i have 2 quick question-i managed to pick up a new rei cruise ul 60 pack and a jetboil at rei for 170 dollars and thought about using they for my upcomming pct hike. 1st ?, how hard is it to get the fuel for the jetboil in trail towns, 2nd ? dose any1 know much about this pack- big 3 comes to about 9lbs and 20lb (total w/o food and water) w/ all my other crap. so im looking at 35/40ish total weight-I would like to give going lite one more time before giving up on it 8)
thanks, boviine
boviine
“how hard is it to get the fuel for the jetboil in trail towns”
Finding fuel for the jetboil is not that hard. Some stores will have it. There were many half empty canisters in hiker boxes. I used mine for the PCT, and never had a big problem with fuel.
Stick
I suggest you go to this site: http://www.backpacking.net/ and read the articles on the home page (listed in the left-hand column), particularly the gear lists. This info should help you pare down your weight some more. After working through those gear lists, I now can go out for a week and be quite comfortable with 25 lbs. total pack weight for 3 seasons in the Cascades. What you want to aim for is about 14-15 lbs. base weight, which is pack plus gear minus the variables of food, water and fuel. Before you make a decision on the pack, make sure it will hold all your gear plus a week’s food and fuel, and go for a long hike with full weight in it, including the extra water you’ll have to carry in the desert. If it’s still comfortable after this test, it should be a keeper even though there are lighter packs available.
The Jetboil should be able to use any canister with a Lindahl valve (all canister stoves and canisters have the same valve except Camping Gaz, despite what the different stove manufacturers say), but check to be sure. You might want to reconsider a lighter stove-pot combination, which is also a lot more versatile. My stove (Primus Micron) and pot (K-Mart grease pot) together (without the canister, whose size varies) are much lighter than the Jetboil without canister. If I want to use a frying pan or a different pot, I can, without having to adapt anything. Interestingly, per a carefully-researched article on www.thru-hiker.com, the weight advantage of alcohol stoves over canister stoves goes away for trips of a week or longer, because the alcohol stove uses more fuel.
grannyhiker
You should have no problems finding canisters up through mid-Oregon. At that point, the towns become much smaller, more remote and are less likely to have outfitters. My personal preference was SnowPeak brand; the fuel seemed to last longer and work better in the cold.
One thing I found was my fuel lasted much longer than I had anticipated. I typically got 15-18 days out of a 110g and about 30 days out of a 220g. I think other people had the same experience, as there are half-empty to full fuel cannisters in nearly every hiker box. People’s fear of running out of fuel was the likely cause. Remember that you are hitting town about every 5th day, so you will not need to cook then. I cooked dinners only and use my jetboil to first boil and then simmer at a low flame to cook my food.
30-30
where at walmart did you find your grease pot? (i’ve looked in the kitchen section, but to no avail…the normally exquisite ;>) customer service there was no help
either!)…AND SPEAKING OF JET BOILS…did anyone lose one out on a certain trail in late october or early november?..paw FOUND one, and turned it in to one of the hiker services…after seein’ the ones billy goat and cap’n america use, i almost wish we had KEPT it! ;>) …i reckon we’ll stick to our OLD (happy feet made it for us in '03) coke can/alcohol contraption…(how could i ever BEAR to part with it anyway!!!)
maw-ee
where at walmart did you find your grease pot? (i’ve looked in the kitchen section, but to no avail…the normally exquisite ;>) customer service there was no help
either!)…AND SPEAKING OF JET BOILS…did anyone lose one out on a certain trail in late october or early november?..paw FOUND one, and turned it in to one of the hiker services…after seein’ the ones billy goat and cap’n america use, i almost wish we had KEPT it! ;>) …i reckon we’ll stick to our OLD (happy feet made it for us in '03) coke can/alcohol contraption…(how could i ever BEAR to part with it anyway!!!)
maw-ee
My pot is from K-Mart, not Wallyworld, and I found it in the kitchen accessories section (implements, salt shakers, etc.). The K-Mart pot has the upper edge turned outward instead of inward so you can use a standard pot lifter. Last I heard, Wallyworld has gone to plastic for their grease pots, but since I never shop there that is second or third-hand information.
grannyhiker
Two of these packs broke while I was using them on PCT 07. The first about 600 miles in which caused me two wait 5 days at kennedy meadows whiched sucked. They sent me a new one, and that broke by Sonora pass. The problem is that the hipbelt rips off where it is sewn to a peice of plastic on it then to the pack. Its a really flimsy system that I would go to REI and exchange for something a little tougher. With all the water you need in the desert, this might fail for you too. my next 1300 miles I used the Gregory z-pack, about the same capacity I believe, maybe a few ounces heavier, but seriously better. More comfy too.I wasn’t exceeding the load range for the pack, the first was the previous years and rated for 5 pounds more. I think that ultralight stuff is just wonderful for shorter trips, but cant be expected to last under constant abuse. Sorry to be a bummer.
Guino