Our first backpack - a somewhat crazy introduction to physically carrying all of our gear - through the Grand Gulch from Government Trail to Kane Gulch could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't!
I generally recommend getting started with whatever you already own and then buying what you discover you need when you're out on trips. But boy, if we don't look like a walking REI ad the first time out. 
In fact, I'd say that overall, it was a smashing success. At the very least, it was a success, and there was some smashing. Luckily, that smashing was of a water bottle going over a cliff edge and not the 14-year-old chasing it!
Really though, I think it's important to acknowledge how wonderfully all of the gear we got worked when taken as a whole, as well as how fantastically all three of us - @mrs.turbodb, @mini.turbodb, and I - all endured the toils of carrying our gear and enjoying ourselves along the way. While there was a bit of the expected complaining from the kiddo, it was less than I'd imagined it might be, and when it was all said and done, she even let slip that she might do it again... "for a night or two."
So yeah, if that doesn't sound resounding result to you, I'd wager that you've not parented a teen girl (yet).
So What About the Gear?
As I alluded, when taken as a whole, the gear was outstanding. There were certainly things that could be improved - which I'll mention - for some of the bits and pieces we'd recently acquired, and we even returned a few things, but nothing failed on us while we were on the trail and all - even the bits we returned - was so much better than anything we ever used when I was backpacking with the Boy Scouts. And yes, I realize that technology can advance over the course of 35 years.
Each of these sections can be expanded in order to view more details about our first - and only, until the next backpack, whenever that may be - impressions.
TL;DR - I really liked the ULA Ultra Circuit backpack and I'd buy it again, even though it needs a little more padding in a couple of places.
Easily carried everything I needed in a compact manner.
TL;DR - I liked this sleeping bag more than I thought I would and I'm glad I shelled out for it.
Lightweight *and* roomy? Nice!
TL;DR - Didn't like this Exped as much as I hoped I would, but it has some redeeming qualities and I'm keeping it.
Not Exped's best showing.
TL;DR - We got the wrong tent. It has been returned.
This tent didn't work out.
TL;DR - We loved this water filter. It made some pretty nasty looking water look and taste like home!
Magic water filter.
TL;DR - The Jetboil Zip was amazing. It boils water quickly and doesn't use much fuel. It is light and packs conveniently.
Compact convenience.
TL;DR - Very few of these rehydrated properly, even with boiling water and extra time. Next time, we'll probably try something different.
Crunchy, but not in a good way.
TL;DR - Quest protein bars were a "fine" breakfast, but the Crispy Cookies and Cream were the only ones I'd buy again.
More satisfying than we expected; still a bit like sawdust.
Hopefully some of that was helpful for anyone else wanting to make a similar trek or curious about a certain piece of gear that we got. By all means, I'm happy to answer questions (ad nauseum) that are asked in the comments below!
In this Series
Here's my suggestions from years of backpacking:
No use trying to reinvent the wheel, get some Clif bars
Quaker instant oatmeal makes a great breakfast
Buy a dehydrator and learn how to use it
I make teriyaki beef jerky regularly with it, among other things
Check out Bear Creek dehydrated soups at the grocery store
I have a Recharge DW from Paria and absolutely love it
Thanks Joe! We looked at Cliff Bars, but they seemed to be (basically) candy bars from a sugar perspective. We had a bunch of candy along with us because I'd heard that others wished they'd had more when they were out and about. In the end, we didn't end up eating most of the candy, preferring trail mix instead. We also wanted to stay away from cooking (even boiling water) for breakfast, just b/c we didn't know what the fuel or water situation would be. But, in general, I'm a fan of those instant oaks packets myself. Cinnamon Raisin for me! 😉
The dehydrator is definitely something I'll be looking into if I start backpacking more. The ability to make (essentially) anything I want and then mealify it with a dehydrator would be awesome!
Thanks for the pointer on the Recharge DW. I see it has "horizontal" air pockets. Those don't feel weird or anything if you sleep directly on the pad?
My favorite Clif bar has always been chocolate brownie. I never viewed it as a candy bar, it's got too much fiber. I'm addicted to chocolate peanut butter cups, but that's a different matter. 😉
You don't feel the "horizontal air pockets" at all. They are not firm enough to support your weight by themselves. If your goal is super light, the included pump sack works well, but not as fast as a tiny pump.
The dehydrator is a must. Mine is an American Harvest Snackmaster with six racks. Easy to do fruits and vegetables. Beef jerky is also easy to make and cost-effective. The dehydrator currently feeds my off-road vehicle trips, now that my backpacking days are getting more distant.
Thanks for all the reviews! I bought a Western Mountaineering bag a few years ago and although I haven't used it on a lot of trips yet, I really like the low weight and small pack size. For what I paid for it, I consider it an investment to hopefully last the rest of my life.
I may give the First Need a second look. Although it's bulky and heavy, I sure like its pumping ability. I have a MSR that I've used for years but I'm always frustrated at its pumping rate and need to be cleaned frequently. First Need has been around for many decades if I'm not mistaken.
I'm hoping the same thing with my Western Mountaineering... I mentioned as much in my "purchase," but of course, one of the comments there was that bags wear out after a few years. Or at least, lose their loft.
The First Need is great IMO (obviously). Check out the "why I bought it" for my reasoning. I will say - some people are good/don't mind drinking dirty looking water, including a few folks we ran into on this Grand Gulch trip. Personally though, clean, yummy tasting water goes a long way to putting me in a good mood, so I'm 100% willing to lug around a larger/heavier filter.
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing. Altitude can have an effect on the freeze dried meals. Back when we were packing in the High Sierras we used Mountain House mostly, things like chili with beef and I think there was a decent stroganoff. I've never like any Quest bars, when cycling long distances I always had Cliff Bars and Honey Stinger. I've read that Costco has an excellent bar that's like a Mounds chocolate bar called Unreal Bar but haven't tried it yet and it's evidently more like candy. I've also used the Nature Valley crunchy or soft bars and BelVita from the market.
Well, a second vote for Cliff bars in the comments; we'll need to give those a shot next time it sounds like!
Altitude on the dinners is a good point. When we tried them at home we were at ~30 feet or so, and probably closer to 4,500 feet there in Grand Gulch. That would definitely affect the boiling point, and thus water temperature... I was hoping to combat it with a "longer soak," but it didn't work out. Seems strange that they wouldn't work well (heck, be designed for at elevation... I mean, aren't these means for people who backpack into Sierra or along the Continental Divide? lol
Lots of useful info, interesting to see where the market has gone. Adding to the noise, thanks for sharing your experiences!
My gear is relatively ancient but compared to what I started with, a lot closer to what you have than what I started well back in the last century. Fun to see what's new.
I find lightweight down sleeping bags to be an acquired taste. Which I have never fully acquired, even though I have one- it's not just you. My latest is from Patagonia, of all manufacturers. I believe they are out of that market. And too big = almost big enough. Lol...
As for tents, there are so many to choose from and lightweight ones are easy enough to find that my (our) philosophy for lightweight camping has become one tent per human. Seems crazy but it's almost easier. And as you learned, free standing, even semi, = bad. As nice as it is to have the missus next to me, separate means I'm not being The Disruptor when I inevitably have to get up in the middle of the night.
Always look forward to your reviews!
The one tent per human concept is an interesting one... will need to noodle on that a bit. Certainly has its appeal, for sure!
And let's face it- or at least I have- when out on the trail, sleeping quarters are for... sleeping... Other activities, not so much. Not anymore, anyway.