Making the most of your Outdoor Gear Budget

 

You might think you'd never hear this from a business selling outdoor gear, but let's face it, getting together a complete backpacking kit can be a considerable investment, so let's consider how to best go about making decisions for gear. One thing I found difficult when putting together my gear was the tendency to concentrate on the super cool accessories at the expense of more vital gear. A common example? Getting several iterations of titanium spoon while not yet having a sleeping bag that doesn't have a Disney character on the front. What's the main problem with having this approach, after all, can't you just get gear over time, as you can afford it? Certainly, but consider the fact that while you can carry a regular tea spoon, you're not quite as likely to get into the outdoors with your futon mattress. Try to place a priority on your essential gear, like your pack, shelter, and sleeping bag, and that will allow you to spend more time outdoors, then you can concentrate on getting the creature comforts just right after you get more experience and learn what your actual needs are.

More Water Filters at Sheepleg

 

A while back, we talked about the excellent light-weight, compact Frontier Pro water filter that attaches directly to bottles and hydration tubes.  It’s perfect for the solo hiker or backpacker, but continuing along a theme we’ve been spending some time considering gear that serves a couple or small family that’s out in the backcountry, and for many couples or small groups, other alternative water filter and purification methods may be more appropriate. We’ve recently added the Katadyn Hiker Pro pump filter, the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter, the SteriPEN Adventurer, and the FirstNeed XL water purifier to our store to provide a spectrum of options to suit your particular needs.

The Katadyn Hiker Pro is a venerable solution, a simple and effective pump filter that is fairly lightweight and attaches easily to most hydration packs and 1/4” diameter drinking water bottles.

The Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is definitely the Cadillac option among waterfilters, being of rugged construction and with a silver-impregnated ceramic filter element that lasts up 13,000 gallons and a lifetime warranty, will likely be the only water filter you ever have to buy.

The SteriPEN Adventurer is a novel UV water purification device that destroys bacteria and viruses with UV light rather than filtering them out. With this incredibly light weight system (under 4oz), you draw mostly clear water into your cup or bottle (use a prefilter or strain through a bandana, submerge the activated SteriPEN, and the device will make safe for drinking 16 ounces of water in just 48 seconds. The Steripen Adventurer Solar adds rechargeable batteries and a solar charger.

The First Need XL is the only filter to have a .1 micron filter medium, making it small enough to filter out the relatively rare smaller viruses that most .2 micron filters can let through, so if you are very paranoid about your drinking water, the First Need XL will be your best friend in the backcountry.

The Trangia Alcohol Stove: My Trusty Old Friend

 

We’ve recently added the venerable Trangia alcohol stoves to Sheepleg and I have to admit my heart skipped a beat seeing my old friend again. For those of you who remember geeking out to games of Zork, the Trangia stove belongs right there with your trusty lantern and your glowing, grue-killing sword. Indiana Jones would go back into the Temple of Doom if he’d accidentally left it behind warming up some noodles.  It’s the simplest, most reliable, tough as nails piece of backpacking gear ever.  It’s a brass can with a screw-top lid with a rubber o-ring to seal in the alcohol goodness. The inside rim has tiny jet holes for the burner flame to shoot from. There’s absolutely no moving parts to fail.

To use a trangia stove, you place the burner can inside the windscreen/pot support and pour methyl alcohol (Denatured alcohol, YELLOW bottle HEET, or Everclear are the best) inside and light, the stove does the rest, automagically. First you’ll see a faint blue flame (be careful during the day, you won’t see a flame in sunlight) emit from the big hole in the center, and then, once the pressure is sufficient, the flame will come through the burner jets in a ring of water-boiling, noodle-cooking goodness. The Trangia comes with a simmer ring with an adjustable cover plate that allows you to bring the burner down to a simmer for gourmet cooking or snuff the flame completely when you’re done cooking. One thing that it has over ever other alcohol stove on the market is the leak-proof screw cap: you don’t have to deal with unburned alcohol left in the stove, just put the cap on and save it for later. If you’re planning a solo weekend or overnighter, just fill up the stove and you’ll likely have enough fuel for your water-boiling and cooking needs, no need to carry extra fuel.

The best thing about Trangia burners is they are tough and durable enough to be the only stove you need for life; the other is, since you’re only burning alcohol (not fossil-fuels) and not using disposable butane fuel canisters, it’s one of the best environmentally friendly choices you can make as a backpacker or outdoors enthusiast. The Trangia stove is available in several packages, including the relatively light mini-trangia set that comes with a windscreen/pot support, a pot, a pot handler, and a lid that doubles as a nonstick frying pan. The burner is available alone as a part replacement, but keep in mind that the burner can’t be used without a pot support. If you want to make a friend for life, check out the Trangia on Sheepleg.

GSI Microdualist: The Perfect Cookset for Couples

 

For many, a camping cookset conjures images of a cast iron pan, a dutch oven, or a footlong steel fork, and while few can argue with the great taste of confections that come from these implements, they aren’t very practical for the backpacker that has to carry all of his or her gear into the backcountry while hiking or camping. New lightweight pots made of anodized aluminum or titanium shave pounds off your load in your pack and are compact enough to minimize bulk, but most of these solutions are aimed at the solo hiker. Being married with a young son, I recently decided to supplement my old trusty titanium ‘bachelor’ mug with a new GSI Microdualist. The GSI Microdualist is a very cleverly designed kit with components that nest perfectly together to provide a glamping-style outdoor culinary experience for two at thru-hiker weights. At the core, there’s the 1.4L Microdualist pot made of a proprietary GSI hard anodized aluminum alloy called Halulite, which means there’s no coating to scratch off- you can even clean it with sand and a clean cloth. The lid of the pot has strainer holes for draining water from cooked pasta or vegetables, and incorporates a high-vis heat-resistant handle. Nesting inside the pot are two nesting sets of cup and bowl, one set orange, one set blue, with heat-insulated sleeves on the cups and sip-lids to keep you from spilling your Swiss Miss all over your self. Included are two color-coordinated telescopic “foons”. A stove sack is included in the set to keep your stove and fuel canister from rattling in your pack. Even the outer stuff sack pulls double duty, with a welded, waterproof interior you can use as a sink for washing or for carrying water. The entire set weighs 17oz, but you can leave behind any pieces to fit the needs of the trip you’re planning to save weight. On our recent trip to Cumberland Island, Georgia, I lamented not having a small bowl to mix food in and eat from since I only use my titanium mug to boil water in; this kit will serve me well when my family comes along with me on adventures. Check out the Microdualist at Sheepleg today.

Two-person tent at just 2.3 pounds: Vaude Power Lizard

 

Of the many tents available, most tend to hang out in two ‘camps,’ the car-camping multiple-room family tent that weights eight pounds and comes with wheeled luggage and an SUV lift, and tiny solo tents and bivies that weigh under two pounds. Much like the wage gap in America, one might wonder where the middle class of tents is hiding these days. Imagine a shelter that’s as light as a solo tent, making it a breeze to pack and carry, and has room for your significant other to sleep next to you. Enter the Vaude Power Lizard. At just 2 pounds 5 ounces, the Vaude Power Lizard can lighten your load and improve your relationship all at the same time. The Power Lizard uses a single long arch pole and two small poles on the end that creates a spacious design that has good headroom sitting up in the center and plenty of length for taller campers to sleep in. There’s enough room for two side-by-side sleep mats, and the inclusion of a hybrid double-wall design means you can get plenty of ventilation in this tent through the mesh wall and still zip up the outer vestibule wall to keep out the rain if it begins to pour. Cameron McNeish of TGO magazine has a good video review of this well-designed tent:

Cameron McNeish of TGO Magazine reviews the power lizard

The Vaude Power Lizard. Check it out at Sheepleg.com.

Team Sheepleg at Cumberland Island, GA

 

At Sheepleg we believe the best place to work isn’t in a stuffy corner office, it’s under the stars and in the great outdoors. We recently took a backpacking trip to beautiful Cumberland Island, Georgia, a national park island just outside of King’s Bay and St. Marys, Georgia.

It’s winter, but in southern Georgia, the temperatures are still great for hiking and backpacking. We took the ferry, the Cumberland Lady, to get to the island from St. Marys. On board the ferry we met lots of other backpackers including a scout troop. Cumberland Island has a full-featured camp called Sea Camp on the southern end of the island that has amenities like clean water, bathrooms, cold showers, and camp sites with picnic tables and fire rings. We arrived at almost noon, so we set up our tents at Sea Camp and explored the south end of the island.

There’s impressive ruins of a mansion that was once the estate of Thomas Carnegie known as ‘Dungeness’.  Wild horses roam around the island, and armadillos seem to be everywhere.

The following day we headed up the beach to one of the backcountry camping sites further north. The beach is listed as one of America’s best beaches for collecting sea shells, we found lots of Florida cones, sand dollars, and angel wings along the way.

During the winter, the wind on the beach can be pretty chilling at times, but the thick gnarled canopy of trees on the island does an excellent job of cutting the wind, making for a much more comfortable camping experience. The backcountry camps were well designed, and also had fire rings to help fend off the cool evening weather and encourage late night fire-side chats.

If you’re starting to get cabin fever from the cold northern temperatures, we at Sheepleg give Cumberland Island, Georgia, a hardy thumbs-up.

Sheepleg now offers Equinox Gear

Equinox Ltd. is an earth-friendly gear manufacturer located in Pennsylvania that makes some seriously well-made, lightweight hiking, backpacking, and travel gear that is also very affordable. Sheepleg has recently added their line of products to our store and we’d like to share our staff’s favorite pieces of Equinox gear with you.

The new Equinox ARAS pack is durable and lightweight, constructed of 1.1oz  ripstop silnylon to keep your gear dry with minimal weight. Features include generous mesh back pocket space to stow gear in and keep it readily accessible without opening the pack, compression shock cord suspension (great for strapping wet rain gear to dry as you hike), and, rare for lightweight packs, generous hip belt pockets and a lid with pocket to keep rain away from the top opening of the pack.

The Sprawler bivy sack proves that keeping things simple is always the best way to go when it comes to making effective lightweight gear. At $59.95, it’s one of the most affordable bivy sacks on the market, and at 6.6 ounces (less than many wind jackets), among the lightest, it’s constructed of waterproof silnylon on the bottom and a water-resistant/breathable top to keep water from creeping into your sleeping bag and also allow moisture to escape through the top of the bag.

The Equinox Terrapin ultralight poncho is one of my personal favorite pieces of gear. A lightweight (9.6oz) silnylon poncho like the Terrapin serves not only as excellent rain gear, but with the addition of a few stakes and trekking poles, can be erected as a tarp shelter, replacing your heavier tent. The Terrapin comes in two sizes, one with an extension on the back to fit over your pack to keep it dry as well, and one without. Using a poncho is an excellent way to knock the weight and expense of carrying separate rain gear, pack cover, and shelter.