Backpacking prep

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
10/10/2019 at 23:18 • Filed to: None

I just picked up my rental bear canister from REI today so now I have everything I need to finish up my pack for the weekend. With the bear canister weighing in at 3lbs, extra layers for the cold temps, and plenty of food and water, my bag weighs in a bit heavy. But I guess it could be worse. Final weigh in has come out to 36lbs including everything. That puts me at about 24% of body weight which is certainly within spec of classic backpacking weights. Modern standards with all of the ultralight stuff means that’s actually quite heavy but I ain’t got the money for that stuff. Money that is better spent on car parts! I really wanted to pack my hammock but another few pounds is not worth it at this point.

As for food I calculated out the following:

Plus I shoved a couple slices of bread in there for the salami and a peanut butter sandwich on two more slices of bread so there’s at least a couple hundred more calories not accounted for. So I certainly shouldn’t starve to death. I won’t be happy if my stove dies but I also won’t go hungry immediately.

I also bought a set of these so hopefully my feet thank me. Making that REI membership earn it's keep now. Dividend will finally pay off the original purchase amount.

DISCUSSION (52)

Poor_Sh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/10/2019 at 23:24

I am familiar with these pictures/actions.

Kinja'd!!!

Have fun!

barnie > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/10/2019 at 23:45

Glad yer gettin g out there. I’d suggest replacing the Tuna with another Salami, a block of Cheddar and a small loaf of unsliced Pumpernickel . And maybe double the number of Cliff bars. You’ll use 5k calories each day with that load and walking. Bread is also good for slurping out the last of the Freeze-dried bags.

And, what is a bear canister? A decent, hungry bear will get into that thing. Back in my walking days (‘60s & 70s) we tossed a weighted line over a branch not too close to the trunk and raised the food >10' off the ground. And then didn’t sleep near it...

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/10/2019 at 23:47

no mints?...i always carry mints... keeps my water consumption down some (im a thirsty boi)

that said i pretty much only carry water and mints.... in my little country its pretty much impossible to get yourself lost and dead (civilization is never far away and we dont have dangerous wildlife...maybe a wild boar or two...or angry cows)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Poor_Sh
10/10/2019 at 23:48

How many days/ nights is that layout for? Seems ambitious to me to go with no cooking. Having a warm meal is more about keeping the spirits up for me and should be a great way to add some warmth when it gets nice and cold. I'll be seeing 20s/50s as lows/highs plus some wind and humidity in single digits. So it'll be a challenge for sure!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:00

Kinja'd!!!

Bear repellant. Ruger Super Alaskan in .454 Casull and 230 gr.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:02

Have fun! My last 5 night trip I was carrying 42 pounds and I weigh 140-145ish, so no complaining; haha. But I’m already planning to get down to 35ish for a similar time frame. It’s always tough when I go with my father in law though he likes redundant redundancy when it comes to lots of stuff.

Here would be my recommendation; put some fresh veggies/fruit into the mix; some veggies especially don’t weigh much, some don’t need refrigeration to keep, and it makes you feel like a real person.

PowderHound > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:02

Looks good. I’m really good at packing way too much food and carrying the extra weight for the fun of it?

Chariotoflove > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:05

I get those noodle cups in my grocery store five for a dollar. They’re a great value.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:06

I’ve always liked instant oatmeal for breakfast and ramen for lunch . Lipton noodles and sauce is also cheap tasty calories.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > barnie
10/11/2019 at 00:11

It’s law in the national forest I’m going to put all food in a bear canister. Basically it is due to the high volume of bears and the intelligence of said bears to get into food tied to a tree. I’m planning on having a hefty breakfast on Saturday before starting the hike and I’ll be back at the car by Monday afternoon. Plus Sunday will be day pack only (~10 lbs or less) for my hiking and I’m only schlepping the big bag about 4 miles and 1000ft of elevation each way.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
10/11/2019 at 00:14

I wouldn’t eat a bunch of fresh uncooked veggies in normal life anyways. I actually can’t stand uncooked vegetables generally.

Kinja'd!!!

Had some today though while I still have electricity to cook things.

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:14

I would have ditched the tent and used the hammock, then added gourmet real food to make up for the weight difference lol.

Last time I did a 5 night backpacking trip, everyone was eating mre's and cliff bars, while I cooked a pizza from scratch and made beef stew. Totally worth the 15 pounds of food/cooking gear!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
10/11/2019 at 00:15

Well I'm not going to go hunting for dinner so I gotta carry more food lol. I always carry at least a couple of granola bars on any hikes though either way. It helps me power through harder hikes as well to have some energy replenishment.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/11/2019 at 00:16

Not needed for black bears lol. Walking within 100 feet of them is usually enough to get them spooked into running. I've found deer are less skiddish. It's only dangerous if I leave food out to attract them or somehow surprise one up close.

benjrblant > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:19

Sa-weet! Need more posts like this! Post up a report and or some progress too?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
10/11/2019 at 00:19

I do that while car camping for sure. I’m trying to do the whole proper backpacking thing for a change. My hammock is actually about as heavy as my tent, it’s a cheapo hammock with beefy mounts. Plus with the temperature I’d really like to have some structure. I’m not a fan of sleeping in the hammock, it’s more of a thing to do if I don’t feel like hiking too far and just want to enjoy relaxing by the lakes.

No way would I just eat cold food like those guys though. It was absolutely essential that I make realish food. And I actually surprisingly REALLY like these freeze dried beef stroganoff meals, they are legit. If it wasn't for the cost, I would have just brought a bunch of those pretty much.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
10/11/2019 at 00:23

Breakfast will be chili Mac one day and probably salami the other day. Along with tea/hot chocolate mix to warm me up. I'm never a fan of traditional breakfast foods.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Chariotoflove
10/11/2019 at 00:24

Exactly why I bought them. I really wanted some soup of some sort to consume hot water in a tasty way but obviously didn’t want the weight of canned soup. It was just a bonus that they were 39 cents each.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:25

You put so much effort into this. How far are you hiking?

I’m a lazy day hiker - 8-10 miles is 3 bottles of water and 2 Clif Bars (and I usually only eat one of them) , wearing my usual work clothes/shoes. P ossibly a rain jacket if the weather looks questionable or a coat if winter time... If I go the right time of year, I probably collect 3X as many calories from wild plants as I carried in with me.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > PowderHound
10/11/2019 at 00:25

I was surprised my food didn't really weigh that much, especially for the amount of calories. Every little thing just adds up though. 2 pounds here, 2 pounds there, and then when you weigh it at the end it's dozens of pounds!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/11/2019 at 00:32

I'm not even hiking that far which is the funny part to me. I'm carrying all of this crap just to hike less than I would in a one day hike anyways. But it's more for the adventure and just to hone my packing and planning skills and to try something new. Realistically it's just to have a really cool secluded camp site and not have to pay much at all for it. Total distance hiked with the pack will be about 8 miles round trip. Plus probably a day hike with just water and snacks (with my pack setup as a base camp) for an easy 5 or so miles depending on where I feel like exploring.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > benjrblant
10/11/2019 at 00:33

Well I'm doubting I will have much cell service in the backcountry but if I do, I'll certainly have plenty of time to post up some of the many photos I'll be taking. Either way I'll have plenty of content to share eventually!

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 00:55

Looks like a nice kit, enjoy! I’m going bikepacking next Thursday thru Sunday and may steal some ideas from your setup. Be careful with bears the bears. I don’t know how they are up there but they’ve been super active down here this fall with lots more encounters with humans than normal including a couple bow hunters that got attacked recently.

Future Heap Owner > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/11/2019 at 00:57

For me, the distance isn’t the focus of it; it’s the solitude, especially that you get when you go three or four nights and can make it a couple dozen miles into the wilderness.

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion
10/11/2019 at 00:58

I am all about the backcountry gourmet. It tastes incredible because you’re so hungry, and when you’re in the backcountry there ain’t much that really needs doing, so you have plenty of time to cook.

Pizza from scratch is a level up from me, though. How did you keep the yeasties cool? Or did you just have them out and use them ASAP?

Future Heap Owner > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 01:04

Nice, packing nights are good fun.

I definitely agree that cooking is essential. Can’t imagine not having a warm meal at the end of a long day, especially when it gets as cold as it does in the mountains in the fall.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Future Heap Owner
10/11/2019 at 01:20

If I were to make pizza in the woods, I would probably make the dough at home and let it rise while hiking. Obviously it would be a first night meal in that case. But also, the packaged instant yeast would last just fine in the bag. Just dealing with flour would be an absolute nightmare to not make a mess.

Future Heap Owner > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 01:24

Ahhhh, that is a much better plan

barnie > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 01:31

Wow. How times have changed. Thanks for the 411. Have fun!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/11/2019 at 01:32

In an ideal world I will see no bears. Granted this is definitely bear country so I wouldn’t be surprised to come across one though. I’m taking the proper precautions with all of my smelly things so I should be alright there.

Bikepacking always seemed so cool to me. I imagine it would be nice to strap my stuff onto a bike rather than my back. Sure you will still feel the weight when encountering h ills but anything level is almost negligible and downhill if anything might be an advantage. Biking really fast downhill is probably the only part of biking that I enjoy lol

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Future Heap Owner
10/11/2019 at 01:33

I’m used to cooking steaks and bacon and intricate stews while camping so it's already a major shock to have to resort to counting calories rather than just knowing I'll have plenty to Gorge myself on.

SmugAardvark > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 03:37

A few years ago , I did a very long hike with a bag weighing in at 60 lb. I learned within the first 4 hours that nearly everything I thought I needed, I most certainly did not need. Ended the first day having shed almost 15 lb off.

Thankfully, our 2nd night had us camping along the AT. The barter system going on in those camps was wonderful. Manage to make some deals and lose another 10-15 lb. At this point, I finally felt like more of a hiker than a pack mule. My legs and back were eternally grateful. It did mean having to fish for river trout the last couple days of the trip, which, sure why not?

DipodomysDeserti > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/11/2019 at 06:09

Depends on how remote of an area you’re in. Only bringing three bottles of water and wearing work shoes into a remote area out here is a fucking terrible idea.

Good way to become coyote food.

DipodomysDeserti > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 06:22

Fancy bac kpacking food! On account of my kids being able to carry very little, I usually just bring beans and tortillas. I make balls of peanut butter, honey and chocolate for snacks. I’ve never used a sleeping pad and my kids have learned to sleep without them so that saves a lot of space.

Poor_Sh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 06:56

3 days, 2 nights, about 33 miles I think with 15,000' of elevation change. Not the worst but the weather on the first day was torture.

As to the food, I guess I found that in previous trips I didn’t so much care about the end of day treats that many people use like a warm meal, alcohol, or a fire. I love that stuff for camping but for backpacking we do so many miles a day with so much weight (still kinda a novice) that I don’t want to take the extra time to heat stuff up, and I don’t want the extra weight of even the smallest stove with fuel. So I tried no-cook and was able to get the nutrients I need, with tastes I liked, and my treat each night was just getting to bed lol

Remember, unless you’re cooking over a fire your stove won’t provide much heat in the open, and your food won’t either other than heating your hands up and feeling warm as you eat. But the whole time you are still out in the cold. I figured eating quickly and getting into a sleeping bag as early as possible was the best way to warm up.

To each their own though! I'm sure whatever you do it'll be a good time or a good story, and if you're lucky both.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion
10/11/2019 at 07:25

How’d you bake dough out in the boonies?

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 09:27

Looks like a good trip! I just had some mountain house for dinner last night. How much is it rent the canister? What do you use for a stove?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Poor_Sh
10/11/2019 at 09:40

Oh its not about the stove itself providing warmth but the warm food, hot soup, and hot cocoa warming me up a bit from the inside out. I already am finding a camping trip without a roaring camp fire to seem pointless (fires are VERY banned right now) so I at least need a little bit of fire for entertainment too. If I get into my sleeping bag too early, I’ll end up going to bed too early and wake up too early. The absolute coldest part of the day will certainly be just before sunrise so I want to avoid being awake then. It will be in the 30s the rest of sleeping time which is plenty comfortable for sleeping with my gear.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SmugAardvark
10/11/2019 at 09:44

I’ve definitely done an okay job cutting the absolutely unnecessary stuff. Especially since this is such a short trip and really I could hike back to the car in any sort of emergency pretty easily. I didn’t pack spares of things aside from water filtration since the backup is tablets that weigh almost nothing. Food and water weighed in at about 10 pounds meaning I have 26 pounds of base weight. This is kind of high but considering I don’t really have any specialty expensive backpacking gear and the hats, gloves, and layers I packed; I think it is acceptable.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > DipodomysDeserti
10/11/2019 at 09:46

I made those peanut butter oat balls last time! I thought they were pretty darn good when frozen. Not the greatest when melty but still a decent snack. Sleeping pad will be absolutely necessary for this trip as I would likely die or be extremely cold without it. I've experienced in 30F before where I rolled off of my sleeping pad with one shoulder and the temperature difference across half of my body was insane. Shit works like magic for me!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BeaterGT
10/11/2019 at 09:49

$5 for 6 days of rental! Pretty good deal although the ones sold for purchase are probably a pound lighter. I have a cheapo stove from Amazon, random unknown unknown brand. But it's pretty lightweight and has been reliable for me having bought it in like 2014 and used it frequently enough. Something I'd like to upgrade though in order to get something a little more efficient at boiling water and to use smaller fuel canisters. The only downside is that this thing uses the full size food service fuel canisters.

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 09:57

Not a bad deal at all. I use something similar to this setup, I like how easy it is to use and pack down. Also perfect for tea. Haven’t needed a windscreen yet though.

https://gsioutdoors.com/halulite-minimalist-complete.html

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 10:34

I’ll let you know how it goes - this is my first time going - maybe I’ll even do an Oppo post. I’m going down to Big Bend where it is still in the 90s in the day and barely in the 60s at night so my load will be pretty light since I won’t need heavy clothes or a bulky sleeping bag.

vicali > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 11:32

Super fun. Packing for the trip and the first 25 minutes of hiking is the best part.. oh and cold sodas in the car at the end..

JustAnotherG6 > AestheticsInMotion
10/11/2019 at 11:33

Seconded on the hammock. I just did a trip in the BWCA a weekend or two a go. The 20 deg. under-quilt earned it’s place in my pack. Typically, we will hike in steaks to cook over a campfire the first night.

I’ll usually do either oatmeal or the mountain house biscuits and gravy for breakfast, salami and cheese (or cheese whisps) for lunch then back to the mountain house (or the equivalent ) for dinner.

JustAnotherG6 > Future Heap Owner
10/11/2019 at 11:35

Have you tried any of the https://www.packitgourmet.com/ stuff? It’s a bit more work but much of it is pretty darn good.

Chariotoflove > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/11/2019 at 11:55

And your monthly RDA of sodium in each cup as a bonus.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/11/2019 at 12:14

Definitely looking forward to reading said post, it sounds like a unique idea to me. And yeah thats way more fair of weather to be outdoors in. Although I kind of look forward to the cold, I dont get much of that at home in LA! The high temps in the 50s would be absolute lows here in the winter.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BeaterGT
10/11/2019 at 12:17

Windscreen would be awesome for my stove. That is the number one problem I have with my setup. I am always setting up extra pots and lids to block the wind so that I dont have to waste so much fuel trying to boil water. I wont have anything extra on this trip so we shall see if it gets windy how long it takes.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > vicali
10/11/2019 at 12:19

Agreed!

But I cant leave ANYTHING in the car due to the bear risk. I would have to put extra stuff in a bear box (I believe there are some at the trail head) but I would rather just make sure the car is empty. California, especially the Sierras, take bears super seriously.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti
10/11/2019 at 13:04

It also depends on the environment. I wouldn’t do this in a desert, for example, but it’s fine in the forests up here. Starting a fire might be a challenge if it came to it, but little else would be a major problem.

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti
10/11/2019 at 13:11

I brought a Dutch oven, my friend worked her cooking magic. I'm not well-versed in what goes into dough