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Best fire starting kit is a mini bic. IF you really want to have more put a tiny piece of some kind of firestarter. Keep things simple, light and don't "pack your fears" (bring gear just in case X happens)
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One of the biggest problems I predict is that you will have no place to sit down to rest. New hikers will tend to assume that there will "always" be a conveniently placed fallen log or conveniently placed rock or boulder on which to sit when time comes to boil some water to rehydrate a meal. But inevitably, there is never anywhere to sit down except in the dirt. Or in your case, the mud. You will need a way to sit down without getting your trousers soaked.
You are too big to make use of a 1.2lb ultralight chair like a Helinox Chair Zero (and it its also too expensive for your purposes). I have one, but I only weigh 145lbs. As an inexpensive hack I suggest disposable rain ponchos. They come very compactly folded, weigh almost nothing and are cheap. You can get a pack of them at Amazon; there are various suppliers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P36ZPBP?tag=arfcom00-20 |
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Originally Posted By Coolio: One of the biggest problems I predict is that you will have no place to sit down to rest. New hikers will tend to assume that there will "always" be a conveniently placed fallen log or conveniently placed rock or boulder on which to sit when time comes to boil some water to rehydrate a meal. But inevitably, there is never anywhere to sit down except in the dirt. Or in your case, the mud. You will need a way to sit down without getting your trousers soaked. You are too big to make use of a 1.2lb ultralight chair like a Helinox Chair Zero (and it its also too expensive for your purposes). I have one, but I only weigh 145lbs. As an inexpensive hack I suggest disposable rain ponchos. They come very compactly folded, weigh almost nothing and are cheap. You can get a pack of them at Amazon; there are various suppliers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P36ZPBP?tag=arfcom00-20 View Quote Too late for me to learn from your wisdom. I bought a little chair. It’s rated at 265lbs. I set it up in the living room and sat in it….I didn’t die. I’m out of town, so I don’t remember what it weighs, but it’s light. |
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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What's the date of the trip OP? Should be coming up?
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"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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I don't know about Florida but South Carolina swamp water tastes nasty. I mean it's difficult to force yourself to drink it when it's ninety degrees outside and you're dehydrated. Adding flavored electrolyte mix only makes it worse.
A common purifier will make the water safe to drink but will not change the taste. You need an inline activated carbon filter along with your purifier of choice. you can make your own from parts at Lowes and carbon from your local pet store or get something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007U0184?tag=arfcom00-20 |
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Last update until we leave in the OP.
Blast off 7am on Thursday. |
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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Originally Posted By mustb123: Last update until we leave in the OP. Blast off 7am on Thursday. View Quote Really good list of equipment for your maiden voyage. 28ish pounds isn't terrible for your first time, especially if the pack is designed to handle it. A few of the weights do stand out to me though: 1. Hygiene - 2.2 pounds? Seems heavy. What's in this? 2. Clothes - I think you'll find that you won't use half of what you bring. You could probably shave some weight here. 3. Tent weight - It's heavy for a 2 person but, it will work fine. 4. Dry bag - 0.8 pounds? You could use a trash bag to line your pack and keep the gear that needs to stay dry out of the elements. Have fun OP and please take pics and report back when able. Hope it's an epic trip! |
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"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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Originally Posted By Loonytik: Really good list of equipment for your maiden voyage. 28ish pounds isn't terrible for your first time, especially if the pack is designed to handle it. A few of the weights do stand out to me though: 1. Hygiene - 2.2 pounds? Seems heavy. What's in this? 2. Clothes - I think you'll find that you won't use half of what you bring. You could probably shave some weight here. 3. Tent weight - It's heavy for a 2 person but, it will work fine. 4. Dry bag - 0.8 pounds? You could use a trash bag to line your pack and keep the gear that needs to stay dry out of the elements. Have fun OP and please take pics and report back when able. Hope it's an epic trip! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Loonytik: Originally Posted By mustb123: Last update until we leave in the OP. Blast off 7am on Thursday. Really good list of equipment for your maiden voyage. 28ish pounds isn't terrible for your first time, especially if the pack is designed to handle it. A few of the weights do stand out to me though: 1. Hygiene - 2.2 pounds? Seems heavy. What's in this? 2. Clothes - I think you'll find that you won't use half of what you bring. You could probably shave some weight here. 3. Tent weight - It's heavy for a 2 person but, it will work fine. 4. Dry bag - 0.8 pounds? You could use a trash bag to line your pack and keep the gear that needs to stay dry out of the elements. Have fun OP and please take pics and report back when able. Hope it's an epic trip! I’m a bit of a germaphobe (new word) so I have 3 packs of Dude Wipes, a small bottle of alcohol based antiseptic and a small tube of silver antibacterial gel….. Also, I made a mistake in my clothing calculations. I substituted my actual pants and shirt that I’ll be wearing at the start of the hike for weighing purposes - AND - packed them in the backpack…..so the actual total would be about .7 pounds lighter. Also the Ruger is a sturdy hunk of stainless. The dry bag I like because it’s a strong material. No doubt I could easily take another pound off, but I’m big, strong and dumb, so why not? As long as the gators, snakes, bears, panthers or methbillies don’t get me, I will have some pictures and maybe a story or three. |
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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Looks like a great trip OP. So much water to muckthrough.
What ended up working and not working gear wise? |
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"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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Originally Posted By Loonytik: Looks like a great trip OP. So much water to much through. What ended up working and not working? View Quote My 50* rated sleeping bag was like sleeping in nothing on a couple of nights when it got down to about 48*. Granted, I was in a thin, cheap tent, but I was freezing even after getting fully dressed inside the sleeping bag. My left foot developed a big blister by the end of the first 8-9 miles. No problems on the right foot even after 61+ miles. I think it was a combination of the socks being too slippery and the shoe being slightly too big. I threw them in the garbage can when we got to one. I had worn the shoes for several hours a day, for almost 2 weeks prior to the hike. The backpack was a bit small, at 50 liters, but I knew that going in. I had and should have brought a liter of water. I was constantly out of water and could have filled that when I filled my drinking container. My single pole was good, but I ended up swapping with the guy that had two poles. Much better for stability in the mud, water and sugar sand. The 25 year food sucked. The other guys had some food bags with a 1 1/2 year shelf life. I tried some and it was great. Also, I carried too many protein bars. I probably had a pound of food I never ate. Most of the stuff I bought/brought worked out very well and I’ll keep it for future hikes. New shoes for sure. Would recommend. |
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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Originally Posted By mustb123: My 50* rated sleeping bag was like sleeping in nothing on a couple of nights when it got down to about 48*. Granted, I was in a thin, cheap tent, but I was freezing even after getting fully dressed inside the sleeping bag. My left foot developed a big blister by the end of the first 8-9 miles. No problems on the right foot even after 61+ miles. I think it was a combination of the socks being too slippery and the shoe being slightly too big. I threw them in the garbage can when we got to one. I had worn the shoes for several hours a day, for almost 2 weeks prior to the hike. The backpack was a bit small, at 50 liters, but I knew that going in. I had and should have brought a liter of water. I was constantly out of water and could have filled that when I filled my drinking container. My single pole was good, but I ended up swapping with the guy that had two poles. Much better for stability in the mud, water and sugar sand. The 25 year food sucked. The other guys had some food bags with a 1 1/2 year shelf life. I tried some and it was great. Also, I carried too many protein bars. I probably had a pound of food I never ate. Most of the stuff I bought/brought worked out very well and I’ll keep it for future hikes. New shoes for sure. Would recommend. View Quote You would be warmer with an actual inflatable pad with a decent R-Value. The thin foam mats are both uncomfortable and really just meant for warmer months. With a normal pad and your sleeping bag I think you would have been fine down to 50 degrees. I usually take two Smartwater bottles and the bag that my filter came with for the dirty water. I filter into both bottles and can drink from the filter/bag while hiking. Good report. |
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"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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Originally Posted By Loonytik: You would be warmer with an actual inflatable pad with a decent R-Value. The thin foam mats are both uncomfortable and really just meant for warmer months. With a normal pad and your sleeping bag I think you would have been fine down to 50 degrees. I usually take two Smartwater bottles and the bag that my filter came with for the dirty water. I filter into both bottles and can drink from the filter/bag while hiking. Good report. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Loonytik: Originally Posted By mustb123: My 50* rated sleeping bag was like sleeping in nothing on a couple of nights when it got down to about 48*. Granted, I was in a thin, cheap tent, but I was freezing even after getting fully dressed inside the sleeping bag. My left foot developed a big blister by the end of the first 8-9 miles. No problems on the right foot even after 61+ miles. I think it was a combination of the socks being too slippery and the shoe being slightly too big. I threw them in the garbage can when we got to one. I had worn the shoes for several hours a day, for almost 2 weeks prior to the hike. The backpack was a bit small, at 50 liters, but I knew that going in. I had and should have brought a liter of water. I was constantly out of water and could have filled that when I filled my drinking container. My single pole was good, but I ended up swapping with the guy that had two poles. Much better for stability in the mud, water and sugar sand. The 25 year food sucked. The other guys had some food bags with a 1 1/2 year shelf life. I tried some and it was great. Also, I carried too many protein bars. I probably had a pound of food I never ate. Most of the stuff I bought/brought worked out very well and I’ll keep it for future hikes. New shoes for sure. Would recommend. You would be warmer with an actual inflatable pad with a decent R-Value. The thin foam mats are both uncomfortable and really just meant for warmer months. With a normal pad and your sleeping bag I think you would have been fine down to 50 degrees. I usually take two Smartwater bottles and the bag that my filter came with for the dirty water. I filter into both bottles and can drink from the filter/bag while hiking. Good report. Valid points. This was my first hike longer than a 6 hour day hike in dry conditions. I learned a lot and will be better prepared next time. We had a good time and several great memories. I do appreciate all the ideas and insights. |
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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There is no way the ground temperature warranted something with greater insulation value offered by a standard closed-cell foam pad.
The 1lb 10oz synthetic bag is the reason you were cold. It's a glorified poncho liner, and with an air temperature of 48ºF, yeah, you're not going to be warm and comfy. |
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Thinking about all of the spiny flora that might be lurking in the murky water, just waiting for your feet to find it, gives me nightmares. Yikes.
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10/22/14 I stand with Canada
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