After hiking Isle Royale a few times I decided to listen to the Native Americans and ancient Copper Culture and try the kayak and canoe option. I found it opened up ALL the islands and ALL the places everyday hikers just can't go, and best of all you can take 300 pounds of luxurious luxuries. I use my water craft as mobile base camp and day and multi-day hike from it. Another perk, you see a LOT less people. Win/Win/Bonus! You will feel spoiled drinking cold beer after eating a steak or greasy cheeseburger while on Isle Royale. It's a "work smarter and not harder" type of thing I guess. P.S. Nothing is better than having your own islet to camp on, like at/on Tookers or Caribou Islands in Rock Harbor, not to mention the plethora of islets for you to set up shop on, when you go to the "East" (NE) end of the island. Minong more.
Great system ... I am a big fan of coupling the 3/4 length sleeping pad with the removable foam pad from your pack in the bottom of your sleeping bag for taking the pressure off of your heels. I use the back pad from the ULA CDT with an old Therm-a-Rest Pro-Lite 3/4. Works well, cuts weight and is dual purpose. I also use the same MLD roll-top bag for my food storage ... the waxed hi-vis line they sell along with it is amazing for cutting the friction when the line is being hauled over a rough branch. Prefer that system immensely to a bear can where ever they are not required. Also agree sawyer mini is perfectly adequate.
I must have watched a hundred of these gear videos. Your is easily in the top 3. Very well done. Nice pace! Unique solutions you've come up with! Sorry, gotta steal some of those ideas ;-) I wonder if you could somehow anchor that umbrella to one of your pack straps and be hands free? Thanks again!
I just returned from Isle Royale. Most of the hikers there carried 40 lb. or more packs.A free standing tent w/rainfly is best because of rocky ground and the humidity there.Plan to carry at least 2 liters of water since water-points are few in most places.I used zero insect repellent on my trip yet was prepared for the worst - they told me that I had just missed the mosquito season by a couple of weeks. Osprey packs were very common and I carried a 75 liter Osprey. No cell phone service but recommend a small radio for weather information. Trails are rocks and tree roots with walking about rock ledges being common. People told me that Isle Royale has parts where it is as tough as anything you will find on the A.T. Isle Royale is not for beginners.
Our system is almost exactly the same. I keep telling people I am not satisfied with the sawyer squeeze, but it keeps going on every trip as my only filtration system. Love/hate relationship. Also, the borah gear bivy is in that same love hate relationship. I am jealous about the Borah down jacket!!! I WANT. Lastly, I would recommend trying the caldera keg cook system. At first I was so afraid of damaging it or having to much fiddle factor, but now the caldera keg cook system is all I bring for 2 people. (sometimes even 3). Its probably my favorite piece of gear outside of my sleeping pad. :D
I've looked at that cook system already! If I ever do a thru hike I'll try the F-keg. I won't use the provided caddy, but instead pack it all into the gossamer gear warm sack. I'm going to sell my borah bivy. I've found I really like just the polycro with a sea to summit nano net (3oz) to keep bugs off. If I was in a high tick area I might reconsider, but it gives so much more room for lighter weight. What sleeping pad do you have? I'm a super active sleeper and once my baseweight drops enough i'm going to use a 30in wide x 54in long Klymit V luxe (i'll shorten it from 76in.) I brought it on a trip this summer and it was awesome, like sleeping in my own bed. Once I shorten it it will be 20oz, but I do not care.
My sleep pad is currently my most ridiculous piece of gear. Its the Big Agnes 25 inch by 78 inch long UL pad. 1 lb 7 ounces so its WAY heavy, but R-value of near 5, width near 3 inches, and honestly the sewn structure makes it super comfortable. I also have the REI-Flash pad (made by Xped) and now I can't even sleep on it because of the long tube baffles feeling sooo uncomfortable. I found I can do way more miles, and enjoy life on the trail way way more if I get a full 8 hours sleep without waking up throughout the night. About the Caldera Keg, I only use the Caddy when I am sharing the stove system. The caddy makes for great mugs!!! Solo use, I leave the caddies behind. I am afraid i might sell off my borah bivies also and try out the sea to summit net. I bought a zpacks zero pack to try out (to drop weight from my current GG G54 pack) and I killed it in one week long trip. Its in the return mail currently Haha... Do you have any recommendations to how to roll up a tarp with guy lines and not use a stuff sack? I ended up every evening on the TRT untangling guy lines which became a real annoyance since I didnt want to carry the stuff sack.
Yeah, 170 miles on the tahoe rim trail and I ended with 3 holes in the quarter size range. Groomed Trail, and the pack still simply failed. Its being shipped back as we speak. Uhhh The guyline thing drives me crazy, I might just get a zpacks stuff sack to not deal with it!!! Though I did just change over my tensioning system to the smaller line lockers that zpacks has. I just ordered the net to replace the borah bivies today!!! So excited for it to come in! Also, what do you do for keeping yourself clean? I really struggled this year on the TRT because it was SUPER hot, SUPER dusty, and I was doing 22 miles a day... By the end of it all i wanted was to just smell better and eat better food. My body wasn't as hard to clean, it was my cloths.... So not sure what to do there. Lastly, my food... I am done with bars. Lunches are going to be fresh foods like tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and NOTHING dried. I lost a ton of weight because I was eating less than 2000 calories a day, yet hiking 22 miles a day simply because dried foods sounded awful in 80+ degree heat. Anyways, thanks for the info on the S2S net!
Keeping clean for me is every night washing my face with some Dr Bronners, and water wiping forearms and legs down. About every 4th day I need to get into the arm pits and crevasses with either wipes or a river dip. I do a shirtless dip to get wet, wash everything I can, including the shorts I would be wearing, and my hair, then dip to rinse the soap. This is a chore sometimes if it's cold, best to do it when the sun is out. I use as little bronners as I can. My shirts I would wash in the evening and hope it's dry by morning. Food wise, i'm barely ok with bars, as long as I have a hot meal at night. I like real food so I struggle too. I'm on the precipice of buying a $30 dehydrator just for my favorite curry recipes. If I ever did a big thru hike I could see my outlook reversing and I'd go cold cook. If fresh foods are doable, I would keep on that! Visit r/ultralight on Reddit and pm me, I'm battle_rattle there.
Great video, I have watched this several times. Found your comments regarding rain gear and umbrella very interesting. I'm looking for a new rain shell/system now and I'm leaning towards just going with an umbrella and Montbell Tachyon jacket. Thoughts? My trips are in the NE during the summer - 3 to 4 day trips. If big storms are in the forecast, I don't go. So, I don't really need a system to ride out long storms.
I was trying to hike Isle Royale or Painted Rocks, but 2+ weeks out from Labor Day Isle Royale had all flights and ferries booked and Painted Rocks all campsites booked. So I'm very jealous now. Looks like I'll just be doing the Superior Hiking Trail with the first-come-first-server sites :\
Just a comment on your bag, you said 23oz. for a 23* bag? HammockGear's 20* quilt (long and wide to be safe) weighs 19.3oz and the Enlightened Equipment Enigma 30* long and wide and 800 fill weighs 18.48oz. That's a 4-5oz savings. The 900 fill, regular/regular EE Enigma weighs 15.20oz, nearly a half pound lighter.
Sorry, I said 23oz for a 30F bag. Most of my "next quilts" I configure online (EE/Katabatic) will only save me ~4oz, a good weight savings, but it will be the last thing I replace.
Happy Hikers You know, I have never tried aquamira. Right when I was going to upgrade filters the Squeeze came on the scene. My non-mini squeeze is 2.5oz so I took the 1.5oz penalty over the aqua mira. It's definitely nice to have no wait! I think I'm subbed to you as well. I'll check.
So the 1/8 was fine? I'm taking one sobo on the pct and from what I can tell thus far it blocks alot more heat loss than conventional r-value wisdom would have you believe.
1/8in was fine early in my PCT hike after my Nemo popped, but as I got to higher elevations I did pick up a zlite folding mat and that did fine as well. Iused the Zlite and used the 1/8th in under my elbows to keep to cold off my elbows.
Gossamer Gear makes chapstick? No way! Now I can trade out my tube of Bistex for a Gossamer Gear lip balm. I'll save at least a couple few grams. I'm saved lol
Borah Gear Jacket. His down person has retired so he's not making these jackets at the moment, but the unhooded version of this jacket can be found at BigOutdoors.com. The fleece is theHaglofs LIM power dry hooded. Both are fantastic pieces, especially when 2oz windshell like the ZPacks Ventum.
If you really need a compass, bigger is always better. Few small ones can even point you in the right direction on a reliable basis. That said, if you're in a place where you really can't get seriously lost, then, well, take your chances. But that is NOT a large compass. I have a deep fear you're an ultralight backpacker.
The cool thing about ultralight is that you don't need a compass in United States. We can walk so many miles in a day that following the sun for 10 hours will put you 30 miles in one direction, which is far enough to get to a town with a hotel, hospital, grocery store, cell service, Internet, ect. But if your hauling 50 lbs of gear/food/water, you better bring a compass! :D
After hiking Isle Royale a few times I decided to listen to the Native Americans and ancient Copper Culture and try the kayak and canoe option. I found it opened up ALL the islands and ALL the places everyday hikers just can't go, and best of all you can take 300 pounds of luxurious luxuries. I use my water craft as mobile base camp and day and multi-day hike from it. Another perk, you see a LOT less people. Win/Win/Bonus! You will feel spoiled drinking cold beer after eating a steak or greasy cheeseburger while on Isle Royale. It's a "work smarter and not harder" type of thing I guess. P.S. Nothing is better than having your own islet to camp on, like at/on Tookers or Caribou Islands in Rock Harbor, not to mention the plethora of islets for you to set up shop on, when you go to the "East" (NE) end of the island. Minong more.
Todd Twopapers Oh I would love to kayak that place. You are not wrong at all!
That was really good thanks
Doing the Kekekabic in August. I’ve always used DEET but treated clothes sounds interesting
Great system ... I am a big fan of coupling the 3/4 length sleeping pad with the removable foam pad from your pack in the bottom of your sleeping bag for taking the pressure off of your heels. I use the back pad from the ULA CDT with an old Therm-a-Rest Pro-Lite 3/4. Works well, cuts weight and is dual purpose. I also use the same MLD roll-top bag for my food storage ... the waxed hi-vis line they sell along with it is amazing for cutting the friction when the line is being hauled over a rough branch. Prefer that system immensely to a bear can where ever they are not required. Also agree sawyer mini is perfectly adequate.
I must have watched a hundred of these gear videos. Your is easily in the top 3. Very well done. Nice pace! Unique solutions you've come up with! Sorry, gotta steal some of those ideas ;-) I wonder if you could somehow anchor that umbrella to one of your pack straps and be hands free?
Thanks again!
Lance Michel go check out my 2017 setup! thx
I just returned from Isle Royale. Most of the hikers there carried 40 lb. or more packs.A free standing tent w/rainfly is best because of rocky ground and the humidity there.Plan to carry at least 2 liters of water since water-points are few in most places.I used zero insect repellent on my trip yet was prepared for the worst - they told me that I had just missed the mosquito season by a couple of weeks. Osprey packs were very common and I carried a 75 liter Osprey. No cell phone service but recommend a small radio for weather information. Trails are rocks and tree roots with walking about rock ledges being common. People told me that Isle Royale has parts where it is as tough as anything you will find on the A.T. Isle Royale is not for beginners.
amen to the umbrella. carry a disposable 1.00 poncho in case i need more.
Great video, still mostly up to date gear.
Thanks,
Don't forget my 2020 video!
Our system is almost exactly the same. I keep telling people I am not satisfied with the sawyer squeeze, but it keeps going on every trip as my only filtration system. Love/hate relationship. Also, the borah gear bivy is in that same love hate relationship. I am jealous about the Borah down jacket!!! I WANT. Lastly, I would recommend trying the caldera keg cook system. At first I was so afraid of damaging it or having to much fiddle factor, but now the caldera keg cook system is all I bring for 2 people. (sometimes even 3). Its probably my favorite piece of gear outside of my sleeping pad. :D
I've looked at that cook system already! If I ever do a thru hike I'll try the F-keg. I won't use the provided caddy, but instead pack it all into the gossamer gear warm sack.
I'm going to sell my borah bivy. I've found I really like just the polycro with a sea to summit nano net (3oz) to keep bugs off. If I was in a high tick area I might reconsider, but it gives so much more room for lighter weight. What sleeping pad do you have? I'm a super active sleeper and once my baseweight drops enough i'm going to use a 30in wide x 54in long Klymit V luxe (i'll shorten it from 76in.) I brought it on a trip this summer and it was awesome, like sleeping in my own bed. Once I shorten it it will be 20oz, but I do not care.
My sleep pad is currently my most ridiculous piece of gear. Its the Big Agnes 25 inch by 78 inch long UL pad. 1 lb 7 ounces so its WAY heavy, but R-value of near 5, width near 3 inches, and honestly the sewn structure makes it super comfortable. I also have the REI-Flash pad (made by Xped) and now I can't even sleep on it because of the long tube baffles feeling sooo uncomfortable. I found I can do way more miles, and enjoy life on the trail way way more if I get a full 8 hours sleep without waking up throughout the night. About the Caldera Keg, I only use the Caddy when I am sharing the stove system. The caddy makes for great mugs!!! Solo use, I leave the caddies behind. I am afraid i might sell off my borah bivies also and try out the sea to summit net. I bought a zpacks zero pack to try out (to drop weight from my current GG G54 pack) and I killed it in one week long trip. Its in the return mail currently Haha... Do you have any recommendations to how to roll up a tarp with guy lines and not use a stuff sack? I ended up every evening on the TRT untangling guy lines which became a real annoyance since I didnt want to carry the stuff sack.
+Allison McConnell Try the S2S net, you won't be sorry. I keep it spread out with stones I find at the camp site.
Yeah, 170 miles on the tahoe rim trail and I ended with 3 holes in the quarter size range. Groomed Trail, and the pack still simply failed. Its being shipped back as we speak. Uhhh The guyline thing drives me crazy, I might just get a zpacks stuff sack to not deal with it!!! Though I did just change over my tensioning system to the smaller line lockers that zpacks has. I just ordered the net to replace the borah bivies today!!! So excited for it to come in! Also, what do you do for keeping yourself clean? I really struggled this year on the TRT because it was SUPER hot, SUPER dusty, and I was doing 22 miles a day... By the end of it all i wanted was to just smell better and eat better food. My body wasn't as hard to clean, it was my cloths.... So not sure what to do there. Lastly, my food... I am done with bars. Lunches are going to be fresh foods like tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and NOTHING dried. I lost a ton of weight because I was eating less than 2000 calories a day, yet hiking 22 miles a day simply because dried foods sounded awful in 80+ degree heat. Anyways, thanks for the info on the S2S net!
Keeping clean for me is every night washing my face with some Dr Bronners, and water wiping forearms and legs down. About every 4th day I need to get into the arm pits and crevasses with either wipes or a river dip. I do a shirtless dip to get wet, wash everything I can, including the shorts I would be wearing, and my hair, then dip to rinse the soap. This is a chore sometimes if it's cold, best to do it when the sun is out. I use as little bronners as I can. My shirts I would wash in the evening and hope it's dry by morning. Food wise, i'm barely ok with bars, as long as I have a hot meal at night. I like real food so I struggle too. I'm on the precipice of buying a $30 dehydrator just for my favorite curry recipes. If I ever did a big thru hike I could see my outlook reversing and I'd go cold cook. If fresh foods are doable, I would keep on that! Visit r/ultralight on Reddit and pm me, I'm battle_rattle there.
Ziploc bags, there are cooking bags or steam bags that are Ziplocs
Great video, I have watched this several times. Found your comments regarding rain gear and umbrella very interesting. I'm looking for a new rain shell/system now and I'm leaning towards just going with an umbrella and Montbell Tachyon jacket. Thoughts? My trips are in the NE during the summer - 3 to 4 day trips. If big storms are in the forecast, I don't go. So, I don't really need a system to ride out long storms.
Christopher Stevenson Tachyon and an umbrella should do the trick in Summer. If needed, you could bring a 1.2oz emergency poncho from Walmart.
I was trying to hike Isle Royale or Painted Rocks, but 2+ weeks out from Labor Day Isle Royale had all flights and ferries booked and Painted Rocks all campsites booked. So I'm very jealous now. Looks like I'll just be doing the Superior Hiking Trail with the first-come-first-server sites :\
Thanks for your reply! I'm taking one 8 oz can for the week, 5 days, as I'll not bee cooking every meal.
The smaller 100g/4oz canister is good for 20 2-cup boils under ideal conditions. If you're cooking for 5 days the smaller canister may still be good.
Nice setup! Thanks for the tips and future tweaks you're planning. I think a Zpacks Duplex would be nice upgrade. What kind of umbrella is that?
Montbell UL Trekker. The coverage is great.
Just found your video and wanted to say thank you! It's very helpful :) subbed!
Anonymous Guitar thanks man!
Great video man. I was just wondering if u could answer: why dont people use iodine that much? Is there any dis advantage
Thanks. I dunno, maybe people don't like ANY floaties in their water?
I see, thanks
Great video! How much fuel did you take? I'm be there for 7 days.
Just a comment on your bag, you said 23oz. for a 23* bag? HammockGear's 20* quilt (long and wide to be safe) weighs 19.3oz and the Enlightened Equipment Enigma 30* long and wide and 800 fill weighs 18.48oz. That's a 4-5oz savings. The 900 fill, regular/regular EE Enigma weighs 15.20oz, nearly a half pound lighter.
Sorry, I said 23oz for a 30F bag. Most of my "next quilts" I configure online (EE/Katabatic) will only save me ~4oz, a good weight savings, but it will be the last thing I replace.
Great video! Subbed! How did you choose between a sawyer squeeze and liquid treatment like Aqua Mira?
Happy Hikers You know, I have never tried aquamira. Right when I was going to upgrade filters the Squeeze came on the scene. My non-mini squeeze is 2.5oz so I took the 1.5oz penalty over the aqua mira. It's definitely nice to have no wait! I think I'm subbed to you as well. I'll check.
the squeeze dont work if it gets frozen (breaks it forever), so its useless half of the year here in colorado
I am also thinking of doing the bivy tarp set up. How did that work out for you? Staying dry? Getting dressed?
Stuart West it did pretty good. I'm 6'1" and it was a bit too small. I switched to a sea to summit nano net tent under my tarp and loved it.
So the 1/8 was fine? I'm taking one sobo on the pct and from what I can tell thus far it blocks alot more heat loss than conventional r-value wisdom would have you believe.
1/8in was fine early in my PCT hike after my Nemo popped, but as I got to higher elevations I did pick up a zlite folding mat and that did fine as well. Iused the Zlite and used the 1/8th in under my elbows to keep to cold off my elbows.
hi mate.
thank you for sharing this setup.
can you please post the link for the repair / first aid kit that you watched?
Mike Clelland. His videos on hiking are awesome. I've never read his book, but it has to be good. th-cam.com/video/3X8WYIUHxkI/w-d-xo.html
thank you very much.
+BattleRattle I have read it. It is very good. Great video. Just subscribed. Wish I could afford your gear.
Gossamer Gear makes chapstick? No way! Now I can trade out my tube of Bistex for a Gossamer Gear lip balm. I'll save at least a couple few grams. I'm saved lol
Hey can you tell me the name of your down jacket and polar power grid hoody? having trouble searching it online. thanks
Borah Gear Jacket. His down person has retired so he's not making these jackets at the moment, but the unhooded version of this jacket can be found at BigOutdoors.com. The fleece is theHaglofs LIM power dry hooded. Both are fantastic pieces, especially when 2oz windshell like the ZPacks Ventum.
what is the brand of the zip off pants?
Storm Creek Outfitters Millet. Some kind of pant from 2012. I don't think they make zipoffs anymore.
If you really need a compass, bigger is always better. Few small ones can even point you in the right direction on a reliable basis. That said, if you're in a place where you really can't get seriously lost, then, well, take your chances. But that is NOT a large compass. I have a deep fear you're an ultralight backpacker.
The cool thing about ultralight is that you don't need a compass in United States. We can walk so many miles in a day that following the sun for 10 hours will put you 30 miles in one direction, which is far enough to get to a town with a hotel, hospital, grocery store, cell service, Internet, ect. But if your hauling 50 lbs of gear/food/water, you better bring a compass! :D