Anyone go camping/hiking?

Macdaddy4738

Macdaddy4738

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
I desperatly need a new set of hiking and camping gear!

I spent a night out in Linville Gorge, me and a friend, in a 4 person SwissGear tent..

I had WAY to much gear, and the tent was way over kill. My pack is from (I THINK...) the 1970's or 80's, I believe it to be a French Military packback...

So I think i need a new pack, a smaller tent in addition to my bigger one, and a new sleeping bag (mine is pretty big when rolled up..)

So what are you camping guys loadouts look like? Any advice on what to pick up? Im also in need of a pair of hiking shoes..Id prefer to somehow manage to carry the tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food and any other random bits and pieces (such as padding for under the sleeping bag) on my back in one pack, as light as I could get it!

AND any advice how to carry a propane coleman lantern? I carried it in the carrying case I got for it, but MAN was that bulky and all over the place..
 
Aren't you in college?
Buying all that stuff in both good and lightweight form is gonna in a big chunk o' change. Might want to make a priority list...
 
RatLabGuy said:
Aren't you in college?
Buying all that stuff in both good and lightweight form is gonna in a big chunk o' change. Might want to make a priority list...
Click to expand...

yeah, im sure its going to cost a bit...but im not talking a full 4 season tent, or a crazy metal frame backback quite yet..
 
I use a Kelty Dart 1, it weighs in at a hair over 1lb. Great tent. If you want room for two use the Dart 2, supposed to be big enough for two but its a full on backpacking tent so you better be close with whoever is sharing with you.

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for backpacks i have just gotten used to packing my internal frame pack. I was so used to being able to strap stuff all over teh frame of the external frame packs.

Best bet for a pack is to go to a outfitter and tell em what your looking for. Sleeping bags are kinda a personal decision. I have one for winter, and one i use in the fall and spring. During the summer i generally just rough it outside with a light tarp and a blanket.
 
Long post, hope it's helpful.
I was in the same tough situation after my last trip to Linville as well: I was broke, but I wanted good, light stuff. I spent a few months reasearching before I bought anything. Here's what I've ended up with so far:
Tent: Eureka Pinnacle Pass 3XTA, 6.5lbs, comfortably sleeps three, really is as big as it says, has 2 doors and 2 vestibules, so you can keep your dirty gear out. Best price is here (plus they had a $20 rebate through Eureka at the time):
http://www.cascadegps.com/Eureka-Pinnacle-Pass-3XTA-Performance-Backpacking-Tent-p-907.html
Sleeping bags (2): Slumberjack Odyssey 10, rated for 10F, under 3lbs, pretty compact. Only complaint is that it is a 1/2 zip (only unzips to your waist), but it more than makes up for it in weight, temp, size, and price. Best price is here:
http://www.cascadegps.com/store/product.php?productid=1080
I also have some unknown bag made by Chinook. It is a 40F bag, but it weighs about 2lbs and packs up really small. I determine which to take depending on the forecast.

Sleeping pads (2): Thermarest Pro-lite 3, 1lb4oz, 1" thick, rolls up to 4"x11", got mine for $60 from Campmor, regular $85, right now on sale for $70.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
Also, the Big Agnes Air Core is not bad. 1lb5oz, 2.5" thick, rolls up to 4"x8". I just got one for $40 from somewhere I can't remember online for the girlfriend. The downside is that it is like an inflatable pool float, so its not as cushy, and make a little more noise.
Cooking gear: I looked at a lot of stuff online and in REI and Dick's. The high-dollar aluminum no-stick cookwear from REI and such is the same as the $30 Texsport you can get at Dicks. 3pots, 3 pans/lids, a handle, and a mesh bag, all Teflon coated, 2lbs12oz. Couldn't find it on the Dick's website, but here it is at Campmor:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
Backpack: This is where it really comes down to personal preference. I have 3 packs. One is a Stansport (yeah, Ive still never heard of them, but Ive had the pack for 11 years) external frame. It is light and roomy, has a lot of external pockets for small stuff, and you can strap everything in the world onto it. After my last Linville trip both of my buddies had newer name brand internal frame packs. Since I am cheap, I looked around and got an Outdoor Products Zenith for $50. It is big and light. It has more internal space than my external frame, and it lighter, but it is not as sturdy. Pretty much what I expected for the price. My girlfriend has been using it the past few trips, and I have packed it full for traveling. It is holding up fine, but that is with the 25-30lb loads. The problem isn't the structure, but more the thinner fabric that they used on parts of it.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
About a week after the new internal frame pack came in, an NC4x4'er posted up a Lowe-Alpine Contour IV at a good price, so I couldn't resist. I have used it a bit and love it. It is a 90+15 Liter pack, so it is huge. It is extremely well made and very sturdy, so with that, it is a little heavier. To me, it is worth the extra pound or two to know that it will not rip apart at the bottom of Linville Gorge, or whereever else I go. The only downfall to it is the lack of pockets. It has a bottom compartment, a large main compartment, and a zippered top compartment. This is fine for the big stuff, but doesn't leave a good place to put things like headlamps or cameras. I searched out some auxilary side pockets and hipbelt pockets, but have yet to try them out. I may eventually upgrade to a newer pack with a proper hydration compartment and more pockets, but I really like this pack.
Also, if you are thinking of a water filter, I went with the Katadyn Hiker Pro. There are several options in the same weight and price range, but after trying them all at REI, one wouldn't pump and another one was really slow. The only one that worked and worked well was the Katadyn Hiker. The Pro version offers quick connects for the hoses and a pre-filter, neither of which the regular Hiker has. With the quick connects you can pump water straight into your hydration bladder from the hose, which means you don't have to remove the bladder from your pack or open it.
Again, hope all this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
I've got an REI "half dome" tent. Two person, full fly, two doors, two vestibules. Very similar to several other products out there from Eureka and other brands, but cheaper.

If you want to spend more money, the quarter dome is considerably lighter, slightly smaller, but more expensive.

Thermarest pads. I've got the regular full-length 1.5" pad, Cyd's got the girl's Pro-Lite 4 (on sale, same price as the regular thermarest).

Bags... test them out. Try them all on. Seriously. I've got a 20F Kelty that's 15 yrs old, still pretty good. Cyd's got a new North Face 20F (Cat Eye or something like that) that fits her well. I was looking at buying a Marmot Pounder the other night... the 20F bags are way too warm this time of year.

Packs... I also have a Lowe Contour IV. At 90+15, it's way too big for weekends. Cyd's got the Lowe 75+15, and it's just about right. I'd look for a comfortable 60-70L pack that's lightweight and cheap. REI has a Cruise 60 that I tried on a couple of weeks ago. It's only 3lbs empty and it's cheap cheap, but far too spartan for my liking. If I were to buy a new pack, it would probably be something more like the REI Ridgeline.

I don't carry a lantern. Fire or headlamp. MSR shaker stove, MSR pot, lexan bowl, spoon, clothes to suit the season, food, water filter, 2L platypus bag, one 1L Nalgene.

Look around and see what you can find used... or try to borrow some gear from a friend until you get a better understanding of what your priorities are. It's easy to spend a whole lot of money and still not have a kit that you're satisfied with.

Also, if you can wait for the end of the season, you can find great deals on closeout stuff. Markup on a lot of equipment is huge. Campmor (and a few other online retailers) are excellent sources for closeout equipment year-round.
 
cool, thanks guys!

I already have a thermarest pad, it doesnt weigh much. The main problem is getting it back into the the bag that came with it! I just cant do it..
 
My thermarest doesn't have a stuff sack... but generally, I've found the trick to getting them deflated is to open the valve, fold them up as many times as you can (usually twice along the length, then in half again) and sit on them to get as much air as possible out. Close the valve, unfold the pad, and roll it as tightly as you can. When you get down to the last foot or so, open the valve again to let out the last bit of air.
 
campmor has great stuff, look at somthing and then post it and we can probally tell you if its good or bad, i hike more than i wheel and would be glad to help
 
Sam's in Hickory has a 2 person backpacking tent right now. It weighs 3.3 lbs and was around $60. If you don't have a membership, PM me and I will meet you there and you can use mine.
 
I keep my Thermarest Prolite3 Regular in a Prolite 3 Short stuff sack, so it can be done. Only reason I did that is because I bought the wrong bag. However, it is worth the effort. Suction is your friend.
 
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