A while back an acquaintance of an acquaintance, who is a friend of a friend, sent me an email inquiring whether I could recommend a backpacking gear App or did I think a spreadsheet could possibly suffice. I occasionally get these kinds of requests, but more often people ask me to review their gear list and then want to debate any recommendations I might make. Worse than that, they send me a link to some online gear program that won’t run on my iPad, forcing me to open my computer to look at it. I’m too busy to jump through hoops like this to help someone out. What is the world coming to?
Category Archives: Backpacking Gear
Is my BIC empty?
My last post was about the wonderful Bic Lighter.
I touched on the fact you can hold a light to it and see how much fuel is left. I have never tried to check the level on a trip with a headlamp, because I am incredibly smart — I check it before I leave home with a flash light. Below is an example.
Best Piece of Backpacking Gear. Ever.
I often read gear reviews that are really just initial impressions. Some folks use gear for a year or two and call it a long term review. I think if gear is used for 10 or more years, it qualifies as a long term review. This way we can answer the question, “Does it stand the test of time?”
For the past 40 plus years there has been only one piece of gear I have taken on every backpacking trip. It has also accompanied me on most day hikes and camping trips too.
Sony RX100 M1 Compact Camera
Taking a camera on a backpacking trip can be a heavy burden, as I discussed in Backpacking with a Camera. But nowadays I take a camera on some of my trips so I can share them with my family, since I usually hike alone.
In June of 2012 Sony released a compact camera named the RX100. In December of the same year, Joyce bought me one for Christmas.
The Digital Life: Gear Ambassadors
Let’s face it, the Internet, blogs, and social media are changing the world we live in. For the most part, I think it is bad – people hiding behind little itty bitty hand held screens, large mega-pixel screens, all potential barriers to real interpersonal relationships. As the digital world moves ahead at the speed of light, there is nothing I can do to stop it, nor should I try. I shall be mostly left behind. People have the right to do as they please, as long as they don’t infringe or obstruct another individual’s personal rights.
One of the effects of our digital world is the ability of small companies to reach thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of potential customers for little cost at all. It is a marketing executive’s dream come true.
Clarification on the Deschutes CF Post Yesterday
I got a very nice email from the owner of Six Moon Designs, Ron Moak. My description of the seam construction was not exactly correct. The original post has been updated with the following information:
The Deschutes CF is constructed from several pieces of Cuben material and all of the seams on the Deschutes are sewn first then tapped. The sewn seam allowance is not seen as it is buried under a wide 1.5” piece of seam tape. This protects the stitching and makes for a very clean seam.
SMD also uses their own custom seam tapes and glue. The normal transfer tapes used on Cuben can peel under the right conditions. However, SMD wet tape bonds more completely to the Cuben when it dries. The tapping also waterproofs the seams.
Other than that, he liked the comments about using a tarp, and of course the write-up on the Deschutes CF.
Six Moon Designs Deschutes CF Shelter
DESCHUTES?
What kind of a name is that? I can’t pronounce it and can barely spell it. So I looked it up via Google. It is a river in Oregon that is a main tributary of the Columbia River. The Deschutes also flows north, which is atypical for a North American river. The manufacturer of the Deschutes CF tarp is Six Moon Designs and they are located in Beaverton, Oregon. Mystery solved. What a sleuth I am.
CF?
That one is easy. Cuben Fiber. Also known as CTF3. It is a non-woven fabric that is strong and extremely light. A lot of my gear is made from Cuben Fiber.
Oh, and yes, I bought a new shelter, the Six Moon Designs Deschutes CF tarp.
Are Bivies Obsolete?
THE BIVY
Bivies were, and still are, mostly used as emergency shelters by mountaineers. However, some backpackers see them as a viable (and lighter) alternative to a tent or tarp. I was one of those folks.
Bivies have been around for a long time. Basically they are a waterproof envelope or a big bag you put your sleeping bag inside, eliminating the need for a shelter. I bought my first bivy some 30 odd years ago. Designs haven’t changed much since then. Years ago you could get a basic bivy that weighed around a pound. And you could, just like today, get a bivy with an elaborate setup at the “head” end using poles or a hoop to provide a little more room at the top of this most minimal of shelters – you could lean on your elbow and move around a bit. These fancy bivies, just as they do today, generally weighed at least twice as much as the basic bag.
My Favorite Gear of 2014
Apparently I’m late to the party.
Many backpackers with blogs do an end of the year review of their favorite gear. I spent most of the end of 2014 backpacking and camping, so there was no time or Internet access to write one.
Many of these bloggers’ favorite gear review includes only their favorite NEW gear of the year. And every year they have a dozen or so NEW pieces of gear to share. What’s up with that?
Alas, it has been almost two years since I purchased my last new gear item, a Victorinox “Little Vickie” paring knife for $9.95. I rarely take it backpacking; only on trips where I need to cut salami or spread peanut butter and honey. On most trips my knife is a lowly and simple single edge razor blade.
I have replaced a few inexpensive items that have worn out with the exact same thing, and I have bought a few items to repair or maintain gear: a couple tarp poles, some down wash, silicone sealer, guylines and linelocs. I call these “maintenance” purchases.
Backpacking gear is just a means to an end; the end being a safe trip with the lightest pack weight one cam assemble. I figure that if you know what you are doing and you backpack often, you don’t have time to be searching for the newest wonder gear, and you should probably have your gear dialed in so there is nothing you really need to buy.
So here is my favorite backpacking gear for 2014, which is exactly the same favorite gear for 2012 and 2013.
(non-backpacking) Backpacking Gear Review
- Noah’s Tarp, by Kelty
- Tyvek Groundsheet, by DuPont
- Adjustable Tarp Poles, by Big Agnes
- Mayfly Chair, by ALite
Yes, discussing backpacking gear is still boring.
Yes, this stuff is heavy.
Yes, I bought this stuff.
No, I am not going to use it for backpacking.