A 1L bottle is super helpful for its utility, they likely won't break on you, they can be used as a camp cup, you can use it as a hot water bottle to warm your sleeping bag when sleeping, you can flip it upside down in freezing conditions to protect from the freeze (takes longer). Thank you for the tips, great video!
The polyethylene Frogg Toggs UL2 that everyone carries are garbage, but spend a bit more money and get the Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite, which is made out of *much* more durable polyester, has actual pockets, and adjustable hood and cuffs, for only 2 oz extra weight. The only downside is they still aren't breathable and lack pit zips. Still by far the best bang for your buck though.
@@eliseott I upgraded to a Gore R7 Shakedry recently, but it's a hard pill to swallow going from a $33 rain jacket to a $300 one. I still use the Frogg Toggs unless I'm hiking because I'm paranoid about losing it or wearing it out.
Thanks, Elise, there’s a lot of good info here! My BRS 3000 is cheaply made and wastes fuel , but it works. I don’t use it. My Soto Windmaster is nice but it leaks gas if you leave the canister attached - one large MSR canister and one Coleman canister leaked out after one use - empty, so that remains on the shelf. The o-rings are intact, I suspect they are sized for soto gas canisters. I need a stove as reliable as the MSR pocket rocket, but light weight and stable enough for a small camp pot. Thanks again for your experience!
Take a look at the Fire Maple Hornet II. They are made well of good components and fold up very compactly. They weigh about 1.7 oz (48.5 g). They also fit the grooves cut in the HX area of their new 600 ml Petrel HX pot.
Thanks for watching!! and dang, you might be the first person I've heard who had a negative experience with your Soto Windmaster. I've never kept mine attached for long, but the thought of it leaking fuel is definitely concerning. I liked my MSR a lot before two of them broke on the CDT. Good luck in your stove quest!
Gasp! I love my Sea to Summit collapsible silicone cup. Not leaving that 😊 I do like my Apple wired headphones. I like being able to adjust the volume with the rocker switch on the right earphone wire. If I use my AirPods I have to adjust the volume from the phone which is a pain while I’m walking.
Well, regarding the duct tape, it once saved my life when I was camping on the top of a Brazilian Mountain (Pico Araçatuba). It was very windy and raining that night and the aluminum frame of my tent just broke. I fix it with the aluminum piece (i dont know the name) and the duct tape to strength the connection. Normally I wrap some duct tape on a "credit card" so it does not get bulky... Anyway, nice video!
regarding rain gear, you need to properly treat them in Nikwax waterproofer. You'll only need one set of rain gear for your whole life if you do this and look after them properly. Save money and reduce waste and pollution this way
That's true, a quality (and expensive) waterproof/breathable jacket (& pants) need annual cleaning at a minimum and DWR renewal treatment every couple of years. I'm currently using a 40-year old GTX hard shell from Early Winters and it's still going strong.
I ditched rain pants entirely and just go with a rain skirt/kilt now. Rain pants in general are just very ineffective, I have found. I also switch my BRS stove to Soto Windmaster with a regulator and totally worth it. So much more reliable and can actually save weight at times because you don't use as much fuel so don't have to carry a larger canister in remote areas.
the only reason I'm hanging on to my rain pants is as additional protection for bushwacking. Otherwise I totally see the argument for a rain skirt/kilt. Maybe if I finally find hiking pants I like I'll be able to go that route. I didn't even think about the fuel part of the stove argument but that's another great reason to not use the BRS haha.
Nice video! I need to update my rain gear 😂 they are bomb proof, carhartt storm defender, however jacket n bibs are like 100 ounces combined!.... did keep me dry during 2 inches of rain hiking out of the great smokey mountains on a cool January day at least!
@eliseott yup, and that's what it's mainly used for since I only have winter backpacked so far... pretty sure I would have had a bad time had they not worked. And was worried since this the gear is also my construction outer gear 🤔 ... was a 12 mille day out, and that weather came in 18 hours early... only thing wet was my feet since I was useing older boots! I'll do some research and see what u fan find for next winter!
alcohol stoves seem like a great option out east, they just aren't allowed (or are irresponsible) in many places out west. But great note for the east coasters!
have you tried the montbell versalite? it will def still soak through after like 3+ hours but I find it's been really great up until that point (and usually rainstorms don't last that long). thanks for watching!
They don’t make em anymore but the REI had gtx jacket or something I can’t remember exact name. It was around $250 I think, but it keeps me completely dry, even hiking in rain all day. I think I got it in 2019 and only use for trips. I just got destroyed in the Grand Canyon with rain, snow, and 50mph wind gusts and i was dry. Before that I used cheap marmot $50 rain coat and that didn’t keep me dry at all
If you want a "rain-jacket", do not buy anything that says "water resistant", it has to be at least "water PROOF". That's still no guarantee it will be water proof enough. But brands slap the "water resistent" or "weather resistent" description on pretty much every gear tougher than a kleenex.
I vastly prefer wired headphones, too. The problem is that most new phones don't have a headphone jack. Unless you have an older model phone that has survived this long, you don't have much choice (unless you also get a Bluetooth receiver, which used to be very cheap, but not so much anymore). Regarding Deet, OFF! makes a plant-based deet-free spray that I actually find extremely effective.
I just use the apple heaphones but yeah, it doesn't give you a lot of options if you don't want to use those. And that's good to know, maybe I'll try out a few different methods this summer but I do love Picaridin.
Always appreciate your forthright and tested perspective. I struggle with rain gear and agree with your take on it. Have you ever tried or considered waterproof jackets, like the ones from LightHeart Gear, that are completely waterproof but not at all breathable? Not sure if the lack of breathability would get too miserable.
Thanks so much! I've definitely considered it. The Versalite has 30,000mm of water resistance which is supposed to be great (and in my experience that holds up). It has pit zips too and I'll even unzip the front if I'm getting too warm, but typically in the rain out west it's cold so I don't have to worry as much about sweating inside of it.
I would never NOT bring a BRS 3000T with me. Even as a backup granted the Soto Amicus is amazing. But I am almost certain I will never filter water again tablets all the way.
I sprayed my clothes with permethrin. It says it' ok for tents but I've been hesitant to do it because it's dynema and it cost me a fortune. Is it a good idea to spray it as well and is it necessary to spray my quilt? Thank you for the great tips.
I sprayed mine and it didn't damage it at all, but here's an answer from a Sawyer FAQ about it: Cuben Fiber is a high tech laminated material. The top layer is polyester which permetherin will bond to; however, permethrin will not bond to the inner layers of Cuben Fiber. Therefore, permethrin cannot be applied to Cuben Fiber the same way it is applied to other fibers. It will (depending on the size of the material) probably take a few “wettings” to get the necessary 3 ounces dose of permetherin onto the fabric. To apply permethrin correctly use this process spray the object, let it dry, spray again, let it dry, and spray again. If unabsorbed permethrin drips off the Cuben Fiber catch the drippings and reuse the permethrin. Apply as evenly as possible to the Cuben Fiber until the 3 ounce application is fully absorbed. So, seems like you can but it'll take som extra effort. That said, if you spray your tent I don't think you'd need to spray your quilt too (assuming you'd mostly be inside your tent). I spray my base layers for protection around camp on mosquito-y nights, and that's worked really well for me.
I thru hiked the 800 mile Arizona Trail with the BRS stove. My support arms also melted and weren’t straight. To me the biggest strike against it is its lack of fuel efficiency. Your fuel consumption will be much less with say the Soto windmaster. What you save in stove weight you lose many times over in fuel weight. The BRS is just a bad TH-cam fad recommendation. Never again.
A 1L bottle is super helpful for its utility, they likely won't break on you, they can be used as a camp cup, you can use it as a hot water bottle to warm your sleeping bag when sleeping, you can flip it upside down in freezing conditions to protect from the freeze (takes longer).
Thank you for the tips, great video!
you mean like a 1L nalgene or someting? totally think they are a great addition in colder months! thanks for watching!
Agree about the Sawyer Mini but I definitely need my camp cup. I’m lucky that it is my old school Sierra Club cup that I’ve had for fifty years. 🌿
Hey that's pretty cool. At this point you're required to bring it purely for nostalgic reasons.
Really enjoying your videos Elise! Totally agree about the headphones! Good not to have another thing to charge and wireless are so easy to loose! 😂
thanks so much! and yay another wired headphone believer!! haha
The polyethylene Frogg Toggs UL2 that everyone carries are garbage, but spend a bit more money and get the Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite, which is made out of *much* more durable polyester, has actual pockets, and adjustable hood and cuffs, for only 2 oz extra weight. The only downside is they still aren't breathable and lack pit zips. Still by far the best bang for your buck though.
I'll have to try those out eventually, but don't see myself replacing my versalite (with pit zips) anytime soon!
@@eliseott I upgraded to a Gore R7 Shakedry recently, but it's a hard pill to swallow going from a $33 rain jacket to a $300 one. I still use the Frogg Toggs unless I'm hiking because I'm paranoid about losing it or wearing it out.
The new Galaxy phones only have wireless ear buds. I agree with you, would rather have wired ear buds for various reasons. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks, Elise, there’s a lot of good info here! My BRS 3000 is cheaply made and wastes fuel , but it works. I don’t use it. My Soto Windmaster is nice but it leaks gas if you leave the canister attached - one large MSR canister and one Coleman canister leaked out after one use - empty, so that remains on the shelf. The o-rings are intact, I suspect they are sized for soto gas canisters. I need a stove as reliable as the MSR pocket rocket, but light weight and stable enough for a small camp pot. Thanks again for your experience!
Take a look at the Fire Maple Hornet II. They are made well of good components and fold up very compactly. They weigh about 1.7 oz (48.5 g). They also fit the grooves cut in the HX area of their new 600 ml Petrel HX pot.
Thanks for watching!! and dang, you might be the first person I've heard who had a negative experience with your Soto Windmaster. I've never kept mine attached for long, but the thought of it leaking fuel is definitely concerning. I liked my MSR a lot before two of them broke on the CDT. Good luck in your stove quest!
I used my camp cup on the pct and it is coming back with me. Coffee and oatmeal, or tea and dinner. It is worth it for me.
that's great!! I get the love for them, just not my personal cup of tea ;)
Gasp! I love my Sea to Summit collapsible silicone cup. Not leaving that 😊
I do like my Apple wired headphones. I like being able to adjust the volume with the rocker switch on the right earphone wire. If I use my AirPods I have to adjust the volume from the phone which is a pain while I’m walking.
hahah, that's the exact one I had. It IS a nice cup :). and yes another great point for the wired headphones!!
Well, regarding the duct tape, it once saved my life when I was camping on the top of a Brazilian Mountain (Pico Araçatuba). It was very windy and raining that night and the aluminum frame of my tent just broke. I fix it with the aluminum piece (i dont know the name) and the duct tape to strength the connection. Normally I wrap some duct tape on a "credit card" so it does not get bulky... Anyway, nice video!
hey if it works for you totally keep carrying it! I would make that repair with the leukotape I carry instead.
regarding rain gear, you need to properly treat them in Nikwax waterproofer. You'll only need one set of rain gear for your whole life if you do this and look after them properly. Save money and reduce waste and pollution this way
that's what I'm hoping to do now that I have a rain jacket I really like!
Or for places that get a lot of rain; get a Driza bone heritage long coat
That's true, a quality (and expensive) waterproof/breathable jacket (& pants) need annual cleaning at a minimum and DWR renewal treatment every couple of years. I'm currently using a 40-year old GTX hard shell from Early Winters and it's still going strong.
I absolutely love Sawyer too and carry the Squeeze but they really just need to retire the Mini.
I think there are still people who carry it, god bless 'em. But I agree.
I ditched rain pants entirely and just go with a rain skirt/kilt now. Rain pants in general are just very ineffective, I have found. I also switch my BRS stove to Soto Windmaster with a regulator and totally worth it. So much more reliable and can actually save weight at times because you don't use as much fuel so don't have to carry a larger canister in remote areas.
the only reason I'm hanging on to my rain pants is as additional protection for bushwacking. Otherwise I totally see the argument for a rain skirt/kilt. Maybe if I finally find hiking pants I like I'll be able to go that route. I didn't even think about the fuel part of the stove argument but that's another great reason to not use the BRS haha.
Nice video! I need to update my rain gear 😂 they are bomb proof, carhartt storm defender, however jacket n bibs are like 100 ounces combined!.... did keep me dry during 2 inches of rain hiking out of the great smokey mountains on a cool January day at least!
thank you! sounds like they'd be awesome for winter stuff! but maybe overkill for summer backpacking haha.
@eliseott yup, and that's what it's mainly used for since I only have winter backpacked so far... pretty sure I would have had a bad time had they not worked. And was worried since this the gear is also my construction outer gear 🤔 ... was a 12 mille day out, and that weather came in 18 hours early... only thing wet was my feet since I was useing older boots! I'll do some research and see what u fan find for next winter!
@@SuperdutyExplorer yeah you don’t wanna mess with getting wet in winter for sure! I imagine there are some lighter shells but they’re pricey
regarding stoves, I've tried all kinds over the years, and the most reliable I've found is a brass meths burner that uses methylated spirits
alcohol stoves seem like a great option out east, they just aren't allowed (or are irresponsible) in many places out west. But great note for the east coasters!
i find even the expensive rain jackets wet out same as the cheap ones and both kinds are not really that durable . but great perspective
have you tried the montbell versalite? it will def still soak through after like 3+ hours but I find it's been really great up until that point (and usually rainstorms don't last that long). thanks for watching!
They don’t make em anymore but the REI had gtx jacket or something I can’t remember exact name. It was around $250 I think, but it keeps me completely dry, even hiking in rain all day. I think I got it in 2019 and only use for trips. I just got destroyed in the Grand Canyon with rain, snow, and 50mph wind gusts and i was dry.
Before that I used cheap marmot $50 rain coat and that didn’t keep me dry at all
If you want a "rain-jacket", do not buy anything that says "water resistant", it has to be at least "water PROOF".
That's still no guarantee it will be water proof enough. But brands slap the "water resistent" or "weather resistent" description on pretty much every gear tougher than a kleenex.
yep, exactly!
I vastly prefer wired headphones, too. The problem is that most new phones don't have a headphone jack. Unless you have an older model phone that has survived this long, you don't have much choice (unless you also get a Bluetooth receiver, which used to be very cheap, but not so much anymore). Regarding Deet, OFF! makes a plant-based deet-free spray that I actually find extremely effective.
I just use the apple heaphones but yeah, it doesn't give you a lot of options if you don't want to use those. And that's good to know, maybe I'll try out a few different methods this summer but I do love Picaridin.
Always appreciate your forthright and tested perspective. I struggle with rain gear and agree with your take on it. Have you ever tried or considered waterproof jackets, like the ones from LightHeart Gear, that are completely waterproof but not at all breathable? Not sure if the lack of breathability would get too miserable.
Just makes you wet on the inside.
Thanks so much! I've definitely considered it. The Versalite has 30,000mm of water resistance which is supposed to be great (and in my experience that holds up). It has pit zips too and I'll even unzip the front if I'm getting too warm, but typically in the rain out west it's cold so I don't have to worry as much about sweating inside of it.
Since I don't carry a stove I use a Talenti container for cold soaking and as a cup.
yes that works great too! as long as it gets a good rinse haha
Love your vids thanks for making this!!
thank you so much!
I'm team BSR3000t! I have over 3000 miles on mine. Still going strong!
You are one of the lucky ones!
wait ....... please explain what type of headlamp doesn't need a battery ... do you mean disposable vs. rechargeable ???
yes, it doesn't need disposable batteries. And I'm already brigning my rechargeable.
I love my rechargeable headlamp. Completely worth it!
I would never NOT bring a BRS 3000T with me. Even as a backup granted the Soto Amicus is amazing. But I am almost certain I will never filter water again tablets all the way.
Sounds like you got one of the good BRS stoves!! There are certainly some out there. Yay for tablets!
I sprayed my clothes with permethrin. It says it' ok for tents but I've been hesitant to do it because it's dynema and it cost me a fortune. Is it a good idea to spray it as well and is it necessary to spray my quilt? Thank you for the great tips.
I sprayed mine and it didn't damage it at all, but here's an answer from a Sawyer FAQ about it:
Cuben Fiber is a high tech laminated material. The top layer is polyester which permetherin will bond to; however, permethrin will not bond to the inner layers of Cuben Fiber. Therefore, permethrin cannot be applied to Cuben Fiber the same way it is applied to other fibers. It will (depending on the size of the material) probably take a few “wettings” to get the necessary 3 ounces dose of permetherin onto the fabric.
To apply permethrin correctly use this process spray the object, let it dry, spray again, let it dry, and spray again. If unabsorbed permethrin drips off the Cuben Fiber catch the drippings and reuse the permethrin. Apply as evenly as possible to the Cuben Fiber until the 3 ounce application is fully absorbed.
So, seems like you can but it'll take som extra effort. That said, if you spray your tent I don't think you'd need to spray your quilt too (assuming you'd mostly be inside your tent).
I spray my base layers for protection around camp on mosquito-y nights, and that's worked really well for me.
@@eliseott You are awesome! Thank you so much Elise.
Good knowledge right here.
I thru hiked the 800 mile Arizona Trail with the BRS stove. My support arms also melted and weren’t straight. To me the biggest strike against it is its lack of fuel efficiency. Your fuel consumption will be much less with say the Soto windmaster. What you save in stove weight you lose many times over in fuel weight. The BRS is just a bad TH-cam fad recommendation. Never again.
omg!! that's a great point. thanks for sharing your experience.
I've been using my BRS3000t for the last 5 years including the PCT, reading the comments they're complete shite, I must have the only decent one 😂
This is what is so wild to me about them!! Some people get the unicorns that last forever and I’m jealous.
tape still on the poles....
That’s leukotape! But I don’t recommend rewrapping that way, I find it loses its stick.
Here is a comment. Thank you.
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