Camping And Hiking Gear

Sonny answers:

The companys name is campmor (they have a website www.campmor.com ) and I Liked internal frames MUCH BETTER, and for tens, eureka make great ones, haveing a small rain fly type room on the front is good too. That way you can leave your wet shoes there. Also, wher will you be back packing at?? Do you know about the whole bear bag thing? And a dining/rain fly to hang were you plan on cooking, also make sure your hiking boots are well broken in, if they are not that will cause trip ruining blisters. We would use lightweight socks with wigwam brand wool socks on over it. We used baggies and rubberbands to make stuff take up as little room as possible. And have you thought a about a self-inflating sleep mat? I LOVED mine!! There is so much more I could tell you. Just a info if you have more questions.

Sonny answers:

Well starting with the packs I would definitely recommend an internal frame pack because they tend to be way lighter and if you plan on bush whacking internal framed packs tend to be more streamlined than an external frame pack that has the potential to catch branches and brush, especially if you have stuff tied to the outside of it. If you are looking for a really good pack brand I would look into Osprey and Gregory. Both brands make excellent packs. The best thing to do is do research online have the options that you want and then try them on. The more packs you try on the better fit you will find. I even believe that Osprey makes a heat molded hip belt that they heat up and have you put on so it molds to your hips.

I personally haven`t used a tent in about 5 years. I have a Hennessy Hammock that I use and will probably never use a tent again. You can sleep on your side or stomach and wake up without your arms shoulders or hips being sore or numb. Some say the hammocks are too cold wen the temp. Drops but i just throw in a sleeping pad and im fine. Also, its about about a pound or so lighter than a one man tent and even more lighter than a two man tent. If you`re in the woods you wont have trouble finding two trees the right distance apart. However you need to find level ground free from rocks sticks and roots when you are pitching a tent. I cant say enough about it

I actually just bought the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 degree down sleeping bag. It took some getting used to since the hood is well fitted and not oversized and the foot box is smaller than my last bag. But it is a full pound lighter than any other 0 degree down bag and its really warm.

Another piece of gear I can't get enough of is my head lamp. If you need a flashlight, I recommend a good head lamp. Your hands are free to build fires, cook, look through your pack, hike with trekking poles, use a map and compass, read while in your sleeping bag, fish at night. So of the good brands include Petzl, Black Diamond, and Princeton Tec. I own the Princeton Tec Eos, its super bright and waterproof. They do have lighter head lamps and there are brighter ones out there but this is sort of in between.

I would purchase a liquid fuel stove, this way temperature shouldn't be as big of a deal as it is with canister fuels since they lose pressure in the cold. MSR makes some of the best stoves for your dollar. The make multi fuel stoves (where you can use anything from kerosene or diesel to white gas) Also, you`ll have to carry out the empty canisters to recycle them, if you are using the canister type stoves. I`ve used a single bottle of liquid fuel for a week while cooking meals for 4 people. The stove is handy to cook quick meals, especially if they are dehydrated or just need to be heated up. This also allows you to build a small fire (not a bon fire) as saves you weight on carry an axe or any other large heavy and bulky tool. Since it is just a small fire you wouldn't need the tools to chop wood, just use stuff that you can snap yourself. In a lot of the parks or even during drought ground fires are not allowed. So you may want to keep this in mind.

I buy most of my gear at www.backcountry.com They have the great customer service, no questions asked return policy doesnt matter if its 1 day or 30 yrs. They also have some of the best prices I`ve seen. Definitely worth checking it out.

Any Questions feel free to e-mail me.