READERS COMMENTS

i agree with treating water. i have been using aquamira and now i love it. basically no taste and only weighs 2 ounces.
Posted: Sep 03, 2009 alex

Regarding postings on dangers of Giardia. Here's a good article by a backpacker/MD researcher: http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/water+researcher+QA.html

The bottomline ... water in the High Sierra is generally safe to drink untreated, if there are no cattle or heavy livestock in the area. Can't necessarily extend that assumption to other parts of the country. Personally, I've drank untreated water in the High Sierra for decades, and never gotten sick.
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 mlindberg

I think this list is a GUIDLINE only....the best list is the one that you tailor to your own tastes and needs.
Posted: Jul 04, 2009 james

I like what BP is trying to do here, but I must add that these lists and videos are really Mickey Mouse city park types of info. How about Real experts and Real expectations!? Half ars stuff like this could get someone killed who thought they were prepared,... 'Nuff said, use your own head!
Posted: Jun 08, 2009 Richard Mouse

Why not just take one of the new purifiers that uses UV to kill bacteria? 90 seconds and that's the end of it for a liter. Best 90 bucks ever spent for convenience and safety.
Posted: May 18, 2009 Anonymous

to the person who doesn't treat water, i got giardia and had diarrhea forever from drinking "direct from the stream goodness" water. i filter now
Posted: Apr 12, 2009 Anonymous

I did the PCT in 07' with Henry Shires Tarp Tent
and it was wonderful. I sat out a huge thunderstorm in Cresent Lake area with no water in tent. I had the one man tent at that time. It weighs hardly more than a tarp and does give you an enclosure.

Posted: Apr 02, 2009 Stamp Lady

if you carry a water bottle, you can use it to hold duct tape by wrapping the tape around the bottle.
Posted: Mar 22, 2009 connor

If out for several days I would vote for a lightweight wool shirt because they keep odors to a minimum.

Other suggestions: Check out the Henry Shires Tarptents. They are really tents, very lightweight and well built. They are single wall tents, so they are best in low humidity climates not in muggy eastern conditions.

For a quick meal, I recommend ramen noodles with a handfull of unsalted peanuts. I also like to add bit of black pepper. Makes a cheap, filling meal.
Posted: Feb 19, 2009 Neil Stevens

Well i would vote for a bivy sack. They are light weight and have waterproof floors. At any rate ultralite equals ultrafun, I mean who wants to lug 30 something pounds up a moutain!
Posted: Jan 27, 2009 BackCountry-Junkie

Awesome food suggestion to all the UL hikers out there. Dried curried lentils and potato flakes. Put the lentils in a bowl, add boiling water, let stand two minutes. Add potato flakes and some more boiling water, let stand two more minutes. High in Protein and Carbs, and warms the insides. Cheers.
Posted: Dec 13, 2008 Ransom

Would love to see some food recomendations, i.e. high calorie but lightweight such as cheesewiz mmmmmm-
Posted: Dec 03, 2008 Brandon

I have had really good luck with Equinox's <a href="http://www.equinoxltd.com/the-gear/ultralite-gear/">ultralight gear</a>. I have been able to seriously lighten the weight of my pack.
Posted: Nov 19, 2008 Charles Berger

do u ever think about dead animals in the water up stream ? boiling ur water is the best way to go kills most of the bad stuff and taste better then iodine !

i always take at loeast 2 kinds of fire started (liter,fint and steal or water proof matches
about the emergency kindling cotton balls with some vasvline work great and weigh nothing


recommending the amount of food and/or caloric intake needed/day.from nov 08 bpmag most hikers take more food that they need whitch mean more weigh take a max of 3,500 cal. per person per day about 2 pounds for normal trips and 5000 cal. for extrerely cold conditions



Posted: Oct 22, 2008 kenkel

In some places fires are not allowed period, especially where there's a high risk of wild fires. A good compromise between the risk of a fire and the weight of a stove is a homemade beverage can stove which weighs less than an ounce by itself, plus a little fuel. In fact you can boil a quart of water in a few minutes with only a teaspoon and a half of denatured alcohol.
Posted: Oct 19, 2008 Brian

Stove and fuel add weight. I use a Sierra Stove and carry no fuel and use small pieces of wood. If I hike where there is no wood, I use a zip lock bag and gather wood at lower elevations and carry it with me to the higher elevations.
Posted: Sep 11, 2008 roger

try folding duct tape in a flat 6"x2"x1/2"thick . this is 30'long and weighs 3.4 oz
Posted: Aug 28, 2008 rusty j

Do not drink water without filter/treatment. You will regret it some day. This list is good. However lacking food I would guess this guy is hunting for food along the way with the razor. hehehe. I would like to see a list recommending the amount of food and/or caloric intake needed/day.
Posted: Jul 05, 2008 tpmcman

Dave, first time you get stomach parasites you will treat your water after that. I agree with the duct tape and wool though
Posted: Jun 18, 2008 Sean

I'm not going without water proof firestarter of some sort and a few ounces of emergency kindling. Number one & two on my list. Razor mmm OK I definalely need to have a good knife.
Posted: May 08, 2008 perremon

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