demo
member
Reged: 04/07/04
Posts: 220
Loc: Arkansan displaced in the PNW
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I'm not sure if this has been done before, so forgive me in advance if so.
I have two (2) purposes for this thread: 1) I'm always looking for gear I haven't seen before and 2) I hope to give people new to backpacking a quick place to get good ideas for equiping lightweight. Here goes...
What are your Top 5 pieces of gear and why? In other words, if you could only have any 5 pieces of your gear, what would they be? Don't think of this in terms of what you would take to survive, instead what are your *favorite* pieces.
Here are mine, in no particular order:
1) Hennessy Hammock Ultralight A-Sym. - I've been backpacking and camping for years and always slept well, but when a friend talked me into getting one of these, man I never slept better!! On top of that, it's *really* light, quick to setup, and makes handy chair in a pinch.
2) Vasque Breeze GTX-XCR Fastpacking Boots. - No, I don't fastpack, but I needed some boots that would breathe easily and flex well while offering plenty of support. These boots needed virtually no breaking in, are really comfortable, and are also very water resistant due to the Gortex liner.
3) Mountain Smith Ghost backpack. - What can I say? I'm hooked on having a panel-loading pack. It's very light (2lbs. 1oz.), has easy to access mesh pockets & bladder sleeve, and fits me great.
4) MSR Pocket Rocket stove. - 3ozs. and only $40! I don't know how many times I've used this stove. It packs small, doesn't use much fuel, and burns hot.
5) Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp. - I literally use my headlamp on a weekly basis, both on the trail and at home. I've used it for everything from illuminating the trail to working on computers, I even used it tonight when I changed the headlight on my wife's car! Four illumination settings, a vertical swivel, and sturdy headband....great product.
Now, I have plenty of other hardware that I love...but these are the ones that I still get excited to use everytime...and that is the idea of this thread.
I look forward to seeing everyone's responses.
thanks.
ryanc
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Hike Arkansas! and Hike it All!
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verber
member
Reged: 01/26/04
Posts: 176
Loc: SF Bay Area, CA
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Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack: The most comfortable backpack for carrying less than 25lb. I have actually forgotten I have this pack on with my normal loads which are in the low 20s lb. There are a number of ways this pack could be improved, but it has removed the back and/or shoulder pain I used to have at the end of a long day.
Wright Double Socks - Becuase I haven't gotten a blister since I started to wear them.
Montbell Thermawrap Vest - Finally a worth successor to the original Patagonia Puff Vest. Light, compact, and covers my 3 season needs. The vest is warm enough to stand around to 20F with a windshirt a good base layer, and warm hat... yet can be used in warmer weather without overheating san windshirt, and can be used while active in colder weather.
Patagonia Dragonfly Hooded Pullover. Super light. Windproof. Enough breathability to use without sweating to death while still being highly water resistant. I can where this jacket for hours in a light drizzle.
Tarptent Squall for three seasons in the Sierras. Light, fast and easy to set up, enough protection for most of my trips, looks great.
Photon III LED Light for task lighting. It's tiny. It has an auto-off after 2 minutes mode which protects the batteries when you accidently turn it on in your pocket.
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ben2world
member
Reged: 10/26/04
Posts: 1754
Loc: So Cal
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1. MS Ghost - love the balance between lightweight, comfort, and convenience. I have a <1 pound frameless pack, but most times, I prefer to carry the extra pound for the vast improvement in comfort.
2. Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 SL - another great compromise between lightweight and comfort/roominess. Tarp users can skip ahead, but for a tent, this one is bombproof, free standing, roomy and comes in at just 3 and 1/4 pounds total weight.
3. Montbell Alpine down bag (No. 3) -- Super comfy bag that keeps me warm to 30F (can likely go even lower but haven't tried); full zip provides flexibility when used in warmer nights -- and weighing in at just 1 lb. 5 oz.
4. Blue foam pad - cheap, light and durable as heck, yet provides good insulation and sufficient comfort.
5. Montbell Thermawrap -- a very lightweight and compact jacket (approx. 9 oz.) that keeps me warm to the low 30's. I don't like to baby my gear, and this jacket requires no extra TLC.
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billk
member
Reged: 08/20/03
Posts: 1166
Loc: Portland, Oregon
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Quite a bit of my favorite gear is homemade, so it doesn't really serve the purpose of the poll. But here it is anyway:
1. Homemade internal frame pack, 3lb 4oz. One reason I like it is that it's FOUR POUNDS lighter than my old North Face pack, with equal or greater comfort for modest loads.
2. Homemade down jacket (Whitney Jacket kit from thru-hiker.com). At 9.6 ounces, it's 6oz lighter than what I was carrying before, and warmer.
3. Homemade down bag, 2lb 3oz. About 6oz lighter than my previous bag.
4. Marmot Precip Jacket and Anorak. I have them both, being a greedy sort. Nice and light, and not too overpriced.
5. Lowa Klondike Gore-Tex boots. I switched to light boots a while back, and find them perfectly adequate, even for fairly steep, rugged cross-country travel. The Lowas seem to fit my foot.
6. Oops. Forgot the homemade Ultrex rain pants. Made from a Green Pepper pattern, leaving out the zippers, drawstring, and pocket. Very light, and have held up well, even though they're not lined.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Here's my top favorite!
1 Extended wear contacts!
How mundane, right? Wrong! Hmm, one less thing I dont have to worry about. No carrying a little mirror with me. No contact solution. No contact case. No worrying about if my hands are clean enough to touch my eyes. Forget it!
2 Home made Zen Stove
It weighs 0.48 ounces. Thats less than my titanium spoon! "Hello ultralight weight, nice to finally meet you." Plus, it's fun to make.
3 Dr. Bronners soap
Use it to wash out anything. From the area between my cheeks (and I dont mean my mouth... well, maybe I do!) to brushing my teeth. It can clean anything.
4 Wal-Mart special tent stakes
Yes...Wal-Mart is satan...and I try as often as I can to rip them off and altogether avoid the place...but hey, Look at these tent stakes! They are, from what I remember, 2 dollars for 4, and weigh .48 ounces or 13.6 grams. "Take a hike Titanium!"
5 Leatherman Micra
I know everybody loves the Swiss Classic...and I'm not lookin down on it, but the Micra has so much more to offer. It has the same size blade, offers MUCH better tweezers, tough scissors 3 sizes screwdrivers and so much more. They're only 14 bucs, give one a shot.
hAvE fUn
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Brad_Neff
member
Reged: 01/07/02
Posts: 296
Loc: Utah
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My top 5 are:
1) Smartwool Hiker socks-- never a blister or even a hot spot
2) MSR MIOX Water purifier- Really cool way to treat water. Much lighter than a filter, less fiddle time than chemicals & the treated water tastes great. Easy to treat large volumes of water. Love it!
3) Squall Tarptent-- light, roomy, packs small, great protection
4) WM Megalite-- very versatile (been comfortable down to 15 degrees with powerstretch top, bottoms & fleece cap), light, packs small, roomy enough for a big guy
5) Mountainsmith Ghost - comfortable, big enough for up to a week (3 seasons), light
Honorable Mention: Montrail Vitesse trail runners, Petzl Zipka Plus, Patagonia Dragonfly, Snow Peak Giga Power, Leki Ti Trekking Poles,
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demo
member
Reged: 04/07/04
Posts: 220
Loc: Arkansan displaced in the PNW
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actually, I was hoping people would start mentioning their homemade gear...just the
type of ideas I and everyone else needs 
thanks,
ryanc
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Hike Arkansas! and Hike it All!
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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1) Squall tarptent
2) Homemade quilt
3) big agnes insulated air pad
4) Homemade kinnebeck jacket (Thru Hiker)
5) Smartwool socks
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batoncolle
member
Reged: 01/22/03
Posts: 317
Loc: Atlanta, GA
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1. Homemade Thermarest type chair - made out of silnylon using kite poles as the support and a cut blue foam pad. For use when I bring my HH hammock or my BA Insulated core pad. It weighs in at 9oz.
2. Homemade Atlanta stove - best stove I've ever used, and the easiest to make.
3. McHale Windsauk pack - my summer pack at 3000 cu in
4. McHale Subpop Bayonet - my winter pack at 3500+ cu in
5. It was tough, but I have to say Crittersack. I was on a 5 day trip last summer, and I had some chocolate chip cookies that I was saving for days 3 - 5. Unfortunately a mouse got to to my hanging bag on day 2, and took a bite out of every single cookie. Ever see a grown man cry over cookies??? I was lucky enough to get a Crittersack before they shut down so that will never happen again.
Honorable mentions go to WM bag, homemade quilts, HH hammock, both Six Moon Designs Tents, Salomon XA Pro shoes, Montbell Thermawrap and homemade Nalgene bottle holder.
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kbennett
member
Reged: 10/27/03
Posts: 612
Loc: north carolina
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1. Tarptent Rainshadow. Overkill for one, of course, but for family hikes thing thing is the cat's meow.
2. My homemade Pepsi-G alcohol stove, along with my homemade pot support and a wallymart grease pot.
3. Thermarest ProLite 4 (size regular). Finally, an old guy can get a decent night's sleep without carrying an extra ton of weight. This thing is incredibly comfortable, full-length, 1.5-inches thick, and weighs 24 ounces. That's only 8 ounces more than a full-length Ridgerest. I *love* it.
4. Homemade silnylon stuff sacks. This seems silly, but they can be a big weight savings, and they are so cheap and easy to make. I have replaced every stuff sack that came with my gear, and made one for my spare clothing and a small one for a ditty bag.
5. Homemade pot cozies. I bought a roll of Reflectix at Lowes, and I have been going crazy making pot cozies for every pot I own, then re-making better versions. A pot cozy saves a huge amount of fuel when cooking, and weighs next to nothing, plus it lets me cook more involved recipes on the trail. I even made a flat cozy that holds a 1-qt zipper lock bag, so my boil-in-the-bag meals stay hot while they are rehydrating.
Ken B
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Dynamo
member
Reged: 10/23/03
Posts: 475
Loc: B'ham, Alabama
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1. GoLite Dawn backpack - great balance between the quintecential silnylon sack and more organization. Just the right size for 3 season UL trips up to a 4 or 5 days.
2. Tarptent Virga - the perfect shelter for me when going solo. Lightweight, small pack size, medium grey is plenty stealth.
3. Princeton Tec Attitude flashlight - great little LED light. Bright, cheap, lightweight, I have three of them.
4. Thermarest Ridgerest 3/4 - Light, comfortable, durable, adds structure to a frameless pack.
5. MSR Pocket Rocket - Light, Small, Simple, goes from simmer to jet engine easily.
Honorable Mentions: Equinox Poncho Tarp, Kelty Triptease, New Balance 806, Benchmade Knives, Snow Peak cooksets
Edited by Dynamo (01/04/05 08:24 AM)
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Good topic for the New Year. My absolute faves are as follows:
1) My McHale Packs. The absolute most comfy and best designed and functional packs I have ever used.
2) Western Mountaineering Megalite bag. A great summer plus performer that packs small and is lkightweight with room for me to toss and turn and stay warm and comfortable.
3) Leki Super Makalu Core Tec poles. These have saved my knees (and life) completing Colorado's 14ers, tele skiing, snowshoeing, hiking the past four years. They're not the lightest, but they are the best IMHO.
4) Marmot Driclime Windshirt. This garment goes with me everywhere and is the absolute best at keeping wind, light rain and snow away and keeping me warm while moving in the backcountry, high peaks and even in town. I've tried softshells but the Driclime still works the best (for me).
5) A combo of Bridgedale socks and Fox River X-Static liners. Keeping my feet dry, comfortable and reducing the blisters and foot ailments. Throw in a pair of Superfeet and my feet are good to go all day long. Not easily said when I suffered through blister after heel blister. Nirvana with this combo.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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1) Montrail Hardrock shoes (These shoes are wonderful... They're comfortable and also stand up to plenty of heavy use. Maybe not as much use as some boots, but they sure are more pleasant to use)
2) Golite Race pack (fits me very well, just large enough to carry what I need, reasonably priced, and light)
3) HS Tarptent Squall (lightweight, sets up in a flash, beautifully designed)
4) Pepsi Can Stove (pcthiker.com plans) with stand and windscreen (fun to make, ultralight, boils up a mean pot of water)
5) MSR Denali Ascent snowshoes (I just got these, but have enjoyed them immensely)
I'm in the process of switching sleeping bags, so my current bag (which I don't like) did not make the list. I'm guessing my Nunatak Arc Alpinist, which should arrive soon, might find itself on the list.
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whorg
member
Reged: 06/06/03
Posts: 259
Loc: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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McHale S-Sarc P & G pack. This full Spectra pack is the bomb, stained grey now . . . it can really handle a wide volume/weight range, and fits me perfectly. My most expensive gear investment . . . worth every penny.
WM Ultralite. With a silk liner, this bag can take me to 15 degrees in comfort. Great design and quality materials . . . and light too . . .
Wanderlust Nomad 2-4-2 with floor . . . tarptent palace at 45 sq. ft. With 6 Ti stakes, lines and Tyvek ground sheet, it weighs about 2.5 lbs. Great vestibule area too . . .
Marmot Dri-Clime Windshirt . . . always taken and most useful piece of outdoor clothing I own.
OR Seattle Sombrero . . . GoreTex rain hat, here in the NE it's a winner.
~jk
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Have fun.
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Bearpaw
Moderator
Reged: 07/25/04
Posts: 1608
Loc: Tennessee
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1) The Buff
2) Superfeet orthotics
3) REI Mistral Gaiters
4) Tikka Plus Headlamp
5) Arc'teryx Sirrus Jacket (XCR Goretex & Paclite)
These items go with me every time I hike, whether it be for a month or an hour, regardless of the season.
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http://www.trailjournals.com/BearpawAT99/
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