Thru-hiking (and any long trips) on the Cheap

[Johnny Swank]

I had just a shoestring budget for both the Appalachian Trail thru-hike and Mississippi River Expedition, so every dollar had to count. Check out this article called "Thru-hiking on the Cheap" and let me know what you think. This is a work in progress, and I'd love to hear any new ideas.

http://sourcetosea.net/Articles/article ... cheap.html

 

[oldsparkey]

From the what it is worth department............

A homemade (Or commercial made) wood burning stove will let you pick up the fuel you need for it while hiking along. It does not need spare parts like a gas stove does to keep it working. Or if it is possable and legal , cook over a small open fire. (Usually made in a small trench)

As you said ....... An alcohol stove weighs next to nothing, a few ounces. The fuel for it can be located at any hardware store and is a lot less then white gas. Makes a good back up stove.

Dried, pre packaged, foods, like the Lipton Brand, take very little space if put in zip lock bags and weigh next to nothing.

Pre packing your own foods will save a lot of cash. A good source of information on this process is "the Back Country Kitchen " by Teresa Marrone.

Hammocks like the Hennessey Hammock weigh less then tents and take less space in the back pack and offer a lot of comfort. If you are around a lot of tent campers and space is at a premium, you can go where they can't.

A medium weight sleeping bag with a bag liner (Sleep sack) is multi purpose. The bag if the weather is just right, with the liner in it if cooler weather arrives, the liner by itself if the weather warms up.
A bag liner can be a sheet sewn on one side, the bottom and part way up the other side, about 1/2 way.

When in town shopping .....Local libraries offer computer use, some for nothing of a low cost to the user. Some have time limits on how long you can use the computer.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Well, John, first thing I had to do was copy it off to my word processor to get a larger font. I couldn't read what was on the site. Then, it started to make good sense.

Your experience at REI must differ from mine. I find them grossly overpriced. Campmor works much better for me. Sierra trading Post never worked well for me either. But, I suspect we just have different eyes is which beauty gets beholded.

Chuck's thoughts about a wood stove are good. Established practice on the AT, I think. Fuel might become a problem? I don't know. I also carry a few sticks of trioxane for a simple, quick fire. Either to heat a cup of tea after the Thermos bottle empties, warm my hands, or just as a fire starter when I've been too inattentive to gather birch bark.

I would strongly endorse a Hennessy Hammock over a tent for solo hikes. For dual hikes - well, it's according to who the other half of the dual was. Some old snort like Chuckus Snoricus or Yakus Dribbleicus - I'll stay in my own hammock. 'Twere a viable gal partnering with me - a tent would then be handy to have along, ehh?

A gallon milk jug makes a cheap, collapsible water container. 2 liter pop bottles make good canteens too. Easily replaced along the way. In my opinion, the little rubber tanks to carry water on your back on a hike or a paddle are just gadgets. Maybe if you're riding a bike they would be handy? A simple, light weight bottle serves admirably.

Shelters are held up by one of two means - pressure or tension. Pressure requires a strut of some sort - tent pole. Tension is a mere rope. Ropes are lighter and have more uses. Use a shelter with minimum (read "none") poles required. Can you spell Hennessy?

Some folks like hiking staffs; I've never found them to be all that useful. Exceptions to this are travelling rough terrain. They can be useful for hopping over obstacles or propping you up on narrow trails. Colin Fletcher swore by them; I swear at them. Just different.

I enjoy a fur felt hat with a wide brim - Akubra brand made in Australia. These are the "fan the fire water the dog" tool that a hat should be. They keep off sun, rain, and flies. http://www.davidmorgan.com Frankly, I find them superior to anything peddled by either Tilley or Stetson. Again, just my opinion.

 

[oldsparkey]

Here is something to think about, no moving parts, all the fuel you need is along the trail and then if you strike out it will cook with an alcohol stove.

If you are using damp wood then you need to blow in the tube , hot air helps the fire get going ( all of us have plenty of hot air.....) :lol:

There web site ........... http://www.trailstove.com/

The stove........

Or turn it over and use your alcohol burner.....

Chuck.

 

[Johnny Swank]

wood stoves and such

I've been playing with using more fires to cook on. Most of my cooking is just boiling water and letting things soak for a bit. As long as it's soft enough to shove down my throat then I'm good.

If I were to do another thru-hike I'd do each of the following.

-Cook a little more over a fire. I'd just put 3 stakes in the ground and build a tiny fire between them. In decent weather, I could see doing this about half the time. The rest of the time I'd use my trusty homemade alcohol stove. I've got 1,500 miles on a Frito-lay refried bean can with some slots cut near the top. Stupid simple to use, cause I'm a stupid simpleton.

-Use a hammock. There's a weight penalty, partially offset because i could potentially use the down underquilt as insulation and ditch a jacket. I don't know how much I'd actually do that in the winter, but I'll be damned if I'm carrying another fleece jacket through the late spring through early fall again.

-I MIGHT would use trail runners instead of sandals. I thru-hiked in Chacos, but getting a system together for cold-weather use was "interesting" to say the least. Still have all my toes though. Trail runners are a light option.

-Finish making the rest of my gear. So far I made our packs, stove, windshirt, stuff sacks, and few other things. I still use an 8x10 silnylon tarp that's in good shape, but I'd consider making an oversized poncho for use with a hammock (I hate ponchos though)

-Take much less zero days. On my thru-hike, I took at least 30 days completely off over 6 months. On the Mississippi River trip we took 6, 3 of which were to dodge a hurricane. I got into this bad cycle of doing big miles for a few days, going into town, then having to take off a day to recover. I think you're better off doing a more moderate pace daily, then hiking farther between resupplies. Big mile days beat the hell out of you.

-Carry less weight. I probably had about 18-22 lbs in my pack before food and water. I think I can easily get that down to 10 pounds with just a few changes. Once your base weight is in the low teens, who gives a shit about adding an extra couple days of food?

-Carry some way to email and post photos instead of dealing with libraries. I wasted alot of time on the computers in towns, both finding the libraries and mindlessly surfing around. I'm writing an article for Mobile Computing about the setup I'd use, but in a nutshell its a Palm Treo with a folding keyboard. Bear in mind that I'm usually writing a newspaper column while I'm hiking, so my needs are a little different. The Pocketmail system is the way to go if you're not doing overly long posts or need internet access. Write your emails, go to a pay phone and send/receive emails, then be on your way. Simple, easy, elegant - but I'd hate to try and hammer out a bunch of pages out on that thing. We used one on the Mississippi but depended on our Gmail account for most stuff.

-Not do it on a shoestring budget. Worrying about every dime sucks. I'm still a cheap bastard and would like to do it on the cheap just as a challenge, but knowing you have some extra money to fall back on gives some good piece of mind.

-I'd consider going from Georgia to Maine, but then get over it and realize that southbound is the only way to hike. I hate being in crowds all the time, and that northbound swarm would drive me nuts.

 

[Deer Slayer]

One area that I've been considering in cutting the weight is with the sleeping bag...

I like this one a lot

http://www.featheredfriends.com/Product ... ock%20Wren

Looks like it could also double as a no sleeve capote with a little work by belting it with a belt or sash in the same manner as a long hunter's shirt...

However, my current lightest bag is a Hagloff LIM 5 which stuffs to about the size of a loaf of bread, and weights about a pound and a half. The down side, it's a summer bag only, but can be used as a liner for a warmer bag....

 

[Kayak Jack]

I like the bag, but at that price it oughta come with a blonde inside it. Still, I'd bet it's worth the money.

Not sure about you guys, but I almost always sleep with my clothes on. I don't see a reason to take off clothes and replace that insulation with something else I have to carry. Besides, then I'm already dressed when I have to go check water levels in the lake at midnight or three O'clock in the morning.

 

[stevesteve]

Hi,

The following is cross-posted from www.songofthepaddle.co.uk:

_________________________________________

I have been looking at the excellent folding fireboxes that have been discussed on this site but wondering if I could start with something cheaper for now. I was in Woolworths this morning and spotted a stainless steel cutlery drainer. At £4.50 I thought it was worth a punt.

It's about 12cm dia and 13cm tall. Conveniently ventilated all round. The base is also perforated but I might invest another pound or so in a stainless dog bowl for it to stand on (Wilcos!).

I set out into the wilds between our house and the garage. Feathered the edges of some of the off-cuts from cutting boat parts (pine ribs). Started using some shredded kitchen roll and away it went.

It gave off enough heat to boil water in quite a short time.

Tea anyone?

 

[Kayak Jack]

Steve2,

Looks good operationally. Not folding could present a problem. Have to pack other gear inside it. EXCEEDINGLY good eye to spot the multiple use possibilities of an unrelated piece of gear. You get an "Atta boy!" for that one.

Here are some other options that look feasible:

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/mod ... index.html

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/fal ... index.html

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=288270

I've ordered the last one from Sportsman's Guide. Will try it. ANYTHING works better with windshields. Two basic designs that I like are:

Aluminum foil - thick like comes in the disposable baking dishes or disposable serving trays. This will roll up. BEWARE of sharp edges; they cut fingers and hands like a knife! These can be custom cut to your stove and your cooking pot. I read somewhere, (don't dream this stuff - I dream about gals and boats) that a 1/4" gap between the pot and the stove is the most efficient for draft and heat exchange. Cautionary note: DO NOT shield a gas stove and the pot on top - excess heat can build in the stove with disastrous effects of explosion and fire.

Plywood - scrap plywood, 1/8" - 3mm - 4mm thick. Cut three trapezoids. Mine are 3" wide at the top, 4" wide ad the bottom, and about 12" tall. Vary ratio to suit yourself. Lay these flat with all narrow ends to the top, about 3/4" apart. Using duct tape, (I didn't have to tell anyone that - did I?), tape the seams; roll over maintaining spacing & tape other side too. You now have a windshield that will lean into the pot/stove assembly and be resistant to blowing over. I've since drilled a series of 1/8" - 1/4" holes along near the bottom edge of the center piece to let in ventilation air for my Coleman stove. It was getting a bit too warm for my comfort. See cautionary note above.

If your cut edges have splinters, tape around all edges to prevent slivers. When folding, fold left side up and right side down. I also this assembly as a door step into and out of my hammock or tent.

 

[oldsparkey]

Jack........

The last link you listed is the Amgazit Pocket Cooker , http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=288270

I have had one for several years and use it as my solo stove when out by myself. I did use it on one three day trip down the Suwannee and cooked the meals for two other guys with it.

I put one of my home made alcohol stoves in it and it works like a champ , folds up and is easy to store away. If you don't want to use one of the alcohol stoves in it as a heat source then just burn some small twigs.
For the stove instructions ...The Pepsi G stove
http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/over ... tove.shtml
I made my stove from two 24 oz Budweiser cans or if you are lazy then just use one of the Trangia Spirit Stove burners for $12.00. I have one and don't think it puts out as much heat as the homemade stoves but it does work.

I have looked all over to see if they ( The Pocket Cooker) were still on the market and was not able to locate any of them. :evil: I am thinking I might order in a spare one , just in case.

By the way this outfit will boil water just as fast or faster then my single burner Coleman does. 1 oz of alcohol in it is good for about 6 minutes burning time. You can always put more in it before you light it off , I would not go past the half way mark which would give you a lot of time and waste fuel , denatured alcohol is inexpensive.
If I want a extended burning time then I remove the one that is hot and place another one in place of it. Half the fun on making the little stoves is emptying the beer cans.

Ready to cook

The flame does reach the bottom of the pot when it is on there.

Chuck.

 

[islandpiper]

Well, as usual, Kayak Jack has the best idea. He has a picture that he keeps dry in his pack and he just sets this on a flat place and puts his cook pot on it.......works really well, light weight, no fuel to mess with and serves a double purpose. Oh, what picture? well......it's an old one of Anne Margaret, he always wanted to get her out on the trail, and he just wishes she'd cook his meals......and to us old guys, she's still pretty HOT.

Piper

 

[Kayak Jack]

Never could fool you for long, could I Piper-san? Ann Margaret was "Paint Brush of the Year".

 

[oldsparkey]

I have tried to locate a Stainless Steel Mess Kit to use with the pocket stove and don't you know it Campmor has one....... Something else that is hard to locate today , everything is aluminum.

Campmor ...... Then then ........ # 80708

This will help me make a Compact Kayak Camping and Cooking Kit that even I will not be able to break.
Ya can get a lot in a kayak but not like what you can pack in a canoe so it is a cross between paddling and backpacking but with more goodies then backpacking.
Besides by kayaking the backpack carries you and your gear.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Local BSA shop may have one?

 

[Kayak Jack]

Starting with this design http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/fal ... index.html I modified some. First off, I didn't have a can the right size, but I did have a 1 gallon can. thinking that I might want to open a blacksmith shop one day, I though what the heck, i can use a forge. So, I used the big one gallon can.

The triangle exhaust port is larger, and I added a few more intake holes in the backside (upwind side). Since the diameter of this is larger than my smaller pans, I thought of laying a couple of those long nail-type tent pegs across the top to set a pan on. Then, I go thinking some more.

Why not drill holes down about 2" from the top of the can, run two nail-type tent pegs through, and let the smaller pans set down INSIDE the large gallon can whilst my wood fire burns below. This should be a bit more efficient, I think.

Thoughts?

 

[oldsparkey]

His is set up so the pan rests on the top , sealing the exit , making the flame or heat go out the exhaust port which has to be that exact size he listed (according to him) for maximum efficiency.

Yours will have the flame (or some of it ) exiting around the pot since it will be sitting inside the burner and not on top. In my humble way of thinking that would heat up the pot and it's contents a lot faster. Best way to find out is to try it.

Have a glove or mit handy because the handle of the pot will get hot , anyway it should.

The two (Nail type) tent pegs would make a good pot holder and in a pinch even hold down the rain fly on your hammock or tent when you are not cooking.

Give it a shot and lets see how it works.

Just thinking on this end ..... what about taking some hardware cloth ( the wire with the 1/2 inch squares in it ) and forming it to fit the bottom of the can , measure it and then trim it so it is about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the can. This would keep the wood off the bottom and offer some good ventilation for burning. You could even sprinkle some sand in the bottom to protect it from the embers , ashes and some of the heat.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

I forgot to mention the hardware cloth, Chuckie. Thanks. All fire gotta breathe.

 

[Manjimike]

The smallest stove I use (as a backup to my canister stove) is the Nimblewill Nomad tha I constructed from titanium sheet from 'Thruhiker'
http://wings.interfree.it/html/nomad.html
I have cooked bread (damper) on it in 25min with my 'Bakepacker', just using twigs and leaves within reach of my bivy bag.
Only drawback is the black pot to clean up
Cheers Mike

 

[oldsparkey]

I was looking at his article and I thought the picture of him looked familure. I meet him when he hiked thru here. We were both at the Short Stop (A Ma & Pa Convience store) that morning. We had a short discussion about the trail in this area ( I walk it a lot and so did my daughters , I live about 100 yards from it ) He took out and I went to the Sheriffs Office to hold down the main complaint/information desk , would of a lot rathered been on the trail.
************************************************************
From his notes..........................
Wednesdayâ€â€

 

[Kayak Jack]

Here's another nice stove. http://www.littlbug.com/stories.html