Some Backpacking Gear Notes

Here are gear notes I scribbled down after our little backpacking adventure. Maybe you'll find them useful? Maybe I'll remember to refer back to them before my next trip?

• Love, love, love the Neo Air mattress. It seems to manage to maximize both weight & size, as well as comfort.
• My first night in my Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina sleeping bag was a good one. I spent the night under the stars, and was the perfect temperature the whole night.
• I found the Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets to be a nice upgrade from the usual Mylar emergency blanket. As promised, it folded down nicer than the standard model, was quieter to use, was an ideal groundcloth and served as a nice play area for our 10 month old.
• I'm warming up to the Platypus 3 Liter Big Zip water bottle. I like the 3 liter capacity for camp, and the ability to fill it with less while hiking. I'm still used to traditional water bottles though. The large filling area (with a zipper) does work wonderfully well.
• The Helios Sun Hat by Outdoor Research is a definite winner. If found it both comfortable and effective. And I do believe it doesn't look goofy in the least bit.
• Holy Smokes! The Swedish Firesteel actually works! True, we had very dry wood, excellent tinder and kindling and some dryer lint to help out. But still, we lit a fire without matches or a lighter. Go us!
• Note to self: Add cough drops and lots of ibuprofen to the first aid gear carried.
• The large mesh stuff sack that came with my sleeping bag worked great as a bear bag. It was lightweight and durable
• The LifeGear glow stick works great for in-tent lighting, but it's just not bright enough for use around a dark campsite. It's time to get Shira a nice and powerful headlamp.
• My Ultralight Backpack by Hammock Bliss is a definite winner. It's small, but quite comfortable and has a nice number of pockets. And thanks to compact gear, I was able to use it to carry my sleeping bag, pad, extra clothes, a ziplock bag full of odds and ends (compass, lighter, etc.) and the 3L Platypus Big Zip. It's my new goto hiking bag.