[at-l] My Gear List - HELP!

[thornel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (W F Thorneloe)]

A 4 liter platypus is putting too many eggs into one basket. Smaller platys
work just as well. Four liters is one gallon, a bit over 8 pounds. There is
no need for this much. If you want to have a large container of water to
allow it to settle out the leaves, use one of your silnylon stuff sacks.

While we are talking about leaves and a mouthful of water -- filters, Cl
and I work equally well, but are not the saving grace that advertisers
claim. I see where you are packing soap, but if you are serious about
avoiding diarrhea, plan on alcohol gel - one bottle packed inside your
toilet paper roll and the other bottle with the cooking gear. It is far
easier to use than soap. Filters and chemical water treatments ignore the
fact that most oral-fecal contamination occurs from poor food handling,
handshaking and other hygiene problems.

The alcohol gel serves as first aid wound cleaner, hygiene aid and fire
starter for your alcohol stove. You can get very light weight with a
soda/catfood/shoe polish can stove.

Your repair kit should include means of repairing you. I bring needle and
thread - silk suture and attached needle. I don't bring nylon patches -
although you probably worry about the Thermarest. Good duct tape will fix
most holes in platys and Thermarests, but a small tube of silicon caulk
will fix the silnylon stuff that duct tape will not adhere to. Overlap the
hole with the caulk and hold it together for your repair.

I'd like to hear what is in your first aid kit that weighs so much. I
suspect a bit of consideration will find numerous other packed items with
will do double duty for your kit.

Do not assume Ti is lighter than Al or steel. I have a very heavy Ti cook
pot by Snow Peak that I should have weighed at the store. A $7 Walmart
Grease Pot is my current favorite, although I'm attempting to repair an old
corroded Al pot my father used in camping 70 years ago - weighs about the
same with the top and bale hanger.

OrangeBug

At 08:23 AM 2/4/03 -0500, Russ A Drake wrote:
>******  Good point,   I am going to get rid of the nalgene and get a 1
>liter soda bottle, and make the platy pull double duty as a hydration
>system as well.