Tried and true backpacking supplies

[patpall22]

To all those that love backpacking you probably have learned a few things about how to pack for your trips. I go as often as I can and have learned allot about what to bring and what not to bring based on the experiences that I have had in the woods. The one thing that always amazes me is how much food I eat especially on a long trip so I’ve adopted a few foods that I always bring because they are light, compact, and quite tasty. I hope more can contribute their favorite items or things that have made a difference in their adventures.

Food. (For longer trips of one week or more to conserve space)

1) Barilla Tortellini- ( just add water) this is one of the best discoveries I’ve made because they can be purchased in any grocery store (near the dried pasta products) and are extremely delicious. Comes in blue bag, weighs 13oz and cooks over 7 cups in 10 minuets.
2) Premier nutrition protein bars- Another great find because they are much cheaper than any other bars I have found and contain more protein. I buy these in boxes of 20 bars for I think 15.99$. each bar weighs 2.5 oz and contains 30 grams of protein.
3) Paradise Valley creamy mash potatoes packets- (just add water) another Costco find and probably the lightest and most expansive food I carry. Each packet weighs 4.8 0z and makes up to six cups taking only a couple of minuets to cook.

I think that there are a few more items that I can’t remember right now and will add later but these three are cheap, light, and quite delicious.

Stove-
Optimus- I can’t remember the model because all my gear is at my father’s house 500 miles from San Diego. But I believe that it was made in 1979. this relic is incased in an aluminum box that turns into a mess kit and weighs around 3 lbs (not the lightest stove but very durable) I have used many different camping stoves and will admit that this one is not the best but it won’t break, has a built in petrol tank and wind-guard, and the best part of all is that it can take a multitude of fuels from white gas to gasoline. This is a very reliable product. I believe that one of these can be purchased on e-bay for fewer than 40 dollars.


Day Pack-
Da Kine Hell Pro- these packs can be hard to find but are way better the newer model (hell pro 2). I got mine about 5 years ago at a garage sale for 4 dollars and I virtually take it everywhere I go. I’m kind of a back pack nut and have never found a stronger or more versatile pack. When I go on any trip, I strap this pack in front of me. I’ll bet one could be found for really cheap online.

That pretty much tops off all of the items that are cheep, reliable, and I would definitely not leave home without them. Please add anything that you have found to make backpacking a more enjoyable experience for you.

 

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[rmptr]

Thanks for the info Pat!

I'll try some of the items you mentioned.

Can't lose with tortellini... it's a win win choice!

Best
rmptr

 

[Hemisteve]

Those are great taters. Been buying them for years, but I think costco discontinued those. Lately all I have seen is full boxes, not the Paradise Valley individual packages. I have'nt tried the new brand but they are organic and you just have to package them yourself in a ziplock for packing.

I never leave home without small roll of tent cord.

Great tips
Thanks for sharing
Steve

 

[EDDE]

" Barilla Tortellini" is pretty good for dried pasta
also i really like the Cliff bars (box of 5 for $5) lots of flavors and even a 20 mini bar 3 flavor mixed box for 20 bucks

 

[claymation]

Do you mean Optimus ?

I have a friend that has one. The " hiker" model, made in Sweden and has been around for years. It is in a aluminum case that opens in half and lays flat. The top half forms the wind screen and the bottom half holds the burner and tank. I think it had a built in pump.

My tried and true is an old Svea 123 that is at least 30 years old.

I will try the Barilla. Sounds like it will work better than rice or ramen noddle meals.

 

[EDDE]

must have a bottle of this best hot sauce ever walcom sells it in the Asian food section

 

[patpall22]

Do you mean Optimus ?

I have a friend that has one. The " hiker" model, made in Sweden and has been around for years. It is in a aluminum case that opens in half and lays flat. The top half forms the wind screen and the bottom half holds the burner and tank. I think it had a built in pump.

My tried and true is an old Svea 123 that is at least 30 years old.

I will try the Barilla. Sounds like it will work better than rice or ramen noddle meals.

thanks claymation I did mean Opimus. You gotta love those old Swedish-made burners.

I'll keep my eyes open for an old Svea 123 at garage sales or flee markets.

 

[patpall22]

must have a bottle of this best hot sauce ever walcom sells it in the Asian food section

thanks for the advice here EDDE, I usually bring habanera peppers but I’ll go to an Asian market and look for a bottle of the pepper sauce ASAP and try it for my meals. I’m always looking for a good bang in my foods.

 

[JOE(USA)]

patpall22,

Yes, there are lots of good items in your super market (or Costco) that are a real boon to backpackers and people eating in the outdoors. The "Trail Food" gets a bit pricey. I for one combine Metal Detecting and eating outdoors. I am a backpacking stove collector (Not many of us out here) So it gives me a chance to combine the hobbies. I routinely fire up one of many stoves (I have 60+) and cook something up. My favorites are the alcohol burning stoves because I am not too fond of the smell of gasoline or kerosene. Maybe we can swap some ideas and tricks here on Tnet? Don't know if there is enough interest? Joe

 

[rmptr]

must have a bottle of this best hot sauce ever walcom sells it in the Asian food section

Everything's better with melamine!

 

[patpall22]

[/quote]

Everything's better with melamine!

[/quote]

 

[EDDE]

Thailand

 

[whiteknight38]

Hey Joe
There are probably more camp stove collectors out there than you realize.
The Optimus Hiker is a neat little design, but I'd never take mine out in the field.
There's going to be a manned mission to Mars one day, and they're not going to be bringing the Hiker along either.
To people who say, They don't make 'em like they used to." I reply, "No. They don't. They make them way better now."
The Hiker is admittedly bomb proof, but at 23 ounces, and 10 minutes to boil a liter of water, compare it to the slightly over 3-minute boil time of the Jetboil, or the Reactor system, with their high tech features like integrated heat exchangers, and the weight issue of fuel alone becomes extremely apparent.
New Hikers sell for 150 to 200 bucks, and you can get a Jetboil for half that.
Here's a hiker going for 200 AU. http://www.wellingtonsurplus.com.au/showProduct/OS0008

Older Optimus stoves are hot collectibles on ebay, so unless someone was a collector, I'd say cash out, and buy newer, higher-tech.

Every ounce of weight you save, means you can bring more coffee.

 

[JOE(USA)]

whiteknight38,

Hey, ck. out this stove collectors site I'm involved with: www.spiritburner.com . Collecting stoves isn't about them being better than the latest technology, It's about form, shinny brass, refillable tanks, and all the different designs to get a hot flame to burn. Hikers / ultralight hikers care about weight, boil times and the like, collectors could care less about these things they are into stoves for different reasons. I agree with everything you said about he stoves. In fact I plan to pick up a Jetboil in the very near future, It's a great design and reasonably priced. Thanks for jumping in. Joe

 

[whiteknight38]

Your welcome, Joe, and hey to everyone on this thread.

I have a number of ideas that I plan to share.
I'm always looking for ways to save weight, or to make the loathsome experience called camping - more comfortable.
Consequently, I've designed and built a lot of my own gear.

While researching a better way of boiling water, I stumbled on a stove called the Swiss Ranger Volcano Stove.
A guy on ebay: "Thru-Hikers Closet and More" sells them for $15.95, (ebay item 270296634447 - Nov 02, 08.)
the cheapest price I've seen anywhere.
He also runs a little cottage-industy business making very slick pop-can stoves, (which anyone can make at home by watching any one of inumerable videos on youtube) but his are so cute, that I sprung for one at $9.99.
I'm expecting the two units to arrive perhaps as early as tomorrow.

The Swiss Ranger Stove is pretty much exactly the principle that I had been toying with; a narrow, cylindrical pot, where the sides would be exposed to heat and not just the pot bottom. (I recently cut a hole in the outside shell of a double-walled steel wine cooler to test the idea) and when I saw it had already been built and marketed years ago, I was actually a bit disappointed. However, if it works as well as I expect it too, I'm surprised it hasn't been more widely copied and tinkered with, and I'm going to get to tinkering with mine as soon as it gets here, with a homemade heat exchanger along the sides of the conical boiling vessel.

Joe, I registered on your site, By the way, and am just waiting for email notification.

Regards
Paul

 

[JOE(USA)]

Paul,

O.K., glad you like the spiritburner site. I have three of the Swiss Ranger stove/cookits. I did a mod on that set that I think you would be interested in,just type in a search for "Swiss Ranger stove" on the SB site and it should come up. Joe

 

[rmptr]

I've just read positive reports on multi-fuel pack stoves by MSR called Dragonfly and Whisperlite international.

Whew! They are NOT giving them away! Pricey!

and the fuel bottles are extra!

 

[papajos]

I've just read positive reports on multi-fuel pack stoves by MSR called Dragonfly and Whisperlite international.

Whew! They are NOT giving them away! Pricey!

and the fuel bottles are extra!

Try the MSR "pocket rocket" you can pick one up for around 30 bucks. It takes the iso-butane canister, will boil a 1/2 qt of water in about 3 minutes and weighs about 3 oz. The canisters last quite a while, I usally get a couple weekend trips out of one. And you can pick them up at chinamart for about 5 bucks.