Help With My First-Ever Ranger Trek!

[Greg]

How many people commented that you were carrying too much? Fully loaded Rangers get that a lot. I know Ken has encountered that, too. Have fun!

[Manveruon]

Haha, yeah, pretty much everyone. They were mostly like, "OMG, why in the world would you CHOOSE to carry that much stuff???" so I explained what I was doing. Some of them got it, some of them, not so much. There were a couple who actually thought I wasn't carrying enough, however, haha. One guy asked me specifically, "where are you going to put food???" I replied that I was going to pack fairly light in that regard, but that I was going to put most of it in my bedroll (whatever I didn't need to get at immediately), and then distribute the rest between various pouches. He seemed... dubious, heh.
To be honest though, food storage is still a slight anxiety for me. I know Bryan will be carrying some as well, but I definitely want to make sure we both have enough. A hungry trip is not a happy trip. If I had a haversack of some kind I wouldn't worry so much, but unfortunately I haven't been able to make or procure on yet, so I'm still trying to figure out where to stash it all - other than the bedroll.

[BrianGrubbs]

Looking good! It's funny the looks you get when you're fully equipped, but it is a great way to test your stuff out.

Wish that I'd known you were in search of a haversack. I make simple canvas ones, I could have gotten you one at least to try out even if it didn't end up as part of your permanent kit. Might be to late now, but let me know if your interested.

-Brian

[Eledhwen]

I see that good, solid rope you have round your bedroll. You might also try using a tump line for that. They are simple to make and tend to be lighter than rope, especially if plain. I use a tump line with my own bedroll. It allows for a variety of carry styles, to include the band going round the forehead, over both shoulders, over one, etc. Since it is flat it won't gouge like rope sometimes can.

Just a thought.

Your stuff looks very good.

Have fun!

Eledhwen

[Manveruon]

Interesting. I've heard the term trumpline before, but I guess I never actually knew what it was. I may have to try it sometime, but I have a feeling I'd find it rather uncomfortable. Still, it's certainly a novel way to carry a load. The main reason I'm carrying the rope in general is to rig up my hammock, and/or serve as a line to tie up a tarp shelter. In this case, is merely wound around the bedroll, serving to help keep it compact. Technically it's also looped through the strap of the quiver in one spot, but the bedroll is actually attached the quiver by two leather straps. I made a dedicated shoulder-belt for the bedroll, so I could carry it independently from the quiver, but I discovered, upon testing it out, that it actually didn't work very well, and the whole thing lays far more comfortably when attached to the quiver as I originally intended. The rig is surprisingly comfortable - but slightly less so when it's quite that heavy.

[Manveruon]

Looking good! It's funny the looks you get when you're fully equipped, but it is a great way to test your stuff out.

Wish that I'd known you were in search of a haversack. I make simple canvas ones, I could have gotten you one at least to try out even if it didn't end up as part of your permanent kit. Might be to late now, but let me know if your interested.

-Brian

And no worries there, I was planning to make one myself actually, but I just never really got around to it. I might even still be able to, if time allows. Otherwise I'll have to find a different way to distribute food amongst my various pouches.

[Manveruon]

So here's a question for the hive mind:

When you go out trekking, and you want to contact the Forest Service ahead of time, just to give them a heads-up that some funny-looking people in funny-looking clothes carrying various funny-looking accouterments, including various sharp and pointy bits, will be wandering through their woods in the near future, what exactly do you like to say to them? How do you approach that situation so they don't get weirded out and/or hostile and belligerent right up front?