So what worked and what didnt?

On a small sailboat chat sight I like to visit we usually start a thread at the end of the season where different mods, gear and techniques get discussed and we swap info on what worked and what didn't. Thought I would see how it goes over here.

Just getting back in it and biting the bullet on a bunch of lighter weight gear this fall I think I was most impressed in the simplicity and weight reduction of my little sawyer squeeze filter. It may not be ideal in all locations but for us a good amount of time will be spent on the AT and in the Adirondacks next year and these are places where water is usually abundant and the little filter should shine.

I'm also liking the little crux canister stove. Hassle free and very effective weight drop for 3-4 day trips.

As for what didn't work? I can honestly say nothing so far. With the advise from this board and our prior knowledge and even that gained from years of day hiking we lucked out with what I think is a fantastic short trip kit. Sure I could still throw a bunch more money at it to get those last few ounces here and there but other than being lighter it would not preform any better IMO.

So what worked or not for you folks?

jimmyb

Worked:

I got a new bear canister that is much smaller volume than the bear vault I had been using:

http://lighter1.com/

It fit in my pack much nicer, is lighter, and was the perfect size for weekend trips. I didn't get to use the dual use cooking pot lid but it is a nice pot and I plan to use it in the future.

Didn't:

This year I have been trying to improve my pillow. I bought a monkey pillow case from Wallace: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HikeBikeDale

It is a nice size pocket, lightweight, and comfortable fabric, but the elastic did not keep it in place very well. I think his design does not work very well with vertical baffled sleeping pads (I have an REI Stratus)

The only real change I made to any of my equipment, clothes or food was to purchase a Sawyer Squeeze water filter and try it in place of a gravity-feed water filter I've been using for the past 3 or 4 years. Having read the stories (here on this site) about failures of the squeeze bottles provided by Sawyer, I was careful not to abuse them. On the whole the Squeeze worked well for me and I intend to keep using it. I just hope I did ok when I stored it and it is still usable next year.

We tried some new foods for the trail...and like them.

And I decided that I should stop saving my down jacket for ... well, whatever I was saving it for, and take it on every trip.

A good decision. No more extra fleece, just the down. mmmmm.

I would be interested in what kinds of food worked out for you and what down jacket you are now using.

thanks, jimmyb

Packit Gourmet- best chili and best eggs . The eggs are incredible when Oberto Bacon Jerky is added. The Bacon Jerky is my new favorite backpacking food. I've only had 3 stoves so far in my backpacking life- an Optimus 8R from the mid seventies and a MSR Whisperlite from the 90's. They both still work (after a number of re-builds) , but I got an MSR Micro-Rocket. The Micro wins anywhere above 20 degrees. Pretty stable and very adjustable for a 2.6 oz. stove. Thermarest Neo-Air x-lites. Noise is reduced from the original, decent R-value- was OK on snow with an e-blanket on the tent floor- real comfort for the packed size and weight. Female version has higher R-value- the wife loves hers. My wife and I started to use Buffs. Very versatile piece of equipment. Also a tiny, but very powerful Egear flashlight I wear on a lanyard. Thanks to sites like this and a fair amount of experience, really didn't have any complaints about bad gear.

Worked: ZPacks Arc Blast pack at a pound, held my mid 20's gear for a week long trip.
Sorta worked: ZPacks Hexamid tent, 12.5 oz with the tent pole, I wish it set up in a smaller foot print, sold it. Now thinking maybe it wasn't that big. Onward.
Duane

Let's see...

we had a lot of fun with alligator jerky from our daughter in New Orleans. And Some of ther Tasty Bite meals were good--we liked the Pad Thai. These meals weigh a bit more than freeze dried (8 oz or so) but they still work for shorter trips.

And we tried too many different recipes for Gorp to even remember. And they were all good, so long as they had at least 25% dark chocolate M&Ms. Ginger, craisins, pecans, almonds, raisins, peanuts, cashews...toss it all in there and mix it with those M&Ms!

My down jacket is a Marmot from REI, cost me $100 on close out sale.

Finally got the Sawyer Squeeze (which turned out to be completely clogged on its very first trip) flushed out. After this I will (1) bring the syringe and (2) test the thing the night before the trip, not weeks ahead. I won't be using it in the field again until next spring.

Still undecided on the ZPacks Hexamid Twin vs. my older Tarptent/Gossamer Gear Squall Classic. Of course the Hexamid Twin is far lighter!

Other than that, my gear is all set!

New things this year:
Sawyer Squeeze - which worked great
Esbit stove - I didn't notice a smell and it worked great for solo trips.

Quilts worked surprisingly well. Also found better night sleep switching from foam to air mats.

Worked:

New shoes!! I bought these at a local outfitter for 50% off since it was going out of business. They happened to have a size that I could wear. I finally put hard trail mileages on it and I really like them. Why? I got no blister on 14 miles hike, no feet soreness, and it kept me dry. I had to cross three major streams by hopping on rocks. 4 inches of water running over the rocks was pressing on my shoes, my feet stayed dry the entire time. I'm sure if water went higher towards the ankle area it would been another story, but with water around my toes and heels it never penetrated and got me wet. I like them a lot, it's hard to find good boots but I think I'm stick to Salomon in the future when looking for new shoes base on my experience with this model. It took a little bit getting used to having my shoes to hug my ankle since I normally trail running style shoes, but eventually it was as if it below the ankle shoes!!

Didn't work:

Gloves. I had an el cheapo gloves since I wasn't sure if I wanted a new mid-range priced gloves. Water soaked through it and I eventually lost it as the clip fell apart when it was connected to my pack.. Oh, well. I'm keeping an eye on cyber deals for good gloves.

I haven't truly tested my new quilt and other gears, yet.

My hands tend toward getting cold easily, so gloves are a difficult piece of clothes for me to nail down. The warm ones are bulky and somewhat heavy, but the less bulky, lighter weight ones don't keep my hands very warm.

I didn't mention shoes in my first post, because I just buy new shoes whenever my old ones wear out, so it doesn't seem like new shoes are an equipment change, but I did venture into a new brand and they worked out well for me. Instead of Vasque Velocity trail runners, which have issues around the air chamber under the heel bursting and then dust leaking into the interior through the sole, I bought some Brooks Cascadia 7s on sale and like them very much. Consequently, I bought a backup pair right away.

I relearned a few lessons this summer. None of those to be brought up here though. For another thread I think.

My Merrell Moab mids worked better than expected on granite slab. I was able to go up and down stuff with a full load and confidence . On the other hand....they sucked on Ice and hard snow; could not kick step effectively 'cause these things are essentially beefy tennis shoes, and the tread was ineffective in gripping hard snow . So much so that I chose fourth and low fifth class on rock vs some of the snow pack. I wish I could find something a little more boot like that was comfortable for me in these cases. I can't easily do back to back 18+ mile days with mountaineering boots on.

My home made version of Laura bars work well for me. I can tell because I wasn't sick of them by the end of any trip I used them on. Dried figs were a hit also. A little heavy, but with tons of energy packed inside (3-4 figs = 250 cal), the figs were also good for passing out to new friends.

On the other hand, I got tired of dried cranberries REAL fast for some reason. But they were good for sharing with other people in goodwill gestures.

Approximately 2 lb of food a day was plenty for me to go all day up to 20 miles a day mixed trail and off trail. NEVER got hungry once. Always woke up energized and stoked to get moving.

Chris

Breakfast would be a good time for me to eat, but I'm in a hurry to start the day. No wonder I start running out of energy, not enough food. If I brought more food, I'd not be able to get it in a bear can for eight days, even with the first day out of the can. IV?
Duane

Hi Duane. Using one of those clear blue, black capped, giant child proof containers (bear canister who's brand escapes me right now), I could get in 6+ days worth of food; NOT 7. This feeding schedule was a bit of a revelation that I tried earlier in the summer first and it worked well.

My breakfast's are boring though; 1/3rd cup instant oatmeal, 2T chia seed, 2T brown sugar. I just add hot water and let it sit as soon as I get up. While it sits I pack up stuff. In 10 min I'm finishing up with cleaning and packing, then out of there. Its about 30 min including constitutional . Those figs keep me regular...like clockwork

The other thing about the oatmeal is that it packs small relatively. But I think any kind of breakfast is important for covering distance; and you have to keep fueling yourself along the way. I was eating more than 1000 cal a day just with my snacks.

Another thing that worked for good mileage days was an extended lunch time soak period; find a nice creek or lake to soak the feet and legs in/do some laundry. After that I could easily haul ass for 5+ hours.

Malt-o-meal is about 2/3 the volume of oatmeal, for the same calories. Couscous about half the volume of noodles. If using a bear can, volume/calorie makes a difference. Also, non-instant stuff is a 2:1 cooked vs.dry ratio whereas non-instant is generally a 3:1 ratio. Much non-instant grains actually cook quite well with a 1-2 minute boil with a 10-minute rest in a pot cozy.

I get 9 days food in my Bearikade Weekender (2500 calories per day, 35-40% "good" fats). BUT, that requires all dry food to have a texture that packs well, and of course, re-packing all food loosely in plastic bags. This is why I do not take Ramen noodles. They really take a lot of space. Gorp packs down better than trail bars. You can make up a million different versions of Gorp for variety- sweet, spicy, salty, fruity. Just be sure everything in it is calorie dense with minimal volume. Olive oil has been a great way to get calories with little volume. I put it in everything.

I "cheat" a little by leaving out the non-essentials- like my spice kit. If a bear were to get my spice kit, they would not get much caloric reward, and I would not loose much except variety of flavoring for my food. Same with tea and coffee.

Sitting here smelling the pot roast in the oven and sipping wine, the above does not sound appealing, but honestly, when I am out the food limitations due to packing issues have never been a problem.

What worked for me this year was fishing! This is the first time I feel I really got my money's worth from the fishing license when in the Sierra. My fly fishing gear is light (under a pound)so I always took it. I would just fish an hour or so before dinner. It boiled down to camping in the right spots and doing a little research on where the fish were.

I do eat breakfast, takes about an hour to a little more to get rolling in the summer. I try to pack as I force down a dry bar or whatever and more, mixing up different foods for breakfast to keep it interesting. I fail to keep munching on snacks thru the day, my goal is camp, get out of my way, rare breaks, someone might beat me to that ideal spot. Dinners are repacked, I bring a couple crunched up ramen dinners to cut costs. I've thought of even pouring some food like granolas into the canister, thus filling voids. I have done a few bigger mile days, 21 miles just two years ago at age 58 and a few years before that a 18 mile day in Yosemite, during which time I was getting vertigo all afternoon and having to lay down 5 minutes every half hour to an hour. Felt fine once I made camp, just before the rain started and snow at higher elevations. I think snacking would be my best bet to keep energy up on normal days, just space is at a premium.
Duane

Oops! Duane, I thought you meant you didn't eat breakfast or much of one.

I think that as you add the mileage on per day, how you get through it becomes more tailored to each person. And I'm 57 now so that has an influence on what I do. When I make some mileage, I mentally switch to food as sustenance mode. What seems to be working for me then is 300-400 cal breakfast, numerous snacks (about 150 to 250 cal each) through out the day, 300 cal lunch, and about 500cal dinner. BUT, with all the eating, you also HAVE TO up your water intake. Especially when it's hot. Anyway, that's where I'm at now.

Interesting comments WDaisy. My home made bars are quite malleable and very calorie dense. I can fit them most anywhere and they bend into the necessary shape. Makes for some interestingly shaped bars thou. The store bought ones tend to puff up at altitude due to the sealed packages and take more room unless you rewrap them. Definitely need to look into the calorie dense/low volume foods some more.

The Fall I did a solo loop out of Silver Lake north of Mammoth, I was at Hemlock Crossing on the west side of Thousand Island in the morning where I had spent the night. Started snowing a little on us below Catherine, so Pooch and I had to go uphill to Catherine and down to Thousand Island. We took a break finally below the outlet of Thousand Island about 4PM. I ate a Genisoy bar with water. In about 30 minutes, instead of dragging my butt up any slight uphill, I was jogging on the flats and downhill. I made a call to mom at 6:30 from Lee Vining. Eight miles (per the map) in two hours.
Duane

Amen to the fishing license.

Best entertainment in the Sierra, except for sunsets!