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Thread: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

  1. #21

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    southeast Idaho, Teton Valley
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    218

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by BennoLF View Post
    It's a real brick. It's 4lb 3oz with GG, the movements are all heavy and rather finicky, the rail extensions don't lock easily, and I wouldn't trust the rear standard anything but locked off. I'm looking into improving the wingnuts on the rear standard so I can use it, but I might not get very far.
    Most anything but this(as long as is has real movements) would be an upgrade.
    Four 1/4 pounds is less than I thought it would weigh. Some of the folding 4 by 5's weigh more than this (mine weighs 6.5, with lens (135 mm Kodak WF Ektar), no rangefinder, and a quick-connect plate for the tripod.

    The pack I carry, including 5 days of food, the 6.5 -pound camera, two other lenses, several film holders, tripod, camping gear, foul weather clothes, a day pack to carry stuff away from base camp, dark cloth, and other sundry items weighs about 52 pounds. That's with an empty water bottle. The backpack is a heavy clunker Lowe Expedition, and it weighs about 7 pounds empty. Another five days of food would be another ten pounds or so.

    Several people on LFPF say they carry 70 to 80 pound packs. I'd have to toss in a cast iron dutch oven to get my pack weight that high. What are people carrying so that their packs are so heavy?

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    DC
    Posts
    35

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Same! Looking at it I would expect 8 or more pounds but it's mostly air I guess haha.

    As for excessive weight: on some past trips I've done with the boys scouts they made us carry all sorts of idiotic stuff such as 'certified bear-safe gear' (including over 100' of incredibly dense rope and a few climbing-rated carabiners), 8-quart pots, stoves big enough to heat 8 quarts, etc. Maybe some people are carrying lots of things 'just in case' that other people forgo for the sake of weight, or they don't have very light tents etc. I'm usually a fairly light packer and I have some pretty light gear, but OTOH I'm a first aid freak and I never go backpacking without my full kit (nearly 1.5 pounds).

    When I'm packing myself I'm usually looking at 20 pounds with a couple days of food but no water or camera stuff. Even if I brought 5 liters of water and 30 pounds of camera gear that would only be 60 pounds. Whatever ends up happening I'll survive. 3 days with 60 pounds isn't as nice as 3 days with 30 but it ain't gonna kill me.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Oxfordshire UK
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    1,090

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Dear OP

    It's terrific to see your blatant lack of a reply to my post of yesterday.................great way to engage on here I have to say...........................

    Andrew

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    southeast Idaho, Teton Valley
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    218

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by BennoLF View Post
    Same! Looking at it I would expect 8 or more pounds but it's mostly air I guess haha.

    As for excessive weight: on some past trips I've done with the boys scouts they made us carry all sorts of idiotic stuff such as 'certified bear-safe gear' (including over 100' of incredibly dense rope and a few climbing-rated carabiners), 8-quart pots, stoves big enough to heat 8 quarts, etc. Maybe some people are carrying lots of things 'just in case' that other people forgo for the sake of weight, or they don't have very light tents etc. I'm usually a fairly light packer and I have some pretty light gear, but OTOH I'm a first aid freak and I never go backpacking without my full kit (nearly 1.5 pounds).

    When I'm packing myself I'm usually looking at 20 pounds with a couple days of food but no water or camera stuff. Even if I brought 5 liters of water and 30 pounds of camera gear that would only be 60 pounds. Whatever ends up happening I'll survive. 3 days with 60 pounds isn't as nice as 3 days with 30 but it ain't gonna kill me.
    Is the ranch the Philmont?

  5. #25

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    Nov 2019
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    DC
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    35

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    It is!! Have you been? If so, what area were you in and did you take any photos?

  6. #26

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    Apr 2012
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    southeast Idaho, Teton Valley
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    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by BennoLF View Post
    It is!! Have you been? If so, what area were you in and did you take any photos?
    No, I have not been there. My nephew has, though.

  7. #27
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Humboldt County, CA
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    9,211

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    I like my Gowland PocketView 4x5 (sold thru Calumet) for traveling and backpacking. A rail camera with limited movements (plenty for landscape) that packs up small. Weighs 2.5 pounds with the Caltar IIN 150/5.6 on it. The back did not rotate -- had to flip the camera over. Some controls tighten/loosened by allen key. No indents. Quarky, but add 5 to 6 holders, an old Gitzo pod and ballhead, meter, darkcloth, changing bag, and odds and ends and I spent 5 months on a bicycle with it, and many week to 11-day backback trips, too...ahhhh the good old days! As the 11x14 and 8x10 get heavier with age, perhaps it will see more use again (the 5x7 certainly is!)

    A few images with the above combination...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Bruce1.jpg   Tolaga bay Wharf.jpg   LoneRanchBeachOR.jpg   Falls, Franz Josef Glacier, NZ_16x20.jpg  
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    DC
    Posts
    35

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by mmerig View Post
    No, I have not been there. My nephew has, though.
    Ah ok. Lucky him!

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    I like my Gowland PocketView 4x5 (sold thru Calumet) for traveling and backpacking. A rail camera with limited movements (plenty for landscape) that packs up small. Weighs 2.5 pounds with the Caltar IIN 150/5.6 on it. The back did not rotate -- had to flip the camera over. Some controls tighten/loosened by allen key. No indents. Quarky, but add 5 to 6 holders, an old Gitzo pod and ballhead, meter, darkcloth, changing bag, and odds and ends and I spent 5 months on a bicycle with it, and many week to 11-day backback trips, too...ahhhh the good old days! As the 11x14 and 8x10 get heavier with age, perhaps it will see more use again (the 5x7 certainly is!)

    A few images with the above combination...
    Oh good to know! How much have you found it's non-folding design to be a nuisance while backpacking? Also, that picture under the wharf is great!

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Minnesota and Massachusetts, USA
    Posts
    593

    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by BennoLF View Post
    Same! Looking at it I would expect 8 or more pounds but it's mostly air I guess haha.

    As for excessive weight: on some past trips I've done with the boys scouts they made us carry all sorts of idiotic stuff such as 'certified bear-safe gear' (including over 100' of incredibly dense rope and a few climbing-rated carabiners), 8-quart pots, stoves big enough to heat 8 quarts, etc. Maybe some people are carrying lots of things 'just in case' that other people forgo for the sake of weight, or they don't have very light tents etc. I'm usually a fairly light packer and I have some pretty light gear, but OTOH I'm a first aid freak and I never go backpacking without my full kit (nearly 1.5 pounds).

    When I'm packing myself I'm usually looking at 20 pounds with a couple days of food but no water or camera stuff. Even if I brought 5 liters of water and 30 pounds of camera gear that would only be 60 pounds. Whatever ends up happening I'll survive. 3 days with 60 pounds isn't as nice as 3 days with 30 but it ain't gonna kill me.
    That 8 qt pot and stove aren't so heavy when "amortized" over 8 scouts and 2 adults. Even the ubiquitous 4 person Timberline tent isn't so heavy when you factor in that it will sleep 4 scouts. My own solo kit for 2-3 days is about 23-24 lbs but that with only 1L water (enough where I was) and without much in the way of fancy, ultralight gear.

    Of course, the weight is not (typically) shared equally. It seems my lightest pack when I was taking scouts was 45 lbs. But with scouts, you do need to take more safety gear (first aid, rope, etc).

    2 things I would add (though not to the backpacking list) is blackout cloth or plastic sheeting to cover a doorway (and perhaps a window too) and gaffers tape that won't leave residue.

  10. #30

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    Nov 2019
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    Re: Me, my inexperienced butt, and the backcountry

    Quote Originally Posted by HMG View Post
    That 8 qt pot and stove aren't so heavy when "amortized" over 8 scouts and 2 adults. Even the ubiquitous 4 person Timberline tent isn't so heavy when you factor in that it will sleep 4 scouts. My own solo kit for 2-3 days is about 23-24 lbs but that with only 1L water (enough where I was) and without much in the way of fancy, ultralight gear.

    Of course, the weight is not (typically) shared equally. It seems my lightest pack when I was taking scouts was 45 lbs. But with scouts, you do need to take more safety gear (first aid, rope, etc).
    True, although it's still irksome to be carrying item that weight 2 or 3 times what they need to to function. I think it's because Philmont needs to have everything last through multiple seasons of 23,000 scouts, so everything has to be nearly bulletproof.

    Quote Originally Posted by HMG View Post
    2 things I would add (though not to the backpacking list) is blackout cloth or plastic sheeting to cover a doorway (and perhaps a window too) and gaffers tape that won't leave residue.
    Good idea, thanks! I'll add them to the list.

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