What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

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quentinc
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Re: What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

Post by quentinc »

Yeah, snow is a big problem. My sunglasses became unusable on a trip through Bear Lakes Basin (a lens popped out spontaneously and threw itself into a deep, inaccessible crevice in the rocks) when there was a lot of snow, and I mostly walked across snow fields with my eyes closed.
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evan
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Re: What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

Post by evan »

Good question. I try and only carry what I need into the backcountry. Of course I don't go into the backcountry, or anywhere in the Sierra for that matter, without my fishing gear! :D A small paperback book accompanies me for those incidents where it rains, Ill have something to occupy my time. Now when it comes to things I take with me and don't use, thats a different matter. For instance, my: survival & first aid kits, back up firestarter kit and compass never get used (Thank Goodness for that!). However, the aformentioned items are more of insurance items, items that will guarantee I can survive and make it out of the backcountry (our families appreciate these items that all of us HST'ers carry with us)! Other than those items, everything gets used. I try and take gear that can have multiple functions, this helps lighten the load!
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Troutdog 59
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Re: What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

Post by Troutdog 59 »

Great topic and some very interesting responses. Like most, I consider most of my first aid stuff important, even though I hope to not have to use it. I have given away all the tape and gauze I had in my pack once to an ijured hiker coming down from Italy Pass on the Pine Creek side, but luckily Ive only had to cover up a few scapes and bruises myself. Rian gear is a similar thing. Dont go without it, but sometimes never use it.

Now after a trip my feet often used to look like they went through a meat grinder :crybaby: . I have narrow heels so moleskin has always been a must and I carry alot. I will have to try the athletic tape that someone mentioned instead. I still carry moleskin, but I have needed it less since the lightweight boot revolution.

I also concur with carrying a compass, although I have never truly needed to use one in the BC. I just keep one in case I get disoriented as I did one time car campling. In fact I came pretty close to being "searched for" back in the mid 80's with my wife in Yosemite. We had just set up camp at the White Wolf CG and I headed out to get firewood. Typical to all campgrounds, I had to walk a ways to get into downed wood. It was near dusk and I headed back, but angled wrong off the ridge and started dropping to the NW instead of west towards camp. I realized on the way back that I had screwed up cuz about the time I thought I should be getting back I alos noticed there was wood all around me. I wouldnt have walked by it on the way up :retard: . Fortunately, I could see the sun setting so I knew which way was west and angled slightly more that way. When I dropped down a heard a generator to the south (uphill) of me so I walked to it. We had heard the generator to the south of us when we came in and when I got to it I found I was just down (north) of the camp at the Park employees living area. From there I walked into our camp to find my wife talking to two Park Service employees about my disappearance. Needless to say, I was a tad embarrassed :o :o :o .

While I dont carry much, I also concur with keeping some stuff in a daypack or hip pack. I carry my fishing gear in a small daypack, and in it are a lighter, some granola bars, water filter, and one of those emergency shelters. Again Ive never use most of it, but its always there.

Now when I 1st started I carried a bunch of semi worthless objects. I carried a hatchet on my first trip ever :retard: (never again) and I used to carry a small raft when I 1st started as well. It helped at times, but more often than not I did just as well from shore so i stopped taking it along.

Oh, and the person who said "I guess I really dont need my fishing gear," :confused: Why go?
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markskor
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Re: What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

Post by markskor »

Troutdog questions: "I guess I really dont need my fishing gear...if not, why even go?"

Agreed - I thought fishing gear was counted in the 10 essentials... :thumbsup:
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evan
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Re: What do you carry that you don't need in the BC

Post by evan »

I second that motion Markskor :D :nod: :D
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