New to Backpacking – Gear to share for Father/Son Trip

I think you’re good.  My wife and I share the shelter, cook kit  (including stove, fuel, and dishes) toilet kit, Bear can, water filter, and the bug and sun protection.  I don’t see a First Aid Kit on your list, but when I do trail crew work with a local ranger, we also share that.

Good call on the First Aid kit – Yes, that would be something I would have planned to share with the 4 of us.  Thanks!  I may add that up there

Looks good overall. Couple thoughts.

• Will a Frog Toggs stand up to a 14 year old?
• My experience as an adult is that the fit of a pack is more important than padding. My experience watching many teenagers is that padding is more important than the fit because they often don’t know how to dial it in (yes I try to help).

I don’t know how I feel about a frameless pack for a kid. I’ve seen several kids refuse to wear a hipbelt with a framed pack claiming that was more comfortable. They would have been better off frameless I guess.

I think GNP would be an awesome trip for a first time trip. Definitely bring bear spray but I’d add a 9 oz Vortex Monocular. Watching a grizzly bear from a safe distance is a real treat. Little things like that can hook a kid on backpacking.

GNP can be wetter then the Sierra. I might suggest a very light fleece to wear under rain gear. Adds a lot of comfort to a soggy day. Have other insulation for camp.

I personally don’t like to share my poop kit since I never know what my hiking buddy’s hygiene habits are. Also I don’t like to carry a whole roll of TP/wipes, so I keep those to myself to make sure I don’t have to use leaves. Probably not a big deal, but just a preference. Not that I don’t share, I just expect others to bring their own.

I’ll suggest each pair have a stove.  I did a trip with two other dads and their daughters (I took my twin girls) and we had a single Jetboil.  It worked okay for dinner because we fed the girls first and then ate ourselves (two boils each), but it seemed that everyone wanted a hot beverage in the morning at the same time and it was tough, even with a Jetboil, to get 3 coffees (adults came first) and 4 hot chocolates.

Having two stoves also gives you a backup should one fail.  It also means that if someone has a meal that needs to simmer for 15 minutes the other group isn’t waiting to use the stove.

Actually on second thought a poo kit for everyone or at least each pair is not a terrible idea.

It may not happen but the combination of hiking and unusual food can occasionally mean you want to go right now! You might already need to hike a ways off trail and find a hiding spot so it’s nice not to be rummaging around for it.

Yes, I did have on my list that a Poop kit would be something that each father/son would have their own – meaning 2 between the 4 people.  But since the weight is minimal, might be best to just have everyone carry their own

The other thought I had as I sit here is that a quick trial run where you go out for one night would be helpful – especially if all four of you could go together.  I’ve got a couple of trails in PA where you can hike 5-6 miles and camp and then continue the loop back to your car in the morning.

If you’re truly new to backpacking, you don’t want to be in GNP or on the JMT and find out that you cannot sleep on your sleeping pad or something like that.  You can learn a lot by doing a short single overnighter.  It will also tell you if the pack is uncomfortable or if your boots aren’t right.

@kbabione – you are absolutely right.  We are planning to do that this summer.  In fact, I have a different trip with my inlaws to the Smokey Mountains, so my son and I will get out just the 2 of us for 1 night.

Then, the 4 of us will try to go local somewhere for 1 night as well.  Great call

With respect to sharing filteration, depends on your system  A gravity fed Saywer system may make sense for 4 people.

Another suggestion is to feed the kids first, they may be pick eaters.  Dad’s eat what ‘s left.  plna on a variety of food.  Also, keep in mind that some teenagers can really put it away, plan on bringing extra food and lots of snacks.  Let them carry the snacks as it could be 1/3 of your total food weight.

With that in mind, a bear cannister for 4 days & 2 people might be tight.  You might consider mailing re-supplies to Tuolumme to ease load / volume.  My 2 cents

@jonfong – Great thoughts.  Our boys aren’t picky, but with these meals you may a good point.  Also, I hadn’t thought about mailing resupply to Tuolumne Meadows since we will only have about 1-1.5 days left once we get there.  But, when carrying food for 2 people it might be worth not having to carry it all the way, especially when the cost is minimal and the location is right on the trail.

+1 to packing lots of food for the teenagers. I see no problem with the group of four cooking on one stove, and eating together if that is what they want to commit to.

“Both fathers are distance runners and in good shape.”

Make sure you do pack inspections and actually pack what is on your lists.

For a Scouting backpacking  outing I led, I had a couple of new Dads who were long distance trail runners. They packed way too much weight and were surprised at how hard it was to hike 10 miles with 40 plus pounds of gear. They did not complain but I could see on thier faces that they were not having fun. Their sons packed what was on the assigned list, had their packs inspected by me, and did fine.

Which bear can? BV500 can hold quite a lot of food depending on how you want to pack it.

Another endorsement for a second stove. If the one you have fails ( and, yes they do !). the trip is ruined; e.g the teenagers won’t stand for it..

and, again, meals r ready , for all, in a significantly faster session.

Thanks so, for another 16 oz  ( or less ) of weight, you solve the above

@kbabione and @mrmuddy –

thanks for the tips on the second stove.  I’m sure you’re right – with just a Toaks pot and BRS stove we can get a whole second system for like 5-6oz, so I’m sure that’s worth it.  Especially if we are making coffee in the morning (jet boil french press) but also want to warm up water for food – or hot chocolate for the boys – at the same time.  Good call.

@mikebergy – No bearcan bought or selected yet.  Kind of waiting to see if I need one, based on Glacier vs JMT/Yosemite!

@btolley – I hear you about your comment on being with some fit newbies who were struggling with 40 pound packs.  Hopefully the fact that I’m hear, and my lighterpack link shows a baseweight in the 11lb range shows that I’m not going to make that mistake!

I’ll be working on my co-hikers as well!

No bearcan bought or selected yet.  Kind of waiting to see if I need one, based on Glacier vs JMT/Yosemite

I believe you will need it the entirety of your time within Yosemite. Not sure about the rest of PCT, I believe outside the NPs you could get away with a much lighter PCT hang set up. Easily accomplished with a dry sack(could do double duty as a  pack liner), a spare stake, and about 50’ of zing-it. That is much lighter than a bear can. I am unsure of how long the distance is between your PCT entry and then your entry into Yosemite, but you could theoretically carry a hang setup until your resupply, and then pickup the bear can at the same time. That would save you some lbs, and some $$$, since the stuff I listed for bear hang are pretty cheap and do double duty.

I believe you will need it the entirety of your time within Yosemite. Not sure about the rest of PCT, I believe outside the NPs you could get away with a much lighter PCT hang set up. Easily accomplished with a dry sack(could do double duty as a  pack liner), a spare stake, and about 50’ of zing-it. That is much lighter than a bear can. I am unsure of how long the distance is between your PCT entry and then your entry into Yosemite, but you could theoretically carry a hang setup until your resupply, and then pickup the bear can at the same time. That would save you some lbs, and some $$$, since the stuff I listed for bear hang are pretty cheap and do double duty.

@mikebergy – Unfortunately Bear Can is required the whole area we would be.  Our permit is to hike in at Mammoth Lakes (around 30 miles South on the PCT from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite), and hike through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, thousand Island Lake, etc, before heading into Yosemite.

Ok. Well, just know I fit 6 days of food in a BV450 (mostly all homemade & dehydrated) for myself, but it was very tight. A couple BV500 would likely take care of you, maybe with a BV 450 in one of your boys’ packs to carry all the extra snacks.

I like the idea of 2 cook systems for sure. I would pick JMT as my first choice, mostly because the weather tends to be better. A great day with no rain in Glacier will be spectacular. And you might get one. But you will likely have all good days in the Sierras. And the Sierras are great.

I’d go to Glacier and stop at Yellowstone on the way.  In my opinion the Sierras have scenery. The other places have scenery,  and more wildlife. But either way it should be a fun trip.