ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 12, 2024 7:32:09 GMT -8
When it comes to feet comfort you can listen to us here for what has worked for us individually but you'll have to discover on your own what works best for your feet. One issue we discuss here periodically are camp shoes/water shoes. The underlying reason is how to take care of your feet. Do you risk bare feet to pee in the night or take the extra weight of camp shoes? Can you walk your shoes dry or will your water softened feet not like that? The point being you need working feet to hike.
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Post by Sleeping Bag Man! on Jul 12, 2024 7:37:59 GMT -8
Howdy!
"LB", eh? I'm an ultralighter, so I'm gonna call you "453.592 grams". Is that OK?
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Jul 12, 2024 13:12:02 GMT -8
Welcome, lb. I hail from Chicagoland, so Michigan has been among my "nearby" hiking destinations. I backpacked the Manistee River loop many years ago, and enjoyed it. Most of my upper Midwest backpacking has been in the western U.P. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the eastern U.P. is also not to be missed, though I suspect you may have visited these places.
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Post by absarokanaut on Jul 12, 2024 13:25:29 GMT -8
Howdee LB!
I know a great Yooper that's lived in Jackson for more than 25 years. Former Hells Angel. `That's some of the best fall foliage I've seen outside of New England. May tyhe trail rise to meet your feet and never your forehead.
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trinity
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Post by trinity on Jul 12, 2024 14:04:49 GMT -8
"LB", eh? I'm an ultralighter, so I'm gonna call you "453.592 grams". Is that OK? That's some nerd humor gold right there. :D
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Post by LB on Jul 12, 2024 14:43:04 GMT -8
Kilts - are Scottish and plaid so kilts = yes Beets -" beets, bears, and Battlestar Galactica" Bacon - yes. Scotch - burns Butterscotch - Grandma church candy PAM v butter - butter...but I use "pam" Drop bears - sound terrifying
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Post by LB on Jul 12, 2024 15:18:31 GMT -8
Duct tape?!? I am going to try this on my next day hike that is over 4 miles to test this idea....i'm intrigued. I do have 1 pair of wool hiking socks that I wore on day 1 - I got too confident and wore synthetic on day two...won't be doing that again. I love my Merrell hiking shoes so much but they are rigid and don't have much cushion. I work out regularly and wear brooks running shoes almost all the time when I am not working (and when I am working I wear Birkenstocks or sport sandals) so I think I just need to try some things for higher mileage in a low cushion shoe. I am also wondering if I would like trail shoes rather than "bootish" shoes...but I really loved the water resistance of my Merrell's as well as the stability in the sole with all of the crazy surfaces that I walked on. soaking feet is something I want to avoid if I can...we had very very wet trails on day two and three and my feet were dry (aside from sweat).
Gear - The gear I rented:
My Pack: Osprey Aura 65L - this was a quality pack but I think it was too much volume for this trip...and generally for this stage of my "career" I won't be doing more than 3 days or so. It fit well, it is a durable back, I had pressure spots but no painful rubbing - it worked great...just more pack then I think I needed.
My Husbands Pack: Osprey Aether Plus 70 - He loved it. He is tall so it took some work for him to figure out how to adjust it to evenly distribute pressure (we were kicking ourselves for not taking it in to REI when we stopped on our way to the trailhead for adjustment.)
Marmot Limelight 2P tent - loved it....anything that can get us through a three hour raging thunderstorm gets two thumbs up in my book. I love the entrances on both sides of the tent. I would buy this tent.
Sawyer Point One Squeeze Water Filter System - saved us.
we each had a Marmot mummy bag...they were fine, but I am intrigued by the concept of a backpacker quilt....it's on my wish list. My husband didn't love his. He is over 6' and the larger bag didn't fit him well but it was also hot so I don't think he cared all that much.
The sleeping pad was a Big Agnes two person sleeping pad...it was great to sleep on but that sucker was big and heavy.
Rocket stove...it was fine. Small pot to boil water in, also fine.
Gear that we had or sourced elsewhere
we each had a small backpacking chair - we both agreed that it wasn't "necessary" and were heavier than I think we should have committed to carry, but was one of our favorite pieces of gear that we brought with us - we used them all evening and morning to sit and relax and enjoy the stunning views! We both agree that we will want to invest in some higher end lighter backpacker chairs.
Wet wipes...friends, bringing wet wipes was great...but it was also packing too much water. Too heavy, will rethink this item in the future.
First aid kit - didn't need half of what we bought - will downsize.
Dehydrated meals - great. 10 out of 10 everything we brought.
camping pillows = fail. mine was okay, my husband thinks he will figure something else out. IT just annoyed him and took up to much space.
Too many fluids - bug spray, sunscreen - both needed but I should have done more work to get the weight down. I just threw things in.
Hiking poles - I have my own and Paul borrowed some from a friend. I was skeptical as I never use them when I day hike but was told by a backpacking friend that we needed to bring them. I am SO GLAD that we did. I am 100% sure it saved me from plummeting to my death on any number of steep ridges along the North Country trail as I was navigating foot pain, tired legs, and mud.
A book - Im sorry. Im one of those people. I believe there are no situations in which a book is not appropriate. I always have a book with me and I am so glad that we brought one on this trip.
Headlamps and flashlight - overkill. We didn't need all of this. Not sure what I would change, but we didn't need all of it.
clothes - I overpacked. Not by a ton, but I over estimated what I would want to wear in the cool Michigan mornings and night time. I didn't need all that I brought and this added weight.
Waterproof matches - two thumbs up.
Water bottles - we each brought a 48oz bottle and a 24 oz bottle each.
rope - good call - we needed to air out our tent after the first night (the tent dried very very fast - another selling point)
Reflecting back - I can't believe how much time I spent processing what to bring. But I now have strong opinions about what I will NOT be bringing the next time I go. I am also the kind of person who once I know what I like, I won't ever change so I guess the discovery process will be work it.
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Post by cweston on Jul 12, 2024 18:31:42 GMT -8
It sounds like you’re really on the right track with your gear ideas.
You can cut a LOT of weight/bulk on the sleeping pad. (Replace with separate lightweight insulated inflatables, like a Therm-a-rest Neo Air.) Also, those Osprey packs are great but they are heavy-haulers. That’s another place you could save some significant weight when you get your kit assembled.
Everyone overpacks clothing at first.
One reliable headlamp per person is all you need. I carry spare batteries.
You can get small containers for appropriate amounts of things like sunscreen. I’m pretty cautious about bug spray, though: sooner or later, you’ll have a trip where you really REALLY need it, and you really don’t want to run out.
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Post by bluefish on Jul 13, 2024 0:05:12 GMT -8
Well, I'll be, LB, you sound like a lot of us. Books, though we've gone somewhat towards UL,a must. Great thing is I'm back into old school condensed language-poetry. Slim volumes abound. Enthusiasm you have, which is very welcome, as it gives new excitement to us older hands. You learned a lot on your first venture, you'll grow by leaps and bounds, or measured steps- it's your hike. Hope you find great help here, it's here for the asking, and there is a wealth of knowledge to be plumbed with a few questions. Welcome, I really enjoyed your description of your process.
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on Jul 13, 2024 2:40:56 GMT -8
Kilts - are Scottish and plaid so kilts = yes Beets -" beets, bears, and Battlestar Galactica" Bacon - yes. Scotch - burns Butterscotch - Grandma church candy PAM v butter - butter...but I use "pam" Drop bears - sound terrifying B for your answers, B+ for your attitude. You're in. Drop bears can indeed be terrifying, but rarely fatal to humans. australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/
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Post by Sleeping Bag Man! on Jul 13, 2024 3:59:34 GMT -8
That's some nerd humor gold right there. :D ![](https://y.yarn.co/c03dcd47-8665-41dc-ab44-d94d032588aa_text.gif)
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trinity
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Post by trinity on Jul 13, 2024 13:45:13 GMT -8
LB, great followup post, you have clearly made the best of your trip as a learning opportunity. A few random thoughts: -Yes, 65L is a lot of pack volume, but not bad for an all purpose pack. The important thing is that it seems to have fit your body comfortably. For me, 55L seems to be the sweet spot. -I've never used a Limelight, but that is a well regarded tent from a good company. You could save a lot of weight if you're willing to invest some money. There are similarly configured but lighter weight tents available from companies like Big Agnes, Nemo, and MSR. If you really want to save weight, there are some great trekking pole supported options, but most of them are pricey. -Quilts are my preferred option above freezing. Below, I prefer a mummy bag. There are tons of options, so let us know when you start thinking seriously about making a purchase, you will get lots of good advice here. I have quilts from Hammock Gear, Enlightened Equipment, Jacks R Better, and Underground Quilts. All are excellent. -Justin Outdoors is obsessive about backpacking pillows. For a comprehensive overview of some of his favorite pillows, check out this video: link-Agree with cweston about the sleeping pad. -I take a chair on pretty much every trip. I think they are well worth the added weight. The Helinox Chair Zero is generally considered the favorite, though I don't find it as comfortable as my Alite MayflyI always take a small package of wet wipes as well. A small package shouldn't add that much weight. If you want to save a bit of weight you could take WYSI Wipes. -I prefer to carry an ereader for the ability to carry tons of reading material at a very small weight penalty, but don't apologize for carrying a book. Hell, don't apologize for anything. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) As we say around here, HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike). -There are tons of lightweight lighting options available these days. The Nitecore NU25 is a great headlamp. For lightweight versatility the Rovyvon A5 is hard to beat. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. -Rope. Not sure what you brought, but there are some extremely lightweight but strong cords available these days. Glowire is a fave.
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Post by marmotstew on Jul 13, 2024 13:58:11 GMT -8
After more trips you’ll eventually have dialed down your set up. I’ve had the Atmos 50 for about 17 years I think. It’s perfect for a few night trip which is what I do anymore. Still wish the shoulder straps were a lot thicker. But I’ve got every thing dialed in where everything goes it will be hard to change.
Bug screen is essential. Another thing that weighs virtually nothing is a head net. But you need to be wearing an all the way around rimmed hat to work properly. Oh yeah and mole skin.
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ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 13, 2024 14:40:43 GMT -8
I have an Ather 70 as my main pack. I have a limited budget and wanted a pack that can handle a lot of types of trips but they do say good at all but not excellent at any one. The big thing is it hugs me and distributes the weight into me comfortably when loaded up. On family trips, daddy gets to carry a lot of stuff. On a solo overnight I can drop the head to lighten the pack's weight. It is a heavy pack but that also means likely longer life. There is a lifetime warranty on Osprey packs.
As for wet wipes I used to cut open the whole pack then stick them in a freezer bag (heavier for storage). From that I would draw out what I needed for a trip into a sandwich bag (lighter bag). I did experiment with drying them then adding water to them when needed. That worked pretty well but now I don't really use them anymore. More stuff, more garbage. I hike where there is usually water so washing a safe distance from sources is better.
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swiftdream
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the Great Southwest Unbound
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Post by swiftdream on Jul 15, 2024 10:18:37 GMT -8
A book - Im sorry. Im one of those people. I believe there are no situations in which a book is not appropriate. I always have a book with me and I am so glad that we brought one on this trip. You have this figured. After the essentials a book is the essential. Once we were backpacking deep into the Ojito Wilderness in New Mexico and had come across many designs of painted potsherds, lithic scatters and the hewn beams of Spanish haciendas of hundreds of years past. The colorful earth formations were amazing. Mid day we rested in the shade of a huge juniper and I pulled out my book. I still remember it was Peter Jenkins Walk Across America, something I’d found in a thrift shop for some change. Well girlfriend was distraught. She’d forgotten her book back in the vehicle so I read mine aloud and it turned out to be a pretty good book. I could see she was squirming though and later she started making sounds about going back to the vehicle the following day after a nice hike to get some more snacks and beverages. I reminded her we had plenty. lol She kept at it until I agreed that we should go back on a big loop to get more things we might need including a book. She looked very pleased and I never again saw her forgot a book. It’s like having a portable movie along. These days I have around a hundred books downloaded to my large iPhone at all times, probably half a dozen audiobooks and some iconic music as well. Even my kindle books can be narrated by the Alexa app very naturally sounding. I use AirPods so as not to disturb others. So welcome fellow literature enthusiast. We can all learn new tricks however you seem to have the rest down pretty good.
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