Hiking GPS Bear safety Water purification Food and Gear

Altered State

Well-Known Member
With the marketing / advertising put into hiking gear a person can easily buy gear not needed or just to heavy and not suitable for backpacking.

if your in a vehicle / camp site gear weight matters little as its as easy as unload the car and enjoy.
If on foot with backpack and steep trail ahead the choices start having an effect on the trips enjoyment.

If your in bear country your choices also matter this time to the 9th degree you will need to purchase bear spray and carry it on your side to prevent you from becoming an easy meal.

Its smart to bring and keep a Air Horn / stadium horn with you on your side as well as the spray.

The horn will scare them from afar the Spray will scare them from approaching if closer

You will want a first aid kit its best to buy separate bandages ointments snake bit kit etc for your specialized kit. / needs.

Water & purification

Your going to need to buy something to carry drinking water with

I like to slip a 2L water bladder stuffed in the main pack , look into your options and think light.

You can buy a backpackers water purifier that you pump or one that uses UV light or any number of different methods look into it and get what suits your area needs and price point.
Bring sterilization pills as a back up in the first aid kit.

Food

It must be dried it must be light and must have high energy buy it or make it at home your choice and the choices are endless I suggest to watch videos on dehydrating food for backpacking for recipes and ideas.

Your eating it and carrying it so use common sense think light think energy eat smart pack light.

Main gear list add your particulars.

Quality backpack
Lightweight hikers air pad
Lightweight Bivy sack and sleeping bag
Lightweight 7x10 tarp
Lightweight propane butane mix cook stove (titanium)
Canisters for the above stove
Titanium cook pot
Ti Mug
Ti spoon
Ti fork
lightweight bowl
Fire starter / flint
Lighter
Bush knife
Hikers GPS with appropriate maps and spare batteries
Cell phone
First aid kit
Biodegradable Dish soap
Tissue

The Bear kit

a bear
bag to suspend food with , Air horn and Pepper spray

Clothing

To suit the environment , minimalists it bring spare set clothing use dish soap to wash in route

Hiking alone is not suggested if you must / do make sure family members etc are aware of your route and return date.
Its important as a slip could leave you stranded for bear and or cougar bait.


GPS unit

Choose a model made for the outdoors as they have good battery life and have outdoor maps.

I use a 5 year old Magellan explorists 310 summit series to navigate to pre saved waypoints.

IMPORTANT bring a trimmed paper TOPO map for back up / reference.

I consider these requirements for overnight+ hiking in my area on Vancouver island and am getting ready to go on a hike thought the list might prove useful to other hikers especially the bear kit. I hate bears and live in bear country and have had frightening encounters before..Bears don't always run from you sometimes they walk toward you despite your best efforts.

With that said A strong sativa strain will keep you on your toes making it difficult for cougar / bear to sneak up you

Sativa for safety Indica for bait haha
I bring both in case I get to alert / paranoid the Indica will bring me back down to earth ..

Be safe
 
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Dr.Amber Trichome

Well-Known Member
you better upgrade to gallon sized bags if you want to camp with me!
Lol, ok . That is just like an overnight size. I guess. For longer trips more gloves, tissue and Small zip lock bags inside a large gallon zip lock bag and a sharpie maker to indicate soiled from clean unused.
Good point . Took a break from the woods due to mosquito bites still healing . The winds are strong , in need of a buff. Overnighter on the coast this weekend. Where ya'll at?
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rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Lol, ok . That is just like an overnight size. I guess. For longer trips more gloves, tissue and Small zip lock bags inside a large gallon zip lock bag and a sharpie maker to indicate soiled from clean unused.
Good point . Took a break from the woods due to mosquito bites still healing . The winds are strong , in need of a buff. Overnighter on the coast this weekend. Where ya'll at?
View attachment 3974779
where is that? Oregon?
 

Altered State

Well-Known Member
Maybe you should stay out of the woods then? You seem to be very bear adverse. Do you know that bears can smell fear?
interesting point and hard to reply to as its your personal feeling


For me enduring overcoming fear is part of the journey bears are one of the many animal dangers.

We have the highest concentration in the World of not only bears on Vancouver island but mountain lions and add to that some wolf packs.

Even with those critters death by falling then starvation is 1000x more likely its still possible to be consumed by a animal.

Its as important to bring a bear safety kit as it is watch where you are stepping both scenarios require attention its all part of the whole idea of getting back out alive and well.

Side note: Im a gold prospector and life long adventure junkie
 

Altered State

Well-Known Member
I forgot the spork last weekend and stirred my food with my knife and ate with my hands. Did you mention hat with mosquito netting?

View attachment 3974201
A bug hat is a must in my area as well I use one too its a necessity , for sleeping I use a mosquito net hammock although just flat on the ground with a air mat and tarp over top.

My back is fine no issues until I sleep in a hammock (or not sleep) then its in pain they are not for me..

Shit kit with gloves ? haha messy mfer lol
 

sandhill larry

Well-Known Member
Hey guys. I'm a hiker down here in NW Florida. I've done some section hikes on the Florida Trail, and have a few trails made around my farm. I hope to thru hike the AT one of these days. I have two major handicaps that are holding me back. A wife and a job.
 

sandhill larry

Well-Known Member
I still had my food bag in the car from hiking this week. This is after the trip, so I did not do a good job of packing food. But in my defense, my wife did give me all sorts of cooked food to eat the first day.

The break down. Wraps and a 50/50 mix of peanut butter and Nutella, tuna and noodles, snack bars, beef jerky and potatoes. Breakfast is coffee {with just a dash of sugar and Nesquick}, grits, granola and GORP. I do all my cooking in quart freezer bags.

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Altered State

Well-Known Member
My gear is in a Pile I'm not sure I should show people haha , I use a butane ti stove and heatsink pot for cooking individually bagged meals.

You did good to come out with food its a great safety catch in case you needed one more night or worse
 
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Dr.Amber Trichome

Well-Known Member
What kind of gps do you recommend? I have a subscription to All Trails. I was tracking my overnighter with the trail outlined on my phone While hiking. I appeared as a dot on the trail. I got us lost and my dot did move off trail but it was not Very precise or accurate and I had a difficult time navigating to find the trail. I think it's better then nothing but I am looking for more detailed accuracy.
 
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