Algonquin Adventures / Favourite Piece of Equipment

**Posted by ShawnD** 12/01/2016 8:45 am

LOL! Lakhpa is doggin' it. I mean his hands are still free. !!

**Posted by hiker72** 12/01/2016 12:12 pm

From a backpacker's perspective, here are a few of my most treasured gear items:
1) GravityWorks water filter (for sure!)
2) Scarpa hiking boots - excellent support and comfort over hundreds of miles
3) Sea to Summit ultralight inflatable pillow - surprisingly comfy for its ridiculously small size
4) Bahco folding saw - a new blade goes through 3 inch hardwood with relative ease (but my older blade not so much!)

Last edited by hiker72 (12/01/2016 12:14 pm)

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 12/01/2016 3:26 pm

Everyone raves about the Helinox chair so I want to put in a plug for my Alight Monarch chair. It only has 2 legs so you have to balance on it but once you figure out how to get in and out of it, it's amazing. It's super light weight and packs up small.

Plus, it's pretty funny to watch those unfamiliar with the design try to figure it out for the first time.

**Posted by RCSpartan** 12/02/2016 8:12 am

RCShevalier, I can fit everything in my CCS (tent, sleeping bag, anvil, etc...). Problem can be you can fit too much stuff in the Guide version! I use dry bags inside for items I don't want to get wet but the bag itself is surprisingly water resistant as mentioned before.
Intrigued now about the GravityWorks with so many people having it on their lists. Recently 'invested' in a good pump but I am a bit of a gear junkie so I'll likely have to give it a try at some point.

**Posted by RCShevalier** 12/05/2016 1:06 pm

Hope you guys are right about the CCS pack. I've made the decision to start saving and replace the awful bag that I've got now.

**Posted by Methye** 12/05/2016 4:12 pm

1) My down quilts..lighter than a sleeping bag, no zippers, nice foot box, but capable of unsnapping and serving as a bedspread...
2) Hiking Poles I got some embarrassingly expensive poles fro the UK and they've changed the way I walk!
3) My small hammock tarp...I use it even when I don't bring a hammock. Catenary cuts on the bottom mean that when it is hung, it is drum tight and doesn't ever flap in the breeze.
4) Cocoon sunglasses. they fit over my regular glasses.

**Posted by ShawnD** 12/05/2016 7:40 pm

RCShevalier I highly doubt you will regret the purchase but even if you did I doubt you would have any trouble unloading it. Heck I might buy it off you :-)

I don't think I have ever seen one for sale used. That likely tells you all you need to know right there. No one ever parts with them.

**Posted by Shayne74** 12/05/2016 9:07 pm

Love my Alight monarch as well. Have never bought a chair in to the back country before. No I don't know how I survived without it. Very light. Very compact.

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 12/07/2016 11:25 am

I second Methye's recommendation of a down Quilt. We got ours on sale at MEC a few years back but it doesn't look like they've continued them. Don't know why they aren't more popular. In summer weather we pack the quilt and a light fleece blanket for the 2 of us. Makes for compact and light packing and they are perfect in the summer hear.

**Posted by kayamedic** 12/07/2016 3:24 pm

Helinox Camp Chair
CCS silnylon Tarp
Sea to Summit Comfort plus pad
Rapid Fire
Bob Dustrude Saw

no buff for me.. Had chemo and lived in them for nine months.. bad memories

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 12/08/2016 7:31 am

Tilley hat
Granite Gear Quetico canoe pack
Agawa Canyon Boreal 21 saw
Canon 80D camera

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 1/07/2017 1:22 pm

MSR Guardian Purifier. It's a pump filter but it filters water super fast and easy, and is self cleaning. Love it.

Them-A-Rest NeoAir Camper (Large): One of my splurges when it comes to gear weight (1 pound 14 oz / 850 g) but it's 3 inches thick inflated and is super comfortable. Worth it for a good night's sleep.

Western Mountaineering Sycamore MF Sleeping Bag (-4 C): I can't sleep in a mummy bag - I need room to sprawl. So when I went looking for a top quality barrel bag, this was literally my only choice. It's lighter and more compressible than my other bags, and has been worth every penny.

**Posted by RCShevalier** 1/05/2018 10:17 am

RCShevalier wrote:
Hope you guys are right about the CCS pack. I've made the decision to start saving and replace the awful bag that I've got now.

I'm digging up an old thread, but I wanted to announce that a little over a year later I am now the proud owner of a CCS pack. My wife and in-laws got me a gift certificate to Canadian Outdoor Equipment and they were able to order in the bag for me. I went with a brown hybrid guide bag. Looks like awesome quality and I can't wait to take it for its first trip sometime this year!

**Posted by Dead_Weight (DW)** 1/05/2018 10:22 am

my MSR stove ... can almost fit in my pocket ...

**Posted by RCSpartan** 1/05/2018 2:28 pm

@RCShevalier Welcome to the CCS club! This bag will not let you down. Probably the toughest piece of equipment I own.

**Posted by ShawnD** 1/05/2018 5:11 pm

Nice !! Congrats.. Love the CCS stuff. been using the Pioneer model but lately I have been wondering if I can go down to the Explorer for Solo trips..Looking at some of the coloured gear bags to organize everything too.

Oh and I have been using this liner in mine @RCShevalier,,, works really well.

.https://www.altitude-sports.com/products/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil-pack-liners-large-90-ltr-llll-sts-290?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxuG9pOvB2AIVyoKzCh06XQKmEAYYByABEgIMcfD_BwE

**Posted by Steve E** 1/06/2018 11:04 am

I LOVE my Feathered Friends Snowy Owl bag. I saved for it for a couple years. It's overkill for many trips but I sleep really cold and this thing is a beast!

I also love my ArcTeryx jackets. I have an Alpha SV hardshell that is pretty awesome as well as a few other jackets from them...

I also just picked up a new Dream Hammock Raven and a 0 degree underquilt which I'm dying to get out and use...

Last edited by Steve E (1/06/2018 11:05 am)