Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Gear We Use

Here is the gear we are using.  The brands/styles I am listing are what we have or are an ideal recommendation. If you google the items you will probably find them online at different sites much cheaper than on the brand sites I listed.

>Backpack
This is what is in our backpacks:

>Sleeping Bag – you will want a 0-20 degree bag, a Dri-Down(water resistant down) bag is ideal
>Sleeping Bag Liner – Whatever the rating is of the liner, for example the one below is 25 degrees, the liner adds 25 degrees of additional temp protection to your bag rating.  So if your bag is rated at 30-40 degrees a 25 degree liner inside your 30- 40 degree bag will give you the protection a 5-15 degree bag alone would give you.  In the warm months we would just sleep in our liners ontop of our bags.  In the winter we stay toasty warm.
>Waterproof Sleeping Bag Compression Bag
>Sleeping Pad – Needs to be a closed-cell foam pad like the green army pads or an INSULATED inflatable pad
>Tent  - tent, poles,pegs, footprint (ground cloth, most common and lightest option is a piece of Tyvek sheeting from Home Depot/Lowes), we have a 3-person, but out here on the trail most individuals carry a 2-person with the below the most popular.  This allows you to get you and your pack inside.
>Stove- we have a jet boil, one fuel canister will store inside the stove, a 2nd canister will go in your miscellaneous bag
>Camp Shoes/River Fording – Crocs or Teva type sandals, lightweight no heavy Keen sandals
>Water bottles – need to carry 2 liters of water
       Or
>Food Bags – We each carry 2 bags, one 8L waterproof bag (hold our meals) and one 5L waterproof bag (holds our snacks)
>Wet Weather Top- we just get these from Walmart, NOT the breathable ones, but the $21 top & bottom set.  We often wear this alone as a windbreaker or over our down coat to layer for cold weather.
>Wet Weather Bottom- we wear these for wind protection and warmth more than anything.
>Backpack Rain Cover - The Sea to Summit covers work great and actually keep our packs dry
>Head lamp

>Water Purification 
>Bandana, to wipe sweat from your face during the day, can also be used as a bandage/tourniquet, can wrap ankle in case of sprain, comes in handy along the way

>1 carabineer, used to hang food bags at night, hang backpack, retrieve bag or person in case of emergency, etc.

>50 feet 550-cord, used to hang food bags at night, retrieve bag or person in case of emergency

>Small Trowel, your toilet
>Roll of Toilet Paper, in ziploc bag

>Spoon

>Cell Phone, in Ziploc or waterproof case

>Cell Phone Charger

 >Camera, in Ziploc or waterproof case

 >7L Waterproof bag to store the below miscellaneous items:


++Stove Fuel- if using your jet boil bring 2 small 3.5 oz canisters or one large 8 oz canister.
++First Aid Items:  1 roll athletic tape, 1 tube neosporin, ziploc bag of motrin, tweezers, toenail clippers, 2-2in gauze pads, hydrocortisone cream, small bottle Gold Bond Powder
++Extra set head lamp batteries
++Extra set of batteries for Steri Pen water purification
++Extra set of batteries for camera
++Matches
++Lighter
++Fire starters
++Toothbrush
++Comb
++Chapstick
++any needed medications

>13L Waterproof Clothing Bag – this one bag is what we keep all of the below listed clothing items in:
++Down Jacket
++Winter Hat – any fleece watch cap will do or lined knit cap will do
++Winter gloves/mittens – we have mittens with fold down finger cover, keeps the hands warmer
++Extra pair of pants

++Extra shirt – long sleeve or short sleeve wicking/synthetic material, during the warmer months we carried an extra t-shirt in the cold months we carried an extra long-sleeve shirt

++Extra pair of wool socks
++Sleep top – base layer long underwear, I wear the army issue waffle shirt

++Sleep bottoms - base layer long underwear, I wear the army issue waffle bottoms

++Sleep Socks - a pair of wool socks


>Clothing to wear

++Long Sleeve or Short Sleeve Shirt – synthetic/wicking material shirt, in the warmer months we wore t-shirts in the colder months we wore long sleeve shirts

++Pants

++Belt

++Wool Socks

++Shoes- trail runners are what we and most everyone out here wears, not boots
++Watch

++Pocket Knife

++Wallet in Ziploc Bag

++Baseball Cap
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