things & stuff » Backpacking

Cheap Bear Canisters

Jeff Fitzsimons — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:17:13 +0000

Harbor Freight, of all places, sells a bear canister for a mere $29.87. It looks an awful lot like the Garcia Bear-Resistant Container at REI, which sells for $69.95.

I’ve heard this bear canister isn’t approved for use in the Sierra. I have no idea what, if any, certification it’s received.

Ecco Track Elite: Best Boots Ever

Jeff Fitzsimons — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:52:04 +0000

The Ecco Track Elite, model 24604, is easily the best boot I’ve ever owned. It’s far taller, and provides much more support, than any of the other Track series boots.

Ecco’s soles are soft and comfortable. While this results in a shorter-lived boot, for people like me with ankle tendonitis, it’s absolutely critical.

Bummer!

Jeff Fitzsimons — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:29:20 +0000

In addition to my Halloween plans falling through, I just found out that independent hiking on the Inca Trail is prohibited!

Since June 2002 trekking independently on the Inca Trail has been prohibited. Regulations state that each trekker must be accompanied on the Inca Trail by a professionally qualified guide. (source)

Powdered Whole Milk

Jeff Fitzsimons — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:32:32 +0000

Powdered milk is a great thing to have along when backpacking. It’s a lightweight source of protein and flavor. Unfortunately, all of the backpacking-oriented stores seem obsessed with fat-free products. This yields tasteless, low-calorie breakfasts which don’t seem to keep one sustained through the morning hike.

Luckily, NESTLÉ make Nido, which is powdered whole milk. While it’s been popular for years throughout Europe and Africa, it’s only recently been imported into the USA, and even then it’s squirreled away in the Latino cooking section.

It’s available at Amazon, two 12.6oz cans for $10.99, or from Wal-Mart, for around $3.50 per 12.6oz can.

Variants

There are three types of Nido marketed in the US:

NIDO Clasica
NIDO Kinder 1+: intended for children, and as such, contains additional vitamins and sugar.
NIDO Heritage: intended, presumably, for the elderly.

Mixing

It appears that some cans of Nido may lack English instructions. The recommended combination is 1/3 cup of Nido to 8 oz water, yielding a single serving.

Nutritional Information

Full nutritional information is available full details here. Basic information:

Calories 150

Calories from Fat 81

Total Fat 9g

Saturated fat 5g

Total Carbohydrates 12g

Oakland to Yosemite

Jeff Fitzsimons — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:38:42 +0000

Google Maps provides a route from the San Francisco Bay Area to Yosemite National Park which runs along 580 to Highway 120. I find this route to be intolerably populated, unattractive, and often ground to a stop due to accidents or sheer traffic volume.

On a recent drive back, when I found traffic along 580 into Tracy at nearly a standstill, I cut north through the Delta and up to Concord. The contrast between the packed 580 versus the desolate back-roads was amazing.

Earlier, when Highway 120 led into Oakdale, I found that by cutting a single street North yielded a road which was almost entirely unused, had only the occasional stop sign, and featured beautiful views of fields and smelled of grass and cows instead of exhaust fumes.

According to Google Maps estimates, the standard 580/120 route only saves around 40 minutes versus a much more leisurely, scenic, and enjoyable route along Highway 4:

The standard route (183 miles, 3:50)
Alternative route via Highway 4 (187 miles, 4:29)
120 to Stockton via Valley Home Road at Oakdale, Highway 4 to Marsh Creek Road to Walnut Creek to Highway 24 (188 miles, 4:37)

Calories	150
Calories from Fat	81
Total Fat	9g
Saturated fat	5g
Total Carbohydrates	12g