7/6/12 – 1159 miles
There have been some questions about the gear I’ve been using. It’s still a work in progress but here are some details on what I carry and why.
My pack at the present time weighs about 22 pounds base weight. That means that with no food and water I’m one of the lightest hikers out here. There are a few that carry no tent. When you add food and water the weight will increase depending on how far it is to the next resupply. The most I usually carry is 30 pounds.
I started out with an alcohol stove. The weight of alcohol is almost the same as a canister of iso-propane so I switched to my MSR stove (4oz) for the convience of quicker cooking. When that was stolen, I replaced it with the same thing. Most of us have one pot for cooking. I also have a cup for coffee in the morning. I still make things that you can eat by boiling water, but the mre are too expensive for a steady diet. I will sometimes boil noodles, then transfer them to a baggie, add cheese and butter, wait about ten minutes and eat. I also make oatmeal in a baggie, too. Then I have no mess to clean. Other foods I eat include: Knor rice and pasta sides, Oriental noodles, tuna, chicken, jerky, pepperoni, summer sausage, and mashed potatos. For lunch I usually have peanut butter and fluff(I started this) on bread, thins, or tortillas. For snacks I eat a lot of granola bars, dried fruit, and lots and lots of Rice Krispy treats. Next post will be about sleep system.