Date: 2006-11-07
To: '06 Gear Review Continued
Miles today: 0.0

"06 Gear Review ContinuedLet¢s see¢¦movin on I think I¢ll talk about my Packa.15. Rain Parka Pack Cover combo (built in Second Use) ¢ 10 oz - $125If you followed anyone¢s ¢03 AT hike you know it was a particularly wet year. One thing I was never quite pleased with was my pack cover¢¦as the rain soaked in between your back and the front of the backpack¢¦and the pack always seemed to get wet. Much of the rain was not heavy¢¦light¢¦sometimes on and off. When it was warm, the pack cover was fine as the water soaking between your back and the front of the pack didn¢t make much difference.I was still fascinated with the PACKA combination rain parka and pack cover that I first heard about on the internet and examined at ¢04 Trail Days¢¦where I purchased one. It covers everything (pack and upper body) down to just above my knees and has zip underarm vents. It functioned just fine, but don¢t make the mistake I made of using the wrong sealant on the fifteen miles of seams¢¦it flaked and peeled off after it dried. (You must use a silicone sealant for all nylon seams¢¦the best is Sil-Net which you can order over the phone from Quest Outfitters 800-359-4246 for 5.95 +S&H)Another drawback is not having a regular rain top to wear around town without your pack. You can wear the PACKA, but the back pack compartment is sloppy, droops and is prone to catch on things¢¦not to mention it makes you look like a dork¢¦I guess you can¢t have everything. On the other hand, it is light and compact and folds into its own ¢built in¢ zip compartment. It does save space and weight.In warm weather hikes like The Florida Trail, I think I¢m gonna leave it at home and try packing the one dollar 1 oz emergency parkas that you can find at Wal-mart. I used them a couple of times the summer of ¢03 with reasonable success¢¦once in a thunderstorm over the mountain just before Maupin Field Shelter.   They keep everything as dry as the PACKA. Only drawback, they are a little difficult to put on by yourself.16.Cooking System (pot, stove & fuel) - 24 oz (incl 4 0z fuel) - $75If you read my Ouachita journal you know it was the first trail that I used the JETBOIL COOKING SYSTEM. I started out in ¢03 with a simple Pepsi can alcohol stove. It was okay but seemed to take forever to boil. My one time partner ¢Charlie from Berea,¢ had a propane stove and was done eating, cleaned up, brushed his teeth and said his bedtime prayers before my water boiled.So, I switched to a ¢screw on¢ propane stove that worked fine. But, my hot chocolate turned to a frozen slush in cold weather before I could drink it all. So I finally broke down and bought a JETBOIL at the outfitter in Little Rock and have never looked back. It is great¢¦the insulated cup with a lid keeps my meal/beverage nice and hot. Buy best of all, it¢s fast¢¦I barely have time to get ready to eat. The only drawback is the weight.BTW, I haven¢t been carrying a stove at all in the hot summer months¢¦especially when I¢m on a trail that crosses roads where there are nearby places to eat. Having said that, I really like my MOUNTAIN HOUSE MEALS. They are expensive, but well worth it. They are the only ones that have any real amount of meat in them¢¦and the flavor is outstanding. They now are shrink wrapping most varieties. There is also virtually no clean up¢¦just reseal the empty packet and pack it out as trash.I will continue this discussion later and edit this entry to add more items.