TRT Gear List 09

Hey what about bug protection? I am bringing DEET and a bug net just to be safe..The Mosquitoes should be in full swing in July….4 of us are starting July 2nd from Mt. Rose going clockwise and you? I am sorry have I already discussed this with you?

-Jay

Hey Jay,

Yeah we've chated about shelters in another thread:)! Im just gettin preped and wanted here others feedback about my gear selections.
As for bugs i'll be bringing a GG dropper bottle with DEET. That should get me thru the hike and keep them off me while im hiking+the Ptarmigan bivy should keep those buzzing bastards off me in camp.
What pack are you using on your hike? How much water do you think you'll be caring? Where are you re-supplying?
Hope to see you guys on the trail!
Later,

Aaron

Hey Aaron, Jeremy Pendrey did our logistics…We stop at Tramway, Echo Summit and Tahoe City .. For the first 4 days I will have a Golite Jam and then through Desolation Wilderness (Echo Summit) I will change out to a MLD Ark for a bit more CI. I hope to start everyday with at least 2L of water I will be carrying a large Platypus. They say H2O is few and far between on the East side… I can not wait!!!! Looking very forward to it!!! I think we can do at least 15-22 miles a day.

Im still up in the air between the Mumur and the Conduit. I know Tahoe had a below average snow year, so many of seasonal sources will be more sketchy. Im thinking about having a water/juice cache @ the Brockaway Summit trailhead to fuel me thru the drier eastside.
I have now decided to have a re-supply in Tahoe City. This is exactly the middle point of the hike starting from Kingsbury South. It's also a super easy to go to a grocery store real quick!:)
I also am thinking about swapping out the Marmot Atom for the BPL Pro 60 Quilt+BPl UL Balaclava in Tahoe City. Quit a bit of weight savings that i could probably afford to shed safely on this part of the trail. I could do the pack switch here as well, Wow!

Thanks

That's what I was going to say about your Atom. It seems out of place with all your other UL gear. Do temps go below 32 in July? I'm thinking a 16oz quilt with your Montbell jacket may be warm enough for 32.

I'm assuming the heavier bag is mitigate risk though? I can understand wanting to make sure you're covering your bases for some dips in temperature. However, you may want to consider synthetic because if you get wetted out your bag and jacket are worthless.

I did the TRT in '07.

The entire trail is in bear country. How will you store your food at night? I didn't even see line to hang food in your list. Although canisters are not required, proper food storage is important for the bear's protection.

http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134&Itemid=126

> It's also a super easy to go to a grocery store real quick!:)

Oh yes. Unlimited Resources! FOOD! Temptation!
Sometimes … we have been known to buy yoghurt and bananas, retire outside to eat them, and then go shopping for supplies …

Cheers

Thank you everyone for your questions and advice!:)

Frank-Yeah the Atom could be a little over kill, and i am bringing the extra pad. I know i could easily get the Pro 60 quilt+Montbell UL DOwn Inner+Insulated balaclava down to the low 30's Hey Thanks!
Kevin-Yeah good point on the bears. I figure i'll bring some extra UL utility cord+an use an empty stow sack and bear bag my food and suplies high and down wind. Also im gonna try to cook before i get to camp.
Thanks:)

Roger- Have you ever eatin @ the Red Hut Cafe? There is 2 of them in Lake Tahoe, one being right on Kingsbury Grade:D!It's one of the many legendary resturants around the lake! Im getting real excited about the hike and have enjoyed all the preparation that is involved in planning a multi-day thruhike! I appreciate and enjoy hearing what BPLers have to say:) So i guess it's safe to say that my gear list is OK? Not much feedback on that yet. Come on…anything else?

Hi Aaron

> Have you ever eatin @ the Red Hut Cafe?

:-) No. But I live in Australia, and our big walks so far are in Europe – UK, France, Spain and Switzerland.

Cheers

I had originally planned on doing the hike unsupported with no re-supplies…but then i put into perspective the long days i will have on the trail (min.33 miles/day)+the likelyhood of carrying more water on the drier eastside of the lake=re-supply Tahoe City. Im really shooting for under 5 days:)so having 3 less lbs of food in my pack will be a ++! And they make it soo convenient on the TRT by having hotels, stores, resturants, post offices, within 100 yards off the trail in a few locations. I can't resist the fact that having a lighter pack+a cold ice cream or good meal is super good, but it does take away from the wilderness experience somewhat.

.

Hey Dave,

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences on the TRT:)Sorry to hear about your brused foot. It sounds like you were traveling at a good pace.
As for water, the trail starts to get drier once you leave Tahoe City. My plan is to have a cold drink cache at the Brockaway Summit Trailhead. That way i can fuel up and stay hydrated till i make up to Gray Lake, just a .5 mile of trail. September is much later than my July 5 start date, which would rule out a lot of water sourcs even on a good snow year, Right? Im still undecided on what pack to use. I would like to as light as possible, and the Murmur is 9.5 oz savings. I think it can easily handle my 5.6 lb BPW+2-3 liters of water+ 3.5 lbs food, but the Conduit will do it with ease. Should i test the Murmur's capability to carry a 15+ lb load?
I do have experience with big mile, mutiple days and have been training for the hike the last month. I hope that it will be enough to pull it off:)we'll just have to see. I'll also be trying a pair of Inov8 Roclite 315's on this hike. Great comfort, support,grip, and UL!
This trip im staying focused on completing the trail in under 5 days, so side trips will have to wait:( I lived in SLT for 5 years and have hiked Tallac, Dicks, and Ralston in the past. I look forward to going back to bag some others in the future.

On to the Gear Talk-

Yeah im anticipating some bugs. I added a GG dropper bottle of DEET, and hope to keep moving fast enough for them to be a problem. Those idiots love me too:( Yeah the bivy is just a good versitile, UL item in the sleep system that i would hate to leave out. Especially since my quilt is so light, i dont want to jeperdize any sleep that i will be needing to maintain the 33+ mile pace.
The jacket is like you said to boost my quilt. I imagine an insulated vest would do the job…but i missing this from my gear closet.
I love the idea of the poncho tarp! I already have an ID Pertex Wind Jacket that i could pair with it, and leave the Mica at home. But the Mica is brand new and UL so i want to test it on the hike. I still haven't picked up my Catbird Tarp yet, so the poncho tarp is still a good possibility! Thanks for that!
I knew the compass was un-needed! Consider it gone!
Ok so maybe 25' is cutting it a bit close. The stuff i soo light that i could add 10' more without notice. what do you do with your food? Canister?Jedi mind tricks?

The map i'll be using is the Take It Outdoors TRT edition. It sound like the one you mentioned with the elevation profile on one side-trail on the other. It's a great map and makes planning the day and knowing whats ahead easily evident! No brainer.

Thanks Again Dave for your comments! You helped me consider and re-evaluate my sleep system and other gear. That what i was looking for when i posted this thread:)

Later,
Aaron

> I knew the compass was un-needed! Consider it gone!

Personal opinion only: I never ever travel without a compass AND a map. NEVER.

Cheers

.

.

>> Im still up in the air between the Mumur and the Conduit.

I have both and around 15lbs it is a toss up. I just did 60 miles with the Murmur, and it handled 17lbs just fine. I was carrying 4 liters of water each morning, and consuming as I went. Towards the end of each day, my shoulders were a little bit sore, but I just cinched up the waist belt to move to load to my hips. Each morning I felt fine. The pack can handle it.

Roger- I normally always travel with a compass and map. But as others have said on this thread the trail is heavily traveled and well marked. Also the map i will be traveling with identifies places to camp, trail junctions, and water sources very nicely:) So in this situation i think i will leave the compass at home.
Hey Dave,
Yeah that cache is gonna be a good idea. The trail ascends close to 4,000 from Tahoe City TH(lowest point on trail) to Relay Peak,which is the highest point on the trail.I will definitely will be getting water at Gray Lake. That way i can drink water copiously on the way up and power through it:D Im thinking i'd rather carry the water than have to deal with going to an off trail source.
After speaking with Grant from Gossamer Gear he mentioned that my 6 lb BPW would be the max i could go in this pack. Also that the pack is not recommended for loads over 20 lbs or for hauling lots of water. Besides the 2 bottle holders on the sides of the pack i will most likely carry an additional liter inside the main pack body. Thats over 6 lbs of water+3+lbs of food+ 5.6 BPW. This could potentially stress the pack and affect the way it carries. But i figure since you said the max water you carried was 3.5 liters, than i should be fine with the lighter pack. I just got the Murmur and don't have any experience traveling with more than 2 liters. I want to travel as light as possible, but don't want to destroy a brand new pack. This is piece of SUL gear that needs be treated like SUL gear.
The Inov8's are great! it's tough to even consider another shoe anymore:)
Sleeping with food, i haven't heard of that before in the Sierra's-sounds kinda risky. No problem with da bears visiting your camp for snacks?

.

Hey Nick,
I enjoyed your read and trip report on the Skyline Trail – PCT – Jo Pond Loop:)How did the Murmur feel with 17+ lbs inside? I really love the pack!I can say it's definitely made with excellent craftsmanship, but i don't consider it much of a water hauler. Im thinking i will start the hike with the Murmur and have the Conduit in Tahoe City with my re-supply JIC i want to make the swap:) With your experience in the desert of So Cal carrying 8.5 lbs of water to start your day=you got me thinking i can make mine work for me as well! How did you get your Murmur soo Light? Do have the pads in the shoulder straps? I've heard that packaging bubbles are the way to go.

Thanks Nick

Aaron,

I had put bubble wrap in the shoulder straps, but the night before, took them out and put a sock in each one. Fold each sock and fill the top half of each strap. The socks do catch on the velcro, so there is a little fiddle factor. Normally, I put some cash, debit card and driver license in the bottom of one strap (zPacks sells a tiny cuben sack that is the perfect size for these). In the bottom of the other strap I usually keep my car key and a spare Photon II light. To be honest, I often wear the same pair of socks for two or three days, so digging socks out of the straps is not a big deal. On the Skyline Loop, I wore the same pair of socks for the whole trip. I just have fewer foot problems than most people.

I put a 1L Platy in each side pocket. I put a 2L Platy in the main compartment, laid on its side. Keep it low. If you keep it high, you have to fold the cap, because it is a little long. When I drank all of the water in the 1L Platys, I would then transfer the water from the 2L into the 1L liters, for easy access. In warm weather you are not digging into your pack for stuff during the day. My poncho, food and the 2L platy go in the bottom it that order. Quilt on top of that, the quilt will insulate the water and food and does help keep it cool. I had some M&Ms in my trail mix, which I did not notice. They did not melt, but the M&Ms in the daily food snack zip lock did melt. I will pay more attention next time. :) Wind jacket in the rear pocket for easy access. If it is hot, your back is going to get soaked with the Murmur, so a wind jacket is a big deal on stops if there is a breeze. Poncho in rear pocket if rain is possible.

We now we get to my pet peeve with the Conduit. A 1L Platy will not stay in the Conduit side pockets, they fall out! And you risk them hitting an object and springing a leak… big problem in waterless country. The Conduit is desgined for a Sports bottle, which weighs more (but is easier to drink from). I guess Brian was not really aware of the problem, until I sent him some pictures. The ULA Ohm handles water much better, but weighs 21oz. The theory of the Conduit's angled side pocket is easy access to water while walking. I think this "Industrial Engineering" efficiency factor is over rated; i.e. drinking water without stopping. I drink water about once an hour, unless the temperature is over 100F. I stop, and take a couple minute break. With a BW around 5lbs or less, you could just slip one arm out of the pack and grab a bottle, if one is a "5S" kind of person. I like to stop. The side pockets on the Murmur has made it my go-to pack, which the Conduit used to be.

Here are some pictures of the Conduit issue.

The Murmur is PERFECT for 1L Platys.

At first I was hesitant about the perceived fragile-ness of the Murmur pack material. I am now past that, and even did some awful bushwacking in it, resulting in a tear in one of the side pockets. I will try a piece of duct tape to repair it, or for under $100 a replacement is not a big deal.

I also was concerned about over-tightening the itty-bitty waist belt at the end of the day, when I got tired, to help transfer the load to my hips after a water fill-up. But the pack has performed flawlessly.

After seeing the Mariposa Video, I am thinking about getting this pack, and then maybe replacing the Ohm with it. I like the Y-strap for carrying a bear cannister, when it is required. Otherwise, I generally use a Ursak, since I am too tired at the end of the day to fool around with throwing a cord over tree limbs. But if I were doing your hike, I would opt for the PCT hanging method, using cuben sacks. I love cuben sacks. I have probably bought about a dozen of them in different sizes from Joe at ZPacks.

I really like the ULA products, but GG seems to have dialed in the little functionality things that make a difference during each day. I really like the hip pockets on the ULA packs, but when I need to go as light as possible, I take the pockets off the pack. The hip pockets are nice for a camera, but I have found the little pocket on the Rail Riders Adventure shirt is perfect for a camera, and it has a Velcro closure.

I hope all of this rambling is helpful.

Hey Nick,

I tried the unused socks in the shoulder straps as well. Although they were comfortable enough for shoulder padding, they shifted and bunched up. They were semi fussy like you said to get the socks past the velcro at the opening. Not a big deal though. The padding provided by Gossamer Gear are just a little blocky feeling. I figure this will change with more use:)The bubble wrap seems like a UL, comfy option. I'll probably try them all with the pack loaded and choose what works the best. I also will be hiking in Merino Wool liner socks. These are much thinner and will stay drier throughout the day:)I could probably get away with one pair of socks on this 5 day hike as well. My feet are pretty tough and with a couple icey water foot baths+ advil= happy feet:)I plan on putting my DL,CC,and $20-40 bucks in a aloksak with my clothes inside my pack. Good ideas though!
I also carry heavier items like water and food at the bottom of my pack as well. I never thought about how having my quilt above those items would act as insulator. Protecting items like chocolate and other items that are less heat tolerant. Sweet! Having access to items like a windshirt, and trail snacks is great with the big net pocket on the Murmur.
I thought i was all alone in disliking the bottle pockets on the Conduit. This is not the best design and in order to hold the bottles safely, you have to crank them down soo tight making the bottles hard to remove. I became extremely frustrated when traveling off trail on one hike losing both bottles into the creek as i scambled above in the scree.:( The Murmur has addressed this by creating great, tall, easily accessible pockets. Love them!
That sucks to here about the tear you recieved in your pack. I know the pack won't last forever and I look forward to using it for all my SUL trips in the future. Like you mentioned the price makes them a little less depleating on the bank account. I've heard that spinnaker actually gets stronger and quieter with use. The noise never bothered my fiance and I because we were overwelmed by the feeling of floating down the trail because of our how light our loads were:)In my experience with the Murmur the waist and sternum staps were not neccessary, but they did add to the comfort some what. The next pack im looking at is the Miniposa for longer hikes with more gear. As for bear bagging, i do plan on using one of my empty Cuben Fiber SS from Z Packs.
In the end both are great packs! I never got the hipbelt pockets with my Conduit. Maybe i should give Brian a call. It's been a huge help talking with someone who has both packs. Thanks for sharing your experiences here on BPL Nick! All of this is helping me dial out my system for this hike. I look forward to chatting in the future:)

Later,

Aaron

Re: Roger Caffin’s statement that he never steps into the wilderness without a compass, neither do I since I have one of those small, spherical compasses on the lanyard I wear around my neck. It’s also true that I have never needed a compass or map to know where I was on the TRT since the hiker is constantly catching glimpses of one of the largest landmarks on the planet. Still, it is theoretically possible that a fog bank could shut off all visibility of all landmarks.

Re: Roger Caffin’s statement that he never steps into the wilderness without a compass, neither do I since I have one of those small, spherical compasses on the lanyard I wear around my neck. It’s also true that I have never needed a compass or map to know where I was on the TRT since the hiker is constantly catching glimpses of one of the largest landmarks on the planet. Still, it is theoretically possible that a fog bank could shut off all visibility of all landmarks.

I do on ocassion not bring the compass, but do bring a topo map. Usually on well marked trails or areas I am familiar with. Not a best practice, nor something I would recommend. If I expect snow, I ALWAYS bring a compass. I carry a compass close to 99% of the time. If I was hiking the TRT, which I have not done, I would bring a compass. If I was extremely familiar with the route, I might consider not taking it. But a simple compass like Robert uses is so light, there really is no reason not to carry something like it.