HikeArizona.COM

I have gone to the archives to view suggestions on boots, gear, etc, but I would like to post it here to get more recent opinions and suggestions. Anyone wanting to share their knowledge, I'm grateful!

First off I'm new to hiking, I've only done one hike, Waterfall Trail, but I plan to get into this and want to make good choices rather than too much trail and error. That's where you all come in

What brand names do you recommend? What one's to steer clear of? Where do you shop? Reasonable? Sales? I've been told about the REI stores, so I plan to go there to take a look around. (Phoenix area)

What I feel I need first off is boots, hydration pack, hat, cool (well cool to look good too, but meant not warm lol) clothing, back pack, etc. What else? I don't plan to go camping, so plan to use these for day hiking only.

Thanks in advance !

Happy Memorial Weekend!

Sherileeaz

You can probably get them at any sporting goods store. I purchased mine at Sport Authority in Peoria. They are black Nike branded.

Coaster

Okay- I made mention of this to Coaster on the tonto creek pack, but, I couldnt remember the details. For his benefit and your, I looked it up and here is what it said:

Here's a big fat topic meander:

There is an old rule that the ambient temperature in degrees Fahrenheit is equal to the number of cricket chirps in 15 seconds plus 40. The ambient temperature in Celsius is roughly equal to the number of cricket chirps in 8 seconds plus 5.

Thus, if a cricket is heard to chirp 112 times in one minute, the temperature is approximately 68 °F or 20 °C.

Experiments that have been carried out on the snowy tree cricket (Oecanthus fultoni) suggest that the chirp rate is regulated by the rate of one or more metabolic reactions in the cricket. These experimental results are consistent with an exponential dependence on the cricket's absolute temperature.

This type of behaviour is described by the equation that was deduced by Swedish chemist Svante August Arrhenius in 1889 to explain the relationship between chemical reaction rates and temperature.
The rule described above, then, is a linear approximation to the exponential dependence and is usually good to within a degree or two over the range of temperatures at which crickets chirp.

That may be true, but have you factored in the modifications introduced into his brake by Westinghouse since 1874, Mr. Thomas E. Harrison, civil engineer of the North Eastern Railway Company in a communication to the directors of that company of April 24, 1879, recommending the adoption by it of the Westinghouse, and subsequently ordered to be printed for the use of Parliament, thus referred to the triple valve: "As the most important [of these modifications] I will particularly draw your attention to the "triple-valve" which has been made a regular bug-bear by the opponents of the system, and has been called complicated, delicate, and liable to get out of order, etc. * * * It is, in fact, as simple a piece of mechanism as well can be imagined, certain in its action, of durable materials, easily accessible to an ordinary workman for examination or cleaning, and there is nothing about it that can justify the term complication; on the contrary, it is a model of ingenuity and simplicity." Many people forget this when doing this calculation.

well true enough SNICK, but you realize of course, it's ALL ball bearings these days.

I should say with some derision, of course, your conjecture is well taken. Although your levity will perhaps be amphibological to some, I can assure you with great aplomb that it is not lost on my gray matter. Additionally, I assert that your contribution which made no point in context (automatic train braking?), however made its intended point indeed. OUCH

Thanks! I still cant stop laughing.
Perhaps I have become a little delirious from a few too many coffees today, a few too many Heinekens last night, too many hours work and not nearly enough hours sleep between them.
Do I seem affected?

Ok......what do you do when there are 10 crickets chirping....count them all or go hunt one down, single the little bugger out and listen close......as soon as you start counting they stop chirping ya know, it would be kind of like counting sheep to me...

How about step on them all so you can get some sleep!

as a reply to Sherilee's original post, my preferences for gear are as follows: Most good gear companies offer a full line of Womens gear!
Polyester shirts and pants, for moisture management. (Prana, Marmot)
Smartwool socks are the best Ive tried on.
DEUTER backpack is my fav.
I use Camelback "unbottle" in my pack, for lighter trips a Xstream purifyer bottle. 24 oz, built in filter.
GSI cookset, nonstick.
REI bags work ok, I have tried everything (literally) from Big Agnes to Feathered friends bags, and Im fully impressed with Marmot.
Thermarest- guide series.
Lowa makes a good boot. so does Montrail.
Teva, based in Flagstaff, are ok, but only around camp (for me anyhow)
Petzl tikka plus, nice nice nice.
Sierra Designs make great tents.
I use a canister stove for short trips, Brunton Crux, for longer ones a Optimus Nova white gas stove. I usually dehydrate or buy food that is dried and lightweight. my pack is around 28 lbs. fully loaded. not bad eh!
although I balance my shopping at REI, Popular and online shops such as
BackcountryStore.com, AZ hiking shack and Summit Hut are ok, too. I would recommend buying the best quality you can afford. Its worth it in
the end. (think fishing line)
Not to forget, FUNCTION before FASHION. The gear I own is big name stuff, but I bought it because of quality fabrics and craftmanship, not the names on the tags.
Good idea to look at reviews in Backpacker Mag's Gear Guide. March '04

And for all you devotees of Popular, there is more to life than The North Face and Coleman.

Since this thread is back to life - here is my "stuff"-
Tents- walrus terramoto convertible, North Face Slickrock- backpacking
Sleeping bag- Marmot Pinnacle 15 degree with Dry loft moisture resistant shell (and it works). Car Camping- I have a generic 0 degree bag for cold nights.
Boots- I prefer Raichle for backpacking- day hikes- Lowas or Montrails

Water filter- First Need- kinda heavy but will do the trick with the nastiest potholes and the water tastes good.

Stove- I car camp with the propane cannister and big screw on type deal but backpack carry a Peak 1 and white gas cannister

Cookwear- titanium 2 nestle pots by evernew- expedition series.
carcamping- mountain hardwear two nestle pots which are larger.

Packs- Backpack is Jack Wolfskin- the cheapest fairly large backpack for women I've run across- favored by Europeans- I cost me less than 200.00 and is loaded with accessories and rides like a dream. You can go out comfortably for about a week.
Daypacks- I have a Kelty and an Osprey- one larger for winter hiking- you have to take off and put on more clothes and accessories.

Hydration systems- to me Platypus has less "plastic" tastes than the Camelback.

Clothes- synthetic, anything with zipoff pants is good, for those hot days, then zip on to get some protection from the brush.

Little things: I like my Neoprene socks for stream hiking, keeps your feet warm in the cold water and can wear them with most boots. Down booties to lounge aroung camp in- keeps the tootsies warm and don't weigh much.
With short hair, a head band to keep the wind and my ears warm- hello the 60's!!! 50 feet and 100 feet of 7mm static line to rope your pack, provide an emergency handline and hang your food in bear country.
When I'm canyoneering in Utah that 50 foot line is standard even when day hiking.

gee Redroxx,
Down booties? you are spoiled!

Hey, for some its food, for me it' da feet

Since this topic is alive and well again, I thought I'd share with you some of the wonderful customer service I've had from camelbak. Last year for christmas I got a Camelbak Extreme Gear (military product line) Transformer. After a month of hiking the tube popped out of the bladder and dumped the contents all over the ground a couple miles from the TH. Not serious, but annoying. So I wrote a scathing email to the makers of camelbak. Within a day I got a response saying that they would send me a new one. No questions asked. Not only did they send me a new one but I got to keep the old one as well. (I know, a busted bladder does no good, but with a little bit of rigging it works great). Since then I haven't had a problem with the bladder, but for the last year though I have been trying to figure out why one of my shoulder straps always had a twist in it. Finally, about a week ago, I reallized that one of the straps was attached backwards and that was causeing the webbing to twist where it crossed my ribs. This time I wrote a slightly tamer letter requesting that they send me a new one. The customer service dept asked me for a couple pictures of the problem and as soon as I sent them I got a response that they would be sending me a new one in the mail! Not only are they sending me the new pack, but they're letting me keep the old one until the new one gets here, so I don't lose the use of it for however long it takes them to get it out.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share the fantastic customer service I've had from camelbak. I know some don't like them for whatever reasons, but you've got to admit that when they say "satisfaction garunteed" they mean it.

My stuff: most is second generation-that is-I wore out or moved up from the first version I owned.

REI Sub Kilo Bag; Thermarest 3/4 lite mattress, Mountain Harware PCT one person tent, Raichle Mountaineer Boots, GAZ stove, Peak ss cook pot w/lid, First Need Deluxe water purifier, U2 pack, a fabric water bucket, REI Sahara shirt and pants, thick sox w/liners-can't find the name, Leki Poles; MSR Dromedary 100 oz water bladder, with Nalgene 100 oz widemouth opening water "bottles" one salty Nalgene 1 qt bottle (don't bring no shiny new Nalgenes on a hike!) Petzl Tikka Plus head lamp, OR gaiters.

wow how the evolution of the backpacker never ends.
looking at my previous post Im quite embarrassed at the weight I carried compared to the current set-up. 28 lbs! what was I thinking?

tarptent virga- 1lb 9oz
golite jam (pack) 1lb. 5oz
mountainsmith vision +30, 1lb 5 oz.

thats the BIG three, at barely over 4 pounds!
the rest is nonsense, as long as I stay prepared, warm and dry- my loaded pack without food or water (base weight, as determined by the season) for 3 season hiking is barely under 10 pounds. I can now go a looonnnngg loooonnggg way before fatigue sets in. I would urge anyone to check out all the ultralight products now available. Its no trend, its here to stay!

I totaly agree with MikeinFHAZ, ultra-light is the way to go. Its not just a gear thing though, it a mindset. Checkout Beyond Backpacking by Ray Jardine. He's a bit oppionated, (well, alot oppionated) but has lots of great tips even for you old men (and ladies) of the mountain.

The best way to start your wieght reduction is by cutting down on the "Big Three." Your tent, sleeping bag, and pack constitute 50% of you non-consumable wieght.

My current "Big Three"-

Tent: MSR Huba-Huba- 4lbs 4oz (I just can't bring myself to use a Tarp)
Pack: Mountainsmith Ghost- 2lb 2oz
Bag: Mountainsmith Wisp- 30 deg- 1lb 5oz

Total weight: 7lbs 11 oz

With food and 5 liters of water, my pack for a weekend is well under 20lbs.

This is one of the coolest topics going on HAZ! It actually started WAAAY back on Memorial Day Weekend 2003! The person who started it was interested in day hiking stuff, believe it or not.

It gradually morphed into ever "lighter" discussions, so to speak.

Now, after nearly two years of banter, it's back again--only this time with MAXIMUM relevance! The last two posts that brought this topic back to life are living proof of adaptability and "awareness!"

Excellent stuff, you guys! EXCELLENT! We hope others who once posted up to this topic jump back in and critique their own previous choices as well as tell us what's the "latest and greatest." Afterall, THIS is how we all learn!

THANKS!

j

I never posted to this originally back in 2003 but have learned a great deal from everyone's posts and feedback. I have several "favorites" of my own to add now that I've been out on the trails for 2 years.

Boots: I LOVE my Hi-Tec Cameron boots for dayhiking. They're inexpensive ($20 at Big 5 Sporting Goods), have great arch and ankle support, good tread (no slipping) and feel like a dream on my feet. I recently bought a pair of Vasque Gore-Tex mid-weight backpacking boots (Internet shopper that I am) that aren't half as comfy as my Hi-tecs. But the Vasques were cheap and only $16 at Sierra Trading Post.

Daypack/Hydration Pack: I'm a die-hard Camelbak fan. Started out with a Cloudwalker (70 oz bladder), found out I can stuff a 100 oz in there and then decided to buy a H.A.W.G. due to roomoer compartments. Love them both.

Backpack: This was a really tough since I measure XS and there isn't much of a selection in that size. I initially bought a Kelty Haiku @ REI but wasn't really thrilled with the way it fit so I returned it. It was just OK. Then I splurged and bought a WONDERFUL pack, Gregory Deva 60. This is an outstanding pack. I somehow managed to fit 35 pounds in it. (I think I need to lighten up)

Tent: I laugh now because the first tent I bought was a Eureka Apex 2 at 4+ pounds. You could have a party in that tent and it took up half my pack! Since then, I've pared down to a Eureka Solitaire (2 lbs, 8 oz) but just got this so I have no opinion yet.

Water filter: Shihiyea turned me on to the Sweetwater filter and it's awesome. You can filter 100 oz in minutes because it pumps upstroke and downstroke. I've filtered some pretty nasty looking stuff and the result was great.

Stove: Pocket Rocket....hands down

:mrgreen:

montezumawell wrote:This is one of the coolest topics going on HAZ! It actually started WAAAY back on Memorial Day Weekend 2003! The person who started it was interested in day hiking stuff, believe it or not.

I posted the original topic and since then I've learned so much.

I agree with Trish, I'm sold on Camelbak products. I own 2 daypacks, one smaller and one larger.

My shoes are from REI, I started with one brand, the soles were slipping after about 4 months of wear, I went back to find out what's up with that and they replaced them at no charge to me. They knew the soles had a problem. Great customer service.

I'm not a backpacker, I enjoy dayhikes as you can see from my triplogs, but I'm happy that this topic evolved. All the discussions from the original post and the resurrected posts are sure to help anyone at any experience level.

I'm so happy HAZ is up and running again, and even faster!! If it weren't for the members of HAZ posting to my original question, we wouldn't have had such a great discussion!!! I hope this continues, it's a wealth of information and first hand knowledge!!

Sherilee

Yet another thread coming back from the grave.
I can't do a very good job attesting to the best outdoor gear because I haven't spent years evaluating differing pieces of clothing/equipment of the same type but different brand, and technology changes have come so quickly. However, I do know what I use and what I like.

Boots: I just recently replaced a pair of Vasque Switchbacks with Asolo TPS 520 GVs. Those Vasques were easily the best boot I've ever owned. They fit like a glove, had great support, had great grip, and are light. Full-leather badpumpkins. Consider that the excellent grip comes at the cost of longevity. I've just about destroyed that pair, and I got tired of hiking with a roll of duct-tape so I bought the Asolos. They're pretty good all-leather boots, but they're taking a bit too long to break in. Once they get broken in they'll get better (they're already somewhat-broken-in), and they're very sturdy. However, they don't have great grip because the soles are designed to last a very long time rather than grip. I'm thinking of ordering another pair of Switchbacks not because the Asolo pair isn't up to snuff, but because the Switchbacks were so awesome. As a side note I have relatively small feet (size 11.5) for a 6'4" man.

Socks: Buy a few pairs of SmartWool. You won't be sorry.

Lower: On long hikes I typically wear spandex shorts. This is good for a lot of reasons, and I won't get into why I wish I wore them on the 29-mile Apache Maid Death March last July. I also frequently wear a pair of REI polyester/spandex pants. The stretchy ones. Good at getting through brush (mine are pretty torn up, though), and breathable.

Upper: I always wear an REI or UnderArmour shirt as my base layer, and frequenly a long-armed upper layer of whatever brand. It's much better to have shirts that breathe as-opposed-to cotton t-shirts that absorb every drop of sweat.

Hat: I have a supposedly-nice hat from REI, but it sucks. I'm a sweathog, and every wide-brimmed hat I've tried has collected sweat until it rolled down my face. I would love a recommendation for a good hat!

Stick: I keep a Tracks Sherlock travel staff in my pack for steep downhills and to protect myself from bears with its snow spike.

JamesLyding wrote: Upper: I always wear an REI or UnderArmour shirt as my base layer, and frequenly a long-armed upper layer of whatever brand. It's much better to have shirts that breathe as-opposed-to cotton t-shirts that absorb every drop of sweat.

I need to get some of that stuff as I always wear cotton, and sometimes it punishes me. Most hikes take place during one of the 300 sunny days we experience here in Arizona, so cotton is just fine...but every once in a while, such as a pre-dawn ascent up the Flatiron with no sun to speak of, cotton turns ugly on me.