Bug Out Bag: Test 2 [Archive] - M4Carbine.net Forums

Outlander Systems

04-13-09, 11:31

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5844/cfp90.jpg

This weekend, I took the new Rucksack out for a 10.5 mi hike/overnight camp at a nearby State Park. My brother accompanied me on the trail/camp, and his failure to listen to some of my recommendations, prior to departure, was interesting.

The CFP-90 has replaced my original pack, as the original:

1) Had no frame for support
2) Could not hold so much as an additional toothpick it was so full. The problem? I didn't have any chow in it.

The CFP-90 is the heat. I'm really, really glad I opted for this pack. The storage capacity is absurd, the layout is great, and it carries the load as comfortably as possible. Definitely more comfortable than the ALICE, I was able to bear 35lbs, before the addition of food and water, for 10.5 miles pretty easily. It's not as organized as the original BOB kit, so I was required to procure more stuff sacks and organizing boxes for my gear.

Obviously, new items have been added to the kit (tarp, tent, etc.), but until the pack is finalised, I'm not going to bore anyone with the details.

Again, I learned a little bit more of what was waste, and what I was lacking. The main goal of this outing was to refine my kit before next weekend's "long haul" weekend hike with a work buddy.

Quick Shot of the Trail From a Distance:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5545/trail.jpg

Once arriving to the Park, the first order of business was to set up camp.

I'd gotten a cheap, Texsport tent that is light as a feather and "good enough" until I could decide on a high-end tent. The tent is quite easy to set up, big enough for a sleeper and his or her gear, waterproof, has a tub/tarpaulin bottom, etc, and extremely low-impact visually. Nothing makes my stomach churn more than seeing a chartreuse tent with electric pink trim, burning my retina for hours after viewing. The tent's weight is approximately 3lbs. Upon breakdown of the site, I upgraded the cheap, poorly constructed guy lines with 550 cord, and purchased new stakes for the tent, as the aluminum stakes that were included are extremely flimsy.

Cheap, Light, Simple, Texsport A-Frame:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6676/tentr.jpg

Tent erected, belly growlin', it was lunchtime.

For lunch I had:

1) Hot dogs
2) "Instant" Macaroni & Cheese
3) Turkey Chili
4) Baked Beans

All of the above can be prepared in the Jetboil with ease. The Turkey Chili and Beans were obviously canned, the instant mac is the Kraft "microwaveable" mac 'n' cheese, I just prepped them like I would Ramen. Once everything was heated, lunch was ready.

Down the Gullet:
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2040/chilimac.jpg

For this trip, I opted to try my Merrell Moab Ventilator Boots. Less rugged than the Converse boots, they're a very nice trail hiking boot. Ideally I'd like something more rugged than the Merrell boots, but less full-bore than the Converse. Overall, the Merrells left no blisters, or barking dogs, but for more than a few days of hiking, I'd prefer something with more heft.

Ventilate Me:
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/72/merrell.jpg

Hoofing it on the trails was work, but it wasn't too bad. The afternoon high was around 58 degrees, and mostly cloudy. I was surprised how quickly the terrain was tackled with a heavy load. Occasional breaks were taken to rehydrate, and to avoid lactate concentration.

The Landlord, Keister Parkin':
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/112/thelandlord2.jpg

After returning to camp, supper was busted out. I cooked Success® Boil-in-Bag brown rice in the Jetboil, added canned chicken, a bag of stir-fry vegetables, green curry, and coconut cream into a spicy sweet, absolutely delicious slop.

Mark 15 mod 81 Stool Softening Device:
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5540/thaicurryf.jpg

After the gut-bomb was consumed, the camp-fire was setup. One lesson I learned, the "petroleum jelly/cotton ball candles" are an absolute waste of time, space, and effort. If a good fire can't be started with one match or flick from the Bic, it was built wrong. Plain and simple.

Let the Flames Lick Me:
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/175/flamesp.jpg

After sippin' chocolate, and warming up by the fire, I scurried off to bed. For a pillow, I took of my fleece and balled it up.

The overnight low dipped down to 36 degrees, which was pretty chilly. I awoke at 3 a.m. to notice my face was near frozen. I sinched the hood of the mummy bag back down into a ninja mask, exposing only my eyeballs, and the bridge of my nose, then passed back out. Despite the cold, I slept in only a T-shirt and pants, and never had issues with chills, nor was I ever uncomfortable. The Snugpak bag obviously was realistic with it's 35-42 degree comfort rating.

My brother's experience was a different story, his cheap closed-cell foam mat provided little warmth or comfort, his cheap sleeping bag grossly exaggerated it's temperature rating, he slept with a fleece on, field coat liner on, inside of a mummy bag, and under a wool blanket, and "froze his ASS off".

As well, he wore shorts, which I highly recommended against. During breaks, the mosquitos ate him alive. As well, disregarding my pleas, he wore trail shoes instead of boots, and moaned about beat up ankles, and discomfort.

In the morning, cold cereal and pop-tarts were munched, and pack up was easy. I took the break down of the site to make some minor upgrades to the tent, basically replacing the cheap guy lines with 550 cord. I used my camp towel to mop up any condensation from the interior of the tent from hot breath on a cold waterproof canopy. The tent and tarp packed into the side pouches of the CFP-90 with ease, and I still have 75% of the main compartment available for other items.

Some lessons learned on this trip:

1) Despite only planning for an overnighter, the camera batteries, of course, died before I went to bed. With no spares, I was prevented from further documentation.

2) Despite being an awesome light, the SF G2 is not a headlamp. A headlamp is an absolute necessity. Manuevering in the tent, and performing routine tasks with the G2 was a PITA.

3) I wasted way, WAY too much water on cleanup. Again, my brother recommended rinsing with packed in water to clean the dishes. Waste. Pure, unbridled, waste. Being only 300 or so feet from a lake, my plan was to procure water from the lake for cleaning, and then lightly coating the items with santizer for sterility. This would have saved the remnants of the packed in water for drinking. Alternately, I could have boiled some leftover water in the Jetboil, dipped the utensils, and poured the boiling brew over he dirty dishes, once particulates were removed. Camp cleanup is a big challenge.

4) Speaking of water, I have absolutely no treatment systems, other than the Jetboil. I'd rather not waste fuel on boiling drinking water, so put a filter on the "must have" list.

5) There is no such thing as "too much" 550 cord.

Next weekend might be interesting. I may be able to assemble a hiking party of 3, and we're heading to the Benton MacKaye Trail. The trail has some elevation differences ranging from 765' to 5843'. It's definitely bear country, so some crafty measures will be required to avoid Smokey gettin' my chow.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/10/05/travel/escapes/05TRAILmap.jpg

'Til next time,
Mike

Spade

04-13-09, 12:36

pretty cool review thanks for sharing

Irish

04-13-09, 12:47

Thanks for the write up and review, I enjoyed reading it.

C45P312

04-13-09, 13:28

Good write up. I'm starting to hike and just picked up some Merrell MOAB lows. Don't know if they'll handle your long trek though lol

Outlander Systems

04-13-09, 15:13

Don't get me wrong - The Merrells are GREAT boots and trail shoes.

They're extremely lightweight, and extremely comfortable. They're rugged. I think for the load I was carrying, a heavier boot would've been in order.

In doing more hiking lately, I'm relearning old skills, and breaking recent bad habits. The Goldilocks syndrome has set in, and I'd like to have a different boot for different outings: The Converse would be great for 3 day+ hikes with heavy loads. The Merrell's are great for light-to-medium loads, for any duration. I'm now questing for something "just right". Not as bulletproof as the Converse, but not as lightweight as the Merrells.

The BMT isn't as well defined as the trails I've been hitting lately, and I'd like to get something in between a full-weight combat boot, and a lightweight hiker.

On a side note, I'm going to continue this series at some point with a lightweight/compact camp/hike/BOB kit that should be interesting. The bag will be required to house:

1) Shelter
2) Water
3) Water treatment
4) Fire making kit
5) First aid kit
6) Various camp tools, etc.

It will be a no-frills, ultra compact (compared to a conventional ruck), and a complete inversion of the rucksack philosophy I've been working with thus far. Should be an adventure.

LittleRedToyota

04-13-09, 15:30

2) Despite being an awesome light, the SF G2 is not a headlamp. A headlamp is an absolute necessity. Manuevering in the tent, and performing routine tasks with the G2 was a PITA.

i recommend checking out Petzl's line of "Duo" headlamps. they are a bit pricey, but, imho, they are far and away the best headlamps in existence. i keep one of those and a smaller/cheaper back-up headlamp in my BOB. as you experienced, imho, you do not want to be without a working headlamp at night in a survival situation.

4) Speaking of water, I have absolutely no treatment systems, other than the Jetboil. I'd rather not waste fuel on boiling drinking water, so put a filter on the "must have" list.

i would also add coffee filters to the must have list. they take up very little space/weight and are great for filtering out large particulates before running the water through a filter (or otherwise purifying it) which helps keep your filter clean.

i would also add some chemical water purification tablets or something similar. they take up very little space/weight and can work when other options won't (your stove is out of fuel, you can't get a campfire started, and your filter is frozen/broken).

anyway, good report...thanks for sharing it. have fun next weekend!

The_War_Wagon

04-13-09, 16:18

GREAT place to hike! I went to college nearby, and have camped the Nantahala National Forest just a tad east of where you'll be. And there are DEFINITELY bears there! :eek:

SeriousStudent

04-13-09, 17:00

"Mark 15 mod 81 Stool Softening Device"

BWhahahaha!!!!! :D

If you are looking for a lightweight water treatment device, I found something nice on Saturday. The Cabela's in Fort Worth had MSR Miox water purifiers for half price in their Bargain Cave. If there is one near you, it might be worth a check.

I have an MSR Waterworks filter that I have modified a bit. It has a Sweetwater Guardian pre-filter on it, that helps keep out the larger hunks of bat-poo. It is not really small, like the Miox.

I have in the past gotten several cases of the galloping gut-clench by drinking "not-so-terrific" water in various countries. Since I bought that MSR, and carried it religiously, no more problems.

I even rigged up an adapter for my GI canteens, several eons ago while on active duty. I did a little magic with a gas mask cap, and she worked.

Hayduke

04-13-09, 18:53

i'm a big fan of the 5.10 Camp 4 shoes for a rugged mid-weight hiker.

rat31465

04-14-09, 10:50

Landlord,
I never had any luck with Petroleum Jelly and cotton ball firestarters either.

3CTactical

04-14-09, 11:32

I've made and used the petro jelly cotton balls as firestarters using a firesteel with no problems, although I haven't tried them in the rain yet. 3 weeks ago I used one to start a fire in winds of about 10 mph with gusts to 20mph - worked great. How are you guys making yours? I make mine by working the petro jelly into them pretty good, but when you open them up a bit there is still dry cotton inside. When I get ready to use them, I tear them open and fluff the insides up a bit to help catch the sparks and like I said, they seem to work good.

warrior9504

04-16-09, 15:26

rat31465

04-16-09, 18:13

The link below will lead you to a thread that I started awhile back just after a small Tornado tore the roof off the duplex I was living in. I tried to address a few of the short comings of my personal Bug Out Bag so anyone interested might learn from my mistakes. It really is a good idea to be prepared and test your equipment and plans ahead of the time when you have to put them into effect.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=26930

Outlander Systems

04-16-09, 19:04

The OP has the right idea here. Test you gear now when you can afford to screw it up so you will get it right when it counts. I was an avid hiker covering all of the AT in PA and adjoining states (I saw "was" b/c now I have little kids and can barely get away for a round of golf let alone a 3-7 day hike!!!). I started with an ALICE pack as well (former military) but eventually switched to the "ultra-light" or minimalist theory of hiking.

So a couple suggestions -
--consider a tarp or specially designed waterproof cover rather than a tent. Usually much lighter, and all you need is some 550 cord and a couple bungies rather than poles, stakes, cord.
--Rinsing pots in streams and lakes is a must, conserve water and they make biodegradable/non-toxic soaps you can use after to be sure it is clean.

--The lighter you pack the lighter boots you can wear (less support needed) and they say a pound on your feet equals at least 5 on your back (or something like that).

There is plenty of other stuff out there including a really good, easy and high calorie meal called "moose goo" that will save you on fuel (eat it cold) and space (very small, packages) and money (you make it at home). This is the website I started ultralight packing at:
http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/

best of luck and most importantly enjoy the hike....I'm jealous!

Couldn't agree with you more, bro.

Little things I'm picking up through field testing eliminates the learning curve "in the shit", that, and it's just good clean fun.

I've basically done an ultra-minimalist setup for my next outing, shrinking the pack down to a Maxpedition Colossus Versipack, and unloading some of excess baggage/luxury items. If anyone remembers my Bug Out Bag: Test 1 post, I had cosmetics in the pack - stick a fork in 'em, they're done.

A large pack is great for extended retreats/setting up a base camp. On my next outing, I'm shooting for mobility over firepower.

The new kit will consist of what I personally feel, for my individual needs, the absolute bare minimum for trying to stay 6' atop soil. This is a test. This is only a test. That being stated, I'm curious to see if I can squeeze shelter/cooking/firemaking/water-procurement into an extremely small, lightweight package, instead of turtle-backing. It will definitely allow for extended ranges, faster speeds, and infinitely more mobility.

The system I'm rigging together may prove interesting, and theoretically, I think it's jam-up, but, I'm going to have to field test it to verify. Should be fun.

For this outing, I'm nixing everything but the utmost minimal of what I see as essentials.

Again, 550 Cord = Ultra-Essential, YMMV.

-Mike

Outlander Systems

04-16-09, 23:16

For the next outing, I'm assembling a "maximum mobility" setup, called:

Black Bear Interdiction Kit, EX 1 Mod 0.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7204/85908643.jpg
Image Contents:

01) Approximately 85' of 550 Cord.
02) 2 Omega Pacific Carbiners
03) Snugpak Rain Poncho / Stuff Sack / Carrying Belt-Pouch
04) Polartec Fleece Cap
05) ENO Singlenest Hammock
06) ENO Slap Straps
07) Jetboil PCS
08) Spare Isobutane
09) Sea-to-Summit Long Spoon

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8889/64990874.jpg
Image Contents:

10) Sanitizer
11) Sea-to-Summit Trowel
12) Surefire G2LED
13) Gerber Multi-Tool
14) Magnesium Fire Starter
15) Gerber Folding Knife
16) Strike Anywhere Matches
17) Vaseline "Fun Sauce"
18) Knife Sharpener
19) 10yds of 90mph Duct Tape
20) 4 Bic Lighters
21) Mini, Caveman Basic First Aid Kit

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9863/43706276.jpg
Image Contents:

22) Toilet Paper (Luxury Item)
23) Spare Igniter for the Jetboil PCS
24) Gerber Saw
25) Snugpak Sleeping Bag
26) Nalgene Bottle

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5850/99893538.jpg
Image Contents:

27) Old, ratty LBV
28) Maxpedition Colossus Versipack

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Items still needed:

* Headlamp that takes CR123 batteries
* Rain-fly/Tarpaulin
* Swedish Fire Steel
* Steripen
* Frog Gigging Trident

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This kit is still in the experimental stage, and is subject to change, but it's basically what's going in the field with me, on the next trip. All of the above items will fit in the Versipack or Attach/Store on the LBV. The LBV is nice, as weight is evenly distributed, and no shoulder/hip "burn" occurs. Load capacity is diminished, but carried comfortably. I may add a butt-pack that is setup to store food only. Time'll tell.

-Mike

RWBlue

04-16-09, 23:18

It is nice to see someone testing their BOB.

Vic303

04-17-09, 11:41

A question for the Ultralight camping guy-- Tarps are nice & all, but what do you do about the mosquito problem?

LonghunterCO

04-17-09, 18:33

Again another great post. Guys, get out there and try your stuff out before you "have to use it". He is doing 10 miles, but you dont have to go that far to test a lot of your stuff. You can rent a camp spot with a tent site and have the security of of your car being 10ft away if you wake up to realize your tent/trap setup sucks wind. You can be running your stove, cooking food, seeing how it runs when the wind is blowing and the temps are dropping. If you camp site has access to trails you can pick one and go out with all on stuff on your back, testing your pack, how your gear is packed in it, and your shoes.

- just a thought: trim your ground cloth to just undersize of your test foot print (or fold it so that it does not exceed the foot print of the tent). In a heavy rain, the rain will run down the sides of the tent and onto the ground cloth that is showing beyond the sides of the tent. It will then shunt all the water under the tent towards your sleeping gear and back side.

Again great post.

HES

04-18-09, 18:31

Great posts and threat. I have to agree with TheLandlord in that I am a fan of using an LBV in addition to the pack. Question for him though, does he use the external pack that attached to the CFP-90? I use it an dam trying to find something to replace it. For me it doesnt sit well on my frame.

Outlander Systems

04-18-09, 23:16

@ HES: No! The Assault Pack that accompanies the CFP-90 is horrible IMO.

I need to throw up some pictures. The "Ultralight" setup has the buttpack added, and sleeping bag attached. I used an old Spec-Ops radio pouch to stash the poncho on my pistol belt, since, short of an injury, that will be the item I want with a good bit of rapidity.

DBautista

04-18-09, 23:52

Good choice on the Eagle's Nest hammy.

I own one as well and love it.

Compact and VERY comfortable!

HES

04-19-09, 14:01

@ HES: No! The Assault Pack that accompanies the CFP-90 is horrible IMO. QFT!!! I agree with you 100% Im looking for an attachable Assault pack to replace the one that comes with the CFP. Looks like I'll have to change out the snap buckles as well though. You have any ideas?

I need to throw up some pictures. The "Ultralight" setup has the buttpack added, and sleeping bag attached. I used an old Spec-Ops radio pouch to stash the poncho on my pistol belt, since, short of an injury, that will be the item I want with a good bit of rapidity.
Im with you about the butt pack. that can be invaluable. I use teh standard one that comes with the issue MOLLE LBV. So far not too bad. I also use it to raise where the pack sits on my back so it doesnt put as much of a strain on my shoulders.

warrior9504

04-20-09, 08:23

A question for the Ultralight camping guy-- Tarps are nice & all, but what do you do about the mosquito problem?

Well, depending on where you are that is a bigger problem in some places. You can carry a no-see-um jungle net and probably still be lighter/more compact than a tent set up, and there is always chemical repellants. I used to do a combination of these two systems. A net cut down the bare minimum and another piece that hung off my "floppy hat" around your face with enough elastic around the bottom to keep bugs off you face and ears. This plus some DEET heavy spay was usually good.

Although when I was in the woods in the Pacific NW one early summer it seemed that those darn bugs would get in anything....that was a miserable couple nights!

Question for the OP:

Why do you carry a knife and the gerber multi-tool? That seems redundant as most multi-tools usually have at least one blade in them. Seems like you could save some space/weight there pretty easily. FWIW

Outlander Systems

04-24-09, 08:14

Warrior: Originally space and weight weren't a concern. In the new pack, they most certainly are. Astute point.

That being said, the multi-tool is a great all 'rounder, but I carry the Gerber everyday, so:

1) I'm used to carrying it in my pocket
2) The multi-tool doesn't have any blades that come close to the folder's blade

I think the more important question is why, despite it not being shown, do I carry a Ranger Knives RD-9 when I have the multi-tool, and the folder.

I honestly don't know. Since that's part of the kit, I'll probably ditch the Gerber saw I've got.

We'll see.

Outlander Systems

04-24-09, 08:41

Saw this guy at work on Tuesday, and gave him a couple of glamour shots from my company camera on Wednesday. If he'd been a little more fresh, I'dve thrown him in the vehicle, and cooked his ass for supper. I've been wanting to do a thread on cookin' victuals scored from mother N, and old slitherin' sam here would've been nice. My guess is that he froze to death, since the weather here has been fluctuating pretty badly, between hot/cold, etc. He wasn't showing any visible trauma, which made me think he died from exposure. On Tuesday he was looking/smelling great. By Wednesday the ants started munching on him, and he was smellin' pretty foul.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7117/snakeshrunk.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5622/snake3q.jpg

It's best, when scavenging for carrion, to determine the cause of death. Especially so with snakes. It's possible that the snake consumed a poisoned mouse or rat, and will pass the toxins on to you. Stay safe!

LippCJ7

04-24-09, 14:26

the OP is dead on, testing his plan is nothing more then training and everyone knows how important training is. Anyone want to bet on how long before the OP begins throwing problems into his plan? That may be an interesting twist. Maybe put a couple problems to paper place them in a small bag and draw blind? Me and my hunting partner do a 5-7 day 25-35 mile scouting trip in the summer here in the rockies, almost always around 10,000' but we spend alot of time above timberline(roughly12,000'), living on nothing more then what we carry, I see some new twists to our next trip.

Lip

mattjmcd

04-24-09, 18:57

For the OP- have you looked into something like the Asolo FSN 95's? These are fairly lightweight GTX hikers that are most definitely gtg for moderate loads. I have no trouble with 30-40 lbs at all using those boots. They are GTX, so they offer decent protection, but they breath well enough. I live in SoCal (it's hot here) and they are not too bad.

I think something like that would make your life easier vs the boots you mentioned. Just my .02 of course.

Very good post, btw.

Outlander Systems

05-14-09, 21:48

More Woodland Chow (Opportunity 2):

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1594/turtle4.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2288/turtle3.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1908/turtle2.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6492/turtle1.jpg

ABN

06-09-09, 03:29

As far as the assault pack goes, it sucks. I used it more as a storage compartment. I detached the shoulder straps, ziptied them together and left them in the ruck. I used the compartments, for the quick access gear. I modified my assault pack, with 2 sewn in D-rings from a unservicable ALICE medium, that were attached to a 2 quart sling. The sling had the metal attachment points cut and was secured by 550 cord. The assault pack would house IV bags, bandoleer, SAW belt,ect. Essentially it was the equivilant of a claymore pocket on qn ALICE ruck except that I could sling it over my shoulder need be. As far as the buttpack, during this time period we were still using the LBV-88 with a buttpack. (circa later 90's) As a backpack the more gear you put into the assault pack, the worse it got. If it was lightly filled with the draw strings yanked to the max, it wasn't that bad, so if you can pull it "high and tight" on your back it was alright, other than that it was horrible.

If you do use the assault pack combo it is best to have it as high on the top flap of the ruck as possible.

There had been some complaints about the durability of the ruck, but it was jumpable. I know for sure it was common in the 10th MTN, 1/501st PIR, and some elements in the 82nd. I never took the pack above about 55 LBS and mine is still servicable.

Later on I saw the pack used in OEF, one particular soldier had cut the webbing off the pack and sewed attachment points for a hydration carrier. Another option would be sewing attachment points to mount a MOLLE rucksack sustainment pouch. Perhaps an issue MOLLE assault pack could be mounted, I have both here, so I'll find out if anyone is intersted. One downside of the ruck is that it wasnt designed to mount a hydration bladder but it was designed in another time. A modern day military ruck would incorpate a hydration bladder.

If I were to modify the pack today I would utilize a hydration carrier with PALS webbing with the capabilty to mount pouches. Back in the day I should have modified a camelbak with should harness with fastex buckles, quick on and off. Over the shoulder camelbacks were the norm. The ALICE webbing on the back sucked for mounting (2) 2 quarts, I would mount mine on kidney pad webbing with zipties and 550. If your humping a big pack water should be the key component. Off the top of my head I would bet you could retain the issue assault pack and a hydration carrier.

I gotta run.

Oh, If you want a lighweight sleeping mat, the home insulation wrap Zytel ?, is supposed to be the current fad. On the sleeping pad note, the paratrooper thermarests would fit into the hood of a vs-17 panel and offer space for a makeshift pillow, maybe a interseting note for some. Ill try it out it in a couple months, sounds plausible. Using the lightweight Zytel underneath a VS-17 panel would be a good lightweight combo with ground insulation or so I heard. With the thermarest, it should be GTG in virtually any condition.

Edit Note: The home insulation wrap is tyvek.

chadbag

06-10-09, 02:43

If you are in a wooded area, try sleeping in a hammock with sleeping bag. You need less under you and will be warmer in the winter than sleeping on the ground. When sleeping on the ground you need more under you than over you. I learned this from some old timers when I was a Boy Scout leader and sure enough it worked great. Including in winter campouts in New England with lots of snow on the ground.

Also, don't sleep in your clothes in your sleeping bag. Either change to some "PJs" or sleep in your skivvies only in your sleeping bag. You do NOT want to get moisture into your clothes from sleeping in the sleeping bag and sweating. Walking around the next day, especially in a cold climate, you will be uncomfortable with the moist clothes and in cold climate really really cold.

A simple double wide lightweight hammock works great. A simple rope/550 cord to tie above you and drape a simple tarp or piece of plastic sheeting to keep rain off you and use chemical repellents and head nets for bugs (I was doing this in New England/Mass with lots of mosquitos) during bug season. Also tie little string pieces to each end of the hammock (like those dumb icicle type X-Mas lights you can hang on your house) so any water from rain that runs down the tree will not run down your hammock suspension ropes but will drop off the small strings you have tied... Hard to explain, wish I had pictures.

This saves you the weight of a tent and in the winter will probably keep you warmer.

ABN

06-11-09, 22:48

The hammock idea is a great one, I still have a modified GI jungle hammock, I replaced the two ropes, and added climbing webbing to secure the hammock around trees using a water knot. A GI poncho, a taught line, 4 bungee cords,550 cord and tent stakes you can make an excellent shelter. Throw in a mosquito net in the summer, your GTG.

Hayduke

06-12-09, 09:58

as an avid hammock user i have both the ENO and a Hennessy. you can get fitted bug nets and rain flys for the ENO or make them cheaper. the Hennessy comes with the netting attached and also a rainfly, with all the rope, straps and a couple tent stakes my Hennessy tips the scale at 3.5 lbs and is about the size of a football. also have a down underquilt made by Jack's that let's me take the Hammock out year 'round.

Cold Zero

07-25-09, 18:10

[QUOTE=TheLandlord;348988]

I'd gotten a cheap, Texsport tent that is light as a feather and "good enough" until I could decide on a high-end tent.

If you want a high end tent, Hilleberg is the absolute Cadillac of high end mountaineering grade tents. This is what is used on Everest. There are many models. I would recomend a 4 season model with vestibule and two doors. I have stayed many nights in them up to winds of 60-70 MPH and it took it like a champ. Peace of mind and comfort all in a light weight package.

4) Speaking of water, I have absolutely no treatment systems, other than the Jetboil. I'd rather not waste fuel on boiling drinking water, so put a filter on the "must have" list.

For water filters for hiking, this is the best one to get. I have one, the filter does not need to be replaced when clogged, but easily cleaned in the field. Fills a Nalegene bottle in about 1 minute.

http://cascadedesigns.com/MSR/Water-Treatment-And-Hydration/Expedition-Water-Treatment-And-Hydration/MiniWorks-EX-Microfilter/product

Good to see you are taking you preps seriously. Good on you.