Think I made some mistakes!

[tschertz]

Again, thanks for all the info. I most likely will be keeping my pack but need to look for a smaller footprint tent and sleeping pad.

Both of those items are just too bulky in their stuff sack.

Any ideas for a sleeping pad that can compress down fairly well (which isn’t the size of a nfl football) and a decent cost? Don’t need a 4 season pad, just something that’s decently comfy and is small when compressed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CalebJ]

Any of the newer non self inflating pods pack down shockingly well. Exped Synmat, Thermarest NeoAir, etc.

[Burrhead]

Upgrade if you want to and can afford it. If you decide to stick with the wal mart tent I would recommend seam sealing it. My opinion is to just go and have fun. Your going to be with someone that has some experience so they hopefully can keep you out of trouble. Most of us started with cheap, heavy gear and survived. The biggest mistake I am seeing is picking up backpacking as a hobby. You can plan on spending obscene amounts of money on gear and clothes. Driving through the night to the middle of nowhere. walking until every muscle is sore. Being harassed by bugs, mice, possums, raccoons, skunks, snakes and bears. And spending long hours being too hot...too cold...too wet or too dry. You will also get to watch your productivity at home and work plummet as you spend countless hours reading and replying to backpacking forums. Welcome to the family!

[Odd Man Out]

For a sleeping pad, consider a Klymit Static V. I have a regular static V for summer use. For three seasons, I would recommend the insulated one. It's inflateable, so it rolls up very small in the pack. Very comfy yet affordable for a name brand pad.

[Time Zone]

For a sleeping pad, consider a Klymit Static V. I have a regular static V for summer use. For three seasons, I would recommend the insulated one. It's inflateable, so it rolls up very small in the pack. Very comfy yet affordable for a name brand pad.

As inflatable pads go, it has its merits. It packs small and is nowhere near as noisy as the bag o' chips Neoairs. Great price too. However, in my experience, they were not 72" long, they were 68-70 inches long. If you're tall, that's a factor to consider.

[Slo-go'en]

I browsed ebay for tents to see what is commonly available. It seems you get what you pay for. Lots of Ozark Outdoors. One possible solution would be a bug bivy and tarp. That combination can be found for not a lot of money, is reasonably light and compact. Most of the tents under $100 were still 3-4 pounds and bulky. Best deals are shipped from China, but you probably don't have enough time to wait for shipping, which can be 3-4 weeks.

[CalebJ]

That's one of the reasons I mentioned the Solitaire. Years ago I used a Gossamer for quite a while. It held up well and kept me dry. It's a shame they dropped the aluminum poles when they introduced the near identical Solitaire.

Also the cheap (alibaba, etc) stuff from China is junk. Quick knock offs of intellectual property without actually matching the original fabric specs or finishing quality.

[nsherry61]

You've got a bunch of equipment. You don't know if it will do what you want of it to or not. You are uncertain about its reliability.

Go use what you have. Learn what works and doesn't work, and why. Then go spend more money to address the key concerns you learn about on this trip.

Make sure you have a needle and thread, some safety pins and duct tape and maybe even some Tenacious tape. Then, you should be able to fix most problems that are likely to arise at least well enough to get by.

If you are in high wind or high rainfall, I would be concerned about an Ozark Trail tent. The rest of your stuff may be heavier and bulkier than fancier gear, but it's not going to outright fail in a catastrophic way.

I would not put your pad on the high priority spending list, as again, it may be heavy and bulky, but it wont kill you. If there is a chance of high winds and heavy weather, a failed shelter can become catastrophic.

[Odd Man Out]

As inflatable pads go, it has its merits. It packs small and is nowhere near as noisy as the bag o' chips Neoairs. Great price too. However, in my experience, they were not 72" long, they were 68-70 inches long. If you're tall, that's a factor to consider.

I'm 5' 11.25" and haven't noticed a problem with the length. Maybe I should measure mine. But for me, I like the fact that a normal Static v is wider than a normal pad. I can't sleep on a 20" wide pad.

[Ethesis]

Lanshan tents are also available from domestic sources and have a good reputation. Look them up on YouTube.

[Time Zone]

I'm 5' 11.25" and haven't noticed a problem with the length. Maybe I should measure mine. But for me, I like the fact that a normal Static v is wider than a normal pad. I can't sleep on a 20" wide pad.

Nor can I. The Static V is a nice width for ground-dwellers who find 20" lacking. My arms can stay on it, if I'm on my back or stomach. It's still a bit narrow for me if thrown in a hammock.

But I did find the length of my uninsulated Static V (from costco) to be 68-70", depending on whether it was measured at the midpoint of the short end or along the edge. That, coupled with my height (73") and occasional stomach-sleeping where my toes are pointed away from my head (not at the ground) - I'd need more than 73" anyway, so all things considered, I do best with the large sizes (25x77).

If I was OK with my feet hanging off, I'd probably not go just a tad short (like 23x70), I'd go to a truly small pad (e.g., 20x48) and just try to sleep on my side.

[Feral Bill]

Consider this: https://www.rei.com/product/829820/t...e-sleeping-pad It's just enough to get a good nights sleep without weighing a ton. I have used an older model for thirty+ years.

[HooKooDooKu]

... is nowhere near as noisy as the bag o' chips Neoairs. ...

Noisy Neoairs depend upon style (the 1st models terrible from what I understand) and how much it is inflated.
I've got the second generation (mummy shaped) and while it can have a crinkle noise if under-inflated, it didn't make a sound on my most recent camping trip this past weekend.

[Berserker]

Agree... when I was planning for a JMT thru hike and had decided on the Bearikade Expedition, I spent the $375 to be able to have the bear canister in hand well before the trip rather than the option of renting one for much less. Glad I did because it was the cause of me realizing my REI Flash was NOT going to handle that size canister and had to buy a larger pack.

Good point. When I wrote my previous post I was referring to the packing of food in the canister being an art form, but making sure the canister fits in the pack is the other crucial step in using a canister.

[poolskaterx]

The six moon design tent is pretty sweet for the price and will get you through just fine; bonus... if ya dont like it you can easily resell for a small loss as it is a “real” backpacking tent. As far as sleeping pad id go with a therma rest foam pad like a z rest and tie it to the bottom of your pack, cheap, quick, and fail proof.
I started with an 80l pack at over 50lbs years ago; i have had so much fun over the years improving my kit. Enjoy your hike.

[Siestita]

"Water filter: I have the Sawyer squeeze but it froze so I should purchase a new one. Didn’t like the hassle of the squeeze - want he platypus 2L for ease of use."

If by chance you've not yet replaced your frozen filter, consider possibly instead using chemical treatment for your upcoming trip, perhaps either Aqua Mira drops or MSR Aqua Tabs. I've been pleased using both of those products. Either of them would be lighter than a filter, and not initially more costly. I especially like the tiny Aquatabs. Enough MSR Aquatabs to purify water for several weeks, along with a good "container" to keep them handy and dry (a snack sized zip lock bag inside a sandwich sized zip lock), altogether weighs only a small fraction of an ounce.

If you later find yourself backpacking extensively, perhaps doing so for several months each year, you may then find that purchasing a filter to be more economical. But, paying for Aqua Tabs instead of a filter for your five day trip to Colorado probably wouldn't break the bank.

[tschertz]

Thanks everyone for all the info.

Although I should use my pack I have, that Osprey Aether AG looks too comfy compared to my Mountaintop the pack I went with on amazon, the hip pads are like rear hip pads, don’t even go around my hip as they should...but it was $85 so beggars can’t be choosers.

Still researching all the tents a bit, going to be by an REI this weekend so I will take another look. I know mine holds up just fine under a downpour, but would be nice to shave some pounds and have something nicer quality.

I will be buying a new pad, just because mine is absolutely huge and would rather save off 1.5 pounds - going with a Klymit static V2... should be much more comfy than I currently have.

Although treatment tabs would be the better investment, I like the idea of just filtering. Only reason I want the Platypus is I don’t have to sit there and squeeze nonstop...should be able to filter all my water fairly quickly when we stop by a stream.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HooKooDooKu]

Only reason I want the Platypus is I don’t have to sit there and squeeze nonstop...should be able to filter all my water fairly quickly when we stop by a stream.

You can use the Sawyer in a gravity feed mode just as well.
My system is a Sawyer filter, an Evernew Water Carry, and a Platypus Hozer...
The Evernew Water Carry is basically Evernew's version of a Platypus bladder. The key difference is that Platypus decided to design their bladders using a custom thread pitch. Sawyer used the "standard" thread pitch you find on most water bottles, and the Evernew Water Carry uses the same thread pitch. The platypus hozer is my clean water bag, with the bite valve removed, I simply slide the hose over the nipple of the Sawyer (if you get the Sawyer Squeeze, it comes with a hose addapter that makes this extreamly easy... but I find I can usually slide hoses over the Sawyer nipple without it). The final change for me was to replace the thick stiff hose that came with the Platypus Hozer with the soft hose used with many pump filters... lighter weight and easier to pack when finished. We I say final, actually, use a hole punch to make a hole in the margins of the Evernew Water Carry to stick some string thru so I could hang the badder.
Here's a picture of my system getting tested in the kitchen (the Evernew is hanging from the knob of an open cabinet). I seem to recall that with the smaller Sawyer mini, I can filter 2L of water in gravity mode with a 3' hose without any priming of the system in 4 minutes.

[tschertz]

You can use the Sawyer in a gravity feed mode just as well.
My system is a Sawyer filter, an Evernew Water Carry, and a Platypus Hozer...
The Evernew Water Carry is basically Evernew's version of a Platypus bladder. The key difference is that Platypus decided to design their bladders using a custom thread pitch. Sawyer used the "standard" thread pitch you find on most water bottles, and the Evernew Water Carry uses the same thread pitch. The platypus hozer is my clean water bag, with the bite valve removed, I simply slide the hose over the nipple of the Sawyer (if you get the Sawyer Squeeze, it comes with a hose addapter that makes this extreamly easy... but I find I can usually slide hoses over the Sawyer nipple without it). The final change for me was to replace the thick stiff hose that came with the Platypus Hozer with the soft hose used with many pump filters... lighter weight and easier to pack when finished. We I say final, actually, use a hole punch to make a hole in the margins of the Evernew Water Carry to stick some string thru so I could hang the badder.
Here's a picture of my system getting tested in the kitchen (the Evernew is hanging from the knob of an open cabinet). I seem to recall that with the smaller Sawyer mini, I can filter 2L of water in gravity mode with a 3' hose without any priming of the system in 4 minutes.

Thanks for this! I don’t think I have the mini, but rather the regular sawyer squeeze. I know it did come with some hose and attachment but not sure what that is until I am done with work. Pretty sure it’s the one you are mentioning.

I am just filtering water into 2 clean Nalgenes so this should be much cheaper than $100 on the platypus 2L gravity. How fast does it filter water in gravity? That’s the one thing I disliked about my sawyer, squeezing took forever.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Odd Man Out]

The six moon design tent is pretty sweet for the price and will get you through just fine; bonus... if ya dont like it you can easily resell for a small loss as it is a “real” backpacking tent. As far as sleeping pad id go with a therma rest foam pad like a z rest and tie it to the bottom of your pack, cheap, quick, and fail proof.
I started with an 80l pack at over 50lbs years ago; i have had so much fun over the years improving my kit. Enjoy your hike.

That's exactly what I did. My biggest mistake was to think I had to get every gear purchase "perfect" the first time, so I spend a couple of years researching every possible option and considering every possible variable. While more information is better than less information, in the end I became paralyzed, not buying anything for fear I would get it wrong. I really turned the corner when I just broke down and got something respectable, knowing that it would be good enough to start and I could always sell it and trade up later. All the research and advice you get on-line can't compare to in the field experience.