Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Also, @Cuffs, do you think late June (2018) is a fair time to plan an overnight trip to do Cloud's Rest starting at Tenaya? I know Tioga should be open but would a backcountry permit be hard to get? I know that some JMTers will start at Tuolumne but I'm not sure if competing against them for Tenaya will be something I'd have to do or not.

 

This is a great film. I re-watched it after hearing about Honnold.

 

I did the exact same thing lol

 

Hello all, seeing if anyone has a Blackstone tailgater and what they thought. Thanks

 

Did she see this?? This is important!!we have no other info on this guy.

 

If this year is any indication, Tioga Road will not be open by June 18...
JMT hikers only have a few select trail heads to start from (and exit Donahue Pass), one is Sunrise. But there are other ways to do Clouds Rest NOT startling at Sunrise. (Sunrise is the west end of Tenaya).

You can reserve a permit, for a fee. Or chance it with a free walk up permit.

 

She did not, unfortunately.

Cool, thanks.

 

Anybody have experience with the MSR Trailshot? I've been using the Sawyer Mini and my only complaint is the filter speed. I'd be interested to hear some real experience with the filter speed on the Trailshot, which uses a pump instead of squeezing a dirty bag through the filter, like the Sawyer. Hard to beat the Sawyer for $25. I'm seeing the Trailshot for around $50. I'm planning a 10 day trip on the Tahoe Rim Tail btw.

 

I use the regular size Sawyer that can screw on to a bottle. The pouch sucks, so I just carry an empty water bottle. Last trip I was filling water for 5 people super fast.

 

I think @Seabass or @Both Tacos can chime in here. One of them commented that there's a big difference in the flow rate between the Sawyer Mini and the Sawyer Squeeze. (I can't recall which was better!). But I'm waiting on their response so I can go get one!

 

I have been convinced to switch from the Sawyer Mini to the Squeeze. The extra ounces are definitely worth the increased flow rate. I'll probably end up sticking to a product I know and trust (the Mini is slow, but it sure works, and I like the filter-on-bottle setup), but I am still curious if anyone has used the MSR Trailshot. I'm a big fan of MSR products (been using their tents and stoves for years), so I thought the Trailshot was worth investigating.

 

I do not actually own the Sawyer Squeeze (yet), but yes, the flow rate is much better than on the Mini. Use the bag or a smart water bottle. The Platypus Platy Bottle should fit, too.

 

The Sawyers (either) will average out to the same speed as any of the pumps over the course of the day. I climbed and backpacked for a living (now just for fun and to volunteer in the wilderness). The time it takes to set up the pumps totally negates the barely improved flow rate.

 

I have the mini as well. It sure is slow but totally convenient. Last week while my friends had to pump water with their filter I just drank right from the squeeze bag.

 

I used the Mini for years and it did the job, plus I was picking them up for $15 each on Amazon before Sawyer cracked down and made them maintain a $20 average price point. I started out using the Mini with the squeeze bags, and it just got so tedious to make water stops so I just screwed it onto the top of my Smartwater bottle and drank on the go. That was a total life changer because I could have instant drinking water. The flow rate was slow, but with a little bit of pressure on the bottle, I could get enough water through it to quench my thirst pretty quickly. It also forced me to not chug too quickly and my water rationing was much more even (great for those long stretches between water sources).

I didn't want to spend $35 on the Squeeze and actually ADD weight, so I put it off until late last year and broke down and finally got one. After reading other's reviews on the Squeeze vs the Mini, I learned a few things up front which made me buy one:

1. The flow rate is supposed to be about double that of the Mini
2. It has more filter media, so it requires fewer backflushes
3. It's threaded on both ends so you can run it on a bottle, inline in a gravity filter, or inline in a hydration system
4. It's heavier than the Mini and a little bit bulkier, but the pros outweighed these cons for me
5. I could eliminate the backflush syringe with a simple coupler mod

Of course I had to field test it right out of the package, and I was really blown away by the flow volume. When new and clean, the Squeeze has more than double the flow as the Mini. First I pre-wet the filter for a few minutes (as recommended) to "open the pores" of the filter media, then I filled a Smartwater bottle with tap water and took a drink and it was a non-restrictive drinking experience. This is huge when immediate hydration is needed/wanted, and also when using the Squeeze in a gravity filter setup.

With the extra surface area you get from having more filter media in the Squeeze, it doesn't clog up with sediment nearly as fast as the Mini did. They claim that you need to backflush 50% as often with the Sawyer as you do with the Mini, which makes sense when you think about the physics of having more surface area available to allow more water volume through.

By having threading on BOTH ends of the Squeeze, you can really mod this filter to be used with all sorts of setups. For a few bucks more, buy the Sawyer coupling kit and you'll have everything you need to quickly rig up a gravity filter or put this thing inline with your hydration bladder hose. There's also another key piece you'll want to buy... the male-to-male blue coupler. This allows you to use a second Smartwater bottle (with filtered water, of course) to be attached to the outlet side of the Squeeze for backflushing. A couple hard and fast squeezes of fresh water through the filter will clean it out fast, and you don't have to carry that damn syringe around.

Some things to consider when storing your Squeeze or Mini:

1. Don't let it freeze! You'll ruin it. Keep it in your tent or vehicle, or right in your sleeping bag in a small Ziploc to keep it above freezing on cold nights. If you don't, you'll destroy the integrity of the filter media and/or actually crack the filter from the expanding ice inside.
2. When you get home from your trip, clean it. I just backflush with tap water a few times, then I take it outside and shake it out until it stops dripping. Let it air dry and store it indoors. It will last for years.
3. After using your Sawyer filter and properly cleaning/storing it away, you may experience a very restricted flow when you go to use it the next time. This is NORMAL! Just squeeze some water into it and let it "wet" the filter media for at least a few minutes up to a couple of hours. This will re-expand the pores in the filter media and your flow rate will resume. This poor flow rate after drying may be enhanced if you washed it with hard water, or water with high mineral content and higher pH. The minerals in your water may have crystalized microscopically, partially blocking the pores in the filter media more than normal. Usually "wetting" your filter will break it down, but it's recommended to backflush your filter for storage with purified, DI, or RO water to prevent this.

I made a very simple gravity filter setup with a Platypus Big Zip hydration bladder and hose using the Sawyer adapter set and the Squeeze. The quick disconnect on the hydration tube of the Big Zip is really handy because it's an auto-shutoff valve so your bladder will still hold water when the hose is removed. When I don't have it set up as a gravity filter, I use the Big Zip to haul extra water or have a couple liters of water ready at camp.

Any questions?

 

No Blackstone owners out there? How bout the camp chef explorer?

 

Whoop! Just got my backcountry permit for a rim to rim hike this October. There are eight of us going, so I really thought we wouldn't get it. It really made my day.

 

Any suggestions on a camp stove out there? Since I have a trailer it doesn't have to be super compact

 

Yeti or Engel cooler?

 

RTIC