who out there?

[isleroyaleguy]

Carries a backup stove?

also, for 9 days for two people how much fuel do we need?
We have a JetBoil and a Optimus.

How about a GPS for the Minong is it needed?

Lots of questions I know but we leave in 14 days
This will be the longest trip we have ever taken so not quite sure how to pack.

thanks IRG

[Kevinl]

Awesome photo.

I don't carry a backup stove. I guess if you have one and don't mind the extra weight, it can't hurt. Mine is the MSR Pocket Rocket, very light, and if I had another of the same, I might consider bringing it, although it's such a simple system it isn't hard to fix. I always carry more fuel than I need though. Not a bad idea, especially at Isle Royale where you potential could be stranded for a couple days if the weather messes with transportation.

I woouldn't think a GPS is necessary on the Minong. Might be fun to have, but not necessary by any means. A map is necessary, and some people might argue the necessity of a compass, and a GPS would contain both of those things.

Have a great trip.

[niners]

I would agree that you don't need a GPS, but I never go into the back country without a map and compass.

As far as the stove goes, if there are several of you hiking together, a backup is not a bad idea. If it's just you, and you are comfortable with your stoves maintainence and have any necessary backup parts, I would not carry the extra weight.

[Keweenaw]

I have never carried a spare stove. Of course, the stove I have used in the past is a Svea 123, which is really just a fuel container with a pinhole and valve - not much to break, plus the multi-tool is included. We now have an MSR Pocket Rocket, which is even simpler.

Amount of fuel - depends. Before the trip fill 'er up and let it burn on high until it's empty. Now figure your cooking times for the meals you are fixing. Don't bring anything that says "simmer 20 minutes" on the box. Take a bit more fuel than you think you will need and you should be fine. For my 123 I generally take 1 1/2 liters or so of fuel for a week-long trip and usually use around a liter.

GPS is unnecessary but might be nice if you want to know how far it is to your next campsite while you are hiking. The only places that the trail can be unclear are the rock ridges and so long as you keep traveling in the right direction you will spot a cairn or the trail within a few minutes, usually.

How to pack: light! If you don't think you will need it don't bring it. A heavy pack can spoil the trip. Will you be happier with a GPS or with 8 less ounces? 3 pairs of socks are nice but 2 will do. Anything can be eaten out of a bowl so I leave the plate at home. Titanium spork. Titanium pots (best Christmas gift ever, equipment-wise).

Have fun!

Bob

[upnorthjeeper]

I'm going to carry an esbit stove, with some (4) fuel tablets nested inside. It is about the size of a deck of cards. Usually available as "military surplus" and they are pretty cheap. Some newer designs have been made in the essence of the esbit, but I've never been inclined to spend the extra money. In fact I've never had to use mine at all, just try to keep one in the trunk for emergencies. The stove and fuel tabds wiegh ~4.75oz... See pics below!

[Kevinl]

I was hiking with a guy last week at Isle Royale who only used his Esbit. I had never seen one but it does make the perfect backup. He soaked his food (noodles, etc.) before cooking to trim cooking time, which I do too with my Pocket Rocket.

[ScoutDad]

In the past I've carried a "pop-can" backup stove and a few ounces of denatured alcohol in a plastic bottle. No moving parts, nothing to break, and it does the job.

Most recent trip (a few weeks ago) I didn't carry a backup; used an MSR dragonfly & two fuel canisters. I too always carry too much fuel, but just wanted to be sure!

[Tom]

I don't carry a backup stove, but carry the maintenance kit for my MSR Internationale. It's small and designed to be carried afield. It pretty much could repair just about anything that could possibly break on the stove. It's also why I choose to carry a white gas stove rather than Isobutane - In a pinch, I've always got the fuel that I can pour into/onto something to get fire.

GPS - Not a requirement for the Minong, but certainly is nice to get an idea of where you are at. Especially on the N Desor -Washington Creek "Am I there yet? How many more ridges?!?" leg. Just 'cause I'm a gizmo guy, my GPS makes it with me on my trips.

[isleroyaleguy]

Thanks for all the great advice. We will take the GPS and the Esbit stove is a great backup.

T-12 days

IRG

[kanonen]

GPS was good for us as we had a pretty good idea about how far we were from our destination...
I have the esbit stove but never used it..I wonder how much cooking one can get off of those solid fuel tabs...But when we hiked the minong 2 months ago, we had a dual fuel coleman and a woodstove...

[Kevinl]

Guy I met on the island said he generally got about seven and a half minutes out of each Esbit fuel pack.

[zentater]

Just got back from a week with a Jetboil and 2 people with liberal use of the stove. We didn't even finish one of the larger canisters....we packed a backup canister but never touched it. We used the stove for either all three or at least 2 meals a day as well as coffee and hot chocolate. We did have the sparker fail but instead of replacing it (which we had) - we used a flint sparker to light it off.