Gear I wish someone would make

“As I was hiking recently I got to thinking about wrist top computers / altimeters and thinking it would be nice if they gave some estimate of linear distance also like a pedometer -then I was looking at my new treking poles and thinking it would look good right on top of the pole and would allow the computer to count pole plants - after some calibration this should be as good as a pedometer for estimating linear distance.

OK what's your dream piece of gear?”

“Two person free standing tent that weighs less than 2 pounds!”

“Self propelled backpack.



NO not my self !!!”

“Fold up non stick cookware-

A vertical tube that would hold 12 oz cans.12 of them.”

“Gore-Tex backpack. No need for a pack cover.”

“I really want a "fabric" cook pot. It would fold up or collapse and then return to its proper shape quickly. This would eliminate that cursed pot always finding a way to jab my kidneys.”

“And that nice metallic rattle eh!


A coffee boiler that is a realistic size-always way too small or big enough for 20.”

“a backpack with a built in mule”

“Either Patagonia needs to get the pattern from Jockey or Jockey needs to buy some capilene from Patagonia, I don't care which.”

“An X-tra long sleeping pad. Either my legs or head hang over both the Therma-rest and the Z-rest.”

“a self pitchin tent”

“WD, already done, but without GoreTex. My VauDe Grand Canyon is waterproof, seams are high tech fused == no rain cover needed. They also make a fully submersible version, the Blue Canyon or Black Canyon or something like that. Have to search out dealers, though. I got mine at wholesale from a company rep at a canoe show.”

“dehydrated water.”

“A pad specifically made for my Hennessessy Hammock as well as a already made heat reflector.”

“A portable shelter and some sort of sleeping shell that... oh wait, I think they have those already.”

“lol funny sight”

“anti-gravity boots.”

“Light weight, maybe titanium -- comes in two sizes,a 2 quart an a 3 quart. At high alititudes -- cooking simple things like rice, and pasta and beans can take forever (for those of us who cannot afford those fancy freeze dried meals)... a pressure cooker is a necessity A back packers pressure cooker would be ideal -- small, light weight -- and allows you to cook more efficiently at lower altitudes and actually makes it possible to cook staple, inexpensive foods at high altitudes.”

“something to fit over the top of my boots to keep water out when crossing over the ankle streams”

“josh
You mean like gaitors?”

“that is something I could use too fasttimes

Tilt - I agree most heartily - I use Patagonia boxers and do wish they would ... ummmm ... fit better”

“Camel Fluffer, GSI make a small steel Pressure cooker.
You would have seen heaps of aluminium pressure cookers in Kathmandu, I saw seven different sizes in one shop alone.”

“The GSI is HEAVY-
I doubt I would carry it at sea level-
Tell us more about the gear shops in Kathmandu!!!Do you barter?

I HAVE TO ASK NO OFFENSE INTENDED,
What is origin of he name Camel Fluffer-
I keep getting some real bizzare pictures in my brain.”

“Removable/washable/replaceable snotrags on the sleeves of coats for easy wiping.”

“Buddur, safty pin a bandana on yer shirt! Or better yet, tie it around your neck or sleeve. :o)

I want trekking poles that have a button on top to extend/shorten them instead of the stop, tighten method.”

“I hang a bandanna from my shoulder straps when hiking, but for frigid weather, it'd be nice to have a piece stuck to my coat's sleeve cuff so I can mipe my runny nose on my sleeve.”

“Noooo... you don't want a hanky up your sleeve. Remember 'The Fops' on Saturday Night Live??

Just blow your nose really hard, then plug it with kleenex, *G*”

“cannonball it Buddur!”

“You can barter, but I think you mean haggle. The rule is start halfway and see how far you can get.
They're mostly located in a "suburb" for loss of a better description called Thamel. You can if you look hard enough find any equipment. Most of the gear early on was stuff from expeditions, but now there is quite a bit of new gear. Shops like Makalu Mountaineering also manufacture. If any patent lawyers went through they could be kept busy for years!
Every major brand is used shamelessly.My favorite are "The North Face" backpacks (would struggle to hold a lunchbox full of sandwiches!) and the goretex jackets ( they have gortex printed on them and thats the closest they get to goretex).

I saw a Suunto watch there before it was available in Australia! It's a good place to pick up cheap climbing gear and camp stoves.”

“I'd like a lighter that uses white gas as fuel.”

“walkindude, somethin like gators, but gators don't really let you stand in the water without getting your feet wet, do they? at least the OR gators i bought didn't. first thing i did when i got em was take em to the park and dunk my dogs. got wet immediately. they wouldn't even work if i quickstepped.”

“Bunyip-
Have you seen the khumbu & spun a prayer wheel?”

“A white gas Pocket Rocket.”

“Alright Buddur, take some ol tube socks and cut the striped part off and put 'em on yer arms. Wipe away man, wipe away! :o)”

“Men's Shell/Rainpants with a zipper.

You know what I'm talkin' about guys!”

“is that a front zipper or a back zipper Buddur? (BSEG)”

“Steve hiker, it's coming!!!!!! I've seen it. It weighs bugger all and cooks like an F-18's afterburner!
Only problem is it runs a whole new MSR pump and bottle system than currently available.

Joshman, The Khumbu for me was like one of those epic moments in a persons life. I passionately speak to everyone about this wonderful place. Dont let Sept 11 and the Maoists from preventing you from going. Everyone should go there at least once. Watching the sun set on Nuptse with all the different colours, sitting in a teahouse kitchen, drinking chang, getting drunk and laughing about nothing with the wonderful Sherpa people are only a small part of the many highlights.

The most memorable Prayer Wheels are the ones that circle Bodhnath.
Even the littlest village has Prayer Wheels and I never got tired of turning any of them.”

“How about this stove?

Snow Peak White Gas Stove

Of course it does cost $149.00, but what better to spend your hard-earned money on?”

“Portable desalination unit.”

“I think the new MSR is smaller, it's gotta burner and pot supports like the Superfly. I'm not sure if it's lighter though.”

“I've been wondering about the Snow Peak White Gas stove too. Anyone here have one?

The price is stiff but if it works as good as they claim and no priming hey, I'll give it a look. As long as it's quiet, don't want it to sound like an F-18's afterburner lol.”

“A superlightweight climbing rope that you could throw in your pack and forget about like rain gear 'just in case.' A similar harness.

Duck lips that don't leak.

Spray on sunblock that isn't sticky and doesn't turn your skin white.

Bug juice that doesn't smell.”

“Just found out that the new MSR stove has been scrapped. Bugger.

How about,
"New camping gear smell" in a convenient spray pack.
"I've been camping this weekend spray" to impress work mates, when you dont have time to go away.”

“I got some of these from Hilleberg. These things are amazing! Wish I would have thought of it. NO WAY are these coming loose.
The few TTers who own Hillebergs know what I'm saying.”

“In response to HogOnIce's opening post to this thread, how about a GPS? Gives you everything you mentioned and more in one small compact package.”

“well yes a GPS would do most of it although I think a regular altimeter does a good enough job of reading height and ditto the pedometer function for linear distance. I guess I am not enough of a gear head to go for the GPS - there are times I would have used it of course but they are mostly to record placement of things so that I can tell other people easily where to find something or to make it easy for me to find my way back to something found while bushwhacking. The idea I was thinking of would not be as heavy as a GPS and definately would not go through batteries anywhere near as fast as a GPS. Also I think putting the display on top of the trekking pole is good for keeping it where one can easily see it without stopping to dig something out.

Another idea I had recently and the product probably already exists would be some sort of a very light weight overshoe that is easy to take on and off just for crossing streams without taking ones boots off. Accent here is on light weight since the product would be carried most of the time and only used during stream / swamp / bog crossings.”

“How about mountains with two downhill sides?”

“Lightwieght Viagra (that was actually a freinds suggestion)

Buddur and Gonzo have some really good ideas, yet they haven't posted any of them yet.”

“So let me see if I have this straight: You want a device that functions as a GPS, but it's not a GPS. You don't want it to use a lot of battery power, and you want it to have a display on the top of your trekking pole. Hmmm....... let me get my rocket scientist friends working on this marvel.”