Help with gear buying

“I just started looking at backpacking, and I'm considering a trip in the GA area north of Atlanta.
The trip I'm thinking about would be one night on the trail, and fairly easy days.
The time frame is early to mid-March, the average temp is high's in the 60s, lows in the 40s.
The group size will probably be 5-6 people.
This is also on a very tight budget, so the cheaper the better(within reason).

What I would like is some thoughts on the gear I'm looking at:

For a tent, I'm looking at:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ctd/product.asp?dept%5Fid=632004&sku=KEY%2D125&imgid=&mscssid=FC28MEC0XCRX8LQME8TG6R2CGRRE8SB0
It is French military surplus, but it IS cheaper than I could rent a 2-man for 2 days at REI.

I plan on just renting a pack from REI for this first trip to help cut down on cost.

For a sleeping bag, I have a rectangular coleman, synthetic filling, but I think with layering it will be warm enough.

For food, I thought Cambells condensed soup would work for supper since it's just one night.

Mainly I just want tips on the tent, thanks.”

“That tent will be way too heavy. Plus if it rains, it will soak up a lot of water and get even heavier. I'd rent a tent before I'd buy that thing.

What part of North Georgia are you considering? Be aware that mid-March is when most northbound AT thru-hikers start, so the area around the AT will be very crowded.”

“wow! nobody used the word troll on this thread yet?y'all slackin these days or what?”

“I'd stay the heck away from that tent. It's cotton and probably weighs 10# or more.

Tent: I'd buy a 10'x10' tarp at Wal-Mart, stake the ridges with either sticks you find or tied to a tree. It'll weigh about 2# and cost about $10. You probably won't have bug issues that time of year if you're in the mtns.

Sleeping bag: I'd be careful here. If you're above about 2000' it will be colder than you think. You might want the capacity to get down to 40* or so, just in case.

Food: For just one night you're probably alright. You might consider getting an Enertia meal from a local outfitter. They're good, filling and cheap.

The other two issues I can think of are water purification and don't wear cotton!”

“I agree with dayhiker on the tent. Go with a blue tarp. It's big enough and the bugs shouldn't be an issue. My guess is the French tent would give up anyway the first time it rains.”

“Thanks guys,
The tent weighs about 8# or so, a little on the heavy side.

For water purification I figured on tablets, and maybe using a handkercheif to clean out some of the silt.

The trail I'm thinking about is the Askas trail, and it isn't part of the AT.
The brochure says "A mixture
of single track and former logging roads with elevations
changes of 1,700 feet area encountered." and lists its length as 17 miles.

I also plan on getting a closed-cell sleeping pad, it's 24x72x0.25 and only costs $9.95

As for the clothing:
OH NO! :) I prefer jeans, and cotton t-shirts, but I had kindof figured on having to atleast buy pants for it.

As an aside, the reason for mid-March is it's my spring break.”

“You might consider the Pinhoti in Alabama. The elevations are the same and it's an actual trail instead of old logging roads. Here's a ton of info on it: http://solopinhoti.tripod.com/

Water: Consider Polar Pure. It's $10, weighs nothing, last forever, and doesn't give an aftertaste. This is what I use.

Clothing: You can probably find some nylon or polyester pants, t-shirt and possibly a fleece at Wal-Mart or Target for cheap. Also consider checking out a thrift store. Lots of folks here have made good scores that way.

That tent is way heavy at 8#. Most folks here are under 3# for that item. My tent, sleeping bag, and backpack weigh a grand total of 4#4oz, for comparison.”

“"My tent, sleeping bag, and backpack weigh a grand total of 4#4oz, for comparison."

What the hell ya using these days? My base weight for the three is about 10 pounds now.

SD Clip Flashlight 4,3oz

Western Mountainiers Badger 3, 2oz

ULA P-2 pack 2,4oz.”

“all I can say is ebay!!!!!
i bought my very first tent there. i think you get them now for $20 or so.
you can even squeeze 2 people in it”

“Homebuilt tarpent with ground cloth and stakes 27oz

Homebuilt 40* down quilt 21oz

Gearskin backpack 20 oz.

For cooler temps I have a 20* campmor down bag that's around 3#'s. I break it out if it's going to be under about 35*.


Good call Gemini on ebay. Totally forgot about them.”

“PS - cotton t-shirt will be ok during the day provided you have a backup for the evening and the 2nd day. There is nothing worse than putting on a cold T in 50* weather.”

“I just saw where you're from Texas. Lots of folks here are real familar with the Ozarks in NW Arkansas. Great scenery and less driving. Just food for thought.”

“http://www.campingstation.net/noname17.html

I've got one of these and with seam-sealing it's a great little pup tent. Will keep you dry and warmer than a tarp. Less $ and lot's less poundage.

Now where in heck is the Askas trail?”

“Thanks for the trail suggestions, but the reason for GA is the friend I plan on doing this with lives in GA, so we'd be there for the week and the backpacking is just a "side" trip.
If I ever do one closer here, either Big Ben or the Ozarks would probably be my choice.

Gemini: For some reason I hadn't thought about eBay for the tent, good idea though.

As for TDale, the tent looks pretty good, might get that. The Askas trail is south of Blue Ridge, GA in Fannin county.”

“here's a link to a short description

Seems to be more of a mountain biking trail than a hiking trail, although it is designated for both.”

“If you gotta have a cheaperthandirt tent go with this one:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ctd/product.asp?dept%5Fid=632006&sku=W01163&imgid=&mscssid=FC28MEC0XCRX8LQME8TG6R2CGRRE8SB0

Get lightweight nylon stuff. A rectangular Coleman bag will work if it squishes down real small and has no cotton liner.

I say go with the cheapest stuff possible and after several bag nights you'll have a better idea what you need to spend the real $$ for. Most people don't ever work up the nads to get started.”

“p.s. What part of Texas are you in? You are heading the wrong direction - the Rockies are the other way. I'm headed for the Pecos Wilderness at the end of the month and I have extra gear.”

“If there is an REI near you, rent what you need from them for your first trip. They have good quality gear for rent, and it will give you an 'honest' backpacking experience. If you don't like backpacking after using decent gear, all you've lost is the rental cost, and that can be looked at as an 'honest' cost for an 'honest' experience. Nothing leaves you more miserable, or will turn you off from ever going hiking again, faster than insufficient gear.”

“The Texsport tent mentioned above will probably fit your needs for one trip. It is heavy for what it provides, but it is cheap and will likely fit your needs.

The sleeping bag is where you will be hardest pressed to find the quality gear. That’s also where you should spend the most $.”

“all i can say is wow!this guy posts a legit question and nobody is screaming TROLL at him. what gives? has all the sarcasim left the building??????”

“toejam,
I live just north of Ft Worth, I'm about a half hour from Cheaper Than Dirt, and about a half hour from Bass Pro Outdoor World.
I've looked online, and there are about 3 REIs in the Atlanta area, so I figured I'd rent the gear there and save the 2+ travel days on rent.

As for the Rockies....... I want something a little warmer for my first trip. :)

top dawg:
I might end up renting the tent from REI, it was just that the one I was looking at was cheaper, that's where I plan on renting the pack.

hubcap:
Yeah, the sleeping bag is/was still up in the air. I'm not even sure what mine is supposed to be good down to.”

“Ask peopl on the forums if they are selling stuff.
i know for a fact nigal was thinking about selling a tent and scorchfire was willing to sell an external frame pack just ask people for gear.

Start a thread called "is anyone selling gear"”

“For food, go with Ramen or mac and cheese. They are lighter than soup, cheap and have plenty of calories. You can use powdered milk and water instead of milk for the mac.

Tablets are fine for water on a short trip.

Gemini is definitely right - if you want to go cheap with a tent (or backpack, sleeping bag, etc.) check out ebay. For example, this might prove to be a good deal [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36118&item=5119651026&rd=1[url]

REI used gear sales can also be great place to pick up a bargain. Check out the the timing of the used gear sales at stores near you.

Best deal is to borrow gear and not buy until you know more about what you are doing.

Tarp, as others said, is also a great option if you feel up to it.. you could always try it out in your yard (or a friend's if you don't have one).”

“Got a good tip from Tarabull prior to going regarding breakfast food--We used the Quaker oats instant oatmeal packs-- just add hot water (in the pouch-- no muss, no fuss, no dirty pans to wash.)

We chose to bring Trail Mix (can be bought for cheap at Costco and Sam's Clubs)--not lightweight, but it is yummy. Triscuits and (funny as it may sound) Cans of Pringles are also great to have for the salt content.... (and lack of crushability)

We dehydrated some of our own foods. (There's an awesome Canyon Country Chili recipe in the "Backpack Goumet" by Linda Frederick Yaffe) but we also supplemented our own dehydrated foods with packs of instant

Rice noodles, japanese udon noodles, and ramen noodles. (All are instant, only need boiling water.) The vermicelli rice noodles are pretty good-- taste better than Ramen and rehydrate quicker-- you can get it at some Chinese or Asian grocery stores.
They are packaged the same way as the Ramen-- with seasonings and take a lot less waiting time to be "ready to eat".

The Udon & Ramen are pretty cheap at Walmart--I think only about $0.75 or so (the Udon tastes better IMHO--it is like a thick noodle--they look "moist" in the package). If you don't want to consume a lot of MSG, mix up some spices to your own taste at home and just use your own spices with the pack of noodles.

To reduce clean-up, we used quart-sized freezer ziploc baggies as our "bowl". We also added dehydrated veggies (there's a brand called "Just Veggies" that is a mix of carrots, corn, peas and peppers-- it's awesome to mix in with noodles and adds some extra bulk in terms of texture and flavor, but weigh nearly nothing.) We also used foil packs of chicken, shrimp, tuna, ham, etc. instead of cans-- 1 pack mixes with 2 packs of instant noodles and also gives you an actual bit of protein (texture and flavor) in the meal. Sure beats just sacks of ramen and the foil packs are much lighter than the cans.

A warm sleeping bag is vital. my hubby & I had "summer weight" 50 degree bags. NOT a good thing in Alaska (where we were). Temps for us ranged from about 60s to mid-30s... we even had 1 night of frost! (the thermometer inside the car read 33 degrees--probably a little less because I read it after we started the car engine.)

Our bags, though light were very cold at night (only rated to 50 degrees or so)--we had read something about using a 3/4 length pad, so our thermarest didn't go down to our feet. (to lighten the load). BIG mistake! Our feet were so cold, because of contacting the ground, we had trouble sleeping the 1st night!

We also originally had the foam pads that were 3/4 length, but were lucky enough to be given full length pads during our stay.... you don't know what it means to have that extra bit of insulation between your feet and the cold ground!

We wore a lot of layers at night to combat the cold-- wooly socks (if really cold, we also wore the sock liners), Capeline long underwear (pants and long sleeve shirt)-- make sure they are NOT cotton. Workout pants (synthetic), a synthetic T-shirt (long sleeves work better--depends on if you are a "hot" or "cold" sleeper.) Sometimes a fleece vest or jacket if really cold. In other words, LOTS OF LAYERS. That way, if you get too hot or cold you can add or subtract as needed.

We supplemented our light sleeping bags with some lightweight fleece material (about the same width and length as the sleeping bag)-- bought at the local fabric store on the remnant rack for less than $3-4. Believe me, that little scrap of fleece made a HUGE difference in the warmth of the bag. However, if you can get a scrap that is slightly bigger than the width of your bag, it will work a bit better, as you can tuck or wrap it around yourself a bit more. (or, as my husband decided to do, he wrapped it like a scarf around his neck to keep the cold air out of the top of the sleeping bag!)

We also would wear a ski cap to bed to keep our heads warm.... :-)

We kept pretty warm at night this way! Learned by talking to others here and by our own trial and error! :-)

Good luck--remember that even if it is warm during the day, if it is springtime, the ground might still be a lot colder! Best thing to bring with you is a positive attitude and make sure you are prepared so that your trip will be a lot of fun and only a little effort!”

“"Homebuilt 40* down quilt 21oz"

Did you make this yourself? I have really been wanting one because I sleep under my bag unzipped and would love to be able to save on weight. they are really expensive and I don't have the chops for sewing something like this.”

“use the link that pixie posted...there is a decent sleeping bag by the North Face on sale right now for just under 50 bucks!! I believe it is rated to 40 degrees...a very good deal.

They also have great prices on select other products, including tents.”

“pinkbubelz: I also use a 3/4 thermarest some nights. If it gets too cold, I put my pack under my feet. The padding in the pack does a fair job as improvised insulation.

Oatmeal straight from the packages does work well. I owe that knowledge to lizs.

For my first backpacking trips, I wore cotton since I didn't know any better. I've seen the light since then and switched to synthetics.

Like others have said, a tarp makes a great cheap shelter if you don't need the total shelter a tent provides.”

“I use a 3/4 Thermarest, and just stuff some clothes under my feet inside my bag. Works great. I also have a Thermarest sport seat I bring to sit on around the campfire, and when it's time for bed, I put that under the foot of my bag. It rarely stays put though, so I have to do the clothes trick to keep my feet warm.”

“Nigal - I built it from a kit on thru-hiker.com. It was around $120. My mother-in-law can sew anything and has an excellent sewing machine. She built my tarptent. Over Thanksgiving weekend I built the quilt at her house. I had her to answer questions in case I got in a bind. I don't think I wound up needing help. It was easy. My only previous experience was sewing silnylon stuff sacks.”

“Food and clothing are two areas where weight becomes an issue.

I second the suggestion about going to wally or K-Mart to get some good, inexpensive clothing. Make sure it's poly. Also, a lot fo sporting goods dealers, like Sports Authority and Dunham's are having big sales right now on alot of their poly *summer* stuff.

I don't like taking Ramen noodles, as the MSG gives me headaches, but I will take them most of the time, because if there is a problem and I need to stay onthe trail an extra day, it makes for a light weight back up food, I just don't use the packet.

I am going counter to the light weight food thing. This season, I plan on bring more varitey and fresh stuff, like onion, potato and anything else I think I want. I have this luxury, because my pack weight is so low (low to mid 30s, with water and booze) that I can afford it. I have no problem carrying an additional 20 lbs in consumables (and have), makes for a more enjoyable trip if I'm *fat and happy*. Remember tho, what might work for me, might not work for you. Use your best judgement, as you don't want to put yourself at risk of problems and need to be extracted, there by putting SAR peeps at risk too.

Good luck and please keep the questions coming. It's very refreshing to help out another bper!”

“Duofold Hydroduct™ Short Sleeve Tee(For Men)

I have several of these and I think they work better than some of the more expensive poly shirts. They're cheep and they dry fast.”

“Instead of iodine tablets, look at Aqua Mira. Not much more expensive ($12), but tastes much, much better and does a better job at killing the nasties - gets some that iodine can't.

Food - go to Wal-Mart or the grocery store and get a packet of Lipton-style noodles. Any brand will do, but I suggest you don't get one that has a "milky/cheesy" sauce. I usually get Thai-style noodles. I always have problems with the cheesey stuff burning and even if it doesn't it is harder to clean out of your bowl.

Speaking of bowl - try only taking a cooking bowl and spoon, eat out of the bowl. You don't need a full Boy Scout mess kit!

Don't take cotton. Period. Too heavy and won't ever dry. Try campmor.com for cheaper stuff.

Rent your big 3: tent, sleeping bag, pack. Like others said, you'll know you have quality stuff so you don't freeze or get wet, or get hurt on your first trip. I'll sell you one of my older packs. I have an old external frame (very light) that has only been used once, and several internal frame packs. Email me at sierra@gaede.net if you want details.”

“hell i take my cookware and a titanium msr spoon and that is it!!

If there is someone packing with me if they can sllep next to me tehy kcan eat out the dame pot and with the same spoon as me i dont care!”

“MSR Mountain Bowl, weighs 3.5 ozs. and costs $5.95

Lexan spoon, 0.5 oz, $1.25 for two”

“before going to WalMart or checking full price websites for clothes, see if sierra has what you need. I don't where else one can get high quality fleece or poly shirts and pants for the prices they offer. They have great sock prices too. Good socks are also key. Sierra will most likely have what you need, cheaper and better quality than Wal Mart. Hands down.”

“and secondhand stores are another good resource for cheep clothes and gear.”

“Dicentra has found some really good deals at the thriftstore. Good suggestion.”

“....about using clothing for our feet. I used my rain jacket/windbreaker and a neck gaiter for my pillow most nights. Worked okay as long as it was under my neck.... Someone offered us the full length pads on our trip, so we took them...(free is always good!) We'll have to try the clothes trick next time-- but wearing big wooly socks helped tremendously and definitely body heat (if you can share your bag!) :-D

I really don't like Ramen that much, (hence the udon and rice noodle alternatives.) We made a point of the dehydrating of the Backpack Gourmet because of that.

I even learned how to make muffins!

I use "Bisquick complete" muffin mix (just add water!). They have a variety of flavors (we made cheese-garlic and also tried the cinnamon roll ones). put the mix into a ziploc baggie.... Add water, mush it up... cut a hole in the corner and squeeze out the mix into the little foil cupcake cups (like squeezing out cake icing). I made my own "camp oven" (actually like a double boiler) by inverting 2 metal spoons and a fork on the bottom of a pot and placing a 2nd pot inside. Added water to the outer pot. and about 1/2 inch of water to the inner pot. put your foil cups (filled) in the inner pot. and cook for the allotted time. in 8 minutes you have (steamed) muffins! hot and yummy! (great for car camping! or if you have a little extra time to cook!) They're not browned, but they do taste good on a cold night (or morning!)

laqtis is right.... we enjoyed our home-made dehydrated "canyon country chili" and "tomato pesto pasta" while our friends were eating Ramen... All we had to add was boiling hot water and a little waiting time! I figure if I have to, I'd rather enjoy the food I'm eating!

Plus, my hubby's sensitive to onions and this way, we could monitor the spices and the amount of sodium going into our food as well. (no MSG allowed!)

Try mashed potato flakes with butter buds, garlic powder, dried chives and dried milk.... you can also add some bacon bits and make your own "fully loaded baked potato (add some shredded cheese and it's fantastic!)

Oh, and I owe the instant oatmeal trick to Tarabull.... Thanks to her for giving us some of these "no-pot-clean-up" ideas! (Ziploc baggies are "da bomb!")”

“Well, I've got plenty to chew on about food now! :)

What do you guys think about this stove?
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=13903&memberId=12500226
I *think* that we already have one similar to it, so it'd be great if that would work.

Thanks for all the suggestions on the water purification. I had wondered about using Gatorade dry mix with the tablets to cover up the iodine, but it would be nice to drink just water.

Before I go bping, I'll probably try some of the different food options, that way I'll know what I find inedible, edible, or good.

The muffins sound pretty good, especially for only eight minutes.

Also, for utensils I was thinking about just getting the disposable plastic forks and spoons. Would those work?

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.”

“I have one of those that I got for my son to use at camporees when he was in the scouts. We don't even use it car camping. You want it? It's heavy, prone to tipping over while you're cooking, and the fuel bottles are both bulky and heavy. I've seen them used for backpacking but I wouldn't do it. You can get them at Wally World, no shipping required.

I use an MSR Pocket Rocket or an alcohol stove I made myself out of two soda cans.”

“For a stove, check out StoveStomper's page. He has many designs listed there so you can make your own. Won't cost you more than a couple of soda cans. Can't get any cheaper (or lighter!) than that.

To start out, a cheap plastic spoon would be just fine. You may want to get a soup spoon so you can hold more food and stir easier.”

“I've backpacked with one of those propane stoves. Heavy as hell, especially the bottles.

You might consider one of these. Great for boiling water, not so hot for cooking, although I have cooked with one using multiple fuel tabs.”

“BTW, disposable plasticware will work so long as you don't try to stir anything that's cooking. Then, they melt. You can get nylon eating utensils at WalMart pretty cheap back in the camping dept.”

“Oh, and I do have that exact stove turumdarak. Used it on a few trips until I started using my Pepsi can stove. If you do use that heavy thing you can shave about a pound off the burner by taking wire cutters to the holes just above the knob. Then that large outer piece will come right off (and go in the trash). The pot supports are left and still work fine. I then used a heavy tin foil above the knob to catch spills and shield the knob from the heat. Much lighter, if you must use it. Used it down to 19 degrees one time. Pure propane doesn't like the cold but it will work.”

“You can't do the muffins with plasticware... they will melt. However, I understand that some people will improvise and use a couple of small pebbles instead of teh utensils-- something that will keep the inner pot from touching the bottom of the outer pot.

Oh yes. I forgot to mention. You will also need a lid to cover both pots so that the food will "bake" properly.

Also, from what i understand, you can't mix your gaterade WITH the tablets. You need to add it after the tablets have finished working or it will negate the power of the water tablets.

I have a kind of tablet that has a 2 tablet combo-- 1st one w/iodine to take away the germs, the 2nd one neutralizes the iodine taste. (someone told me that it is just basically a vitamin C tablet, but don't quote me on that) I used it once, but was leary of a weird taste, so I just mixed the gaterade in it. It worked fine.

We have a primus stove (the Yellowstone) that is very lightweight and screws to the top of a fuel can. I like it, but you have to be careful when using a windscreen so that you don't overheat the fuel can. We used heavy duty alumnium foil as our wind screen.”

“Oops,

My stove is actually a Primus 3270 Technotrail, I think the Yellowstone might be our lantern. You can see it here:

http://www.suuntousa.com/products_primus.htm

We got the one with the little lighter. The guy at the store told us that eventually the lighter will "burn away", but so far we love it! It is lightweight and with the 3-point burners legs, you have better contact with the pot (less likely to tip over that way.)

It's small and packs very lightly. We used 1 can of fuel to (mostly) boil water. Each can boiled enough water for a few days worth of meals. (I don't remember exactly how many-- we carried 2 cans for 3 nights of backpacking. I don't think we even used 1 full can. However, we only boiled water and never had to "cook" anything for a long period of time.”

“I was going to suggest the exact thing that bitpusher suggested. Esbit is what I use unless I'm expecting extensive cooking. It's great for boil and eat type meals and it weighs about 4 oz with tablets.”

“Well, the Esbit's look like they're probably what I'll get. They have two things going for them:
1. Small
2. Cheap!

Also, is there anything in particular you can suggest for cookware?
I'm kindof looking at http://www.rei.com/product/394.htm


Thanks.”

“Esbit: Beware that they leave a black, sticky residue on the pot. Take some baby wipes in a ziplock to clean the cookpot.

Cook pot: I use a Wal-Mart greasepot. Not sure if you can get them anymore. Cost $5 and weigh 4 oz. I was never able to find one in a Super Wal-Mart. I finally found one in a regular Wal_Mart. They are about 6" in diameter, hold aobut 0.75L are painted black and have the word "GREASE" punched into the metal.”