I left a few things open-ended and unanswered in the last article about my new EDC bag. I’m back with this post as an addendum of sorts. I will answer some of those questions and make some corrections.
Corrections? Sort of. Now that I’ve had the new bag out in the wild, so to speak, I’ve made a few minor adjustments to the contents. A few things went back in. There are some small additions. Also, thanks in part to a “Whaleliner,” something I was considering, I decided against altogether.
I also carried the bag into a concert venue in downtown Cleveland. Therefore, I have a few more things to say about “security theater.”
Bag Modifications
I took the shoulder strap off an old Timbuktu messenger bag. I removed the canvas portion from the shoulder strap of the Wotancraft bag. I replaced it with a modification of the Timbuktu strap. This gives me a rapidly adjustable shoulder strap—infinitely more useful. Easier to get the bag off and on and to get into when I need something.
Content Changes
Over the past month, I’ve made a few changes to the content. Let’s take a look.
First, the small plastic signal mirror came out. This is a duplicate of one in the small “survival kit.” Also in that kit is a small striker and several wads of tinder. I had forgotten these were in there. On top of this, an original Whaleliner pointed out the unlikeliness of needing to start a fire in an urban environment. Despite what I said here, I won’t be adding another firestarter.
I did add my retirement gift, an Opinel knife from France. Locks closed and open. Wooden handle. Light and sharp. By the way, this knife was in the bag when I went through the security bag check at the concert. More about that later.
Before going to the concert, I also added my retirement credentials. This was an insurance policy of sorts. Upon discovery of some dangerous contraband—like a whistle or flashlight (these are listed as not allowed on the concert venue’s website)—I could produce these and beg forgiveness. I’m planning to deposit it in the car where they could be most useful in an emergency. Not to ‘badge’ another officer, as I find that practice repugnant and deplorable.
The NARCAN is stashed now in the green REI zippered pouch. This gives me a bit more room in the GSW kit. Not enough, unfortunately, for the SOFT-T. I will still need to buy a SWAT-T.
I do not like the weight of the camera. So, I removed the “Peak Designs Capture” clip. I put that in the grey drawstring bag with the tools and the spare camera battery. If I carry the camera for some purpose, I can drop the grey bag into the main bag.
The RadioShack rechargeable battery, cables, and wall plug are back in the small REI zippered pouch. I added a flash drive that downloads from the iPhone. I put a lens cloth in the other small zippered pouch with the dental floss and lip balm.
Lastly, since it has so many uses and is so light in weight, I put the red neckerchief back in. I have several rubber bands around this to keep it rolled up and because they are so handy to have.
During a recent outing, Kathleen needed a hair band. She had to settle for one of my rubber bands. With that in mind, I added a hairband around the neckerchief. It will be there next time she needs it.
Security Theater
As described, this bag went through a bag check at a concert I recently attended. All of my EDC, except the folding karambit (which I left at home) and my money clip, went into the Wotancraft bag. I opened the two larger pockets and placed the bag in the bin next to the magnetometer, smiling and saying, “Here you go.” Stepping through, I heard the tones I was expecting, indicating I had metal on my person.
To the question, “Sir, do you have anything in your pockets?” I produced my handkerchief and metal money clip and said, “Oh, I’m sorry! I forgot about this.” I backed up, put the money clip into the bin next to my bag, and stepped back through at the attendant’s request. The warning tones again.
“Sir?”
“It must be my watch or belt,” I said as I patted my pockets and pointed to my watch. Or maybe my pants or shoes?”
“Okay, that’s fine. Thank you,” was the reply. I picked up my bag, zipped up, and moved on into the crowd.
Here’s the thing. It is my experience that private event security rarely understands the sensitivity of magnetometers—the walk-through units or the wands. Watches, money clips, belt buckles, and even rivets on jeans and eyelets on boots confuse them (the people, not the machines) if you offer them as potential. This is why TSA doesn’t rely on them.
Inside my bag that night, as always, were four other pouches zipped closed. NONE of these were opened or checked. I wasn’t, but almost certainly could have been, armed in the arena.
I write this not to brag but to warn. For if I could have, so could others. On top of that, most private event security is designed to prevent by posture, by putting on a good show. This theater keeps out the less sophisticated malfeasants and catches the most obvious problems. These are good things. But they are not perfect.
Only human beings can look directly at something, have all the information they need to make an accurate prediction, perhaps even momentarily make the accurate prediction, and then say that isn’t so.
Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence
I encourage you not to break event security policies but to be tactically aware of your environment. Or at least listen to those in your party who are in touch with what Gavin de Becker calls your “gift of fear.”
Denial is a save now, pay later scheme.
Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence
Satchel. Murse. Man-bag. Call it what you will, I’ll always carry one. Oh, and to all you trendy youngsters with the “cross-body” bags and “slings,” quit fooling yourself. Those are just overpriced fanny packs with the 1980’s dust knocked off of them and the “OP” label replaced with a “Lulu Lemon” brand.
Similar to the hat trend of a few years ago, I was doing it first.
As discussed here, I decided to reduce my ‘every day carry’ (EDC) kit. A few people (okay, one person) doesn’t care for my current bag, proclaiming it too ‘tactical’ looking.
Out With the Old
The ‘old’ bag is a Mystery Ranch “day pack lid” for their military line of backpacks. I have a “Crew Cab” back pack from them (not made anymore) that I used for hauling investigation equipment and overnight gear into back-country wildland fire investigations. That’s where the lid came from. There are pack straps stashed on one side and a pocket for a small hydration bladder. At 14.7 liters (900 cubic inches), it will carry a lot of ‘stuff’–two MREs and two 100oz water bladders, according to their website.
For those not in the know, Mystery Ranch is (was?) owned by Danna Gleason who formerly owned “Dana Designs.” I’ve been using his backpacks since my first “Terraplane” in Alaska in 1997.
I designed the shoulder strap from an old Dana Designs fanny pack and some other scrap webbing around the house. It has a magnetic quick detach adjuster, and attaches to the lid via “Grimlocks.”
The real problem is carrying around the weight–too many “safety props.” Getting a smaller bag forces me to reduce my load. Lets take a look at the current load out. Then I’ll show you the new bag and describe what I’m leaving in and out, and why.
The old principle:
Two is one; one is none.
Apocryphal
Here is the knife: a Chase Axin (Chax Knives) “Warrior Spirit” in a custom Sagewood Gear leather sheath. There is an attached magnesium ferro rod and a tin containing fire starter. The tin is shiny enough to be used as a signalling device.
Front
Front pocket openContents of front pocket
In the front pocket is my Traveler’s Notebook (custom; I made it myself; serves as my analog planner, checkbook and wallet), a Sharpie (to check off my grocery list), a “ChicoBag,” house and car keys, and a Kifaru pouch. My phone is usually in here as well.
Contents of front pocket Kifaru pouch
Inside the Kifaru pouch:
Fox40 whistle
Photon PH021 X-Light Micro (dimmable white light + three strobe speeds + “SOS” flash)
Leatherman Style PS (incidentally the only TSA-approved Leatherman as it has no knife blade)
Small grey bag contains some tools for my Peak Designs Capture camera clip, and a spare camera battery
Dental floss (useful for more than just getting beef jerky out of your teeth)
Levenger’s “Pocket Briefcase” (holds 3×5 cards for analog notes on the go)
Retirement credentials (if you carry a firearm post-retirement, you have to have your credentials on you)
Two straps with tri-glides (to strap a larger jacket onto the bag)
Patagonia Dragonfly folds into its pocket; the gloves, Buffwear, and neckerchief also fit inside.
GSW kit includes everything needed to prevent the three leading causes of traumatic deaths in tactical/combat situations. The nasopharangeal airway is missing here–it was old and dried out. I have no idea why I put water purifier tabs, tea bags, and rehydration salts in here (top left corner of the picture).
Electronics EDC
For charging the phone on the go. This super thin and light RadioShack rechargeable battery is great. Gives me one full charge on the iPhone. Sorry, kids, RadioShack is not what it used to be.
Individual First Aid Kit and other sundries–a “possibles” kit. Other people that are with me have gotten more use out of this kit than I ever have. I once fixed a guy’s glasses in the theater, moments before the musical started, using ‘snare wire’ out of the ‘survival kit’ and the Leatherman. (left to right, top to bottom):
“nuun” tabs container containing Ibuprofen
Heavy duty plastic zip top bag has lots of uses including holding water or small game, and picking up trash
“survival kit” (old, unknown brand; filled with very useful bits and bobs and some useless stuff like the “fishing kit”)
Burt’s Bees lip balm
Leatherman “Wave” multi-tool with attached jewelers screwdriver and various sized eyeglass repair screws
Adventure Medical Kits ultralite/watertight “.3” first aid kit (AMK has the best pre-made IFAKs out their and I have been using them for years; I restock this one frequently which is a bit cheaper than buying a new one)
‘First Line’ EDC
Oh, I forgot. This is what I carry in my pockets. Why I show you this will make more since later when we get to the ‘new’ princple.
Money clip made from a brass “Chris-Craft” boat motor plate (“Chris-Craft,” get it?)
One Euro coin featuring Leonardo di Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man”
Large handkerchief
In With the New: “Little Green Bag”
(I had to stick to the music references.)
New principle:
The more you know, the less you have to carry.
Mors Kochanski
Wotancraft “Easy Rider” Sling Bag
Ain’t it beautiful? “Aged” leather and waxed canvas. Well, actually the canvas isn’t waxed, but I’m planning to do that soon to darken the color a bit and add weather proofing. At 9.5 liters (roughly 580 cubic inches) it’s about a third smaller than the Mystery Ranch bag. This will indeed require me to down-size my kit.
Front pocketMain pocketZippered internal pocketInternal pen pocketInternal ‘phone’ pocketBack of bag
The back of the main pocket has loop Velcro, designed to hold accessory pouches with hook Velcro on the back of them. I ended up using two of the four (so far).
I put my Rotring pen and pencil, and a Tombow Mono zero eraser in the pen pocket. The zippered pocket holds my passport and checkbook.
The small zippered pouch (bottom left) contains the sunscreen stick, floss, toothpicks, and “offensively large” lip balm. The tall zippered pouch (top left) holds a scaled down GSW kit and the NARCAN. The SOFT-T doesn’t fit in with the rest of the GSW kit, so it is just floating around in the main pocket.
This is not ideal–hard to find under duress–so I’ll replace it with a lighter weight SWAT-T tourniquet. These are not approved by the “Tactical Combat Care Committee” but it has been tested and proven to work. It packs flat so it should fit in the pouch with the rest of the GSW kit.
Major bummer–my Traveler’s Notebook doesn’t fit in the front pocket. I’ve decided to customize the notebook down from this ‘standard’ size to ‘passport’ size. Then it will fit neatly in the main pocket.
I am fairly certain that this front pocket could be used to smuggle just about any contraband (knife, gun, flask of whisky) past the average concert venue security bag check… I should probably do an article about the “security theater” that I have experienced since 9/11.
Any way, this pocket zips closed, and the way the leather folds the zipper is hidden. All I would need to do is open the main pocket at the bag check. It also helps you to engage the security person with nonsense questions or humor. They get distracted, assume you are a ‘nice’ person and then aren’t as thorough, thereby missing other pockets.
For now I will stick to having my house and car keys in there, attached to the Photon light, and whistle. My iPhone rides in there for now, too (easier access to that than the “phone pocket” in the main pocket).
The green REI zippered pouch is in the main pocket still packed as above but with a few modifications. Mainly I switched the full-sized Leatherman “Wave” for the much smaller and lighter “Style PS.”
Other things I eliminated:
Retirement credentials–not carrying a gun, then don’t need the creds
The two zip-closure plastic bags
Tea bags, water purification tabs, and rehydration salts
Patagonia Dragonfly wind shirt, Buffwear, and SmartWool Gloves
Chico Bag
Matador mini blanket & Droplet dry bag
Compact reading glasses
Knife sharpener
Red neckerchief
I also put the RadioShack rechargeable battery, wall plug, and the two smallest cables into the grey bag with the camera battery. I left out the earbuds, car charger plug, and the tools for the Peak Design Capture. The bag is a lens cloth, and I have gloves and a mask in the IFAK and the GSW kit, so I also got rid of the Code of Bell pouch.
I plan to add a second fire option–probably storm matches in a small case. I’m going to upgrade the Surefire flashlight with a drop in LED to increase the candle power.
The front straps disconnect allowing the main compartment to expand a bit. The bag still has room to add gloves, hat, even a jacket come fall. I’ve also been able to get a book and highlighter in there.
For this last post in the series we get into all the “extras,” to include anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere. I’ll also describe things I had but wish I hadn’t and hadn’t but wish I had. That will make more sense later. Some of these things I never used but I wouldn’t leave home without. A lot of this falls into the ‘ten essentials‘ or my version of a ‘possibles kit.’
Hill People Gear Chest Kit
I really wanted to love this piece of kit. The main purpose of this kit is to have certain pieces of gear always at hand, even if you take off your pack. There’s just too many downsides relative to an extended backpacking trip.
While “everything” is readily at hand, it is heavy and retains heat. Notice in the picture Arlyn is wearing a lighter version? And the sweat stain underneath? If it is cold out you won’t mind the heat retention until you stop and the sweat starts evaporating.
Another downside is layering clothing. When you put on your rain gear or an insulating layer, you either have to take this off first or cover up the gear you wanted to have easy access to. It also doesn’t hide my ‘dunlap’ tire…
I’m going to repurpose this SAR. Paired with my day pack, I think it will be perfect for man-tracking missions.
Okay, So What’s In It?
Small flashlight, LED, bright, single CR123 battery
Leatherman Wave multitool, +/- 20 years old, original (no bit drivers), my favorite multitool that I carried everyday at work
Orange/pink signal panel
Signal mirror, small
Whistle
Gun shot wound trauma kit (because the kit is designed to carry a pistol…)
Large bandana from SOLO ALEC course, has a ‘SOAP’ note on it
The big knife is a Chax Knives ‘Warrior Spirit’ in a custom Sagewood Gear leather sheath. The knife is heavy and sturdy enough for digging and batoning. That means I can leave behind the cat hole shovel and camp axe. The sheath is a ‘scout carry’ (horizontal) and has an integrated magnesium rod and a small tin of fire tinder. I love this knife and carry it everywhere.
Challenge coin, the four Stoic virtues from The Daily Stoic*
one Lira coin (from Italy before the Euro), featuring daVinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’*
*The significance of the coins are a much longer conversation we can have later.
The knife and lighter were my grandfather’s, both from his time in service. The Italian Lira is from my shore leave there in 1994. A note on the lighter — I have another Zippo, also brass, from my time in the Navy. I had engraved it for a Christmas gift and when he stopped smoking my dad gave it back to me. Anyway, I tried putting it in a Thyrm ‘Pyrovault’ so I could leave papaw’s at home.
It looks great and holds a wad of fire-starter in the bottom (fuel-impregnated cotton). Problem is it doesn’t fit correctly and thus makes striking impossible. Also the fluid evaporates within 24-48 hours. I left it at home. I’ll consider getting a butane insert from Thyrm that I assume will fit better? If it works maybe it will make it into my pockets next time.
Solar-Powered Camping?
I carried an old Goal Zero backpacker’s solar panel for keeping all the battery-powered gadgets charged up. It is a bit heavy but (I thought would be) very useful. It wouldn’t charge my iPhone X. The battery pack that came with the panel would charge it either. And actually the four rechargeable AA batteries that run the battery pack are shot. Replacing those may change the game.
The solar panel would charge a backup battery that Arlyn was carrying. He graciously let me use his battery to charge my phone and I replenished this when the sun came out.
The panel did quickly charge my Garmin watch.
Speaking of the Watch and iPhone
The Garmin Fenix 6 was great for navigation, but I need to learn how to use it better. I should have preloaded our route and either ran the navigating or expedition mode. I used the hiking (exercise/training) mode. It tracks you well but would discharge 3-4 days of battery power each use. Allegedly ‘expedition mode’ saves battery power and still records helpful information. Expedition mode counts as training but i’m not sure about ‘navigation mode.’
The iPhone was to be my main navigation tool and camera. Using the Avenza app ran the battery down quickly. I turned off the mapping app and reserved the power for taking photos. Navigating then became terrain/trail/route following, and consulting the map if needed.
Possibles Kit
Some people see this as just a repair kit. To me it’s quite a bit more. As Patrick Smith says,
“The concept is to store close at hand everything needed to operate efficiently, and safely, in remote places. Everything meaning everything besides clothing, shelter, boots, horse…you get the idea.”
Patrick Smith
By Patrick’s definition this also includes everything in the Chest Kit and in my pockets. This kit resides in the top of my backpack. The pouch is repurposed from my US Palm plate carrier.
Sharpie marker
Super Glue
Extra heavy aluminum foil (I could make a cup/pot out of this and melt snow)
Kenyon ‘K-Tape’ fabric repair tape (‘Tenacious Tape’ seems to be the popular thing now)
strip of double-faced velcro (hook on one side, loop on the other)
Again the pouch is repurposed from my US Palm plate carrier. The medications are in an old Kifaru pull-out pouch.
Quick Clot sponge (3.5×3.5)
2 gauze rolls
Elastic bandage
Kerlix roll
2 4×4 sponges
5×9 combine dressing
Bandaids
2 large
4 medium
8 standard
5 ‘knuckle’
3×3 gauze pad
Package of steri-strip wound closures
Package of Moleskin
Pen light
Sharpie
4 pairs gloves
Antimicrobial hand wipes
SAM splint
S-rolled gauze
Fabric athletic tape
Latex-free tape
Full-sized trauma shears
Super glue
Razor blade
6 large safety pins
Small pencil
Hypo- & Hyper-thermia thermometers
Tweezers & sewing pins (ticks and splinters)
CPR pocket mask
Medications
(does not include my prescriptions)
5 pkts Diphenhydramine HCL (antihistamine)
5 pkts Loperamide Hydrochloride (anti-diarrheal)
6 ‘BC Powders’ (500mg Acetaminophen + Caffeine)
10-15 Hydrocodon-Acetaminophen
40 Dexamethasone
20 Nifedipine
40 Odenestrone
5 pkts Hydrocortisone cream
5 pkts Triple antibiotic ointment
Albuterol metered dose inhaler
Pepcid Complete
Final Thoughts
Use a checklist. Pack the car the night before. Recheck the car and checklist in the morning. Long-story-short — don’t forget your boots.
I need a lighter weight backpack. That change alone could drop five to seven pounds off my total load. There are some ‘ultra light’ backpacks out there that are essentially frame-less. Though I can’t imagine carrying 35-45 pounds in a frame-less sack.
After this trip I visited the REI flagship store in Seattle, WA to return the boots. While there decided to look at a few backpacks. I asked about this fancy looking Arc’teryx Aerios pack, a Gregory (don’t remember the model), a Granite Gear Crown3, a new version of the Osprey Exos, and a Mystery Ranch Terraframe 3 zip 50.
Following the very helpful salesperson’s lead, I flexed the Arc’teryx from top to bottom and the “anti-barreling” frame sheet snapped in half. Needless to say, that’s off my list — not further research needed. I hope the salesperson didn’t have to pay for it…
The Osprey was upgraded with the frame now hitched to the waist belt. Both the Gregory and the Granite Gear seemed well constructed, low weight, decent volume. I liked the frame and apparent durability of the Mystery Ranch, but I’m not sold on the three-zip design.
The tent was great. I need a footprint and a thin ensolite pad that fits the floor. Maybe some adjustable poles. Big Agnes doesn’t make the Insulated Air Core mattress series or the Zirkel bag but they made good on their guarantee. They sent me a new, lighter ‘Divide Insulated’ pad with ‘inflation sack.’ Just as the helpful customer service said it fits in the sleeve on the back of the bag.
In the “closet” I’m considering a kilt. I own several and have day-hiked in my Utilikilt ‘Survival.’ Its durable, heavy canvas can take a beating but it’s hot. Add a pack belt and I’m sweating in all the most unattractive areas. I used to own a ‘Sport Kilt’ and did some obstacles course races and local CrossFit events in it. I’m exploring those options. On top of that would be a rain kilt.
I’m also giving thought to something I used to carry when I hiked the Appalachian Trail — an umbrella. As mentioned I’ve used an umbrella and poncho/tarp as an emergency shelter. This is a trick I picked up from TBR Walsh at Stone Hearth Open Learning Opportunities in Conway, NH. I attended their “Advanced Leadership & Emergency Care” course in the winter of ’96-7. The biggest downside to an umbrella is heavily wooded areas such as unmaintained trails and off-trail routes. A proper umbrella though can serve double duty as a hiking stave.
Speaking of hiking staves/poles, I’m considering those too. Jason let me borrow one of his for several creek crossings and I was thankful for the balance assistance it provided.
The chest kit doesn’t make the cut. As discussed above it is hot and frankly unnecessary. Stuff in there could have been in pockets or pouches elsewhere.
That’s a Wrap
If you’ve followed along through this whole multi-post debriefing thanks for indulging. If there’s something you missed or want to go back to, you can jump to there via these links:
For clothing I ascribe to the three-layer system. This consisting of a base, an insulator, and an outer layer with a few caveats. The selection of course is (predicted) weather-dependent plus some extras based on experience. For example, the ten-day forecast may predict no precipitation, but in the high Sierras it could rain, hail, snow, or thunderstorm any afternoon. If you are caught high with naught but your shorts and tee-shirt, you are asking to die of hypothermia. During which you apparently fall asleep, so maybe that’s not so bad, but your last thoughts are probably “I could have prevented this,” so there’s that…
“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
Shakespeare
Most days I was wearing Fjällraven shorts, Under Armor boxer briefs and undershirt, ‘R1’ capilene long johns, and a Columbia long sleeve sun shirt. I also wore an OR ball cap with a sun drape that covered my neck. I first used the long johns for morning chill. Later I was glad to have them to defend against the sun. One in the party that wore shorts burned the backs of their legs (around the knees between the shorts and gaiters).
On day one due to the possibility of rain, I wore my wax canvas Fjällraven pants. Once it started raining these were soaked through within the first hour. I’ll need to re-wax them before winter time. The rest of the trip they were dead weight.
Jason wore a sun blocking shirt with a hood and used a ‘Buff’ neck gaiter.
I had forgotten my neck gaiters and wish I hadn’t. The hat with drape was hot, and I think the sun blocking hoody would have worked better. In fact, I purchased a similar shirt by ‘Free Fly’ and wore it in Glacier — it worked great. It wasn’t as hot as the hat and still protected me from the sun burn. Better would be something like Jason’s with a quarter-length zipper to allow ventilation.
Further insulation was provided by my hooded Patagonia ‘Puff Ball’ jacket. The beanie and gloves mentioned here were also easily accessible while hiking. In the future I’d carry a second lighter insulation layer, like a vest or lined wind breaker for cold morning starts or windy lunch breaks. But that would be in addition to the ‘Puff Ball.’ Its versatility makes it too useful to leave at home.
What’s Left?
And that’s everything in the closet. Last stop: “Appliances and Accessories” Or you can [re]visit one of these:
When Kathleen and I met we discovered we had the same tent (destined to be?). The Sierra designs ‘Clip Flashlight’ two-person tent. She had the newer, lighter ‘CD’ version (4 lbs. 6 oz). We eventually got rid of my older model. Several years later we bought a four-season, double-walled, three-person tent.
The Black Diamond ‘Squall’ is heavy (8 lbs. 7 oz) but when car camping we can put a queen-sized air mattress in it and still have room for gear inside. I’d carry it on canoe/kayak trips, and it would more than suffice for winter camping.
I also have an old but still useful bivouac sack. I’ve camped in it using a large golfer’s umbrella and a tarp to build a shelter over the head of it. I could sit up and read or cook in the rain that way. When I worked backcountry patrol jobs that bivy sack was on every patrol and SAR. On patrol as a backup to the tent, and on SARs in case I got stuck overnight.
Given all those options…
Of course I opted to buy something new instead!
The TarpTent ‘Notch’ weighs in at 27.95 ounces (1 lb. 11.95 oz) which includes the polyester fly, with ‘solid interior,’ stakes, struts, stuff sack, bags, and guy lines. The poles are another 3.8 ounces. So all together an ounce shy of 2 pounds.
Strangely enough the mesh interior is 0.2 ounces heavier but probably not as warm as the solid interior. I can pitch it without the interior but not the other way around. The fly alone would be lighter but I was happy to have the mosquito protection.
The tent requires two poles and only four stakes. You can use trekking poles. Since I wasn’t planning to use trekking poles, I opted for their poles.
There are two vestibules. These turned out to be plenty of space for my pack on one side and boots on the other. It opens to both sides. I could make it taught on one side where I stored the pack, and still easily get in and out on the opposite side.
Downsides?
Only one: a few mornings there was a fair amount of condensation on the inside of the fly. None of this dripped onto the interior. There are a few ways mentioned out on the interwebs to avoid this problem. I’ll need to experiment in various conditions and report back.
I need to upgrade with a ‘footprint’ and two adjustable (lighter) carbon fiber poles. I don’t use trekking poles right now though I’m exploring those as a future purchase. If I go that route, it’s good to note that TarpTent makes attachments specifically to accommodate them.
The Sleep System
The “system” consists of:
the sleeping bag
sleeping pad
other insulation layers you might use overnight, be they:
‘long johns,’
socks
hat
gloves
Sleeping Bag
For this trip I used my Big Agnes ‘Zirkel SL’ — not made anymore. This is down-filled and rated to 20o. It’s mummy shaped and has a bag sewn into the hood. This is for a pillow or any clothing you may want to use for that purpose. There’s no fill on the bottom side of the bag saving weight — with a caveat. See next.
Sleeping Pad
The ‘Insulated Air Core’ mattress is designed to fit inside an sleeve on the back of the bag. The bag doesn’t slide off the pad. Since there’s no fill on the bottom side of the bag you save a few more ounces on the total weight. Big Agnes also does not make this anymore.
Arlyn carried two sleeping pads. Open open-cell (inflatable) foam pad and one closed-cell foam (by Thermarest, I think). I’d like to follow his lead to upgrade my system. I’m looking into a piece of ensolite sized to the floor of the notch.
The bag was warm enough that I frequently left it open. Plus being a side sleeper, I’d wake up with parts of me — a leg or arm — on the cold ground. Not to mention the bonus of a back up to my mattress, which sprung a leak on night three. I woke up every two or three hours with cold or painful shoulders or hips and have to re-inflate the mattress.
I haven’t been able to find the leak to patch it. Big Agnes replaced it free of charge, with a comparable item. Thus securing my customer loyalty.
Pillow
I forgot to take one of my many camping pillows. Truth be told I’ve never found a perfect camping pillow. As previously mentioned the Big Agnes bag has an attached bag at the head and in that I stuffed clothes and my Patagonia ‘Puff Ball’ jacket. Arlyn had an inflatable pillow. I might look into something like that for future trips.
Other Insulation
I’ll discuss clothing in the next post but for my sleep system I had:
‘long johns’ consisting of long capilene pants and shirt
socks
a beanie
gloves
None of this I needed on this trip but wouldn’t leave home without. You never know if or when weather might take a hard turn.
What’s In the Closet?
That’s it for the “bedroom.” On to the “clothes closet.” Or check out one of these other links if you prefer:
I took the easy route when it came to food — prepackaged meals from Peak and Backpacker’s Pantry.
Peak
Three Bean Chili Mac
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Chicken Teriyaki Rice
Beef Pasta Marinara
Backpacker’s Pantry
Santa Fe style Rice and Beans with Chicken
Wild West Chili and Beans
Lunches were simple — bars from Rx Bars and Kind. Others tended to make a hot lunch. I was intentionally running on a caloric deficit but had back up food if needed.
Breakfast was just coffee — more about this in a minute.
Water
Despite all my goings on about filters (here), I only packed the Sawyer Mini. As a group we mostly used Arlyn’s Sawyer Squeeze. We did use the MSR Dromedary water bag. On top of individual water bottles and Ken’s Camel back, it carried enough filtered water for the night’s meal, coffee, and much of my water needs the next day.
I carried a 1500mL Nalgene bottle during the day. I supplemented the water with ‘nuun’ tabs, mainly for the taste. I usually drank two of these per day.
Speaking of Coffee
I carried a Bialetti ‘moka express’ 3-shot espresso maker. Yes, it weighs half a pound, but the flavor of real Italian espresso every morning is worth every ounce! I drank that from my MSR titanium cup. I wish I had had an insulated mug with me.
Stove, etc.
I boiled water in an MSR titanium pot using my first generation Snow Peak ‘Giga Power’ stove. And I ate dinner with a Toaks titanium spork.
Others ate meals mostly from ‘Good to Go’ which I didn’t taste. Jason however made various dinners from ingredients he brought rather than prepackaged meals. His peanut butter pad thai with ramen noodles was excellent. I need to step up my backcountry cooking game.
In Glacier
Out at the Belly River Ranger cabin there is both a propane and wood-fired stove/oven. I packed in the ingredients to make “Sukhi’s Family Curry” a’ la me (recipe to follow).
Sukhi’s family is Sikh and therefore vegetarian. She taught Kathleen and I how to make this. We add chicken and coconut milk. I’ve made it with white fish before and sometimes we vary the vegetables.
Now on to the “Bedroom”
In the next post we will talk about tents and my sleeping system. Or feel free to jump to another chapter:
Various vegetables, try 1/2 a cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, etc.
1 can coconut milk
juice of half a lemon
Directions
Heat oil in a deep saute pan. Add cumin seed, onion, garlic, and ginger one at a time in that order, sauteing each for a minute or two between additions — long enough to soften but not carmelize.
Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and chili. Saute for a minute or two — let your nose tell you. Stir or toss constantly to avoid sticking.
Then add meat and vegetables. Stir in coconut milk and juice. Simmer, covered, until cooked through, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
Before I left I went around and around on my backpack choices — Osprey ‘Exos’ or Mystery Ranch ‘Crew Cab?’ I haven’t written about either of these, so first a word or two about each.
Osprey Exos 58
The Exos 58 is 15 to 20 years old. I bought it on sale back when I was still working in Yosemite National Park. But then I never used it. It is very light weight. Oddly, the bottom corners of the frame are not attached to the hip belt.
I wore it around the house and on training rucks, loaded with 40 pounds. All I could think about was how small the main belt fastex buckle was. If that broke in the backcountry without a replacement on hand I’d be hosed.
Mystery Ranch Crew Cab
The ‘Crew Cab’ by Mystery Ranch is built on the “NICE” frame. It is no longer available unless you can find a used one. It was purchased for wildland fire investigations where I might need to carry heavy, over-sized equipment and personal gear.
The pack weighs a whopping 9.5 pounds empty, but can easily bare a 150 pound load. I used it throughout my rucking training for this trip. This picture doesn’t show the top lid, but gives a good idea of how it works.
For the trip in the Winds, the Mystery Ranch Crew Cab won out. I just had more confidence in it. That said, I used the Osprey in Glacier where I would be carrying much less weight (no tent, less food).
How Did They Work Out?
The Mystery Ranch ‘Crew Cab’ carried well throughout the Bridger Wilderness. Having a central bag to hold the gear in the middle would have made it better. The day we crossed Knapsack Col is the only time I wished for a lighter pack and more flexible frame. At one point I tried looking up for my route and felt I was being pulled backwards. Had we chosen to take the slightly longer but less technical route this probably wouldn’t have been a problem.
I used the Osprey for the six plus miles in and out of the Belly River Ranger Station in Glacier. Again, though I didn’t weigh it, this was a very light load — less than 20 pounds. When I lifted it out of the car I was elated. When I cinched down the first side compression strap and the hardware snapped, the elation evaporated. I tied a ‘taught line hitch’ to keep it cinched down.
An aside for my fellow knot nerds: a ‘taught line hitch’ is a rolling hitch tied with the bitter end back onto the standing or running end to create an adjustable loop.
The light load carried okay. The lower corners of the frame slopped around and irritated me. As previously mentioned these lower frame corners are not attached to the waist belt. I’m glad I didn’t use it on the seven day trip. The sway and slop with 35-40 pounds would have sucked.
Conclusions
I’m on the hunt for a new backpack. Lighter than, but as durable as the Mystery Ranch, and more confidence-inducing than the Osprey. I see that Osprey has updated the Exos — still geared toward the ultra-light crowd. It seems they fixed the bottom of the frame to the pack belt.
On my way to Glacier I got to visit ‘Mystery Ranch’ for an hour or so and I’m already a super fan of Dana Gleason. I used a US-made Terraplane for trips in Denali National Park in 1997. I think you can tell where this is going, but I’ll save the details of my research for later posts.
In the Next Chapter
The next post will take a quick tour through “The Kitchen” — stoves, pots and pans, utensils, and food. If that doesn’t light your fire, you can give any of these others a read instead:
Actually, If you haven’t already read this, you might want to do that first. I wanted to use either my La Sportiva Makalus or my Danner Mountain Light Cascades, but … I got to within thirty minutes outside of Sacramento (almost three hours from home) and it hit me. Like a bag of bricks dropped from a second story window, I realized I had left both of my pairs of boots at home.
Well fuck me.
“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes his whole universe for a vast practical joke.
Herman Melville
So new plan, I had to stop at REI in Sacramento. Unfortunately they did not have the non-Gortex Danner Mountain Light. Nor did they have the La Sportiva Makalu. They did have other Danner models, but not in my size.
I ended up purchasing the Salomon Quest 4 GTX. In my haste I did not realize they were Goretex lined. This however was a beneficial mistake.
Minor creek crossings and rain didn’t get my feet wet. The boots also dried out quickly. Thanks to the temperatures my feet didn’t over-heat and sweat beyond the boots ability to transport the moisture away (more about that problem here.)
No blisters. I did get an abrasion on my right heel, but that was from some small debris that found its way into the boot. Gators might have prevented that. I did have short, not waterproof ‘scree gaiters’ with me but never used them.
So Why Did I Return Them?
Because on the morning of day three I had pain-tenderness across the top of my right medial forefoot. That’s across the navicular and medial cuneiform bones. This is a problem I’ve had with other shoes, and I usually solve it with alternative lacing. With this boot though that caused too much slop — less sense of stability. The design feature that is causing the problem is what happens to be the how the foot is locked into the heel cup and arch. Leaving this out of the lacing pattern relieves the pain but excessively frees the heel and drops the arch support.
Socks & Blister Prevention
I always use a two-sock system — a liner made out of silk and polyester plus a Smartwool hiking sock. Based on a recommendation from Jason and Alison, at Glacier I swapped my usual liners from REI for Injinji liner-weight toe socks. These were so comfortable — and allow for other camp shoe options — it’s what I’m using from now on.
It comes in this convenient plastic case and is pre-cut. I’m able to get several alcohol wipes in the center so I can clean the area before applying. This ensures the tape will stick even where I might have previously used the ‘FootGlide.’ Just in case I also carry Compede bandages.
Camp Shoes
I used ‘Crocs.’ They are lightweight and comfortable. Unlike most sandals/flip flops/’thongs’ they are sock compatible. (Unless of course your socks have toes.) While using the heel strap they wouldn’t fall off and were stable enough for all chores in and around camp. Not the best for swift moving water crossings, but that was an unlikely event on this trip.
One word of caution, use the heel strap. Any shoe without a heel cup or strap forces the foot to do things to keep the shoe on. I’m not one to wear flip flops ‘everywhere’ (longer conversation we can have later, but if you can imagine standing at a public urinal and your foot gets wet but you haven’t started yet…). A few years ago I started wearing them around the house all day while working from home. After three months I had bilateral plantar fasciitis. I stopped wearing the flip flops and the plantar fasciitis self-resolved.
That’s It for Foundations
Next up: “The Walls”–all about my backpacks. Or you can jump around to what interests you.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau
Introduction
This series of essays is an ‘after action report’ of sorts. It details the good, bad, and ugly of the gear I used. Furthermore, I’ll talk about the mistakes I made and the lessons I learned on my recent trip to the Bridger Wilderness and Glacier National Park. I’m choosing to follow Collin Fletcher and Chip Rawlins’ outline of The Complete Walker IV. But before I take you deep into those weeds, I should describe the trip itself. That information informed my decisions and mistakes.
“The Winds”
The Bridger Wilderness is part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It lies on the east side of the Continental Divide, demarcated by the Wind River Range. I met Ken, Arlyn, and Greg in Pinedale, WY. Jason met us in our first camp the next morning.
I went to academy with Ken and Jason. Arlyn — a detective in upstate New York — is Ken’s cousin. Greg, who also works for the Park Service, is a friend and former co-worker of Ken. We’ll hear more from them later.
Our longest day was just over 8 miles. The shortest less than two. (This was to move our camp to lower elevation in case the pending storm brought snow.) The trailhead is at about 9,000′ above MSL. Day one had us camping above 10,000′ and for the rest of the trip we were above that until the final day’s hike out. Knapsack Col, which we crossed on day three, is 12,380′ MSL.
Temperatures ranged from highs in the low to mid 70’s to lows in the mid 40’s. Thunderstorms, bringing lightning, rain, even hail in the late afternoon and evening, is always a possibility. It was ‘mostly sunny/partly cloudy’ except for day one and six when it rained. First lesson learned is wear sun protection as a rule and have it available to reapply. (More about that later.)
Last note about the area that should effect decisions is this is bear country. Both black bear and grizzlies roam here. That said, all we saw was a bull moose, a badger, pika, osprey, and a long tailed weasel.
Glacier National Park
My trip to Glacier National Park was much more mellow. There I met my friend Alison in Saint Marys. We had dinner with her retired Park Service friends Dick and Ursula. After dinner we drove to East Glacier Park and spent the night in the seasonal dormitory.
We spent the next day in Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, after being detained at the border. (Funny story for another time.) Another night in the dorms, and then we visited several front country favorites of Alison’s. Late that day we drove back north — nearly again to the boarder — to the Belly River trailhead.
From there we hiked an easy 6.3 miles to the Belly River Ranger Station cabin(s). Alison patrolled and I hiked and fished for the next two days. I hiked out solo on the fourth day. Then, via the ‘Going to the Sun Road,’ drove west. I eventually meet my wife and friends on Whidby and Bainbridge Islands in the Puget Sound, Washington.
Since I was staying in a ranger cabin, pack weight was very low but there is still some information to gleaned. There I used a different pack. See full details in ‘chapter 2.’
I ended up driving a total of 3,574 miles over eleven days.
The Trip Numbers
8/20: drive to Elko, NV
8/21: drive to Pinedale, WY
8/22: 6.14 miles from the Elkhart/Trails End trailhead to Barbara Lake (about a half mile shy of our target, Hobbs Lake)
8/23: 8.59 miles to Titcomb Lakes (we camped between #3 & 4) beneath Fremont Peak
8/24: 5.18 miles up and over Knapsack Col
8/25: 1.66 miles dropping roughly 1,000′ elevation, just above Peak Lake (late afternoon hail, and then rain, and then rock fall off Cube Rock)
8/26: 5.56 miles over Shannon Pass back to and then south on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail to Lower Jean Lake
8/27: 7-8 miles estimated (more details later, but my watch was dead until I could charge it at lunch)
8/28: 6.83 miles back to Elkhart/Trails End trailhead
8/29: drive to Bozeman, MT
8/30: drive to East Glacier, MT
8/31: short hike to the top of Bear Hump in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada
9/1: less than 3 miles in Glacier National Park front country, and then 6.3 miles into the Belly River Ranger Cabin
9/2: hike and fish
9/3: hike and fish
9/4: hike 6.3 miles out to the Belly River trailhead; drive to Spokane, WA (where I shared an elevator with Bonnie Rait!)
9/5: Drive to Whidby Island and met Kathleen and friends
9/6-8: Enjoyed ‘island life’ and a little bit of the city — Canon, in Seattle, WA (huge thanks and love to Nettie, and Carrie and Kurt for hosting us)
Every trip into the backcountry requires you to either carry all the water you will need for the duration or to purify water along the way as need … and IF available. So, it’s good to know how much you will need for any specific length of trip. This tells you:
how much you need to carry, and as such how much that’s going to weigh
how much you need to filter, which might inform decisions such as what filter to use
how much you need to treat, indicating how much treatment you need to bring
how much you need to boil, which translates into how much stove fuel and maybe your stove choice.
Calculating Water Needs
Most references agree on the necessity of about two liters of water per day. This does not take into account water loss from exercise, work, or heat of the environment. But you can calculate that too. Most healthy adults at rest should consume 8oz for every hour of the first 10 hours of the day.
Don’t pound 8 oz every hour. This can be counter productive, especially if you are already mildly dehydrated. Sip the amount over the 1 hour period. The gulping method could lead to acute overload and then elimination. The body perceives you are fluid overloaded and wants to bring you back to stasis.
To avoid dehydration during exercise, you can get more accurate calculations using the “Galpin Equation.” “Galpin” is Dr. Andy Galpin. He didn’t name the equation or even actually develop it. As an inside joke, Professor Andrew Hubberman named it after him. Listen to the podcast here.
The Glapin Equation:
Your body weight in pounds divided by 30 equals the number of ounces of water you should consume every 15-20 minutes. This replaces the 8oz:1-hour protocol.
The military has done extensive research in this area. They are very concerned about having enough water to keep soldiers working at peak levels.
According to the Army backpacking, or “rucking” as they call it, is either “moderate” or “hard” work. Next they measure “wet bulb globe temperature” (WBGT) which takes humidity into account. This is also referred to as the “heat index.” If you have ever heard of “black flag conditions” that’s a heat index of >90 degrees Fahrenheit.
From that we get fluid replacement guidelines for each heat index and and work category. They also calculate “work/rest” periods.
Back In the Day…
In the past I have relied on chemical solutions, such as:
This was an upgrade from my Appalachian trail days method of “drink and hope for the best.” Chemical solutions are somewhat slow but very light weight and treat a lot of water for their small size. I ALWAYS have some of one of these in my kit. It’s faster and uses less energy than boiling.
I’ve also used pumps in the past, like this old school “First Need XL.”
This filter is still made by “General Ecology” [LINK] and is quite bombproof. It pumps fast and has a useful, albeit slow, gravity filtration capability. It weighs in at 2.3 pounds and the filter needs replacing replacing after 180 gallons (550 liters). The filter replacements cost a whopping $75, coming out to $2.40 per gallon!
Moving Forward
For my Wind River Wilderness trip I decided to try something new. That is something small, light, and easier. I’m going to test two filters: the Life Straw Peak Series and the Sawyer Mini.
On paper they are very similar with one marked difference. The Life Straw filters and incredible (compared to the First Need, anyway) 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters). The Sawyer Mini beats that by a factor of 100. It promisses to filter an overwhelming 100,000 gallons before needing replacement. The Life Straw has a replaceable filter. The Sawyer does not allow for replacing the filter.
Why not carry both? I’m not going to need to filter 1,000, much less, 100,000 gallons on a six-night trip. But at only 2oz, I can carry both and test them across the seven days to see which is the most convenient. Whichever one doesn’t make the cut for backpacking can end up in a vehicle emergency kit.
Speaking of vehicle emergency kits, I got a four pack of theses recently at Costco. Filters 1,000 gallons each but does not allow for filter replacement. Nor can they adapt to water containers like their more sophisticated (expensive) twin.
Unboxing
As I unbox these a few things stand out.
The life straw looks like it was designed by Sir James Dyson (he does like things that suck and blow). It’s sleek, simple, modern, all the bells and whistles hidden away. It’s a bit long but still fits on a pack strap or in an accessible pocket.
The Sawyer appears to have been well engineered to function but not to display on your coffee table. It looks more like that hard to get to part on an old diesel tractor engine that never seems to break. It is a bit thicker but shorter and would fit on a pack strap or in a pocket.
The Sawyer comes with a “cleaning plunger,” a drinking straw, and a small (16oz) water pouch.
Put water in the pouch, screw on the filter and drink (squeezing the pouch makes things go faster).
Using a standard plastic water bottle size and thread, the Sawyer and the Life Straw can both be used this way.
The Sawyer’s straw is hard to fit and very tight. Which is good, indicating it would be less likely to fall off and float away in the creek you are drinking out of. But the straw is plastic and I suspect would stretch out and get loose over time if not crack and split. For this reason I’ve already swapped it out for a food-grade silicone drinking straw. The silicone replacement is longer and more flexible, so drinking out of mud puddles will be easier.
Oh! and it fits on the Life Straw too.
Now the Sawyer “cleaning plunger” seems to be an afterthought. Like they made this cool filter and at the last minute someone asked “how do we clean it?” And someone else said, “lets buy some 50mL syringes from a local medical supply, put our name on the side, and put that in the box.”
Result? A hunk of nearly useless plastic (it could be repurposed to irrigate wounds) that doesn’t fit on the filter. So you want me to hold the syringe on the filter, while also plunging water from the syringe through the filter? I’m not saying it can’t be done but…
The syringe could have been engineered to fit onto the filter. Or Sawyer could have supplied an adapter (I tried both their straw and mine to no avail).
I’ll leave the syringe at home and use my mouth to back-blow air and water through the filter.
Bladders or Bottles?
There’s pros and cons to both bladders and bottles, and I’m sure there is endless debate to be found online. Here’s my thinking.
Bladders are convenient
Fill it, close it, put it in the pack, route the hose, drink as you go. Almost every pack on the market these days has a bladder or “reservoir” pocket and openings to route the hose. Several outdoor gear companies sell their own version of water bladders.
Camelback used to have problems with the screw closure. I would get them cross-threaded, and could never get them tight enough, leading to leaks. This has greatly improved.
As far as closures and fill openings, I am a big fan of the HydraPak and Source. They have large-mouthed openings and easy to use, leak-proof closures.
Several brands have ‘quick-disconnect’ hoses and or mouth pieces. And there seems to be some standardization. My HydraPak and Source hoses fit on Camelback bladders and vice versa.
The HydraPak and Source bladders readily crossover. In fact they are almost identical. The small differences are more akin to target audience than function. The HydraPak appealing to the backpacking crowd. The Source more appealing to the military (both the real and the “soldiers of fiction”). Update: Source has separate”outdoor” and “tactical” line of products.
Because bladders are tucked away into the depths of the pack or carrier, they aren’t visible. It’s impossible to know how much you have actually drank or how soon you need to refill them. They do tend to carry more water than a single bottle (2-3 liters), but knowing how much you have consumed requires pulling them out of the carrier.
Lastly, bladders can be hard to fill. It can be done with patience, but its not as easy as a ridged wide mouth bottle. Two people make filter pump filling easier. So too having a tree handy near the source from which you can hang the bladder.
Bottles are multi-functional
Bottles come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as 8oz and as big as 36oz. Palstic, glass, and metal. There are double walled aluminum versions from HydroFlask and now Yeti. These profess to keep your tea hot or your water cold longer.
Nalgene is the GOAT of water bottles. Again in multiple sizes, colors and decorative art, and small to wide mouthed.
I have a few old Sigg water bottles that look exactly like stove fuel bottles so be careful there.
I’ve never tried “Kleen Kanteen” or any of the glass bottles that were all the rage several years ago.
Measurements on the side allow quick reference to when to refill or how much you have drunk. It also comes in handy for mixing the right amount of water into your dehydrated meals. Mixing powders seems to taint most bladder materials. Not so much the new plastic, glass, and aluminum bottles don’t seem to have this problem?
To drink on the trail you must have them stored in an outer pocket on on the hip belt. Thankfully most packs have these pockets built in as they do the bladder carrier.
I find bottles, given their ridged nature to be easier to fill. In dirty, gritty water I’ll stretch an old (clean) liner sock over the mouth to catch the worst of it. This is something I haven’t quite figured out how to do with bladders. One exception is my MSR Dromedary, which has a ridge wide mouth opening much like a bottle.
Any reason to carry both?
Sure. If you are certain that there will be water “everywhere” you could carry a bladder for use in camp due to the volume of water it holds. This would be empty during your hike. Why? Weight.
The bottle hold less and you can easily eye when it is getting time to refill. The full 32oz water bottle on your hip weighs less than the full 2-3 liters buried in your pack. I have a friend that professes this system to be best.
I haven’t had a chance to experiment yet with the newer gravity filtration systems. These might work perfectly for my friend’s system mentioned above. The hoses are oriented specifically to accommodate gravity feeding, and so would not work well for drinking on the move.
Accessories
With my new new filtration method, and a propensity to make gear as multi-functional as possible, I’ve recently found a few accessories to be very handy if not flat out necessary.
I bought this pack of adapters and hoses from “Source” and this set of quick-disconnect (QD) adapters from HydraPak. Remember above that Source and HydraPak can crossover hoses from one to the other? The QDs work on both bladders.
This QD male end is designed to fit the Sawyer Mini water filter. And yes, due to the standard size and thread, it fits on the Life Straw too.
Now I can attach a hose to a pack mounted water bottle, and a filter to that. There’s the convenience of a bottle that’s easy to reference, and a ready-at-hand, strap-mounted drinking tube.
And I can attach either filter to a hose for in-line filtration on the go, and mount that on a shoulder strap for easy drinking. I can even use my large Dromedary as a make shift gravity filtration system. It’s not perfect, given the side orientation of the mouth, but it does work.
Given all the options I now have, there’s lots to test and experiment with on my upcoming trips. Stay tuned for updates.
