Backpacking Chair

Today we're going to talk a bit about backpacking with a chair. This is not recommended for the ultralight backpacker, as the ground or a rock will always suffice. But it is possible for the standard ol' "lightweight" backpacker, thanks to REI's "Trail Stool."

The Trail Stool is a tripod style chair. Its obviously not the most comfortable, or most luxurious thing to sit on, but it is relatively comfortable compared to the other options. It sits about 15 inches off the ground, again not optimal, but still better than the ground itself.

REI lists the stool as able to handle 225lbs, and I would not argue with that very much at all. I weigh in at roughly 210, and when I stand up or sit down adding to the pressure on the chair, I sometimes worry that I may have done it in. It has, however, not failed me yet!

The price is right for this chair when it's on sale. The typical price is 19.95, but I was able to grab it for 12.95 (IIRC), and I'd say thats about what its worth. The weight, while not ultralight, is very do-able for 1 or 2 days trips, at 18oz. This can even be cut down slightly by the removal of some unnecessary straps.

Performance:7
Weight:8
Quality:7
Price:5
Tilt:7

Total:6.8

Its a nice little chair, depending on your trip.

This chair is available for purchase at REI for $19.95.

Snow Peak Titanium Mug

I had a hard time figuring out what labels to give this little guy. Some people would agree that a mug is a luxury item in the backcountry, while others would say it is required. Enter the Snow Peak doubled walled mug and you have a strong case for adding a hot beverage holder to your gear list.

Right out of the box you will be pleased with the aesthetics of this mug. It is stunning. The second thing you will notice is how light it is. The third thing you will notice is no lid is provided. I must strongly criticize Snow Peak for omitting a lid. When spending over forty bucks on a cup one would expect all the bells and whistles. A carry sack is provided at least. Total weight is 4.2oz. This Snow Peak holds 15.9 fluid ounces and has fold out handles. I have owned this product for about 8 months.

When I am cooking a meal I always boil extra water for my after dinner drink (usually tea or hot chocolate). Before adding my meal to the water I dump some into the Snow Peak. After cooking and eating my drink is still extremely hot and waiting for me. I understand that I could just use a weightless Styrofoam cup, but there is something special about drinking out of this titanium chalice. I will not try and defend this purchase against the ultralight crowd. They are right, why do you really need a mug on the trail? Bring a Styrofoam cup if you must have a hot beverage. Although I have been going light/ultralight the past few months I still pack the Snow Peak doubled walled mug...we all have our guilty pleasures.

Pros: Ultralight titanium, gorgeous
Cons: Very expensive, does not come with a lid

Performance: 9.0
Quality: 9.0
Weight: 9.0
Price: 4.0
Tilt: 9.0

Total: 8.0

REI $42.50, 4.2oz (with stuff sack)

Brunton Raptor Isobutane Stove

So you just hiked for 15 miles. You started off with a good breakfast. The trail mix you munched on for lunch was tasty. Dinner time has arrived and something cold just will not do. What you need is something warm, soothing, and filling to recharge your batteries. Whether you are just adding boiling water to prepackaged meal or making your recipes, a stove is necessary.

Two years ago I asked Santa for the Brunton Raptor and he delivered. This stove has never let me down and creates a whole lotta heat. As you can see in the pictures this stove is very small. With the case it comes with and the optional stand (separate purchase required) this setup weighs in at 7.625 ounces. Without the stand the stove comes down to 6.875 ounces. When I received this stove as a gift it was one of the lighter stoves on the market. At the time of writing this much lighter isobutane stoves are available.

There are some great features on this stove. One enjoyable aspect is the ability to control the flame with ease. An intelligently placed handle/grip can be turned to a myriad of levels. Any stove can boil water but not all can cook delicate items. With the heat control the Raptor offers you will have an easy time cooking your morning pancakes. Another great feature is the penzo ignition system. To light this stove simply turn on the gas and push the little red button. The largest pot I used on this stove was 3 liters. Normally I am using my REI 1.3 liter pot (review here). In ideal conditions I can boil 2 cups of water in under 5 minutes. Air temperature and wind conditions will affect times. 8 ounces of fuel is rated to last 1.5 hours at full blast. A final advantage to the Raptor is cost. At $30 the Raptor is priced well below many other stoves. I must point out however that more expensive stoves are much lighter.

The main problem with isobutane stoves is the fuel canisters. 8oz of fuel weighs just about 15oz due to container weight. The fuel canisters are also bulky and waste pack room. When the fuel canisters are empty you have to pack them out.

For the ultralight crowd an alcohol stove might be the best option. In the next few weeks we will be testing penny stoves and will post our experiences.

For weekend trips or those people not very concerned with weight, the Raptor is an easy, effective, and reliable way to cook on the trail. Although I will most likely be moving to a penny stove setup in the near future, the Raptor was and still is a great stove.

Pros: Inexpensive, Small, Reliable
Cons: Many lighter stoves are available, requires heavy fuel canisters

Performance: 8
Quality: 8
Weight: 5
Price: 7.5
Tilt: 7

Total: 7.1

Available at Amazon $30, 6.875oz, 1.7 inches x 1.5 inches x 2.5 inches (folded)

The Snow Has Cleared

Finally we will be able to do an overnight without our snow shovels. Look for our post on our hamburg/Appalachian trail overnighter. We will also be testing some new gear. Enjoy the beautiful weekend.

-OD Adventure Crew

Kelty Coyote 4750 Pack

If one piece of gear could sum up someone's backcounty philosophy it would be one's pack. You can pick them out on the trail. Guy with huge pack and gear strapped all over it must really care about comfort. Gal with what some would call a day pack but has been on the trail for two weeks...must be an ultralighter.

Today I would like to discuss the Kelty Coyote 4750. I have owned this pack for over a year.

This pack has many things going for it. First off the pack is very comfortable to wear. Nicely padded shoulder straps and hip belt make this wonderful to use. Straps work well and the adjustable suspension system allows for customization. This pack can hold quite a bit of gear. It sports 4750 cubic inches of space or 78 liters. 9 separate pockets are available in addition to the main compartment. The second you touch this pack you can feel it is of high quality construction and materials. I have absolutely stuffed this pack full of gear and goodies without any issues. A great little feature is the ability of the top section to convert to a small day pack.

Heavy loads are handled by the aluminum internal stays. A few times I was backpacking at close to 40 pounds and this pack could take the weight. I have not used the feature but water bladder storage is supported. A final advantage is the price. This pack is well below the cost of other competitors in its class.

I do have several issues with this backpack. A glaring problem with this pack is weight. At over 5 pounds it weighs just slightly less than my sleeping bag and tent combined. For those of you that enjoy a sleeping bag compartment this pack is not for you.

If you are not focused on weight I strongly recommend this pack. If you are or might be interested in light/ultralight backpacking this pack is too heavy to recommend.

Pros: Good Construction, Features, Affordable

Cons: Weight

Performance: 7.8
Quality: 7.9
Weight: 4
Price: 8.5
Tilt: 7

Total: 7.04

REI $160, 78 Liters, 5Lbs. 1oz

Hamburg Reservoir Hike, March 6th

What a beautiful day for a hike. It was the beginnings of Spring here in Eastern PA, and temps were hitting mid-upper 40's. Finally! Still plenty of snow on the ground from the massive storms this year, but a gorgeous day none-the-less. My dad and I decided to head up to Hamburg, PA, to the Reservoir.

The trip began with a hike up Reservoir Road. The first part of this hike is relatively boring compared to the rest of the area...mainly because no matter where you branch off to up in the hills, you have to walk this section every time. It gets old.

Anyway, we hiked up to the bridge at Furnace Creek, which comes down from the Hamburg Reservoir. Beautiful little creek it is, too.

From there, we headed onto the Appalaichan Trail and tried to locate some property that my family owns directly off the trail. It would be pretty cool to have free reign on an area like that...if only we could actually figure out exactly where it was. I took a bunch of GPS coordinates down, for use later to compare to tax maps and such.

Afterward, we headed back out onto Reservoir Road. At this point of the hike it feels less like a road and more like a wide trail. And, unlike one might assume, it doesn't go to the Reservoir, but to observatories on the top of a hill. A known lookout, Pulpit Rock, is also located at the top of the hill.

As we headed up the road, I noticed some red blazing off to the side of the trail. I was unsure what this path was, having not been up this part of the mountain in over 15 years.

We got about 200 feet up the path, but the snow was getting to be a bit much as we ascended. Obviously far fewer people traveled this way. While we were up there, however, I spotted quite a bit of PA's state flower, the Mountain Laurel, and stone ring most likely for fires, and a nice view that unfortunately didn't translate quite as well in photography as it did in person. It does give a bit of a sense of elevation, though.

After that, we headed back down to Reservoir Road and continued on. For those interested, later google maps research showed that the red blazed trail would have met back up with Reservoir Road as it wound up the mountain. It was a shortcut!

After a little while more of hiking, we spotted a piliated woodpecker. Quite a gorgeous bird, and quite loud when we spotted it. Unfortunately I was much too slow with the camera, and it was gone before a picture could be taken. I did however find some of its work!

From there, we decided to head back down Reservoir Road, and get on the path that leads to the Reservoir itself. It was worth the extra little walk, as I was surprised to find the entire thing frozen over. I personally found it quite beautiful.

And thus ended a fun day of hiking around the Hamburg Reservoir. All in all, we probably covered around 4 miles. Not that much, but with the various trail options in that small of an area, it was still enjoyable.

First Need Water Purifier

Water is one of our most basic needs. Out in the back country water is your highest priority. On a short one night trip carrying water works just fine. When on weekend trips or longer you will need to get water in the field. Several methods are used to purify water while backpacking. Boiling, filtering, and chemical options are all available. This post will focus on using the First Need XL water filtration/purification device.

I have owned this water filter for about eight months. In my opinion it is a very special piece of equipment. A significant advantage this filter has on the competition is its ability to purify protozoa, bacteria and viruses without using chemicals. The First Need is the only water purification system on the market with this ability. The end result is water that tastes exactly as it would taste untreated. Why ruin beautiful water with downright nasty tasting chemicals?

I have used this purifier in many different settings and it has not let me down yet. A great feature is the ability to screw wide and narrow mouthed bottles directly to the filter. This allows for easier filling of bottles.

To filter water simply lower the suction end into a body of water. Use the pump to begin filling your bottle. This pump is rated to filter 1.8 liters of water per minute. In real world applications I fill my one liter nalgene in about 35-40 seconds.

Some disadvantages to the First Need are present. Price is a concern at $110 and $50 for a replacement filter. Ultralight folks may find this too heavy at 16oz. A final concern is the First Need is not field serviceable. The filter canister is self contained so you cannot take it apart and clean it. You can however backwash if debris seems to be clogging the filter. I have not had the First Need clog in my 8 months of usage.

Overall this is one of my favorite pieces of gear. Experiencing nature in its purest form is important to me and the First Need allows me to literally taste the back country in an untouched state.

Performance: 9
Weight: 6.5
Quality: 8.5
Price: 7
Tilt: 9.5

Total: 8.1

REI $112, 16oz

New Gear Has Arrived!

Hello everyone
Some new items have arrived today including:

BearVault BV500 bear canister

NeoAir by Therm-a-rest which won a backpacker magazine editor's choice award in 2009

I am excited to get these items in the field. I will give you my initial impressions and a subsequent review in the near future.

Some reviews that are comming up next week.

First Need Water Purifier
Lightweight Camp Chair


Have a great weekend

Thermarest Compressable Pillow, Small

For most backpackers, the word "Thermarest" is synonymous with sleeping pads. Its what the company is most known for, and it's what they're best at. I say this because I have a Thermarest Compressable Pillow (small), and it didn't really live up to my expectations. Keep in mind during this, that I'm reviewing it as a backpacking item...not a "travel" item.

When I purchased this, it was a time when I was just beginning to understand the idea of "ultralight" but didn't fully grasp the concept. So, logic told me: Get the small one! Unfortunately, a pillow of any kind is a "Luxury" item. You don't need it...rolled up clothes/stuff sacked clothes will get the job done. So, now I have a luxury item that can't perform luxury duties.

The small is...well, its small. That strength is its greatest weakness, almost to the point of uselessness in backpacking. First of all, it takes a good hour or two to fluff up nice. And it takes about 15 minutes for my head to re-compress it. After that, I end up folding it in half . So now I have a 12''x8'' pillow, instead of 12''x16'', as if that wasn't already small enough.

This was about when I learned that ultralight and luxury don't mix. Sure, this pillow only weighs 7oz, but its a pretty much wasted 7oz.

For non-backpacking expeditions, perhaps air travel, this pillow could be nice. As true to most Thermarest products I've seen, the quality is top notch. But if you want this as a backpacking item to make sleep nicer, I would suggest looking elsewhere.


Performance: 3
Weight: 3
Quality: 8
Price: 5
Tilt: 5

Total: 4.8

Titanium Backpacking Pot

Lets face it,trail mix is good, but in the back country nothing soothes the soul like a good hot meal. Hot meals can vary from simple precooked "just add boiling water" meals to elegant 5 star dining. Regardless of your level of culinary fortitude you will need a vessel to cook in.

Several options are available on the market. Pots are made of aluminum, stainless steal, cast iron, and titanium. Each offers different advantages and disadvantages.

Aluminum is inexpensive and light but cannot handle intense heat.

Stainless steel is a worthy choice. It is inexpensive and conducts heat well. It is however a tad on the heavy side.

Cast iron conducts heat like no other material can however unless you have a pack animal with you (say an elephant) you just cannot carry it.

This brings us to titanium. Titanium is strong, durable, conducts heat well, and is extremely light weight. The only downside to titanium is on the fiscal side.

The only cookware in my load out is a 1.3 liter titanium pot from REI. This pot weighs in at 6 ounces. 1.3 liters is more than enough for one person but usually I am cooking for two or more. This pot features hinged handles for easy storage. A very tight fitting lid is also provided. Having a lid is important for getting heat built up quickly. This pot feels very solid and has seen much abuse over the past year I have owned it. Some other nice features include a pour spout and 500ml and 1000ml markings inside the pot.

This pot is non stick which has some pros and cons. An advantage is clean up is very simple. Non stick is also great for cooking items like pancakes or eggs. A disadvantage is non stick can wear over time and metal utensils should not come in contact with the non stick surface. From personal experience I can honestly say I eat right out of the pot using a titanium fork. I have not significantly scratched the non stick coating. With just a small amount of care and attention one can eat right out of the pot using metal flatware.

Overall I love this pot and am very happy I purchased it.

Performance : 8.9
Weight :8
Quality:8
Price:7
Tilt:9

Total score: 8.18

REI $59.50, 1.3 Liters, 6oz