For weight- and space-conscious backpackers or car campers, the squishy bowls offer an alternative to old-school non-collapsible aluminum/stainless steel/titanium bowls. And while these food-grade silicone bowls won't stand up to direct fire, they are oven safe up to 500° F. They can be baked, boiled and frozen without ill effect, making them more versatile than the previously reviewed Orikaso campware and the newer Fozzils' take on that design.

Guyot’s bowls are entirely pliable, and eating out of a bowl without structural rigidity can be a strange experience the first time. Their flexing and bulging when holding liquids does take some getting used to. But I’ve never had a problem eating out of them. This amorphousness comes in handy when you want to slurp back the rest of your milk or finish off the end of your camp stew, as you can squish the side of the bowl into a convenient spout. It also means they sit solidly. They hold hot liquids well, and are insulated enough to prevent you from burning your hands when you hold them as commonly happens with a traditional metal bowl.

I’ve used the Trangia 25-7 UL/HA for a year now, and it’s as reliable as sin. Since I got it, I no longer use my MSR Whisperlite stove. This model comes with a frying pan lid (which doubles as a pot lid and serves as the top to the kit when it’s all packed up) and two pots; the pots and burner combine in a neat, self-contained package. The stove itself is basically an alcohol burner (think Sterno can) with a custom top by which you semi-regulate/extinguish the flame. The stove sits in a two-piece extremely stable wind screen (picture two pots bottom to bottom, with a hole through the middle for the stove).

The Trangia uses denatured alcohol, which is easier and quieter than white gas. Easier because you don’t have to prime the stove or pressurize the fuel canister. To start the Trangia, you set up the windscreen, put the stove in the middle, add fuel and light the top. To turn it off, you slide the lid on the custom top, cutting off the oxygen. And it’s quieter because there’s no hissing or roaring -- again, think Sterno.

Another advantage the Trangia has over the MSR stove is the windscreen design, which makes a far more stable cooktop than the MSR’s three-wire tripod. As for weight, since I usually pack stove and cook pots together, the combined weight and size of my MSR and REI cook pots is about the same as the weight and size of this Trangia kit (around 2 pounds).

Negatively, you can’t regulate the Trangia's flame very well. The Trangia is a little slower, too: it takes a few minutes longer to boil a couple of cups of water for tea. Without a stopwatch, both the Trangia and the MSR take about the same time to boil a pot of water for dehydrated dinners, always too slow for whoever isn’t cooking that night.

I have used regular tent pegs hundreds of times and have been extremely dissatisfied. A great, simple alternative I've been using the last five years is to wrap or tape up a handful of large screws (8-inch or so) available from any hardware shop. Wood, carriage and tapping screws are slightly heavier than tent pegs, but I've found they slide into the ground more easily, since they have sharper points. They are also cheaper and much easy to find in a pinch. Most importantly, the screws DO NOT BEND! No matter how hard you whack them.

If you are worried about the sharp end poking a hole in your pack, you can make a simple, light tent peg bag (pic above) by wrapping the pegs with an old scrap of towel and tying or using a rubber band to secure them (pic above)

Another point about the weight: the slight difference may be negated by the fact you don't need to carry and camp with a hammer or bulk mallet. You can pick up a rock and bash them, even carelessly, since they won't bend. As always: keep them at 45 degrees and tighten the guy ropes.

-- Adam Farrow-Palmer

A resource for screws: McMaster-Carr Online Catalog

Do high-priced optics really make much difference in a pair of binoculars? Yes. Great optics create a very bright image within a large viewing area, so that if feels as if you are looking through a magic window rather than squinting through a tiny peephole. Your eyes scan the scope easily, as if there were no glass in front of them -- except everything is closer. You can watch longer, in dimmer light, without fatigue, which is what you want for birding, sporting, or boating. If great optics are squeezed into a lightweight waterproof small object you can hold this magic window longer without the shakes. In short, superior optics make distance viewing clearer, easier, weather tolerant and all around better. According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab and Birder's World, the best buy for high-quality optics birding binoculars are the Nikon Monarchs. The go for about $216 on the street.

These are startlingly bright, wide-eyed, and lightweight (21.5 oz), which has made the Monarchs a best seller. Because they are waterproof and shockproof -- with an amazing 25-year warranty -- they are also very popular with hunters. They can also focus as close as 8 feet -- ideal for dragonfly and butterfly viewing (thus the name Monarch).

If you have not examined binoculars recently they are undergoing a performance curve similar to cameras, getting better and cheaper each year. These $250 binocs would have cost $1,000 only 5 years ago. When friends view these Nikon Monarchs, they go "Wow! It's like a movie screen!" I've found the ease of viewing -- sort of like watching a flat screen rather than peering through a tube -- encourages me to use them more. I also like the fact they are waterproof so I can use them in the rain and mist without worry. I wear prescription sunglasses and these work perfectly fine with them. They also feel well-balanced in my medium hands. I find I can hold them fairly steady for long periods of time with one hand. None of this was true with my inexpensive binoculars in the past.

The very best binoculars today go for $2,000. But for only $216 (what I paid ), or one tenth the price, you can get a pair of these Nikon Monarch binoculars and get 95% of the same performance. Sure, in a one-to-one comparison, a pair of $2,000 binoculars may be a little better, but they are not 10 times better.

Other new models share many of the same features of these 8x42 Monarchs, including sealed optics, waterproofing, coated glass, and bright viewing, but these others cost a minimum of $500-600. There are certainly cheaper binocs (you can get decent ones for $50) but they suffer from dim views, narrow fields, short lives. The Nikon Monarchs make a fantastic tool: You get most of a thousand-dollar view for a bargain price.

-- KK

$216-$250 (price seems to vary on demand)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Nikon

A wonderfully illustrated guide to making snow shelters. How to build with snow, how to work with snow rather than against it, and what not to do. Amazingly informative, succinct and fun. This book is the kind of expert you dream of.

-- KK

How to Build an Igloo: And Other Snow Shelters
Norbert E. Yankielun
2007, 208 pages
$13
Available from Amazon

Here is an unrelated but excellent 10-minute film from the Canadian Film Board on How to Build an Igloo (via Kottke).

You want binoculars? Eagle Optics has hundreds of kinds from two dozen manufacturers. Any model binocular made. You want spotting scopes, or night vision scopes? This is the place. Monoculars, tripods, rangefinders? Eagle Optics has practically every version of them too. Good service. Popular with birders and nature photographers. They have a paper catalog, also.

-- KK

Eagle Optics

While most tankless water heaters require expensive permanent installation, the Ecotemp L5 water heater provides hot water anywhere there is a water spigot and a garden hose. The L5 comes with a propane hose and a telephone-style shower nozzle. To set up the L5, you hang it on nail, attach the water hose, and connect the propane hose to a standard portable propane tank. The burner starts automatically when you turn on the water using the control on the shower nozzle.

My wife and I have a tiny cabin on a piece of mountain land that has a water supply, in the form of a frost-free water spigot, but no other utilities. We bought the L5 two years ago when we got tired of heating water for washing and showers in a pan on our Coleman stove. The L5 makes this glorified camping spot feel luxurious. The heater weighs about 12 pounds, making it easy to move back and forth between the spot where we wash dishes and a small enclosure I built for taking showers. When we leave, we disconnect it, drain it, and store it the cabin.

The heater uses two D-cell batteries to run its automatic igniter. In two years of summer-weekend use, we've not yet had to replace the batteries. The heater has two controls: a water-flow dial and a gas-flow dial. In practice, you just turn the gas dial to "max" and adjust the temperature by varying the water flow. When adjusted to a decent temperature for a hot shower, the flow is perfectly adequate.

The heater must be used outdoors. Conceivably, you could mount it to the outside of a cabin and pipe the hot water inside. The water outlet accepts the same kind of flexible water supply hose you use to connect a sink's faucet to your household water supply.

The L5 is not the only on-demand portable water heater. Coleman's table-top unit uses small, disposable propane canisters, and has a built in pump, allowing it to be used without a pressurized water supply. The pump's battery must be recharged every 40 gallons. Available accessories for the Coleman include a shower handset and adapters for bulk propane containers and pressurized water supplies. The Coleman unit's built-in spigot makes washing hands and dishes more convenient than the L5's shower handset, and it has a special mode for producing 160 (F) degree water for hot drinks. However, it has 20% less heating capacity than the L5 (which is rated at 37,500 BTUs) and costs substantially more, especially with accessories. Another option, the Zodi travel shower, also uses a battery-powered pump, but provides only 10,000 BTUs and lacks the instant-on feature of the L5 and Coleman heaters. Both the Coleman and the Zodi are free-standing, and do not require a place to hang them. The Coleman costs about $185 (plus $30 for the bulk propane adapter, $25 for the water supply adapter, and $15 for the shower handset), the Zodi $130, and the L5 $120.

In the two years we've had the L5, we've had a couple small problems. We had to replace the short hose that connects the heater to the shower handset. More recently, the handset itself broke when we left it outside on a very cold night and the water in it froze. Occasionally, the burner will go out in a high wind. On the whole, however, the L5 has been very reliable and convenient. Besides luxury camping, I could see the L5 being useful in a potting shed or an outdoor kitchen.

-- Tom Sackett

EccoTemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater
$120
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by EccoTemp

Backpackers, canoeists, campers and scouts have two basic ways to stock their food supply: classic prepackaged freeze-dried meals or building your own menu. Commercial freeze-dried camping food is expensive, limits menus choices and is hit or miss in the flavor department. Most of us have learned to shop carefully at the grocery store and put together a fairly lightweight, nutritious menu for weekend trips. But add a couple of people and extend the trip for two or three days and grocery store options get a bit heavy. Supplementing with bulk freeze dried or dehydrated food expands the choices and cuts down the packed weight while developing a tasty, nutritious menu without blowing the budget. If you are planning an extended trip, I highly recommend assembling your menu with these two suppliers in mind.

-- Clarke Green

Honeyville Food Products

I've organized six days of food for 18 people in two crews for a canoe trip (18 meals, 324 servings), which would have been impossible -- or just plain expensive -- had I not ordered Honeyville's goods. They offer a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and other foodstuffs in bulk (#10 tin cans, and cases even). While a single-serving package of freeze-dried strawberries (.06 oz.) from Mountain House is $3.00 ($50.00 an ounce!), Honeyville's #10 can of freeze-dried strawberries (6 oz.) costs just $17.00 ($2.83 an ounce). They will ship an order of any size anywhere in the continental U.S. for under five dollars -- just a little more than a gallon of gas!

Available from Honeyville Food Products

Harmony House Foods

Soups, vegetables, fruits and textured vegetable protein (i.e. soy-based meat substitute) in large AND smaller quantities so you customize freeze-dried meals for long, big, short and small trips. They also offer a Backpacking Kit, a pre-selected assortment of dried foods that will make a variety of dishes. Don't miss these two very helpful PDF files: Using Dehydrated Products and a Serving Size Chart.

Available from Harmony House Foods Inc.

Deluxe sampler
$60
Available from Harmony House Foods, Inc.

Raven maps are artwork. They are the most detailed US state maps you can find on one sheet. Printed in exquisite detail on heavy paper, they radiate clarity. Their colored shaded relief highlights the topology of their place with intelligence and precision. Unlike most maps, Raven maps deliver two perspectives at once -- an expansive overview and tiny close-up details -- a very rare combination you won't find in an atlas or road maps.

These single sheet maps are also huge -- the California map, for instance, is more than 5 feet high. If you have a blank wall, the blend of art and science in these wall maps can't be beat. They act like a doorway or window. I've found that most folks can spend hours studying their home state, reveling in the vast overview and minute discoveries -- "hey, I didn't know about that!" -- of their own turf.

They also make fine gifts. If you get the laminate version you don't need a frame.

-- KK

Raven State Maps
$50 laminated
$30 unlaminated

Available from Raven Maps

Camping beside a windblown lake or a tundra riverbank, where the wind never really stops, is hard on tarps: grommets blow out, seams pop, and there never seems to be enough spots on the tarp to attach a line. Tundra Tarps are terrifically versatile, stout tarps. Instead of grommets the tarp is ringed with 3/4" nylon ribbon with loops sewn in every two feet on the outer edge and interior seams. The sil-nylon material is stitched together using a single needle lockstitch with double stitched lapped ends -- in other words, the cloth will fail long before the seams. The most delightfully ingenious innovation is a central "quad loop" that captures the end of a pole, staff, stick or paddle and hold it firmly in place so that when the wind lifts, the center support does not fall out.

After three years of canoeing, camping and backpacking with the Tundra, the tarp is still one of my favorite pieces of gear. I originally purchased one 10' x 16' tarp for a canoe trip to Canada with a crew of nine Boy Scouts. The tarp has sheltered a crew of nine in violent thunderstorms and been a palatial home for one on backpacking trips. There are cheaper options out there, but from my experience, none matches the true versatility and quality of the Tundra Tarp. Weighing a mere 2 pound 10 ounces, it does not add substantially to the load; there is also a 1 pound 10 ounce version available for an additional $80.00. Each tarp ships with 80 feet of polyester cord, a tube of SilNet sealant and a stuff sack. They are sized from 8' x 10' to 15' x 15'.

The company will also sew your choice of colors, either a single color for the whole tarp or multicolored panels. My tarps are multicolored -- orange, red, blue, and yellow -- which makes them very easy to spot when canoing back to camp. I purchased a second tarp this summer when we added a second crew to our annual canoe trip. We're going to get three more to outfit our entire Scout Troop this fall.

-- Clarke Green

Tundra Tarps
$80+
Available from Cooke Custom Sewing

Manufactured by Cooke Custom Sewing

Quad Loop

I've made four kinds of alcohol stoves: the previously-reviewed Pepsi Can Stove, the Turbo Cat II, the Peyo Revolution, and the Super Cat. Of the four stoves I built and tested with a stopwatch (in my 60-degree garage), the Super Cat boiled water the fastest. While one of the others took as long as seven minutes to boil 500ml of water, the Super Cat did it in roughly 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and required no fuel re-fills to do so. Your use may vary, but regardless, the Super Cat called for the least number of materials and tools to make. A lot of tin can stoves require assembly with JB Weld, as well as cutting apart cans with scissors and X-Acto blades, which can lead to getting cut on sharp aluminum. To make the Super Cat, all you need to do is open the can (cat food, hence the name), dump the contents, and drill or punch holes in the prescribed pattern. Since it's just a simple dish of fuel that you light in the middle, the stove does not require a primer dish to pre-heat the stove, nor does it require a pot stand. The stove is actually designed to have the pot sit on top. Without the pot on top, it burns much less efficiently; it needs it there to force the fire out the side holes. In the field -- once on a summer mountaineering trip and twice camping -- it's held up and functioned great. It definitely seems more crush-proof than the other stoves. The only disadvantage: I had to throw out the cat food because I don't have a cat!

-- Steve Schmitt

Super Cat Alcohol Stove

Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:

Sierra Stove

Wall Tent Stoves

JetBoil

Topo maps have long been friends of all explorers and wanderers. Contours of the land make or break your journey, but this critical relief is not captured by the satellite images or street maps usually found on Google Earth. Togographical maps however do show relief. Topo maps typically display the gradient of the land as concentric contour lines which can be easily followed. Topo maps also label structures, buildings, railways, and other features of interest to someone trying to navigate on their own power. All continental areas of the US have been mapped in topographic detail and these crisply printed topo maps are available inexpensively from the United States Geological Survey.

But this is the age of freeconomics, so there are two ways to acquire topo maps for free.

The easiest way is to download a free nifty app for Google Earth, called the Topographical Overlay, that will add a KMZ "layer" of official US topo maps on Google Earth. Once installed you can toggle it on or off. When on, the Topo Overlay displays the standard 7.5 minute topos as one seamless map of the country. This makes it very easy to center your interest in the middle of your custom map. (You can buy a similar service on a not-cheap set of CDs from National Geographic, but you get the same thing here for free.) For browsing, this arrangement is hard to beat. You can zoom in, or out, and scroll forever. Its major drawback is printing. I have not been able to get the displayed map to print larger than one half of a standard letter page.

Topographical Overlay layer in Google Earth.

However there is another way to print free topos. You can download, for free, a high resolution PDF file of any US topo map made. These are the same maps that the Google Earth app is using, but here they are dished out one by one in PDF format. Go to the USGS Map Locator page, and search for the quad you want. You can type in an "street" address just like in Google. Click on the appropriate miniature map and then choose which scale map of the area you want to download. The PDF files of the standard 7.5 minute topo map will be between 6 and 16 megs. You'll need Photoshop or equivalent to crop and size them. Be prepared to use some heavy duty processing power. These are big, very detailed maps.

Once prepared, you can then print the topo map out yourself if you have a wide color printer. But since you can order the topo map itself for only $6 (plus postage) from the same government website, why not buy if you have the time?

There are four good reasons you might want to download and print your own topo maps.

1) It is instant. When you need a topo today, it's worth the hassle of messing with files.
2) It is selective. Way too often the spot you are looking for is in the corner of 4 maps, which means you have to order all four just to center the chosen area. You can eliminate 3 extra maps by combining the parts you want into one map.
3) You can print it on Teslin map paper (see below) which holds up in field use.
4) It can be lots cheaper.

However most of us don't have extra wide printers. You can print a series of cropped portions of a topo on regular 8.5 x 11 sheets at the official scale, but I wouldn't want to do many by hand like that -- say a long trail. (Someone should write a utility for that job; write me if you know of one.) Even a slightly wider printer which can handle a 11 x 17 size sheet (Ledger) will give you very usable results. I recently printed a river run by cutting out the relevant sections of 6 topos, then printing each sheet at standard scale on an 11 x 17 page. We got served wonderfully.

Teslin +ink-jet map, printed on both sides. No-see-through when used horizontally.

Whatever size you print, you can drastically increase the usability of your home-printed map by upgrading to Teslin paper. National Geographic sells cut sheets of Teslin as Adventure Paper. Think tyvek, but smoother and printable. It's available in boxes of 25, 15 or 10 sheets depending on size. You send this this untearable, nearly indestructible paper through your ordinary ink jet printer. The resulting map (see picture above) can then be dunked in the ocean, folded again and again, and it won't break. When applied as if the paper were Glossy Photo Paper, your typical ink jet ink seems to adhere well and hold up pretty good to abuse. It can be printed on both sides, too, to further compact your maps.

-- KK

USGS Topographical Overlay (KMZ file)

USGS Map Locator

National Geographic Adventure Paper
11 x 17 inches, 10 sheets
$20
Available from National Geographic

And from REI

Or Waterproof-Paper.com

This fleece sleeping bag liner looks like a really long hooded sweatshirt, except it has a drawstring base. You can tuck your feet in and close it up, but then wear it to get out of your bag at night to go pee or whatever. I got mine to combine with my Bivanorak bivvy bag to make a lightweight sleeping system, but it also does double duty as a garment that's very nice for sitting around and just keeping warm around camp. I've used it up in the mountains at about 8,500 feet with the temp down to about 38 F. It's light and packs up very small (mine is 9x15 and maybe 2 lbs), and is available with a stuff sack.

Most importantly, they will custom make one for you if, say, you are very tall (I'm 6'10" and 260 lbs). You can also choose from a few fabric thicknesses and add a pocket pouch. I opted for the thickest weight fabric with the pocket pouch, which has a zippered mesh compartment. Great service, too. The maker got my special order to me in 4 days.

-- Randall Robinson

Bod-i-Bag
$64
(lightest fleece w/long sleeve version)
Available from Alpinlite

This bivvy sack that doubles as a parka was developed as a Swedish Air Force survival kit item. When you put it on, it looks like a hooded nightshirt. During the day, you roll up the drawstring hem and wear it as an anorak. At night, there's enough room inside for your sleeping bag and it can also act as a small, emergency tent (the cuffs are elastic drawstring, too). A bit pricey, but worth it. Mine kept me dry and fairly comfy when I spent some time last winter camping out in Oregon in the cold, blowing rain (temp.: 40s). It's great for pier fishing and crabbing in the rain, too. Folded up, it's about half the size of a loaf of bread and weighs about a pound. There's no lining; it's just a generic shell (I also wore mine in conjunction with a mummy bag). It breathes pretty well, though, and seems pretty resistant to tears and punctures.

-- Randall Robinson

$175
(red or green)
Available from Backcountry Gear

Manufactured by Hilleberg

Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:

Hennessy Tent Hammock

Beyond Backpacking

Montane Featherlite Smock

I took a SteriPEN to Africa for 3 months this summer and the verdict is in: it's the best water purifier you can carry without a tractor-trailer. It's basically a UV ray flashlight you submerge into your glass. The water stays cool and it doesn't change the water, except to kill all the living things in it, viruses included. It is expensive, but pays for itself quickly, as you don't have to buy bottled water. On my trip, often when I asked a waiter for a glass of tap water, my request would elicit a smile or a laugh. In some cases, they simply would not bring me a glass of water. Most of the time, though, I convinced them -- and then, to their amazement, I would take out the SteriPEN, push a button, and stir the water with the glowing purple UV light that always brought stares from other diners. After less than 60 seconds, I would take out the SteriPEN and drink the water, occasionally hearing gasps from other tables. Then I'd mention that UV light is how certain towns and companies now sterilize water.

In the 3 months I used it while abroad, I never got sick and the recommended CR123 batteries lasted all summer. Of course, it doesn't make Uganda's water taste any better, and often buying a plastic bottle and tossing it in the car is more convenient, but the SteriPEN will save you if you need it and it will save you money if you use it. For backpacking, it's what we call a disruptive technology -- no other water purifier comes close. I haven't tried the MIOX, but it seems like a hassle in comparison. You have to make a kind of concentrate that you pour into your water and you need salts for it. I would bet on the SteriPEN because you treat the water 100 percent, there are NO consumables, and there aren't any follow-up steps, which you might screw up. I have tried pills and filters in the past, but I think the SteriPEN is the best solution in all circumstances. I would take one on an extended wilderness trek with no hesitation. It will become a permanent travel companion.

I bought the lightweight Traveler version (picture above), and my only complaint is that the silver coating disintegrated after a while somehow. It works fine, but now it looks more like a Star Trek prop than it did when I bought it. Since the Traveler and Adventurer models are the same product, just different colors, I would recommend the Adventurer. Quick aside: SteriPEN's solar charger is way too heavy at this point.

-- David Siegel

SteriPEN
$80
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Hydo-Photon, Inc.

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

JetBoil

Jungle Travel and Survival

LiquiSeal Travel Mug

Lots of people on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) are using these kind of tents - including myself (I recently completed 560 miles). Many ultralight backpackers use a tarp instead of a tent and swear by it. That can be tricky to set up and doesn't keep all of the bugs off. The tarptent concept is based on the simplicity and lightness of a tarp, but made into a more traditional tent look. While Sierra Designs' one-person tent looks good, it weighs 2lbs 11oz. My Contrail tarptent is 24 oz. It's a single layer silnylon tent with a ground sheet and mesh all around the inside between the groundsheet and the tarp, top.

I use my trekking pole as the main upright. Set up took a while to figure out, but now I put it up and down in much less than 5 minutes. I can rig it for strong wind, too (it's designed to be storm rigged in need). It's great for the Sierras, but wouldn't be so suitable for wet climates. If you camp somewhere moist, like near a river, it can suffer from condensation. As such, I have learned to camp differently and now leave the door wide open all the time apart from the mosquito net. It hasn't rained much in the 2 months I have been hiking the PCT, but when it did, the tent was waterproof. You have to seal the seams yourself, but it is very easy to do so. The only modification I have done is to swap the standard 2 rear pegs for 9 in. ones, which work better especially in sand.

-- Carl Myhill

Tarptents
$170 - $255*
Available from Tarptent.com

[*Models are available with sewn-in floors or floorless; the latter is $30 cheaper and lighter -- sl]

BONUS TIP: Ultralight backpackers also frequently use a sheet of Tyvek as a groundsheet. This is the material used as a vapor barrier in house construction and as sails for boats. It is breathable and water-resistant. I could only buy lengths of 165 ft. in Home Depot, but you can often pick it up at construction sites. I use my Tyvek underneath my tent for added protection (which is redundant overkill really) or if I am cowboy camping just under the stars with no tent. I also have it handy in my pack and pull it out whenever I rest -- it's really nice to sit on and it keeps the ants off (a little). It is VERY lightweight and very tough. Some backpackers report theirs having lasted 3 years and going nice and soft in the washing machine. The only thing I have heard of that is lighter or stronger is spinnaker cloth, but that's expensive. Tyvek groundsheets are $12 via Tarptents. If you are going hiking and need a small piece of this stuff just call Henry at Tarptents -- he sent me a bit whilst I was on the trail - Carl Myhill

Whether you're a hiker, biker, backpacker, camper, naturalist or simply someone who's ever been caught in the rain, you'll treasure these classic all-weather notebooks. The cover is Polydura and the pages are made with a substrate, giving the paper a wax-y feel. The effect: water beads off them, meaning no pulpy mess and no bummer over any lost thoughts or data. They are not a new invention by any means. Back in the 1920s, they were developed for Pacific Northwest loggers. These days, the manufacturer makes both bound and spiral bound books in an impressive array of sizes and types (e.g birding!). I keep a pocket-size, 24-page, staple bound mini-book in the small pack I take cycling and hiking. In the event of a downpour, all my ah-ha moments are safe. If you plan to be in really harsh conditions and want to go the extra mile, you might try one of their all-weather pens. Note: I have not used them -- a pencil or standard ballpoint does the trick for me.

-- Steven Leckart

You can also buy waterproof paper for inkjet and laser printers. The laser prints are completely waterproof. The inkjet prints need to dry for about a day or so, and may still bleed a bit if immersed in water, or kept in close proximity to something wet for a prolonged period. Still, this is a useful way to make maps, forms, signs or any documents that will be outside exposed to the elements. As a bonus, the paper is also stronger and more tear-resistant, making it ideal for print-outs that you'll be using over and over (like maps).

-- Leszek Pawlowicz

Rite in the Rain Notebooks
$2
(Mini Notebook)
Available from Backpacking Light

$4+
Other sizes/types available from Amazon

Manufactured by J.L. Darling Corporation

Going with an ultralight pack like this is the easiest way to start reducing weight. This simple nylon sack pack weighs 4 ounces. There is no frame. You make a frame by first loading your tent in the bottom. You place your folded sleeping pad so it rests against your back and that gives structure to the pack. If you use folding tent poles, they are inserted inside the folds of the pad to give more structure. On top of the tent goes your sleeping bag. Then you add a couple of zip lock bags on top of that for your food and other belongings. I put my water containers in the outside flap. Then you simply roll the top a few turns and fix it with the velcro straps. There are no zippers, no heavy belts or straps, no compartments, pouches or other extras.

Most people are hooked on features. But, do you really need a separate compartment for your compass and a special web pocket for your water and a map case and three main compartments? I only need one compartment in my pack. Place your things in a few plastic bags. When you want something, pull out the bag you need. It is a relief, actually, to give up on all those compartments, pockets, zippers, thick padded straps, carbon frame and pounds of extras.

When you go the ultralight route your total pack weight will be less than 10 pounds and at that weight, you don't need hiking boots either. They were designed for the olden days when packs were 40 plus pounds. Ultralight trail running shoes are a pleasure to wear.

Take a look at some of the features of some of the best selling, traditional weekend packs: carbon fiber frame, 4 pockets plus main compartment, dual-density padded shoulder straps, load lifter straps, cranial cavity (to make room for your head!), front bungee, tool loops, twin side water bottle pockets, removable lid doubles as a lumbar pack, interchangeable hip belt with fit zone, adjustable sternum strap with integrated whistle. Total weight: 6 pounds 9 ounces. That is 7 ounces less than my pack when it is fully loaded for a two-day trip!

-- John Aebi-Magee

Whisper Uberlight Pack
$60
Available from and manufactured by Gossamer Gear

[For longer trips requiring more pack room, check out the G4, also by Gossamer; and see this book for a primer on how to Lighten Up! -- sl]

Two ultra-light poles, rainfly, a nylon case and tent weigh in under four pounds. Packed up, this compact three-season tent is a little longer than a shoebox. Unpacked, it isn't spacious (about 20 sq. ft.), but there's more than enough room to stash a mid-sized pack in the event of a downpour or just to use as a headboard while reading -- try that in a bivy sack. Backpackers will also appreciate the quick, intuitive set up: clip the poles to eight hooks, insert the four pole ends into grommets at the base, and drive five stakes (the fifth is for the door). If you need the rain guard, the shape of this tent - as opposed to a dome - makes it obvious to surmise what goes where. Throw it on, fasten a couple Velcro straps to marry the fly to the poles, and be sure the stakes go through the holes at the base of the fly. Lastly, drive a sixth stake for the "entryway." All of this takes maybe three minutes and the learning curve is rapid.

I spent two months in the tropics crashing in this tent (i.e. escaping mosquitoes). Even on a sandy beach, a heavy rock or two worked great to maintain the tension needed to retain the door's shape. The tent also held its own in a number of windy rainstorms, and I've since used it for wintertime jaunts into the coastal hills of Northern California, which isn't exactly the High Sierras, but hey, there can be morning frost. To this day: no tears, no leaks, no busted seams. Since I purchased mine in 2000, Sierra Designs apparently added a more resistant silicone coat to the rainfly and knocked off a few ounces by switching to even lighter poles.

-- Steven Leckart

Sierra Designs 1-Person Tent
$140
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Sierra Designs

Most of the hikers who have ever lived have gone barefoot. Throughout history shoes have been expensive or unknown. Naked feet quickly adapt to stones, twigs, and cold. I've hiked alongside thousands of barefoot hikers, and there's little terrain they can't comfortably negotiate. However the forced-shoeless will immediately adopt a pair of flip-flop sandals for a bit of cushion if given a chance. So why would the well-heeled give up shoes on the trail? Barefoot hikers answer: "The soles of our feet function as wonderful sensory organs and the myriad of sensations from earth, grass, moss, pine-needles and other ground textures can both fascinate and delight. Barefoot Hikers appreciate their "vistas" of ground textures as much as others hikers enjoy their vistas of hills, mountains, forests and plains. Walking barefoot adds a rewarding tactile dimension to any outdoor hike."

In short, hiking barefoot is a liberation and a sensual enjoyment -- the very reasons why people who can drive hike in the first place. Once you get over the fact that, like natural childbirth, barefoot hiking is not only possible, but preferable, you're halfway there.

Europe has more barefoot hikers than in the US, but one dedicated women recently hiked the entire rocky 2,000 miles of the Appalachian trail barefoot. Yet if we consider the indigenous tribes of old, she was probably not the first. (Then there's running barefoot, another whole subject.)

There's one book explaining barefoot hiking, a decent short how-to and why-to. It'll go over objections and practical advice on getting your feet toughened up and so on. Tells you how to avoid stares by the disbelieving, which you will get. The book is also available as a free text on the web, courtesy of the author. (I find the printed book form ideal to hand out to others. ) Of course there's plenty of websites for enthusiasts.

Because this ability is so primeval, no information is really needed. About all you need to know is that it is easy, natural and fun. Your feet will take it from there.

-- KK

The Barefoot Hiker
Richard Keith Frazine
1993, 98 pages
$8
Available from Amazon

Also freely available here

Barefooters

Sample excerpts:

The initial time and effort needed to condition bare feet for hiking is very much less than anyone who has not had experience in the area would tend to suppose. Two or three miles of walking barefoot on good forest trails, two or three times a week, for two or three weeks will prepare almost any hiker to set off quite confidently barefooted on almost any hike that might be included in the programme of any hiking group provided only that the weather be relatively mild.

*

What comes the most to mind at Autumn's mention, are mountains of dry leaves. Take a walk in the woods on one of those delicious days when Autumn deigns to step aside for a late Indian Summer and the leaves are several inches deep on the forest floor and let your bare feet feel them -- sometimes crackling with all the crispness of the Autumn air -- sometimes whispering sensuously back to your bare soles with what seems a slightly soapy softness.

*

The Brief Rules

1. Always step straight down! Never allow your feet to kick, shuffle or drag along the ground. This is more important than all the other rules together. This may require some conscious effort at first.
2. Always watch the path ahead of you. Learn to keep your eyes on the path a few yards ahead and pick the spot for each footfall a few paces ahead.
3. Try to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and not on your heels.
4. Never forget that you are going barefoot. Always devote a part of your attention to the soles of your feet.
5. Try to walk barefoot on as many different things as possible to sensitize your bare soles. A well developed sense of touch is very important both for safety and enjoyment. You must consciously work on developing this sense.
6. Be especially careful when you cannot clearly see the ground itself because of grass, leaves and snow. Step lightly and carefully under these conditions and be prepared to retract a step if you don't like the feel of what you are stepping on. Never run barefoot unless you can both see the ground surface and have walked over it before.
7. Be especially careful at styles and fences - especially metal ones that have been abandoned. Stubs of former metal fence posts just protruding through the ground are very dangerous. If you see one of these, watch carefully for others which may be in line with it.
8. By all means, try walking barefoot in snow - it is extremely pleasant, but only if it is no more than an inch or so deep and melting.
9. You can walk barefoot on dry ground in freezing weather, but never past the point where your feet become numb and in no case for more than one or two miles, especially on rough ground which is many times as punishing to cold flesh as to warm.
10. Once properly conditioned, your bare feet will give you a great deal of pleasure, but only if you care for them. Bathe them and remove any small thorns after each hike, rub them each day with oil, lotion, or lanolin - especially in winter. Take the time to keep them in the very best condition and take pride in them.

The GustBuster is a cool-looking, lightning resistant umbrella with a patented system of vents that is, the manufacturer claims, "wind tunnel certified to 55+ mph." The other night it started blowing up a storm -- winds to 20 miles per hour. Just for giggles I tried turning the GustBuster sideways and it just would not pick up any air -- it really does work amazingly well. The holes in the inner surface seem to neutralize all of the typical suction.

The version I decided on for my all-weather walking is labeled a "golf umbrella" and is big enough for a small wedding reception. (I exaggerate but 62 inches is certainly big enough for me and the dog.) The price is right, $40 -- a bargain for a good umbrella. If you're concerned about weight (this super-sized version weighs close to two pounds) there are smaller, lighter versions. On their website they say the GustBuster is very popular with professional golfers -- seemingly, a good indication of long-term quality and performance. Also comes with a limited lifetime warranty. I'm impressed -- very cool tool.

-- Chuck Green

GustBuster Golf (62 inches)
$40
Available from Amazon

GustBuster Metro (43 inches, foldable)
$30
Available from Amazon

Also available from Uncle Sam's Umbrellas

Manufactured by GustBuster

These stoves are great for backyard cooking, partying, tailgating, car camping, and/or power outages. They're too big for most backpacking, but for most other uses they're much more convenient than larger propane and or liquid fuel stoves. They come in their own lunch box sized plastic or nylon carrying case. The hair-spray-sized butane cannister is contained within the stove instead of sticking out on the side like most propane stoves, and it just drops in. They all have piezoelectric ignition. Most models are dirt cheap. I bought mine at Target a few years ago for $30, but Big 5 had them on sale for $16 a few weeks ago.

-- Bruce Bowen

GStone Butane Burner
$15
Available from Amazon

For recreational orienteering, or survival, all you need is an inexpensive analog compass. For sea navigation, and for trail making, surveying, wildlife monitoring, or anything else where consistently exactitude is require, this scope is probably what you want. Waterproofed, and illuminated at night with fiber optics, these compasses can supplement GPS finders.

-- KK

Traditional compass designs for hikers are unreliable and hard to use. A magnetized needle wobbles on a primitive bearing, and its accuracy is affected by local mineral deposits. Enhancements of this basic design are still unsatisfactory; for instance, you may find yourself peering into a hinged mirror, trying to focus simultaneously on the wobbling needle in front of you, and a distant object reflected in the mirror, upside-down.

After much searching I found that marine supply companies seem to make the most advanced compasses. I bought a KVH Datascope for about $300. It is designed as a monocular; you look through the unit, which provides 5x magnification, crosshairs, and a digital readout superimposed, accurate to +/- half a degree. This is a sighting compass, meaning that you sight a distant object in the direction in which you wish to travel, walk toward that object, taking another sighting, and so on. The fact that the compass is still accurate if you don't hold it level (it has a 20 degree tolerance) is a big plus; traditional compasses are useless unless you manage to hold them almost precisely level.

Calibration of the compass is very simple, after which you dial in the deviation of magnetic north from true north in your area. (This information is available on any topo map.) Supposedly the compass is smart enough to compensate for local deposits of ferrous metal, power lines, etc. All I know is that I was finally able to locate the small metal pegs marking the corners of my 40 acres in the middle of nowhere. A professional surveyor's compass had not enabled me to do this.

The Datascope requires three button-type batteries, and must be recalibrated each time you change the batteries, because each new set of batteries has slightly different magnetic characteristics. My first set has lasted two years so far. The compass comes in a nice padded carrying case, includes a digital clock, is supposedly "totally waterproof," and weighs 11 ounces. If you're tempted to buy one, check Froogle; I found online prices varying by as much as $150.

-- Charles Platt

KVH Datascope
Manufactured by KVH

$350
from Boater's World

There I was, in driving rain, cooking breakfast under a tree over an intense, portable fire. Fresh coffee and scrambled eggs.

It was a Sierra Stove I got for $52. It's a mini-forge, forcing air into a small insulated chamber where a double handful of twigs (or dung or whatever) can heat water in a couple minutes---just a little longer than a butane stove, but with NO fuel or fuel containers to carry. One enthusiast hiked from Mexico to Canada cooking with one, claims Chip in *The Compleat Walker IV.* Chip himself now claims to camp largely solar--with backback solar charged batteries running his flashlights and his Sierra Stove.

The basic unit I got weighs 18 ounces and is clever and well-evolved. Accessory goodies can be found at the manufacturer's site. The newest item is a titanium version that weighs only 10 ounces, for $130.

I was impressed at how little fuel was needed, and how funky it could be. A switch offers high or low speed on the fan, driven by one AA battery. No igniter--my Bic failed me in the rain, but a Lifeboat match and lil' firestarter saved the day. Unlike butane, the Sierra Stove does blacken your pots and pans, which is the main nuisance--they go in ziploc bags anyway though. All in all an impressive little rig.

We'll all want one when the economy collapses completely and we have to live homeless.

-- Stewart Brand

Sierra Stove
$57
Available from ZZ Manufacturing

During an emergency, instilling order, confidence, and calm is the major assignment of the first aider. Over the years of running a large household I've found that keeping medical supplies together in one handy place helps me provide that stability in those early moments of panic. My highly-evolved first aid kit has become extremely refined, but also slightly less portable. I could no longer get all that I needed quickly out to the yard, or in the car, or packed into a backpack.

After some experimentation, I found what works best is a pre-packaged medical kit. They appear to be expensive, but are really not when you tally up the costs of the components -- most of which have a pretty long shelf life.
The kits from Adventure Medical Kits are highly praised in search and rescue fields. Expeditions carry larger versions. The case is hardy, lightweight and quick to navigate through. An amazing amount of stuff is squirreled away inside, all easy to reach.

The kit I prefer, the AMK Fundamentals, contains a full spectrum of basic first aids, burn materials, CPR mouth barrier, scissors, tweezers, syringe, plenty variety of bandages, a SAMS splint (which I wish I had earlier when my wife broke her wrist), a decent small emergency medical book (Wilderness and Travel Medicine), and extra containers for personalized pill transport. With this kit you'd be prepared to handle most injuries a non-doctor could manage. It is rated for 1-8 people and is one of the more complete versions available.

AMK offers all manner of kits customized to particular outdoor sports like kayaking or biking. This one is perfect for a family on the go. I'll pack it along when we go on vacation. (I also carry one of AMK's ultralight kits in my briefcase bag.)

-- KK

Fundamentals Medical Kit
(in their Mountain series)
$87
Manufactured by Adventure Medical Kits

Available from Chinook Medical

This is one of the lightest, and most comfortable sleeping "mats" I have ever found. When rolled up and compacted it is smaller than all the other mats out there, so it takes up less room in a pack or pannier. Only drawback is how to use it effectively in a winter climate. In the summer in a tent, cooler is good most times as you can sleep better since you are not sweltering in the heat. It takes no more time to take down and set up than inflating a thermorest or other compact mattress. Lastly, for larger guys like my self, it distributes my weight better. The stiff feeling I get after a sleep on most foamies, thermorests, and mattresses does not come about on this cot. For these reasons the Low Rise Cot is getting popular with the cycling crowd.

-- Ben Eadie

LuxuryLite Low Rise Cot
$190
Available from LuxuryLite

Portable wood stoves are for tents, tipis, huts or other temporary shelters. More efficient than a campfire, and more powerful than a backpacking stove, they are often used by ranchers, hunters, fisherman, and other trail groups who need to set up a moveable camp. These little guys will heat a large tent/small room, and cook meals. It's overkill for overnight use, but quickly becomes beloved in cold weather, large groups, or extended summer camps. Once upon a time you needed a pack horse or off-road vehicle to carry one -- and the stove pipe it requires. Now there are lightweight versions. The Kifaru, for instance, will fold into a backpack. However the heavier ones will last longer and warp less due to high heat and burn-out of the stove bottom.

The best single source for information, comparison evaluations and ordering various brands and models of these stoves is the Wall Tent Shop. (And yes, they also sell traditional wall tents.)

-- KK

Wall Tent Shop

Snowtrekker
7 lbs
9" x 10" x 12"
$180
Empire Canvas Works

Kifaru Foldable Tipi Stove
4.5 lbs.
8" x 9" x 12"
$270 (stove only)
Kifaru

KniCo Stove
12.5 lbs.
10" x 10" x 23"
$200
KniCo Stove

A swimming hole
in the desert
is heaven.
Splash! Splash!
Here are 100 heavens.
And how to get there, without prayers
With GPS coordinates, topo maps, summaries.
No excuses.

-- KK

Day Trips with a Splash: Swimming Holes of the Southwest
Pancho Doll
2000, 216 pages
$13
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

The Jug

Smoothest water east of the Sierra Nevada. Water pouring out of the Salome Wilderness cuts through an exposed portion of the batholith, a large intrusion of granite that underlies many of the ranges here. It creates a sinuous channel of intriguing shapes. Directly at the bottom of the first access to the creek is a rock that so resembles the torso of a reclining woman that a crack runs directly across her back and shoulders where the bra strap would be. The rest of this miniature canyon has so many sinusoidal curves worn into the rock that you might think yourself in Yosemite except for the saguaro on the canyon walls.

Above the "sleeping lady" is one of the best late season spots I know of. I say late season because the water is awfully cool in the spring. Also because low levels let you appreciate the beautiful lines of this tub. It's a near-perfect rectangle, twelve feet long, seven feet wide and just as deep. Water exits via a narrow spout etched exquisitely in the rock lip at the bottom of the tub. There is a two-person slab adjoining the pool to the right. An overhanging rock is there if you need some shade.

Warm days in spring can attract as many as one-half dozen cars to the trailhead. Consequently, the canyon can seem busy.

*

Cave Creek

The sweetest place to sit in the whole state of Arizona. There's a perfectly flat stone the size of a park bench right next to a tiny waterfall. A juniper provides a low, dense canopy of shade that'll keep you cool when the surrounding vegetation is at the flash point. The adjoining pool occurs where a handful of large boulders have tumbled across the stream. As it rushes over the boulders, the water accelerates just enough to scrape a modest pool out of the sand and gravel streambed. The pool is circular, about 30 feet in diameter, but none too deep, maybe six feet in the center although this will vary with water level and the amount of cobble in the creek bed.

Lots of people with side arms, it seemed. Rationally I know that the reason people carry combat automatics into the mountains is because they are more afraid of you than you should be of them� this or they believe that rattlesnakes attack in packs. Still, I got a kind of weird vibe and I'm a gun owner myself.

Aside from the firearm notice, be advised to bring something to sit on because the rocks are dark and will get very hot during midday. Also, it's a short steep descent with loose rock. A walking stick is recommended.

Allen and Mike, two wise hikers, have penned an admirable series of primers that feature cartoons and pithy advice for backpackers. This, the third, is the best of the series so far (see also Lighten Up and Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book). Its subject is winter backpacking, which often intimidates fair-weather hikers. Their great advice will not only keep you safe, but also warm and happy. There's a fantastic chapter on making snow shelters, presented in such accessible detail that I'm astounded that it was all new to me. Allen and Mike become your best friends as they giggle and chuckle while they give you the straight dope on what you need to live and prosper in the snow. Trust them.

-- KK

Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book
Traveling & Camping Skills for a Winter Environment
Allen O'Bannon & Mike Clelland
1996, 114 pages
$10
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

*

*

Sidecut is the difference between the width of the ski at its fattest points (the tip and tail) and its narrowest point at the waist (middle of the ski). The more side cut a ski has, the faster it will turn. On the other side of the coin, skis with less side cut are better for touring since they will hold a straighter line.

*

*

Careful! Liquids that don't freeze at low temperatures, such as alcohol and white gas, ca cause frostbite damage because they will be the same temperature as the air.

*

*

People in the earliest stages of Hypothermia will feel cold and clumsy. They will exhibit improper behavior, such as not putting on a hat. Their personality will show changes, and they will become apathetic, listless or emotional. They may show signs of shivering, although there are many cases where people have passed through this stage without shivering. This is especially true when people have been exercising beyond their normal point of endurance. As hypothermia progresses, a person will start to lose his or her coordination and start to stumble. The person will be unable to do simple tasks, such as zip a zipper. He or she will show more marked personality changes and may become belligerent and irrational.

*

*

It's not that often you run across a piece of gear that can actually save your life. Whether you're backpacking, backcountry skiing, scuba diving, or flying in the wilderness, the McMurdo Fastfind Plus is a must-have in the event you find yourself in a serious emergency situation. Up here in Seattle every year hikers, mountain climbers, and backcountry skiers get lost and don't return. Whenever I read about them in the paper I kind of sigh and think of how easy it would've been to be rescued.

When a person activates the Fastfind Plus, it uses its integral GPS to provide a 406 MHz alert signal via the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system. You see a visual indicator of GPS acquisition. Fastfind Plus also transmits on the International Aircraft Emergency Frequency of 121.5 MHz providing a homing signal for the Search And Rescue (SAR) services. With the combination of an integral GPS and satellite transmitter, Search and Rescue authorities can be notified of your emergency along with your pinpoint location within minutes, anywhere in the world.

The Fastfind only weighs 10 oz, which isn't bad considering that it can save your ass. For scuba divers, a waterproof aluminum canister is also available. I might mention that these devices are only to be used in the most dire, life-threatening emergency. It is a violation of Federal Law to misuse the device and is subject to a $250,000 fine.

-- Curt Nelson

McMurdo Fastfind Plus
$550
Available from
Star Marine Depot

Manufactured by
McMurdo

This is a companion to the previously reviewed Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book--- same droll cartoonist, different author: Don Ladigan, teacher of light backpacking at the University of Oregon.

The revolution started by Ray Jardine in his Beyond Backpacking (2000) continues. Every year sees drastically lighter and cleverer gear, and the savvy to match also grows apace, as you'll find in this book. "Ultralight" even has a definition now: it's when your pack and everything in it (except consumables such as water and food) weighs 10 pounds or less. Backpacking becomes a jaunt instead of a slog, and that liberates the whole experience.

How about a luxury breakfast with minimal kitchen gear and zero clean up? See the example below...

-- Stewart Brand

Lighten Up!
A Complete Handbook for Light & Ultralight Backpacking
Don Ladigin
2005, 99 pages
$10
Available from
Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Boil-in-bag Cooking

If you want to cook an omelet but don't have a frying pan, you can always use the boil-in-bag method of cooking. Put the eggs and other ingredients into a plastic freezer-storage bag, close the bag securely, and heat the bag in boiling water until the eggs are no longer runny. When it's done you can eat the omelet directly from the bag with a spoon. This method makes no mess and generates few cooking smells to attract animals.

*

*

While looking for a mere flexible plastic cutting board suitable for backpacking, I discovered Orikaso plastic-oragami campware. Made of flexible and durable plastic, pre-scored for folding with small plastic snaps, this proved to be a very useful, light, affordable ($6) and cool tool. It serves as cutting board, plate, bowl, pasta strainer, melitta-style coffee maker, and funnel. After three weeks of daily use in Iceland it'll never leave my kit again. Available at REI as well as online.

-- Brad Hill

Orikaso Fold-flat Dish
$6
Available from
REI
Also from
Amazon

Manufactured by
Flatworld

Bears are back in the woods. There's lots of folklore about what to do around them. Most of it wrong. Here, in a small book, is the latest straight dope about what you should do if you meet one -- and how not to meet one.

-- KK

Back Country Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters
David Smith
1997, 109 pages
$8
Availabile from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

There are three key behaviors you need to be aware of:
1. The bear that approaches is usually in command of the situation.
2. The subordinate bear does not end an engagement with a dominant bear; the dominant bear is the first to leave.
3. Merely standing still has signal value; standing still will often alter the ongoing behavior of an approaching bear.

*
The magic circle around every bear is different and constantly changes in size and shape. As an example, the magic circle of a female grizzly with spring cubs will probably be larger than the magic circle of the same bear when she doesn't have cubs. ... Don't forget that you have a magic circle, too. A seasoned black bear biologist might be comfortable with a bear that's only 10 yards away, but you or I might be nervous about a black bear that's 40 yards away.

Years of experience in Denali and other national parks have proven that properly secured bear resistant food containers work.

*
For some reason, bears are interested in petroleum products. When they come across a spot of oil or gas on the ground, they sometimes roll in it like a dog rolls on a carcass. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, some bears looked like they'd been using Brylcream. My friend Hod Coburn, a bush pilot who's flown all over Alaska, told me that a black bear once got into a case of oil he stashed at a remote runway in the western part of the state. It didn't bite one can and assume there was more of the same in the others - it bit into every can.

*
What about tree-climbing? You startle a bear that's 100 feet away and decide to run and climb a tree that's only 10 feet away. The bear will arrive in about 3 seconds. You wouldn't have time to climb a stepladder, let alone a tree. Even full-grown black bears can scoot up any tree with astonishing speed. An adult grizzly can "ladder" its way up a tree if the limbs are right, with a known record of 33 feet high.

*
Bears key on movement and quickly notice a silhouette on a ridgeline. Steve French, an M.D. and bear researcher who's co-director of the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation, has an excellent rule of thumb regarding the vision of bears; If you can see a bear, you should assume it can see you.

*
Black bears are creatures of the forest, so in response to a threat they've always had the option of slipping into the underbrush and hiding or climbing a tree. When threatened, black bears flee. Even when black bear biologists hold squalling cubs while mama bear is just yards away, the females almost always retreat. They may make a blowing sound and clack teeth and make a rush or two toward the biologists, but ultimately, they retreat.

Not so with grizzlies. Grizzlies evolved in more open terrain. At times, there wasn't enough cover for a female and her cubs to hide from other bears or mammals. There were no trees to climb. When threatened, a female had to defend her cubs.

Spot-on cartoons make this crash course in backpacking incredibly effective. No matter how much you think you know about trail living, you probably can't teach it as well as these guys do. The humor is geeky, the advice is excellent, the presentation unforgettable. It is simply the best introduction to the art of living off your back. This is the book you want to hand to the friend, sibling, significant other who has never been backpacking, but is ready to try. If it doesn't click with them, they probably shouldn't be on the trail with you. [Recommended by Ari Bader-Natal]

-- KK

Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book: Traveling & Camping Skills for a Wilderness Environment
Allen O'Bannon & Mike Clelland
2001, 161 pages
$10
Available from
Amazon

I've been using these little micro headlamps for years, and thought I reviewed 'em long ago. But a check of my archives told me I hadn't mentioned them individually (they are reviewed in Stewart Brand's roundup of ultralight backpacking gear), so here's a chorus of recommendations by readers for this tiny, supremely hands-off light. I use them on my bike, or while exploring a camp at night; my daughter uses hers for reading in the car.

-- KK

It's small enough to fit easily in your pocket but bright enough to light up a dark garage. Its self contained headband (retracts into itself like a vacuum cleaner cord) can fasten the headlamp around your head or around your wrist. The LEDs promote long battery life out of the 3 AAA batteries. With a street price around $25 it's cheap enough to keep one in the car and the toolbox as well as making it a permanent part of your camping gear.

-- Mike Ditullio

A small torch to wear on your head, leaving your hands free. Beam is directed by where you are looking, which is great and allows you to fix a puncture or whatever (not so good having conversation around a campfire because you blind each other when you look at each other). Yet get 150 hours in only 70g. Enough light to be seen by, like if you are cycling. And just enough to see by, when walking around and fixing things. These are so useful I think they should be issued at birth!

-- Carl Myhill

Petzl E44P Zipka LED Headlamp
$25
Previously available from Amazon

[a newer, comparable version: $40 from Amazon -- sl]

Manufactured by Petzl

Do you know someone going on a government-paid excursion to the middle east dressed in Army fatigues? Mosquito netting is a must. There's a misunderstanding that the Army supplies you all you need in the field. Nope. I may have been able to get my hands on an Army issued net a few months AFTER mosquito season... but instead we used the Epco TropicScreen II, the cadillac of mosquito nets. The Tropicscreen is the only freestanding mosquito net we found that would work with an army cot. It has a floor too! It also turned out to be far easier to pack than the standard "mosquito bar" such as the backpacking nets reviewed in CoolTools. Weight wasn't a huge issue (since we were never too far from vehicles), but speed of assembly/disassembly was crucial. I bought a TropicScreen from Campmor, who conveniently ships to APO addresses.

-- Frank Black

Epco TropicScreen II
$70
Available from Campmor

Manufactured by Epco Design

The universally acknowledged best analog altimeter is the Thommen Classic. Accurate to 10 feet elevation, it's intuitively easy to set and read, and it has none of the tiresome trickiness of digital altimeters. Altitude is work; altitude is location. It's good to know exactly where you are.

-- Stewart Brand

Thommen TX-20 Altimeter
Good up to 27,000 ft.
$399.00
Sonoma Outfitters

I bought this tool about four years ago in preparation for a backpacking trip around Australia and it has been on my belt ever since. I have used it in every camping situation imaginable. Between the locking straight-edge and serrated blades, I have been able to cut everything from thin sheet metal to steak to wrist thick hemp rope. This tool was a first for me in that the saw blade actually cut wood with ease. Unlike many other models, the blades are on the outside of the tool so you don't have to unfold the whole thing to get to them. This makes it less awkward to use and even allows one-handed use in a pinch. Another nice feature is that the edges of the plier handles are rounded, so they don't dig into your hand when you need to apply a little force. The scissors, can opener and screwdrivers have never let me down. I have found the Wave to be just as useful indoors. I take apart computers on a daily basis, and it is usually all the screwdriver I need, although it is generally too clunky for tight spots. After four years of heavy use it's still going strong.

-- Travis Seay

Leatherman Wave
$66
Available from Amazon

The Garmin e-trex Legend (reviewed earlier here ) is still the best GPS unit per pound. It is small and light. I continue to use mine for mountaineering when I want to log a trip while carrying the absolute least amount of weight.

Recently however Garmin has come out with a host of new large color screen models with unbelievable battery efficiency. The GPSmap 60C and 76C have nice large color screens, faster satellite acquisition, much improved button and software interfaces, and these will run for 30 hours on a set of AA batteries. While the e-trex can load in topo maps just like the 60c can, it lacks color, and a color screen is really the only way to look at complex data -- such as a topo map -- on a hand held. I have used my 60C all summer on a host of mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and driving trips and consider it well worth the $350 (street price) price tag.

(Note: The "CS" versions of the 60C and 76C have an electronic compass and barometer, as well as some extra software features around glide path and vertical speed etc. These extra functions cost extra money and eek out 30% less battery life when activated making them not worth it to me.)

So while the 60C is significantly larger, which makes it tougher to wear, and a bit heavier, the added functionality and especially battery life have made it the one I use almost exclusively. If you are going to buy one GPS unit, the Garmin 60c is the one to get.

-- Alexander Rose

Garmin GPSMAP 60C
$199
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Garmin

Extra tip: make sure you update the "firmware" in your GPS and the CD-Rom software periodically on the Garmin Website. They are always making improvements to the internal software and PC interface and its well worth the trouble of updating.

I was eagerly awaiting this kit designed by survival equipment guru Doug Ritter and ordered as soon as it was available. I was not disappointed, it is just as good as promised.

At only 3.9 oz. and 4 x 3.25 inches folded it is light and small enough that I don't even notice that I am carrying it. It really does fit in my pocket -- even a shirt pocket as well.

I tried out the signal mirror and it's the best plastic mirror I've ever used, better by far than the mil-spec mirror from Ultimate Survival. Very easy to aim and gives a very bright concentrated signal flash. The whistle sounds as loud as the Fox40 Classic I used to carry, but much more compact. I've had a Spark-Lite for years and it's a top notch fire starter. The compass works well, I made a lanyard loop out of a short piece of brass wire, you could use the stainless wire in the kit, but I had the brass wire from an older kit.

I am really impressed by the survival instructions. Doug really did a great job with those, there is all the detail you could possibly expect in such a small piece, practical and easy to follow and no stupid BS and the drawings are very well done. You can tell that he's anal about stuff like this and understands how to instruct someone who doesn't know anything about survival. I'd prefer more medical stuff, but I recognize why he didn't include it -- he has a good point that there's really not enough room to do it justice, so stick to only the survival stuff.

The rest of the gear (fish hooks, line, scalpel blade, needle, duct tape, magnifier lens, steel wire, etc) is all first rate and well thought out. I'll add some matches myself and a Photon LED microlight, but that's really all it lacks. It's not cheap, but I feel that you more than get your money's worth and it's gear that will not let you down when you need it the most.

I just ordered three more kits so everyone in my family will have one and I'll probably give them away for stocking stuffers this Christmas. Yes, it's that good!

-- Steve Black

Be sure to check out the kit's content and Doug's logic for inclusion of pieces at his FAQ

Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak
$25
Available from Amazon

Or $30 from Campmor

I wear them walking in the rain, camp cooking in the rain, chopping mega-weeds in the rain, piloting a boat in the rain (or even just wind), and groping in underwater silt for hours cleaning up debris. The layering is thick enough for warmth but not too thick to affect touch and dexterity. Rubber-like dots on the working surface give traction even on our tugboat's stainless steel "destroyer wheel." It takes a while to rinse dirt out of Sealskinz, but that is their only flaw. Some suppliers have a gauntlett form that reaches almost to the elbow. Price $25 - $30.

--Stewart Brand

SealSkinz Waterproof Gloves
$25 from
Yahoo.com

Or $38 from Amazon

Manufactured by SealSkinz

A marvel of compact engineering, this brilliant little device now accompanies me wherever I travel, not just in the wild any more. Two buttons. One is on/off. The other cycles the readout through current wind speed, maximum wind speed, average wind speed, temperature, wind chill, relative humidity, heat index, and dew point. It is shockingly sensitive. Once when I was hiking up into a fog layer, I tracked--while I was walking--the decrease in temperature and rise in humidity, with indicated dew point ever closer to the ambient temperature. As I entered the fog, humidity reached 100 percent and the ambient temperature and dew point temperatures were identical. Precisely! Pocket-small, the Kestrel's slide-on case can't be lost because it's on the lanyard.

-- Stewart Brand

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter
$130
Amazon

I don't smoke, so what am I doing with a butane lighter in my pocket? My life has no end of candles, lanterns, and fires to light, that's why. I had one of Brunton's "Stormproof" Helios lighters until it turned out to be worthless at altitude on a mountain, where making a fire might be important. Besides, the Helios opens so wide you can't reach it down into votive lights or fat candles or into the thick of kindling.

Solution: the Colibri Quantum Xtreme CX lighter. It's nice and narrow---fits anywhere. Its "Electro-Flame" ignition has proved fully reliable. And you can dial in the altitude you want it to light at; it changes the fuel/air mix to suit, good up to 15,000 feet. No other lighter does this.

It lists at $100. The lowest price I found was at eLighters, $80---available in black, white, pearl, and blue. REI has a gaudy orange model with what looks like a clear fuel container and maybe lighter weight, but full price: $100. The weight of my black one is 1.85 ounces.

-- Stewart Brand

Colibri Xtreme Lighter
$50
Available from REI

NOTE: We are now linking to the Xtreme II, the second incarnation of the lighter reviewed above. If you have any positive or negative feedback regarding the newer lighter, please let us know in the comments below. -- SL

The classic GI Can Opener is an excellent tool. Small enough for a key ring, or worn on a lanyard around the neck, it has been of assistance in repairing a fuel pump, tightening screws, and yes, opening cans. All for 99 cents. It is sold at many locations online, as well as most Army/Navy stores. In years past I have given them as gifts. Invariably I have heard similar stories from friends, of trueing pins on cell phones, adjusting fishing gear, stripping wire, etc. The URL below gives its extensive history.

-- Christian Chambers

GI Can Opener (P-38)
$0.70
Available from Amazon

History at Georgia Outfitters

The ultimate lightweight backpacking camp light. A tiny 4 gram chip sits atop a regular alkaline 9-volt battery which acts as body, handle, stand and power source. Two modes: high (75 hours) and low (600 hours). High mode produces about as much light as a candle, only steadier, harsher and whiter. The Pak-LIte is an ideal tent light. You can set down and let it burn hour after hour, night after night. I once ran mine for 48 hours continuously and found no drop off in power. One battery should last the longest thru hike. You can make it last years by substituting a 9-volt lithium battery (200 hours on hi, 1,200 on lo). It's easy enough to grab it and use it as a torch or map reader as well. Since the 9-volt battery has a long shelf life it makes a pretty good hurricane/emergency light too.

-- KK

Pak-Lite LED Flashlight
$20
Available from Amazon

Also from X-tremegeek.com

These are zip lock bags made from especially thick plastic with a special seal that guarantees waterproofness (and odor-proofness). They are good for separating clothing and food for camping and traveling. We keep everything from socks and underwear to cameras and passports in them. In monsoon season in Vietnam they held up quite well and kept our gear dry and tidy.

-- Alexander Rose

Aloksaks
Come in a variety of sizes
4 x 7" (pack of 3)
$6
Backpacking Light

12 x 12" (pack of 3)
$10
Amazon

Manufactured by
Watchful Eye Designs

The closest thing to the Still Suits worn by the Fremen desert people in Frank Herbert's Dune world, set 10,000 years in the future. You hydrate more often with these because you don't have to reach for anything; the containers can carry up to about two liters. Also they don't bang around on the outside of your pack; the new backpacks often build in pouches to accommodate them. They make insulated ones that don't freeze, which I use for snowboarding.

-- Alexander Rose

Camelbak Classic (updated 2007)
$36
CamelBak Products, Inc.
1310 Redwood Way, Suite 200,
Petaluma, CA 94954
800/767-8725,707-792-9700
Amazon

It's the quickest, handiest, most efficient hot water maker yet. It takes the piezo-ignited butane trail stove to maybe a 50% overall improvement---worth converting for many.

The main tricks are: fin-like heat exchanger ("FluxRing") where the flame meets the pot; pot attaches to stove (vastly less fiddly); pot has a cozy on it to hold heat and make gripping the pot easy; the plastic lid of the pot doubles as a cup lid for sipping direct from the pot; and the stove stows inside the pot. The weight is 12 ounces, the same or less than other light butane stove systems, but you save on weight of fuel, small pack volume, and overall convenience.

The heat exchanger means you can heat 2 cups of water in about 2 minutes, with significantly little fuel expended. So little heat escapes that you can hold the whole thing in your hand while it cooks, and the cozy never burns. The pot works better for eating from than for drinking from---I still prefer an insulated Alladdin cup (with the meaningless handle sawed off), but it's manageable for drinking if you want one less implement.

It's fine for dinner for two, or an instant cup of coffee or tea under way. You could use it riding in a car (open a window). Danny Hillis plans to use one on his desk for tea making. Alexander Rose wants it for melting snow to drink while dangling on belay.

-- Stewart Brand

JetBoil
$80
Fuel cannisters (JetBoil or others) are $3.
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Jetboil

I have become enamored of new European packs which allow for complete back ventilation. I picked up one by Deuter in Amsterdam last fall and it has become my favorite day and cycling pack. Since I sweat a lot, I generally try and avoid wearing packs while exercising, but this pack has eliminated this problem. The new packs are suspended off your back with a nylon mesh fabric. This web also makes the pack the most comfortable I have ever worn, as weight distributes itself across your back, and the trampoline effect of the mesh absorbs the shock loads you usually get from packs while exercising.�

I have found three companies that make them (interestingly all German). I am using one by Deuter called the AC Lite 15. A professional cyclist friend uses one of the small Vaude packs like this and swears by it as well. They all seem to have good allowances for hydration systems, and some have integrated rain covers and helmet holders. The down side is that because of the frame it is not the lightest pack you can get for its size, but even for an ultra-light weenie like me the trade off has been worth it. They are somewhat difficult to find in the US, but I have seen them for sale in some mountaineering and cycling shops. You can get catalogs from the websites and do mail order as well. Each company that makes them also makes traditional suspension pack systems, so inspect the catalogs carefully for the buzzwords like Air Comfort and AeroFlex suspension.

-- Alexander Rose

Deuter AC Lite 15
$70
from among others
Altrec
or from Amazon

Vaude AeroFlex packs

Deuter AirComfort packs

Jack Wolfskin packs

I hate mosquitoes. Serious gut-tightening allergic aversion. One bite at night and I am awake for hours, and I'll itch for days. They'll always find me, too. I've learned to ignore what natives say; there are mosquitoes around, and they do bite. When I travel in any remotely warm place, I pack my own mosquito netting. It weighs only a few ounces and can scrunch up small. It's cheap, and lasts forever. I'm still using one I bought 30 years ago for $2. I like the boxy four-cornered variety to fit over a bed or sleeping bag. I tie a 6-foot long string to each corner; that usually enables me to attach the string somewhere to keep the net elevated at night. I tie it to trees if I am camping without a tent.

I haven't figured out why more people don't pack their own. Mine has saved my life more than once. Mostly by allowing me to sleep soundly, but also because with it I avoid mosquito-borne diseases in areas they are common. Studies have shown that sleeping in a net is more effective at preventing malaria than taking prophylactic drugs. I insist my family use netting while we travel in the heat overseas. A quick search led me to Coleman as the least expensive source for a one-person camp-style box net.

There are new self-supporting varieties of mosquito netting, which would be useful where there is little outside support but lots of mosquitoes (tundra, everglades). They are more expensive, but still lightweight. I haven't tried these. Let me know if you do.

-- KK

Coghlan's Double Wide Mosquito Net
$22
Available from Scout Gear

Previously available from Amazon

Self supporting Bug Hut. Fits around your sleeping bag. Weighs 1 lb., 1 oz., costs $50 from Back Country Gear

This little stove is amazing; it's made from pepsi and guinness cans, using things that can be found around most households. It takes about an afternoon to make (plus some time waiting for the epoxy to set), weighs only a few grams, and is sufficient for most backpacking trips. I made my first one a few years ago, and I've been handing them out as gifts ever since. The stove is powerful enough to boil a quart of water in a reasonable amount of time, it's MUCH quieter than other camping stoves, if you lose it you're not out $80.00, and you can get the fuel for it (denatured alcohol) at most hardware or paint stores. Mine fits nicely inside of the mug I use for cooking and eating, with room to spare. I usually stuff a spare pair of socks in with it to keep it from rattling around.

The site provides detailed instructions and photographs, as well as a message board with feedback and suggestions from other stove builders.

-- Galen Pewtherer

Scott Henderson's Pepsi-G Stove

NOTE: The URL with Scott Henderson's directions is no longer active and a sleuth online hasn't turned up a new one; if you know of an updated link or complete reposting, please let us know. Until then, here's similar Pepsi Can Stove directions from another source.

By Stewart Brand

Patagonia Duckbill Cap

It was originally designed for kayakers before helmets took over, so it dries in a trice. Super-light, it can be wadded up in a pocket like a handkerchief, but it does all the duties you want from a hat in terms of shade for your eyes and sun protection, while providing maximum ventilation. Mine goes everywhere with me.

Patagonia Spoonbill Cap
$6
Blue Ridge Mountain Sports
800-290-1920

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Maxit Beanie

This is what professional football players wear under their helmets for games in Green Bay in December---very thin, very light, lots of warmth. I always have one in my pocket along with the Duckbill (which it goes comfortably under) and am ready for anything hatwise (except rain, where an OR Snoqualmie Sombrero does best, or the Golite umbrella)

Maxit Beanie
Item #6016
$13
Stretching Inc.
800-333-1307
or from Amazon

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"Survival" Ground Sheet

I long sought for an ideal ground sheet to go with the ultralight tarp. Other "space blankets" are either too heavy or too fragile, but this one of augmented tyvek is perfect. If you've nothing better to read, you can read the survival instructions on it.

Thermo-Lite Emergency Survival Blanket
Item #89034 for Campmor
$7
Campmor
888-226-7667

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Kelty Cloud Pack

Extravagant but wonderful---birthday fodder. It is superlight (the Spectra cloth is so tough it won't even take a dye, so all models are white) and super adaptable---nearly every component can be subtracted or added, so you take only as much pack as you want for the occasion. The waist belt molds to you, and can also be left behind. It's a pack for going out and staying out.

Kelty Cloud 4500
$400
Amazon

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Petzl Zipka Headlamp

LED bulbs changed everything in light flashlights (the Photon Micro-Lite 2 is still the best for keychains). Longtime headlamp maker Petzl came up with a new level of ingenuity in this version, which reels in its own strap. For making camp in the dark, reading in a tent, or exploring new trails at night, there's nothing better.

Petzl Zipka Headlamp
$33
Back Country Gear, 800-953-5499
Or $40 from Amazon

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Z-Rest Pad

Now the best sleeping or loafing foam pad. The accordion fold means that it lies flat instantly without curling, nests its cells for greater compactness, can be simply halved for double the padding for a seat, and folds up quickly. Wet mossy log, rocky ground, burr-filled grass? Drop this and all is comfy and dry. No reason to get larger than the 3/4 length.

Z-Rest - 20x72x0.75 in
$34
Back Country Gear
800-953-5499
or from Amazon

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Royal Robbins Expedition Shirt

There are plenty of non-cotton hiking shirts that dry quickly and disperse sweat. This is the best I've found for that, but the winning feature is the side-opening "document pockets" on each side---you can stash a map in one side and your light binoculars in the other, both instantly accessible while wearing a pack. The shirt used to have a dorky look and colors, but that's been fixed.

Men's L/S Coolmax Expedition Shirt
$60
Royal Robbins Outdoor Travel Clothing
800-587-9044

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Pilot's Finger Light

When you want to keep your night vision, a red flashlight is essential. For a long time I've used a red Photon Micro-Lite. This thing from an extreme-gear new supplier is better. It fits on your finger (or can be mounted on glasses) and directs all its bright LED light forward in a sharp cone---designed specifically for reading maps or text in the dark, but also useable for travelling a known trail. When sleeping under the stars, I prefer it for reading because it doesn't light up the night or blind me. Nifty item.

S-LITE LED Finger Light
$13
S-Lite
239-498-8923

As idiot-proof as the newest GPS units are, I still needed assistance to make sense of all those lat-long numbers in relation to navigation. Several sources recommended this guide (third edition) which has indeed been most helpful.

--KK

GPS Made Easy, Third Ed.
Lawrence Letham
2001, 208 pages
$8
Amazon

This is a specialized catalog for Search & Rescue, ski patrol and other (e.g. Military/ arcane law enforcement) professionals. Contains mostly Conterra�s line of specialty backpacks/fanny paks for ski patrol, SAR heli-med personnel. They make the best radio chest harness in the business � it is a standard with fire depts and FEMA. It is hard to imagine turning this stuff into general-purpose (eg, the paks are definitely not general purpose packs) but for the intended applications, there is none better.
�Paul Saffo

Conterra Catalog
360-734-2311

Infinity Expedition Modular Medical Kit

I�ve used my e-trex GPS unit for the past couple of years on many car and local-hiking trips, and a few backpacking journeys deeper into the country. This unit allows me to download Garmin�s road maps into the e-trex for car trips, and their topographic maps for backcountry trips. With this unit I can also save my trail�s GPS data onto my PC for either archiving or sharing. Things I don�t like: The PC software is not terribly intuitive, although it is usable with some practice. The high resolution greyscale LCD screen helps, but topo maps are still too detailed to read usefully on a small screen. The screen also takes a while to update when scrolling around complex maps. In short this is an inexpensive, compact, and lightweight way to get into GPS navigation with downloadable maps.

However, there are much better units available, witih fast color screens and great battery life. If you are going to buy one GPS unit, the Garmin 60c (reviewed here) is the one to get.

The e-trex is small and light, and an ideal second unit. I will continue to use mine for mountaineering when I want to log a trip while carrying the absolute least amount of weight.

-- Alexander Rose

The 24 satellites that make up the GPS space segment are orbiting the earth about 12,000 miles above us. They are constantly moving, making two complete orbits in less than 24 hrs.

e-trex Legend
Manufactured by Garmin
$125
From Amazon

The joy of hiking is inversely proportional to the weight of your pack. Carry nothing and your pleasure is unbounded. No one has articulated the benefits and the know-how of carrying little as Ray Jardine. He can show you how to liberate yourself from your tent, water-filter, stove, and most of the rest of your gear. He also has the best tricks for completing long through-hikes. The best times I've ever had in my decades of trekking have been when I was carrying little more than what I was wearing, and hiking the way Jardine preaches.

-- KK

Ray Jardine's book has set in motion a spreading revolution in backpacking technique and tools toward drastically lighter packs and significantly more fun on the trail for all. Certainly for me. Via ingenuity and new materials, this is a return to the kind of camping Horace Kephart promoted in his great Camping and Woodcraft (still in print): the whole point is to be very comfortable in the wild.

It reminds me of what Amory Lovins is doing for car design: once you start finding ways to reduce weight, the benefits multiply, and you wind up with something qualitatively different. With packloads under 20 pounds, so you don't need a pack with a waist belt, don't need boots, etc. etc. In countless cases you can substitute technique for weight (rig a super-light tarp instead of a tent), and your increasing savvy adds to the enjoyment of hiking. The book is full of well-honed technique (plus idiosyncrasies you can sift out on your own).

After reading the book, I got an electronic postal scale and began weighing everything that goes with me on the trail. What a difference it made, having that objective evaluation.

-- Stewart Brand

Beyond Backpacking
Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking
Ray Jardine
2000, 517 pages
AdventureLore Press
Available at Amazon

Excerpt:

Compare one of my packs - weighing 13 ounces and costing $10.40 to make - to a store-bought backpack weighing 7 pounds and costing $275.00. My pack is 12% of the weight and 4% of the cost.

The 8 1/2 pound packs at the completion of a 2,700 mile journey, 1994.
�
I should point out, too, that the majority of nights we hikers spend in the backcountry are mild. We are not automatically going to encounter the ultimate storm the minute we step out the back door with lighter-weight gear. But should it happen, a properly pitched tarp will handle it. Pitching a tarp is not difficult, but the method differs from that of pitching a tent. The best way to make the transition from tent to tarp is to carry both on a few short outings. Pitch the tarp and sleep under it, and keep the tent packed in its stowbag and close at hand, just in case.
�
The reaction of these backpackers was typical of the many we met that summer. On paper, our lighter-weight methods may seem �radical� and idealistic. But when these people saw how easily we were doubling and sometimes even tripling their daily mileages, they tended to become less skeptical. The irony was that we were exerting ourselves no more than the backpackers. We were using our energy mainly for forward progress, rather than for load hauling. I see mileage as an effect rather than a cause. Not something to be struggled for, but merely a by-product of a more efficient style. My main focus is on the natural world, my place in it, and how that relates to the joys and the lessons learned along the way. I also find that when we reduce our barriers � our detachment � from the natural world, we stand to better our wilderness connection.
�
According to conventional backpacking wisdom, giardia contaminates all wilderness water, and we hikers and campers need to purify every drop that we drink; as well as what we use for cooking and brushing teeth. You can read this in hundreds of magazine articles and books. Jenny and I followed this rule faithfully during our first four mega-hikes. And I was sick with giardia-type symptoms many times.

Obviously, something was wrong. If we were being meticulous about filtering our water, then why was I not staying healthy? Jenny remained healthy, and she was drinking the same treated waster as I. Apparently my immunities were lower than hers. But the fact remains that somehow I seemed to be contracting parasites despite the assiduous use of the water filter. The filter cartridges we were using were common, brand-name varieties, and we had no reason to suspect they were not working properly.

Clearly, the conventional wisdom was not working. So we abandoned it and tried a different approach. While training for our fifth thru-hike we drank directly from clean, natural sources, a few sips at first, then gradually increasing in quantity over the weeks and months. In this way we helped condition our bodies to the water�s natural flora. Then during the actual journey we drank all our water straight from the springs, creeks and sometimes the lakes - after carefully appraising each source. And for the first time in years I remained symptom-free; and Jenny stayed healthy also�I doubt whether my illness had anything to do with the filtration or lack thereof. Rather, it had to do with the nature of the water sources we were using. During the initial journeys we were collecting from all but the worst sources, and treating it. In several cases that I can think of, I feel that this treatment � or any other available treatment � was incapable of making that water safe to drink. This is why, on that fifth trek, we collected water only from clean sources. Based on these experiments and their successful outcome, the following are my recommendations: Learn to recognize pristine water, and treat it if you prefer. Learn to recognize water that could be microbially contaminated, if only mildly, and treat it thoroughly. And most importantly, learn to recognize water that is beyond treatment, despite any reasonable degree of clarity. Such water can be extremely virulent, and no water treatment system available to hikers is capable of making that water safe to drink. Do not filter, boil or add purification chemicals to this polluted water. Do not use it for cooking or bathing. In the next section we will learn how to recognize such highly contaminated water.
�
Stealth camping. If you can manage to camp away from the water sources, and from the established campsites, then the many wonderful advantages of stealth camping will be yours. Stealth camping is a cleaner, warmer and quieter way to camp, and it offers a much better connection with nature. In all likelihood no one has camped at your impromptu stealth-site before, and the ground will be pristine. Its thick, natural cushioning of the forest materials will still be in place, making for comfortable bedding without the use of a heavy inflatable mattress. There will be no desiccated stock manure to rise as dust and infiltrate your lungs, nor any scatter of unsightly litter and stench of human waste. The stealth-site will not be trampled and dished; any rainwater will soak into the ground or run off it, rather than collect and flood your shelter. Bears scrounging for human food will be busy at the water-side campsites, and will almost invariably ignore the far-removed and unproductive woods. Far from the water sources you will encounter fewer flying insects, particularly upon the more breezy slopes and ridges. Above the katabatic zones the night air will be markedly warmer. And you can rest assured that your chances of being bothered by other people will be slim.

We pitch the tarp sideways to any wind, and if the wind is stong we pitch the tarp lower and secure the windward edge flush to the ground. A properly pitched tarp is stronger than most tents.

�
The drift box. On our longer hikes, Jenny and I often use what we refer to as a �drift box,� or �running resupply box.� This is a small parcel that we send ahead rather than home. It contains items that will probably be needed later, but not presently. These might include spare shoes and fresh insoles, extra socks, a spare water filter cartridge, an extra camera battery, a small whetstone, a utility knife with disposable blades, a tube of seam�sealing compound, a spare spoon, an extra sweater, and a roll of boxing tape. The drift box gives us occasional access to these items without having to carry them. We send it First Class to a station approximately two weeks ahead.

I have been using -- and buying-- headlamps for years, and I have a box full of lamps in the garage to prove it. Petzl is the leader in headlamps these days, and ruled the roost for the last few years with the Petzl Duo. But now Petzl has topped itself with the new Myo line. My favorite is the Petzl Myo 5, a sweet lightweight combo xenon halogen spot with a 5-led area lamp, all powered by 4 AA cells in a compact case attached to the headband. This is enough oomph to run the halogen spot for 4 hours, and the LEDS for 30- 100 hrs, depending on the setting. Note that the Myobelt 5 (accent on "belt") uses C-cells on a belt pouch and claims 11hrs runtime on halogen, and up to 360 hrs on LED. The Myo's new design runs rings around the Duo: a much more compact design, with a new switch (the bezel rotates) that unlike the duo can easily be manipulated with gloves on. Even the reflector is better -- one session trying the myo and the Duo side by side sent my much-loved Duos to the box of obsolete headlamps in the garage.

--Paul Saffo

Myo 5 Headlamp
$70
Previously available from Amazon*

Manufactured by Petzl

*It appears this model is no longer available. If you are using a more current version of the Petzl Myo 5 or any equivalent headlamp, please let us know by writing in the comments below or via the submit page.

Check out this AA battery solar charger made from recycled solar panels (from garden lights). This smallest and lightest of solar chargers has allowed me to keep a GPS, digital camera, and film camera running all the time while travelling out of the country or back packing. I never had to charge a battery with an outlet, which are often hard to find while camping or in developing countries.

-- Alexander Rose

2 AA Mini Solar Charger with Batteries
item #900-20000-00
$25
Sundance Solar
603-456-2020

Inspired by Ray Jardine, this backpacking supplier makes commercial versions of his ultralight designs for tarps, backpacks, sleeping bags, etc. and now is prospering from equipping the various "Eco-challenge" type racers plus lazy people like me. Though I had no use for the Jardine approach to sleeping bags (top layer only; I'm happier with a North Face Cat's Meow), all the other products I've tried have been exceptional. I can particularly recommend:

-- Stewart Brand

Go Lite
888-546-5483
303-546-6000

Umbrella

Jardine is right: for sun and for rain, nothing beats the convenience of a light, simple umbrella. I take it along for everything but night hiking.

Dome Umbrella
(RAY-WAY)
$20.00

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Daypack

It feels positively wispy empty, but reinforced with Spectra thread it's strong enough for all you'll need or want for a day, with particularly convenient mesh pockets on the back and sides.

Breeze Ultra-Lite Hiking Pack
(RAY-WAY)
$69.00

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Tarp

Perhaps the most radical Jardine item, this little handful of silicone-impregnated ripstop nylon replaces everything but a winter tent. No poles---you tie to trees or to any-length sticks you find in the woods. It is dramatically more flexible than a tent, pegged tight to the ground for a storm or poised high overhead as I did once for the nicest night I've ever spent in a light rain. I found it worth replacing some of the dark tie-lines with bright yellow lines now available in outdoor stores, so you don't trip in the dark.

Cave 1 One-Two Person Tarp
(RAY-WAY)
Price: $125.00

*

Stuff Sacks

Also of silicone-impregnated nylon, they are light and slippery. I got the smallest for stashing my groundcloth (see below), and the largest works as a waterproof liner for the daypack.

Landlubber's Stow Sack
(RAY-WAY)
$21.00

The German company Ortlieb produce a range of waterproof items. These are excellent for use while trekking, motorcycling, bicycling, caving, canoeing, etc. I usually put clothing and sleeping bags in Ortlieb dry bags inside my rucksack. I am guaranteed that stuff will keep dry, and it makes it easier to organize the backpack.

I also have a larger Ortlieb bag which I use when I go on motorcycling trips. Useful stuff, and excellent quality/durability. They produce a range of items.

--Helge A. Gudmundsen

For instance:

PD-350 Dry Bags
$19+

Packman Pro
$132

Ortlieb USA

As part of my ultra-lighting up of my backpacking gear, I stumbled across this cool repackaging of duck tape, perfect for hikers. The tape is "flat-packed" to save space, and the extreme version has super-bright write-on colors. A (nerdy) backpacker's dream, certain to become a fixture in my fix-it kit.
-- Paul Saffo

Extreme Flat Duck Tape
Available at Wal-Mart

An ultralight gear item which I've been trying out is the Hennessey Tent Hammock. Part tent, part mosquito mesh, part hammock, the thing is pure genius and a pleasure to use -- very light, ingeniously designed, and actually provides a comfortable backcountry sleep. Perfect for wet areas. You do have to worry a bit more about insulation under yourself, but not a big minus especially given the comfort of the shelter.

-- Rex Ishibashi

Hennessy Hammock is a brilliant fine-tuning of the hammock concept into a tent substitute. It means I never have to sleep on the ground again! Being asymmetrical it allows me to lie relatively flat for a very comfortable night's sleep. There is a large rain-fly that cocoons around the hammock in cooler weather, a fine insect/dust mesh enclosure, and an entrance that my weight closes behind me. You can even set it up on the ground like a bivvy-bag if there are no trees (or lamp posts, or bumper bars). Great for tropical camping.

-- Toby Gibson

Hennessy Tent Hammock
$79 (basic model)

I just bought four pair of some nifty Celestron 8x21s that Anacortes is selling for an incredible $12 each! They are compact and very light weight. The eye relief is great, and while they ain't Swarovskis, they do the job just fine. And best of all, I don't worry about losing them or getting them scratched. My advice is to buy a bunch and keep them in every car, backpack, etc.

--Paul Saffo

I did just what Paul Saffo suggested. I got me a couple of these. They are small mini-binocs about 6 inches square -- the size of your palm. They are as sharp as my other mid-price pairs, but much handier. I really like them. And for $12 (as long as the bargain runs*) they are unbeatable.

--KK

Celestron Mini 8x21 Binoculars
$13
*Now available from Optics Planet

Alexander Rose writes:
My girlfriend Gwen got one of the super-ultra-light G4 packs by GVP (as used by 'Flyin Brian' in his triple crown hike).

It is truly an ingenious pack. It takes all the lessons of the Go-Lite Breeze and goes a step further. It is a 4000+ cu pack that looks like 3000cu pack and has a waist belt (which many of the ultralights don't have) and still comes in at 16oz.

The most ingenious part of it is that it uses a Z-Rest sleeping pad as the "frame." This feature is shared with the Go-Lite Breeze but the G4 allows you to load it from the outside of the bag so you don't have to unload everything out of the way.

The other key advantage is its configurability. The straps are set up to allow you to add only the bare minimum of foam (or unused clothing) needed for your body type. And you have the option of ordering it made to your specs with various loops, dividers and pockets according to your preference.

The real proof of it being a great pack however is that even with the pack loaded down with camping and climbing gear Gwen, weighing in at 120lb, said it was the most comfortable she had ever worn. (She was a bit skeptical of the whole thing at first and thought it was too light to work at all.)

GVP Gear G4
$85

This is a super-light high-performance cook set. I've been hiking since the late '60s and this is far and away my favorite combo. The stove is tiny and it and the gas canister fit inside the nested pots of the cookset. Add a titanium spork and you have a complete cookset weighing under 8 oz and fitting in a space smaller than a jacket stuffsack. It is so light that I use it for more than overnights: I often take it on day hikes instead of a thermos -- I pack some powdered green tea, a bamboo whisk and a second cup. In a few minutes, I can whip up tea ceremony style green tea for myself and my hiking companion.

-- Paul Saffo

Snow Peak Gigapower Titanium Stove (3.oz)
$80
Available from Amazon

or $65 from Campmor

Snow Peak Mini-solo Cookset (5.5 oz)
$60
Available from Amazon

Snow Peak Titanium Spork (1/2 oz)
$9
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Snow Peak

Colin Fletcher is back (at 80 years old!) with a brand new fourth edition of his landmark 1968 book. It was last updated in 1984 � the Iron Age in terms of technological gear. A lot has changed, but the pleasures of walking haven�t. While Ray Jardine stresses efficiency and accomplishment, Fletcher and co-author Rawlins toast comfort and enjoyment. Like all past editions, The Complete Walker IV is astoundingly informative and insanely complete (843 pages, including 62 marvelous ones on the varieties of backpacks). These grey beards not only tell you about gear, they give you its history, and the history of its makers, and the current skinny on their prospects. You feel educated. They consider everything and anything remotely portable, and tell you what else a tool might be used for, where it comes from, and whether it could be improved or left behind. They get you to think about everything too. It�s wonderful to read, sly and humorous as the first edition. We don�t often associate civilization with backpacking, but that�s what Fletcher is trying to do. He�s offering wisdom on how to live on the trail, with the emphasis on live. I use the guide to help me.

-- KK

The Complete Walker IV
Colin Fletcher & Chip Rawlins
2002, 845 pages
$23
Alfred A. Knopf
New York
Amazon