first weekend hike

i am preping for my first major hike, ive done car camping and hunted all my life so most of the basics are there. so far my gear is

tent: Terra Nova Wild Country Duolite http://www.moontrail.com/terra-nova-duolite.php

pack: Kelty Coyote (got a really good deal)

gear im looking to buy

pad: Therm-A-Rest Trail

hydration pack: MSR Dromedary Bag - 10L

water filter: MSR SweetWater Purifier System

cook set: GSI Pinnacle Soloist Cook System

anything i could find that is better for a similar price or anything that's not worth it

Welcome to Trailspace overclock

Are you planning on carrying 10L of water? I think a 10L water bladder is a bit much, I would go with a smaller piece of equipment. I use 3L Nalgene collapsible canteens. I have two of them they are very durable light weight and will stand up on there own or they can be hung.

http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=86

Is your user name a reference to being into over clocking computers?

my idea behind the 10L was to be able to cary more when i need too and not fill it all the way when i know i will be near a water source (i hope to do some group hiking). Eventually want to do the whole superior trail and some years there is long distances without water.

Ok well I still think that is way too much over kill. I realize you don't have to fill it all the way. I still weighs a lot and it takes up unneeded space but that's my opinion.

The sleeping pad you have selected is a good choice the only thing I will warn you of is its weight. The trail series pad's are very durable, comfortable and heavy but insulate better for winter camping as well as taking up a lot of space. I know because I have one of the trail series pad's but I still wouldn't trade it in for a different one. So you may want to look at the Pro-Lite series and save a some weight and space.

Although I like the tent style It is a bit heavy for a single wall tent (no rain fly) but it does come with V tent pegs. You can find Eureka Autumn Wind 2XD for around the same price on the web.

overclock said:

i am preping for my first major hike, ive done car camping and hunted all my life so most of the basics are there. so far my gear is

tent: Terra Nova Wild Country Duolite http://www.moontrail.com/terra-nova-duolite.php

pack: Kelty Coyote (got a really good deal)

gear im looking to buy

pad: Therm-A-Rest Trail

hydration pack: MSR Dromedary Bag - 10L

water filter: MSR SweetWater Purifier System

cook set: GSI Pinnacle Soloist Cook System

anything i could find that is better for a similar price or anything that's not worth it

Welcome to the forum and the hiking habit. :)

A few thoughts/questions based on my own mentality of balancing lightweight with functionality:

Are you really going 4 season right away? Nice price but it's a heavier tent than I would take for three season camping.

Are you going where there are viruses in the water?

Are you desert hiking? My typical needs for a day are 2-3 liters, and that includes washing up myself and whatever dish I eat out of, with a little left over to pour over my hair. I usually have 1-2 liters in the pack while hiking, and filter at camp for dinner, breakfast and the next day. 10L is more than I've ever seen anyone get...

I have an older model soloist. lately I have been taking the GSI teakettle and a small alcohol stove, and relying on dehydrated meals that only need boiling water. I don't like the new soloist - I don't need nonstick to boil water and it only makes it more expensive. You can easily boil water in anything from a five dollar grease pot from walmart to a foster can pot, and for solo use less than a liter is adequate unless you're melting snow.

Ok what do you think of the Platypus Water Tank's? id like to cary more that a days worth so i can save time on filtering and incase some of the water sources near campsites are dried up (witch since there hasent been alot of rain here it could be a day hike to the next lake or river)

as for the tent i wanted to get something that would take some harsher weather for when i go in late fall/winter. allso ive seen people with 3 season tents get wet way too often when it rains, might just be that they are cheap tents.

the purifier i have to say is the one thing im stuck on my mentality of better to have and not need than need and not have. any sugestions on a filter ive looked at the hiker pro and the sweet water filter? just thought the purifier being around $10 more it might be worth it.

liked the soloist due to the posibility fo using it to do more cooking than just boiling water, will probibly be fishing on most trips. snow melting is not high on the list of priority's but would be a plus due to the weather here in nothern mn. i do have some cheap pots at home that other than the handles would get the job done but they wouldent offer the compact size and would weigh more.

Overclock do you realize water weighs about 8.25 lb per gallon? I understand the desire to carry extra especially if you need to but limit that to only when necessary. As far as platy tanks if you are asking about the ones with the zipper I don't like them because of the zipper. They have been known to open when you don't want them to.

Tents leak for a few reasons pore care, low quality, not following directions etc. Some tent manufactures make claim to no leaks but read the fine print. It will probably you need to seam seal. Basically you get what you pay for.

This is fun. Another "here's my gear, guess where I'm going to hike".

The dessert Outward Bound trips carry up to 2 gallons of water for obvious reasons. The mountain trips carry (or at least use to carry) 2 liters.

I agree with NotQuiteThere, a 4 season tent is overkill for everything but that forth cold windy season called winter. Get a good 3 season and you'll saves pounds. 4 season tents are tempting because they are tough, but they are not needed during the other 3 seasons.

Minimalists are able to stay dry with a poncho staked out like a tarp - it's a matter of knowing how/where to pitch. There's something to be said for setting up the tent at home and shooting it with the hose.

Kelty makes decent inexpensive (but heavier) 3 season tents. Nine times out of ten, the folks I've seen freaking out about rain are the ones with the cheap, minimal fly, heavy PU tents that they pitched in a depression - the site fills with water in a good rain and then water leaks through the bottom. Site selection skills and a tube of McNett's seam sealer will fix the problem for you.

4 season tents have extra supports and extra guyout points to handle wind/snow piling on the tent - that's just extra weight for most trips.

Unless you are making fish soup, the soloist isn't wide enough for frying fish. I take heavy aluminum foil for cooking fish on a rock or directly in the coals of a small fire.

sorry for the late reply, was busy with work and my first hike(witch was a lot of fun and a good learning experience.

the gear i took was

kelty coyoty 4750

alps moutanering desert pine 20

thermarest trail pad

msr sweetwater filter

2x platy 2l

32oz nalgene canteene

duolite tent

petzle e+light

colman propane stove (not sure of the model)

cheap aluminum pot from home

everything worked great, but now i see that i could get my load lighter and more efficent. First thing that is going is the coleman stove the tank just weighs too much and was a pain to pack. The pan i used while small and light the handle just made it a pain to pack.

as fof the whole water issue i was having that was cured about 4 miles in to the hike i only had one platy and the nalgene canteen and i knew it i had filled the other platy it would have just slowed me down.

now onto new questions, i have a friend that wants to go on my next hike but he has almost no equipment (sleeping bag is all i know of). Ive already ordered an osprey ather 85 (tried one at a local store liked it but not there markup on the price) so that he can use the kelty.

He's not realy the outedoors type but has been camping a few times. any ideas on how to make his trip fun and relaxing? im allready planing to do the steak trick for the first night. not quite sure if fishing is going to keep him entertained ( going to try anyway).

btw mike i missed the last part of your first poast before. yes it is, ive been overclocking since i built my first computer 8 years ago. ive been using overclock as my screen name since around the same time. i actualy respond to it irl now too.

allmost for got we will be hiking on the superior hiking trail

http://www.shta.org/

Ok for his first trip take it slow & easy. That way you can see his limitations and your next trip you can add to it as needed.

I did some overclocking myself but not for a few years but when I did I had some pretty amasing benchmarks on one machine and some others were ok. It was all fun to do.

I have to go through this process before every trip it seems. I start planning and packing and I WAY overthink it. Which means that I WAY overpack it. If 2 liters is good, 4 will be better. If a liter of white gas will be good, take the 1.5 liter bottle "just in case." Etc. etc.

I don't resist the impulse in the initial stages. That way I do collect all the gear I might need and am unlikely to leave anything out. It's like brainstorming -- don't criticize, just collect every idea and evaluate them later.

Then I get realistic. How much water will I really need? How much fuel? Am I going to be as hungry as I thought? And so forth. Experience is what has made this part a lot more effective. As time goes by, the "junk pile" is not as big as it used to be -- I am more realistic from the get-go -- but I still go through the process because it works for me. And this is after nearly 40 years of backpacking -- still learning that 8 tiny little 4 oz. "just in cases" adds up to 2 lbs in my pack that I never use but sure feel!

Even so I still slip up sometimes. I am still eating instant oatmeal left over from taking my Scouts backpacking on the AT in June. I really thought those young men would eat more than they did. Good thing I love instant oatmeal!

Sometimes I remind myself of Tim on Home Improvement -- More Power! Which is the same as More Junk!

Being a gear weenie doesn't help.

But I swear I'm getting much better. Really I am. My base weight is down about 20 lbs from what it was 10 years ago.

Sounds like you're learning too, Overclock. Trailspace is a great place to shorten the learning curve.

Mike, i knew i should take it slow with him, due to my last trip and under estimating my ability. did 15 miles in less than 18 hours, witch i never thought i could do ( i smoke so limits are put on my ability by society). might just be the fact i was enjoying it so much. I've selected an 11 mile section of the trail (said to have the best scenery) and if he wants to keep going we still have a lot of trail to travel.

funny thing is I've always wanted to go backpacking, but it wasn't until i was on yet another overclocking binge of 16 strait hours (likely more) for just a little more. i had a dream about getting a pack loaded for a trip and i couldn't shake the thought. so i decided it would be my birthday present to my self ( one of the two best presents ever).

brearnarld i seem to be on the same path as you, overer think every thing. luckely ive learned from other hobbys that there is a limit to sanity.

im only taking 2.5 of waterl on my next trip, but thats due too the new guy incase he needs more water.fuel is another thing im going to learn on this trip unless someone knowsif a 4oz can will make it for 3-5 days boiling water (might be using it for drinking water for a portion of the trip) and real cooking.

all in all i hope to have a nice "junk pile" in a few years when my niece is old enough to get out and enjoy the outdoors

as far as tim goes I'm all for more power but heat transfer is more important (joke for mike and any overclockers here). on a more serious note ive learned more power is not allways best, more efficient wins out at some point.

still looking for ideas to make his first hike great, im looking for the little things that make the whole trip unforgettable. Im watching the recipe thread for food but atm chilli, atleast mine is way too hot for brunch or a snack. might be the fact one of my ingreadiants can allso be used to strip grease stains from driveways.

I do the same thing (under / over estimate myself what ever) I smoke too (1 pack a day and 1-2 packs a day when I'm camping) I try not to smoke when I'm hiking I find that I can go further and less fatigued that way any way. I some times take new people with me and when I do they seem to be getting left behind I try not to but its hard. I also like to see what's around me. The last time I took someone with me I decided before hand to slow down and use my camera more and hunt for that perfect picture (yea right) my last weekend trip I took 350 pictures and man did that slow me down but I got some awesome pictures that I would never have gotten with out someone there to slow me down. I always thought I saw a lot of thing on the trail but I realized that if I slow down a bit and record what I see when I see it how much more I enjoy myself. I also realized its not how far you hike in one day but what you see and appreciate in the proses. Not to mention the pictures you that and show people that alone will entice them to want to go and do & see fore them self's (also the girls love pics of nature as well lol)

In my experience, the things that make a trek the most unforgettable are the ones that you couldn't plan anyway. But like Mike says, you are a lot more likely to see them if you are taking your time and really looking.

When I took my Scouts on the AT this June I planned for 6 mile days so that we wouldn't be rushing around. This is not far at all, and the last couple of days they wanted to do 9-10 miles and get to the next campsite along the trail, so of course I let them -- But it was good to start out with short days anyway.

Overclock

Welcome aboard!I love watching people new to the sport of hiking,climbing or skiing.Remember that we all had to start out "new"to this thing called hiking and that we all made mistakes in how and what we bought or carried.

I might suggest you go on some day hikes with a local "club" with experianced folks that could help you figure out what gear and how much to take on the hikes you are starting with.I too have my own "opinions" on what i consider to be the right gear and techniques for outdoor adventures but all these were aquired thru 35 years of hiking,climbing and skiing and are "my prefered" way of doing these things.

Just remember that you will find your own way to hike and will prefer certain gear over others but this will be aquired with time . remember to have fun and stay safe!ymmv