Savage Gulf Gear Review

While it’s fresh on my mind, here’s my thoughts on my gear selections for my recent hike in Savage Gulf.

For once, I nailed this one pretty well.  My main issues on this particular sojourn revolved around food and hydration, not gear selections.  My total pack weight for what was planned to be a 5 day trip was only 23 1/2 lbs., probably the lightest I’ve ever been.  You can check out my gear list for the hike HERE.

PACK:  Elemental Horizons Kalais

At over 60 liters and just over 4000 cubic inches of capacity, this was more pack than I needed for this trip.  But it just fits and carries so well that I brought it anyway.  It compresses down very nicely with smaller loads.  Typically, for week-long hikes starting with close to 30 lbs., this pack is as close to perfect as I’ve found.  The suspension system rocks and makes the pack capable of carrying at least 35 lbs. (in my personal experience) comfortably, like when you have to make a water carry.  If you want to read a detailed review, Will Rietveld has an excellent one HERE.

SHELTER:  Big Sky Mirage 1

For a one person poled tent, this is one of the lightest options out there.  Mine weighs 34 oz. with guylines, and the stakes are an additional 2-3 oz. depending upon which ones I bring.  The tent sets up in 1-2 minutes and is free-standing.  Even though I was in humidity hell, I had ZERO condensation.  As a company, Big Sky International has had some issues in the past with delivery times, but I’m not aware of any recently.  I don’t typically carry a tent myself, but always find this one to be simple to use and light enough that I don’t mind carrying it when a tent is called for.

QUILT:  Enlightened Equipment Revelation Apex 40 Degree

Given the humidity I encountered on this trip, I was glad I brought a synthetic quilt.  No issues with moisture whatsoever.  Overnight temps never got below high 50’s, so this quilt was more than enough.  In fact, I used it like a blanket the entire time.  Packs up easily in an HMG pod and takes up less room than you’d think, and only weighs 19.7 oz. in long/wide.  I’m convinced a down quilt would have wetted out on this trip.  Enlightened Equipment is a top notch cottage gear maker, and quilts are their specialty.

SLEEPING PAD:  Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated

I have struggled over the years with dialing in my sleep system, and the pad has been the toughest part to nail down.  I have changed over to this S2S pad at a slight weight penalty because at my age, comfort matters.  Although this pad weighs almost 22 ounces, the air sprung cells and 2.5 inches of cushion make a huge difference in hip happiness, and the pad material seems tougher than some other ultralight pads.  Their ultralight non-insulated pad would’ve been a more appropriate choice on this trip, as it weighs nearly 5 oz. less, but Santa hasn’t brought me one yet.  One other thing I like about this pad is that it takes fewer than 20 breaths to blow it up.  My ThermaRest NeoAir XLite takes over 30.  The little things.

STOVE:  Soto WindMaster

This was my first time using this stove, and it’s going to remain in my kit except for winter hikes.  With the 4-support attachment mine weighed a mere 3.1 oz. yet provided me with exquisite simmer control.  This wasn’t crucial on this hike, but when I cook my normal meals it will be.  Folded up nice and small and fit in a 0.9L Evernew pot along with a 4 oz. gas canister, mini towel, mini scrubbie and dropper bottle of soap.  Oh, it laughed at wind.  I routinely brought 2 cups of water to a boil in less than 2 minutes (or so it seemed).  VERY fuel efficient.  Hiking Jim has a great detailed review of the stove HERE.

FOOTWEAR:  Altra Timps and Dirty Girl Gaiters

You can see these in the feature photo.  My Timps are approaching 500 miles after this hike and are close to shot- and they smell like rhinoceros butt- but they once again performed well.  My squatch feet fit best in Altra shoes, the wide toebox being key.  The tread still had sufficient grip on Savage Gulf’s often slippery rocks, and the heel cup gave me a snug fit that gave me more than adequate ankle stability.  These shoes also had enough cushion (barely) that my feet survived (barely) the battering doled out by Savage Gulf’s endless rock hops.  Thanks to the combination of Darn Tough socks and Altra shoes, I have also never had a blister while hiking.  I get 99 different aches and pains on a hike, but a blister ain’t one.

After resisting for the longest time, I have recently become a convert to using gaiters.  Dirty Girls are simple, durable, and come in a wide assortment of interesting patterns (being a mammographer, I chose the breast cancer ribbon pattern and get lots of approving comments from ladies on the trail).  They really do keep little rocks, leaves and grit out of your shoes, which not only enhances comfort but also preserves sock life.  Altras come with a perfect setup to attach Dirty Girls with minimal fuss- a clip by your front lace and a velcro patch on the heel.  Even a dull normal like me figured it out quickly.

Other items I used that I was happy with were a Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow, a BeFree filter with a 3 liter HydraPak,  SmartWater bottles (tall, easy to grasp from side pockets), an older model Ursack, Petzl e+Lite, a Lumsing battery/charger, a Mountain Laurel Designs cuben storage cube, and Gossamer Gear’s LT4 trekking poles, one of the most important items that I use.  Not necessarily a piece of gear, but the mini bottle of Bulleit Bourbon was a winner too.

Also, I have always felt a little stupid carrying a 1/4 cup measuring cup with me, but I learned on this trip that it’s a multi-use item.  It came in very handy ladling water from a seep that might’ve otherwise been unusable for me.