Author Archives: brett

Caldera Cone Stove System

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stove I've been considering the plunge into alcohol stoves for a few years now. My brother made me a pepsi can stove a few years back. I haven't quite struck up the courage to rely on it yet.

Several people have recently mentioned to me how impressed they are with the Caldera Cone ™ System.

OK.. I'll bite, so what would it take to make me switch?

First lets review my current gear list. My current cooking system comprises of 3 components:

The windshield is the biggest offender, and I often tell myself to leave it home, but I rarely do.

As I already have a BPL 550 pot, they make a cone custom to for this pot – which seems like the way to go.

The cone & stove weigh just 1.7 oz. Given that the cone is a natural windshield this saves me a whopping 4 oz! I suspect I could get more mileage on a 7 oz bottle of alcohol than I could in the 7 oz fuel canister.

For just $30, this might be an experiment I'm willing to tinker with.

Photon Freedom Micro LED Light

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Photon-Freedom-Micro

Oh yes… the gratuitous upgrade I made prior to the West Coast Trail trip last year.

I traded in our Black Diamond LED Headlamps for these little suckers.

Total weight savings? The old headlamps weight an outrageous 1.1 oz, and these are only 0.2 oz. A whopping 0.9oz gain!

OK… I agree I'm getting into diminishing returns on my gear list and would be better served eliminating the Tarptent for a sheet of Tyvek. 🙂

So why the upgrade? Aside from just being a gear-head, there were are few other justifications:

1. Not just a simple on|off flash light – this thing is tricked out! It has a brightness control and you can dim it very low to conserve power. It has various 'blinking' modes – like an emergency SOS signal. All of this configuration with just a single button.

2. It runs for 120 hrs on a single battery.

3. The spare batteries are lighter.

4. With a little tab of Velcro on the back, it attaches easily to the rim on a hat to make a decent hands-free head-lamp mode.

5. It's bomb-proof and waterproof.

Finally… if you think about getting this – a word of caution. The light ships in a 'safety' mode to prevent accidental battery drain. If you turn it on, it auto-shuts off after 5 seconds. To get it out of this mode you have to hold the button down for a whopping 20 seconds. I learned this the hard way on the WCT. Three engineers around a campfire failed to figure this out in four nights on the trail. You wouldn't think that a single button can have so many permutations! Moral of the story: RTFM.

Available from PhotonLight.com for $19.95.

Little Annapurna Day hike

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Trail Name: Little Annapurna

Distance: 15 miles, round trip

Elevation Gain: 5,200 ft

High Point: 8,440 ft

Trip Date: Aug 12th, 2007

Permits: Very restrictive over-night permits. A few are available by on-the-day lottery. See here for permit info. Day-use only permit available at trailhead.

Getting There: From Seattle – take Highway 2 east to Leavenworth. As you enter the town – turn right on Icicle Road. At 8.5 miles, turn left onto FR 7601 and follow it 3.7 bumpy miles to the Stuart Lake trailhead parking lot.

Read on for full trip report…

Continue reading →

Enchantments Permits Due

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The "Enchantments" are a breath-taking, endless sequence of lakes nr. Leavenworth, WA.

The area has a very strict permitting policy and only a few lucky people get a permit for overnight stays each year.

This picture was taken on our last trip there in 2004. If you are running Windows Vista – it's pretty much taken from the same spot the default Vista desktop background is taken from.

If you've ever wanted to hike the enchantments and are thinking this would be the year to do it – the applications are due soon.

You cannot mail your application prior to Feb 21st (postmark) – but it has to be there before March 1st. Then at random, they will select applicants for a permit. There are several strategies around filling out the form to improve your chances.

Some good tips and more information can be found here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/passes/enchantments/

Ultralight Playing Cards

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cards

If you backpack in groups of 4 or more, it's sometimes fun to play a game of cards at night in camp. Hearts? Spades? The options are endless…

These cards are tiny and weigh in at 0.53oz.

So go on and splurge on your next trip and treat yourself to that extra half ounce!

You can get a 3-pack from the Backpacking Light Store for $2.99.

Theresa keeps a pack in her purse also. We've occasionally pulled them out on the Washington State Ferries to alleviate the boredom on rainy days. �

Better water treatment

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klearwater-clo2 I've been looking for a better treatment solution than MicroPUR tabs.

They work great, but we usually only let them sit for a half hour. In icy cold or dirty water, the recommended time is 4 hrs. I've always wondered if we are just being lucky when we are using very cold water from most of the streams around here.

So what are my other options?

Chlorine Dioxide also comes in liquid form – which has a faster reaction time.

Aqua Mira has had a two-part product on the market for quite some time. However, it requires pre-mixing before adding to the water – which sounds like too much effort.

KlearWater is a newer product that is pre-mixed and has a decent shelf life. It comes in small 9ml containers, that weigh 1.22 oz and treats 9 liters+. Ryan Jordan talks about a way to re-pack them down to 0.5 oz and a strategy that can stretch this to get 25 liters of treated water. 

Another interesting frontier-pro-filter-largeproduct is the Aquamira Frontier Pro Filter, shown on the right. This is inline filter is a mere 2oz in weight and fits onto the opening of a platypus bag and the other end to a hose.

I love the idea of not needing chemical treatment and having instant water, but I need to read some more reviews before I'm sold.

Even Dentists GoLite!

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I went to my dentist today for a tooth repair. Bob Spreen (quite possibly the worlds best dentist) was in a very excited mood. Last time I was there, we talked a little about backpacking and how he likes to get out once in a while, but doesn't so much anymore… his gear is heavy etc. I told him about my new found way of travel and something clicked. Bob is a weight-geek at heart too – except for him it's about shaving the extra threads of the titanium bolts on his racing car for more speed. Ultralight backpacking seemed like the perfect fit.

Bob and his wife acquired some new gear – a GoLite Jam Pack, a lighter stove etc and got their weight down considerably this year. They both said how much they enjoyed the new freedom. They don't use the new advantage to travel faster or greater distances, but use it to simply not be tired at the end of the day and not feel encumbered on the trail.

Hearing their story made my day. 🙂

How Ultralight Changed My Life!

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OK… maybe the headline sounds like something out of a tabloid, but there's a grain of truth in there.

bulb

There are two things that struck me recently where my fetish with going lighter has been of benefit in my normal life.

1. Light Airplane Travel
I go on a lot of business trips with my job and I travel very light. On one-day trips to the bay area, I'll take next to nothing: My mobile phone, a tiny ipod shuffle in my pocket and maybe a laptop (no laptop bag). At SeaTac airport – as I don't have carry on bags I can save time at security by using the 1st class line (For 1st class, MVP members or passengers with no carry on). On 2-3 day trip I might bring a small shoulder bag and on week long trips I bring a small Samsonite bag that I bought in Japan – similar to this.

I watch people fighting over locker space and hauling huge oversized bags onto the plane and getting stressed out all the time. Not me – traveling light takes all the stress out of flying. I can roll on after most people have boarded and always guarantee I can find a time bit of space overhead or worst case under my seat.

2. Impulse Purchase Immunity
Back in the heavy days I used to love to go to REI and get sucked into buying something cool and new. Oh! Look! An ice cream maker for camping, or a mini espresso maker. Now, I still love going to REI – but I'm immune to such impulse purchases. I scoff at the weight of things. Why would you ever bring a 20 lb dutch oven with you on a camping trip? I get more pleasure from purging things I already own, then I do acquiring new things.

The "Leave No Child Inside Act"?

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The Sierra Club initiated an effort that was adopted by an environmental organization in New Mexico to tax video games in an effort to encourage kids to spend time in the outdoors.

I'm skeptical that a nominal excise tax would be punitive enough to discourage a purchase and suddenly encourage playing outdoors. However, perhaps with increased revenue one of these organizations might have the funds to be able to reach out and market to these children to encourage them to get outside.

I think the responsibility lies with the parents, not the IRS, to pull the power on the xbox and encourage their kids into the wilderness.

5 long-distance trips I really want to do

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Happy new year! It's 2008, and I'm noodling on some backpacking goals over the next few years. I haven't done much long-distance backpacking. Most of my long ones are in the 30-50 mile range. I'd like to expand my horizons (and mileage) a little…

Here are some hikes that get me drooling:

1. The Wonderland Trail
This is in my own back yard, so it's a must. A 93 mile jaunt around Mt. Rainier. I think this might be my big trip next summer.

2. The John Muir Trail
This is supposedly one of the most spectacular sections of the PCT, that goes though Yosemite Valley in California. Its 211 miles in length.

3. The TGO Challenge
I already mentioned this one. 200 miles from west->east coast of Scotland.

4. The East Coast Trail
The antithesis of the West Coast Trail. This trail is still under development, but offers 335 miles of very pretty coastal hiking.

5. The entire Pacific Crest Trail
And finally… the mother of all challenges. This trail runs from Canada to Mexico down the west coast of the US. At 2,650 miles it would be a serious commitment – but I would love to do the entire PCT (continuous) some time in the next 5 years. It seems like one of these life-changing trails.

TGO Challenge

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There are several long distance hikes I want to do over the next few years, tgoand one of them I've had my eye on for a while is the TGO Challenge. TGO or "The Great Outdoors" is a magazine published in the UK.

The TGO Challenge is a ~200 mile hike from the west coast to the east coast of Scotland.

Of course… unlike hiking in the Pacific Northwest – Scotland has a generous helping of pubs to stop at along the way 🙂

Every year in October, TGO magazine publishes the entry forms for the challenge, which is held in May. It's an oversubscribed event every year and space is allocated by lottery. The official challenge site is http://www.tgochallenge.co.uk/.

I may have missed the window to apply for 2008 – but hopefully I'll I RESOLVE to be more on top of it next year. 🙂

Firelite 550 Titanium Pot

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A pot to be reckoned with.

This little fellow weighs in at a mere 2.5 oz and holds about 2 cups of water – which is the perfect amount for most freeze dried food bags.

I replaced my old pan set for this earlier this summer and have been thrilled with its performance.

You have to take a little care as its walls are very thin and so it can get bent out of shape easily.

Available from BackpackingLight for $27.

Senz Windproof Umbrella

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vanbezooyen_core77_senzumbrellas[1] I'm not sure this little fellow truly belongs in the Ultralight club at 8.8 oz (For the Mini). But for 3.2 oz more than the Montbell – it comes with some bonus features:

– Windproof up to 40 mph. Or 70 mph for the normal sized one.

– The asymmetric design has a very elongated tail which would cover the the top of a backpack nicely.

I bought one of these on a recent trip to England. I've used it taking the bus to work in Seattle (it rains a lot), but haven't taken it on the trail.

They just recently started distributing these in the US, so you can now buy them online.

Coconut Cream Powder Granola

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Coconut Cream PowderLooking to spice up your no-cook trail breakfast?

Instead of boring old dried milk – which is usually non-fat (unless you use Nido), give this is try on your Granola. It vastly improves the flavor of the granola and packs a whopping thirteen extra grams of fat.

I suspect this will be a new staple for me at breakfast time.

Credit for this brilliant idea goes to Freezer Bag Cooking, where I read the tip.

I bought my Coconut Cream Powder from Import Food online.

Google Maps Terrain

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Google just recently launched their "Terrain" overlay. Microsoft has had one for

a while over at maps.live.com, but I like Googles version better. It's cleaner and more detailed.

I wonder if someone will create a website where hikers can start plotting out trails using a combination of the Google My Maps and Terrain features.

Here's a quick sample one I whipped up for Copper Ridge Loop: Copper Ridge Loop Map.

Something like this for all the hikes in the US, with clickable pushpins showing photos at that view point. How cool would that be?

Heck – I'd even go a step further and allow people to collaborate photos taken from the same view point, combined with Photosynth to give a 360 degree view.

Umbrellas in the Snow?

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brolly Theresa and I took a quick morning hike yesterday to Snow Lake. I haven't done this hike for a while – and when we do, we like to be on the trail for 5am to have some solitude. It's one of the busiest trails in the Seattle area and is always packed. It's a short 5-6 mile jaunt to the lake and back.

It was raining in Seattle, and we assumed the same in the pass. When we got there, it was snowing hard – with about 2-3" of fresh on the ground.

We had the trail to ourselves and cut fresh tracks most the way to the lake – when we passed a party of backpackers hiking out.

We don't really do much winter backpacking – our gear gets tucked away in favour of Snowboarding season. We've done some day hikes and a few big-climbs in the snow – like St. Helens and Mt. Adams, but not enough to consider myself seasoned in any way.

I was really surprised how well the brolly performed yet again in the snow fall. It got heavy once in a while and needed shaking off, but all-in-all I didn't bother to pull out a waterproof – or the down jacket I had in my pack just-in-case. We did the whole hike pretty much in thermal undies and hat and an Umbrella – neither too hot, nor too cold.

Can umbrellas really be a credible winter-tool also?

Freezer Bag Cooking

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coverlayout.ai

In the world of software development The Mythical Man Month proposes the notion of a project triangle. Where the three points of the triangle are Quality, Time to Market and Features. You can pick (at most) any two you want and do them really well, but the other one suffers. Want lots of features, with high-quality – it's going to take a long time. Want something quick with lots of features? It's going to be buggy.

I think a similar triangle exists for backpacking food. The three points are – Lightweight, Tasty and Fast to Prepare.

Freezer Bag Cooking in an excellent site that appears to deliver on at least two of the key points: Fast to prepare and Tasty. However they don't appear to be lighter than store bought de-hydrated cardboard tasting goop.

Still, I really dig the site – the idea of home-made backpacking meals that very easy to prepare in the field and taste really good probably has it's place on shorter trips. I have not tried any of their recipes yet – but I intend to.

If only they would invent a Thai Curry freezer-bag recipe, then I would be in heaven.