Gear Review - tents and bivy's

One of your big three is the shelter (other two being pack and sleeping bag). You may have noticed I am using the word shelter and not tent. This is because I am not sure what is the best shelter.

Tents, Bivy's and huts all have there advantages and challenges.

Huts when available are luxury and should be availed. It is sacrilegious not using them. If you have a trek planned with huts nothing like it. You can get rid of things like a tent, quite a bit of food and cooking gear and other things. You will have the advantage of carrying other stuff like a tablet. The operator of a hut will provide you with warm meals.

You may ask with huts on a trek where is the adventure? Where is the sense of wilderness? Trust me you will get loads of it, the advantage of huts will be a comfy warm bed to sleep in and warm meal to build your strength. With huts having staff you get more time to relax.

Before we go any further one quick tip for any shared accommodation. Carry ear plugs, there is always a snorer in the group.

In the remainder of discussion we will talk about small one person tents and bivy's. This is because we are talking about personal gear. If a trek operator is providing a trek, they would have large tents which multiple people will share.

Coming back to our small tents and one person bivy, it is a tough discussion. I am finding it harder and harder to justify use of bivy given tents are getting lighter and have more space. In any case I will tell you about the tent and the bivy  I own and you may make your decision.

My Bivy - The Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy 

I own an OR Advanced Bivy, this is perhaps one of the best four season bivy out there, sturdy, light, breathable and has an arch so you won't feel closterfobic. It has quite a bit of space and can pack really small. Bivy's are simple to pitch and pack. I know of people who have done entire Everest Base camp with Bivy.

Some people put there air mat inside the bivy and pack them together, Saving even more space.

With all this there are some disadvantages of using a bivy

• My pack will have to stay out
• I will have to cook under the elements
• They are not as comfortable 

So to close this Bivy discussion what are the reasons of using it?
Well other than weight I am unable to come up with any reason to use it.

My Tent - Black Diamond Hi-Light Tent and its ground cloth (and not Vestibule)

The Black Diamond Hi-Light is one of the lightest tents available, when I had bought it, it was the lightest. It is single walled but due to its breathable fabric that is not an issue, comes with a mesh window for those hot nights. The tent is not seem sealed and it is a pain to seal the same. I found the tent to be spacious and great as a one person tent. I have not used it with a  buddy but I think it will be cramped.

I use the ground cloth to protect my tent however have not found the need or use of a vestibule. I bring my pack inside.

It is hard to come up with a reason not to use this tent, except based on what I have read in very heavy rain this tent wont meet expectations.

On making drainage moat around the tent

I am aware that making drainage moat's is frowned upon, and I carry a tent with a floor and a ground cloth. However I believe if the time calls for it a drainage moat should be dug around the tent.

You may learn more about this at this link (embed is disabled for this link).

Gear Review - Sleeping Bag

Well you have to sleep if you are going to stay out all night. The review I am doing today is for 0 F sleeping bags, that I end up using for my hikes. I will walk you through the mistakes I made before I chose the right sleeping  bag.

I will try to bust some myths and also talk about sleeping bag liners and when I use them. Further before we get into the details, I will call out you are better with a mummy shape bag for the kind of hiking I do where it gets quire cold.

Synth vs Down

I guess we can agree without debate you need a sleeping bag on your hike, blankets are not practical.

So the debate is between Synthetic and Down. However before I go there I want to close the topic of half sleeping bags the ones that come up-to waste-line  and expect you to wear your jacket while you sleep. Just stay away from them they are not comfy and you need a warm night sleep.

Back to down vs Synth. The argument for down is that it is lighter while the one for synth is that it is waterproof. When we will talk about jackets I will be in favor of Synth, but as far as sleeping bags are concerned we need to understand that any bag if wet will be miserable so you are better off using a down bag. Down bags has a layer of waterproof fabric on them so they are not so bad further you may put them in a compression sack and a garbage bag to make them waterproof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBcMBrTnmUo

I have tried both Synth and Down and have not found problems with there performance however down is much-much lighter and easier to pack as it compresses much more. Having said that, this is not a good reason to pack down to a small size, you will destroy it. The way I do things is I pack it in the bottom of my pack and let the weight of other goods compress it as required.

How to store a sleeping bag

In India we use boxed beds which means inside your bed is a large storage compartment and my sleeping bag lays there protected from elements without any compression on it. This extends the life of the bag. Many people store there bags in a large plastic bags under there beds.

How to pack a Sleeping bag

To pack a sleeping you... well lets just see how to do it.

How to wash a Sleeping bag

There are a bunch fo ways to clean your bag, I prefer to wash a bag with a sponge manually.

However I prefer to use liners with my bags as they give extra warmth (silk ones) and keep the bag clean. I own both cotton and Silk liners

Which ones have I used

I will conclude this debate with the sleeping bags and liners I have used along with my final tally.

I have used the Cosmic Kelty 0F Synthetic and the Mountain Hardware Phantom 0F down. Both have performed great. However I am partial towards the MH 0F because it is the lightest bag in the world.

I have used the Cacoon Silk Mummy liner if I do not need extra warmth (they add around an extra 5 degrees) or the Cacoon cotton travel sheet 

Parting though

I am partial towards my MH Phantom primerily do to weight savings I get. I also carry with me a liner when needed.  I want to try one of the -40 F bags like the Northface Inferno when I get a chance.

Gear Review - Quick point on sun screens

I wanted to give a quick point on sun blocks and sun screens. In general do not use them. They are filled with chemicals which can cause cancer.
You are better off using zinc oxide as a sunblock. It will not look pretty but it will help you.

All you have to do it buy some at drug store and put it on your face.

Gear Review - Stoves

Today we will talk about stoves. Any hike longer than 8-10 hours would need a stove, however I recommend even in the short hikes you take a stove, this way you get familiar with your gear in relatively safe settings.

Choosing a stove is harder than it may seem because you have to think about number of people and the amount of fuel. When the number of people grow it makes more sense to take a larger stove as you will be able to cook more food. In India its even harder to choose the stove because you have to options of hiring cook's,  porters and other staff who will carry your stove and food. This has the plus side that you will get fresh, hot meals instead of freeze dried stuff.

You may also conciser tea house treks and choose no stove and stick to an electric heating rod.

Stoves will also be important if you are going some place very cold and all the water is frozen.

In today discussion we will look at some of the stove options and some quick tips and tricks.

So what kind of stoves have I used (or seen being used)?

There are a large variety of stoves each for a different situation. I have used the ones described as under.

• Kerosene Stove
• The Kerosene stove is the backbone of any large hike / trek in India. The stoves are commonplace and so is the fuel. They are large bulky do not pack and due to quality of kerosene need frequent cleaning. However your cook will have experience with them
• Pros -
• Cheep
• Fuel is easily available
• Serve food for a large number of people
• Cons -
• Don't carry them yourself
• Require cleaning
• Setup time is large
• When to use it?
• If you are in a large group > 3
• You will have porters to carry the stuff
• This also means that you food will be warm nutritious and fresh

• Wood burning Stove
• I am putting the wood stove for the sake of argument, I am unable to think of a situation when you would be able to effectively use it. There  are some commercial ones available including ones with USB charger's. They are great for tea houses as permanent installations but I do not think they can be carried around. The good thing is that fuel should be readily available but if it rains or snows you wont have any dry fuel.

We will now talk about stoves that as a hiker you can carry around. these are light, small, designed to be carried by one person and will not cook large and elaborate meals.

• Trangia mini Alocohol Stove
• Trangia mini is a great quality brass stove. There also comes a military version which  is slightly larger. They are ideal for one or two day trips, because anything greater than that the fuel bulk will be quite a bit. I use Trangia mini kit which comes with stove, a pot and a frying pan along with winter attachment to use the stove in snow. You can make your own alcohol stove but I would not because I like to carry something robust.
• Pros -
• Super light
• No moving part's hence nothing will get damaged
• Cons -
• If the trip is greater than 2-3 days the fuel you will carry will be quite a bit
• Its difficult to find if it is running in sun
• As the fuel is not pressurized the efficiency is quite low
• You have to wait for the stove to cool down before you can add fuel otherwise you will have a big fire.
• When to use it
• Small 2-3 day trips
• If possible not in winter's

These videos will show the stove in action

• Jetboil Sumo Cooking system
• The Jetboil cooking system is the ultimate in hiking gear. Its efficient, light weight and comes in various sizes. They make Aluminium and Titanium based systems. The system only boils water but they have attachments for pots and pans. It uses gas can's.
• Pro's -
• Efficient
• Can work with large number of attachment's
• Lightweight
• Packs into a small cup
• Con's -
• Cost
• When to use it
• In a small group when you have to carry all the gear.

Some stuff I have  not used but have hear great things about

I have read-up on two other systems but have not used them

• MSR whisperlight multi fuel stove - This is a great stove which will burn anything you put into it. However as it is bulkier than Jetboil it is not something I conciser, given that fuel bottles can be obtained in India.

• Mountain house mountain oven - The mountain house mountain oven seems to be a great chemical based system but will only cook mountain house meal kits. I would like to get my hands on it and review the same.

So what do I use?

I use a Kerosene stove along with pots, pan's and all the stuff if its a big hike and is being operated by a staff of people. On the other hand if I am doing a hike all by myself I use a Jetbooil Sumo titanium model which comes with all the bells and whistles. I use the Sumo because it can boil around one liter of water and other models only boil around 800 milli-liter.  Further the titanium model is lighter. I also carry if needed the Trangia pot and pan. I usually carry two 100 gms gas can's which boil a good twenty liter's of water.

What we should remember is that stove is just a part of your cooking system, you need to think about all the other things you would carry to eat to make the whole thing work.

Tips and Tricks (if you will carry your own gear)

• At night you may but some boiled water in your bottle and use it as a hot water bottle, this can be your drinking water next day.
• When taking cup-noodles / ramans  conciser taking some jerky or freeze dry vegetables to be put with it 
• Mountain house food's are great for one person trips
• Conciser taking staff and a cook in your hikes, great food is a must for a good hike. Freshly cooked food is any day better than freeze dried crap.

Gear Review - Hiking Poles

Today I want to talk about hiking poles. We will start off with why we need them, links on how to use them properly, followed by hiking poles I have used along with there pros and cons. I will end up the entry with my recommendations.

So what are hiking poles?

Hiking poles are a pair or single pole used while hiking. There length can be adjusted and come with accessories like tip protectors (so you do not damage the top when hiking on rocks), baskets (so that its easy to use them on soft snow or hard ice) and others. 

Before we go any further you should watch this video explaining the anatomy of a pole.

The biggest benefit hiking poles is that you wont be as tired as your arms would have helped in trekking.

I am from the school of thought that we should use two poles at all times and we should use them all the time. Some of my friends use only one pole and only when needed for example in snow / ice or when it is too steep. My reason for using pole all the time is that it gives stability and you are not as tired.

You sold me how do I use them?

There is a basic principle of using hiking poles, that is your arms should make a 90 degree angle. This video explains how to use hiking poles.

I learnt using them the hard way. On my first trek I had a miserable time just because I did not know what length I should have used.

Some tips on pole usage are -

• Use tip protectors when not in snow / ice
• Remove tip protectors when in snow / ice
• Install a basket when in snow / ice

What are the hiking poles we have tried?

When I buy a hiking pole I look for the following

• The pole is telescopic - This is because a telescopic pole will collapse into a very small size and may be carried outside your pack.
• The pole is anti shock - This is important because when you will hit hard surface, it will absorb most of the shock
• The pole is light weight
• The pole comes with a large number of accessories - this way the same pole will help you on a wide variety of terrain.  
• The replacements for things like baskets and tip protectors are available - Trust me you will loose a number of tip protectors and tips will get damaged.

I have tried two designs on how the pole is locked

• Screw type - I have tried a number of Screw type designs including the one here. The only issue I find with them is that in winters it is very difficult to screw them in place (while you are waring your gloves) and during hiking they collapse after heavy usage. Its easy for dirt and mud to get inside the pole causing difficulty in unscrewing them.
• Flicklock by black diamond - The flicklock design allows us to open a lock extend the pole to desired length and locking them again with a "Flick". I really like this design, all the issues mentioned above do not exist in them.

There is also a Z design which I have not tried.

Which one then?

As said before I have used a variety of poles but the ones I really like along with the accessories are as under.

• Black diamond Trail Shock Pro Poles
• Small baskets
• Freeride Baskets
• Powder Baskets
• Tip protectors

This video should tell you more about the poles.

Gear Review

With little experience that I have and the large number of mistakes I have made I will start off with gear review. The idea is to share what I look for in a peace of gear and what worked and did  not work for me.

I plan to review the following items

• Hiking poles
• Gaiters
• Crampons
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat
• Water bottles and hydration bladder
• Stuff Sack and Compression bags, garbage bags and zip lock bags
• Multi-tools
• Backpacks
• GPS
• Headlamp and Torch
• Cellphone
• Music player
• Ice Axe
• Tent / Bivy
• Face mask, hats and balaclavas
• Stove
• Mitts and Gloves
• Sun Screen, Lip balm and Zinc oxide
• Glasses
• Clothes
• First aid kit
• Toilet kit
• Utensil

This will be done in no particular order.

I will explain the gear I have gone through, what I have learnt and what gear I recommend out of the ones I have looked at.