RE: Re: letter of introduction

Merle,
                Great! You seem to be well informed, and, made the correct choice joining this group. Some very good people here.
Perhaps to start you off on the right footing, a systems approach might make things a bit simpler to understand, especially since you will need to replace your gear, pretty much.
                There are several sub-systems within a general pack system:
a)      Backpack
b)      Shelter
c)       Sleep
d)      Clothing
e)      Food/cooking
f)       Safety
Safety means bear bagging, first-aid, map&compass, spare batteries & general backups, a bit of duct tape, a sewing kit, etc. Mostly, it is a matter of thinking about possible emergencies and thinking how to patch them, including your partner’s and your own body. Blisters, slivers and cuts are common problems. Know where you are going, or about where. Leave a general trip plan with someone.

Food and cooking are sort of interrelated.  High density foods, dehydrated foods, are quickest done with some sort of pot and stove. Not strictly necessary, cold food is never as satisfying as a hot meal.  Habits need changing, usually. Eat just before going to bed rather than 1800. Boiled water is mostly safe to drink, except for some with dangerous chemicals dissolved in it. So, it also acts as a backup for your water sub-system.  Boiled clothing/bandana’s makes good emergency bandages, if needed.

Clothing often depends on the season you intend to go out in. Minimally you will need a light weight pant and shirt. Nylon is durable and easy to clean. Merino wool is perhaps the best for warmth and cooling less than 80F. Wool has natural oils (lanolin) that maintain some fiber stiffness, hence insulation, even if it gets wet. On hot days it will wick sweat for long distances leaving your torso covered in a cooling layer of damp clothing, yet dries pretty well in light weights.  On cold days, it is great for maintaining heat. However it is slightly heavier than synthetics.  A rain jacket is needed for fending off a few hours of rain, though they fail for any long term wetting. A good jacket or very warm sweater is needed, especially when camping on a shore or river bank.  It is also useful for sleeping, if needed.

Sleeping means being comfortable. Warm, dry, and protected from wind and rain. A tent works but it really doesn’t provide much protection against animals. It does help with bugs. Using DEET, Picardin etc, you can also use a tarp. Mostly this keeps the bugs down.  A pad is almost required. A shorter Nightlight works pretty well with a few extra minutes piling up forest duff beneath you. Inflatables are OK, but can leak on longer trips, leaving no padding.  CCF(closed cell foam) pads can also serve as a framework for a lighter backpack. A good down bag is usually needed for any light backpacking. A typical weight is about 2 pounds vs a 5 pound synthetic.  You MUST keep the down dry. In some areas, you might need a ground cloth a little larger than your sleeping area. Always wear some sort of fairly clean clothing inside any bags. This will keep them cleaner. A down bag, well kept & properly laundered as needed, will last 20-30 years. A synthetic will last about 3 years.

Tents and tarps both provide a roof against rain. Site selection, including a small raised area for sleeping, will let you stay quite dry. Condensation in tents is almost always a problem, due to limited ventilation. This also means you stay a little warmer.  A tarp is about 1/3 the weight of a tent. If bugs are bad, plan on a tent. As weather warms a bit, or cools off well, a tarp works well. Plenty of ventilation means it is rare to experience condensation. Tarps are MUCH more flexible in set up options. Lean-to, A-frame or Diamond set-ups are the three primary set-ups. Plan on the worst, make sure you are covered and anything else is an easy day.

There is no reason for anyone to carry more than about a pound of backpack, these days. Keep the weight at a minimum for every piece of gear, but saving a half ounce on a toothbrush handle is not as productive as saving 1, 2, 3 or even 4 pounds on your backpack.  After you have the rest of the gear, select a backpack. Volume pretty much goes with weight, so choose the smallest volume pack that will handle 7 days of food, water for 24 hours and your gear. Frames are pretty much wasted for less than 25 pounds. Your pad works fine as a frame. An internal frame is all that is needed for up to about 35 pounds. Generally, with my wife, I take a smaller pack than for solo trips. Swapping and sharing loads I can get my pack weight down to about 13 and 17 pounds for a week out for two. For solo canoe trips I usually carry around 20 pounds for the same trip. Note that for UL trips, I have been out with 23 pounds for 15 nights.
                My thoughts only . . .
                                jdm

James D. Marco
302 Mary Lane
Ithaca, NY  14850
607-273-9132 (land), 607-220-9969(cell)