The Big Three

An important element of a long distance hiking blog would naturally be a list of gear that a person intends on using. That would be this entry for the "big three" items; tent, backpack and cooking system. I will also include a list later of gear that I would highly recommend, when I hit Washington, that will be with me on completion of the trail.

 

My first item that I'm super excited about is my tent. The LightHeart Gear Solo tent is what I will be carrying. You can check out these tents at http://lightheartgear.com/. My main reason for really loving this tent is that, for all intents and purposes, it is a double wall tent, which means there is no condensation dripping on me in the morning. It weighs 29 oz. and has enough room inside for me and my pack. I can sit up comfortably inside and I use my Black Diamond poles to set it up, and they work beautifully. It requires two poles, one on each side of the tent. This is an ingenious design which is easy to set up and is very stable in all kinds of weather. The low profile also helps in high wind areas like Tehachapi. As I was seam sealing, I also added sealer in a few rows along the floor for a bit of traction to prevent me from sliding all over the floor as I sleep. I had the manufacturers add the awning, to enable me to cook under it in inclement weather.


LightHeart Gear Tent in action on the PCT 2013

 

My backpack will still be the Osprey Aura 50. The main reason I will still be using this pack: comfort, pure and simple. It fits me well and causes me no pain or hot spots. The one drawback that I could do without is the inside is really tight. The frame is held off my back allowing air to circulate around me and the pack, but it curves in towards the pack, thus restricting volume inside. I can still fit all my gear inside, including a bear canister which rides just under the removable lid nice and secure. I just have to take a little more time to cram everything in. You can find this pack at http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/group/womens/aura_series.



So this brings me to my cooking system. I do intend on bringing a stove just for those nights when I need something warm to eat. That stove will be the Jetboil Titanium. It has worked well for me, and though it was intended for just boiling water, I have cooked in it and have done just fine. A close eye on it is all that is needed to keep food from burning. The main reason for bringing this stove would be to protect the environment from wild fires. As a ban for alcohol stoves is almost universal through out most of California anymore, I have gone with the next lightest stove where the flame is well protected and the open flame is kept close to the pot and way above the ground. I do not worry about the fire jumping out and starting brush on fire. Of course, I pay close attention to where I cook and the type of surface I place my stove on.

 

 

As an afterthought, I will also include my water filtration sytem. I have been using the MSR Sweetwater filter. This picture will show you why.

The only water source for miles around at Sunrise Hwy.

I have found that for me, filtering doesn't take long, and I am happy not to have to filter all the floatie things through a bandana after treating with chemical treatments. The Sweetwater also filters out everything that might make me sick, and I have never had stomach issues on a backpacking trip. So for now, I will stick with what works for me. On this trip, I will be bringing along Aqua Mira as an emergency treatment, as the ceramic filters do tend to get clogged up and/or break. I do know how to clean my filter, to give it as long a life as possible. Even though it is a bit more weight than the chemical treatments, it is well worth it to me when I come across a water source like the one shown above.