"I want to do something epic for @mini.turbodb's spring break," @mrs.turbodb mentioned to me a few weeks ago.
At the time, I think we were on our way home from a day of skiing, and I jokingly suggested that we could take her on her first ever backpacking trip, through the Grand Gulch. After all, I'd recently created a goal around hiking the length of this amazing gash on the Earth's surface.
Anyone who has followed along for a while will likely recall that I don't like carrying weight on my shoulders. In fact, I have a collection of variously-sized fanny packs that keep the weight on my hips for exactly that reason. Certainly, @mrs.turbodb knows this well, and I assumed that my joke would land as I intended, and that we'd end up discussing other options.
Plus, given that we had no backpacks, no sleeping bags, no sleeping pads - and didn't even own a ground tent - I was shocked when my joke suddenly became "the perfect plan."
"Character building," "a life experience," "something she's never done," and "something she'll remember forever," were all reasons that this was a fantastic opportunity.
"She doesn't like camping," "water is going to be extremely scarce - to the point we might go to bed thirsty," "we have no gear at all," and "even if she looks back and appreciates it when she's 30, we're all going to be miserable while we do it," I countered.
And so, it was settled. We were going.
We'd enter Grand Gulch through Pollys Canyon and exit through Kane Gulch. But first, we'd need to acquire an entirely new genre of gear. It was going to be Her First Time Backpacking.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, this trip is coming soon...Consider subscribing to be notified when it's here!
Best of luck on your upcoming family trip, hope it exceeds your expectations. If it has been since your BSA days, backpacks have improved a lot since, with most of the weight on the hips, so hope you find one with the right balance. If I may, you might take a look at the Osprey Atmos AG LT 50 it rates very high in comfort, and expect many of your hikes will be desert (warmer) it has a suspended mesh backpanel, so breathable and cooler against your back. Could be bigger and heavier than you need, but if sometimes you carry stuff for others in your group or a drone maybe not, so use it as a baseline to compare features with others. Most good stores have some weights to put in a pack to test weight transfer to the hip belt.
Thanks! Yeah, the equipment is so much different than what I remember. Internally framed packs, sleeping bags and pads that are both warm and light weight. And a 3-person tent that weighs 2 lbs 14.2 oz. Total nuts!
I'll be putting together a list of the gear I end up with, since - hopefully at least - I'll end up using it on more trips, and the "first" won't also be the "last." One thing is for sure - the gear hasn't gotten any less expensive! 😉
I support Skidoo's suggestion of an Osprey pack. I'd suggest specifically one with their "Airspeed" suspension, which are perfect for desert use. I've been using them for years. Some are on sale on Osprey's web site. I favor collapsible water containers (Platypus, or the like).
Interesting to hear two recommendations for Osprey. I'm headed over to their site to check them out. As of right now, I purchased an ULA Ultra Circuit, which has gotten rave reviews (if you believe them) and weighs almost nothing.
That ULA is an impressive piece of hardware. Sounds like it could sluff off a blizzard. My old North Face internal frame ("lost" a couple of moves ago) foam padded back panel was pretty comfortable, but if it was warm enough out to break a sweat, it and my back got hot and pretty soggy. So mesh backpanels are a big win in my book. In cooler weather with some layers on its not an issue.
Look forward to seeing your gear list along with the field testing and reviews.
Gear prices have sure outpaced inflation, but then we are willing to pay more for the lightest gear.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
Did some hikes with overnights in the high Sierras.
Picking up the 4x4 hobby gave me the outdoors with less sweat.