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I haven't said much but I do follow this thread because it highly interests me. I haven't yet purchased any of the 20 year shelf life food yet. I am planning on purchasing a a pack with a good variety hopefully all of the meals and I plan on eating them right away so I know what I like and don't like.
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Quite frankly I wouldn't worry about playing the ultralight backpacking game. Adding ten pounds of weight can provide a lot of luxury on the trail. Tent instead of a tarp, filtered water instead of purification tablets, propane/white gas stoves instead of sterno/esbit tablets. My not ultralight 3 day pack load out was more in the 45 pound range, which is pretty comfortable for about 7-10 miles a day, though I did go 14 one time.
My cousin is trying to recruit me to do the Pacific Crest Trail with him, and if we do that, it will be an ultralight affair as we are going to shoot for 20 miles/day.
You should also look at long term storage of basics beyond the freeze dried stuff. Wheat, corn, pasta, rice, barley etc. The grains will pretty much keep forever if kept in a cool storage location. My dad and I opened up some of the sealed wheat cans that he packed when I was born (1972), and the grain was perfectly good and ready to be milled. It is an investment that can literally be handed down to your kids and it is far cheaper than freeze dried foodstuffs. If you are looking at long-term stores you pretty much have to go that route, the freeze dried stuff is just too expensive. We went with a mix of those basics and freeze dried.
Silva's one of the best companies for compasses -- but truthfully, you don't need to spend a lot of money on one. Any decent, liquid filled compass will do the job, and it's not even essential that it be liquid filled. (Liquid filled are a little steadier). Don't jump out and by a lensatic compass unless you know how to use it, either. Any on this page are more than satisfactory.
jks9199 said:I've done bare-minimum backpacking for a couple days with a daypack, rain fly, and hammock. That pretty much meant eating everything cold, and sleeping in clothes if it got cold. Better in warmer weather. For packs -- I'd go to an REI or similar good camping supply place, and examine what they've got. Find what you like the design and fit of, because there are differences in how they're set up, and the folks at the better shops know how to help you get what you want. If you want to shop for the same thing cheaper, then, it's up to you. (Personally, I generally give a place that helps me my business... especially if I know they're on commission and they were honestly helpful, not steering me towards the most expensive stuff.)
Blindside said:Quite frankly I wouldn't worry about playing the ultralight backpacking game. Adding ten pounds of weight can provide a lot of luxury on the trail. Tent instead of a tarp, filtered water instead of purification tablets, propane/white gas stoves instead of sterno/esbit tablets. My not ultralight 3 day pack load out was more in the 45 pound range, which is pretty comfortable for about 7-10 miles a day, though I did go 14 one time.
My cousin is trying to recruit me to do the Pacific Crest Trail with him, and if we do that, it will be an ultralight affair as we are going to shoot for 20 miles/day.
jks9199 said:Absolutely! I did the ultra bare bones stuff to prove I could... It's been a while, but if I were to go backpacking today -- I'd get a nice pack, definitely carry a stove. Tents... Depends on where you're hiking. In the Shenandoah National Park, I've actually found that a hammock is a better option. It can be a real challenge finding a place to camp, and the hammock/tarp combo magnifies options greatly. You're not stuck finding 12 to 18 sq ft of level ground, just two trees the right distance apart, and enough of a level spot for your stove.
I haven't said much but I do follow this thread because it highly interests me. I haven't yet purchased any of the 20 year shelf life food yet. I am planning on purchasing a a pack with a good variety hopefully all of the meals and I plan on eating them right away so I know what I like and don't like.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2
Blindside said:You should also look at long term storage of basics beyond the freeze dried stuff. Wheat, corn, pasta, rice, barley etc. The grains will pretty much keep forever if kept in a cool storage location. My dad and I opened up some of the sealed wheat cans that he packed when I was born (1972), and the grain was perfectly good and ready to be milled. It is an investment that can literally be handed down to your kids and it is far cheaper than freeze dried foodstuffs. If you are looking at long-term stores you pretty much have to go that route, the freeze dried stuff is just too expensive. We went with a mix of those basics and freeze dried.
I like the idea of a hammock. Very comfortable. I have several tents w/carrying case already that are pretty small (for the 1 and 2 man type). Something to check into. Looking at going out to Montana next year with my son and my nephew and his son for a backpacking/camping trip (perhaps around a week). I would definitely take the esbit stove. I don't yet know the terrain so hammock/tent is still up in the air. I'll take the Sawyer bottle with me, along with my small iodine bottle. I'll need to get all the stuff I think I'll need together and see what the weight is. Go from there.
You can find very compact hammocks (mine used to pack down to smaller than soup can), so take both. It's comfy for something to sit or rest in, even if you don't spend the night in it.
Have you found the need for any type of fly or mosquito netting with the hammock?
I also carry some cash, a credit card, and a photocopy of my DL and health insurance card. Because you never know when you're out in the back country and need to find an ATM. :lol2:
In all seriousness, I did this after I was in a bike accident riding through farm country in Massachusetts. I was taken to a city hospital 30 miles away from where I was. CT scan was negative, I was given a tetanus booster and after a few hours I was feeling a lot more like myself, and released. No shoes, no ID, no cash, no credit card...all I had was my cell phone and my car keys. By that time it had gotten late in the night and I was in a not-so-nice part of a not-so-nice city. I ended up calling several cabs, trying to bribe the cabbies with a $20 tip (on top of a flat rate $40 fare) to take me to my car and follow me to an ATM where I'd pay him. Finally found one that agreed.
The irony isn't lost on me that I got stranded....not in the back country, but 20 miles from home in one of the largest cities in Mass, within a mile or so of my university. I don't want to be in that scenario again.