Author Topic: Backpacking Q (Read 972 times)

Suave · « **Reply #45 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:12:40 PM »

First aid kit. Basically this is my civilianized aid bag, I've taken out all of the things that I can't legally
use on civilians, and all of the heavier equipment. For some reason though it still has IR chemlights in it. Don't know what to do with them.

alcohol wipes
betadine wipes
betadine oint
betadine applicators
betadine solution
tincture of benzoin applicators
sterile applicators
moleskin
foam padded aluminum splint tape
cravats
GI field dressings
neomycin oint
guaze pads, 2x2s, 4x4s
abdominal field dressing
petroleum guaze
ace wraps asorted sizes
kerlex gauze rolls 2" and 4"
all purpose instrument tray
gloves, sterile and aseptic
safety pins
steri strips
bandaids
eye dressings
#11 and #10 blades
oral airway
tylenol 325mg tablets
motrin 200mg tablets
benadryl 25mg tablets
naproxen 220mg tablets
imodium tablets
ruber venous turniquets
super glue
psuedophed 30mg tablets

Boroda · « **Reply #46 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:23:19 PM »

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Originally posted by Suave

tent

What model? Do you have a link/picture? This is what I have, bought it in 1996, current model has some improvements - but my old "coffin" is still good enough to protect me from rain and cold.

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Originally posted by Suave
poncho
emergency poncho x2

Poncho is a Latin-American coat with a hole for a head. The only thing similar to this description is my rain-coat.

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Originally posted by Suave
kelty super tioga external frame pack

Yes! An external frame backpack. Would you be so kind to give a link or a picture? What is the internal volume? Mine is 120L, at least I don't feel like I have to save space not weight...

[...skip...]

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Originally posted by Suave
p38

You mean - Walter P38?!... As for two-legged predators - I usually have a leather belt under my backpack cover so I can pull it out in one second, an ordinary army buckle with "hammer, sickle and a star" (it's so touching: hammer, sickle and a star

) is a great weapon, and I had a 400g copper buckle made in a prison camp - it was a reason enough to get arrested if militia catches me with a belt twisted afound my fist...

From some experience, fortunately - not my personal, it's impossible to do anything if some village boys collapse your tent and start to massage your with their boots.

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Originally posted by Suave
multitool

I carry a "repair kit" since when I hiked with kids, including almost anything needed to rpair boots, tents and other stuff.

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Originally posted by Suave
mess kit

What's this?

[...skip...]

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Originally posted by Suave
folding 12"x6" camp fire grill (with duct tape or aluminum foil doubles as windscreen for alcohol stove)

12"x6" is too small for our groups of 15-20 people. I have a 80cm/30cm campfire grill, and a steel cord for our big campfires, that are usually made of 3 logs 2m long/0.5m thick.

We use stoves (powerfull to boil 8L pot in 20min) only going too high, and we use glass fabric as windscreens.

Other stuff is almost common, except deodorant. I prefer to smell like a campfire. If I get dirty, I mean - really dirty, no deodorant will help, it will be something like "someone crapped under a pine-tree"

Samiam · « **Reply #47 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:29:33 PM »

My $.02:

If your cell phone works, you aren't backpacking.

If you can't use a compass, you shouldn't be backpacking (nothing against GPS, use one myself, I just don't view it as essential gear).

Small stove not fire: Fires ruin night vision, stink, destroy cooking gear, require a lot of effort, are subject to restrictions depending on drought conditions, can't be relied upon in or after rain, introduce a significant risk of injury (not just in messing with the fire itself, but in collecting and breaking up fuel), and frankly just don't cook well.

Small water filter (I like the Sweetwater).

Leave guns at home. Backpack to backpack. Drive to safe place for shooting. Guns are heavy, not likely to be usefull, and even though I'm sure you're a safety-first person, any opportunity to hurt yourself or someone else 15mi from the nearest road should be avoided. Other folks backpacking in area will hate you because of noise and they're not knowing whether they can trust that you are being responsible and ensuring your rounds are being stopped by a well chosen earth backstop rather than whizzing through the trees.

If bears are anywhere in area, bring bearproof canister for food (and don't sleep with food anywhere near your tent).

Boroda · « **Reply #48 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:32:50 PM »

Here is a picture of our campfire, not too big, almost burnt-out, but I hope you'll get an idea

Boroda · « **Reply #49 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:54:49 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Samiam
My $.02:

If your cell phone works, you aren't backpacking.

Exactly! Unfortunately for last several years I am limited to our traditional meeteing places 80-100km from Msk, and my bloody cellular works, so I turn it off, or I'll ge some stupid calls about printer not printing and mouse not mouseing.

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Originally posted by Samiam
If you can't use a compass, you shouldn't be backpacking (nothing against GPS, use one myself, I just don't view it as essential gear).

I started hiking at the times when we had only tarpaulin tents and cotton wool sleeping bags... What GPS?! A polyethylene cover for a tarp tent was a hi-tech. And I don't rely on anything that needs batterys and carry a hand-dynamo flashlight with me.

Quote

Originally posted by Samiam
Small stove not fire: Fires ruin night vision, stink, destroy cooking gear, require a lot of effort, are subject to restrictions depending on drought conditions, can't be relied upon in or after rain, introduce a significant risk of injury (not just in messing with the fire itself, but in collecting and breaking up fuel), and frankly just don't cook well.

You don't need night vision with a good campfire, see a oic I posted above. Cooking gear we use is designed for a campfire, if you don't leave pots empty over fire they last for decades. In case of a draught - you have to be carefull yourself, restrictions are out of question if you don;t want to burn in a forest fire. Collecting and breaking fuel may be dangerous only if you use a fast way and break dry logs with a heavy stone, it's 10 times faster then axe or saw, but you have to be agile to escape a piece of wood flying into your forehead

Usually we cut down 3-4 dry pines, saw them into 2m logs and it's enough for a good campfire for a night.

[...skip...] - firearms are out of question here. I never had anything then a "start" pistol (noise gun) with my group, and only once we needed it in a heavy fog, shooting to show the direction to our "scouts".

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Originally posted by Samiam
If bears are anywhere in area, bring bearproof canister for food (and don't sleep with food anywhere near your tent).

I have never seen a bear outside a zoo or circus in my whole life. And I have travelled all over the former Union, from Carpathians to Baikal and from Kola peninsula arctic mountains to Crimea. Never have been to Central Asian republics, and I think that I'll probably never have an opportunity again

The only animals I really suffered from were chipmunks. They ate through one of the tents and ate from our rice and buckwheat. And the only animal that could endanger my life was a wild pig.

Suave · « **Reply #50 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:57:00 PM »

Boroda here is my poncho

It can be connected to this poncho liner quilt to create a light weight sleeping bag type thing.

here is type of tent I have

emergency poncho is very small made of clear plastic, in package about the same size as cigarette pack. I carry them just in case somebody needs one.

My backpack, I love it, I wanted it for so long, it took me a long time, but finally it's mine. It's 4900 cubic inches, that translates to 80 liters.

P38 is a can opener. Soldiers named it p38 in wwII because it looks like front sight of german p38 pistol I think

Mess kit is pot, pan, and cup.

Suave · « **Reply #51 on:** August 04, 2005, 06:05:23 PM »

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Originally posted by Boroda
Here is a picture of our campfire, not too big, almost burnt-out, but I hope you'll get an idea

Looks like fun, I like to have a campfire when ever it's possible. Doesn't really feel like you are camping when you can't make one.

Lizking · « **Reply #52 on:** August 04, 2005, 06:48:38 PM »

Candles work for those places. I always carry flashlights, but prefer to use beer can reflectors and candles. Coleman lanterns are for gigging flounder, not camping.

Boroda · « **Reply #53 on:** August 04, 2005, 06:51:08 PM »

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Originally posted by Suave
Boroda here is my poncho

I have an exactly the same thing, only slightly different colour

here we call it "nakidka", a "raincoat". I have a fluff (down?) sleeping-bag, I keep it dry and usually keep it under the outer tent.

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Originally posted by Suave
here is type of tent I have

Hehe, looks almost the same to my tent

Not very comfortable for simply staying at one place drinking and singing songs, but it's light and reliable and easy to erect. Mine is 2.5kg with all stuff. And it has two exits with "outer" compartments where i keep my backpack and boots. Also quite comforpable to open it in the morning and smoke into a door at the side.

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Originally posted by Suave
My backpack, I love it, I wanted it for so long, it took me a long time, but finally it's mine. It's 4900 cubic inches, that translates to 80 liters.

An old, reliable and comfortable design. It's at least 1500 years old. Some tribes at Far East have a similar frame and bag design called "ponyaga". I was really surprised when I found it out.

I had almost the same thing (including same pockets at the sides) for 10 years, called "Yermak" (Yermak was a Cossack leader who conquered Siberia), had three of them, they were made of tarpaulin (costed 25 rubles, nylon version was 50). Got rid of a last one after I broke the frame under the weight

Now I have a more robust backpack, frame is hand-made of thicher aluminium pipes, the center of gravity is lower, but it's much bigger. I need to buy another one if I'll go to the mountains - mine is now almost torn apart, it's 11 years old now...

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Originally posted by Suave
P38 is a can opener. Soldiers named it p38 in wwII because it looks like front sight of german p38 pistol I think

Nice and light thing, but I have my "Finnish knife" and I can open anything with it. We carry can-openers only in a group "kitchen kit".

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Originally posted by Suave
Mess kit is pot, pan, and cup.

We call it something like a KLMN (in Russian ABC this letters are one after another). I have a set of 2 pots (I said - 8L + 5L), but I don't always carry it with me, a 1L tin mug instead of a deep dish and a Chinese vaccum/thermal 400grams mug for tea/vodka. (in case of vodka I certainly don't top it, I pour standard 50-100gram shots)

And a spoon always in my pocket - the most important thing after a mug

Boroda · « **Reply #54 on:** August 04, 2005, 06:58:02 PM »

Forgot to post this picture, an emblem of our "camping" place 80km from Moscow, where we simply relax on weekends, and you understand how we relax:

capt. apathy · « **Reply #55 on:** August 04, 2005, 07:28:57 PM »

pack more socks.

as a rule of thumb I usually pack at least twice as many socks as pants and shirts or at least 2 pair per day.

when I was younger(single) and used to do longer backpacking trips, I changed my socks every time we stopped for a meal.

Russian · « **Reply #56 on:** January 16, 2006, 01:26:20 AM »

Finally I had enough time and went on a 3 days / 2 nights hike with a friend. We started at GPL thought Gabrillino Trail and ending at Arcadia. First day we went 5 miles, second 10 miles and third 15 miles(Highest alt around 6500 feet). Since this was my first time, of cause, I over-packed. But lesson learned. Here are some pictures.

JTs · « **Reply #57 on:** January 16, 2006, 01:37:05 AM »

Nilsen · « **Reply #58 on:** January 16, 2006, 01:53:16 AM »

bring a good knife but dont run with it.

take 2 extra sets of matches wrapped in plastic, and have one set in your pants and one in your jacket/vest

skip the camo jacket and get something in a bright and easy to see color

make sure you tell people when you are supposed be back and were you are going (general area atleast)

good and well used boots

bring plenty of time to enjoy it all