeping Pad
  • -         Kelty Down 40˚ Bag
  • -         EMS Drool Pillow

I was able to remain comfortable during the trip and sleep well with this system. The sleeping pad was comfortable enough and inflates easily with only a few breaths. I’ve used it several times and so far and have been comfortable in both a tent and lean-to floor. Through several uses I have not had problems losing air. I will also upgrade this piece of gear in the future, mainly in the interest of shedding weight. I believe I could be equally comfortable in a torso pad, and while 3 lbs. is not a lot of weight I can likely be equally comfortable with a product that is ½ that weight.
This was my first outing with this bag, and with a down-filled sleeping bag in general. It also represents my first mummy bag. The forecast for the trip called for extensive rain and nighttime temperatures possibly below 40˚, so concerns with being comfortable in this bag were among my primary concerns. It ended up being a non-issue as I didn’t mind the mummy bag and it never rained during the trip. The bag was light and very compressible. I had it in a small silnylon stuff sack which compressed into a slightly larger than softball sized roll. I packed that in a water proof bag along with the few spare or sleep related clothing items and the pillow. The triple barrier of protection kept the bag and clothes completely dry.
Nighttime temperatures did get into the high 30’s, but I incorporated a heavy-weight pair of wool socks, a merino wool shirt, a wool winter hat, and a 100% polyester fleece-lined pair of pants into my clothing system primarily for sleeping purposes, and I was ultimately comfortable in this system. With the clear skies on the night we tented I left the rain fly off of the tent. As a result there was a lot of air flow and ventilation within the tent. I was warm enough and believe I could have been even warmer with the rain fly closed. I still would like to test this system with the rain fly closed to ensure that condensation will not be an issue with the small shelter I was using. It was ultimately a very affordable bag (got it on a flash sale with a Christmas gift card) and an upgrade to my heavy Coleman campground style bag. I think that with frequent usage and getting compressed into the stuff sack repeatedly it could lose its loft and only be useful as a summer bag. It should work for the next couple of multi-day trips I have scheduled given their times and locations, but I will likely upgrade to a better bag before long.
The EMS Drool pillow was light (0.5 lb.) and compressed extremely small, but didn’t end up offering a significant increase in comfort and I’m inclined to leave it in the glove box of the car for road trips and not bring it on the trail.. The best pillow ended up being the water proof bag when it was stuffed with the clothes and pillow, which I used when resting on the rocks at High Falls. I think that using the sleeping pad stuff bag to cover the nylon would make a more comfortable pillow and would eliminate a 0.5 lb item from the pack.

Shelter: Eureka Solitaire

Figure 2: Tent Set-Up

This was another area where I was able to utilize a Christmas gift card over the winter to upgrade to a shelter system that was at least intended to be made for backpacking. My previous tent was a 4.9 lb; two-person dome tent that didn’t have a very small pack down size. I had considered hammocks and bivies and was at one point committed to a tarp system. I simply haven’t had enough experience with any of those options to date to potentially rely on, so I stuck with what I knew and upgraded my tent in a budget friendly way. The tent packed down small, was light (2.6 lbs. total), and had enough room to bring my pack into and still keep things off the walls. I used the tent only on the first night at East Inlet, as the other two nights were spent at lean-tos. I will always have some shelter in my pack regardless of the trip plans. For now I can get by with this in my pack and rely mostly on lean-tos. I intend to try using tarps on car camping trips and get a good system for backpacking before I transition away from tents and into tarps. There’s also room to upgrade the stakes and poles in this tent, so I doubt that I will end up upgrading to a higher-end tent in the future unless I discover that I’m just not a tarp kind of guy. One area I neglected was a footprint or ground cover of any sort. The tent flooring material wasn’t much more durable than the shell material, and while it stayed dry for this trip I’d be nervous in wet conditions. I will definitely have a small tarp or piece of tyvek in the future. All things considered, the tent set-up easily in less than five minutes and was comfortable enough to pack, carry, and use. For a $70 price tag, I would expect to have to spend considerably more before seeing a significant increase in performance for the extra investment.

Food and Cooking System:



 





  • -         Solo Stove
  • -         Solo Cookpot
  • -         Solo Alcohol Burner
  • -         4 oz. Heet Fuel
  • -         Anodized Aluminum Spork
  • -         Insulated Sealable Mug
  • -         Insulated Plastic Bowl w/ Lid and Spoon
  • -         Garcia Backpacker’s Cache
  • -         3 Dehydrated Meals
  • -         3 Packs of Instant Oatmeal
  • -         3 Small Canned Chicken Salad and Crackers Packs
  • -         1.0 lb Trail Mix
  • -         6 Asst. Energy/Protein Bars
  • -         .33 lb Cashews
  • -         6 Slim Jims
  • -         3 Tbsp. Ground Coffee
  • -         6 Packets Non-Dairy Creamer
  • -         6 Packets Sugar
  • -         5 Conical Paper Coffee Filters
  • -         3 Teabags
  • -         6 Servings Powdered Sports Drink

In the past I had graduated from a Sterno Stove to a homemade “pop can” alcohol stove. For this trip I brought a Solo Stove system that I had gotten over the winter and would be using for the first time. I liked the option to be able to burn biomass or alcohol, and the alcohol burner is very nice brass with a seal-able lid to store fuel within the stove itself.  The alcohol burner, fuel, stove, and pot stand all nest together within the cook pot, and while a little heavier than my previous homemade kit with the pop can stove, windscreen/pot stand, and fuel all nested within a Stanley pot, this was about the same pack size and more flexible. I was able to bring less fuel and burned wood on the first two mornings and nights, and used alcohol on a break at High Falls and in following night and morning. Each method was easy enough to use, and consistent with the reviews burning wood required constant attention and additions of fuel to keep going strongly. It did produce a surprisingly low amount of ash and didn’t generate a lot of smoke. It boiled about 5 cups of water in 6 – 8 minutes. The alcohol stove worked great and with the burner within the stove the burner burns hot and actually boiled water quicker than the wood fire, within 4– 5 minutes on average and the flame never went out during the trip.
Another surprisingly good aspect of this system was the bear canister. I am planning on multi-day high peaks trips in the future, and knew I would eventually be going into areas where the bear canister is mandatory. I wanted to use this trip as a trial with the canister, and while bulkier and heavier than I would like I found that I actually liked having it on the trip. I was able to get all of my food items, toiletries (biodegradable soap, travel toothpaste, small toothbrush), bug dope, and a ziploc bag for trash into the canister. I could have accommodated another two days of food, so this canister should work for a Northville-Placid Thru-hike with mail drops or village re-supplies. It did work well as a camp stool at times, and it was much easier to stash than stringing lines to hang a bag. I would simply walk in a due compass direction away from the campsite or lean-to and easily found convenient places to stash it after 80 yards or so. As another unnecessary but useful perk, I am currently in the process of painting my canister a brighter color and using some reflective tape to make it easier to find in the event it rolled away somewhere. I tend to buy small stickers as souvenirs from Adirondack excursions, and I can use the canister as a fun way display the stickers and document trips. In all I expected the worst from the canister but it found it was a convenient way to safely and easily pack away and carry food and odorous items.
The bowl was used exclusively for oatmeal in the mornings, and I was able to pack away the coffee, creamer, and sugar servings within it as another sealed odor barrier and space saver. The mug was used for coffee in the mornings, where I would attach a coffee filter to the mug with two small binder clips or a rubber band, add a serving of coffee, and slowly trickle the boiling water over it while the sealed bowl of instant oatmeal and hot water set. This ended up making a fine cup of coffee each morning and made breakfast a reasonably simple and efficient affair. I also used it during lunch or occasional breaks to make a sports drink with filtered water and powdered mix. I also had an aluminum spork for use with the dehydrated meals at dinner. A minimal set-up, but it was light, efficient, and simple.

For food my strategy was based on simplicity and a reasonable amount of calories, protein, fat, and salt. The stove served a sole purpose of boiling water, and for breakfast each day I boiled a couple cups of water for instant oatmeal in the insulated bowl and a cup of coffee, and added a couple handfuls of trail mix or had a protein or energy bar. Lunch was one of the pre-made canned chicken salad and crackers. I got in the habit of always repackaging these and enjoying on the summit of mountain on day trips. Again trail mix, energy or protein bars, slim jims, and cashews made lunch sides and things to snack on while resting. For dinner each night I boiled enough water for a dehydrated meal and a cup of tea. On the third night we passed through Wanakena, and passed by the Pinecone Grill around 6:00. We stopped in and had a burger, so after making the Inlet Flow lean-to we were able to make camp and hit the bed without cooking dinner.
In all, I was pleased with my cooking and food storage system. I didn’t end up bringing an excessive amount of food and equipment, but had enough remaining fuel and food at the end of the trip to last an extra day in an emergency. Repackaging things made fitting, preparing, and LNT etiquette a simple affair. The entire system, everything for food, storage, and cooking, resulted in only two pack items and was convenient to carry and use. For a future upgrade, I intend to purchase some boil bags and package my own meals which would still just require the addition of hot water.

Water System:
  • -         Sawyer Mini
  • -         1L Platypus Bag
  • -         1L Contigo Water Bottle

For this trip the overabundance of water was a more likely problem than lack of sources, so I didn’t feel the need to carry a lot. There were seldom occasions where I was carrying a full two liters, and had the flexibility of this system to drink directly from sources, filter directly in-line from the platypus bag, or filter directly into the bottle. This was a flexible, lightweight and simple system for this trip, and I could get clean water at a rate of around 1L a minute and very little pack space. I also had several iodine purification tablets in my first aid kit. For the next trip I will only bring one or two 1L platypus bags and leave the water bottle behind.

Clothing System:
-         Worn
§  100% Polyester T-Shirt (Nike DryFit)
§  100% Polyester Light-Weight Long-Sleeve T-Shirt (EMS)
§  Nylon/Spandex Trekking Pants (EMS Trailhead Zip-Off)
§  Merino Wool Light-Weight Socks
§  Ex-Officio Boxer Briefs
§  Trucker Cap (EMS)
§  Salomon Hiking Boots
-         Packed
§  1 Pair Merino Wool Light-Weight Socks
§  1 Pair Heavy-Weight Wool Socks
§  1 Pair Ex-Officio Boxer Briefs
§  1 Merino Wool Long-Sleeve Shirt
§  1 Pair 100% Polyester Fleece Pants
§  1 Rain Shell
§  1 Fleece Winter Hat
§  1 Pair Mesh/Foam Sneakers

My clothing system was an area of significant upgrade during the winter months. The worn items were exclusively hiking clothes that I was wearing for every step. This was my first trip where I wasn’t dressed in any cotton items, and I was pleased with how comfortable, durable, and dry the system was. I rotated two pairs of lightweight wool hiking socks and used the heavyweight wool socks for around camp, sleeping, and as a more cushioned pair if my foot conditions merited it. I also rotated the boxer briefs, and hung any damp items at the campsite each night. The merino wool shirt and fleece pants were comfortable clothes for around the site and sleeping, and could act as extra layers if cold temperatures were experienced. The sneakers were a very cheap pair that I sought out specifically for the trip and turned out to be a good purchase. They were extremely light and comfortable for around the camp, and they were also intended for fording and swim shoes. When used for this purpose they worked great, and afterwards I could hang on the back of my pack with karabiners and they were dry within an hour. They also made the Rt. 3 road portions more bearable, as I stashed my pack and put these on for the highway walk.
 I ultimately was more comfortable, clean, and dry at the end than I had been on any previous hiking trips, and I feel this was largely due to the synthetic and wool garments I used instead of my previous cotton-based clothing. It was also very flexible and functional while being easily packed. I was ultimately pleased with the system and would not likely add additional items to it for future trips.

Tools and Misc.:

-         Compass
-         Knife
-         LED Headlamp
-         Biodegradable TP
-         Moist Towelettes
-         Micro Chamois Towel
-         5L Dry Bag
-         Small First Aid Kit
§  Ibuprofen
§  Triple Antibiotic Ointment
§  Alcohol Prep Pads
§  Band-Aids
§  Moleskin
§  Iodine Water Tablets
§  Electrolyte Pills
§  Medical Tape
§  Gauze Bandage
-         Small SOL Kit
§  Magnesium and Striker
§  Water-proof Matches
§  Whistle
§  Dryer Lint
§  Needle and Thread
§  2 Tea Light Candles
§  Emergency Blanket
§  Mattress and Tent Patch Kit
-         Keychain LED Flashlight
-         Paracord
-         Insect Repellent
-         Head Net
-         SOG Tactical Tomahawk
-         Guide/Map
-         Cellular Phone
-         Solar Rechargeable Phone Battery Pack
-         Walking Stick


I had dedicated a lot of time during the winter preparing for the upcoming hiking season by researching and upgrading my gear and clothing systems while planning trips. I was reasonably pleased with the overall performance of my systems on this trip. While not ultra-lite, I was able to carry a minimal amount of items while keeping pack weight and volume minimized. The cell phone was used exclusively for picture taking. I wanted to test the charger on this trip, but by having a fully charged phone on energy saving and airplane mode that was used only to take photos, I still had 70% battery charge when we finished the hike. The only other items that were brought and ultimately not used were the head net (bugs turned out to be very minimal) and the tactical tomahawk which turned out to be the only truly useless item that I packed. At the last minute I included it as I could bring it and still remain under my targeted sub-30 lb. pack weight. After the trip I can’t conceive of one situation in the future where this would be a necessary item to have. Whether as a tool around camp or for self- defense, there are far superior methods and practices to prevent having to use it and in the future I will not be bringing it along. On the bright side, it is an easy way to shed 1.3 lbs from my pack on future trips, and I believe with a couple simple upgrades and modifications to my systems I can be comfortable and safe in most conditions with a sub-25 lb. pack weight.