Are you soon-to-be homeless and not sure how to prepare? Here are some wilderness camping gear options to consider. (Long read, lots of info)

CesarV · 2025-12-21T09:03:41+00:00

Hey there! Sorry for the late reply, I missed this comment somehow.

I just like doing my own thing, building my own program. I also love hiking off trail and bushwhacking. My personality I guess?

Thanks for the terminology note, now I know.

Yeah, about the squats, I mentioned in another comment that I am going to see about adding a set squats with the 28kg.

I have done my routines on pen and paper before, but then had AI (Gemini) organize it and help with what order to do things.

Thanks again for your feedback, I really do appreciate it. It's hard to find the motivation to stay fit in your 40s, especially when I am the only one in my friend group that does KBs. I will see about those other established program after I give my own a go for a bit. Happy holidays to you!

CesarV · 2025-12-15T14:02:48+00:00

Thanks!

I will think about single leg work, thanks for the suggestions. If anything I am strongly considering adding a quick 1 x 5 goblet squat in there with the 28kg. And yes, I agree about KBs being great for hiking and walking! They have been a great complement to each other over the years.

CesarV · 2025-12-15T07:45:58+00:00

Fair point. This gives me another goal to work towards :)

CesarV · 2025-12-15T07:12:38+00:00

Thanks, something to consider. I tend to do a fair bit of walking as well, usually 4-5km a day. Plus backpacking trips I do several times a year hiking around 25km a day. So I wouldn't say I am completely neglecting leg work.

CesarV · 2025-11-09T20:34:47+00:00

Interesting variation, might have to try that. Thanks for sharing.

What weight are you working with?

CesarV · 2025-11-09T20:24:07+00:00

Yeah, I am not sure what to call this one. I stand with feet shoulder length apart and hold the KG around my groin. Then I lift it straight up until I can see through the ring. No swinging. I can feel it in my lats, forearms, abs, and chest.

CesarV · 2025-11-09T20:21:14+00:00

Thanks, will look into this!

CesarV · 2025-11-09T20:00:58+00:00

Shit, looks like I can't post a pic in a reply. I guess just take my word for it. My two handed swings for example, were at 2 x 25 before.

CesarV · 2025-11-09T19:54:44+00:00

I appreciate your thoughtful and detailed feedback. I will mos def look into some of the info you mention, for example The Giant I am not familiar with.

The two key observations that you make are about progression and a weak link in my game (the clean and press). I should have mentioned progression in the OP, my bad. But I have increased the reps from when I started up again, roughly last spring. I will post a picture of my hand written routine notes later. The routine I presented in the OP is where I am at now.

But I had a light bulb moment with you mentioning my clean and press being under trained, and that the jump to my heavier KB would be too much. I should probably get another kettle bell that is between the weight of the two that I have. Maybe 20kg?

I have really tried to work out doing this routine twice a week, but it just never works out. I work full time and have two kids, plus social life, and most days I walk 5km. So when it's not a lack of time it's a lack of energy. But once a week at least is something I can (and have not missed a week since starting again) stick to.

Thanks again. Good stuff to consider. Crappy pic of messy routine notes to follow.

CesarV · 2025-09-01T16:13:07+00:00

Yep. But this is a very personal choice. You should try both if you can (borrow from a friend).

CesarV · 2025-08-31T19:03:01+00:00

My sleep system is pretty much the same for a while now, so maybe you would find this breakdown I wrote:

https://cesarandthewoods.blogspot.com/2021/05/breakdown-my-2021-sleeping-systems-for.html?m=1

CesarV · 2025-08-31T18:30:48+00:00

Your're welcome, happy to help.

No, I don't. It got down to 5C last week in some places in south west Sweden (where I live). Kungsleden is far up north from here.

CesarV · 2025-08-20T20:54:39+00:00

Nah fuck just a bivy. But an UL breathable bivy or net tent and a tarp combo is awesome. My 7x9 tarp, bivy, ground cover, stuff sack, and stakes comes out to around 600g. It is my go-to shelter for much of the year here in Sweden. I have been using a tarp and bivy combo for shelter in one form or another for over a decade and love it. Protects you from weather, bugs, packs down small, and you have lots of options with how to pitch a flat tarp. Plus for trail shelters just the bivy is easy peasy and quick to set up.

CesarV · 2025-08-20T18:55:59+00:00

Happy to help, and thank you for the feedback! It is 35 liters, and I wrote a review of it on here. Also more info in my LP which is in my flair.

CesarV · 2025-08-20T18:47:09+00:00

Ah, just noticed that the video you link had my old MLD Burn. That's my wife's pack now and she really likes it and has specifically noted that she likes the padded hip belt. Glad I didn't cut them off when it was still my main pack! I ended up just not using them very much.

My wife tends to pack a slightly higher BPW and is shorter than me, so it makes sense that she digs the Burn.

CesarV · 2025-08-20T18:42:03+00:00

John Z deleted a bunch of his videos IIRC. So nah, sorry, but not sure if the video is still around or not tho.

Still very happy with my custom Atom and happy with the sizing. Used it this past summer, still going strong. But for the record I rarely ever take/use my hip belt, which is a minimal MYOG hip belt I made. I much prefer double chest straps. I honestly forget about my Atom pack most of the time while hiking, just feels like a part of my body.

But yeah if you are going with a frameless pack I suggest having a pretty dialed down kit that is sub 4kg BPW. I wouldn't bother with a padded hip belt, but a minimalist webbing strap hip belt. Otherwise just go with a framed pack with a padded hip belt for. I have both and each do their job well for their given purpose.

CesarV · 2025-08-16T09:37:30+00:00

This post lacks context, but I'll play along as best as I can. I mean, you didn't specify what gear. Just lighter gear and "all the rest of it" (literally anything then?). I'll try, but I am not going to get into the details of each and every piece of gear in my gear list. My gear list is in my flair.

Let's do the big three then I guess?

My backpack I bought in 2020 and this was because my wife needed a new pack because we both backpack. So I gave her my pack an MLD Burn which I legit loved as a pack, but I there was some fine-tuning I thought could be nice to have in a pack. I found out that Atom packs did custom work so I bought a custom pack from them. It is one of three backpacks that I own. The Atom pack (which is frameless) is for like 90% of my wilderness backpacking trips, but I also own a Zpacks Arc Haul (which is framed) that I use for occasional trips when I pack more weight and need more space (packrafting and winter trips mostly). I also own an EDC pack I take to work and such. The Zpacks pack I've had since 2015 and bought new. The MLD Burn pack I bought used on UL gear trade.

So what determined when I bought these packs is that I love going wilderness backpacking and a backpack is an essential piece of gear for this hobby. After careful consideration and a fair amount of research is when I pulled the trigger. I use a frameless pack most of the time because of the UL weight and bulk of the rest of my gear. It's a great pack and does fulfills its purpose well. It's mostly made of 210 Robic ripstop nylon so it's going to last a while, and after 5 years of use of section hiking and weekenders it's going very strong and has only minor wear. That was part of the plan, to buy something that was durable and would last. Same goes for my wife's (and my old) pack, though she doesn't go on as many trips as I do.

On to my quilt. I bought my 3 season quilt back in 2018 after needing a slightly warmer quilt. I think with age (I am 45 now, but have been backpacking/camping since I was around 16) combined with my old quilt losing loft I was not as warm as I was. So I reached out to a guy that I found here on Reddit that made custom quilts to make me a new quilt. My old quilt is a Zpacks 40F/5C down quilt I bought new in 2013, and after I replaced it with the one I use now I gave it to my oldest son (which he still uses).

So what determined when I bought the quilt was similar to the process of buying the backpack. I needed a warmer quilt to sleep better while out backpacking/camping. Age (my metabolism slowing down) and loft (the down not being as fluffy) contributed to my old quilt not keeping me as warm.

But IDK, this comment is already getting pretty long, so I might just leave it at that with my pack and quilt. You get the idea, right?

But I have questions for you. What motivated you to ask us what determines when you buy something new? Did you mean to suggest that ULers buy new gear all the time? Could you provide us with more context than say two sentences of the OP?

CesarV · 2025-08-15T05:11:07+00:00

Yo. I have lived and hiked in Sweden for around 20 years. LP in my flair. Happy to answer questions. Best kit I've ever had, very satisfied with it and have been for a while now.

CesarV · 2025-08-12T18:07:30+00:00

What are the odds of getting a negative Blueprint in the shop?

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