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InvisibleShroomismM
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The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist * 1
    #6583080 - 02/18/07 08:48 PM (17 years, 1 month ago)

This thread was inspired by the Festival Survival Kit thread in the Gathering and Travel Forum.
I thought I might create a useful thread for us outdoor enthusiasts.. some of the more inexperienced sometimes have trouble putting together the right gear without bringing unnecessary stuff, so I decided to put together this checklist of the most useful things you should have while backpacking. I know when I first started getting into it, I didn't know half of what I really needed to bring, and I brought a lot of stuff that I never needed. I'll try and break it down into categories.. and have two different sections for 'necessities' and 'luxuries'. Please contribute your ideas as well.


Necessities

"The Essential Ten"
1. map
2. compass
3. extra clothing
4. fire starter (magnesium)
5. matches (waterproof)
6. sunglasses and sunscreen
7. extra food, including water and a way to purify it
8. pocket knife
9. first aid kit
10. flashlight
** Notes on the top ten essentials at the bottom

Pack Group
- Hiking Backpack
- Pack Liner (Trash compactor bag - cheap and durable)
- Stuff sack (sil-nylon preferably)

Shelter Group
- Tarp/Tent/Hammock
- Stakes and rope needed

Sleeping Group
- Sleeping Bag (rated to as cold as you plan on being in)
- Stuff sack
- Foam Pad (closed cell) - optional but highly recommended for cold camping and almost essential for down bags

Kitchen Group
- Fuel Bottle
- Alcohol Stove (lightest weight)
- Lightweight camping Pot
- Lighter
- Water Bottle
- Water Bladder (~3L or more)
- Water Filter (or iodine tablets)
- Vitamin C tablets
- Stuff Sack (Food bag)
- Spork!
- Bandanna (Can serve as a wash rag, holding stuff.. has a million uses)
- 1 length of para-cord - 30-50' (for stringing up your food bag in bear country, anything else you might need rope for)

Hygiene Group
- Small pack towel
- Waterless hand cleaner
- Zip lock bag (to store)
- Partial roll of toilet paper
- Tiny size toothpaste/toothbrush
- Baby Wipes

Navigation Group
- Map
- Compass
- Trail Guide
- Small Light (Headlamp)
- Small bundle of paper/notebook
- Pen

Repair/First Aid Group
- Repair Kit (safety pins, thread/needle, various extra buckles etc for tent/pack)
- Altoids Tin Survival Kit - there are many different variations of this, but the basic idea is a lot of useful tools in a very small package.
- Small roll of duct tape (wrap some around a pencil to conserve space)
- Emergency Fire Starter kit (magnesium fire starter)
- Spare lithium batteries
- 20' of 550 'para cord'

RAIN GEAR Group
- Rain Jacket/Poncho
- Rain Pants
- Rain Mittens

Clothing - In Pack - Warm Weather
- 1 spare pair socks
- 1 spare shirt
- 1 spare underwear

Clothing - In Pack - Cool Weather
- 1 long sleeve top
- 1 pair long pants
- Fleece hat
- Fleece Gloves
- Warm socks

Clothing - In Pack - Colder Weather
- Insulated Jacket
- Insulated Pants
- Heavy Wool Socks
- Mittens
- Gor-Tex Socks

Clothing - Worn - and Items Carried
- 1 pair trail runners
- 1 pair socks
- 1 t-shirt
- 1 pair underwear
- 1 pair light running shorts
- 1 ball cap

- ID and cash
- 1 small pocket knife
- 1 watch
- 1 pair trekking poles with rubber tips (optional but recommended to reduce wear on tear on knees and back)
- 3 days worth of food



Luxuries
- Camping Chair
- Portable Music Player
- Camera



** THE TEN ESSENTIALS

First Aid Kit:
You want it to be as light and minimal as possible, yet with all the basic essentials, this includes: gauze pads and a gauze roll, band aids, alcohol swabs, butterfly closures, a triangular bandage, pain killers (ibuprofen or similar!), adhesive tape, ace bandage, moleskin, tweezers, small scissors, safety pins and personal medications if needed.
I put all these things together and put them in a zip lock bag to save space/weight.. I haven't weighed it but my hiking first aid kit probably only weighs about 5 or 6 ounces.

Fire Starter - Fire is probably the most important thing for you to be able to make. I always carry three (3) types of fire starters - Waterproof Matches (inside a zip lock), 2 small bic lighters (also inside ziplock), and a small magnesium fire starter. The magnesium fire starter is invaluable for getting a fire started in wet weather. I also carry some kind of "starter" fuel - cotton balls rolled in vaseline work great and burn long enough to get something started. A small candle can also be VERY handy to have, as it can be lit easily and burns steadily.

Flashlight - Never be without a light. I carry two lights, a small mag light, and a headlamp for hands-free lighting. Both very lightweight, yet provide plenty of light. Bring extra batteries as well.

Pocketknife - ALWAYS have some kind of knife. They are an essential camping tool for a million different scenarios. Any small pocketknife will do. Swiss army knives and Leatherman type multi-tools can also be very handy as they have multiple tools on them. Leatherman makes a very excellent super lightweight tool that was designed with backpackers in mind - with 10 tools at 1.75 ounces.. the usefulness-to-weight ratio is off the charts. It has virtually every tool a backpacker could need and nothing "frilly" or unnecessary. Recommended.
http://www.leatherman.com/multi-tools/keychain-tools/micra.aspx

Sunglasses and Sunscreen - This is not important if you are hiking in the woods surrounded by lots of trees and shade constantly.. but if you are out in the open or above the tree line and exposed to the sun for any length of time, you will DEFINITELY want some sunglasses and sunscreen to protect you. A brimmed hat is also recommended, as is long sleeve clothes.

Extra Clothing - This is dependent on the weather and the environment.. but you should ALWAYS carry at least one extra set of DRY clothes and a set of rain gear. Always be prepared.. the last thing you want to be is sitting in soaking wet clothes on the trail.

Map and Compass - Not as important if you are on an established trail with markings and many way points. But if you are out in the wilderness, you definitely should have these, as well as the knowledge to use them.

Extra Food/Water Purification - You should have some way to purify water from natural sources.. whether it be a water filter, or iodine tablets (which are quite nasty IMO). As well, you should be prepared with some "emergency backup food" in case you ever run out of regular food on the trail - 1 days worth should be enough (or more if you don't mind the extra weight).




Summary

The basic idea is to carry the lightest gear while covering all the essentials for comfortable survival - pack, shelter, boots, sleeping, clothes, food, water, cooking, hygiene, etc. It used to be that you had lug 80-100 lbs of gear around all day.. but times have changed, technology has improved, and gear has gotten much much lighter.

The trend nowadays is towards lighter and simpler gear. With many hikers covering the entire Appalachian Trail.. with their total pack weight never exceeding 30 lbs. (Including food, water, and cold weather clothes). There is a good reason for this. You may think you can carry 90 lbs of gear on your back, and some even think it may make them stronger. Well you can carry that much, but it's not recommended, as you will quickly learn what it means to be carrying 70 lbs after the first few miles and your first 1000' climb.  Many hikers with bad backs and bad knees will also attest to this fact. Lighter is better.

Fortunately, there are many lightweight options available these days.. you can get hiking packs that weigh 35 ounces and a tarp tent or hammock shelter that packs down into a tiny area and weighs less than 33 ounces, including the stakes. Generally your 'Big Four' weights are: Pack, Shelter, Sleeping Bag, pad.. Obviously if you have a 6 lb pack, a 5 lb tent, and a 3 lb sleeping bag.. you're already at 14 lbs.. without even thinking about food water and everything else. Remember, you're carrying everything on your back. Those weights quickly add up.. especially if you are carrying unnecessary "luxury" items. Outside of the big four, the water and food you carry are probably going to weigh the most, by far. Think about ways you can cut down the weight, without sacrificing any essential gear.

Try to evaluate the weight of everything when buying new gear.. the fancy $200 "backpacking" stove with many moving parts that weighs 2.5 lbs with fuel and canister.. or the aluminum can alcohol stove that costs $15 (or virtually free if you make it yourself) and weighs 2 ounces? Gear is personal preference. One person will say this brand is best, another will say they prefer this one. What matters is that you make wise decisions when purchasing new gear - try stuff out first and see if it works for you. And remember... lightweight is good. But also look for quality and performance - NOTE THAT PRICE DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY. You want what works and will last, not what is most expensive. Oftentimes the two are quite different.


A word on clothes

DON'T WEAR COTTON. Cotton clothes can be dangerous in wet situations. (And you will often be wet while hiking). It takes forever to dry. A common misconception is that it must be cold for you to get hypothermia... this is false. Simply being in wet clothes for extended periods of time can be enough. It is quite possible to get hypothermia in "warm" weather, and has been known to happen. Hypothermia is a very serious matter, and can turn into a life or death situation. Avoid it if at all possible.

Wear clothes and fabrics that "wick" moisture away - Things like Wool, and synthetic fibers like polypropylene that are specifically designed for rapid drying. You WILL sweat, even in cold weather... so DON'T WEAR COTTON. You need not buy overpriced $70 'hiking shirts'.. visit your local thrift shop and Target.. cheap, lightweight synthetic fibers and wools are easy to find.. it's the same thing without the logo.


Needs Vs Wants
"The more I carry, the more I enjoy camping; the less I carry, the more I enjoy hiking. So with that in mind, are you going camping or hiking?"

Some people don't mind carrying all that extra weight, as it gives them more 'entertainment and luxury' at the campsite. Obviously if you're driving to a campsite or something, you can bring whatever. But if you're hiking, you need to be much more considerate. My advice is start with the least amount of stuff you think you need.. and go on a test 'shake down' hike. If you make it without the things you thought you needed, well turns out you didn't need them. And if you found you needed them but worked around it with what you had on hand.. well then maybe you didn't need it after all. Consider things you don't even have to carry for the extra weight (except first aid kit).


You want to keep everything inside your pack dry.. especially your sleeping bag and clothes. Most people treat the outside of their bags with a water-repelling spray, or carry a waterproof rain cover they can cover their pack with. You should also line the inside of your backpack with a trash compactor bag (it's cheap, and much more durable than regular trash bags, which tear easily). This provides an secondary layer of water protection. For your important dry items, like sleeping bag and clothes, I would recommend waterproof stuff sacks. Either way, it is a good idea to have several layers of waterproofness. It is NOT fun to get to camp late at night, open your pack and discover your clothes and sleeping bag are soaking wet. Not fun at all.

And in a case of hypothermia.. the best thing to treat it before it gets worse is to get out of those wet clothes and burrow into something WARM and DRY - usually a sleeping bag. A soaking wet sleeping bag and wet spare clothes are the last things you want to find in that scenario.

You'll want a stove. Make sure you are familiar with your stove, and that gas for it is readily available where you will be going. The lightest stoves burn alcohol, and while they don't have any moving parts or flame adjustments to be made.. they can boil water just fine. You can easily make your own with a few cheap and easy to obtain items, instructions can be found online.
http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm
http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html
http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsiGstoveinstruct.shtml

I carry a water filter, as I hate the taste of iodine treatment, and I don't like the idea of just 'killing' the bacteria.. it's still floating around in there, plus it tastes nasty imo. Some people don't mind though and just carry a bottle of Aqua Pure or something similar. I prefer a water filter.. don't mind the extra 4 ounces for fresh filtered water. Plus, my filter screws directly onto my water bladder or a nalgene bottle for easy collecting. Duct tape, one of the most useful things ever for trail repairs, can be wrapped around your water bottle, or wrap it around a pencil to conserve space. You don't want to carry a huge bulky roll of duct tape.

Boots are one of the more important things to consider, as you will be spending a lot of time walking in them. Choose boots that are lightweight and extremely comfortable. Don't go for the super heavy ones. Better still, some people hike in really light running shoes.. most trails are well worn and are not going to tear up your footwear. Hiking poles can make a huge difference, and your knees will thank you for them. They can take a lot of weight and stress off your back and knees during descents.. and can make going uphill a lot easier. Hiking poles also serve as perfect poles if you use a tarp tent, so they are multipurpose. (like everything should be when hiking)

A bandanna is handy to have, it can be used for a number of things, and weighs practically nothing. Insect repellent could be your saving grace if you are eternally being eaten by bugs.


Organization
Keeping things organized is essential to relieve a lot of headache. I keep everything inside of stuff sacks, and zip lock bags, arranged by category. For example, all my clothes are inside one waterproof stuff sack. I have another small sil-nylon stuff sack for all my 'little stuff' - First aid kit in a ziplock bag, "Repair/Survival kit" in an altoids tin.. tiny toothbrush and toothpaste and hand sanitizer and baby wipes and bio soap in another ziplock. Etc. Keeping things organized is key to staying sane when pulling everything out of your pack every night and trying to find stuff. 

My homemade "Repair/Survival" Kit contains all the following inside a small altoids tin:
- Straight edge razor blades (3) NEW and sharp - for almost anything that needs to be cut
- exacto blades (2) (for precision field surgery, heh)
- Fishing Lure/3 Fishing Hooks/20' of unwaxed dental floss (makes a great fishing line, as well as thread.. dental floss is actually stronger than most thread for making sewing repairs.)
- Safety Pins (6)
- 6" square pieces of aluminum foil, folded flat (4) - for making cups or bowls or windscreens in an emergency.
- Needles (4 - various sizes) (to make sewing repairs)
- Spare bulb (for my mini mag light)
- Small candle (2) (for emergency fire starting, or light)
- Waterproof matches
- "Fire starter" - for me, this is 5 cotton balls rolled in vaseline, inside their own bag.
- Tiny roll of duct tape - I wrapped about 7' of duct tape around a pencil broken in half.. its about the size of a roll of nickels and is all the duct tape I would ever need on the trail and then some. Remember that multipurpose deal? Well now you have a writing utensil that also serves as a roll of duct tape!


Water
Staying hydrated is beyond important. I don't think I need to go into details.
As a rule of thumb - If you are hiking, drink AT LEAST a gallon of water per day.
If you smoke, your body requires more water.
If you eat a lot of salty and processed foods, your body requires more water.
Drink water, and drink it often. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drink plenty of water.
Water is life. You can survive a month without food, but you'd be lucky to survive a week or even several days without any water.
You get the idea.


Food

Food is a very personal matter, many hikers prefer many different things. But some things are universal. Some people will buy a steak and potatoes and canned goods and lug them to their campsite they are eating at that night.. I prefer not to carry 20 lbs of food in my pack, and not to mention you have to pack out all that trash...

Nutrition is quite important on the trail, and often neglected. Hikers require much more calories per day than the average person as you are expending a lot of energy, with weight on your back. The fact is that many hikers fail to get enough calories, protein, vegetables, and calcium on the trail. Your body will be burning much more calories than usual, and will continue to need fruits and vegetables and protein and all that important stuff. Generally, hikers want to try to consume 4,000 - 6,000 calories per day. About twice as many calories as you would normally consume.

So the question lies.. how do you carry all this food without carrying a ton of weight?

- Dehydrated food.
Probably the best purchase a hiker can make for the long run, is a food dehydrator. It will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on prepackaged 'hiker' meals. You get your fruits and vegetables of choice, and dehydrate it. You can even make jerky with them.

- Complete proteins
You NEED to get your complete proteins on the trail. Protein is complete in meat. Vegetarians must make complete proteins by combining foods. (Such as beans and rice or pasta and nuts)
Complementary Proteins include:
1) GRAINS: Barley, Cornmeal, Oats, Buckwheat, Rice, Pasta, Rye, Wheat, Quinoa*
2) LEGUMES: Beans, Dried peas, Peanuts, Chickpeas, Soy products**
3) NUTS/SEEDS: Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, other Nuts

Tuna is probably my favorite hiking 'meat', as it stays for a long time without refrigeration, and is good in just about anything. Don't buy cans though.. get the tuna in the foil pouches.. saves a lot of space and weight. Jerky is definitely a favorite among hikers, and even some canned fish like sardines and salmon are used.


- Fruit.
Dried fruit. Eat it often, and eat a variety of it. Don't forget tangy fruits with Vitamin C. However, since vitamin C is not stable to heat, light, and air.. a dehydrated fruit can lose as much as 90% of its original vitamin C content. Thus it is recommended that in addition to regular dried fruits, you also include vitamin C tablets, or purchase fresh citrus fruits "in town".


- Vegetables
Ideally vegetables should comprise about 75% of your diet.. especially leafy greens. Most hikers don't eat NEARLY enough vegetables. Therefore it is good to get them wherever you can. This is where you food dehydrator comes in handy.. dehydrate a bunch of vegetables, then put them together in zip lock bags.. it is then easy to create simple dehydrated soups and stews.. simply add your dried veggies to boiling water.. with some pasta, maybe some tuna.. voila, super camp food. Smart hikers bring dehydrated greens and veggies that are loaded with nutrients - things like seaweed, yerba mate, beans, carrots.. are super smart.

- Calcium
Anything dairy, cheeses, yogurt, fish, leafy greens, tortillas treated with lime, etc.


- SNACKS
Snacks will be where you get a steady supply of your calories throughout the day. As a rule of thumb.. snack early, and snack often. Munch. Because both fat and carbs are being burned in active muscles, the ideal way to maximize fuel consumption is to keep eating throughout the day.. carbohydrates are UBER important.
What kind of snacks should you eat?
Almost every hiker knows and loves GORP - a hiker staple. (Good old raisins and peanuts). Generally GORP is any type of trail mix that contains any combination of dried fruits, nuts, and sweets and salty. Nuts are high in protein and fat (the good kind) and have a good amount of carbs to boot. This is an essential fuel. Make your own trail mix.. I like to mix almonds, cranberries, raisins, strawberries, walnuts, and chocolate. It's amazing.
Snacks can be anything that is quick and easy to eat. Many people bring energy bars, snicker bars, dried fruit, chocolate, cheese and crackers, tortillas, jerky, etc..
A sugary chocolatey candy bar can be just the ticket sometimes, especially after hiking 30 miles. You need not be concerned about 'junk food' if you are eating a fairly well balanced diet.. remember.. it is consuming tons of calories you are after. Most people find it difficult to even consume 4,000-5,000 calories in a single day. But it is not difficult with well-planned meals and plenty of snacks.


- Supplements
There is unlimited evidence whole grains and vegetables are significantly more valuable than supplements. Eat well to get usable nutrients, don’t assume that a vitamin tablet is a healthy substitute for vitamins from food.

Eating processed foods, like instant white rice, is not a good choice for optimum nutrition. This is especially important for vegetarians, yet applies to everyone.

    … many hikers, in the interest of cooking convenience, choose inferior-quality foods, or filler—foods like ramen noodles, instant potatoes, instant white rice, and instant oatmeal—essentially any processed or refined food that's been stripped of key vitamins and minerals. Although it is okay to supplement or mix filler items and the like into your dietary regimen, do not solely rely on them as a main course. It's better to pack out fresh foods and carry more weight than starve your body of the nutrients it needs and deserves. You'll get more energy from unprocessed foods and whole grains. (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/...od/hik_veg2.htm)

Whole grains do not consume much more cooking fuel when they are allowed to sit in water/soak for a short period of time before cooking them. Some grains may take longer. Quinoa, for example, can be soaked for 30 minutes before cooking, then cooking time is under 5 minutes. It is worth taking the time to cook whole foods: all you have is time, time is what you do, and one would be wise to use their time to treat their body well.




Here is the packing list of one ultralight hiker just to give you an idea of what is possible: (NOTE - this may be too extreme and lightweight for most people.. this guy had his pack to a 14 lb base weight.)
http://www.tothewoods.net/GearList.html

This is one of the most thorough and comprehensive sites on the net to obtain information about Thru-hiking, gear, and just hiking and backpacking in general, and is where I learned a lot of what I know.. it has a very active community - http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/index.php



This is an evolving list





















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InvisibleAdom
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: Shroomism]
    #6627924 - 03/02/07 12:30 PM (17 years, 1 month ago)

My pack is a Granite Gear Virga until I can get rid of it, it's a small if anyone wants it. If it gets over 20 lbs it suddenly feels like 30, keep it under and you can't tell its' there. I should of kept the mystery ranch pack I sent back this winter....Anyways this is how I do it.


Hygiene: Inside Zip lock
Dehydrated Toothpaste
Toothbrush
$.50 shammy from car wash for use as towel
Hand sanitizer

Kitchen: All packed into my pot with hanky so it doesn't rattle. I strictly store this with my food sack as to not get food stink all over the inside of my pack.

Soda can stove
10 ounces of fuel
titanium 1 L pot
titanium coffee cup
long spoon

Hydration.
2 liter camel bak
1 liter platypus
32 oz Gatorade bottle
Aqua Mira( i have a pump but hate pumping water, if I'm out on the AT south of the mason-dixon line I just hit the piped springs and drink right from them)

Shelter/Bed
2x2 z-bar rest
hennessee hammock
sleeping bag
4 titanium stakes for tarping

I leave my sleeping bag inside my hammock and stuff them together, in cooler temps I would leave the hammock at home use just the tarp and a full inflatable thermarest. My sleeping bag depends on if I'm using my hammock, the temp ratings don't mean much with a hammock, I find them sleep 20-30 degrees cooler off the ground. There are under quilts but I find them heavy and expensive so I'll just keep to the ground if the temps are low.

repair kit:
leatherman micro
10 feet of duct tape on hiking poles
floss
one needle
spar lighter


Easy access items:
lighter
wallet
Head lamp( mine wieghs half a pound with batteries which is insane but I like to night hike so I deal with it) Mines a princeton tech yukon

map
guidebook
cliff bars, dark chocolate(in zip lock)

Sea to Summit makes a ultra-sil pack liner I highly recommend, using a contractors grade trash sack is just as good and cheaper, pack covers are worthless, save your dollars.

My food bag is a large seatosummit ulrasil bag that I hang with 550 chord, I usually carry 30 feet. My hygiene kit and everything that touches food goes up in it at night.

My summer attire is go lite shorts and shirt, mainly because they are so cool and light, if I didn't find them on clearance I'd buy a soccer shirt and shorts for much below the price of name brand hiker clothes.
All I carry beyond that is a pair of dry shorts for sleeping in case it rains and a rain jacket and one pair of socks. If it's getting colder I'll pack a beanie, a military jacket liner and some gloves and also trade out the go-lite clothes for a long sleeve wicking shirt and a pair of zip offs.

My shoes are Salomon fusion soft shells with a pair of super feet. Smartwool adreniline and Bridgedale x-hale are my favorite socks.

I'm going to try out the new go-lite shoes as soon as I can find a pair though.

Cold weather weight hovers around 15 and stripped down summer weight is 8.5.

I'm dehydrating a lot of spinach, broccoli, carrots, apples and deer for my up coming return to the AT. My diet plagued me on the last 400 miles of my 06 thru hike attempt and I plan to get that part figured out a lot better this time.

I like to carry juice mixes and coffee to drink since water gets so boring, I should probably switch that to tea or yerba or something similar. Peanut butter, cheese, wheat or spinach tortillas and mixed nuts and cranberries, dark chocolate and tuna are always in my pack. I eat a lot of cliff bars also. Oodles and oodles of noodles which I'm cutting out next time I hike unless I can afford whole wheat.

I spent a lot of money getting this gear but anyone wanting to go lite could get set for under 500$ easy probably more like 300$.

Money saving tips.

Stove- free homemade
tarp- 10$ worth of tyvek
17$ z-bar bed rest
9$ aluminum cookware from walmart instead of 50$ titanium
1$ sock liners from the dollar store instead of the outfitter for 5$
soccer clothes instead of name brand gear

browse rei outlet store online and sierra trading post clearance for cheap stuff... If stuff is last years it's out dated in the hiking world and probably half price this year. Don't be a gear head, it's unnecessary unless you are made of money or field test.

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Invisiblevivid
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Registered: 12/14/99
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: Shroomism]
    #6715560 - 03/27/07 03:15 AM (17 years, 7 days ago)

wow guys. Great posts!

I've always been one to make lists like this!

over the years, my packs have been lighter, starting off with a remington external frame that carried all kinds of crap i didn't need.  Since then, I've slowly accumulated lighter gear, and more efficient gear.  At first its worth it to buy the cheap stuff.  But after going out for long trips, or you find yourself out often, it makes sense to go for the more expensive stuff.
A) Because it lasts longer
B) Because it works better, more efficiently etc.
C) Its fun to try new toys and methods for backpacking

My latest toy is a hammock i bought with my dividend from REI.  It went towards my new lighter setup.

Lighter Backpacking Setup:

REI Gemini 50L

Sleep/Shelter: 
Hammock
Mountain Hardware 2nd Dimension Sleeping Bag
Mosquito Netting

Toiletries:
Toothbrush
Dr. Bronners Peppermint Hemp Soap in a small vial (dont need much)
sunscreen
anti-fungal creme (although its best to hope it doesn't happen, if your feet get infected, or worse, your jock, it'll be horrible to hike out without it)
Absorber Towel



Food & Cooking:
Sterno Stove
Magnesium Block
Evernew pot
Nalgene Bottle
MSR water pump
Trail mix, Mac&Cheese (my bp staple), Salame, block of Cheddar, and a 1/5th of cheap whiskey. VITAMINS

Clothing:
pair of durable nylon convertable pants
Sierra Designs breathable shell pants (fold up to almost nothing and are waterproof, yay!)
Mountain Hardware Monkeyman Jacket (Extremely warm, but also extremely breathable = wide range of applications)
Hella socks! (always gotta have hella socks man)
Various thermal undershirts and a tanktop
A wool beanie
a pair of thongs (sandals...)

Other essentials:
First Aid Kit including pain killers and marijuana
Deck of Playing Cards
Sunglasses
Headlamp
Knife

Anything else, i've learned I don't need as much as I thought I did, so I've slowly widdled it down.  I find backpacking more fun when I dont have to lug around a bunch of weight on my back, even if it means i have more stuff at the site, you can always make stuff with what you find around you. You need food, shelter, and a first aid kit, everything else is really a luxury that we afford ourselves. :smile:

btw, great lists you guys, I was inspired

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OfflineThe_Red_Crayon
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: vivid]
    #9329082 - 11/28/08 08:33 PM (15 years, 4 months ago)

This may not be relevant to the post but i cant urge people enough to never bring food into your tent or sleep with food in your pocket, I knew someone who was ripped to shreds by a bear because he had a granola bar in his pocket. Just a friendly reminder.

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InvisibleMr. Mushrooms
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: Shroomism]
    #9336112 - 11/30/08 07:30 AM (15 years, 3 months ago)

My list:


1)  Knife
2)  Change of socks


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Offlinedanlennon3
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Registered: 10/29/02
Posts: 19,246
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: Mr. Mushrooms] * 1
    #9357011 - 12/03/08 10:16 AM (15 years, 3 months ago)

for shelter I use twigs leaves and branches... for clothing I use twigs leaves and branches... and food? yep, twigs leaves and branches


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"Psychedelics should be used not to escape reality, but to embrace it"


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Offlinegotcha420haha
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: danlennon3]
    #9497098 - 12/26/08 12:10 PM (15 years, 3 months ago)

Great lists!

I am definitely going to consult these list before I go on my next backpacking adventure.


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"Sometimes I wonder, If I know where I am going. I go for a walk and it seems like I have been walking for years and years and I don't know where I'm going. I hear the sound leading me on."

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Offlinegandalf579
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: gotcha420haha]
    #9639929 - 01/19/09 05:29 PM (15 years, 2 months ago)

Nice detailed list Shroomism. Don't forget about a fishing kit (a few hooks, some slit-shot sinkers and fishing line) and some snare wires to help supplement your food. Also a belt, good for holding up your pants and can be used as a tourniquet if the need arises. And don't forget about salt, most people do. Can use it for seasoning and also to help replace the salts you lose from sweating, helps preventing cramps in the muscles. And if your going deep into the "back country", an emergency G.P.S. locator beacon, it's not cheap but it could save your life. As far as fire starters go, I usually don't bother with matches because I always have my magnesium bar with flint bar on it and, since I'm a smoker (both cigarettes and weed), I take two regular sized Bic lighters with me.

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OfflineRonin85
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Re: The Ultimate Backpacking Checklist [Re: Shroomism]
    #19437457 - 01/18/14 11:45 AM (10 years, 2 months ago)

my list - socks , energy , protein bar knife and lighter

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