Product Review - Backpacking Light Firelite Mini Firestarting Kit

Rating: 4 out of 5 - Recommended

I just received this ultralight fire starting kit in the mail yesterday. It's always fun to try out new ways to lighten your load, and this mini "Swedish Match" promises to save quite a bit of weight with little or no loss of function.

The Backpacking Light Firelite Mini Firestarting Kit consists of;
1 - Firesteel Mini "Swedish Match" style firestarting tool with steel striker tethered by a short cord
10 - Tinder-Quik firestarting tabs
1 - 5" x 4" Aloksak waterproof bag

The claimed weight is

Happy Thanksgiving! ...and a few words about Nutrition

Most of us Americans are preparing to eat way too much turkey, stuffing, and all the other fixings today, so I thought it would be appropriate to talk about nutrition. This topic doesn't seem to be discussed nearly as much as the gear we take, but it is a very important consideration. 

There is much activity in my kitchen today preparing for our feast later

A Snow Storm, Some Tea in a Cave, and more on my Caldera Ti-Tri Keg-H Review

Last weekend our first winter storm of the season was blowing in, so of course I headed for the mountains to experience it!

Here is a shot of my Ti-Tri Keg-H in a cave at about 9600 foot elevation and 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow  was falling, and the water in my Gatorade bottle was starting to freeze.  I wanted to have some Chamomile tea to warm me up a bit, so I lit an Esbit cube in my Gram Cracker and set my new stove on top of it (with MYOG door in place). While I waited, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the wind blowing through the trees from the relative calm of my natural shelter.

Product Review - Trail Designs Caldera Keg-H & Ti-Tri Keg-H

Rating: 4.5 out of 5: Highly Recommended

Pictured is my version of the Trail Designs Caldera Keg-H. The system comes complete with Heineken pot & lid, aluminum cone (which acts both as a wind screen and a very stable pot support), "Beer Bands" - one of which holds the can at the correct height in the cone while the other goes at the top of the can to make the surface cool enough to drink from and pick up, a 12-10 Alcohol "Pepsi Can" type stove, fuel bottle, plastic cup, and an insulating sleeve with lid, all of which nests perfectly and is kept together inside a silnylon stuff sack. The complete system weighs in at a very nice 6.2 ounces.

Make Your Own Beer Can Cook Pot

The beer can cook pot is quite popular in the ultralight backpacking community because it's about the lightest pot and lid combination you can find. The raised ribs that run around the sides of the Heineken can make it more durable than others, which is why it's my top choice. This adds some weight, but the setup still weighs in at 1.2 ounces, about 1/3 the weight of an ultralight titanium pot and lid of similar size.

The first thing you will need is a safety can opener to remove the top of the can, which will become the lid. I picked up this Farberware model at the local Walmart store for about ten bucks.

Since sides of the Heineken can angle out from the top, the opener needs to be modified to accommodate. For this I used my Dremel tool, but you could also use a hack saw or something similar if you don't have a Dremel. Cut off the bottom edge of the opener at an angle so it will fit squarely on the edge of the can. 

  

Then use some sand paper to smooth out the rough edge you just made. 

Now the can opener is ready to use. Simply run it around the perimeter of the can while turning the knob. Finally, sand the top of the can and edges of the lid to remove any sharp edges.  

My can didn't come out nearly as clean as the one I received with my Trail Designs Caldera Keg-H, but I'm betting they use something more sophisticated than a Walmart can opener. MYOG stuff doesn't need to be perfect any way, and this one works just as well. With some practice, I think I can to get better at removing the tops cleanly, but then I will have to drink more beer, which will lead to more hiking to burn the calories. It's a vicious cycle!

Positioned on a Precarious Perch

I'm over looking Red Rock NCA while taking a break positioned on a precarious little perch. Still full from a trail breakfast of couscous, crunchy nuts, and sweet berries, topped off with some chamomile tea. The day is beautiful, starting off about 3 hours ago it was in the upper 30's. Clear skies, no wind, and the shadows now getting smaller, its probably in the 50's now, which feels perfect while hiking. My favorite time of day is when the shadows are long, which had me wandering not so deliberately earlier.
I've been depriving myself lately of these simple pleasures, letting life get in the way. Out of shape doesn't seem to matter, for me this is therapudic.
Realizing I'm 3 hours into the 5 hours I've allotted for this little walk today, and I'm still headed away from where I parked. Time to turn around and pick up the pace a bit. A sip of my G2 and I'm back to walking. Happy trails indeed.

Breaking the 7 pound barrier!

Gear lists are an essential tool in lightening your load. They are not necessarily sexy or fun to use like the actual gear, but I can honestly say that my backpack would not be anywhere close the weight I have it down to if I didn't use something to compare and contrast every piece of equipment I bring.

In April of this year, I did a 112 mile hike on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) from the Mexican border north to Warner Springs, CA. At the time I was ecstatic with my 8.2lb base weight all packed inside my home made backpack. But since I am not capable of leaving well enough alone, I always look for ways to improve. This has led me to a 20% reduction in weight, and what I consider an overall better back country kit!

Yes 6 1/2 lbs sounds very minimal I agree, and there was a time not so long ago when I didn't believe I could get there without sacrificing safety and/or comfort. What I have found is that over time I have been able to refine my skills, reduce my pack weight, and upgrade my overall backpacking experience.

Then	Now
0.30	0.33	Pack
1.16	0.94	Shelter
2.34	1.33	Sleeping
1.53	1.94	Clothing (packed)
1.28	0.43	Cooking & Water Storage
0.80	0.74	Essentials & Stuff
0.78	0.84	Electronics
8.19	6.55	Base Pack Weight

Pack: I made a new, much more durable pack from 1.5 oz per sq yard cuben fiber, which has a little more capacity and weighs just a few tenths of an ounce more.

Shelter: Went to a tent that does everything better and actually weighs less.

Sleeping: This is the area where I saved the most weight - going to a new lighter weight quilt.

Clothing (packed): I added some weight here because I decided I like having an extra shirt to wear when I'm in towns. Plus now I can wear the clean shirt while my other is drying.

Cooking & Water Storage: Same basic cooking system (Caldera Cone), but I changed to a Heineken pot vs a larger titanium pot and saved a significant amount of weight.

Essentials & Stuff: Not much changed here in terms of weight, I added a few items and also went with smaller quantities on some items. When you get back from a trip and a container is still half full, you know you can probably bring less next time.

Electronics: I upgraded my camera and added just a little weight.

When determining what gear you will and will not include in your pack, don't sacrifice comfort or safety - learn from your experiences and know your limitations. I'm never done refining my kit because I know I can still improve on it. For me, it's all about planning before the trip so my back country experience doesn't have to be about gear, etc. 

Below is my current gear list, and I have also included it as a tab at the top of the site. I will post updates to the Gear List tab as my kit evolves.

3 Season Backpacking Gear (Sierra's) - John Roan						11/10/2010
	.
	0.33	Pack
	0.94	Shelter
	1.33	Sleeping
	1.94	Clothing (packed)
	0.43	Cooking & Water Storage
	0.74	Essentials & Stuff
	0.84	Electronics
	6.55	Base Pack Weight
	4.95	Consumables (Food & Fuel - 3 days)
	1.65	Water (average carried)
	13.14	Total Pack Weight
	3.81	Equipment (worn or carried)
	16.96	Total Skin Out Weight
	.
	Seasonal Items
	0.48	Fly Fishing (seasonal)
	1.64	Bare Boxer Contender 101 bear canister (bear country)
	0.48	Golite Chrome Dome Umbrella (desert sections)
	0.03	Deet Bug Juice (.25 liq oz - peak season only)
	0.03	Simblissity UL Mosquito Headnet (peak season only)
	.
Qty	Lbs	Oz	Description
	0.33	5.25	Pack
1	0.29	4.60	MYOG 3035 C.I. Cuben backpack
1	0.02	0.35	MYOG 1/2" sternum strap
2	0.02	0.15	MYOG 30 C.I. shoulder pouches
	0.94	14.96	Shelter
1	0.66	10.60	ZPacks Hexamid Twin Tent w/stuff sack & guy lines (seam sealed)
1	0.01	0.20	Cords & clips (3) to attach rain jacket as storm door
1	0.13	2.00	MLD 55 x 84 UL Ground Cloth
6	0.08	0.21	Lazr Titanium Tent Stakes
2	0.05	0.40	Vargo 6.25" Ascent Ti Snow Stakes
1	0.01	0.10	ZPacks 3 x 10 cuben tent stake sack
	1.33	21.20	Sleeping
1	0.19	3.00	Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad 21 x 41
1	1.14	18.20	Katabatic Gear Palisade 30 degree 6'6" quilt
	1.94	31.05	Clothing (packed)
1	0.58	9.30	Montbell U.L. Down Inner Parka, Rust / Men's XL
1	0.42	6.70	Marmot Essence Rain Jacket - men's xl
1	0.16	2.55	Montbell U.L. Wind Pants
1	0.46	7.35	Champion Long Sleeve Running T-Shirt (men's xl)
1	0.08	1.20	Wigwam Ironman Triathlon socks-ankle length (men's xl)
1	0.11	1.75	PossumDown Socks (men's xl)
1	0.10	1.55	Smartwool Glove Liners (lg)
1	0.04	0.65	Zpacks 11 x 4.5 x 26H custom cuben stuff sack  (seam taped)
	0.43	6.95	Cooking & Water Storage
1	0.06	0.95	Trail Designs Keg-H Caldera Ti-Tri cone
1	0.08	1.20	Heineken pot & lid
1	0.01	0.10	Ti gram weenie for Esbit
1	0.03	0.45	Trail Designs beer bands
1	0.01	0.15	ZPacks cuben Small Stuff Sack 5 x 3 1/2 x 6 tall (seam sealed)
1	0.11	1.70	Gatorade Water Bottle 1.0L
1	0.03	0.40	Sea to Summit T6 hard anodized long spoon
1	0.07	1.15	FBC Minimalist Cozy
1	0.05	0.85	ZPacks Lg Blast Food Bag
	0.74	11.85	Essentials & Stuff
1	0.02	0.30	Mini compass
1	0.06	1.00	TP in snack size ziploc
1	0.02	0.35	Hand Sanitizer (.25 liq oz)
1	0.04	0.60	Bear Bag system (40' 1.25mm Z-Line, cuben rock sack, carabiner)
1	0.02	0.35	Sun screen (.2 liq oz)
2	0.03	0.25	Bandana 10 x 10 (cut into 1/4)
1	0.01	0.20	Comb
1	0.02	0.35	Anti Persperant in lip balm container
1	0.01	0.10	Toothbrush - shortened handle
1	0.01	0.10	Fischer Space Pen - (refill only - full pen = .65)
1	0.01	0.10	Mr. Pumice (small pc) pumice stone
1	0.02	0.35	Body Glide in lip balm container
1	0.01	0.10	Leukotape P Sports Tape 15" rolled on straw
1	0.01	0.15	Duct Tape 2" x 9" rolled on straw
1	0.05	0.80	Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide drops (.20 liq oz parts A & B)
1	0.03	0.40	Mint Soap (.20 liq oz)
1	0.03	0.40	Mini Bic Lighter
1	0.01	0.20	Spark-Lite sparker
1	0.01	0.10	1.25mm Z-Line cord (12')
1	0.01	0.20	6 pepto tabs in micro Ziploc
1	0.02	0.30	Advil, Advil PM, (3) benedryl in micro Ziploc
1	0.03	0.40	Emergency Supplies: thread,(2) CR2016 flashlight batteries, (1) CR2032 watch battery, Sewing needle, Spark-Lite Tinder-Quik Firestarting Tinder Tabs (8) in mini ziplock
1	0.04	0.65	First-Aid Supplies: (2) Benzoin Tincture, mole skin, triple antibiotic ointment, tweezers, water proof paper in mini ziplock
1	0.01	0.15	MYOG cuben stuff sack 8 x 7 1/2 (seam taped)
1	0.09	1.50	Trail Map in gallon Ziploc
1	0.04	0.60	Victorinox Pocket Knife/File/Scissors
1	0.02	0.30	Photon X-Light Micro on mini shockcord
1	0.03	0.50	ID, Credit Card, Cash
1	0.05	0.80	Pro-Tec Patellar Tendon Strap
	0.84	13.47	Electronics
1	0.45	7.15	Canon S95 camera w/Franiec Custom Grip
1	0.00	0.07	4 x 8 MYOG waterproof cuben stuff sack
1	0.05	0.80	Canon S95 spare battery
2	0.01	0.05	SD memory card in micro ziplock
1	0.03	0.40	Stick-pic camera mount
1	0.26	4.15	Blackberry Curve (w/Seidio extended life battery = +.10)
1	0.05	0.80	Blackberry Curve Spare battery
	4.95	79.15	Consumables (Food & Fuel - 3 days)
6	0.19	0.50	Esbit fuel cubes
	4.76		Food (see Nutrition Planning)
	1.65	26.44	Water (average carried)
0.75	1.65	35.25	Liter of Water (33.8 Liquid Ounces)
	3.81	61.00	Equipment (worn or carried)
1	1.87	29.85	Mizuno Wave Cabrakan (men's 13)
1	0.08	1.20	Wigwam Ironman Triathlon socks-ankle length (men's xl)
1	0.46	7.40	Columbia Sportswear Crux Shirt (men's xl)
1	0.30	4.80	Champion Running Shorts (men's xl)
1	0.23	3.75	Ex Officio boxers (men's xxl)
1	0.21	3.30	Tilley Endurables Airflow hat
1	0.49	7.80	BPL Stix 130cm Fixed Length Trekking Poles (pair)
1	0.07	1.05	Hoven Highway Sunglasses w/MYOG flat cord
1	0.12	1.85	Tech 4-0 Watch/Pedometer/Altimeter/Thermometer
	0.48	7.65	Fly Fishing (seasonal)
1	0.18	2.95	Tenkara USA 12ft Iwana 6:4 rod
1	0.00	0.05	Traditional Tenkara line 10ft 6in
1	0.02	0.25	Standard spool for Traditional Tenkara line
1	0.04	0.65	Tenkara line holder
1	0.02	0.30	Spool 5x tippet
1	0.07	1.15	Forceps & Nipper
1	0.08	1.20	Baladeo 34g knife
1	0.00	0.05	Tip Grip
1	0.04	0.65	Morell foam fly box - small (w/fly's)
1	0.01	0.20	Fishing license in mini ziplock
1	0.01	0.20	MYOG stuff sack w/long cord for lanyard, 10 1/2 x 7