Shelter Part II, Tents and Bivys.

There are quite a few options out there for good backcountry shelter, from the ultra compact bivy bag, to multiple person shelters, and some nice options in between. I like to have space to get my gear in order or read a map in when the weather is bad. Accordingly I find Bivys a hard option to justify. There is simply no extra room to get dressed, read, or sort through gear- plus they aren’t all that light when compared to other options (more about that later). Comparable weight and volume can be reached with floorless shelters, which provide sufficient room to sit up and move around a bit, helping to stave of claustrophobia. Then we move into the Tent category, and there are countless options. For most of the year, three season tents are the way to fly, they are light and offer sufficient protection from the elements. But, when it comes to serious weather, with high winds and big snow, a four season tent is the route to take. They definitely weigh more, but they are a s bombproof as a portable shelter gets.

Starting with bivys, there are some good options. I think they serve best when used as a just in case while trying to keep pack weigh and volume down. I really like Outdoor Research gear, and the Aurora Bivy weighs 22 ounces, and is made with good old Gore Tex, so it is tough and can be counted on when the weather turns south. The deterrent to this unit is that it sits right on you, and there are a couple good solutions to this problem. The first two also from OR, the Advanced and Alpine Bivy, and weigh weigh over 2 pounds, the third is from The North Face – the Asylum Bivy. Weighing 1lb. 10 ounces. This option is as close to a tent as a bivy gets. While it doesn’t have the Gore Tex the other units offer, it will function flawlessly in most of those earlier season ventures where extreme weather isn’t the norm.

I have been using floorless shelters now for three seasons, they offer volumes of room and can be pitched with sticks or trekking poles in lieu of carrying tent poles. This substitution or dual purposing of gear really sheds weight. Add in a floor of tyvek and a shelter right around two pounds is the result. I have used both Kifaru and GoLite versions. Kifaru’s Para Tipi is simply enormous, offering more room than I could use. The GoLite I carry is the ShangriLa2, it is reminiscent to the pup tent, and offers sufficient room for two full-grown adults and most of their gear. I have pitched it suspended from trees to work as a tarp, or fairly close to the ground to fend off the wind. A bathtub style floor is available, and would be a crucial addition for high wind or heavy rain. These shelters tend to leave a couple inches of space between the shelter and the ground, which is why I like it so much for warm weather. This style shelter is also killer in the snow, MSR makes a version called the TwinSisters with a snow skirt that creates a sealed envelope, and leans more toward a four season shelter than a three- but it’s not as easy to do right as a four or three season set up.

If you are a die-hard tenter, recognizing the conditions will help in the tent selection. Regardless of the shape, make sure that the tent is at least a three-season offering, and a four-season unit if high winds, snow or extended periods of inclement weather are likely. For places like Alaska, the Yukon, or B.C. where weather reports tend to be more speculation than science, take a four-season tent - the extra weight could be a literal lifesaver. If the weather looks to be fairly warm, and stabile, the three season shelter will generally suffice, and offers some weight savings when compared to a four season unit.

For the three-season set up, I really like the NEMO Nano Elite it weighs a mere 2 lbs. 7 oz. which was unnatainable just a few years ago for conventional tents. When paired with another person, the weight is close to 20 oz. per packer – not bad at all. When the conditions are rough and a tent is the only protection that can be found there are some good four season rigs to look at. I like the MSR Dragon Tail weighing 4 lbs. 12 oz. it’s pretty light in the scheme of four season tents. While this set up is a single wall, which tends to cause condensation problems, this unit is vented to address the issue – making it a killer light weight all conditions tent. Another option from Nemo is the Tenshi, at only 4 lbs. 6 oz. I really like these units because they offer the protection needed for severe, alpine conditions, without the 7 plus pound weight normally found in 4 season tents. Hilleberg also makes some really hardy tents, particularly the Nallo 2 weighing a scant 4 lbs. 3 oz. These shelters offer all season performance in weights commonly found in 3 season tents. This does mean a little additional expense, but they pay for themselves the first time bad weather rears its head in the backcountry.

The next installation will deal with the sleep system. It’s a place where major weight and volume can be cut, and some new, exciting technology is coming into the market at a lightning pace. As always, if you have questions or need advice on what to use in the backcountry, send me a note and I will do everything I can to lend a hand.

Layering for the Backcountry Hunter

Starting in with the clothing, there are five categories; underwear and socks, base layers, outerwear, insulation, and shells. As far as socks and underwear are concerned, as I said a couple days ago, the use of merino wool is crucial as it manages moisture in both liquid and gas states well and insulates when wet. Merino wool, which is as soft as cotton, lasts ages, and doesn’t hold odors like synthetics do. I use it for base layers and outerwear as often as possible.

I wear lightweight base layers starting in late August or early September, when the mornings are cool and the days hot, then transition to heavier weight garments as the fall progresses. When the weather gets really cold, I will even layer my base layers to provide the necessary insulation. The pieces that I have had the best success with are Ice Breaker 150 for early season, 260 for the cold late season hunts, and double layer them with 150 then 260 weight to fight off extreme cold

While I still have a closet full of Cabela’s outfitter camo, which are cost effective synthetic outerwear and last eons, the clothes are cut like regular old camos and don’t move as well as backcountry or mountaineering attire. There are some new entrants into the field that address this concern and do it with good camo patterns, Kuiu is making some cool patterns with the right fit and finish that are reasonably priced. Kuiu is the second evolution from the guy that brought you Sitka gear, which sold to Gore. Kuiu offers a good understanding of the way that gear needs to function, sells directly to the consumer, and with its small flexible platform can adjust to the needs of the consumer really quickly. Sitka, on the other hand, is now owned by a huge player in the industry and has some incredible resources to work with, either route offers good gear from what I have seen, and both deserve some attention.

Then comes insulation- an element that varies from season to season, and with specific conditions. These garments are anything from a light merino sweater, like those offered from Firstlite or Ice Breaker, to down sweaters from Western Mountaineering, to synthetic filled jackets from Kuiu or Mountain Hardwear. For wet conditions, synthetic fills or wool is the safest bet. While they may not dry out in the field and tend to weight a little more, they still keep the wearer warm, down on the other hand withers to nothing when wet - offering nothing for warmth until it is dried and the down has regained its loft. In the southwest, I have always carried a Western Mountaineering’s Flash or Flash XR. The XR is made with a DWR (durable water repellant) finished fabric that does a good job of keeping light rain at bay, the regular flash on the other hand is uber light, around 9 ounces. The regular flash, compresses a little better, and works well in weather from a cool autumn morning into the low teens for sufficient warmth when I’m glassing- in fact I think it is a little warmer. The key to selecting a good insulation layer is by making it appropriate for the specific situation at hand, I find down to be very dynamic, working well over a broad range of conditions, so I tend to bring my flash jacket even in the early season to fend off the early morning chill.

Shells are the pieces that do the actual weather resistance, and they are undergoing a revolution right now. While I have worn shells from The North Face, Mountain Hardware, and even Gore prototypes, they have all been a little loud, and fit a little weird, no more though. The technology has finally begun to reach the market that allows garments to be waterproof and stretch, so the new generation of shells moves like a soft-shell while protecting like a hard shell. There are still some tradeoffs between the stretch and conventional hard-shell versions, but the mere presence of an alternative is pretty exciting. The primary function most people see for these pieces is rain and snow protection, but they are useful under a broad range of circumstances. The breathability of the membranes on the market now allow the wearer to use them as stand alone pieces topping of their outerwear. When zipped up all the way-including the pit zips-the membrane is allowed to work and excess heat and water vapor are forced out of the shell, this is particularly useful when hiking in to a glassing point. They offer just the right amount of warmth, without letting the wearer overheat. When the glassing point is reached, simply add the down jacket or merino sweater for sustained warmth in the lower activity glassing. A good shell fends off wind and rain, moves well with the wearer and is slim enough to allow easy movement, including shooting.

I also include gators in the shell category, which go over the pants and boot tops and manage to protect the lower leg from brush, prevent the movement of morning dew, rain, or snow from entering the pant legs and being wicked into the boots. While there are several options out there, I find myself always using and recommending Outdoor Research (OR) Crocodiles or Expedition Crocodiles- both with Gore-Tex, my current pair looks pretty ragged after over four years of use, but they offer up no reason for replacement- that’s why they stay out of storage and get used everywhere from late season archery backpack hunts, running hounds in the snow, to clearing up the driveway after an over night flurry. For early season training and scouting, trail gators are great, they pair well with trail runners and keep rocks and burrs out of the shoe and socks and keep the laces under control.

Up next, we will cover tents and bivvys for backcountry hunting. There are more options than most would think, so I will address the pros and cons of each option, and some of the pieces that I have come to appreciate over the years.

Shelter for the Backcountry Hunter, Intro

The shelter category includes sleeping shelters, sleeping bags, pads, ground cloths or tarps, clothing, hats, and underwear- if it adds an element of protection from the outside world, it falls into this category. Circumstances dictate some gear be exchanged for others, as an early season high country deer hunt and a late season elk hunt generally pose dramatically different weather conditions. That said though, the basic set up is the same, and only a few pieces need to be exchanged.

I will be starting with the clothing aspect, and the proper selection of layers that will work under all conditions. Before I dive into the layering pieces though, I want to address materials so the layering plan I set forth is understandable.

The fibers used in clothing are cotton, various synthetics, and wool – each serves a purpose, and some do specific tasks better than others. Cotton is a natural fiber that excels in handling moisture in its vapor form, allowing it to easily pass through.. Cotton postpones perspiration well, but once the sweat starts, it doesn’t effectively expunge the moisture. Synthetics on the other hand don’t handle vapor well, the petroleum-based fibers have very limited ability to absorb the water vapor the body releases constantly, so the body tends to run a little warmer and perspire sooner. Once the sweat begins though, the synthetics acts as a conduit, helping to rapidly move moisture out and regulate temperature. What this means, is that cotton works well in less athletic environs, and synthetics don’t begin to function until they are confronted with intense, sweaty effort. Unfortunately, these two materials both harbor the bacteria that thrive in our salt and fat rich perspiration, the same bacteria that results in body odor.

Wool is different. Wool works as well as cotton at handling water vapor, helping to stave off perspiration longer than synthetics can. When sweat does start though, wool absorbs it, wicking it away from the body, much like synthetics. It functions as a conduit, moving moisture from the next to skin layers, and pushing it to the outer layers where it can then evaporate. Essentially, wool is the mid ground between cotton and synthetics allowing the same piece to function well in both hot and cold weather, not one or the other.

What scares most is that the wool many of us grew up with was itchy and uncomfortable. The wool from those days was a thick fiber, no different than our own hair or skin, with small characteristic scales found on keratin. Merino wool addresses this in two ways. First, Merino wool is a very fine fiber, making it more comfortable right out of the box. Second, companies like Ice Breaker, perform a super wash on the wool, stripping the small scales off the fiber making it surprisingly smooth while retaining its desirable characteristics. As a bonus, wools, merino in particular, shed the bacteria that result in body odor.

But it gets better, refined Merino wools is structurally stabile, making it machine washable. These pieces are exceptionally easy to care for as well; they need little detergent in the washer and then need only to be hung to dry – which happens surprisingly fast. I have a friend that put 30 days in the Grand Canyon in an Ice Breaker top, then he simply rinsed out the salt stains in the sink before wearing it to school. I also recently heard about a through hiker that had gone weeks without a shower, but wore Ice Breakers garments and offered almost no “fresh out of the woods” scent. This means that a Merino wool user needs to take relatively few pieces into the field (and still not stink) a significant weight savings, plus it keeps everyone on good terms in camp as the days add up.

The next post will deal with the actual clothing elements and how to layer them for maximum effect. But I felt it important to understand the back-story that justifies some of the pieces I recommend, and where they fit into the layering scheme. Tomorrow, the blog will address the layers, and links to some of the manufacturers that produce them. As always, if you have questions, please contact me here, or at Babbitt’s Backcountry – I’m glad to answer questions and help point you in the direction of specific pieces.

Water Treatment for Backcountry Hunting

The life support category isn’t complete without addressing the water situation. For some, drinking water is an all day everyday thing, then there are guys like me. I rarely drink anything unless I make a conscientious effort to do so. For me, having things that are appetizing to drink helps me to stay hydrated. But where does the water come from? There are several schools of thought, some ultra-lighters, even some Special Forces guys use bleach or other chemical treatments, others iodine, and still more use filters. If you elect to go with drops, alum – it’s in the bakery isle – helps to settle sediment if you take along a folding bucket (sea to summit makes several good, light options). This trick is also important for those using Steripens, as the sediment can hinder the effectiveness of the UV light to neutralize the unwanted goodies found in the water. Just pay close attention to the method you will be using, read up on how to use it and maintain it.

With that said, there are several options beyond drops and iodine tablets that make water safe to drink. Katadyn and MSR make great filters for backcountry use, but my favorite at this time is MSR’s hyperflow, weighing at just over 7 ounces, it is the lightest unit to ever hit the market, and it flows more water than any other backcountry pump I have been able to find. The reason I prefer filters to drops, tablets, or UV units is time – I know when the water comes out of the unit it is ok to drink, Steripens are the next step, and work very quickly but only neutralize a limited amount of water per treatment, which is actually really quick. I am not going to list a time frame for the use of bleach, because everything I have read about it shows different times and I do get nervous about water treatment. I know a good number of people using it to treat really bad third world water, but personally have no interest. The last two options are Aquamira and iodine, Aqua Mira seems to work faster and have less residual taste. This option works well and is simple to use, it is popular enough now that some stores still regularly sell out of it, so planning ahead is a good idea. Iodine can be found almost any-where, and has a good track record of slowly making water safe to drink and adding a nice greenish yellow color to boot. This option makes a lot of first timers squeamish, as one cannot tell if the water retrieved were green or not, and it has a little after taste that some cannot stand. The only real draw back I find with iodine is that it takes a long time to make water drinkable, a slow torture when all you need is one little sip to un-bond your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Three seasons ago I dropped a part from my old reliable ceramic filter, if I hadn’t brought the lightweight back up offered by Aqua Mira or Iodine, the trip may have been a real wreck.

It doesn’t matter how the water gets treated, so long as it does. The effects that result from Giardiasis or Cryptosporidium can stick with the poor bastard that drank unfiltered water for a long time, and there is nothing desirable about them.

Once the water is drinkable, I tend to add some things to it to keep me entertained. The wilderness athlete supplements mentioned under the Nutrition for Backcountry Hunting category from yesterday see the majority of work in the daytime, with green tea in the mornings and evenings. The warm beverages help to start the days off right and are a nice wind down at the end of the day. I try to avoid coffee, being a diuretic and appetite suppressant doesn’t go well with the caloric requirements addressed previously. If you have to drink it, try Starbucks Via if you take it black or VinaCafe if you add cream or sugar, both are convenient and good.