Jim the Mountain Goat

My good friend Jim Milliken spent the summer hiking and rafting in the American West.  During that time he put his old gear, and new gear, through the ringer.  He’s a mountain goat if there ever was one and can withstand days of hiking switchbacks that would kill people a third of his age.  Being physically strong makes him also expect the most from his gear…as he should.  Below is a report from Jim on some of the items he carried and the pros and cons of each as well as issues he encountered and how he dealt with them.  He wants to be clear, however, that this is an equipment review and not an attempt to be negative toward any one gear manufacturer.  Jim wrote that “In some cases it has more to do with the application of the equipment and how to make it more effective than faulty equipment.”

Below is Jim’s gear review:
1.  Katadyn ‘Hiker’ water filter.  This pump was new on this trip and replaced the Katadyn bottle with the filter inside the bottle that I had used on previous backpack trips.  I felt that it was too slow sucking out the water from the bottle version…ok for day hikes but not when you are drinking lots of water day after day.  Anyway, it worked perfectly until the end of the fifth day.  I got to my campsite and all my water bottles (3) were empty.  I took the unit out of the top of my backpack and took the pouch to the creek with the empty bottles.  To my dismay I found that the inlet water barb to the pump had broken off into the plastic tube.  No visible damage to the case of the pump.  I tried to hold the fitting back to the pump case but it had been plastic welded in and was jagged around the edges and
would not seal.  Lucky for me I was close to the end of the hike and I met the first person I’d talked to in five days and he had a pump I could borrow.  The next day I took a chance on three refills I needed at creeks that looked like they were close to the source.

Yellow Lake of Challis National Forest

2.  Brunton Nova white gas stove.  I also bought this new last year and used it backpacking.  I’d not used it in almost a year and got it out to test it before leaving on this years hike.  Long story short the scatter shield that fits over the jet on top of the burner had come unclipped and I had it in the pouch and didn’t see it till it was too late.  Since I couldn’t get it to start I read about cleaning the parts and took it apart to clean everything.  The threads on the needle valve that is on the end of the off/on handle stripped out…they are very fine threads.  Ended up I buggered the stove to the point I had to search around for a replacement the day of the hike and ended up with a Sterno stove and the wrong size (2.6 oz cans) versus the 7.2 oz can that is supposed to go with the stove.  Adapting on the trip I put a rock in the bottom of the stove each time I used it to get the smaller cans up closer to my half liter water cup…and I had to use two cans at a time to get the heat.  Still didn’t boil water like it should but would simmer fairly easily.
On my return I called Brunton and they told me that that stove is no longer made but that they had a lot of parts for it.  If I would send it to them they would see if they could fix it for free.  Can’t beat that offer.
Hopefully by writing about my mistakes I’ll avoid breaking it next time I go to use it.

3.  Lighters.  I’d been using a Bic but found a lighter about the size of a Bic but with an extension tube that slid out about two inches.  Much better for lighting a stove and keeping your fingers away from the flames.  It worked fine the first night but the next night it was DOA.  Don’t know what happened except that the little sight glass showing the fuel has some star cracks in it.  Lucky for me I also brought along the reliable old Bic as I needed it for the next four nights.  Now I’ll just get another Bic to carry in case the first one fails or runs out of fuel.

4.  Garmin Colorado 300 GPS.  I also bought this last summer and used it extensively.  My main complaint is that it eats batteries.  I took along a set of batteries for each day as that is about how long they last…regardless of which type you use.  I tried cutting the backlight down to zero but nothing I did seemed to extend the battery life.  And I took along a manual compass just in case my electronic one in the GPS ran out of juice.

5.  Keen river sandals.  Bought these new just before the hike.  Used them for hot springs soaks and several creek crossings…and even hiked a mile between crossings with them on.  Awesome grip on slippery river rocks and comfortable to walk in.  They have elastic in the webbing and an adjustment string slide so you can set the fit to your foot.  A bit pricey at 89 bucks but they give great grip in swift water.

6.  Osprey Aether 70 backpack.  This was the first time I’d used this backpack.  It has a waist band that is heat molded to your body shape.  It is supposed to make it more comfortable to carry the weight on your hips…it works and works well.  The shoulder straps are also easily adjustable so you can change the balance of the load between the shoulders and your waist…this in conjunction with the adjustable cross tie between the shoulder straps in front made for maximum comfort.  My middle back is my main stress area and when it would start to hurt I’d just adjust the straps until I felt the stress release…very effective.  Another feature I found I loved was the sleeping bag access compartment.  It made packing a long easier…just unzip the bottom of the backpack and slip the sleeping in and zip it back up….makes it easier to pack up most of your stuff without having to get out of the tent in the mornings.
It also has a very well designed top pouch which is large enough to hold all of your small items so only the big things have to go inside the main backpack.  This is a convenience when on the trail as almost anything you might need short of setting up camp is in this pouch.  All in all a very well designed and comfortable backpack.

7.  Kelty sleeping bag.  When I bought this bag I was trying to find a balance between bulk/weight and warmth.  So I figured a 20 degree sleeping bag should be just fine.  I’ve used it on two backpacks at between 9-11,000 feet in the summer and do not believe that it was ever 20 degrees at night.  However I’ve needed long underwear plus on both hikes to stay comfortable.  From now on I take fleece bottoms and long underwear tops plus wear my hiking socks as a minimum.  This trip I was so cold I wore my hiking clothes plus pulled long underwear over them and wore my Mountain Hardwear fleece and still had to wrap my thighs with my long underwear tops to keep warm.  Don’t know where the 20 degree rating comes from but I’m not impressed….but the sleeping bag is well made and super comfortable.

Kelty Teton 2 Tent

8.  Kelty Teton 2 tent.  I really like this tent…easy to set up, good zipper system, nice fly, strong suspension poles.  My suggestions for improvement come from my experience on this last hike.  I set up in a meadow and the wind came up and stayed up all night long.  The fly tensioners at the corners of the tent are straps that you just pull to the desired tension and they are supposed to hold.  I got up once as I couldn’t sleep from the slapping noise of the fly against the tent and retensioned the straps.  Came right loose again.  The next night I tried tying a knot in the loose end of the strap to keep it from going slack in wind.  Need a better designed or stronger gripping tensioner on the fly corners.  Another issue with those tension straps is that they have a very small sewn tab on the end to grab onto.  It takes two hands to push enough strap through so you can get your fingers onto that little tab so you can pull the strap tight.  One other item is the Velcro tabs on the fly that go around the poles on the four corners.  You can’t open them with one hand either as there are no tabs on them to grip to open them…pain in the butt.  All in all, however, it is an awesome tent…just not quite as user friendly as it could be.

About GPS
GPS stands for Global Positioning System.  The signal comes from 24 military satellites that your GPS unit pulls data from to pinpoint your location.  If your GPS unit can pick up at least three satellites it can lock in your position anywhere on earth.  If it can find four satellites it may even be able to tell you your altitude.

Mapping
The better the GPS unit the more detailed the map.  Some receivers have maps already loaded, but you’ll still need to download more detailed maps for your trips.  The more memory you have the more maps you can download.  Look for a GPS with a memory card slot so that you can increase memory if desired.  Be prepared to buy additional maps.  I’ve seen reviews where users will trash a GPS receiver because it didn’t come with the maps they wanted, but I don’t know how any receiver can predict what part of the world the purchaser will live in or travel to, so it makes sense for the owner to buy maps based on travel plans.

Waypoints
Waypoints will make you love your GPS.  These locations you set along your hike will help you safely return if you get lost, allow you to do more off trail hiking (where permitted), find a secret camping spot away from the crowds, and store routes for future trips.

Geocaching
Geocaching is treasure hunt where you use your GPS to find items hidden by other Geocachers.  You can even hide your own treasure and post messages online for others to find your treasure.  Caches are hidden in the mountains, city parks, and even underwater.  This is a great group activity and is very popular with families.

Popular GPS Receivers

Garmin eTrex
– The eTrex can be bought for a very reasonable price and will provide you with all the essentials you need to track your location, geocache, and more.

DeLorme PN-40
– This is a very popular GPS with owners.  Many that own the Delorme GPS receiver have owned other GPS units in the past and through experience have ended up with this one.

Garmin GPS 60CSx
– At right around $300 this is a great consumer GPS.  It’s a personal favorite of mine.

Tip
No matter what GPS you buy be sure to always have a map and compass with you and know how to use them.  If you’re hiking on a well maintained trail it’s difficult to get lost (but still can happen), but if you go off trail this is a must.

Tomorrow I’m posting the basics of GPS.  This video on geocaching is posted to hold you over until then and to peak your interest.

There are some obvious downsides to having a cell phone as your emergency device.  One is that you might be more careless because you believe you have an easy connection to emergency services.  Another is that you may actually use it call friends and family thus degrading the outdoor experience for those around you and yourself – didn’t you come out here to disconnect and relax?

If you take your phone into the wild as an emergency device you need to keep in mind that it may not work in most wilderness locations. Even if you find a high mountain to call from you may not get a signal. Many Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile cell phones may not get strong enough reception to place a call. This is why you may want to consider a personal locator beacon.

Many personal locator beacons costs around $500 to $600 but there are alternatives like the Spot Satellite Personal Messenger that can be found for about $80.  I imagine these devices will catch on as the price goes down.  Think about how the Aron Ralston story would have turned out if he had a beacon with him.

Take your phone into the wild but turn it off.  Don’t rely too much on it because it might not work. If you really want a lifeline get a personal locator beacon, but whatever you do don’t disturb the peace of the wild with your cell phone.  Turn it off and hike!