Bonus checks are coming next week... which means I'll be expanding my backpacking gear. Need a bag/pad combo for above freezing weather (can't stand mummy bags!! Need room to move!!) and a stove.

I've looked at many reviews on stoves and I am tempted to buy the pocket rocket, but would like to hear from others.

FWIW... I pack with my boys, ages 11 thru 6. So I am feeding more than just me.

steve

Getting a bonus, huh? Must be nice to work for AIG.

As far as bag/pad combos, it will depend on the temperatures in which you plan to sleep. For general 3-season (40 - 70 degree nights) I like the Western Mountaineering MityLite. It's a 40-degree, hoodless, semi-rectangular bag, so it's got some wiggle room. If you want more room, leave it unzipped (except for the footbox, which has it's own zipper) and use it like a quilt. I've tried the Big Agnes air mattresses, the Montbell Comfort UL system and the Thermarest Prolite (formerly Prolite 3), and find that I still prefer the Prolite Plus (formerly Prolite 4 pads.

You might want to take a look at a new product from Thermarest: they now have a quilt top that snaps onto a Thermarest pad. (You use a fitted sheet over the pad; the sheet has snaps that mate to the quilt. Optionally, they sell snap kits that self-adhere to the pad and make the sheet unnecessary.

For stoves, the Pocket Rocket is a great stove; it would work for three if all you're doing is heating up a quart or quart and a half of water to add to freeze-dried meals, using the cook-in-bag method. Anything larger than that and the supports become a little shaky.

If you're actually wanting to cook in a larger pot, you might want to look at the Windpro, Superfly, or Reactor stoves from MSR; the Simmerlite would also be a good choice if you prefer white gas. Snow Peak stoves are also good, as is the Jetboil (though you'd want the Group Cooking System, GCS, rather than the Personal Cooking System, PCS.)

If you want an alcohol stove, go to www.clikstand.com and order the Clikstand (the titanium T-2 model, since you work for AIG ;)) and Evernew .9 and 1.3 L titanium pots (available in uncoated or non-stick.)

You should get a lot of answers to this question. Everyone has his or her favorite stove, and thinks that everyone should use it. (Mine is currently the Pocket Rocket and Titan kettle - though I've also got the Clikstand setup described above. And a Svea stove, because I'm old and it's good.)

If you're feeding a group typically, in above freezing weather the pocket rocket is an excellent choice, The other good ones (that are very similar) are the snow peak gigapower, and the optimus crux.. Pick whichever strikes your fancy - (the snow peak and optimus are a little smaller than the pocket rocket) canister stoves are nice and relatively uncomplicated. I own
a snow peak stove and would take that myself in the scenario you describe, at least until I felt like teaching the kids to make their own alcohol stoves and carry/cook for themselves.

If you hate mummy bags look back in the archives (use the search function) for quilt info - buy or make one. Look at
Jack's R better or nunatuk for people who make good ones if you don't want to sew your own.

pad? really depends on you, and what you need to sleep comfortably. I'm uncomfortable in anything but a hammock or a thick inflatable (like a big agnes pad, or the new fancy thermarests) but I have freinds who sleep like a log on just blue foam. take the lightest thing you can take and still be comfortable.