gear

As an avid hiker, climber, and backpacker, I have quite a collection of outdoor gear. My closet is filled with ropes, backpacks, cookware, hiking poles…basically everything one would need for an outdoor adventure. Some things I don’t get much use out of–for example, I’ve got an ice ax in there somewhere that hasn’t seen action in three years. However, there are other things that I find so useful that I never enter the woods without them. One such tool is the subject of today’s article–my handheld GPS receiver.

As the owner of a GPS rental service, I have lots of experience helping people learn how to use handheld GPS units for outdoor activities. I have found that most people aren’t aware of just how useful a handheld GPS unit can be. Even people who have owned one for years often are not getting full use of the unit’s capabilities. In today’s post, I’ll cover the best ways to use a handheld GPS unit for a typical hiking or backpacking trip, from the planning stages to the post-trip sharing of your experience.

Planning the trip

The trip planning stage is very important when using a handheld GPS unit, and it’s often one that many people skip–which is why they’re not getting full use out of their GPS. It’s during the planning stage that you’ll load any maps, waypoints, routes, or tracks on your GPS unit that you think might be helpful. For example, for a typical short backpacking trip, you’d want to create waypoints at the start and end of the hike, your planned camping spots, water sources, trail intersections, etc. Most GPS manufacturers provide free computer software that you can download to assist in this process, so that you can do all the planning on the computer and then simply transfer the information to the GPS.

There are many excellent websites, such as Backpacker.com and Trailheadfinder.com, where you can download routes, tracks, and waypoints for many trips that other people have already posted. Many free GPS maps are also available at sites like the GPS File Depot.


Taking the trip

At the trailhead, activate the route you’ve loaded on the GPS, or select the first waypoint you’ll be navigating to. As you hike, keep the GPS clipped to a belt or shoulder strap on your pack so you have access to all the information it will give you. Using the GPS, you’ll be able to see how far you have to go until your next waypoint, and how long it will take you to get there at your current rate of travel. You’ll also be able to see how many miles you’ve covered, what your average speed is, your time moving vs time stopped (i.e, rest breaks), altitude gained and lost, and much more.

By looking at the map page, you’ll be able to see at a glance where you’re at, what terrain features are nearby, and what’s coming up around the next turn or over the next hill. It greatly increases your situational awareness, and gives you the information you need to make decisions. For example, let’s say you’re trying to reach your next campsite by a certain time. Your GPS will give you a constantly updated ETA, so you’ll know if you have time to stop and enjoy the scenery, or if you need to increase your speed to make it on time.

After the trip

At the end of your hike, you can save your track on the GPS unit, so that you can share it with your friends or post it on-line for the benefit of other hikers. Also, if you’ve taken pictures on the trip at locations where you created waypoints, you can geo-tag those pictures so others can see exactly where they were taken (GPS units with built-in cameras automatically do this for you). Finally, you can review your stats for the trip to see if you really traveled as far, climbed as high, and moved as fast as you thought you did

Now, a handheld GPS unit is not a substitute for a paper map and compass. You should always carry those with you, and know how to use them. However, when used correctly, a good GPS unit will give you the confidence you need to take your outdoor adventures to the next level.

• ·       Set-up stool size: 29 x 15 x 29cm
• ·         packed stool size: 22.5 x 18* cm x 3cm (*18cm at the widest point 10.5 cm at thinnest)
• ·         Weight with case: 25.3 oz / 1.586 lbs / 0.72 Kg
• ·         Weight without case 23.15 oz / 1.448 lbs / .66 Kg
• ·         Good for up to 80 kilos (176 lbs)

It’s a bit short. I foot tall is a bit small for me. It does fine and it’s comfortable but they could have added another few inches (without affecting the size too much.)

All in all though, I’m happy with the chair despite a couple of improvements:

For the next little while I’m down in South America and I didn’t bring a sleeping bag. I don’t want to buy a new one down here if I don’t have to, so in typical DIY fashion I decided to work with what I have: A closed cell foam sleeping pad and an emergency blanket.

The biggest thing I was worried about was the fact that mylar blankets, being so light, tend to let the warm air out the gaps. Yes they insulate to 90%, but that’s if the are tucked in nice and snugly. I decided to take a hint from ultralight backpacking. To shave off a few more ounces, several companies make sleeping bags that are open on the back (because any part of the bag that you lie on doesn’t insulate very well anyway). They use the sleeping pad inside the quilt by using strings or thin fabric on the back of the “ultralight quilt” and voila! I decided to put that to work.

I tried it out at 10 500 feet where the temperature got down to 3 degrees C (40 degrees F). That was to cold, but down to 50 degrees F(10 C) it was quite comfy. 7 degrees Celsius is probably the limit. All told it weighed 2 oz for the blanket system and 7 oz for the mat.

Here’s the materials list:

• One closed cell foam sleeping pad
• 1 roll of tuck or packing tape
• 10 feet of string cut into 18 inch lengths
• 1 emergency blanket

Every… ok, most knives have their time and place. There are crowds that prefer fixed blades and those that swear by folding knives. I have had my share of knives… I still do in fact. I still play around with making my own fixed bladed knives. But, as a father who just started backpacking with his 5 year old I realize that every ounce is important and that wherever I can cut down on weight and/or space I should. So out comes the gerber mini paraframe.

This little $10 fella has really impressed me. I’ve had it for years now and even though… or maybe because this thing is so small and light I take it everywhere with me. I’m strongly considering taking it as my ONLY knife for backpacking. Let’s talk specs.

This thing is only 3 inches long when closed and weighs in at a mere 1.4 ounces. Even then it has over a 2 inch blade (2 1/4).  It’s made of high carbon stainless steel and takes and holds an edge really well.

As far as features, it’s pretty simple. It uses the paraframe, kind of like a skeleton to cut down on the weight, but maintain its strength. It’s held open by a framelock that takes a bit to get used to if you haven’t encountered it before. I have had more than one person struggle to figure out how to close it. The lock works really well. It’s nigh on impossible to close it accidentally (I’m sure someone will find a way to do it, but I haven’t had any success) and when open, the knife holds together very solidly.There’s no flop or looseness like other cheap knives. In addition to all that the pocket clip is super sturdy. I don’t see that thing coming off ever.

Gerber has done a great job with this thing. I can’t think of a way to improve it. It comes in a fine edge and serrated edge and for the money is one of the best knives I’ve used.

Ask what you should do on a backpacking forum for potable drinking water and you’ll come up with a lot of answers. Some swear by chemical tablets, others are devoted to filters and or simple boiling. Most people are aware of the dangers of giardia and cryptosporidium and so it isn’t a question of whether or not, but rather of how to purify your water. I’m never one to want to dilly dally and not one to do a lot of work, so I came up with this DIY project to incorporate a backflushable 0.1 micron filter into my hydration bladder. With my bladder (Outdoor products) the filter from my sawyer water filter attaches perfectly to my hydration hose.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• a hydration bladder and hose
• sawyer water filter. Preferably an Inline filter
• sharp scissors or knife

1. Determine where to cut. Based on your hydration pack and use, you will have to choose your ideal place for the filter. Things to keep in mind are:
1. Whether it will fit into your hydration pack with the filter connected or not.
2. Whether you will want to have it insulated (if you put the filter close to the bite valve you’re more likely to have a frozen filter in cold weather).
2. Cut the hydration hose leaving at least 4 inches of tube from the end connectors of the hose. This will make it easier for future adjustments and repairs.
3. Determine the flow direction of the filter. There is usually a flow indicator on the filter. Make sure to get it right. If there is no indicator, choose a direction, mark it permanently on your filter and use it only in that direction.
4. Connect the filter to the hydration tube. If it is too loose and allows air in or water out, you can try hose clamps (available in most hardware stores).

That’s it. I’ve used this method on several hikes and it’s great. Just scoop water out of a stream or lake and start drinking. Even better, you can disconnect your bite valve and hang your hydration bladder in a tree and drip filter for other people as well! If I don’t want to bring water to a full boil i’ll just fill a pot from my bladder and go from there!

I bought a sawyer water bottle with inline filter from Walmart that I pulled the filter out of for this project. If you’re looking to try this but still have a useable filter system that works, here’s the walmart link.

I’ve done a lot of fishing in my time. Some days are good and some are bad. Now a days I use barbless hooks for one reason only: I don’t like getting fish smell on me. I find that I can usually unhook the fish and get it off without transferring the almost permanent smell onto my hands. It works until it swallows the hook or until I catch something that I want to eat. After that it’s all hands on and I suffer with the consequences of trout stink that no amount of washing gets off. Or at least didn’t. 

Enter De-fishing soap. I saw it on Jason Klass’ blog and had to give it a try. Michelle Innis was kind enough to send me some samples, which packed in for my backpacking trips this summer. So, what’s my take?

Overall I was very impressed, and while not perfect (but honestly what would be apart from a scent free fish?), De-fishing soap will be a companion on all backpacking trips for a few reasons: 

1. It’s the best soap I’ve found yet that removes fish smell. I’ve tried many a different soap and in the end the trout smell is still there strong. All the ones I’ve tried don’t seem to cut through whatever causes that smell and I’ve gone to bed camping many a times with my hands well away from my nose. After two careful washings the smell is almost completely gone. With the combined star anis scent you’re left with a pleasant smell that isn’t overpowering.

I won’t lie, it isn’t perfect. I did for a short time after have a faint fish smell that would probably have completely disappeared with a third or more thorough second washing, but nowhere near as bad as with other soaps. They recommend using a scrubber and warm water (which I didn’t follow either time).

2. It is biodegradable. The low impact of the soap makes it a lot more appealing to environmentally conscious hikers/fisherman. It’s also made in the USA which means the impact is even less!

3. It’s a fish attractant in itself… Huh? I should have read their website before going fishing. As said previously it uses star anis which in itself is a fish attractant. In addition to masking human scent it actually could attract fish to your hook simply because of the odor it leaves on your hands! On their website they suggest using it before fishing just to help us poor, unsuccessful anglers!

These are just a few of the reasons to use De-fishing soap. It really does get rid of fish smells from your hands and does it much more easily in my experience than other soaps. Take a look at their website to see more benefits and where you can get a hold of this neat little product.

Have you used it before? What are your thoughts?

P.S. I have not received nor do receive any money from this review. If you want to try it for yourself, Look at their website for distributors near you.

You know the old saying, “don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs”? Well it applies to trekking poles. My dad used to use old ski poles on hiking trips, he has for a long time. We sometimes thought he looked silly. Just like those bell bottomed pants of his that we laughed at, he was right AND they came back into fashion.

Trekking poles have slowly moved from elitists to common place (a sure sign of this is that they are sold at Walmart). Thanks to studies about their benefits and the popularity of Nordic Walking, this once niche item is become mainstream and the focus now is making them compact (for when you don’t need them) and light (to make carrying them more enjoyable and less work).

Two reasons they have become popular are their ability to add stability when dealing with rough terrain and the fact that you can use your upper body to carry some of the weight and thereby increase your endurance. Having an extra point of contact on the ground has saved me from many a fall in the past including a fairly rough drop off that I braved because I had my poles. I also find myself going faster and farther because I push off with each step. Yes it burns more calories, but I can stand to loose a bit of shape.

While you can spend upwards of $200 for carbon fiber trekking poles that way only 4 oz., most of us are going to choose the light but less expensive aluminum poles as they fit our budget ($20+). There are great options out there that you can pick up without forking out too much, which I recommend so you can decide if hiking poles are for you.

When travelling in South America I picked up some Altus Light Ascent trekking poles for under $50. Altus is a spanish company that produces a wide variety of trekking gear for the european market. If you’ve followed this blog you’ll see me use them in a few videos. Some of the features that stick out to me are as follows:

• Contoured cork handles – Much comfier than hard or even soft plastic, it’s a feature that you tend to find only on the more expensive poles.
• Angled foot – The foot has tread and is thin and long, as well as on a 45 degree angle. I’ve found it really useful for hills as they grab a lot better and hold traction.
• Weight – At 8.5 oz each, they’re incredibly light for the price.

A little while ago I set off into the hills behind San Miguel (in La Paz, Bolivia) for a couple hours of hiking. I ended up going farther than I thought (about 7 km) and saw more sights than I was planning to. I went  up to la muela del diablo, or the devil’s molar and then down.

Here’s a list of the gear that I brought followed by a video of part 2:
Gear:
Altus Light Ascent Trekking Poles
Tilley hat
Icebreaker Bodyfit 150 Baselayer
Tatoo pants
Outdoor Products hydration system (2 liter)

Icebreaker heading up into the Cordillera Real, Bolivia

If you travelled back thousands of years you’d find people wearing wool. Big and bulky, but warm. It is still warm thousands of years later, but bulk and weight are a thing of the past. Icebreaker has taken some of the best quality wool out there (merino) and removed the itchiness, bulk and weight and left us with some of the best trail clothes around. The most essential of which (in my opinion) is the base layer.

If you haven’t tried merino wool or Icebreaker, It is definitely something you should consider adding to your gear list, whether it be the bodyfit base layer line or an insulating layer. 

Are you tired of the 10 essential things to take backpacking? Yes we know we need a shelter, a sleeping bag, stove, etc., but we’ve all started a hike or almost left home without a less glorious item that wasn’t THAT important until you got to camp and realized that you forgot it.

For all of those toilet paperless hikers and annoyed hikers who though their friend brought the lighter, this list is for you:

Camping equipment and gear from EMS.com

What piece of gear have you embarrassingly, regretfully or just plain funnily forgotten on a backwoods adventure?

As many have read, I have a standing request for ideas, gear and articles for the blog. This was brought to my attention by Stephania Andrade of Flank Marketing (they produced this infographic for Eastern Mountain Sports).