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  Israel National Trail  Backpacking Inf...  Ultralight  What's in your backpack
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New Post 9/13/2007 11:50 AM
Online now... Yankale
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What's in your backpack 
Modified By Yankale  on 2/2/2009 1:57:46 PM)

 

There are three basic rules you have to follow:

 

A. Make you backpack as light as possible.

B. Don't make it too heavy.

C. Well, it's the same as the first two.....

 

If your backpack is heavier than 23 pounds (excluding hiking poles, food and water) you have too much stuff.

 

Here's a recommended list. 

 

1.       Backpack 60-65 liters (+10). (Larger backpacks tend to fill fast…)

2.       Light weight rain cover for your backpack (~100 gm).
3.       A pair of hiking poles.
4.       Hiking shoes. (Don't hit the road with new shoes, break them in…)
5.       Sandals / crocs.
6.       Hat. It will protect your head during cooler evenings too.
7.       Bandana.
8.       Sun glasses.
9.       Sun screen (15 SPF min.)
10.   5 liters water container.
11.   Additional water (if required) can be carried in plastic bottle(s) outside the backpack.
12.   Cellular phone.
13.   Light weight tent or TARP. I did not take one. A group can share it's weight.
14.   Mattress.
15.   Sleeping bag (Rated -5 c. In winter consider a warmer one)
16.   Small towel.
17.   1 Pair of pants + zipper in the knee area.
18.   1 Pair of shorts (optional).
19.   Bathing suit. (Red sea, Dead Sea, Mediterranean, Lake of Galilee).
20.   2 Shirts. I had long sleeves they provide better sun protection.
21.   3 Pairs of socks (Not cotton socks).
22.   3 Pairs of underwear (Calvin Klein )
23.   Fleece jacket.
24.   Light weight raingear, in winter.
25.   Flashlight.
26.   5 m utility rope (~3-4 mm in diameter).
27.   Cookware (lightweight).
28.   1 Spare gas container in the desert. Consider buying in Israel.
29.   Plastic plate & cup.
30.   Knife, Fork, Spoon (KFS) (Plastic or Titanium).
31.   Can opener (The best military invention ever: P-38 or P-51).
32.   Water purification tablets, optional. I did not use them. In the south water is not of adequate purification quality. North of Arad, potable water is accessible at least every 15 km.
33.   Toilet paper.
34.   Plastic bags to take your litter with you.
35.   Mosquito and insect repellent 
36.   Small soap bar (or half of it).
37.   Personal care stuff. (in a plastic Ziploc bag, they are light weight).
38.   Small plastic mirror.
39.   First aid kit (see below).
40.   A Needle for treating blisters. Flame sterilize before applying.
41.   Any medication that you need.
42.   Guide and Topo maps (1.2 pounds)
43.   Compass (optional).
44.   Camera.
45.   Binocular (optional).
46.   Pen and paper.
47. Mosquito net.
 
New Post 9/13/2007 4:59 PM
User is offline gbercaw
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Re: What's in your backpack 

 Yankale wrote

 

 3.       A pair of hiking poles.

 

I bought a pair of poles the day before I left for Israel.  I had never used them before and wanted to give them a try.  I can't imagine doing it with out them.  I loved them.  They provided added balance. Took stress off my knees.  Gave my arms something to do (on days I did not use them my arms felt awkward dangling at the side).  Good suggestion Yankale. 

 
New Post 9/14/2007 5:20 PM
User is offline Shay
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Good thread.

Yankale, I'm curious to know whether what kinds of 5-liter containers Israeli hikers carry on the INT. We used Platypus water bladders and they worked pretty well because you don't have to take them out of your pack when you drink, and the water stays cool. Are hydration systems like that popular in Israel?

 

 
New Post 9/14/2007 10:57 PM
Online now... Yankale
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Re: What's in your backpack 

All hikers here use Platypus or similar, hydration systems.

 
New Post 9/15/2007 2:45 PM
User is offline gbercaw
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Somethings I would have taken:

  1. a piece of fabric.  Something to lay on during breaks or to keep the sun off.
  2. bug spray that worked.  We bought some stuff in Eliat.  It would have been just as easy to carry a rock with us for how effective it was.
  3. camp footwear.  I thought I would lighten my load by not bringing a pair of sandales.  I ended up getting a pair in Jerusalem.  It was nice to slip them on around camp.  They allowed my feet to breate more.
  4. GPS/altimeter: we did fine with out it; I would have liked to record elevation changes and make notes in my journal using waypoints.

Somethings I would have left at home:

  1. underwear:  just got in the way.  I had some shorts with a built in liner and they were great.
  2. my heavy socks.  I have since been using lightweight smartwool socks.  I think they offer the cushion I need and keep my digits cool. 

 

 

 
New Post 2/3/2009 2:33 PM
Online now... Yankale
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Camp footwaer : Water resistant Sandals or crocs. In the north you need to walk in a  small river for about half an hour or so. Use crocs or sandals, it's also good for the evenings.

Don't take Grotex shoes the weather is too hot for them. 

A peice of light fabric + mosquito net provide good shelter agaisnt the sun and flies.

I saw on the other thread that  Acron used his tent for shade. Good solution if you carry one, it weighs ~ 2 kg (4 pounds). 

GPS: Only if you are really curious about precise altitude (+/- 10%), it's another thing to carry + batteries . 

 
New Post 3/8/2010 1:59 AM
User is offline ashen yashen
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Re: What's in your backpack 

 Since this is in the "ultralight" forum, I'll address some of these items from the ultralight POV:

1.   Backpack - consider a frameless model, which can weigh less than 1 lbs.  You then use your closed-cell foam pad to help create a quasi-frame, since you aren't going to be sleeping on it while hiking, and that heavy frame is not doing you any good at night.  Frameless packs are rated at lower weight capacities, but this is where the synergy of ultralight starts coming into play - if you have been cutting everything else down, then you will have less to carry.  Focus on the big three: pack, sleeping system (tent), and sleeping bag.  Take off the weight on these, and that's where you will see the big savings.

2.   Rain cover for backpack.  Remember that 7 months of the year, it does not rain at all in Israel.  Leave this at home unless you're going to be hiking December-February AND the forecast is for rain.

4.   Hiking shoes - consider going with trail-running shoes instead of the big clunkers.  The rule of thumb is that every ouce (gram, pound, kilo) that you cut off your feet is equivalent to cutting five times as much off the weight in your pack.  Remember, every step of the way from Dan to Eilat, you have to lift those shoes up in the air, only to put them down a moment later.  There are those who will claim that boots give better support or whatnot, but again, if you're in the midst of cutting all of your pack weight, then there won't be as much to worry about.

5.  Crocs, if you happen to be one of the weird people like me who have taken out a scale and weighed them, are actually quite heavy.  Try a pair of cheap, flimsy, and LIGHT flipflops.  This will get you through the questionably-clean showers you might encounter, provide an alternative to your shoes during the evening, and won't weigh you down as much along the way.

7.   Bandana - only if you are going to be using it extensively.  If it's going to be hanging out inside your pack mostly, forget about it.  Know your personal style, and pack accordingly.

8.   Sunglasses - if you are already a glasses-wearer, instead of a second pair of glasses, consider clip-on shades that lack the full body (=excess weight) of a second pair.

9.  Sun screen - like all consumables, take only a small amount, and then include refills in your supply drops along the way.  If you get home and you're still carrying excess sunscreen, then that amount was doing nothing more than weighing you down the whole way.

15.  Sleeping bag - rated for no more than the weather you will face, and possibly even higher temperatures.  Also, consider taking a quilt (blanket) instead of a full bag.  See my notes in the "sleeping systems" thread.

16.  There are many super-light-weight towels out there, so leave the heavy-weight terrycloth beach towel at home.  If your friends don't make fun of your towel for being too small and flimsy-looking, it's probably too big.

18.  Shorts - If you are bringing convertible pants (#17), then you already have a pair of shorts.  Leave the extra pair at home.

19.  Bathing suit - underwear, if you are bringing it, will probably suffice, or possibly your convertible pants, which are probably also fast drying.  Extraneous weight!

20.  2 shirts - leave one at home.  

21.  3 pairs of socks - leave one at home.  Wear one, and have the other one drying out on the outside of your bag from just having been washed.  Socks are critical to your hiking success, so they are the one area where some level of redundancy is acceptable.  But don't start going crazy with three pairs.

22.  3 pairs of underwear.  Definitely carry no more than two, and see if you can cut it further down (one or none).  

23.  Fleece jacket - again, make sure that it is exactly as heavy as you are going to need, and no heavier.  If it stays in your pack the entire time, it is (you guessed it) a waste!

24.  Rain gear - see my note about #2

25.  Flashlight - try a LED button-light, like the photon freedom micro.

27.  Cookware - recognize that most of the cookware is a waste.  Research the "freezer bag cooking" method to see how your entire kitchen can be no more than a single "pot", tin can (formerly a container of cat food), and a lexan spoon.  The purists would go even light on the spoon, preferring a fast-food disposable spork.  

28.  Spare?  Why not put it in with your food drops?  And why carry a gas system when an alcohol-based cat-food stove is lighter?

29.  If you already have a cooking pot, you have a cup.  And if you already have a cup, you also have a food bowl.  Leave the unnecessary redundancy for moon missions.

30.  Knife AND Fork AND Spoon?  As they say in Hebrew, "Haval" (It's a shame...).  If you insist on fork-capabilities and knife-capabilities, consider the Light My Fire spork.  But for your back and knees' sake, please don't carry all three.

31.  Can opener - would seem to be implying that you will be carrying cans as well.  They are very heavy, and often contain a lot of fluid with you pour out.  Both of these are a waste.  Consider re-packaging your food before you leave to keep that unnecessary weight off your back.

38.  Plastic mirror - are you going out hiking in order to look your best, or in order to enjoy your surroundings?  If the latter, then you are only served by having as little weight on you as possible, since the opposite will just cause you to suffer with each step.  Most civilization you will come in contact with (in the north, primarily, but also at the places you might pop into in the south) will usually have a mirror for your FREE use.

39.  First aid is another great area to cut down weight, but like many others, it requires knowledge.  Educate yourself about what you are likely to run into (buy a book on wilderness first aid or take a course), and then ONLY bring what you need.  300 bandaids is a bit much.  You are not trying to build a field hospital, and the likelihood is that (god forbid) you get into more serious situation, you are going to have to go to a hospital anyway.  The upside about Israel being a very small country is that it is never too far from a hospital.  

42.   If you are carrying a guide and a map that carry more than your sub-1 lbs backpack, that is a sign that the guide is too heavy.  Cut it up, and take only the section relevant to your particular section.  This too gets into the logistics of supply drops.

43.  Compass - realistically, you have no need for this in the small country of Israel.  The sun comes up on the Asia side, goes down over the Mediterranean, and you are never really that far from a road.  Leave it at home.

45.  Binocular - leave at home, for the trips when you will be driving a car to a nice bird-watching site, rather than shlepping everything you have on your back the length of the country.

 
New Post 3/8/2010 2:05 AM
User is offline ashen yashen
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Re: What's in your backpack 

 gbercaw- 

Regarding GPS, depending on the cellphone you will be taking, you may already have a GPS receiver with you.  Don't take two (=unnecessary weight)!

As for the piece of fabric, you could try a silnylon poncho-tarp, which will not only provide shade, but also can be pitched like a tent or turned into your rain protection (if you are going during a part of the year that calls for that).  And in a pinch, it can be your "modesty clothing" for the times you get a chance to wash all of your clothes (I'm assuming, of course, that you didn't bring any spare items of clothing).

 
New Post 3/8/2010 3:14 PM
User is offline ed
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Re: What's in your backpack 

 ashen yashen wrote
 

 Since this is in the "ultralight" forum, I'll address some of these items from the ultralight POV:

31.  Can opener - would seem to be implying that you will be carrying cans as well.  They are very heavy, and often contain a lot of fluid with you pour out.  Both of these are a waste.  Consider re-packaging your food before you leave to keep that unnecessary weight off your back.

Disagree.  I always carry a can opener.  I only rarely carry cans. 

When I am hiking I will stop in towns for resupply.  Often I will skip the restaurant  but I will buy non-backpacking food at the store to eat before leaving town.  Having a can opener expands my options for foods to buy at the store to be eaten in town. 

Plus and this is unique to the INT.  You can bury food cans with the water drops.  I would rather carry the empty cans out of the desert than zip lock bags full of food into the desert (overall the empty cans are lighter than the full packages of food).  And I don't think I would trust anything but canned goods to be safe from being infested by critters. 

I also carry a bottle opener in case a cold beer presents itself as an option.  I won't carry heavy glass bottles far into the woods.  But buying a beer at the store is much cheaper than buying it at a pub.   

 
New Post 3/8/2010 11:26 PM
Online now... Yankale
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Ashen Yashe is correct, the above list is not ultralight.

 
New Post 3/11/2010 8:27 AM
User is offline theboat
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Not really the right thread for this but I'm not sure it warrants a totally new one.

Does anyone have an idea where one could get a small, portable radio that runs on batteries, in Israel? Electronics stores here don't carry that kind of stuff anymore, but I think it would be useful on the trail to listen to music, weather reports, etc.

 
New Post 3/11/2010 10:41 AM
Online now... Yankale
283 posts
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Re: What's in your backpack 

Ashen wrote:

3 pairs of underwear.  Definitely carry no more than two, and see if you can cut it further down (one or none).  

In our weather no underwear will cause serious skin irritation in no time, the same goes for one pair. Two pairs are OK provided you wash them on a daily basis . Three are recommended.

 
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