Anyone into backpacking?

My brother and I are just getting into it... and we are comparing gear with other friends and though we'd see what backpackers here are using.

Here's our list of gear:
Osprey ATMOS 50 Backpack
Snow Peak Titanium Mini Spork
Snow Peak Trek 700 Ti Combo w/ Ti GigaPower Auto Stove & ti Spork
Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium
Snow Peak Snow Peak Fuel
Snow Peak Titanium Double Wall Cup 450
MSR Packtowl Ultralite Large
Atwater Carey Light & Dry LD2 (First Aid Kit)
MSR MiniWorks EX - Red/Black
Brunton Glorb
Mountain Hardwear UltraLamina 32 (My bag)
Sierra Designs Lightning 2 Tent - '08 Closeout


We still need to get stuff sacks for our bags, and tent, and a few other odds`n`ends.

What does everyone think? We are trying to keep it VERY light weight and not carry redundant gear. The GLORB may be used or not, not 100% yet.

-Todd

I think most of your stuff is pretty good. I've never used SnwoPeak, being an MSR type, but supposedly a good brand.

My personal opinion is you're going a bit overboard with cost - titanium is (again, IMHO) too pricey, when aluminum is cheaper for virtually identical weights. Plus, I really hate sporks. Are you doing the canister fuel? If so, they don't work so well at high altitude, and you should look at a different style.

Some things need to be redundant. Knife, light, survival gear, etc.

I have the SnowPeak gear (same stuff) in my BOB and really like it, and for the extra few bucks (maybe 100 total in the end) saving a few ounces here and there has already added up to saving 1lb for us EACH That, to me, is well worth it!

Canister fuel correct, I've used it up to 8k with no problem, if/when we go higher we`ll get an MSR whisperlite I think

Thanks for the ideas keep them coming.

Looks like a great start. Don't forget rain gear, some sort of sleeping pad, a headlamp, and a first aid kit.

-Blast

The kit list looks very good. I do like the Osprey pack. The Snow Peak gear is excellent and titanium is an excellent choice being extremely durable and corrosion resistant. You may find the Snow Peak 700 pot a little restrictive for a multiday hikes though. I have started to use a 1 litre Primus EtaPower pot as it saves a little on fuel due to built in heat exchanger and allows the the larger 250gm gas cartridge to be stored inside toether with a folding gas stove.

The Primus Litech Kettle is also worthwhile carrying for that quick brew up during those important 'wow what a view' stops.

http://www.wildernessdining.com/su733921.html

I would also recommend the Exped DownMat 9 for a good nights sleep even though it is slightly heavier than a Thermarest.

I've just got hold of some very lightweight Stainless Steel Tatonka water bottles and have now replaced my Sigg Alu bottles.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tatonka-Stainless-Steel-Bottle-1000/dp/B000G4XI3G

The 1 litre bottles are a perfect fit for the Sigg Neoprene covers (makes for a night time hot water bottle) and the SmarTube lightweight water hydration attachment system.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/3129

A Thermarest Pillow stuffsack will double up as a improvised pillow (has an internal comfy fleecy inner)

http://www.amazon.com/Therm-Rest-Purpose-Stuff-Pillow/dp/B001GUMAN8

Lighting requirements can be covered with the Fenix AA or CR123 flashlights with the diffusor tip attachment hung from the centre of the tent. Fenix also now have a good headband attachment with storage for additional batteries.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_38&products_id=659

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_38&products_id=339

Oh and don't forget the map, compass, change of socks and the compeed..

Ordered some more gear, and some other I`m using I already have, will update the list shortly

Backpacking if fun - Lots to learn. A packing list:
GORP SITE PACKING LIST

...because if you don't use a list, you'll either over-pack or forget the TP

I have been backpacking most o my life, and would like to offer a little advice. First, you dont need a stuffsack for everything. My advice would be to put everything into a large garbage back, including your sleeping bag, and roll it up tight. This keeps everything nice & dry. Then, add the tent, in the bag it came with, sans poles, on top of that. Closed up, you should still be fine. Top pocket (if there is one) put a FAK, headlamp, TP, and snacks. The trick to packing is to put what you wont use on the bottom. Food bag at the bottom of the pack, not in your garbage bag though. Then, the garbage bag with your sleeping bag, change of clothes, jacket for warmth, hat, gloves, extra pair of socks, and wet weather gear (unless its needed or wet). roll that up tight, put it in the pack, on top of your food. Next in goes the tent, without the poles, on top of the garbage bag. Lastly, your wet weather gear, if rain is expected, or if it is wet. Me, I ALWAYS pack this on top of everything else, because the jacket is an effective windbreaker.
Outside, strap your sleeping pad & tent poles to your pack. Thats it!

One more thing, this is my list, what I carry no matter how many nights I spend out.
Pack-Karrimor Sabre 45l pack, with two side pockets
Water-standard nalgene bottle, usually kept empty (I fill it only when stopping for the evening, or for an extended break), platypus 3L water bladder, MSR miniworks filter (by FAR the best filter I've used yet!)
Food-snacks, breakfast & dinner for number of days out, plus an additional day, instant coffee, Trangia alcohol stove, GSI Soloist cookset
Clothes-extra pair of pants, extra T shirt, extra socks, fleece jacket, wet weather top & bottom (froggtoggs, wouldnt use anything else), wool hat, wool mitten/glove combo
Sleeping gear-Hennessy Hammock exped Asym hammock, with open cell foam pad, silnylon tarp, and either a Kifaru Woobie quilt for warmer weather, or a Golite down 20* bag for colder weather.
Other gear-FAK, headlamp, leatherman tool, beltknife, whistle, TP, 550 cord, AMK heatsheet (I sometimes use this under my hammock, to add insulation, if its cold) and sometimes a book.

Its sounds like a lot, but, honestly, when full, packweight is at the most 20lbs.

canoe tripping supply stores like Duluth Pack sell very heavy duty,over sized plastic bags that are ment to waterproof their canvas packs.i use one for my gear bag and two inside my food pack.

Here's my gear:

Arcteryx Bora 80 pack
MSR Pocket Rocket (resently upgraded from WHisperlight)
Titanium Pot (1L)
Spork
Mountain Hardwear Phantom Bag 15
Old Thermarest
MArmot Aura 2p
Princton Apex headlamp
Msr Miox
My own design FAK
Leatherman CHarge
SPyderco FRN Salt


My elrctronics items:
Ipod Touch (music, books, videos)
Small Speaker
Solio Solar Charger
Leica Dlux3 or Olympus 1030SW (with backup batteries)
Garmin Vista Cx

Do you like that Solio Charger?

Some things I learned a long time ago in carrying heavy packs long distances-

If you carry it twice and don't use it, and it is not on the 10 essentials list - don't carry it again.

If you can find a lighter or smaller version of what you are carrying, and it will make you as happy as the original, get it.

Never carry a single use item. Multitask everything.

Never forget the toilet paper.

It's more a matter of what you can do with what you have than what you can do without.

Yes and no. It stores about charge and a half for my Ipod Touch. It is easy to use and self explanatory. Anything that can be charged thru USB most likely will be compatible with Solio. And of course there is a load of conectors available for most of the electronics out there. I can charge my cell with it but I never did because my phone is off on the trail. I used it in Patagonia with sun being my only power source while backpacking but before getting on the plane/bus I would top off the Solio from the wall outlet and be good. There are few things I wish for to be made for Solio and it would be nice to get it riged up in the near future. One of them is camera battery charger. One of the "fears" I have on the trails is running out of juice. ANother thing is AA chargers. There are some USB AAs that dont hold much of the charge but I have two just in case I need something to hold me over.

In the end most of my electronics use AAs and 123s. As of now its easier for me to carry 20 Lithium AAs than to carry 8 rechargables and rotate them. But the marriage between ipod and solio made me a very happy man.

That's why I'm always broke.

I always enjoyed backpacking and have not done it in years.
I recently purchased a new backpack and off I went. Can not wait to get out some more now.
I have some pics of the items I took here:
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118369

Love the Atmos. A cheap way to store clothes is in ziplock freezer bags. A roll of paper towels. Trust me, paper towels don't weigh a lot and they come in real handy. This pot scraper or something similar makes cleaning pots much easier. And a pot koozie (or freezerbag koozie) can help save lots of fuel.

I've been backpacking since I was a Cub Scout, and now my son's going to age out of Boy Scouts before long. Absolutely loved it as a kid, and now have been fortunate enough to share the outdoors with my boy, (and the 25 others I have on loan for weekends). There have been some great gear suggestions already, so I'll offer some other thoughts.

You mention that you and your brother are just getting into backpacking. My first suggestion: if you have any friends that are more experienced, see if you can tag along with them for an overnight. Good way to expand your friendship, and ease into a new skill.

Otherwise: Make sure you build your backpacking trips up over time. As your skill and experience grows, your trip planning can get more involved, but for now... Start with an overnight or weekend at most for the first one. Don't plan any aggressive hike in or out. If you've never carried anything more than a daypack, and now carry full overnight gear and split a tent and food, you might be surprised how it affects your fatigue level. Give yourself plenty of daylight on that first day out to set up your campsite, and then be able to enjoy it! After a nice hike, sitting by a fire, listening to a babbling brook in the distance, enjoying good food, telling some tall tales, playing cards, maybe a harmonica, it's a slice of heaven.

Enjoy!

Another way to ease into it, especially for the little guys' first overnight hiking trip, is to do loop hike that leads right back to a campsite at or very near the trail head. Forgotten gear, homesickness meltdowns, and other "crises" are thus much easier to manage.