Ok, so the rib and I are preparing for our backpacking outings and I have a few general questions/musings on gear related issues.

We are planning on a couple of short overnighters near home to refine what we need don't need, etc.

We've got our packs, stove, water purifier, mess kit, and most all the goodies.

We both have nice 20F Wenger bags that we bought a couple years ago, but even with compression bags they are really too big. I've seen some NICE backpacking bags, but don't really want to shell out the coin for new bags. We also picked up a couple of small fleece bags that will work when it's warm. The problem is that temps can fall to near freezing even in the summer, and even with longjohns I suspect a fleece bag will be too little cover.

We have not bought pads yet. Any opinions on the self-inflating vs foam pads? Space is going to be at a premium... we're still learning how to pack well.

Bear bags: I figured I'd just rig my own out of some nylon rope and a stuff sack.

camp axe: I don't want to pack it around, since it's heavy and I don't anticipate chopping down the forest. My main reason for takign it would be for tent stakes. Stake mallets are even heavier. Opinions? I suppose I could just leave it behind and find a rock for pounding. I have a small folding gerber saw if I need to do any cutting for any reason.

Get a Ridge Rest foam pad if you are interested in going very light. If you want more comfort and are willing to pack more weight, get one of the Ridge Rest self inflating jobs.

You might not want to drop the cash on a new sleeping bag, but after lugging the heavy Wenger bags around, you'll be wishing you had. They are bulky and heavy. Get something with a lightweight synthetic fill. REI has a good tutorial on their website on what to look for in a new bag. Some of their warmer temp bags aren't that expensive and are very light in weight.

I love my ultra-light thermarest. Pads give you that added comfort which is great at the end of a long trek but they also help keeping you warm. The pad seperates you/your sleeping bag and the ground which can get quite cold at night (even though you probably have a footprint for your tent). I bought an ultralight a few years ago and it was ~70..and well worth it. As for a sleeping bag, I have a bag that is rated for 30 F and it is great for the spring Texas climate. We purchased it from REI, REI brand, and it was not as expensive as you would think (I do not remember the price, just thinking....wow it is not that expensive).

Have a great time backpacking. I love answering these questions so ask away

2 inches of fresh snow on the ground yesterday, so we're still a couple months away from going. We'll probably take a couple short overnight trips in late may/early june and then plan our big trip up in the mountains for July/August.

As already mentioned, get sleeping pads.

Also consider a tarp, use it to make a tent/lean to. This will help to keep the warm air you and your companion are generating near you. If you are in the mountains, you never can tell if it will rain or snow and having cover helps. Tarps also supplements any tent you may be carrying.

I would put a wool or synthetic blanket in the "fleece bag" or there is an old trick that works near freezing that we used in the Army. Get a poncho, the thick ones are best, then a poncho liner (available at most military surplus web sites) and one of those "emergency blankets" (the thick ones with grommets) next to the poncho, silver facing away from the poncho,(and under the poncho liner. Sometimes we put a wool Army blanket between the "silver" and the liner. When you unroll this "tanker roll", you keep it folded in half so you have more between you and the ground and the cushion above. The poncho will trap the warmth you generate. This will get you to "near freezing", if you are wearing some long underwear, down socks and a watch cap, YMMV)

While you are visiting the "mil surplus" websites, get a roll of 550 or parachute cord and cut into handy lengths. It is invaluable, also get some carabiners, again very handy for a lot of tasks, besides bounding down a mountain.

There are some websites that are talking the benefits of camping with a hammock that resembles a tent and this is not the Viet Nam era tent hammock (but it does work).

Don't worry about an axe or mallet for tent stakes ... use your foot to carefully press them in, or a rock if absolutely necessary. It's all I've ever needed.

I carried a big, heavy (and warm!) Slumberjack bag for many years. Then, I found a down bag (rated to 30 degrees) at www.campmor.com that was on sale and stuffed down to the size of a loaf of bread. My first trip with it, I nearly wept for joy at the weight/space savings.

It was worth every single penny (and was only about $110). I have a good tent, so I've never worried about it getting wet (which is the problem with down), and I've always wrapped it in a trash bag inside my pack. You don't have to spend a lot of money to cut down on weight, if you shop wisely. But cutting down on weight is the absolute smartest thing you can do ... it contributes directly to your enjoyment and your comfort.

One of the nice parts about thermarest pads is the thermarest chair. It's just a little nylon halter that the pad slips into, turning it into a camp chair. It's one of the few luxuries I enjoy when backpacking.

Also, if you're planning on going hiking in July/August (even in the mountains), you shouldn't need a bag rated below 30 degrees. Especially if you're with the rib and you can share body heat. I'd be more concerned with the size of the bag than the temperature rating. Worst case scenario you can throw extra moss, leaves, etc on the ground to insulate and prevent additional loss of body heat through the ground. Or just wear an extra layer to bed.



[This message has been edited by SR90 (edited 3/27/2006 2:01p).]

Aggie Chemist, you should ask for advise on food. I'm just a beginer myself( a 6day trip in the san jauns and a 4 day trip in the gilas) and I find packing food to be a big issue ( how much, what packs well, what tastes good, what weighs alot, etc). I usually back too much myself. Some of the things that I've found to work the best is the little pouches of oatmeal for breakfast, pouches of lipton rice for lunches-suppers, and assorted backpacking just add water meals (chillie mack is my favorite). I'm sure more experienced people would have some good advise for the both of us.

Ok, so I bought a self-inflating thermarest last night. Being unfamiliar with them, I didn't know quite what to expect, but I did expect it to "inflate" a lot more than it did. When I laid down on it, it didn't feel like there was really any padding on the pressure points. It did really warm up quickly from my body heat, though.

Should the pad inflate noticably and hold you "off" the ground? I'm just wondering if I got a bum pad and should exchange it.

Mine from REI gets itself going pretty well once the valve is openend, but then you can blow in a little more to fit how firm you want it.

http://www.rei.com/product/47901006.htm

Yeah, houston, that's what I ended up doing. Just seemed to be "partially self inflating", LOL.

Well, due to the nature (foam inside), it sucks air from the outside rather than something outside forcing the air in, so I wouldn't expect something that's not powered to be ably to fully inflate.

Beats the hell out of blowing up a pool toy.

For food while backpacking, I would suggest,
SUPERMARKET BACKPACKER, by Harriett Barker. Mine was published in 1977 and I used it to supplement the C-Rations the Army issued us (MCIs and MREs) and for trips when I didn't take the Army C's.

I would suspect that this book has been reprinted and updated.

The camping meals that are sold at REI, Cabelas, and so on have gotten better over the years, but you can still save money by doing the supermarket route.

Thermarests won't entirely self inflate, but they get the job done. When fully inflated (if you bought a thick enough pad) they should keep you off the ground extremely well. You might need to get a thicker pad.

A couple of other suggestions: 1) don't lose your patch kit. One stray spark from the campfire will burn a hole in your pad and you'll want to fix it immediately. 2) The quickest way to get it to completely deflate enough to pack it as small as possible is to open the nozzle while you're breaking camp. After a couple of minutes squeeze all the air out you can. Then put your mouth to the nozzle and suck out the remaining air. That will get it flat as possible and allow you to pack it even smaller.