Hey all,

I am having withdrawls having not needing any new gear lately.  I am used to always needing that other little bit.

Did anyone get anything cool over the winter months that they love and possibly replaced old gear with?  What did you get and what are your thoughts?  Why is it better - smaller - faster?  Looking for mainly camping gear but anything that you are frothy about counts (barring mail order brides).

What did you get?  How do you like it?

Got a new hatchet/axe!!  Haven't been able to use it yet....so i just carry it around....

It's the 18" Gerber/Fiskars.  It's cool, and wicked sharp.

I hear ya Ben....it was all i could do to narrow it down to something remotely camping related.  Seems every time i turn around i'm throwing money at my truck, fly fishing gear, wine, camera gear.....yikes!!

Is that what they call a "gateway" purchase??

"....got this....now i need one'uh those..."

Since my truck has been on the fritz I've been doing more hiking/backpacking.  I have arthritis in my knees from all the heavy backpacking I did in my teens/20s.  Soo... I started looking into ultralight backpacking gear.  Did you know they have full 3 day packs that have a base pack weight of about 5-7 lbs now?  That's everything except food/water.  Amazing.

Anyway, long story short is that I got rid of my jetboil and went with a Snow Peak LiteMax stove instead.  I paired it with my MSR Titan Kettle which is the pot I always brought with me in addition to the Jetboil 2 cup pot anyway.  I prefer this pot because it's wider opening allows me to use boil in a bag stuff, or to cook up things that go in a "pot" instead of a "cup".

My decision was based on ergonomics, pack size, and weight.  The new setup sets up just as fast as the jetboil, and both have good flame control.  The litemax/titan combo packs smaller.  The weight savings ove the Jetboil is about 3/4lb.  The combination of a smaller package, less gear (1 pot), weight savings, and better overall functionality is why I switched for summer use.

Comparing the weight to my other stove setups...

MSR XGKII white gas stove and an MSR Stainless Steel mess kit.  It weighed over 10 lbs with fuel. 

Jetboil weighs 14ozs + Fuel (6oz) + Titan Kettle (4.2oz) + Spork (1.6oz) = 25.8oz (1lb 9.8oz)

My new setup weighs: Litemax Stove (1.9oz) + Titan Kettle (4.2oz) + Fuel (6oz) + Spork (1.6oz) = 13.7oz

I just did a little fly fishing in Florida for tarpon and I'm resisting the urge to grab my Orvis catalog.

I'm seeing the same sort of stuff as you.  Mostly from backpackinglight.com.  You have to piece it together yourself with a spreadsheet on one side and reality on the other.  

I see no problem with using a sleeping pad or foam for a backpack support if the pack weighs less than 20lbs total.  The packs that I really like are those from Mountain Laurel Designs.  Bigger and tougher than most but still really lightweight.  http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/

I have no problem sleeping in a bivvy sack w/o a tarp but there are some really lightweight tents now too.  I haven't finished researching them yet.

I could have saved a few more ounces with an alcohol stove, but I like to be able to simmer.

My goal is sub 20lbs w/ food & water on the first round and 10-15 on a second try.  I started a spreadsheet and am just slowly considering my options for gear.  I'm already amazed at how much weight I dropped from the pack with just being more selective about what goes into it, redoing my cook kit, and redoing my water purification system.  So far I've been able to drop weight w/o losing any functionality.  For example, I could have gone lighter with alcohol stove but lost the ability to simmer or I could have gone with Iodine tablet but had the water taste gross.  For the first pass, I'm trying to see how light I can get and still stay comfortable.

It's kinda fun to do, and has made backpacking A LOT easier.

Craig

Cool stuff guys!  Craig, that stove looks HOT! 

Keep it coming!

Nice!  I haven't made it into the salt yet but would love to.  Oh the evil catalogs....

Do you get out fly fishing much?

Mike,

That's great.  I need to spend a little more time in the Washington fisheries.  I've hit some of the local ones for Steelhead (Kickitat, Kalama etc.) and a few lakes for trout but haven't made it any further north.  I may have to pick your brain for some options some time.  Most of my time is spent on the local stuff, coastal streams and Central Oregon, primarily trout and steelhead. 

I have some buddies that do salt stuff fairly often, can't wait to try it myself. 

You'll have to let me know when you get around to spending more time on the water.  On that note i also started a Fly Fishing group on the site just to get an idea of how many people were interested and perhaps set up a trip sometime this year.

Scott

Well, here's something a bit different....

One of my latest purchases (besides Craig's old JetBoil which I love!) is a Great Basin saddlebag by Giant Loop.

http://www.giantloopmoto.com/products/great-basin-saddlebag

If you are into dualsporting or dirt biking, you may want to take a look at this, and the comments by professional riders who have tried it. 

I'm really impressed because it holds everything but my tent, sleeping pad, and Kermit chair.  They go into a dry bag tied onto the rack behind the Great Basin.  I can pack everything I need for a multi-day bike trip into this thing.  It is safer, I think, than metal panniers because you can't wedge a foot under it if/when the bike goes down.  On the left saddle bag leg I carry all my tools, tire pump, spares, etc.  On the right go my JetBoil, other cooking gear, food supplies.  This leaves the top for my sleeping bag, two 800 ml MSR fuel cannisters, and clothing. 

I also picked up Great Basin's Fandango tank bag.  It looks small but gobbles up tons of stuff!  Both products are very water resistant and you can seam seal it to make it even better. 

Yes that's about right.  In fact i got my first (keeper) steelhead there last year on a spey rod (also a first).  Got mine down at the mouth of the D but have also tried in the Maupin area.  There are a number of places worth hitting though.  I just went on my first trout trip over there this weekend.  Was nice to start that again.

ST

Not exactly camping gear but I know we'll use it every time we camp...

Picked up a Pentax k-x in "stormtrooper" white. Unboxed it last night and am overloaded with options and features. Can't wait to figure 'em all out.

I'm new to spey over the last year or two but am making an effort to get it dialed in.  The hard part is getting enough time on the water.  hahah...yeah when i watched that i was trying to pick out spots i knew!!  John and Amy are a kick and both awesome casters.  If you haven't already you might take a look at Ed Ward's 'Skagit Master'.  It's fairly technical but easy to follow.

Well i'll have to do a little more planning and perhaps get a group out on the D for some fishing.