Backpack trip into wilderness

yiostheoy

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Jun 27, 2016
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Just got back from a week long backpack trip with an old friend into the wilderness.

It was somewhat of a Walden Pond experience for us both to reconnect and compare views and also to get away from it all.

On a backpack trip into the wilderness, your main concerns are with making hot coffee and dehydrated egg breakfast in the early morning, spending a rest day relaxing from yesterday's long all day hike, or packing your gear and heading up to the next campsite. You normally stop along the trail either to rest in place or to break for a lunch of trail mix, jerky, and Gatorade. Late in the afternoon you set up camp, replenish your water, have a dehydrated foil pack dinner, discuss how the day went, and then turn-in for the night inside your tent, with an air mattress, sleeping bag, and pillow made out your rolled up jacket stuffed into a pillow case. Very fundamental human needs. To travel is better than to arrive -- it is all in the hiking experience.

We passed one hiker who was coming down the trail who had thrown out his back and was walking at a right angle like an "L" while his buddies carried his pack for him. Either his pack was too heavy or his back was too weak. He did not look all that old -- maybe mid 50's
We also passed a few groups comprised of several females and one token male. I guess he was the bodyguard.

Here are some photos.
. DEER02.JPG FALLS01.JPG JOE08.JPG LAKE.JPG
 
The pics are beautiful. My everest is a local trail nearby. It's short enough that I can do it after work during the summer, and remote enough that not everybody knows about it.
 
Speaking of squatting, on this backpack trip we brought poo jugs to pack out our poopoo with.

It was an innovation I made from kitty kibbles jugs.

These are then clipped to the outside of our backpacks.

One jug easily holds an entire week's worth of poo.

Rule #1 for backpacking is "pack it in -- pack it out."

.POO JUG.jpg
 
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Whitney Portal? I was just curious. That would be the detail I would be interested in because I'll be hiking down there next year.

Generally, I don't use a tent or an air mattress, eat dehydrated eggs or foil pack dinners, or drink gatorade while I'm backpacking. Those would be specifics.
 
Speaking of squatting, on this backpack trip we brought poo jugs to pack out our poopoo with.

It was an innovation I made from kitty kibbles jugs.

These are then clipped to the outside of our backpacks.

One jug easily holds an entire week's worth of poo.

Rule #1 for backpacking is "pack it in -- pack it out."

.View attachment 87169

Now that is beyond specific. Singular is the adjective for that one
 
I've never been able to get my pack under 45 lbs plus rifle for a weekend hunt. That's carrying no water.
 
I've never been able to get my pack under 45 lbs plus rifle for a weekend hunt. That's carrying no water.





What the heck! You carrying the kitchen sink too?
 
I even drilled holes in the magazine well of my rifle to save a bit of weight.
 
Whitney Portal? I was just curious. That would be the detail I would be interested in because I'll be hiking down there next year.

Generally, I don't use a tent or an air mattress, eat dehydrated eggs or foil pack dinners, or drink gatorade while I'm backpacking. Those would be specifics.

Yes, Whitney Portal. Very good guess. It was my 5th trip up there. Storms for 3 days in a row held us off the summit until we finally had to turn around because our trail pass was expiring. Lots of other groups were forced to do the same.

Here is my complete gear list:

BACKPACKING
LIST

Pack attached to frame.
Yoga seat attached to pack as a backrest.
Water bottle pouches attached to frame with carabiner clip locks.

Quick-easy access outer compartments:

1 – Top/center document compartment:
Trail topo map
Glass magnifier
Magnetic topo compass with mirror reflector
Star charts
Red lens compact flashlight
Campfire permit
Trail pass
Ball point pen
Other documents as needed

2 – Top/middle compartment:
Poncho with 2 plastic carabiner clips

3 – Top/right compartment:
Trail snacks – raisins, nuts, jerky, snack bars

4 – Top/left compartment:
First aid kit
Small TP roll in storage bag with 2 plastic poop bags
Extra lighter
Bug net
Bug repellant

5 – Bottom/left compartment:
Gatorade jug w/ measuring scoop inside

6 – Bottom/right compartment:
Two small gas canisters for backpacking stove

Bottom inner compartment:

Pot/lid combo with coffee cup & spoon (this becomes the bear noise repellant at night too)
One large water reserve bottle
Dirty laundry mesh bag

Top inner compartment:

Bear canister w/ camp stove & base & lighter
Dehydrated egg breakfasts
Dehydrated dinners
Instant coffee premixed
Cleanup gear & dishwash gear

Clean up gear in gallon bag – comb, washrag, soap in dish, powder, tweezers, antihistamine, ibuprofen, tooth brush, paste, razor, deodorant

Dishwash gear in plastic storage bag – flask of dish soap, sponge and dish towel

Skivis & sox & sock liners for the trail
Swimming or P/T shorts
Full roll TP in tuppeware
Long paracord & 8 clothespins for clothesline
Boy scout knife with fire stick & G/I can opener
Poo plastic bags in gallon storage bag
Water filter and expanding water jug on top with folded tote daypack to protect it all in last on top

Tent duffel:

Ground tarp for tent
Tent
Tent fly sheet
Tent & fly poles
Air mattress
Pillow case to stuff with jacket as a pillow
Long pack straps for tent duffel

Sleeping bag stuff sack:

Lite sleeping bag for summers
Poncho liner rolled up separately
Big black stuff sack
Long pack straps for sleeping bag

Other items:

Poo jug, assembled & attached last externally
Hiking poles & hiking gloves & machete on belt of its own
Orange/camo hunting jacket to wear & convert to pillow at night or rolled up into tent duffel
Heavy fingerless gloves in pocket of jacket
Orange knit cap in other pocket of jacket
Tie-off cord in pocket

Wear:

Keys on necklace – strip down before leaving (Jeep, gas, steering lock, apt 1 key)
Tennis shoes for car trip
Hiking boots (into jeep)
Wear levis, skivvies, suspenders and belt, white T shirt and white over-shirt
Hiking sox and liners
Utility jack knife into pocket with lanyard
Bike flashlight into other pocket
Cell phone into pocket then into pack at trailhead
Wallet stripped with medical cards and credit card
Cash for food on trip.

Trailhead Gear:

Single-burner gasoline camp-stove
Camp-stove fuel for each additional meal
Ice chest
Ice
Frozen steak
Eggs & onion on top
Salt & pepper
Sharp paring knife & tiny cutting board
Canned fruit
Canned drinks
Trash bags for big tent
Coffee, sugar, canned evap milk.
Coffee pot
Coffee jugs
Knife/fork/spoon camping combo’s
Camp plates
Frying pan & flipper.
Small cooking oil bottle
Camp chairs & table
Tall garbage bags
Water jugs with drinking water
Small duffel or tote to leave in vehicle
Change of clothes for trip home into doffel or tote
Cell phone charger into car.

Data:

Dry pack weight loaded with all gear and food = 20 lbs
3 bottles (5 pts) water = 7.5 lbs
Tent duffel loaded = 11 lbs
Sleeping bag & poncho liner = 5 lbs
Total weight for Whitney was 45 lbs max
 

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