I just completed a week long backpacking trip in the high Sierra’s and would like to share a few gear use reports:

I used a Heetsheets single under my sleeping bag for the week. I paid no attention to the various twigs, stickers, pebbles, etc. on the ground before laying it down. There were numerous pinholes by the end of the week, but no other problems resulted. I did not rig it as a fly, though.

On the first night I managed to tear a hole in it by grinding my boot heel into it while putting on boots and gaiters. I intentionally ignored it, though, and left it unpatched. It did not tear or spread a bit.

It was also rather breezy at night and I saw the edges flap and move about quite a bit, but there was no noise from it. I'm extremely pleased with how well the HeetSheet held up to a full week's rough use.

My SafeWater Anywhere inline filter did yeoman service between my large zip top Platypus "dirty" water bag and my "clean" water Camelback, using a replacement Camelback plug-in connector. I just scooped up the water, zipped it closed, plugged in the Camelback, strung it up on a tree limb or layed it up on a rock, left the Camelback on the ground, and let it drain. Overall, it was as quick and far easier than pumping. I mourn the closing of this company and the unavailability of this product, and hope they will return. Meantime, anyone know of a good source for a similar inline filter?

My Fenix 1xAAA Cree flashlight proved itself again. It was more than adequate for a forced night hike off-trail in rugged terrain, which I did a bit of for testing purposes only.

I also used a sub-1 oz. "Pepsi can" type alcohol stove, which proved just adequate for making cocoa or boiling two cups of water for freeze-dry meals, for which it consumed about 20ml of denatured alcohol. I don't think it would be suitable for more than solo simple meals, though. I used a Platypus bag as a fuel bottle for the first time, and it held up fine.

My collapsible hiking poles were real knee (and face, teeth, ankle) savers on steep, rocky ascents and descents. I've still not had need to use them to support a tarp, but I'm convinced enough of their value to never hike with a loaded pack again without them. Disabling falls and injuries are no joke to a solo hiker.

Prophylactic use of Ibuprophen before setting out seemed to help my family members who accompanied me for the first night avoid aches and pains. It was a tip I got from a Special Forces medic friend of mine.

My Dana Designs Racer-X pack was stable and comfortable enough, although seriously overloaded due to the requirement for 2 bear canisters, etc., although I wish I’d brought my Gregory Shasta instead.

As for keeping clean, I still swear by the following combination: A lightweight collapsible nylon bucket, Dr. Bronner’s pure Castile soap, and an MSR microfiber towel. This time, instead of using a bandanna as a washcloth, I cut a 3 inch square out of a cloth exfoliating scrub mitt I bought at Target. It worked much better and dried much faster than a bandanna. The towel also dried in a flash. I probably used less than 20 drops of soap fully cleaning myself and my alternating set of clothes daily.

Well, that’s all I can think of for now. I had a great time, perfect weather, and saw maybe only three other hikers other than the first and last days.

Jeff

Three hikers in a week. Is there nowhere left on Earth where a man can find some privacy?

That is a good idea. I have been using a piece of rayon camp towel but it lacks a real scrubby-rough surface.

What type of bear cannisters did you use, and what was your experience with them?

Thanks

Just get away from the trailheads and then head off-trail. I admit I was a bit shocked, though. Usually, people are crawling all over the Sierra in August. Maybe I just got lucky this time?

Jeff

I used one of the heavy but approved Garcia cannisters ($5 for the week, rented at Tuolumne permit office) and my old aluminum model. I think it has lost approval and is no longer made, but it is larger and lighter than the Garcia and opened on both ends. It is made of a sheet of aluminum wrapped around and riveted to a set of reinforcing ribs, with flat end caps attached by twist lock fasteners.

It's really hard to get more than 3 or 4 days worth of food in one of the Garcias, but my old one would hold about 6 days worth.

Jeff

UPDATE: It was a Gio Enterprises canister and it is NOT currently approved by the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group, meaning by NPS regulations, either. It was when I bought it, though. Darn!

What part of the Sierra were you hiking in???

North and West of Glen Aulin

Jeff

Great country!!!

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming? i was absolutely dumbfounded at the number of people in California... it stresses me out! thanks for the write-up.

i was wondering about the Pepsi can stove performance at higher altitudes in the real world..is it a "penny" stove or the open top version?

Open top, with foil type windscreen with holes around bottom edge, SnowPeak Solo Titanium cookpot, around 10,000 ft altitude, with frequent mild breezes.

Jeff

thanks Jeff! all my cooking has been at low altitudes in almost nil wind with a couple different designs. all satisfactory, but i didn't feel i truly gave then a work out...

Thanks for the report. Thanks in particular for the Heatsheets report. It's good to know that they live up to their reputation.

Regarding crowds: The relatively few people you encountered sounds really great. My wife and I visited Devil's Postpile National Monument, a very popular area, and it was practically wall-to-wall people.

I think the trick to finding solitude is to go to less popular areas, many of which are just as nice as the popular areas. A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I went on a three day backpack in the San Gorgonio Wilderness here in Southern California. We saw nary a soul. The SGW is about two hours drive from downtown Los Angeles! We went to a remote area following a pretty much abandoned trail. We heard no human/mechanical noise save the (very) occasional overflying aircraft.

Don't get me wrong, the Sierra is very beautiful. By the way, got any pics posted online?

Pics of my backpack if you like: http://picasaweb.google.com/jim.barbour/BigTreeCamp/#slideshow

I have a Prism Medical's TRITON® M2 PORTABLE WATER PURIFIER KIT W/BAGS that I purchased at Brigade Quartermaster about a year ago. For me, it seemed an ideal filter. Though when I received it, I was a little frustrated to find I would have to use Portable-aqua tablets with it (It comes with 2 bottles). It works on gravity instead of a pump which appealed to me and includes dirty and clean water bags. It is also designed to run it straight into a bladder or Platypus. I have it stuffed it into a 6"x6"x2" pouch including the bags. They also sell a version without the bags. I can't say I've used it yet.....

At Bridgade Q, the link is: Triton M2 at Brigade Quartermaster

From there, you can find a link to the company's test reports as well.

What does "not approved" exactly mean?

Are they now against the law to use?

Do people still use them, but the rangers or forestry service would rather you didn’t?

And I would assume they have found that a bear has gotten into one, but I don’t know that it means all bears have found a way into one.


It just seems a pain in the rear to go and have to (by law) buy a new one every few years because a bear someplace has gotten into one.


Actually I would be more concerned about mice getting into my backpacking food then a bear.

SIBBG require all backpackers to use an approved container for food storage. In some cases, older bear canisters have repeatedly shown that they cannot withstand bears, and those containers are no longer approved. However, there are some allegations that the SIBBG is a bit arbitrary as to which containers they approve and do not. Ursack.com has bitterly complained that they've not been approved even though SIBBG hasn't really given a substantive reason for said lack of approval.

X2! I've been debating on getting one and that's a good enough endorsement to convince me.

Looks like the SIBBG approved containers are "required" or "recommended" in certain areas of California. When the NPS says "required" I assume that you would be subject to a fine if you are found without one of the approved containers.

http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/foodstorage/foodstoragemap.htm

That's the basic idea, although if you were "caught" with a non-approved hard-sided container, I bet they'd cut you some slack. You could always plead ignorance: "You mean it's not approved? But. golly gee, it says "bear proof" right here on the label."

On the other hand, do you really want a container that isn't bear proof?

Thanks for the briefing....