Just about every piece of equipment or clothing was purchased on-sale or from online auctions- some as much as 60% off. (Thank you
to the online outfitters for most of the images.) If you're interested in seeing what I have used in the past,
click here.
Without the lid/day pack, the Arc'Teryx Khamsin 52 backpack weighs approximately 3 pounds and will load roughly 3500-4000 cubic inches. The Khamsin 52 originally
came with a thick interior coating making it highly water resistant on the inside, but over time, the coating wears away due to rubbing against
gear. The interchangable medium hip belt has been replaced with a small hip belt since I lose too much weight during travels.
The pack has one exterior pocket on
the right side, but it's difficult to use, especially fitting a water bottle, and should have been constructed of mesh. This is the one equipment I don't see replacing
anytime soon. The other thing of note is the pack has a zipper on left side (so it opens at the top and on one side) that I have never used.
On the outside of the pack, I tied a cheap compass with a whistle on it. Although the whistle has been useless, the compass has been very handy. The bungee
cords on the back allow strapping a pair of $1.74 lightweight 4 oz flip-flops.
The North Face Atmosphere jacket. My original one (shown) used Gore-tex LightFast as the membrane, but my latest one (olive brown color) used Gore-tex XCR and part of the Flight Series.
People have a tendency to knock TNF because their products are geared towards the masses, but they do produce some really quality products.
When the package from The North Face arrived, I was very excited, especially with this nice light gore-tex PacLite and XCR 10.9 oz Lightspeed jacket inside. On
the other hand, it cost me The North Face Atmosphere jacket, which I wore everyday to cross Japan during the winter. The Atmosphere jacket was delimaminating
in the hood and one seam tape seperated, and I sent it in for warranty repairs, but they no longer made that jacket, so they exchanged it for free. The Lightspeed is thin.
At the time, the Arc'Teryx Delta fleece jacket was one of the lightest polartec fleece jacket on the market weighing in at 1 pound. Worn in conjunction
with a waterproof shell, it kept me warm below freezing- as long as I was moving. Fleece is not very compressible, but I do
keep it at the jacket at the bottom of a compressible stuff sack.
The Mountain Hardwear Canyon Shirt is possibly the greatest shirt I have ever purchased. In fact, I own 8 of them (some of the same color).
Made of 70%-nylon/30%-polyester blend, it dries quickly and looks nice. Hidden collar extends to protect the neck. Rubber buttons. Also, has mesh vents underneath the armpits and a
vent in the back. They could improve the shirt by replacing the velcro closures on the left pocket with a zipper.
Along with a The North Face Apex Ventilation shirt, I wear only these shirts 7 days a week. The shirt pictured is now extremely faded blue.
EMS Techwick Shirt. Has silver particles embedded to protect against odor by inhibiting bacteria growth. It's not quite "silky" soft like EMS advertises (such as their silkweight Bergelene shirts), although it is soft. The shirt appears somewhat like the Mountain Hardwear Wicked shirt, but this shirt has a looser (normal) fit.
Mountain Hardwear Hyperdry Shirt. Polyester base layer which looks and feels a bit like silk. Slim cut and weighs approximately 6 oz.
Marmot Precip rain pants. Never really used, and probably should have never purchased. Only worn twice to do laundry. When it rains
during mild temperatures, I just hike with shorts through the downpour. Waterproof pants are essential for winter
hiking though.
Columbia Swim Trunk Class IV.
Lightweight at half a pound, and made completely of plastic. The first one I owned shattered after filtering
approximately 20 gallons. Katadyn should probably make an aluminum cap for this.
This Integral Designs MK1XL was a diplay unit, which I purchased for about 60% of retail, otherwise, I would never pay the retail
for this great tent. Replaced with carbon poles, this 4-season freestanding tent weighs in at 3.5 lbs including stuff sack,
3 compression straps, and 4 stakes. In the rain, it needs to be staked down at the 4 corners and the sides to
prevent water from soaking through where the silnylon floor touches itself at the bend of the floor and side wall.
This particular no-frills custom design has one mini-door, a tube vent in the back, and thin floor. One improvement could be to make the
doors open to the side instead of to the ground.
The Fibraplex carbon poles must be handled carefully, and the pole tips on one of the poles has already broken, but luckily
there is a lifetime warranty on the Fibraplex poles. For winter
excursions, I recommend sticking with the stronger aluminum poles.
Integral Designs labels this as a 2-man tent, but you really have to be joined at the hips.
At just under 2 lbs (1 lb 15 oz), the Mountainsmith Vision is one of the lightest 15F/-9C down bag on the market with almost a full zipper (2/3 length zipper; the bag
pictured is an older model with full zipper). It replaced a
Marmot Pinnacle which weighed almost a pound heavier. I have doubts it'll be warm enough at 15F without wearing additional layers to sleep. I sleep yearround with a sleeping bag and the zipper is long
enough to use the bag as a quilt.
This piece of gear is quite important, especially when sleeping on snow. Even hikers who use foam pads wish they carried
an inflatable pad. I also carry the repair kit which has never been used luckily.
This is my third pad (ultra-lite long and ultra-short being the others) and each one has had leaks. In fact, this is
the 2nd ProLite 3 I've had since the previous one had a busted wall on the inside and it started bubbling outward as more walls
busted. Comfortable, but durability is very questionable.
Not much of weight savings over a cheap set of aluminum cook pot for the price, but the built in
handle is nice, and the Apex II stove fits perfectly into it along with a lighter and plastic spoon.
One of the few pieces of equipment I purchased full price. Pot comes with a storage sack.
This stove was one of the original backpacking equipment I purchased when long distance hiking was still
a dream. After replacing heavier backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents, this gem of a multi-fuel Peak 1 (Coleman) Apex II stove
still remains. Coleman once made a small fuel bottle for this stove, but the smaller bottle can only be
purchased second-hand now.
The older model, Apex I, with a black base, only burns white gas (Coleman fuel). The latter models, silver or copper base, are
multifuel. The other peculiar thing about these stoves is Coleman makes the fuel bottle rim a larger size than standard
fuel bottles. A kerosene generator is sold seperately for the stove.
Within the past decade, headlamps (using led bulbs) have become essential backpacking items. Two main uses are cooking and hiking at night. The Princeton Teac Quad houses 3 AAA batteries
and has 4 regulated led bulbs. Not only good for backpacking, but good for using around the house or working on the automobile. In fact I carry this around like a flashlight when needed.
Compression bag for clothes, and a small sewing kit is placed in the zippered compartment.. Also doubles as pillow.
Two of these bags are part of the equipment: one for food and the other to carry miscellaneous loose items
and gear.
The more I think about it, the more I think I don't need a towel. I've used it mainly to soak up water in the tent
during rainstorms at night, but could use a dirty sock just as well. It's never been used to wipe my face or dry off after a shower. Sometimes, I did
use it to cover my privates while walking around in Japan bathhouses.
Suunto Observer watch with digital altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass. The weatherman would be jealous! Reviews have
stated both the battery and elastometer wristband both last approximately 2 years. Suunto also sell stainless steel and titanium bands for the watch. The alarm beep is very low.
EMS pack cover weighing 4 oz. A pack cover may protect the backpack, but in heavy rain, water can still run down
your back and wetting the area of the backpack closest to your back.
Outdoor Research La Paz leg wallet. This is a nylon leg wallet with a polyester back, but I don't wear it hidden. It fits nicely into the pocket of the Mountain Hardwear Canyon shirt.
Also fits nicely into the thigh pockets of shorts. Once I purchased
this wallet, I no longer carry a leather wallet.
Miscellaneous items stored in a 7x15 stuff sack include essential duct tape, small tube of seam grip, mosquito head net, 2 extra AAA rechargable batteries, strings, eyeglasses with narrow case, hygiene items including extra contacts, 12 oz bottle of contact solution. Excluding the backpack's day pack/lid, water, food, fuel, and clothes worn, the pack weight is around 18-19 lbs.
At the time, the Arc'Teryx Delta fleece jacket was one of the lightest polartec fleece jacket on the market weighing in at 1 pound. Worn in conjunction
with a waterproof shell, it kept me warm below freezing- as long as I was moving. Fleece is not very compressible, but I do
keep it at the jacket at the bottom of a compressible stuff sack.
The Mountain Hardwear Canyon Shirt is possibly the greatest shirt I have ever purchased. In fact, I own 8 of them (some of the same color).
Made of 70%-nylon/30%-polyester blend, it dries quickly and looks nice. Hidden collar extends to protect the neck. Rubber buttons. Also, has mesh vents underneath the armpits and a
vent in the back. They could improve the shirt by replacing the velcro closures on the left pocket with a zipper.
