Last year, on a 5 day hike, towards the end of the 4th day, I was making my way down the trail, completely lost in thought, tired, not really paying much attention to anything, yet hearing a noise I didn't recognize. Sort of in my own little world, as I walked on I realized that the noise, kind of a buzzing, was getting louder. When I finally popped out of my dream world, I immediately recognized that the "noise" was a rattlesnake, about 15 ft ahead of me on the trail, and he had been warning me for probably 50 ft. This was not a small snake and he OWNED the trail. I backed up until he quit rattling, then bushwacked around him and came back out probably 50 ft past him on the trail. As soon as I stepped back on the trail he started rattling again. I decided I was too tired to keep walking in snake country (I was close to a place called "Snake Road" where they close the road for a month twice a year for the snakes to cross), so I went a bit farther and stopped for the night.  Never saw any more, but I paid much better attention the next day. ... View more

Ah, and I missed the synthetic part, I have the down ones.  ... View more

I have both the Cosmic 20 and Cosmic 40, and I'm very pleased with both. I generally take the 40 if the forecast lows are around 40 or more, and the 20 if they're less than 40. I've used the 20 without problems down to around 5, with heavy baselayer and light puffy. They're well made and durable. They're supposedly "hydrophobic" down, and I've never had an issue but have never gotten them more than damp. ... View more

My egg solution is to use OvaEasy eggs and butter powder in a freezer bag. When I get ready to make scrambled eggs, I add water to the bag, then put the bag in nearly boiling water in my pot, stirring every couple of minutes until the eggs are cooked. 21 gr of OvaEasy makes two eggs, or 32 gr = 3 eggs. I add 7 grams of butter powder per egg. I use just under two oz of water per egg/butter combo, so for 2 eggs it's just under 4 oz, and for 3 eggs I use about 5 1/2 oz.  I sometimes add 1/4 cup of freeze dried sausage and an extra 2 oz of water to make a heartier breakfast. You could cook your eggs like this and then add to the rice, polenta or whatever. ... View more

@Dad_Aint_Hip have you considered making your own meals but using freeze dried meat? That's what I do. I buy the chicken dices, ground beef, and sausage mostly. These are the things that I find don't rehydrate well if dehydrated, but are awesome when they're freeze dried. By making my own meals I can control what's in them, so I can keep the salt down and keep out the veggies that I don't like (peas!). I also buy freeze dried sweet corn because it rehydrates really well too, plus is good to just nibble on straight from the bag. ... View more

You'll find that a most of the time, price is inversely proportional to weight. If you're not using it a lot, it's usually not worthwhile to invest in the lighter versions. My collection has some stuff bought (at a premium) because of weight, but sometimes lighter isn't better, and a lot of times lighter also means shorter life or easier to destroy. I've gradually lowered my base weight and increased my daily mileage, but I don't think that the increased miles are completely because of the lighter weight, because I'm also in better shape now (partly from backpacking more LOL).  It usually comes down to a personal choice depending on your physical fitness, what you can do without, what keeps you comfortable, what you need for safety, and what your goals are. You might not be interested in big miles, so light weight might not interest you that much. You could be more interested in the camping aspect, or you might be interested in a slow casual hike, with the sleeping portion just being a necessary part of it. Each person is different, so what's great equipment for some might not be right for others.  I think everyone learns more about themselves as they go, it takes some experimentation to find what's right for you. I've bought stuff that just didn't work for me at all, and things that I loved but decided they were too heavy and either quit using them or bought lighter versions. Hopefully you like to shop LOL. ... View more

I use Picaridin lotion on exposed skin, treat clothes, tent, and backpack with permethrin.  Picaridin lotion stays on better than sprays. Even when ticks are horrible here I don't find any on me. I've found dead ones on my clothes and in my tent, but no live ones on me. Unlike @Dad_Aint_Hip , if it's warm enough for ticks, I'm wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts. LOL ... View more

I'd recommend avoiding "Deliverance", and also "The Great Outdoors" LOL. ... View more

I also use an exos 58, and I don't have any trouble getting winter gear and 5 days of food in it. But my "winter" might not be as cold as yours, I get by with a 20 degree bag, usually our winter lows are 20-30. I have been forced to wear my puffy inside my bag on a few occasions LOL. ... View more

I have also used the sawyer squeeze and mini.... I use the squeeze now because it's easier, tho a bit heavier. Either is a good choice. I've heard lots of stories about busted bags, but I've only ever busted two. I suspect the busted bags are mostly "user error", although I did have a new one bust the first time out, which would point to manufacturer's defect. I keep two quart size bags, which I use both to filter with and for carrying "dirty" water to camp in the evening. I know that I could get by if one breaks. I also carry a one liter nalgene, which I'm going to try ditching in favor of (1 or 2) one liter smartwater bottles. The mini works fine, it's just slower and clogs a bit more easily than the squeeze. The main issue I have (since I backpack mostly in lower temps) is that you absolutely must keep the sawyer filters from freezing. I keep mine in my sleeping bag in a ziplock when it's colder. I also keep a few chlorine dioxide tabs as a backup just in case. ... View more

Planning a thru hike of the Ozark Trail this fall. 230 miles, 16 days. Still looking if someone wants to join me. ... View more