Gear Winners!

“You know, I don't mind him cheatin' on me
But I sure wish he'd take that off his head
Your brand new Polartec 200 faux leopard-skin pill-box hat


Sorry folks, but this song ALWAYS cracked me up. And when I saw that hat in the REI catalog that came in the mail yesterday... I fell off the sofa.”

“You are all making me want to buy new gear!
Winners: Pepsi can stove. My Nike hiking boots, i know its sad, but I have had them for 5 years now, and I never get blisters. platypus hydration system. Its great i dont have to stop to pull out my nalgene.”

“I agree with bacpac (did I just say that?!). I love my MSR MiniWorks. It is tough, easy to clean, and it makes water tastes great.”

“m&m, I'm about to get new boots. Had the old ones forever and I am emotionally attached to them. I think I'll have mine encased in poly-resin (anyone remember roadapple paperweights?) and keep them on my mantle!”

“I offer my initial impressions of some new gear for your entertainment:

Black Diamond Megamid II:
Pretty cool shelter. 3.5 lbs as stated. Was supposed to be a "second" because of running of the colors; I don't see it. It was hard to set up from a tree limb as the corners have to be staked out first and you gotta be centered under the tie point, easier with the pole. The pole and stakes weigh a pound, tho. Passed the sprinkler test. Would be great for a group kitchen. Looks to be extremely well made. I want to use this as my primary shelter for winter camping with a partner.

CMG Infinity Task Light; amber: (LED flashlight) Not very bright. If fresh batteries don't help, it's goin back and I'll try a Photon.

Princeton Tec Solo headlamp: The other extreme. It's so bright I think I'd damage my eyes trying to write in the journal at night. And heavy. I wished I'd looked at the Tikka. I might keep it for winter trips and/or car camping. Looks bullet proof. They are seconds because the headband, with the company name, is sewn on upside down, which I find a humorous bonus.”

“Is the Megamid that new one that you use the two hiking poles with? I have a Megamid knockoff and I pitched the center pole and use my treking poles by clipping the straps together with a biener, stick one in the ground and turn the other one up to stick in the center groumet. Then I have a small piece of velcro I lash the two poles together to keep them together and ridged. I love the thing. It found it sucks in snow though unless you have deep snow and you can dig shelves that kind of stuff down into the snow.”

“I hate gear threads, because I can not afford any real gear. I have boots and clothing and a cool day pack, but nuttin' else yet. I always have to borrow from my generous friends. The thing I am most excited to get (even more than the obvious pack) is a stove. My favorite part of my trip was the cooking.”

“A camera! Is camera counted as gear? I've got a camera.”

“hmmm...”

“newgirl, go hit K Mart, Walmart or Target and get some cheap gear. You don't have to start out with TNF and titainium pots to get out there! I got my buddy outfitted for under $200 and it's not a bad set up either.”

“Good suggestion Nigal. I need someone like you to take me gear shopping.”

“Newgirl, make a pepsi can stove! RichB, on TT, gave me one that he made, and it works great, costs almost nothing if you drink pepsi and have some epoxy on hand. Uses denatured alchohol, which is in the same aisle as the turpentine. Works pretty good for cooking, and you can't beat the cost and low weight. Instructions can be found online, at www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsistove.shtml

Also at another site, but I have to go through my papers for it. I'll post it in a minute.”

“you dont even need epoxy! you can do it with just the cans! they don't work well in cold weather, tho!”

“No, that was the good site that I was thinking of. RichB used Bondo or any epoxy, instead of heat resistant tape. Some people make the can bottoms slightly taller to hold a little bit more fuel. You put in the achohol and light it, and it burns until it is burned off completely, so you need to practice the timing of your cooking to know how much alchohol to put in. Rich made a simmer cap that lowers the heat to a fast simmer from a high "full boil" heat. M&M uses a tall juice can (try Juicy Juice) to boil water, with a foil lid. Works great and is also low cost.”

“Rad, you don't get a seal if you don't use Bondo or epoxy (or tape supposedly). Buddur I think said that he has used his at 10 degrees without problem. But the stove is the least of newgirl's problems if she is trying to backpack in weather that cold.”

“i tried both taped and not. they worked the same. when the cans are the same size, it fits reeeeally tight. it still sucks in really cold weather, tho.”

“Throw one can in the freezer and heat the other a bit. Pop 'em together quick like and you have a press fit.”

“MacGuyver, is that you?”

“Be sure to pack condoms. They make great emergency "float bladders" for dealing with raging streams. Many other camp uses. Leave any that you've used in a geocache so others can practice safe trekking.”

“I have thought that Pepsi can stove idea was cool ever since I first saw it on here, but I haven't tried it out yet. I'm a little nervous. I can't start a major problem by lightening that denatured alcohol, can I? Hey, thanks you guys. I have come across alot of gear snobs. They acted like a person can't have fun bping if they didn't have all the "right" stuff. I admit I need to get some essentials, but that attitude is totally retarded.”

“LeSubtil, to pitch the megamid without a pole run a rope between two trees and through the top loop. Leave some slack as you stake down the tent and then tighten the line up till everything is taut.”

“Flyguy6x - I got in big trouble packing condoms in the emergency kit. I can't convince the wife of more than one use.”

“Is your wife "Chip?"
Tell "her" to stay outta yer schtuff!"”

“Newgirl, I was nervous too about the pepsi stove, which is why I never got around to making one. But RichB gave me one, and I tried it out on a gravel walkway (in case of a fireball), but it was fine. You don't even know right away that it was lit. You put a match to the alchohol in the center, and you feel a gust of air as the match goes out. You'll feel the heat of the stove if you put your hand over it (not in the "flame"), but you don't see a flame. It gets hot enough to boil water but not out of control. I intend to make more of them based on what RichB made. Great for girl scout camp cooking. The stove is cool just a minute after the fuel burns off.

I haven't tried it in really cold temperatures, but it does help to have a windscreen. I made one with cereal box cardboard and aluminum foil.”

“condoms can be used to hold water (about 1/2 gal.) in emergency and can make a slingshot. should be non-lubricated kind.”

“Yo bacpac, I got to use that Pur Scout this weekend and all I have to say is?WOW! It?s like not knowing how bad your Pinto is until someone gives you a Cadi! The thing puts out more than my slutty cousin Veronica and faster too. It is KISS simple, I can actually operate it with only two hands, and there is no assembly. I used the charcoal post filter and found the water tastes pretty good. I have a Brita filter/pitcher I keep in the fridge and the Pur tastes better than that. This thing is everything I was looking for in a filter. Thanks again for passing it along. If there?s ever anything I can do for you just say the word.”

“Keep it up and he's gonna ask for it back!”

“Just dont rely on it as a purifier. They were all recalled, check with pur. It is still great, just watch out for glacial melt water, the fine silt bungs them up tight as a drum!”

“Is that charcoal post filter supposed to aid in getting reducing any iodine taste? I have a Hiker model and have wondered about upgrading to purifier by getting the filter that has the iodine in it. So I'd have to get an Pur inline filter too???”

“the carbon filter just removes the taste. the carbon in the pur works too good and removes too much iodine before it kills the cooties. just ditch the carbon filter, or just use the regular filter instead of the voyager purifier cartridge.”

“Let me see if I have this right. A filter only gets out the non-viral cooties and the chemical treatment (iodine) gets the viral cooties, right so far? So if the carbon filter kills the iodine before it can kill all the viral stuff it is still a filter, right? I didn?t try the water without running it through the carbon filter so I?m not sure what it tastes like straight from the filter.”

“it should work like that, i guess. i would just stick with the filter or stick with the purifier, sans carbon (if you can stand the taste).”

“Yeah...you got the paper filter to catch particulates (sediment and diabolical microbiologically-challenged cysts), the charcoal/carbon to reduce *flavors*, and the iodine to kill virus' and whatever else is small enough to pass throught the paper filter.

I was never concerned about virus', but the thought has crossed my mind in light of recent events!”

“Nigal I think there is something on Pur's website about this. You may recall I mentioned this in my email, but I never did look up the specifics.”

“More gear winners:
Thermarest Guidelight pad.
MSR 4 liter Dromedary bladder.
Kenyon Recoat 3”

“First Need purifiers -- no iodine issue and they do purify, not just filter. A bit bulky shape, but I've never had a failure with mine, though I've never done glacial meltwater with superfine silt.”

“Re filter/purifier,
The problem is the amount of contact time the water has with the iodinated resin filter. This problem increases when the water temperature decreases.
The only really fail safe method (apart from boiling) is to treat the water first, with iodine, chlorine dioxide or some other chemical treatment, then filter. Try filtering a glass of beer (shocking waste I know) with one the MSR waterworks. The beer came out clear and tasted of hops.”

“Pekka, you've pumped Superior water with the first need haven't you? I don't think it gets any colder or siltier than that! BTW, it's nice to see you around again. Birch and I were wondering where you were.”

“Two more gear winners. Aquamira water treatment
Silicone nylon stuff sacks, as light as a plastic bag, but way stronger and very water resistant too.”

“Sassafras, I've been occupied with a number of minor things such as work and family biz, but also I've been avoiding the political, social theory, football, and trolling threads, which hasn't left too many threads to respond to lately. I did stick my nose into the Feingold thread today since he's my senator.

BTW, I love the new name. Growing up in southern Michigan, I used to make sassafras tea all the time. Even made sassafras rootbeer once at scout camp and, he he, it went a bit "hard" on us. Should have gotten the moonshining merit badge for that.”

“Do they have a moonshining merit badge? LOL”

“Well, maybe it could count as a project for Chemistry mb. If you get caught, the BSA does have a fingerprinting mb. I do have that one, LOL.”

“I thought you could only get the Moonshining Merit Badge in Kentucky!”

“Kentucky has Burbon merit badges.”

“Not in Elliot County!”

“sklukaz, when the big labor migration to the Michigan and Wisconsin auto plants took place, a lot of "Kentucks" brought their skills north with them. That, and I had an uncle from the Missouri Ozarks.”

“Yeah, I know, I grew up in Southern Michigan. In some areas of Kentucky, liquor sales are illegal and shining's big business.”

“Ohio had desided they were having too many Kentuckians migrating north so they put stricter guidelines on who could come across the river. In order to be allowed to come into the state you had to have professional skills. Two gentalmen from Kentucky came to the bridge wanting to cross over into Ohio. The imigration officer asked the first one what his proffesion was.

"Why, I'm a pilot.", he said.

"Great! Come on over!"

The officer asked the second Kentuckian what his profession was.

"Why, I cut firewood.", the gentalman said.

"Sorry but we have plenty of unskilled labor to cut firewood.", the officer said.

The Kentuckian hotly replied, "Well how the hell is he suposed to pilot if I don't cut it?!"

All opologies to Kentuckians. It's a joke. I love Kentucky! 8)”

“Hehehe, I promise not to repeat any of the Ohio jokes I've heard since I moved here!”

“But I never said I wouldn't tell any Kentucky jokes.


If a husband and wife move to Ohio and get a divorce, are they still brother and sister?


How is a tornado like a Kentucky divorce? Somebody's gonna lose a trailor.”