Discussion: The Importance of Backyard Testing

[Owl]

Totally agree with this thread.

I live in a townhouse. I have a tiny patio out back...unsuitable for any real backyard testing.

I use the same place I do the KC area hangs for my testing area, because it's got an excellent area for car camping, and there are very few other folks out there during the winter months. If I'm camping with new gear...I nearly always bring my 'old, tested and true' gear out and leave it in the car in case my newfangled stuff fails me. If I have gear issues...my trusty gear is <100 meters away. If that fails...warm up in the car, make the choice to bail for the house (an hour away).

And I do this with ALL my gear. Testing the UQ/TQ I got? I brought my HHSS and sleeping bag that I'd had lots of success with. First actual trip with the new solostove? Had the trusty pocket rocket on standby, and my old crusty pot in case I just opted to cook over a fire.

Test it from the safety of Ft Livingroom first. Tweak it. Get comfy with it. Then take it into the field, but always have a contingency plan, and a failover plan to that.

[MDSH]

Sometimes it's amazing hat happens in the back yard.

My last time out there recently featured a hoot owl in the tree above me and a skunk came by in the alley.

[Rat]

Not me, I never backyard test; here's why. I get so much more learning out of just jumping in! For example...

I once bought a 30 degree bag from a big box retailer; my first 'serious' sleeping bag right? I mean 30 degrees man, this oughtta be awesome warm in Central Texas! My first night out it was supposed to get down to about 25 degrees. No problem, I can handle 5 degrees, I'll just take an extra pair of socks. Good thing I did to, because my little toes turned black! I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't had those extra socks? Great memories from that trip, the second night wasn't so bad; I built a big fire and stayed up all night feeding it. My toes still aren't right...

I also learned the importance of using new boots on a hike. I bought the newest high tech, new fangled boots I could find for under $45 at my local discount sporting goods store! I planned to wear them in on my next weekend hike, a 30 mile loop. Man they were GREAT! My feet really started to get adjusted to the boots about 8 miles in, I could feel the blisters forming and my big toe was swelling nicely to fill the toe box. My feet looked like hamburger after that hike, but man are they tough now! My callouses have callouses! I also learned that you should take more than one pair of socks on a long hike like that. When people ask me about my limp I tell them that ALL serious hikers have a limp like mine!

I bought this awesome Kukri knife once, for like $20 with shipping; yea, it was the real deal bro! I first used it at a local lake that I hiked to one Friday. I started chopping wood and it worked great! Pretty soon it even started to cut and pinch my hands; the handle was really loossey goosey. So now I have these scars all over my hands and people ask me if I am a MMA fighter because my hands look like they have been through a meat grinder! It's cool though, chicks dig scars; well, not my wife, she bought me some gloves.

I bought a cool little fire starter one time; it had the stuff you shave off and then this rod that made sparks. Those things are harder to use than you might think! Or, maybe mine was defective, I never did get a fire going that weekend. I learned to eat ramen noodles uncooked though; kinda crunchy and bland, but I forgot to add the seasoning packet in so I just downed it after I finished the noodles. I still have hallucinogenic drug like flashbacks when I see one of those little foil packets... I also learned to drink cold coffee the first morning. I don't see what the big deal is about iced coffee, it's not half bad...

I once bought a nice little alcohol stove, you know, in my quest to be ultralight... It was soooooo cool, I told everyone about it for weeks, I read all I could on the world wide web and I was READY to use it! My brother and I went out on a weekend hike and I had it with me but all my fuel leaked out in my backpack. The lid on my soda bottle got loose somehow and I lost all 20 ounces of fuel. No worries, my brother uses one of those old school stoves that you gotta pump up to get it to burn; yea, I just used some of his fuel in my stove. I think I did something wrong along the way, maybe I used too much fuel, but that thing blew like a Korean test rocket! And, I left my brother's fuel can nearby with the lid off so it caught on fire! In about 30 seconds I had set or nice peaceful lunch spot ablaze and used all the fuel in the process!

Good thing I learned to eat uncooked Ramen noodles and drink cold coffee! I showed my brother how to do these things as well; he was mighty grumpy, but, in the end I think, he was grateful!

No backyard testing forme, it's much more fun to learn as you go!

[Loki]

Hee he he
Great Rat!!

[Klaussinator]

FLRider: Great thread! Couldn't agree more, and we all need to be reminded.

Rat: Thanks for convincing those who didn't buy into FLRider's logic. Oh, and thanks for taking one (or five) for the team!

-Klauss

[Theosus]

I would add to "backyard testing" - this includes unpacking and actually testing new gear before going on a trip. I've been on a few trips where "new" gear didn't work for the people that brought it. Always test before going:

Steripen - still in the package. Man unpacked it, put the batteries in it, and tried to sterilize his water. Dead on arrival. The couple had to borrow a filter from another hiker.
Headlamp - brand new, batteries dead out the box.
Tent - Still in original packaging, missing a piece.
Tent - Still in box - two different fly sizes. Not a problem, but carried extra stuff they didn't have to.
Stove - missing the rubber grommet at the bottom that stops gas leaking out around the canister.
Hammock - no under quilt on 40 degree night (yeah that one was me - I didn't know any better. That was a cold night)

I've attended quite a few new-hiker classes with a friend of mine that puts them on. It always amazes me the amount of stuff brought on hikes STILL in the packages. Who wants to carry all that waste paper and instructions? It does make for handy fire starting, but still...

Test, Test, Test. Then pack it up.
Not that I haven't made errors, too. I've grabbed the wrong bag before and left without something. Just because you have your bag, doesn't mean is still has that stuff in it after your last trip clean-up. It's hard to brush your teeth when the blue bag with your toothbrush is sitting in the drawer at the house, or its stuck in the bag marked "water filter stuff", which you didn't bring because you decided to use the Steripen this trip. Or that awful feeling you get when you reach in to your "bugs, drugs, and f-k ups" bag, only to remember you took out your first aid kid last week when your kid fell off the bike, and it's currently in the bathroom waiting on a resupply, and you would really like some aspirin for your headache right about now.

[Firesong]

Or the time I took the tent and forgot the tent poles.... The kids and I used a lot of rope that weekend lol. And it rained hard.

[FLRider]

While this advice is probably most important with shelter related items it also applies to cooking gear, clothing, and especially water filtration. Nothing ruins a trip faster than bringing out a new shiny stove on the trail only to find you're missing some essential piece of the kit.

I'm pretty OCD about most all of my gear and I keep it stored and ready to go at a moment's notice. However, I still open up my tarps, hammock, cookset, etc before a trip and make sure everything is in good order. Fortunately since I typically hike with a group the loss of a single item probably won't be a show stopper but it will be an incredible inconvenience for everyone else.

I mixed up two identical green dry bags a few years ago and ended up doing a weekend hike that dipped into the 20s in shorts and a fleece top. My other warm clothes were safely back in my friend's trunk. Luckily I had a hat, gloves, and a warm down bag so I was still pretty comfortable. I just sat a lot closer to the campfire than everyone else

That's a good point about checking the contents of stuff before leaving. I've definitely made that mistake my own self; I've even left my watch at home before, when I was in a rush to go.

It seems most questions revolve around gear purchases, in which case asking questions and researching without having an opportunity to try is all most people can do...and is exactly what they should be doing barring any opportunity for a mentor. But once you own it, I absolutely agree that people should test it under controlled conditions. Spend some nights in the cold and rain and snow in your backyard, so that when you head out for your actual trip, you won't be guessing at what you need and hoping it will be adequate. The colder it is, the more your life depends on knowing your gear and its limitations.

Absolutely, folks should ask here about others' experiences with gear. I was more looking towards folks learning the ins and outs of gear once they've purchased it (or borrowed it, depending).

Ditto on testing your gear. Was giving a hammock class to some Boy Scouts and one the boys broke out a new Eno SN and tarp to set up only to find out he did not have every thing he needed to set it all up. Fortunately this took place in my back yard and I used it as a learning experience. One of the scouts went on to hike half the AT using a hammock for part of the trip ( he started very early and did not have the gear to hang in the snow so he used a tent until it warmed up)

Picture of my backyard testing area. The day I got my new MamaJamba Tarp and was playing with it, we got 7" of snow so I also set up my hammock to see what would happen. Got down to 18 degrees. I was using a full length pad and a 20 degree sleeping bag. Did ok until about 2 or 3 AM when I had to bail. Reason was I had just started taking blood thinners and my feet and hands were like ice . Lesson learned...Better to find this out at home and I bought some better insulation in the form of a FL UQ and TQ rated to o degrees.

That's precisely the sort of thing I was thinking of. Theoretically, a 20* bag and pad should do fine at ~18*, but you had a different metabolic reaction than most folks (and different from the ones you'd had before your own self!) that meant you needed to bail to safety. Thanks for sharing!

Absolutely!

When I first decided to venture into 4-season hammocking, I had already been camping in the winter for many years. I knew the change from 3-season to sub-zero conditions was more than just a few warmer clothes or quilts. I spent the next months watching the weather forecast and sleeping in the backyard (literally) trying out different configurations of gear. Learning how different pieces interact and complement (or not) each other was invaluable. At the extreme temps it isn't so much how one piece of gear works, it is how it works with other gear as a system. Since I am now a 4-season hanger and my winter is sub-zero, I need to know how minor changes to my system will affect my comfort. Also in those extreme temps, one cognitive ability is lessened so familiarity with ones system becomes paramount for safety. One doesn't want to have to figure out how to do something in those conditions. It must be automatic.

A very good point on knowing your gear well enough that you can operate it on "auto-pilot"; I've definitely been cold and tired enough that I wouldn't be able to operate something finicky before.

Not me, I never backyard test; here's why. I get so much more learning out of just jumping in! For example...

I once bought a 30 degree bag from a big box retailer; my first 'serious' sleeping bag right? I mean 30 degrees man, this oughtta be awesome warm in Central Texas! My first night out it was supposed to get down to about 25 degrees. No problem, I can handle 5 degrees, I'll just take an extra pair of socks. Good thing I did to, because my little toes turned black! I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't had those extra socks? Great memories from that trip, the second night wasn't so bad; I built a big fire and stayed up all night feeding it. My toes still aren't right...

I also learned the importance of using new boots on a hike. I bought the newest high tech, new fangled boots I could find for under $45 at my local discount sporting goods store! I planned to wear them in on my next weekend hike, a 30 mile loop. Man they were GREAT! My feet really started to get adjusted to the boots about 8 miles in, I could feel the blisters forming and my big toe was swelling nicely to fill the toe box. My feet looked like hamburger after that hike, but man are they tough now! My callouses have callouses! I also learned that you should take more than one pair of socks on a long hike like that. When people ask me about my limp I tell them that ALL serious hikers have a limp like mine!

I bought this awesome Kukri knife once, for like $20 with shipping; yea, it was the real deal bro! I first used it at a local lake that I hiked to one Friday. I started chopping wood and it worked great! Pretty soon it even started to cut and pinch my hands; the handle was really loossey goosey. So now I have these scars all over my hands and people ask me if I am a MMA fighter because my hands look like they have been through a meat grinder! It's cool though, chicks dig scars; well, not my wife, she bought me some gloves.

I bought a cool little fire starter one time; it had the stuff you shave off and then this rod that made sparks. Those things are harder to use than you might think! Or, maybe mine was defective, I never did get a fire going that weekend. I learned to eat ramen noodles uncooked though; kinda crunchy and bland, but I forgot to add the seasoning packet in so I just downed it after I finished the noodles. I still have hallucinogenic drug like flashbacks when I see one of those little foil packets... I also learned to drink cold coffee the first morning. I don't see what the big deal is about iced coffee, it's not half bad...

I once bought a nice little alcohol stove, you know, in my quest to be ultralight... It was soooooo cool, I told everyone about it for weeks, I read all I could on the world wide web and I was READY to use it! My brother and I went out on a weekend hike and I had it with me but all my fuel leaked out in my backpack. The lid on my soda bottle got loose somehow and I lost all 20 ounces of fuel. No worries, my brother uses one of those old school stoves that you gotta pump up to get it to burn; yea, I just used some of his fuel in my stove. I think I did something wrong along the way, maybe I used too much fuel, but that thing blew like a Korean test rocket! And, I left my brother's fuel can nearby with the lid off so it caught on fire! In about 30 seconds I had set or nice peaceful lunch spot ablaze and used all the fuel in the process!

Good thing I learned to eat uncooked Ramen noodles and drink cold coffee! I showed my brother how to do these things as well; he was mighty grumpy, but, in the end I think, he was grateful!

No backyard testing forme, it's much more fun to learn as you go!

Yeah, I think that probably sums it up pretty well...

I would add to "backyard testing" - this includes unpacking and actually testing new gear before going on a trip. I've been on a few trips where "new" gear didn't work for the people that brought it. Always test before going:

Steripen - still in the package. Man unpacked it, put the batteries in it, and tried to sterilize his water. Dead on arrival. The couple had to borrow a filter from another hiker.
Headlamp - brand new, batteries dead out the box.
Tent - Still in original packaging, missing a piece.
Tent - Still in box - two different fly sizes. Not a problem, but carried extra stuff they didn't have to.
Stove - missing the rubber grommet at the bottom that stops gas leaking out around the canister.
Hammock - no under quilt on 40 degree night (yeah that one was me - I didn't know any better. That was a cold night)

I've attended quite a few new-hiker classes with a friend of mine that puts them on. It always amazes me the amount of stuff brought on hikes STILL in the packages. Who wants to carry all that waste paper and instructions? It does make for handy fire starting,/i but still...

Test, Test, Test. Then pack it up.
Not that I haven't made errors, too. I've grabbed the wrong bag before and left without something. Just because you have your bag, doesn't mean is still has that stuff in it after your last trip clean-up. It's hard to brush your teeth when the blue bag with your toothbrush is sitting in the drawer at the house, or its stuck in the bag marked "water filter stuff", which you didn't bring because you decided to use the Steripen this trip. Or that awful feeling you get when you reach in to your "bugs, drugs, and f-k ups" bag, only to remember you took out your first aid kid last week when your kid fell off the bike, and it's currently in the bathroom waiting on a resupply, and you would really like some aspirin for your headache right about now.

That's a good point about checking any new piece of gear before leaving the house, even if it's something you've used before. It's always possible that the manufacturer or packer made a mistake when the gear got sent to you.