The Gear House

When you are deciding what kind of stove you want to purchase for your backpacking or camping trips, there are a ton of different features and different types to consider. Today, I’m writing about a few of the different features that you should look at when you are deciding on a stove for backpacking or camping. they can be expensive purchases, so you want to make sure you get the right thing!

• Stability - There is nothing more frustrating than simmering a big pot of spaghetti on a precarious little ebast that wobbles with every stir of the spoon. Remember that just because it looks great in the store, the stove could tip over in the field.
• Ease of starting - Butane and propane stoves start instantly. Gasoline and kerosene models reqire priming. Some models flare violentl until warmed so be careful! Fast, easy ignition is a plus for any stove.
• Susceptibiltiy to wind - The firs time you have to build a rock wall around your stove to keep it perking you’ll undersand the value of a good windscreen. Avoid stoves with thin aluminum windscreens that burn up, or detachable ones that can be lost.
• Adjustable Flame - If ou intend to fry pancakes or simmer stew, you will want an infinitely adjustable flame - a feature most compact trail stoves don’t have. The Coleman twin burner camp stoves probably offer the best adjustability, however, many backpacking stoves can offer you a great range of flame heights.
• Plastic parts - Plastic is bad for stove parts. Plastic hardens with heat and age and will eventually break. If there is a stove flare up, plastic will melt and burn. Also, stay away from any stoev that does not have a flameproof armored fuel line.

In our next post, we will point out some of the do’s and don’ts for operating your stove and keeping it running as it should!

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I was just thinking about what I could do with all of my supposedly toxic Nalgenes. I have about 7 total and 3 of them are the “bad” ones. So, what are you doing with yours? Did you just throw them out? Recycle them somehow? Use them for something else?

I would imagine that I will keep them and continue to use them as I do not use them on a constant daily basis but mostly just when I am on a trip. Even then, I take my newer ones with me (which are good ones) and leave the older ones home. I do this mainly because my older ones were used on trips such as going to Philmont Scout Ranch and had all kinds of nasty water in them which we had to purify, so they are pretty skanky.

I did just sit one aside and threw all of my loose change in it. I usually just leave it on my dresser or throw it in some sort of other container, so I figured that it may be a good use for one of my Nalgenes. Another option, for cavers, would be to use one as a bathroom bottle for when in caves. The wide mouth should be good enough for anyone to pee or poop in. With things such as the Sani-Fem funnel, it should be easy for everyone! Just make sure not to empty it after a trip and then use it as a water bottle again….bad move.

But, the question becomes - what are you doing with your “bad” water bottles?

When you are deciding on what kind of rain gear to buy for your outings, you want something that will last because more often than not, the better quality gear is more expensive. So, raingear is not neccessarily an area that you want to pinch pennies and try to get by with “the cheap stuff”. But, there are a lot of different materials out there that can make picking the right rain gear a bit of a problem for you. So, to help out with making the choice a little easier, here is a small comparison of 3 different types of materials: Gore-Tex, Activent/DWR, and Plastic.

You really want to look for something that is comfortable, that is breathable, durable, and fits your price range. Like mentioned, a plastic poncho can be very cheap and it may work for you if you just want something “in case it rains” and are not too worried about it. But if you are going to be doing a lot of hiking, backpacking, or other outdoor activities, investing in a higher quality mostly waterproof rain gear set is a good idea!

Finding the right tent for you can be a very long and difficult process. It is important to know what you want to get out of your tent and what you are going to be using it for. Here are a few things to consider when trying to pick that perfect tent for your trip.

• Most modern tents usually have a large vestibule or extension of the rain fly that can be used for cooking in a downpour and to store muddy boots and other gear. Look for a spacious and sturdy vestibule.
• Aluminum or carbon fiber poles are the lightest
• Are there enough mesh doors and windows for adequate ventilation? Camping during the summer months can be horrible if you can not get some air flowing through.
• Avoid single-wall tents
• Is the tent large enough for you, the people you hope to take with you, and your gear to comfortably spend the night?
• Are there inner pockets to hold your flashlight, change, contact lenses, or other small items?
• How much does it weigh? Can you carry it all day on your back? If you are just going to be car camping, weight is not as much of an issue.

Hope that helps you find the right tent for you! Good luck!

State of the art dressings, wound closure tapes, and nonprescription medications allow the construction of a very useful first-aid kit for general outdoor use.

Very often treatments can be improvised with items on hand, but prior planning and inclusion of key items in your kit will provide you with the best that modern medical science can offer.

Most outfitting stores carry prepackaged first-aid kits. Outdoor Research, REI, and Adventure Medical Kits offer great ones. You can also make your own with the following items:

• Non latex surgical gloves, several pairs
• Cover strip closures (2 packages)
• Moleskin
• Spenco Second Skin
• Bulb irrigating syringe
• Gauze pads (5 packages)
• Gauze dressings (2 rolls)
• Elastic bandage (roll, Ace bandage)
• Tape, hypoallergenic
• Triple antibiotic ointment
• Antimicrobial skin cleanser
• Medications (laxative, anti diarrhea, allergy, decongestant, antihistamine, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.)
• Sterile Swabs
• Safety pins
• Extra vials and resealable plastic bags for packaging the above items
• Black sharpie marker and paper
• Reference cards or packable first-aid guide
• Extra supply of any special medications necessary to treat known conditions of any members in your party (inhalers, epi pins, etc.)

Of course this list is just suggestions and some of the most common items you will find in any first-aid kit. If you are not sure that you want to create your own, there are plenty of kits that you can purchase that have everything that you would need for a normal trip.

Remember, the equipment is no good if you do not know how to use it properly. I strongly encourage you to check out different websites on wilderness first-aid, look at taking courses, and reading as much about it as you possibly can. I mean, you wouldn’t want to screw up providing aid to one of your friends when they really need it would you?

I just finished watching the final episode of The Alaska Experiment on the Discovery Channel and was thinking about the different gear that you have with you when backpacking that can help make you warm. The main challenge that one of the groups faced while hiking out to the rendezvous point with a pilot was that they could not keep warm in the -20 degree temperatures. Although they were hiking as much as they could, they still needed to stop a few times to try to warm up their bodies, especially their fingers, so not to get frostbite.

The main technique that they used was building a fire to use for warm, however, here are some other different options based on the gear that you may have with you on a normal backpacking trip to help you get warm and stay comfortable! (more…)

Planning for an upcoming backpacking trip? Not sure what kind of gear you should take with you? Use the list below as an outline for things to consider carrying on your trip, but be sure to adjust the list to fit your needs and include the gear that will be necessary for your trip.

When you are putting together your personal packing list for a backpacking trip, experience is your best guide to go by. Backpacking is probably the only activity where the efficient packer is rewarded with a light pack and the over packer gets punished. Below is just a guide/outline for items that you should consider taking on a backpacking trip.

The Basics
Backpack
Sleeping bag
Tent
Sleeping pad (more…)

Article from TheBackpacker:

Carrying a light pack is easy. Carrying a lighter pack is harder. In Lightweight Backpacking 101 (reference at the end of the article), we extol the virtues of lightweight backpacking. More important, we offer practical advice for lightening your pack.

Following is the basic framework that nearly every ultralight backpacker considers when embarking on her quest to reduce pack weight. We call this, of course, the path to enlightenment.

Evaluating your Equipment Kit

The first, and most obvious place to start is your equipment kit. The two governing principles here are:

Analyze your current equipment kit; and
Select the lightest equipment.

Read the full article at TheBackpacker.com.

Not sure what to take when you go on your canoeing trip? Perhaps this will answer your questions.

Boat Items
Maps and map case with tiedowns
Compass
GPS (optional)
Bow and stern ropes
Carabiners to attach bow/stern ropes
Bailer(s) with attachment clips
Throwbag(s)
Paddles and spare or alternative paddles
Ties for spare paddles
Tiedown rope or straps for gear
Knee pads, installed or separate
Seat pads (optional)
Spraycover (optional)
Flotation bags (optional)

(more…)

When you are out and about in the wilderness, whether backpacking, camping, rock climbing, or just hiking, it is important to remember the seven principles of Leave No Trace and to follow them as best as you can. Here are some different tips to be sure you follow the Leave No Trace principles when you are taking a hike!

Limit Group Size - Large groups have adverse impact on both the land and on other wilderness users. One person hiking along sees more wildlife than two people. Two people see more than tree people. A group of more than three people is unlikely to see anything at all.

Stay On The Trail - Most especially, don’t cut switchbacks. Obviously, this is more of a temptation going downhill than going uphill, especially on those western pack trails that swing back and forth as evenly as a pendulum. Switchbacks make for easier climbing, and they also help control erosion on steep slopes. That straight route down the fall line can’t handle years of foot traffic and soon turns into an eroded mess.

Hike Single File - Traisl are cut and constructed for one hiker at a time. They’ll last longer, erode less, and look nicer if that’s how people hike them.

(more…)