Things you need

backpacker · Fri Apr 15, 2011 6:04 pm

Everybody has their own ideas and needed things. when I was backpacking in New Mexico (Philmount) I was wayyyyyy over packed since then I realy think of what I need and ONLY take what I need. More often than not I overpack on food! Since I got my camra pack that's all I take on day hikes but I still have my ziplock bage of my essentials in the laptop compartment of my pack. Every time you get back from a hike empty yor pack and see what you did not use and then decide if you realy need it!! If not take it out.

hobkyl · Fri Apr 15, 2011 6:43 pm

That's the biggest downfall for me Jim...even though I don't use most of what I pack...its that what if question. After watching 127 Hours...it really drove home the idea that even though I overpack...I never know when I would need them. I really need to rethink it though before tackling the Range, Sewards, or Sanatonis.

champy1013 · Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:13 am

Matt wrote:And of course if I fall, hurt myself and can't walk, I can always use the iphone to play games until i die.

lol

backpacker · Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:06 pm

hobkyl wrote:That's the biggest downfall for me Jim...even though I don't use most of what I pack...its that what if question. After watching 127 Hours...it really drove home the idea that even though I overpack...I never know when I would need them. I really need to rethink it though before tackling the Range, Sewards, or Sanatonis.

Kyle you have to know your limits and the limit of the people your with as well as their knowledge, can we spend a night in the weather we're hiking in is the question. If you can answer yes then no problem if the answer is no then the question becomes what do I (we) need to learn to survive a night. Granted in might be a long uncomfortable night but can we make it. The biggest problem in the dacks is the weather can change in 10 minutes and it’s always 10 plus degrees cooler on top as well as windy. Thus hypothermia is a concern. If you know the first signs then you can correct the problem before it gets worse. If your still unsure the range can be done in 2 sections, lower and upper (a day hike for each), you can get three of the four sewards in a day hike, Seward itself is a long hike in but easy for the first 3 plus miles. The Sanatonis can be don in a day has well. Hope this helps if you want I can list what's in my gallon zip bag that along with some cloths I could spend a night in the woods.
Jim

hobkyl · Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:34 pm

Yeah I think in general I am prepared to stay the night if I needed to...its the extra stuff I bring that I need to consider. Now that I think about it, I know immediately I could reduce some weight in that I usually carry 2 or even 3 items of things like light or fire sources. And I could remove my jetboil and the water required to cook with it.

Sanatonis in a day? That sounds like a LONG day from TRs Ive read. I thought there were several hikes that required an overnighter?

backpacker · Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:39 pm

hobkyl wrote:Sanatonis in a day? That sounds like a LONG day from TRs Ive read. I thought there were several hikes that required an overnighter?

I've done the sanatonis three times, the first was a winter hike and we never found time square but we got Panther. The second time we found time square did couchi back down a mile for water (because my partner got dehydrated) back to time square and then over to Santanoni never did panther that day. The third trip was three days later with another hiking partner and we did all three. The shortest way is from the old furnace site in Tahawus. As for overnights you can take as many as you want we only did one and that was when we did Skylight, Redfield, Gray, and Cliff.
As you get out more you’ll find more things you won’t need and you’ll get to know your own limits. Case in point I did Owls head FT on Sunday, I never thought about my snowshoes or crampons, and I took no water. It was a 6.2 mile round trip with 1150ish elevation gain and 4 to 5 feet of snow. We postholed a lot and slipped a lot but we knew our linits and we knew we could make it. When we did the 46 we turned backed more than once due to weather or personal problems, It’s a long wait for help and cell phones don’t work if you get hurt.