My Favorite Gear From The CDT
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- This is my favorite gear from my 2015 thru hike of the Continental Divide Trail. Keep in mind, some of this gear has lasted for three thru hikes! That's a pretty impressive resume for any piece of gear.
Check out my website for more info on the gear: backcountrybant...
Check out some more of my favorite backpacking gear here: amzn.to/34QK7mt
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Joe you might consider using a simple featherweight light large clear trash bag to inflate your mattress. Poke the inflation valve through the bottom, seal around it with a rubber band. Wave the bag a bit to open it and fill with air then roll that large volume of air into the mattress. Do this three or four times and it's filled. Sounds stupid, works great. I have a special dry bag (don't think it's sold any longer) for my old Big Agnes mattress with a little funnel shaped hole in the bottom that closes around the mattress valve with a cord-locked bungee and does the same thing. Double as a dry bag and triples as a shower when I stick a little shower nozzle in there.
Genius idea - will be trying it out
Ditto
YES!!! you're going to teach us how to make a quilt!
Thanks again Joe. No one can give better advice. I also make a lot of my own gear now because of you.
About blowing up the Neoair. I have spent years trying to find a pillow I like. Eventually I decided to buy a Large NeoAir Xlite. I fold the end over and secure it with my belt to form a pillow. The large size is great in cold weather because my arms tended to end up on the ground with condensation puddles around them on the narrower medium sized mats !
That's a lot of air to blow into the bag though, and after some guys on BPL reported the 'silvering' coming off the inside of their mats (hold yours up to the light) around the valve area (moist breath?) I bought myself an Instaflator. These things are unheard of over here in Australia, but with three puffs I can fill a large Neoair Xlite.
I thought you might like to know about my experiences. Watched every one of your videos - I was there every step of the way with you - helped me survive my office job for six months... something to show your grand kids!
+andy jarman Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Good info too, I've heard about moisture from breath creating problems in air mats. A while back Shippen sent me something very similar to what you are talking about. It works great, however it was a little too bulky to thru hike with.
Joe, thanks for this. What cracks me up is your mention of the Bic lighter. I would totally agree. I see a lot of hiking/outdoor/survival and see such importance thrown on fancy fire starting "systems". I have one old Bic that I keep in my "go everywhere" bag that I know is at least 7 years old. I don't smoke, so all it ever sees is fire start duty. No telling how many miles it has been with me and how many fires it has started. Another mini Bic rides in my front pocket everyday now for almost a year. Sure, keep a fire rod, but I cannot believe how tough and reliable these $1 lighters are.
+flysubcompact It's surprising, but true!
+flysubcompact Yeah, exactly. I got over 6,000 miles of trail use with a single mini bic before it finally ran out. That was a sad day for me. I do not even want to think about how long a full size bic would last out on the trail.
+flysubcompact I've never hiked the CDT or anything like that, but, I have two mini-bics that I have carried with me on all of my hikes. I've dropped one into a muddy puddle, and they both work perfectly fine. I agree, they are very reliable and I personally don't see much use on typical conditions to carry a fire rod (Although I've heard that at -15 degrees and at very high elevations the bic lighter would not work very good, but those aren't 'typical' conditions where I hike)
I have hiked parts of the PCT and sun exposure is something to think about, but after watching your CDT videos I can see why sun protection is so important.
Post-trip gear videos are so valuable. I wish there were more of them. Thanks for posting.
Petzl has an updated version of the Tikka (and other models) that uses what they call hybrid technology, the headlamps can use either AAA batteries or the rechargeable CORE lithium battery (2018)
thanks for the review..been looking for new food bag ideas. Took your recommendations about the Wildcats and have been amazed. Took em on a 'test drive' in the White's this fall and hit a rather unexpected dump of rain and mud and stayed comfortable, upright (very important to me at my age!) and was shocked how fast they dried. Thanks again
+don orcutt Glad to hear it!
Regarding the OR Sun Runner Cap, you have the flap attached incorrectly. That is why it is flipping over the top. There are two slits on the flap through which you have to thread the velcro strap at back of the cap. It is a great piece of gear, not only for sun protection, but also for blocking cold wind.
Bearpaw wilderness designs has a tarp called a canopy similar to your tarp but has beaks at each end? Love mine! Also he will build anything you want to your specifications very reasonably priced!!!!
+Rennie Smith Very good info. Thanks.
Enjoyed the video. Recall watching your pre hike gear video and your mid-hike gear video. As expected from your pre-hike, figured you would end up ditching the ridgerest and sawyer mini. Nice to see that GG foodbag holding up. Was waiting to hear back from your hike with it on whether to get one for myself for the 2016 season. Thanks for sharing!
+John Abela (HikeLighter) I really liked it. It's just so nice to not have to dig for food.
Can't wait to see the Tenkara vids....
Congrats on 13k subscribers!!
+Brodie Johnson Thanks!
Thanks your all of your insights. It really helps! Glad you're doing well.
Nice video. I gotta check out that food bad. It's super annoying to pull everything out of my tall skinny bag.
This is a great video- thanks for the honest reviews and info about the CDT
Thanks for sharing! Very helpful. Looking forward to your upcoming videos!
I've been looking forward to this video. GREAT info. Thank you. I'll check out your website.
Great tips bud...thanks for sharing your experience and gear. cheers
Thank you for the awesome video! I can't wait to see how you made your quilt
I have a cigar lighter that I absolutely love I take some extra butane with me. I like a heavier pack with some luxury but I'm also a very strong guy so I can carry it. but that lighter works wet, in wind and it's a torch. it is damn reliable.
Cheers Joe, have followed you on every trip,absolutely gob smacked with the scenery on your last trip .
you mentioned your power bank, what type was it, personally I have 4 Anker ones love them.
good luck in the future and hopefully more trips coming.
+catters2011 Thanks! It is an Anker 2nd gen astro 13,000 mah battery. It is great, I absolutely never ran out of power, and could always give some away too.
@Backcountry Banter Does the granite gear pack compress and carry well with a minimal load? I normally hike with a 45L pack (almost never full) but I'm thinking of using something bigger on the CDT for the longer food carries, however, most of the time I expect my pack will be pretty empty and I'm concerned it won't perform well. Curious what your thoughts are.
Been a fan for a long time, Joe. I've even got the same tarp setup as yours, thanks to your awesome tutorials. I wanted to ask if you have any new shelters in the works. I love my A Frame, but I have decided to start designing a Mid Tarp so I can start hiking with friends that may need a little more bug/element protection. Any thoughts? Did you ever finish the half-mid you were working on?
+Drew Watts I'm still working on the half mid. I am working on a new tarp too eventually. I've been focusing on a quilt as of late though, so it may be a while.
Hi Joe,
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have a suggestion for a video. I don't see a lot of videos regarding bear canisters. I'll be interested in seeing a video with suggestions on how to carry the bear canister, where to load it in the pack, what is required to carry in the canister, etc.
Chris
+nuamino Good Idea!
Yes!!! I would love to know how to make a down quilt of my own. Meanwhile, I'll use zpacks down bag.
Hey Joe...When do you think you'll have a quilt video out? I recently received my down from Downlinens (18% off sale) and was about to start my quilt, but now I don't want to start until I see the features you're wanting to add.
+Brian Carlson Hey Brian, I haven't even started on the quilt construction yet. The design process is over, but It may be a month before I finish and a week or more until I get the video edited and up after that. But, If you'd like to talk about some of the finer details, I can answer any questions you may have. For one thing, I'm going to be doing long baffles to contain down better, they are also going to be open on one end to allow down to be shifted around.
love your game selection!!
Did your Sawyer squeeze ever clog on the trail? Did you have to backflush it frequently on trail? I've had similar problems with the Mini on my last trip.
+BackpackingVideos The mini clogged all of the time, but the full size squeeze never did. There were times when it would be at a reduced flow rate and needed backflushing, but even at its reduced flow rate, it still flowed much better than a clean mini would. I'd normally try to backflush in town, but really every 2 weeks or so seemed sufficient enough. Plus, if things got too bad, I'd just backflush on trail with filtered water.
Joe:
I'm considering a quilt and am wondering what would you rate your quilts temperature? I'd like to have something that would go to either 10 or 0 degrees. I'm guessing yours must be in that range. I am considering order one from Enlightened Equipment.
Love your videos and commentary.
Thank you,
Hank Bishop
+Hank Bishop Hi Hank, I estimated my quilt would be about a 10 degree F temperature rating. I've had it in the teens with no issues, so I take this rating to be fairly accurate. I'd say go with an EE 0 degree. The nice thing about quilts is that you can leave your legs out and vent in warmer temperatures to keep from overheating. Thanks, Joe
Joe, I m just getting into hiking and notice that you do not include, contrary to most others, a second pair of shoes (camp shoes; you crossed the Gila river how many times and no dry shoes for camp?) nor a bug net. How do you get by without those two items? Love your vids!!!!
+135Damain Thanks! I've found that on my thru hikes there's really only a 1-2 week period where mosquitos are bad enough to justify using a bug net. You can usually tell when they're coming out, and at that time I use a bug net under my tarp. Otherwise, I sometimes carry a super light bug head net that will suffice. As far as camp shoes go, to me, they just aren't worth their weight considering how little I use them. The Gila was a fairly unique challenge, and didn't last long anyways. Plus it was warm enough that I could barefoot it around camp if I needed to. Most days on trail my shoes are dry at the end of the day. This means that I can just leave them loose and be comfortable enough to walk around camp in them. Yeah, camp shoes are nice on the days when my shoes are soaked, but I'll just curl up under my tarp in a pair of dry socks and be fine.
Great video and thanks for sharing. I really like the design of the Granite Gear food bag. A question for you though. How did you store your foodbag while camping, especially in bear country like Montana and Wyoming?
+brianl9944 I almost always slept with my food. In Grizzly country, particularly through Glacier and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, I hung my food when I could. Because the GG bag is not waterproof (it is resistant though) I would wrap my pack cover around the food bag and then hang it if it were raining. A cheap plastic bag could do the same though.
I know that you used a hammock on the AT, but would you recommend a ground tarp shelter for the AT instead of a tent ?
+Michael Quire Well, either would do just fine. The tarp would obviously be lighter and more compact. Wind is rarely an issue on the AT so the tarp is fine in that regard. The only time a tent has a big advantage in my mind is during extended rains, when water can tend to pool in low spots (a bathtub floor is nice at times like this). If I were doing it again and not hammocking, I'd take a tarp. But then, that's all I ever really use anymore. Plus, on the AT, if your tarp isn't working out, you can always bail to a shelter!
Do you ever feel the need for privacy/weather flaps on your awesome tarp? Or bug net flaps?
I've never felt the need for them. There have been times in sideways rain where they would have been nice, but I just stuck my pack w/ cover in the door of the tarp to keep rain from coming in. I think bug net flaps would just be a hassle.
Thanks for all that good information. It is interesting how often the same gear appears in many videos by different hikers. I notice the Wildcats no longer appear in the La Sportiva range. Any idea which of their new shoes are the nearest equivalents? Also, the new Granite Gear pack includes side pockets as standard, so other people must have thought the same to you ...
They do still sell the wildcats! The color has changed to orange, but I've still seen the green ones for sale as well. Here they are: amzn.to/2ErGGnn
Thanks. They are not on the La Sportiva page though, and I can't find them in my local store and I really ought to try them on. I will keep looking though.
Did you ever send your pack back to Granite Gear under warranty for the mesh pockets to be replaced?
Joe. I've been trying to catch up watching your videos here. Currently binge watching your CDT hike. I think I will probably attempt a thru next season. But solid info is surprisingly hard to come by. I won't spam you with questions. I've got too many. One that I can't seem to figure out is biting flies. Are there any? I see you used a tarp. In the CDT videos I see you using a tarp so far as I've watched.
Great videos by the way, seriously.
Awesome and good luck! I don't think I encountered one biting fly on the CDT. Insects in general were much less numerous than on other trails. I traveled with a bug head net, but very rarely used it. I did use a tarp and loved it. So versatile and light. If you do want to ask more questions, feel free, that's why I'm here!
Great video Joe. You may have sold me on the GG food bag.
When a fire is allowed, A 12 minute Baked Trout in foil with a simple side dish, is as good a meal as any, the hungrier you are the better.
Nice board game collection!
+Ryan Cole Board gaming is one of the few things that may just rival my obsession for backpacking.
if you wanted to hike the AT and didn't wanna carry much what items could I not go with out?
I saw that Granite Gear 16L Air Zipsack and yelled out "THAT IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA WHY DID I NOT GET THIS BEFORE"
I hate it when I want to cook dinner on the trail and I'm trying to dig something out from the bottom of my food bag so I have to dump out my whole food bag to get what I need.
+Alexander Finlay It served me well, I'll be using it again for sure.
liked this video Joe, looking forward to more Tenkara content. atb Don
Beyond the single pair of long john bottoms (assumably carried for camp) that I see in the videos, you didn't carry anything to cover your legs?
Initially I only had the Capilene 4 long johns and running shorts. As it got colder (WY and CO for me) I actually swapped out my running shorts for zip-off pants just for a little extra leg warmth on cold days.
So what was your max pack weight; and with how many days food and how much water. Thanks.
+OldePete It's a little hard for me to know, but at my heaviest I'd say 25 lbs would be a good estimate. Average would be lower, maybe 20-22 lbs with 4-5 days of food and 2 liters of water.
Which running shorts do you wear on the trail? I've been wearing Patagonia baggies, and like them, but would like a little more support than what the mesh in those offer. Thanks.
Lately I've been wearing these Nike DriFit running shorts and really liking them. Their stretchy liner is a little more supportive than the mesh ones in baggies but not to the point of causing chaffing. I don't know the exact model (they all look the same to me haha.)
looked up that granite gear pack. its priced very reasonably, but 2lbs 2 oz... whats your opinion on zpacks gear. their latest pack is 1 lb 5 oz. although its 325$ soo
It's lighter, but: more expensive, less durable, and most of their pack don't carry a load as well. Also, the extra space in the GG pack is great for those long stretches where I carry a little more food. I've never seen a Z-packs bag last for two thru hikes.
Hilleberg tarp 5 - its similar tarp, or even better - 300grams, you're welcome.
PHEW! I thought you were going to show us some brown spots..
Still looking for a Good cook pot with the Measurements inside it..lol...any ideas?
+Kanzee Well, the Trek does have the measurements inside it. But I've been looking into getting an Evernew ultralight mug pot (500ml) for some time now. It's only 2.6 oz with a lid!
kewl...I will check out this product..thank you .
Wow, that's titanium !! 70 $ for the 900ml size ..Nice
how long do you have that thermarest and how many trail have that pad last
+Jente Verherstraeten It's lasted for two thru hikes now (PCT and CDT)! Pretty impressive. I've had it around 3 years.
Hi! Tarp size in cm please? :)
Thanks For the info Joe. It's invaluable.
did you get the 3 trails badges man?
+A Al No not yet. I suppose I should get them though.
+Joe Brewer cause I didn't see them in ur backpack
Great stuff man! I'm surprised to see a frameless pack.
+Conor Kelly It does have a plastic frame sheet which really helps distribute a load.
+Joe Brewer they also make an inflatable air beam frame for the pack. It's a little more rigid so it extents the load rating another 5 lbs. makes a nifty sitting pad/pillow/whatever and it's a few ounces lighter than the frame sheet. It brings the pack down under 2 lbs. Works like a champ. I also discovered that Zpacks hip pouches will fit the Crown VC with very little work. Love the vids.
+Jeff Walldorf Good info!
Did you have a problem with your down getting wet?
Never really happened fortunately.
It would get moist from condensation or rain splash occasionally, but I'd just dry it out in the sun over lunch and be good to go.
Oh no Joe, you're a game nerd too?? :)
+Keith Pitts Haha, I didn't realize those were in the shot until now. Yup, I love me some board games.
+Joe Brewer Me too, I love ticket to ride, sequence, Im sure you have settlers of catan but I cant make it out.
+Joe Brewer Those are some serious games. Terra Mystica, Agricola, Eclipse, and Galaxy Trucker are some serious gamer games. All great ones too. That's a real good collection
shoe name please:)
La Sportiva Wildcats.