For my BWCA trip this year I bought a lot new gear. A portage pack, sil nylon stuff sacks, a new gps, ect. So what was the gear winner for the year? I was digging through the day pack my father gave me and found a package EZ Towels. They are big pellets about the size of an Alka Seltzer. Pour water over them and they expand into soft yet tough disposable wash cloths. They turned out to be the best piece of gear of the trip. I'd warm up some water, throw in a few of these and I'm ready to clean up. Or throw a few in for dishes. Or even better wet a few on the way to john. The 50 pack even came with a plastic tube of 10 cloths I intend to use for backpacking trips.

http://www.amazon.com/Ez-Towel-Bag-50-Pack/dp/B000VU87QI

So what was your gear winner for 2010?

I'd have to go with my Gear Guide tarp from sportsman's guide. A steal at just under thirty bucks.

quote pswith5: "I'd have to go with my Gear Guide tarp from sportsman's guide. A steal at just under thirty bucks."

I went to their store the Tues after Wing nite, and couldn't find them. Are they hiding under a pile somewhere in there?

My most useful and best piece of gear over all is my 8x10 sil tarp.

"So what was your gear winner for 2010?"

That's a tough one. Several items make a big difference out tripping, not the least of which is a good tent and stove. But I think the vote goes to my Mad River Independence. It's designed for river use and handles quite well that way. But it also handled Lac La Croix in 8"-10" chop more like a cork than a boat. It feels lighter with a load than my Prism does and is far more versatile.

It's gotta be kitty litter buckets! The price is right too.

This year we bought our second CCS tarp. We rigged this tarp over the entrance to our tent to keep things dry during several days of rain. It worked great - love the challenge of finding the best way to rig a tarp!

Mine is my Hilleberg Akto tent. I was very concerned about going to a solo tent but this tent was great for solo trips. Paired with a CCS 8 X 10 tarp for a porch it worked great thru the first 5 days of rain and storms. Would highly recommend this tent.

Well, there were two things that stand out for me.

1. I bought a Wenonah Canoe Prospector from Bannock. It has made many trips to Snelling Lake here in Minneapolis as well as a week long trip down the Louse River to Wine Lake in the BW. It has preformed great. My lady loves it's stability as do I for fishing. And with all the rocks down the Louse, I liked the Royalex type canoe for it.

2. Also bought a Sawyer Gravity Filter. I don't know why it took me so long to get one, but wow! A gravity filter will come on almost every trip from here on out. If you are on the fence about getting one, just do it. You won't be disappointed.

I can think of three things (only two purchased items):
1) MSR Gravity filter. The back flush capability was HUGE and kept the water flowing well..even with the tannin-saturated waters of Agnes and Nina Moose.

2) Garmin GPS. Fun toy, enjoyed downloading the tracking info to the computer and seeing our route, looking at data, etc.

3) Souris River canoes Le Tigre quetico 17s. (rented from VNO). Excellent in big water, waves, and wind. Very stable. I will buy one of these some day.

Now you tell me. Gravity filter .... after I just bought a Katadyn Vario earlier this year ...

Gotta say the GPS I bought used off of eBay is my gear of the year winner. Not for navigation, but just for the sheer fun of it. The trip computer was a blast during my trips and uploading the tracks back to a topo map for future reference will be great for planning future trips.

JD

Two gear items come to mind.

1). Abyss boots - ankle high...made getting in and out of the canoe a snap and made the portages much easier and quicker not worrying about getting wet feet...very comfortable and rugged and they dried fairly quickly with a little sun...used them for 20 nights in the Q.

2). A Sony digital voice recorder used on an 11-night solo...much easier than writing in a journal and only twice as big as a bic lighter...

My CCS canoe cover. Worked great while 38 degrees and raining this May's solo trip to keep me warm and dry while paddling. Also a huge help in the wind and waves.

I would have to say my steri-pen. It worked great on my solo. It also came in handy on my Quetico trip. I wanted to have a Vodka Lemonade & hang out in the hammock & didn't have filtered water available.

Two come to mind-

1. Platypus gravity filter- much faster and easier than pumping, easy to back flush anytime. Also got a Platpus 6L water tank so we could fill 10 liters between dirty bag and water tank, then filter.

2. CCS Lean 2+ worked great on our trip. Survived very heavy rain and wind with ease. We were able to pitch it differently depending on the weather. Cold weather closed it down to tunnel. Warm left it wide open. Having the floor seperate(which i worried about) was great. Can walk in and out of shelter with dirty wet boots(just fold floor back a little) and were able to shake off dirt before packing up. Two of us stayed in it plus all gear and still had room

I bought another CCS Pioneer Pack so now I have two. It's really nice having two identical packs. All our gear fit in the two packs and it allowed us to very easily single portage on our trip this summer.

Since I've been gearing up to outfit myself, I bought a lot of gear this year and took it on a trip last week. Hear are three of my most satisfying purchases.

CCS Canoeist #2 Traditional Pack: Great pack compared to the Granite Gear packs supplied by the outfitter for the other guys. Loaded to 45 lbs., much more comfortable to carry and easier to load/unload.

Muck Edgewater Boots: Feet dry at landings and comfy to portage in. These rubber/neoprene boots have a built in foot box resembling that of a hiking boot, and a thick cleated sole and toe guard. Double portaged a 320 rod trail without any soreness and never felt a rock or root dig into the soles of my feet. Great ankle support, and when in the bogs no pulling off if sunk in the muck.

Mora Traditional 4.75" Sheath Knife: By far the sharpest knife I've ever owned. Cut easily through anything, even the braided fishing line I use was cut clean with no fraying.

Thanks for the other nominations here. I've still got a few items to acquire before my next trip.

1. OTB Abyss boots
2. Hennessey Hammock
3. Guide Gear tarp

quote Amok: "

quote pswith5: "I'd have to go with my Gear Guide tarp from sportsman's guide. A steal at just under thirty bucks."

I went to their store the Tues after Wing nite, and couldn't find them. Are they hiding under a pile somewhere in there?"

They had them in back when I went there too!! I guess I'd call before going back. They have a lot of stuff in back there! \you usually can here several forklifts at work in there back warehouse!!

ok, so call first and have them pull one out for me? I did nab a cool 7x9, but I was looking for a much larger one. Those are 10x10, right? If so, I may sell the 10x10 I already own soon :)

I would have to vote for my Arrowhead Equipment New river underquilt for my hammock. If it were not for this I would have froze. This thing is so warm.

Alite Monarch Butterfly chair

Far and away my new OTB boots (the "green" ones that were on sale). These are great for wet footing. I like them way better than my Quetico Trekkers that I've used for about 6 years. Trekkers were getting a bit worn out and I didn't want to deal with a field failure.

Thanks to folks on this site for pointing to the OTBs and also that they were on sale!

1. Souris River Quetico 18.5 in LeTigre that we purchased used from VNO last fall. Rock solid canoe. Third seat works great for our 5 and 3 year olds, yet it also works well as a tandem.

2. CCS rucksacks (pink) as a child's pack. Our 5 year old got hers as a birthday present and used it on her 1st bwca overnight trip. Great pack and our 5 year old loves it. Our 3 year old will get hers at her next birthday. Just had to get 2 of them during their 30% off sale in January:)

3. CCS Guide pack (red). When they were on the 30% off sale in August we decided to get one even though we didn't really need it. We were planning on upgrading a pack in a couple years so we figured we'd get it now at a great price. It is a great pack. We were very impressed with the customer service from CCS for both of our purchases from them.

i did not buy any new gear for 2010.however this year as my only stove i took a Brunton Gaz burner.no Classic or Coleman as a back up.now for a Classic stove collector that's a big leap of faith into the modern world.
the Gaz stove worked fine of course and i have used it as a back up on a couple other trips last year.outside of the fact that it was not as heavy as my other stoves,which is why i took it,i found that there were times when being able to turn a valve and click a piezo lighter made a huge difference in my comfort level.
the photo is inside my zipped up Atko tent while outside it's a major rain storm.i got the tent up fast,tossed in the packs,pulled the stove out and had a cup of tea going.the issue was that i did not have to worry about the flare up you get pre heating a Classic,which would have shot right thru the tent roof!!by the short time the water came to a boil i had changed into dry warm polyfluffs,yes you can do that inside a tiny Atko.
OUTSIDE!!

INSIDE

My "gear winners" for 2010: Wickers "softsilk" thermal underwear. So light and soft you hardly notice you're wearing it it was perfect for sleeping in when the temps dipped to 35-40 degrees. Second place goes to the Katadyn base camp filter. --Goose

OTB SARS boot

It is a great wet boot. It is a search and rescue boot so it has ankle reinforcement in them. The laces tie up the side and tuck into a velcro strap at the top making it great for bushwacking and they never come untied. Very comfortable too.

For me - must be the JMO's. What a discovery and find. Thanks BWCA.COM!

JMO's???

I vote for my new Warbonnet Blackbird hammock. It converted me to hanging. Its easy to set up ... about two minutes ... and I've never slept better. With a Noah's Tarp, it's absolutely dry and comfortable in heavy rains.

Dogwoodgirl's jello mold oven.

Two things come to mind.

1st-My 10 X 14 CCS Tarp

2nd-GSI 10" hard anodized aluminum Dutch Oven

Alite Monarch Butterfly chair. I have never been more comfortable at camp.

I can't chose just one or even a few items that were excellent. All my stuff was purchased on recommendation from this site. I even got some fishing sweet spots here. This site is my best piece of gear.

My Garmin 530 Rino GPS.

If I ever learn how to use this thing I'll never get lost!

So form what I could tell you all put a lot of weight in footwear (duh...) and tarps.

I fully understand the footwear and will research what I buy based on your input. I'm confused about tarps though.

A tarp is a tarp isn't it?

I can buy a poly blue tarp, 20x20 for less than $30.00.

What makes the Sportsmans Guide tarp so special? It's pretty small in my opinion.

It's partly about the weight. But it's mainly about the 'tear-resistance'. If you get a day or two with a nice 20 mph wind with 25-35 mph gusts, a normal blue tarp will shred. Theoretically, what I call a 'camp' tarp will not (kelty, etc.). They are made out of much tougher material.

GSI pinnacle soloist cookset. I only boil water, so a pot that is only big enough for 1.1 liter is just the right size. And a fuel canister fits perfectly inside it, along with the mug/small bowl that comes with it. Some stoves also fit (MSR Pocket Rocket, etc). So the whole kitchen contained within a 6" tall 5.25" diameter pot. Love it!

quote WestCoast1: "My Garmin 530 Rino GPS.


If I ever learn how to use this thing I'll never get lost!


So form what I could tell you all put a lot of weight in footwear (duh...) and tarps.


I fully understand the footwear and will research what I buy based on your input. I'm confused about tarps though.


A tarp is a tarp isn't it?


I can buy a poly blue tarp, 20x20 for less than $30.00.


What makes the Sportsmans Guide tarp so special? It's pretty small in my opinion.


"

Lets see how that blue tarp holds up in a 60 MPH wind. Don't forget to pack out all the little pieces of that tarp afterwards, it's part of LNT. That does not include all the noise that blue tarp is going to make.

I do understand the cost part, but glad that I spent the extra on a great product.

I agree with the person who said this site is the best gear. Though it's also an enabler, big time. ;-) One thing I also really appreciate, since I have a strict budget, is the opportunity to connect with other gear junkies and buy stuff from them. I got some really great stuff at really great pirces this year because of that, and the generosity of the people here is second to none. I also was able to try out gear, and someone else offered to lend me their canoe for a week so we didn't have to tote ours all the way up (and ours is 50 pounds heavier). And I even got a canoe lesson to boot. I'm not going to call out people here...they know who they are...but they have my whole family's gratitude, for sure. Y'all rock.

quote ducks: "1. Souris River Quetico 18.5 in LeTigre that we purchased used from VNO last fall. Rock solid canoe. Third seat works great for our 5 and 3 year olds, yet it also works well as a tandem.


2. CCS rucksacks (pink) as a child's pack. Our 5 year old got hers as a birthday present and used it on her 1st bwca overnight trip. Great pack and our 5 year old loves it. Our 3 year old will get hers at her next birthday. Just had to get 2 of them during their 30% off sale in January:)


3. CCS Guide pack (red). When they were on the 30% off sale in August we decided to get one even though we didn't really need it. We were planning on upgrading a pack in a couple years so we figured we'd get it now at a great price. It is a great pack. We were very impressed with the customer service from CCS for both of our purchases from them. "

Ducks, thanks for the photos. I'm considering the guide pack as well but missed out on the sale. Pink packs and cute kids.

Hmmmm,hard to pick a single winner.

Keepers:
- Exped Synmat 7.5 Basic
- GG Immersion pack
- GG pack liners

On probation:
- MSR Flex cookset (non-stick flaking after 3 trips? but love them)
- JMO (cool, but worth bringing?)
- Cabela's Boundary Pack medium (worthless waist belt for adults, seems good for kids)

Flunked out:
- ALPS Osage 3 room car camping tent (poor quality)
- SeaLine portage packs (poor quality)
- Backpacker's Pantry Kung Pao Chicken (horrid!)

I wish I could say that I found some really cool camping widget that cleans dishes, kills bugs, and costs next to nothing. Instead, I spent 2+ years of my gear budget on my MSR Mutha Hubba tent. Best tent I have ever used and my favorite item of the year.

Didn't make it to the BW this year, opting for a hiking trip in Yosemite instead. Thus, I had to buy a lot of new gear which was fun. Though I think my lady is going to leave me if I spend dollar 1 on a another piece of gear anytime soon. :)

That said, my favorite new pieces of gear were:

- Marmot Helium sleeping bag (long): All I can say about this bag is whoa baby. So light, so comfy. Just perfect. In the valley overnight it got to 50 degrees or so and I just used it as a quilt. On the rim, it was in the low/mid 30s overnight and slept like a baby in just my boxers zipped up.

- Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian. Great pack. Thought I might miss having extra pockets but was mostly fine with the "brain" pocket on top for small items so I didn't have to dig into the pack. Just sucked when everything was packed and realized I needed something in the bottom. Only happened twice though. Didn't really care for the side zipper because it's tough to close back up when stuffed full. Carried well even when loaded to 40lbs, though at that weight I probably should have opted for the large harness vs. the medium it came with. Next time out it won't be as heavy because I'm gonna buy me some lighter gear!!! Just don't tell the lady :)

- Not really gear but freezer bag cooking with a long spoon is the way to go if you're backpacking. Didn't really do dishes the whole trip. Just walked away from camp and rinsed my spoon off real good (or gave it to the guys with dirty bowls to wash for me). So simple in every way.

Items to buy before I backpack again:
- A new, lighter tent. Probably a Tarptent Moment. I used a TNF Tadpole 23 which is a tank. Got it a few years ago for Christmas. It's actually the perfect solo tent for the BW since the canoe does the vast majority of the carrying and portages are generally short. It's spacious, free standing and can take a pounding in a storm. But at over 6lbs with the fly, it's just way too much.
- Also contemplating switching from a Thermarest Prolite 4 to a Z-Lite. It's just lighter and can double as a chair/sit pad w/o need for a chair contraption the Prolite would need. Not 100% on this one though as I'm mostly a side sleeper.

quote 9th Bearded Infantry: "
Items to buy before I backpack again:
- A new, lighter tent. Probably a Tarptent Moment. "

Quite a few of my backpacking buddies have the Six Moons Designs tents. They have a 39oz. two man tent.

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents.html

my sierra designs electron 1 tent. its the perfect solo shelter for me.

My Sawyer Northwoods Beavertail Paddle, and the REI Halfdome tent (thanks Jan!)

I mentioned my Mad River Independence, but there are a few other items I really enjoy using.
- Sawyer Kai paddle (10 or 11 degree bend). I can stroke all day with it.
- Platypus CleanStream water filter.
- My custom portage pads. They're great and will be better with slightly stiffer foam padding.
- Weather radio.
- Canon 40D SLR with 18-200 zoom lens.
- Coleman Exponent stove with two suitably-sized wind shields.
- Kelty Coromell 25-degree down sleeping bag; no hood but long enough to pull up over my head.

quote mooseplums: "My Sawyer Northwoods Beavertail Paddle, and the REI Halfdome tent (thanks Jan!)"

did those "stains" wash out? hahahaha

quote kanoes: "

quote mooseplums: "My Sawyer Northwoods Beavertail Paddle, and the REI Halfdome tent (thanks Jan!)"

did those "stains" wash out? hahahaha"

You DID black light that tent, right MP?

my penny stove:
made it myself
best value for the price of all my equipment
it only took 4 tries (8 beer cans)
but, ya know, it isn't quite perfected, yet, so I might have to try a few more times-- more beers! :-)

helen

Bell Northshore

We have the tarptent hogback which is related to the moment in design. It is a great design and we're really happy with it. So far great in wind, rain, ... no problem with it not being freestanding in the BW. For a little extra weight, I would think about the scarp 1 for some extra room but you know what you value.


My favorite new gear for this year (the Hogback and the Alite Monarch were last year) is:
The Camp Fire Dragon which lets you blast some oxygen on a fire just where you want it. Gets the fire going quickly and great for entertainment when you want to see some flames later in the evening. Certainly something that could be made at home but for $10 not a big purchase either.

The Steripen Opti did not make my list because if you drop it into the bottle of water it dies. This can be a problem when stirring in a container taller than a liter but filled only to a liter. Heard about someone else doing this too. Oops. Seems like a bad design for something used to stir water. I did get my money back which was mighty nice and may try it again next year but will add something to keep me from dropping it again. As usual, always have a backup water purification method. We carry Polar Pure.

Marmont sawtooth sleeping bag. 45 Degree weather and was warm. Its amazing how fast down will warm you up.

Muck boots, Gotta love dry feet. Other guys in my group very jeleous, one went out and bought a pair.

Would like to upgrade my sleeping pad. I have a cheap swiss gear from Mills Fleet Farm.

Two thumbs up for my Sawyer Ottertail Paddle. Awesome!

Ditto Kips Paddle
Plus Garmin (Saved my bacon between Maps, Compass, and Garmin)
Plus All the friends I met on this site(Yipee)
SunCatcher

First time into the BW this August. Still have a lot of gear to buy/test.
1)MSR pocket rocket stove. Had excellent weather so I didn't get to test it in the wind. However, this little thing worked its magic. Boils water quick, lights easy, adjusts flame easy. Small and lightweight.
2)Crank powered Coleman flashlight. Just nice to have.
3)Ducktape. Not sure what I would have done without.

The best for me was the $3.00 wally world closeout hammock. It was used everyday. I think I will invest in a better one before next year.