Well, it’s Sunday, so I’m sharing another reader suggested coffee. This week it’s the Folders Fresh Breaks Breakfast Blend.
I found this coffee to be tasty and easy. It comes in the little single serving packets that do not take up space in the pack and the price is pretty good. About $4 for 8 servings.
We also talk a bit about my first aid kit.
Teresa joins me out in the yard for a cup of coco.
Send me more of your suggestions, either leave a comment here or shoot me an email. tbirdironchef@gmail.com
Enjoy the video.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Category Archives: gear
How light can you go?
I have said it over and over, the older I get the lighter my pack has to get. The pack I carried out of base camp at Philmont was 55 lbs. That is the heaviest pack I have carried in a very long time. Why was it so heavy? Well, Philmont has not embraced a lighter style of camping yet and I am sure that one day it will start getting lighter gear, but for now, Philmont is under the impression that “it’s always been that way, and it works”. Well… I am here to tell you that you can go lighter and still have a great Philmont experience. Now before anyone gets the idea that I am bashing on Philmont here.. that is not the case. Knowing what I know now about how Philmont “camps”. There are many things that I could have done to shave unwanted pounds. Take for example the food. We just grabbed the food and unlike our at home routine, did not repackage and reduce the containers. That would have taken lots of volume as well as weight out of our packs. We put lots of uneaten and unwanted food in the swap bins at every staff camp. Getting that stuff out earlier would have helped.
But lets talk about shaving weight in our packs. We are on a constant journey to reduce weight in the pack. Getting my base weight down is an effort that I am constantly thinking about and testing and trying new or other ways of packing my gear.
I will never be an “Ultralight” guy. I just don’t agree with the basic philosophy of going totally ultralight.
Some argue that Ultralight is defined by base weights that are 20 lbs or less. Some say that you need to get lower than that to be considered “Ultralight”. There are those backpackers that are considered “Minimalist” toting pack weights of less than 12 lbs. As much as I would love to carry a pack that was that light, reality kicks in and I am not willing to sacrifice comfort or safety. And there I think is the difference.
Comfort and safety. I read a story once about a guy that ventured off into the wilderness with only a knife. While he did survive and accomplish what he was trying to prove. I find it hard to believe that he was comfortable and in one way or another at some point could have jeopardized his safety.
We make choices in materials like down or synthetic when it comes to sleeping bags. Weight can be shaved by pushing the limits of the rating. Taking a 50 degree bag out when it is in the 30′s and just wearing extra clothing is a technique, but lets remember why we camp in the first place. It’s not to survive.. it’s to have fun. I don’t know about you, but freezing my butt off is not fun. So I will carry a little heavier bag and look elsewhere to shave weight.
I make up weight saving in using an alcohol stove. The stove and fuel weigh significantly less than canister stoves and liquid fuel stoves. I don’t really sacrifice performance and certainly not my safety.
I do not take a lot of extra clothing. But I don’t get wet and dirty either. I wear my rain gear when it is wet and also when I have to do some scrambling. A pair of gaiters keep my pants dry and clean as well as my socks. I use poly materials that wick sweat and keep me warm. Switchback style pants are a great way to reduce the amount of clothing taken.
Toiletries are another way to get weight down. You won’t need a whole roll of TP.. so don’t take it. Moist wipes are a great way to clean up the undercarriage and reduce the need for bulky and heavy soaps and wash cloths. Camp suds work on dishes, clothing, and your hair and body. Just a drop or two goes a long way. Again, reduce and save on weight without sacrifice.
My goal is to get to 18 lbs base weight. I am hovering in the 25 lb range now. I don’t want to be “Ultralight”, but I do want to be able to backpack longer and farther and master the gear and packing of it. I will not sacrifice comfort or safety. I won’t use my socks as shoulder straps and wander into the woods with only a knife.
According to most experts in the field of backpacking, up to the 30 lbs weight range is emerging as the new sweet spot for mainstream recreational backpackers—light enough to feel reasonably comfortable on the shoulders, yet stocked with a luxury item or 2 (camp sandals, for instance, or maybe some freeze-dried ice cream). I am all for a comfort item or two and won’t skimp on food.
I am going to document my quest here on the blog to get the weight down and share some tips that I find work well for me. Remember that you should always hike your own hike and what works for me, may not work for you.
So to start with..
TIP #1. Your pack. The bigger the pack, the more you will put in it. Get a smaller pack, something you think you will be comfortable with, one that will allow you to get what you think you need in it, and a little extra and then start whittling down the load.|
I went from a 5500 cubic inch pack to a 3800 cubic inch pack. Going down to about 60 liters forced me to start looking at the gear I was taking and what I really needed. What I have found is that given the gear that I currently have 3800 cubic inches is about as small a pack as I can go to. I use this pack for all 4 seasons and even used it to carry the 55 lb load at Philmont. The pack is recommended to go up to a 40 lb load. I suppose I was just careful enough to max it out. I will tell you that I have no desire to carry 55 lbs again so I am happy with the pack that I am using. For what it’s worth the pack I am using is the Granite Gear Nimbus Trace. It’s not the lightest pack out there, but is rugged enough for the type of hiking I do.
So get a pack that is comfortable and meets your needs and start your load from there.
What do you carry? Let is know.
Look for more tips here on the blog.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Sunday Coffee -Medaglia D’oro
Well, I think this is going to be a pretty regular segment on the blog. I am trying to do gear reviews also, and since I really like my coffee and am always in search of a good cup o’ joe for the trail, this is a good way to talk about gear and have some coffee while chatting to ya.
You may have noticed that I am putting out a few more videos than I have in the past, and the blog seems to be morphing into a Vlog… but I can assure you, while video is going to have it’s place in the blog, I am not converting it to a Vlog. I have a lot of fun with the video’s and really enjoy sharing my gear addiction and camping hobby with you all.
So here is this weeks Sunday Coffee. In November I asked the readers to send me suggestions for a good cup o’joe for the trail. I got two emails suggesting some instant coffee’s. The first one was Medaglia D’oro instant espresso coffee. So this week we are brewing up a cup and letting you know how it is.
If you have a brand that you think I should try, let me know. So thanks Tom for the suggestion on the Medalia D’oro coffee.. yeah.. it’s a good cup o’ joe.
Email me your suggestion to tbirdironchef@gmail.com or leave your suggestion in the comments section of this post.
Enjoy.
And Have a Great Scouting Day!
Sunday Morning Coffee
Had an opportunity to get some gear hung out today, thought, I’d just get lazy and hang around in the hammock.
Yep, this is my Sunday…
Talking about gear and enjoying a good cup o’ joe.
Hey… I’m looking for some real good coffee for the trail. Any suggestions?
Leave a comment or shoot an email.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Tweekin’ Gear
Been looking at ways to reduce weight and tweek gear to make it easier to set up and take down. One of my favorite sites is www.hammockforums.net. Hammock campers are by nature seeking lighter alternatives to common camping gear and tasks. They are not what one would call “Ultra light”, but by and large have some great light weight solutions to everyday camping issues.
I found a neat way to run guy lines and set up the tarp on the site and took some time to set mine tarp up using a new method. Here is a quick video showing the new set up.
Enjoy.
If you have questions or comments, please leave them here or shoot me an email.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Thoughts on gear
As you are fully aware by now, I like gear. I have had many discussions with parents of the Scouts in my Troop that my obsession with gear is rubbing off on their sons. Half jokingly I often reply that it’s a good thing. I say “Half jokingly” because I think that gear is an important part of the camping experience… Well no duh right?
A long time ago in a Scouting world far far away I had a Scoutmaster that would talk about having the right gear for the type of camping that we were doing. He would wax on about taking care of that gear so that when needed it would be there for you. “If you take care of your gear, it will take care of you” he would say. And I believe that.
Later in life as I started to get back into camping and backpacking, I began to toy with different types of gear. Cook kits, stoves, backpacks, sleep systems, tents, hammocks, gizmo’s and gadgets that make camp life fun and easy.
It seems that the more you play with gear, the more you find your likes and dislikes, what works for you and what doesn’t. In the backpacking community there is a saying online when offering advice, gear reviews, and opinions. YMMV. That’s.. Your mileage May Vary. Meaning, to each his own and what works for me, may not work for you or you may get different results.
So back to our Scouts. Now, I don’t want to break their bank, but I do want them to start learning what they like and what works for them. I understand that I do have an influence on these young men and that when I come out with a new piece of gear or start playing with a new camp gadget, they tend to watch and learn. I do want these guys to develop a habit of exploring what works for them. I want them to try new things and not just gear that someone says is a must have a piece of equipment. Developing that habit now will keep them interested in being outdoors and hiking. It is a way that will test them and keep their minds thinking about different ways to accomplish different tasks. I assume that my old Scoutmasters wanted me and my Troop mates to develop an appreciation for the outdoors and that is what I wish for my Scouts. Gear is a big part of that.
When your gear fits, works, and is fun to use, you have a tendency to want to go out and use it. A backpack that is ill-fitting and squeaks a lot is not something you want to take on the trail. A comfortable pack will keep you on the trail longer. If you are cold at night because you got a cheap Walmart sleeping bag rated for slumber parties, you won’t want to be in after your first miserable night. Spending a little more up front though and getting a good sleeping bag makes for toasty comfortable nights of good sleep and you want to be out in it more.
It seems that I have turned a lot of our Scouts in to gear junkies. And that may or may not be a good thing for their parents, but it’s a great thing in my opinion for the Scout (YMMV).
With the fast approaching Holidays coming up, I am encouraging our Scouts to get their list together. Ask for a new pot set or stove. Maybe that single person tent you have been eye balling or better yet, join the hammock way of a great nights sleep. How about some new gaiters or winter boots? New rain gear is aways in vogue here in Oregon. Maybe it’s just a new spork that tops your Christmas list, either way this is the perfect time to add to your backpacking gear loft.
Thanksgiving a time to be with family and give thanks for all we have. It’s also a great opportunity to corner Grandma and Grandpa and slip them a copy of your gear needs. Or you can slip it into the Dinner conversation. “Grandpa, can you pass the gravy? You know, there is this pot set that I have been looking at that would be awesome for making biscuits and gravy while on our next camp out.” You know, be subtile, but get your wish list in where ever you can.
The other side of the gear collection is what you can share. As I collect new gear I have two bins. One for the stuff that I really love and can’t part with and the other for the stuff that I have tried, didn’t really fall in love with, but there’s nothing wrong with it, just not my cup o’ tea. That stuff usually ends up going home with one of the Scouts. This last camp out and set of rain gear that my boys out grew a set of gaiters, and some odds and ends made their way into the packs of a few of our Scouts. I don’t mind sharing (giving away) gear that I’m not using. If it helps with meeting their gear fix needs than I really find it nice to be an enabler.
So parents, understand that yes, I am trying to turn your son into a backpacking gear junky. And yes, I am trying to develop in them the habit of discovery. And yes, they are doing a great job in joining the cult of Backpacking gear guys. You don’t have to worry about them wearing uniforms.. errr wait.. scratch that.. You won’t have to worry about them hanging out in gangs.. ahhh.. scratch that too… Ok.. yeah, they will be with their partol and they will be in uniform, but you will never have to worry about them wearing foil hats and chanting to the golden pogo stick. They will be out in the woods having the time of their lives, comfortable, cooking great meals, singing songs, and exploring a world of adventure. And all that great gear is going to help them in their journey!
Thanks for being patient and understanding.
Now I have to go play with my stove and put new guy lines on my tarp.. you know we have a camp out in January I need to prepare for.
Oh and my list of gear that I need…
A new wind screen for my cook kit. An underquilt for my hammock. Griz beak doors for the Tarp. Oh, I can go on and on.. after all, if it’s gear, I want it.
Whats on your gear list for this Christmas. Leave a comment and share you gear needs and wants.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
My Cook Kit
I was recently asked what I use when backpacking, or camping in general, for my cook kit. So here it is. It’s real simple and it works extremely well. I am very happy with this set up having used many different cook kits, pots, pans, stoves etc. This set up is by far my favorite and most used. And yes, this cook kit set up is used all year long, even in the snow.
If you have questions and/or comments, please drop me an email or leave a comment here on the blog.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Be Prepared
“Be prepared for what?” I always ask our Scouts.. “Anything” is the answer and they are correct.
This last weekend, the Scouts of my Troop went camping out at one of our favorite Scout properties, Royce Finel on the Oregon Coast. Heading out to the coast in November is as the young guys say “Sketchy”. You never know what kind of weather to expect, but for the most part you can expect to get wet.
The plan for weekend was to work some camp skills and have a cook off for the dinner meal. The weeks leading up to the camp out I kept hearing the SPL announce to Be Prepared to be cold and wet. The week leading into the camp out a couple of the older scouts brought in their packs to show how to pack for wet weather and gave some tips on staying dry.
Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say and Friday night arrived and it was time to go. It started raining while we gathered in the parking lot at the church and got the packs loaded into my truck. When we got to the trail head the rain had let up a little and we started our hike in to camp. The heavy coastal rains from the last couple days made the trail interesting, especially when we got to a couple of areas where crossing swampy land was made difficult due to high water and some of the foot bridges being washed out. But we arrived in camp and got things set up.
The first thing that I noted was that instead of jumping right into setting up tents, they had carried tarps in and set them up and got all the packs under the cover. Then the older guys helped the newer Scouts get their tents set up and their gear put away. The next morning after a night of heavy rain, everyone was dry and ready to have a great day. The Troop cooked breakfast and got things cleaned up and we decided that since it was raining, and it looked like it would rain all day, that we would hike back out to the cars and head to Ft. Stevens and tour the museum there.
After a couple of hours at Ft. Stevens we loaded up and headed back to camp. The hike in this time was drier as it stopped raining. Lunch was prepared and the Scouts started working on skills, namely getting a fire going. There was nothing dry in the camp, but they managed to find some undergrowth beneath a fallen tree that would prove to be just the thing to get a fire going. They gathered anything, wet or dry, lying around that would burn and they were successful in getting a fire going. I checked on the guys sometime after the fire was roaring, the scouts were dry and having a great time.
The cook off went well, and everyone was thankful that the rain held out. Around 6 PM it was dark and we all stood around the fire singing songs and telling jokes. At 7:30 it started to rain, then came the thunder and lightning. The guys decided it was time to head to their tents and we all went down for the night after the fire was put out.
Sunday morning we had a little drizzle, but the Scouts got packed up, ate breakfast, and we hiked back to the parking lot. At the end of the parking lot is a dock going out into the lake, it was decided that the dock would be a good place for our Scouts own service. At the conclusion of the service, the SPL went around the circle and had each Scout tell us what they learned over the weekend. Some talked about how they learned to make fire in the rain, some talked about their gear, some talked about what they need to do better next time. As I listened to them talk I heard one theme come out, and that was being prepared.
Knowledge, skills, learning from mistakes, the right gear used correctly. All of these things lead to being prepared. Prepared for anything.
As we arrived back in town for pick up, one of the parents made a comment about how clean everyone was. Yeah, we had muddy boots, but uniform pants, and wet rain gear, were all clean. One of the newer Scouts looked to his dad and said, that’s how you stay dry and warm and have a good time camping. I smiled and said to the dad, “well I guess they do listen.”
Whether it is gear, skills, or knowledge, putting it together is the key to being prepared. It is great when you see it put to the test and when the Scouts see themselves a success in being prepared. It is a lesson that they will never forget and one that they will use more often in scouting and in life.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Lighten up
As we get into the colder weather of fall and then winter our packs will start to get a bit heavier. At least that is the norm. Winter gear is a little heavier and you tend to carry more. That is unless you have a rich uncle or top of the line winter gear or both.
Well, I have great gear but no rich uncle, but I know some ways that we all can lighten up our packs in the winter.
The first thing that you can do is in the planning and preparing stage of your next trip. Food and water account for a lot of weight in your pack. You have to eat well and increase the hot food consumption in the winter, so dumping food is not an option. What you can do though is look to repackaging your food. You can shave a pound in getting rid of boxes, can’s and wrappers. Invest in zip lock bags and repackage your food. You will shave weight and space by doing this. While you are thinking food, think dehydration. Pick up a dehydrator and start making your own light weight, great tasting food. A nice way to get started is by dehydrating left overs.
One of the benefits of dehydrating is that you need to watch what you cook to dehydrate. You will automatically reduce the fat content in your food. Fat will not dehydrate.
So there’s a pound.
The next thing you can do is to make sure that everything in your pack does double duty. Loose the pillow. In the winter you should have a nice fleece layer.. Shove that fleece into the hood of your sleeping bag or use the compression bag with your fleece in it as your pillow.
Drop the mess kit. You really only need a spork and bowl. You may be able to shed precious ounces here.
Do not take any cotton.. synthetics, poly pro wear better in the winter, allow moisture to wick and as a result you don’t have to change as much and thus carry less. That’s weight out of your pack.
Water. Loose the bladder. Your platypus or camel back will have a tendency to freeze up in the winter. Now, you can buy an insulation tube, but then you are adding weight. A Gator Aid bottle works way better than a Nalgene and while it will freeze too, if you drop it in a wool sock and store it upside down, you will be fine. A 32 oz. capacity bottle weighs 1.6 oz. A Nalgene typically runs at 6.2 ounces. If you must use a bladder… don’t fill it all the way and use it as your pillow at night.
Shelter and sleeping. Your tent really only keeps you out of the elements.. get a tarp and learn how to set it up against the elements. I switched to a tarp a few years ago. Incredible weight savings and no loss in comfort and shelter from the elements. In the snow, the tarp works exceptionally well.
Look at your sleeping bag. New stuff is best as it is designed to be light and warm. If you can’t get something new, get something rated a little higher.. The lower the rating the heavier the bag. Add a sleeping bag liner. It will add 10 degrees to your bag and there is no real weight in the liner. You can save the weight of the bag and maintain the comfort. Fill that gator aid bottle with hot water before you hit the rack and throw it in the bag with you. You will stay warm, have water in the morning, and shave weight.
Finally, leave stuff at home.
Do you really need to carry your whole wallet, your cell phone, that extra pocket knife? How about that extra pot that came with your MSR Cook kit? You only need one pot.. leave the other one at home. Do you carry a poop trowel? A stick will do the same thing.
Here is my rule of thumb. If you have not used a piece of gear in 6 months.. it’s out of the pack for ever. I have a box that I keep my winter specific gear. Stuff I only use in the winter. Each year, I look at it and reevaluate whether I used it last winter. A critical look at gear will shave lots of weight. Now I don’t pull out the scale and weigh all my gear, but I know when my pack gets heavier and I know how to reduce the weight when I need to.
The older I get the lighter my pack needs to get. Which is actually the last thing you can do to shave unwanted pounds. Get a smaller pack. You won’t put as much in it and it will force you to look at each and every piece of gear that does go in, on, or hang from it.
Share some of your weight saving techniques. Leave a comment. We all learn when we share.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Gear Review
This weeks gear pick is one of my favorite pieces of gear. The MSR Whisperlite Universal.
I bought my first Whisperlite, the Whisperlite International back in the mid ’80′s. I drug it all over the place and got every penny out of that stove. It is perhaps one of the best stoves ever made. Durable, easy to use and maintain, and super efficient.
The MSR Whisperlite Universal is the new generation of the Whisperlite line. It is lighter, its stability has been enhanced, and they added the feature of being able to burn canister fuel.
The MSR Whisperlite burns liquid fuels and canister fuel with a quick transition of fuel connector and fuel jet. It does not take a tool box and a lot of know how to quickly change from one to the other. I prefer the liquid fuel options over canister, but it is nice to know that I have the options.
The Whisperlite will burn White gas (Blazo), Unleaded, and Kerosene. Burning Kerosene is messy and the least efficient, but it works.
Here are the specs:
| Minimum Weight | 11.5 oz / 326 g |
| Packed Weight | 1 lbs 3.4 oz / 549 g |
| Burn time (white gas) per 600ml / 20 oz. of fuel | Appx. 110 minutes |
| Burn time (MSR IsoPro) per 227-g / 8-oz. canister | Appx. 75 minutes |
| Burn time (kerosene) per 600ml / 20 oz. of fuel | Appx. 155 minutes |
| Boil time (white gas), 1 liter | 3.5 minutes |
| Boil time (kerosene), 1 liter | 4.4 minutes |
| Boil time (MSR IsoPro), 1 liter | 3.75 minutes |
| Water boiled (white gas) per 100 ml of fuel | 4.4 liters |
| Water boiled (white gas) per 1 oz. of fuel | 1.3 liters |
| Water boiled (kerosene) per 100 ml of fuel | 5.3 liters |
| Water boiled (kerosene) per 1 oz. of fuel | 1.6 liters |
| Water boiled (MSR IsoPro) per 227-g canister | 15 liters |
| Water boiled (MSR IsoPro) per 1 oz. of fuel | 1.8 liters |
| Country of Origin | Made in Seattle, USA |
Like I have said, the MSR Whisperlite is my favorite stove. It works great in all the weather conditions I have backpacked and camped in. It is super efficient and packs well. I have used it to simmer and boil. It is a great stove.
Now let me address the liquid fuel question. I have met Scouters that for some reason feel that liquid fuel is not allowed in Scouting. Wrong. Liquid fuel is not only allowed but recommended at the high adventure bases like Philmont. The key is to teach the Scouts how to use them properly, but that is like anything else. I find that the MSR Whisperlite is safer than a Jet Boil and a heck of a lot more useful, allowing the user to actually cook.
I am on my second MSR Whisperlite, having purchased the Universal before our trip to Philmont, my oldest son is now using my old Whisperlite and it is still working great.
I highly recommend this stove for all your camping cooking needs.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
