What I brought to make a meal and stay hydrated.
Cooking and water system.
From left to right:
Zpacks bear bag hanging system (3.3 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was used to hang my food to keep it away from animals. I also used an Alosack “odor-proof” bag inside the food bag. Never had any nibbles from uninvited guests even though I never got the best hangs. I'd get the guyline all tangled and/or caught on twigs and branches and stuff so it became an annoying but necessary camp chore.
Aloksak odor-proof bag (1.2 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not sure if this really worked as I could hear the air escape when I compressed it (even though I closed the ziplock top). It went into my bear bag and provided an extra layer of protection for my food. Never had any issues with critters so perhaps it helped.
Liberty Mountain Twin Neck Fuel Bottle (for denatured alcohol) (1.4 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This bottle worked well. I was afraid it would leak so put it in a ziplock bag but it never did. The measuring feature was extremely helpful.
Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri alcohol stove and windscreen/pot holder (2.0 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have an MSR Pocket Rocket 2 but decided to try a lighter alcohol stove for this trip. It worked well. Didn't take long to boil water for my meals or coffee. The windscreen was designed to fit my Evernew Titanium 900ml pot perfectly so it was a really good system.
Mini-Bic lighter (0.4 oz) VERDICT: N/A It did its job. I carried two. One in my belt pouch and one with my cooking stuff.
REI Multi Towel Lite (0.8 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I brought three different rags which is a bit overkill but I found that having one to clean up my pot and mug to be very handy, especially when the doo rag was used for sweat. The third rag I kept in my Hyperlite pod to wipe condensation in my tent and as a safety rag when it rained and I needed to wipe down my phone or dry my feet. Overkill perhaps, but I'd do it again for the couple of ounces it cost me.
Small piece of green Scotch-Brite Scour Pad (0.1 oz) (shown on top of towel) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Saw this idea on a YouTube video from another thru-hiker and it was the best thing since sliced bread. Probably my favorite hiker hack of the trip. Barely weighed anything but made cleaning my pot after dinner and my spoon a snap.
GSI Outdoors Infinity Mug (2.4 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some consider a cup a luxury item (and therefore unnecessary), but I'm glad I brought it. I used it to measure my water for my meals and, more importantly, to have a civilized cup of coffee in the morning. I was debating bringing it because it's extra weight that I didn't really need to bring (e.g., I could have drank the coffee directly from my cooking pot). But f*** that. It was nice holding a regular coffee cup to enjoy my morning java.
Gossamer Gear Long-Handle Bamboo Spoon (0.4 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A lightweight spoon that was more than up for the task. Used it everyday.
Evernew Titanium UL Pot 900ml (3.7 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Perfect size for cooking a single meal or boiling water for coffee. The windscreen for my alcohol stove was sized to fit this pot. Genius! (Trail Designs, which makes the alcohol stove I bought, sold these pots with the stove and windscreen as a package.)
Penta brand water bottles x2 (1.5 oz ea.) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I used to carry the ubiquitous Smartwater bottles that every hiker has but they always fell out of my side pockets of Zpacks Arc Blast backpack when I leaned over. These bottles are wider and solved that issue.
Platypus Platy Water Bottle (collapsible) - 70 oz capacity (1.3 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I used this at the end of each day when I got to camp. It allowed me to have enough water to refill my two 1L bottles the next morning and save me a second trip to the water source.
Katadyn BeFree Collapsible Water Filter (2.2 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️ Great piece of gear except when it isn't. When the filter is new, it works great with a strong flow rate. But it clogs quickly even with regular cleanings. I suffered for a whole week with a very slow flow rate, making getting four liters of water when I got into camp take a half hour or more. It's the last thing you want to do after hiking all day. I had my dad send my extra one for my second town stop and then I bought another one at my fourth and final town stop. At $25 a piece, they ain't cheap. I'll try the Sawyer Squeeze next time.
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