Oregon Hikers

I would love to hear what you guys thing about this gear list. Have any tips or suggestions?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Thanks for the input!

that is very light weight, nice!

that stove is so light. and cheap. Never heard of that brand. There are a bunch of obscure super light weight stoves like that. How does that work?

retired jerry wrote:that stove is so light. and cheap. Never heard of that brand. There are a bunch of obscure super light weight stoves like that. How does that work?

I got one of those awhile ago, and it works great! Only possible drawback: unlike some similar ones, this doesn't have the striker thingie, so you need to be sure to carry your own spark as well.

I ordered one for some reason. $13

That is identical to a BRS 3000. That design is sold under a bunch of different brand names. I assume it's made in China. Our huge trade deficit : )

I have heard people say it has low quality, meaning you better check it out good before relying on it. Maybe take it apart and make sure there aren't any stray bits of metal...

Heh, pretty much what I did, too. Saw someone post they liked it, bought it, brought a backup on first use. Had another that was similar, and when it got hot the little foldable legs fused open! This one performed flawlessly. Definitely test...

Seems pretty well thought out and, unlike many ultralight gear lists I've looked at, this one seems like it would work acceptably for three season backpacking in the mountains of Oregon and Washington. Rather pricey at $3500!

Aimless wrote:Rather pricey at $3500!

No kidding! But it's a lot of MSRP, too. Like that Ghost Whisperer jacket for $350... (It goes for $182 in the employee store.)

On the other hand, it possible to go merely lightweight instead of ultralight, carry maybe 5 more pounds total, and muddle along at considerably less cost than that.

kepPNW wrote:...it's a lot of MSRP, too.

I buy almost exclusively used gear - including packs, sleeping bags, parkas, vests, gloves, mittens, gaiters, overboots, ice axes, crampons, altimeter watch, etc. The only thing I won't buy used is climbing ropes. It is surprising what you can pick up that is practically new, for half price retail or less. My modus operandi is to research gear and decide what I want, then wait patiently while watching the following...

Craigslist
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/for ... gear-swap/
https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/1 ... ant-to-buy
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthr ... _Yard_Sale

Light is good, but at what price? While that little stove is certainly lightweight, do you really want to fuss with balancing a pot on that when you are in the dark, on the snow, in the wind, with cold hands? When the first Jetboil came out, I decided to go with a boil water only cook system for several reasons. This was after many many years using traditional gasoline and propane pack stoves. The advantages are:
1) No balancing act - the integrated pot is secured to the stove.
2) Cleanup is easy. All I do is boil water, add it to a freeze-dried meal in a plastic bowl, and then lick the bowl when I'm done. Yes, that's clean enough for me considering that I'm backpacking. I remove freeze-dried dinners form their metalized pouches before I leave and wrap the contents in saran, which is easier to pack out than a collection of bulky Mountain House packages. I put the saran over the plastic bowl, and then a down vest over that, to hold in heat while the dinner "cooks". The saran also keeps food smells off my vest.
3) Far less cooking smells, which is nice if you are in bear country.
4) It makes the whole process of cooking far simpler, which is helpful when conditions are harsh.
5) Lastly, you save weight by only carrying dried and powdered food.

I am usually tired and cold enough that anything that has a tolerable taste and is hot and has substantial calories tastes great. I save real food for my reward when I get back to my camper.

FWIW - Fritos are said to be the some of the highest calorie per gram food available and I love Fritos. You can also use them as emergency fire starter.