Pennsylvania Grand Canyon

[Rick]

Kevin - Glad you had a good hike (except for the gear-weight and your knees). One of my favorites posts is Bradley Wales and the first mile north.
How was water on your trip? were all the stream running? Did you get ice cream at Ansonia Gulf? Did you see any bald eagles?
How many folks did you run into on the trail?

Also, Kevin - If you aren't using an alcohol stove, send me your mail address and I will mail you one ASAP, then go to Wal-mart and get a $6 2oz greasepot for your stove - Your whole new stove/cook kit will weigh about 4-5 ozs.
Let me know by sunday afternoon, as I have to head back to the new house in Boston (We are moving from PA to MA) by Sunday night and will be there for 2 more weeks and unable to send it.

[Kevin]

Rick, thanks for the offer. I currently use a Primus burner that screws to the top of the MRE butane cannisters. It's not TOO heavy! I think the air matress, 2 man tent, 25 degree down bag, bear cannister with LOTS of food=full, complete rain gear (system III), etc all contributed to the weight. I think if I got a tarp for a rain fly, a footprint/barrier for the ground, and a cheap foam mattress I would shave about 5-10 lbs right there... pack only the necessity food stuff or bring even more dehydrated food (had more than I've ever previous brought but still had 4 MREs, etc), and I could push 10-15 lbs shaved. Unfortunately, as I said, buying more gear for the every 6 month average long hike can't be justified at this moment. I'll look into this next year as I have some plans that will force me into buying some lighter gear eventually anyways... I should note that I have a Kelty 5300 cubic inch pack, so that alone must weight 6-7+ lbs...

We had lots of rain the week before and while we were there, so water was in plenty. I had a root beer float at the Gulf station (I laughed when I read that! ). We saw a few hawks (up-close ) riding the air currents on the 3rd day, but no bald eagles. The area's teeming with wildlife, that was the best part of the whole trip!

There were several groups other than ourselves, but it wasn't overcrowded. Seeing the number of camp spots, though, tells me that in the Fall (during peak foliage) it's probably rather busy.

[Rick]

Kevin, the stove is on it's way. I would def dump the MRE's and stick to Lipton side dishes and dry chicken/tuna or ramen and pepperoni/summer sausage for meals for those longer trips. I also don't usually bring rain pants in the dead of summer, and sometimes opt for a cheapy poncho or just my umbrella if the forecast doesn't look that bad.
Cheers
Rick

[Kevin]

Rick, you're 100% correct about the system III being excessive -- conditions second day warranted the extra gear (the pants especially were handy rubbing against the wet plants along the trail all day), but the jacket was overkill and within minutes I was suffocating! lol

I'm a fan of MREs for a few reasons, but for the longer trips (distance and not necessarily duration) I would need something lighter that still offers enough nutrition... the noodle packages work (Jeff suggested the same thing when I asked him prior to the trip), and I really enjoy the pouch-o-tuna while on the trail (when others share). So I guess I'll try tuna caserole next time!

On this trip I brought instant rice to be used with the MREs as I usually do, but also picked up some instant southern style mashed potatoes packs that were, frankly, some of the best instant potatoes I've EVER HAD! lol Lots of calories and only needed hot water. I'm going to be shopping tonight and plan to pick up a few, for home use!

[Jeff]

Adding instant mashed potatos or rice to some foods makes for a great combo. It is also suggested for when and if you add to much water to any of your meals (it soaks up the extra water). The Lipton meals are a good idea, and Ramen, if you haven't overdosed on them during low budget/income days . Meals already prepped before you leave home make it easier for out in the field. Besides you could probably forego the bear canister and let the bears eat some or all of your food, which would alleviate some of the weight problem.

As for the raingear: I ALWAYS carry raingear. Gore-tex pants and a light rain jacket. I found that using a 3 layer gore-tex in warm weather was a tad to warm, and as Kevin said, "suffocating!". There are plenty of light weight rain gear out there. Just be patient and shop around for a good deal. And don't go "cheap" when it comes to your life. Kevin, you have seen what a cheap poncho is worth in the woods. It shreds easily and you end up wet, and possibly cold, anyhow.

As for stoves, most of the time I'm just boiling water. I think the Jetboil is going to be one of my new purhases. And you can use gas canisters other than the Jetboil ones with the Jetboil cup/stove. The gas goes so much further when you can boil 2 cups in 90 seconds. Just keep in mind how well butane and propane work in the winter months. I like the alcohol stoves, especially for weight. But expect to take longer for cooking and boiling times (like you have anything else to do while sitting around in the woods watching grass grow or chipmunks chase each other).

Kev, don't you have hiking poles? That would definately help your knees, even on level, easy ground. Try an elastic knee brace to slide over your knee. Dave uses one most of the time now, and he says it helps more than it hurts.

Anyways, that's my two cents.

[whcobbs]

The PA Grand Canyon is also a good place to bike, easy near level rail-to-trail, very scenic, with bike rental nearby. If you have a non-hiking family member, this is an option.
Walt