The New Backpacker

Sleeping Bag - Coleman Canyon 32

Coleman Canyon 32

I found the Coleman Canyon 32 on sale at the Coleman outlet for $49.99 US.  I didn't even open the bag up in the store.  I was just looking for something that would do me a while till I was ready to put out some real money.  Upon arriving home, I opened the bag and was amazed to see a very well thought out sleeping bag of expedition quality.  Expeditions in perfect to warm weather of course.  The bag is rated for 32 Fahrenheit. It is filled with Thermolite Micro fill and weighs only 2 lbs. 11 oz.

The zipper goes 80% down the right side of the sack and can be opened from the bottom to let some cool air in around your feet if it warms up a little. The top zipper has pull ribbon but I added one at the foot so I could grab the knot with my toes and open up a vent when needed.

The bag and hood is comfy for my frame and height (5' 9", 230lbs).  The hood has two different strings for adjusting. A yellow round string for the brow area and a flat red ribbon for the chin. This makes tweaking the hood a simple task in the night.  I barely even wake up to make adjustments.

If I will be doing some winter or mountain camping, I may buy a different bag.  But for nice summer treks or sleeping on the sofa (she found out how much this stuff costs), I will keep my Canyon.

Walking the Florida Trail - White Springs, Florida

White Springs

On Saturday two friends and myself went for a hike on a section of the Florida trail.  Starting in the town of White Springs (Dueling Banjos playing in the background) we hiked south on the Florida trail.  The trail followed the path of the Suwannee river. Florida hasn't gotten much rain this year so the river was very low.  This was actually interesting to photograph because it turned a rust color and the varying depths changes the tones.

The walk is a nice change from most of the landscape I have come across in Florida. There are actually some hills.  Because it was so dry, there where no signs of swamps.  The only thing that would give away a previous location of swampland was Cypress Knees jutting out of the ground.

About 5 miles in we came upon a washing machine sitting in the middle of the forest. It was my assumption that this was used by the local Native Indians in the last century.  My theory would be flawless if I could just figure out where they plugged the darn thing in.

White Springs

For this trip I decided to wear my Chaco's (sandals).  Well I figured that since there where hills, I would tighten them from there normal loose fit.  After about 30 minutes, the strap wore a nice red groove into my toe.  I loosened them up and I was set for the rest of the trip.

• Suwannee River - Wikipedia

Pots - Primus Litech Cook Set

Primus Litech Cook Set

I ordered the Primus Litech on a whim.  It was on sale at REI when I ordered my backpack, so I added it.  Looking back I should have put a little more thought in to it.  At 1 lb. 3oz. this is a little heavy.  Not super heavy, but I think titanium would have been a little nicer to carry.  Also, I cannot store my stove inside (MSR DragonFly).  The pans are a little low profile.  Of course, I have not looked around so I may have very well found that I would not find a set of pans that was better suited for me.  It' more about the not knowing.  I am afraid to look now, so I will use these for a while a see how they work out.
The weekend I cooked up a scoff for myself on the DragonFly and in this set.  Cooking went well, I tried a dish with rice and I simmered it after the rice was drained and spices added for about 5 minutes.  The pan spread the heat very well and I did not get the usual burn circles I have seen on some of my older sets.

The light gripper handle could use some work.  It does not have any tension, so if your not holding it, it will fall off of the pot.  Also, it leaves little scars around the top edge.  It does not seem to nit into the teflon coating, but the edge I am sure will become very ruff after some more use.  Could be useful for a saw?

Otherwise, I am very happy with it for now.

Here are the manufacturers specs:
Weight: 1 lb. 3.6 oz.
Volume: 1.7 and 2.1 liters
Dimensions: 3.74 x 7.1 inches
Material: Anodized aluminum

Stove - MSR DragonFly

MSR DragonFly

The MSR Dragonfly is great.  With very little practice you can get this thing started in the dark and half asleep.  However, when this baby starts up you will wake the dead.  I have gotten used to loud stoves.  My last stove was a Optimus Svea 123 and that baby was a jet engine. The only downfall to the sound is that it detaches you from your surroundings.  Big foot could sneak up and sit next to you and you wouldn't even know to cook extra.
The Dragonfly burns Auto Gas, Kerosene, White Gas and a few other fuels. It is self cleaning, a little shake of the stove cleans it out.  Weighing in at only 14 oz., it is a very packable stove and will join me on long and short hikes from here on in.

MSR Titan

Every hiker has to choose his/her spoon/spork.  Already owning the DragonFly it was a simple choice.  MSR makes a titanium spoon called the Titan with a stove tool for the handle.  Yes, it is also a great lightweight spoon.

Website: MSR - Mountain Safety Research

Tent - Mountain Hardwear PCT 1

Mountain Hardwear PCT 1

This is my light weight one person tent, 3 lbs, 12 oz.  This is a very small and easy to set up tent.  I have only set the tent up a few times but I am able to do it in about 5 minutes.  I also purchased the matching groundsheet a.k.a footprint.

You can stake down the footprint and tent body before putting in the 2 poles.  This is great in high wind situations. I have done quite a bit of hiking on the both coasts in Newfoundland.  The east coast however has some of the worst wind your ever likely see outside of a high mountain summit.

Website: Mountain Hardwear PCT 1

Backpack - Mountainsmith Daisy

Mountainsmith Daisy

I purchased the Mountainsmith Daisy on sale for $99.99 US at rei.com. It arrived in about 3 days to my door.

I have always heard about Mountainsmith but had not had the chance to see one up close. When I opened the box I was please. The pack is a little heavy at 4 lbs. 2 oz. for a 3970 cu. in. capacity. This is a little smaller than I am used to. Coming from up north, I am used to a winter sized pack (5000cu+).

The zippers are all rubber sealed against rain and the nylon is 210 Cordura treated for water repellency.

The sides have straps and pockets at the bottom to hold a couple of Nalgene water bottles. This settup is perfect to hold my Quantaray tripod. 

Back to the forest

When I was in Newfoundland, I was an avid outdoors man. I went camping at least once a month on the weekend. Camping for me involves hiking into a desired forest location, setting up tent and staying a night or two.

Since I have moved to Florida, I have not been camping once. This has also helped me gain a few pounds and I am sure added to recent bouts of depression.

Well with a recent job search I have started looking into moving somewhere more to my likings. I have pondered, Colorado, Utah, Montana and other states around the Rockies.

I have also started collecting my gear. 7 years has seen a few changes to gear and also I am in a better position to buy some of the nicer gear I once only drooled over.

Tripod - Quantaray QSX-DigiPro 8500

Quantaray QSX-DigiPro 8500

Today I went on the lookout for a small tripod for my video camera. I have a Manfrotto with a Kirk ball head for my photography. Living up to that will be hard. I want the stability, flexibility but with half the weight and well under $100. From a previous sale, I have a FLM ball head that is designed for smaller legs and mount. I would love for the legs to fit this as well.

Anyway, I headed down to a Ritz Camera in the local mall. They had lots of great but HUGE tripod legs there, however, nothing to meet my needs. I headed to the other side of town to the Ritz "Super Store". This place actually had less as far as variety. I spoke to the young lady there who, from past experiences, I knew to be pretty knowledgeable. She pointed me to a very small and lean tripod set (legs and head). The Quantaray 8500. I have used Quantary filters and other small items in the past and they seem like a very good value. After examining the setup for a little while and making sure the head could detach from the legs for my ball head (not bald head), I made the purchase. I paid $59.99 for the 8500 and could not be more happy.

FLM Ballhead

It is very stable and very flexible. You can indeed exchange the pan and tilt head for a ball head. For video I may switch back and forth depending on my needs. Very well build and very light. 3.5 lbs with the head.

The legs extend via compression collars like Gitzo and some Manfrotto legs. I am not sure if I like this or not. I think I will be OK after a little getting used to. The center column setup is great. It is a 12 inch shaft that is threaded in the middle. This lets you convert it into a 6 inch shaft. I paid an additional $50 to purchase a short shaft for my Mafrotto legs. This in combination with the legs lets me get real low to the ground. Also, you can insert the shaft in reverse. In this configuration along with the ball head, you can virtually touch the ground with the camera. This is perfect for doing macro photography and cool ground effects with video.