Outdoors/Camping

[USCG Cigar Newb]

Hey guys. So I grew up in the Northwest always camping, hiking, fishing etc... But with the Coast Guard Academy and my duties since I have obviously been in and around the water with not much chance for camping (not many forests in the Bahamas haha). I head back to the states for my next billet (no clue where Ill be though) and I am wanting to start collecting camping/survival/outdoor gear so that I am all set for weekends in the woods when I get back. I was wondering if any of you guys are into the outdoors and if you have any recommendations for me on what gear to get. I am talking sleeping bags, packs, tents (both a large one and a smaller one) boots and anything else you can think of. I dont know the climate of where Ill be, but since Ill be moving every two years anyways with the coast guard, I need gear that is good both in cold and warmer climates. Thanks for any inputs you have.

EDIT: I looked around for a camping/survival forum, but it didnt look like any had the chemistry that this place had, so I figured I would see if anyone here could help.

 

[Gravity]

I'm into that as well, bro, my wife and I go hiking and camping every year after the snow has melted. Since you grew up here, you know how long the wait is some years, otherwise you're hiking in an ice field, or a swamp.

As far as boots go, I'm an Asolo fiend, I LOVE them. They are expensive, but I also feel they are the best constructed/most comfortable boot on the market.

In my opinion, boots, socks and pack are the three pieces of gear you don't want to try to save money on. The rest of the gear I own, I've bought on either sale or clearance, online or at the local REI. The thing is though, as you know, just because these specific boots, socks and pack work awesome for me, doesn't mean they will work well for you.

Those specific pieces of gear usually take several trips to actual stores to try everything on, making double and triple sure it's the right piece of gear for you, comfortable, stable, etc. I must have tried 100 boots before I settled on Asolo's, and the same with my pack. Make VERY sure that when you start trying on packs, that they are loaded down with weights. At the local REI they have weighted bean bags you put in your pack to simulate being loaded down with gear, up to 100lbs worth if you want to get that extreme.

 

[USCG Cigar Newb]

Thanks alot for the tips. Ya the REI in Seattle is great, I loved going there, especially the bottom floor with the great deals. There are obviously 0 outdoor stores here in the Bahamas, so ya I think Ill have to wait on stuff like the boots till I can try them on back in the stats. What type of pack do you have? The one that I am looking at is TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack OR the TETON Sports Explorer 4000 Internal Frame Backpack.

 

[Jadawin]

I worked forest service in WA in 2008 and did a ton of backpacking. These are the boots i wore and LOVED them. http://www.rei.com/product/733624/asolo-power-matic-200-gv-gore-tex-hiking-boots-mens

I have an REI synthetic fill sleeping bag (20 degree i think) that is ok for summers in the Cascades, but if i was going to buy a new bag I would check out a Feathered Friends down filled sleeping bag. Feathered Friends is a Seattle based company and a friend on my crew had one of their bags and it was really nice.

For sleeping pads i like a full length one, although it does add some extra weight to your pack. I used a Thermarest 3 season (self inflating) and was happy with it. Thermarest also makes a really nice pillow that packs down fairly small.

I used a Big Agnes Seedhouse tent that worked well, and i recommend finding one with a built in waterproof footprint.

I cant remember the brand of my backpack but as far as features go i liked having a spot for a water bladder/hose so i didnt have to stop to take a drink of water. Also having a detachable lid on your backpack is nice so you can take it off for day hikes from your basecamp if you are backpacking.
For water treatment, I use an MSR SweetWater purifier. It was a bit slow but got the job done. I prefer using a filter instead of the drops or SteriPen styles, mostly because a filter cant run of batteries or just plain run out.

Stove-Either a Jetboil or MSR Whisperlite

Socks/underwear- For socks I recommend a nylon liner and then a pair of wool backpacking socks. REI makes good socks but if you have a Gander Mountain they make pretty much the same style sock for less money. As far as underwear goes, seems like a stupid thing to think about but I wouldnt want someone making the same mistake I made by wearing cotton boxers and having the painful realization that wearing those wasnt a good idea. Id check out a pair of synthetic boxer-briefs.
Oh also some insulating sleepwear. I was surprised how cold i got at night in the mountains when i was in the 90s during the day.
Cotton is your enemy, go with mostly synthetics for clothing because if you do get wet they dry very quickly. Layering is key, get yourself some good base layers for clothes and get yourself some nice rainpants/jacket.

other gear-
Headlamp
dishes/silverware set
good knife
paracord and few carabiners for bear hangs (especially in the North West)
simple first aid kit
Toilet kit-paper and hand sanitizer
a few stuff sacks for food/bear hang and other gear
Small roll of duct tape (i actually just wrap a nice length of it around a small pencil


Hope that helps!

 

[USCG Cigar Newb]

That helps out alot, thanks, I am going to look up what you mentioned. How often did you use your water purifier? Seems like Asolo is the way to go since both of you recommended them.

 

[Jadawin]

i used the water purifier a few times a day! All of my water when backpacking was filtered strait out of lakes/streams. If you are only doing day trips its not as big of a deal, you can just carry in whatever water you want, but if you are doing several days you will definitely need one to filter water for drinking.

 

[Gravity]

Totally agree with Jadawin, extremely good post. Our water purifier is worth it's weight in gold, we also carry a Steripen along with the purifier, just as double protection, getting the shits on the trail is a bad thing.

Also, what I used to do to save money is go down to the local outdoor store, find what works for me, then buy it on Amazon for a fraction of the price. I got 3 pairs of socks on Amazon for half the price of a single pair of the same sock at REI. Big time agree on the sock liner, that will save you quite a bit of pain.

Under Armor was my best friend on the trail, no cotton comes in contact with me, Jadawin is right, it's your enemy. It's easy to clean, dries quickly and is very light weight. Their Cold Gear worked great for those cold nights, and added less than a pound to the pack. One day it was 96 degrees, then dropped to 39 degrees over night, you need that extra cold layer.

Remember when you start buying clothes, layers, layers, layers and layers. Always dress in layers. If you dress in layers, you can add or subtract layers as the weather changes during the day.

I use a Kelty 110L pack, it works great for me! I'm a very big guy though, over 6'4" and in the high 200's, lift over 400lbs at the gym, and am used to moving hoses that weigh upwards of 200lbs all day long, so a pack that big won't work for everyone. Like I said, anything we say here can only be a guideline for anything you wear, that will be up to you. For instance, my wife absolutely hates Asolo boots, and swears by Zamberlan boots. In my opinion, the same goes for a sleeping bag, you need to go crawl into that thing, see how you fit, how heavy it is, etc.

I carry a full size Ka-Bar knife, which I can use for what seems like something new on every trip, heh. I use a Streamlight headlight that I got off Amazon on a daily basis for work, and use it for camping/hiking as well. Under $30 and one of the brightest lights I've come across. Also carry a Streamlight Pro Tac 2L light on my belt, it is very small, uses two CR123 batteries and hits 180lumens.

Also, one thing many guys forget is a very good all weather fire starter.

 

[USCG Cigar Newb]

Thanks alot for the info. Sorry for my delayed response to this, I went to a conference in San Antonio and didnt see this. Good tips on the underarmor and such, I was not even thinking of those things but def see the value and will start getting some. That pack looks great, I though am not that intimidating haha, I am about 175 and 5'10", so I might need to go with a smaller one ha. I work out and all, always have done sports and military competitions so going long distances with a pack isnt an issue, but I think Ill look for one more of my size ha.

Ya cant wait to go back to states and try out the boots and Ill also add sleeping bag on the list of things to wait to try on. I CANT WAIT.

What type of cooking stuff do you guys use, I have some cast iron pans that I use and love. Beyond that I dont have anything yet. Didnt know if there are some good gear out there that is quality and will last without taking up to much space and adding weight to the pack.
I wish there were more of an outdoor/camping group on here so there could be a subsection for it to talk about gear and trips people have been on etc...

 

[Gravity]

Thanks alot for the info. Sorry for my delayed response to this, I went to a conference in San Antonio and didnt see this. Good tips on the underarmor and such, I was not even thinking of those things but def see the value and will start getting some. That pack looks great, I though am not that intimidating haha, I am about 175 and 5'10", so I might need to go with a smaller one ha. I work out and all, always have done sports and military competitions so going long distances with a pack isnt an issue, but I think Ill look for one more of my size ha.

Ya cant wait to go back to states and try out the boots and Ill also add sleeping bag on the list of things to wait to try on. I CANT WAIT.

What type of cooking stuff do you guys use, I have some cast iron pans that I use and love. Beyond that I dont have anything yet. Didnt know if there are some good gear out there that is quality and will last without taking up to much space and adding weight to the pack.
I wish there were more of an outdoor/camping group on here so there could be a subsection for it to talk about gear and trips people have been on etc...

That would be awesome!


If you're going tent camping and weight isn't a problem, then you can't go wrong with a good set of cast iron pans, they are what I own and prefer. But, a 10lb pan doesn't work for backpacking, obviously, heh. My wife and I invested in a set of Snow Peak titanium cook sets and an MSR single burner multi-fuel stove that we got a killer deal on. (Was on clearance, $120 down to $40) Also paid the premium for titanium utensils, but plastic works just as good, weighs the same or less but costs 1/4, heh.

Something else I've started using the past couple years are Trekking Poles. Not sure if you've ever used them, but I won't go without them now. They make the hiking side of the trip so much easier, I have been able to add at least two miles onto my daily hikes just from using these things. I'll be honest, I had to tell myself it's not a "cool guy" contest out on the trail and I should just use what works before I felt comfortable using them, lol. Being able to use my upper body strength to help myself up trails is sometimes worth its weight in gold.

Yea, that backpack is pretty big, not a lot of people would be comfortable with that on their backs for days on end. I'm a big'ol green giant though, hehe.

Even in the past couple of years, technology has brought new little things into backpacking/camping. Just saw something called a "Jetboil", it's a coffee mug size cup, with a handle and a detachable burner on the bottom that will boil your water for you. No idea how well it would do, but might be something interesting to look into. *shrugs*

 

[ciggy]

You could always try for a billet serving on the Great Lakes. Michigan does have it's beauty when it comes to anything outdoors.

 

[smokinghole]

I've always just wore/used what the Airforce gave me. I have the gortex Belvelle boots and the three piece sleepingbag. Two insulation layers and the gortex outer shell. I don't have anything to offer up tent wise. I'm a cheap mofo and just use what I already have, I've not found myself saying "damn I wish I had those $300 pair of boots".

 

[USCG Cigar Newb]

You could always try for a billet serving on the Great Lakes. Michigan does have it's beauty when it comes to anything outdoors.

Ha my buddy just came from there, not really the outdoor kind though so he couldnt tell me about those things, just that it was cold.

Possibly looking at Oregon, for me the Northwest will always be home. I love the feel of the woods there and the Puget Sound

 

[USCG Cigar Newb]

I've always just wore/used what the Airforce gave me. I have the gortex Belvelle boots and the three piece sleepingbag. Two insulation layers and the gortex outer shell. I don't have anything to offer up tent wise. I'm a cheap mofo and just use what I already have, I've not found myself saying "damn I wish I had those $300 pair of boots".

Just wondering what type camping/hiking do you do.

 

[AlohaStyle]

I'm sure you know this already, but I personally always buy the more expensive gear at REI as they have a lifetime return policy. I had a 6 year old Thule hitch bike rack where the locking cable tension stopped working so the cable would drag on the road when I was driving with the rack in the down position. I went to REI to see if they could help me replace the lock and left with a brand new rack with no questions asked.

 

[Gravity]

If you have access to iTunes, and some extra time on your hands, the Practical Backpacking Podcast is pretty good. They haven't updated since 2010, but that is as up to date as you need when it pertains to backpacking gear. I'm working my way through them now, quite informative. There is one on hammocks you may want to give a listen to, especially with the wet climate you're used to dealing with. I'm thinking of giving one a try some time.

 

[smokinghole]

Just wondering what type camping/hiking do you do.

I don't go on three day hikes but I kick around in the mountains of central PA sometimes. I'm not a serious guy by any means. I did wear those bellvelle boots all day every day for 4 years though and damn their comfortable. I still wear a pair when I'm working since they're gortex and breweries are wet. I might have to upgrade to steel toes so a keg doesn't crush my toes though.

My brother and I do some rustic hike in, drink, burn things, and hike out camping. Like I said nothing serious. I just use the shit the airforce gave me that I considered camping gear because I never used it for anything but camping gear. I think the pack they gave me was used once when I was deployed and we ended up on a war head retrieval mission over night. It sat in the back of the truck though. It's a comfy pack. So if I were looking for camping gear I'd just go to a surplus store. I'm not saying military gear is the best (it's not obviously) but it's cheap and it does the job for me. I am sort of in a unique situation though because they issued all this stuff to me. So for me to buy a higher end civilian counterpart from a place like REI is crazy in my eyes.

 

[Alwayslit]

I've found most of my gear at four places:

1. Surplus Stores
2. Dick's Sporting Goods
3. Cabella's
4. REI

......:thumbsup: