|
CopperHound posted:Is there a goonsensus on hats that I won't ruin by cramming into a stuff sack? I have a narrow brim fishing hat but it doesn't keep the sun off my nose and neck. Have any thoughts on a wide brim vs ballcap+neck drape style? Get a Tilley, they're kinda expensive, but they have a lifetime replacement guarantee, and they float! I've wadded mine up in various cars and pack for years, without any noticeable damage.
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2017 16:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 05:57 |
|
|
Leperflesh posted:I dunno about a goonsensus, but Sun Day Afternoons have a line of brimmed hats with a built-in crease in the center of the bill, which allows them to fold in half without ruining the bill. We've packed them into stuff sacks etc. without damage. For folding hats I like the Outdoor Research Radar Cap, but it has a pretty short bill. They are amazing hats and if you check around you can find them for like $20. I have two of them, one to keep in my fishing bag and one to keep in my good raincoat. I can't stand hoods without a cap to prop the hood up so folding hats are my jam.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2017 16:20
|
|
|
Dr Ozziemandius posted:Get a Tilley, they're kinda expensive, but they have a lifetime replacement guarantee, and they float! I've wadded mine up in various cars and pack for years, without any noticeable damage. I was just about to post the same thing, haha. Tilley's Endurables are awesome--for reference, their original success story was an elephant tamer whose hat was eaten, only to have it eventually pass out the other end unscathed. Guy just rinsed it off and kept wearing it. SuicidalSmurf posted:The hammock thread seems a bit cobwebbed, but if anyone's interested there appears to be a big sale on Eno products at backcountryedge.com. I've never heard of the site to be honest, but it was the cheapest result on google when I was looking for a new rain fly and had good luck with a service rep when I ordered the wrong thing. Looks like all their Eno stuff is 20% off. Wasn't even aware we had a hammock thread! That being said, I still wouldn't buy an eno at that price since there's too many other great options out there. If I were to start over from scratch I'd get a Blackbird XLC hammock with some flavor of hex tarp and snakeskins, Dutchware ridgeline, and HammockGear Econ quilts, rather than DIYing and buying basically everything multiple times to get there. The new DutchWare chameleon hammock might also be worth checking out, everything else Dutch does is top notch. I will say, generally speaking, one of the best quality of life backpacking purchases I've made was upgrading my Osprey pack to a Zpacks Arc Haul backpack. Over three pounds off my pack, magically gone forever, for roughly the same goddamn price of the Osprey, and the hip belt pockets are huge and actually functional (unlike the Osprey's tiny too far back hip pockets). Sucks buying the same gear twice, but I have zero regrets.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 02:13
|
|
|
I actually am starting over with respect to hammock. I recently felt the urge to spend some time in the Hennessy Expedition hammock I used to stealth camp with before trail races. Between the hammock, blue foam pad, and vintage 1980's US Army-issue down mummy bag the set-up was ridiculously heavy and bulky and I never wanted to walk more than a couple of miles into the woods with it. I was going to get one of the single layer 11' Dutchware netless with ridgeline, a dutchware summer sock, and the hammockgear 20F econ quilt set. Just glancing at the relevant sites puts that whole set up at <5lbs, which seems reasonable for the price. Why the Blackbird XLC?
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 03:59
|
|
|
Loucks posted:I actually am starting over with respect to hammock. I recently felt the urge to spend some time in the Hennessy Expedition hammock I used to stealth camp with before trail races. Between the hammock, blue foam pad, and vintage 1980's US Army-issue down mummy bag the set-up was ridiculously heavy and bulky and I never wanted to walk more than a couple of miles into the woods with it. I was going to get one of the single layer 11' Dutchware netless with ridgeline, a dutchware summer sock, and the hammockgear 20F econ quilt set. Just glancing at the relevant sites puts that whole set up at <5lbs, which seems reasonable for the price. Why the Blackbird XLC? Take a look at Klymit sleeping pads. They have a hammock-specific model that I just picked up off Massdrop, but I've used one of their smaller pads for a while in my hammock without issues. Deflated, it packs down to about the size of a can of pop, and weighs less than one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 15:28
|
|
|
Late to the party but I'd like to chime in. Stoves: I have a MSR Reactor, and that's my go-to backpacking stove. Its by all means not light at all, uses a can, but its a all in one system. Doesn't have a piezo, but is EXTREMELY fuel efficient. If I run out of fuel, pot can be used next to a fire no problem. I'm not a ultralight backpacker, so redundancy is key in some respects, so I always carry a flresteel just in case. It lights my stove, but also can be used to light a fire as well. As mentioned before, a bic lighter too. For water purification, I've always used a MSR Miniworks EX. Again, not light, but one of my favorite pump filters. Doesn't attach to a bladder, but screws onto a nalgene just fine. I always carry extra purification tablets if my pump goes down. I was thinking of adding a lifestraw just in case. To me, water is one of the 3 essentials you cannot go without, so I don't gently caress around with it. I don't put my trust into a UV light nor just trying to go commando and not treating my water somehow.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 22:01
|
|
|
What is like the worst thing that drinking untreated water is going to do to you, assuming we are talking about the US? Like just shiting for a week or like are there actual serious risks? My main fear is some kind of awful mine runoff, but I don't think most filters will do much for that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 22:25
|
|
|
Dysentery sounds like a miserable way to spend a few days even at home in the luxury of your own bathroom with a toilet and shower let alone out in the woods. Now most of our trips involve some sort of distance from civilization and often occur miles into the backcountry where your legs and physical wellbeing are what get you back out alive. I've had some pretty nasty diarrhea in my lifetime and I can't fathom getting it 30 miles deep into the mountains while trying to carry a pack and doing strenuous activity. Even if you're still able to walk and exist with the runs, you're likely going to get dehydrated faster and feel weaker. Now, is diarrhea the worst thing in the world? No. Getting mauled by wildlife, trapped in a natural disaster like a fire or avalanche, falling and breaking a leg or knocking yourself out are all infinitely worse but they are also much less probable of happening on a normal basis. You need water every day. The odds of getting some tainted water are definitely possible so this, while not being the most dangerous threat out there, is probably the most likely to occur. The thing about backcountry safety is that you control what you have the ability to control, or at least as much as possible. You can't control getting attacked by wildlife, getting struck by lightning, slipping and breaking your knee, etc but you can control the cleanliness of your water. Thats my theory behind it. The process of gathering water isn't much longer by adding one more step (filtration) into the mix. I guess for me personally, I don't feel the need to roll the dice on my guts for the 3 minutes it takes to filter my water. I usually do it while taking a break anyway so its not worth the possibility of getting sick.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 22:52
|
|
|
Diarrhea is an actual serious risk, and hikers afflicted with diarrhea have occasionally died when it was a contributing factor to other issues like being lost or injured. It can cause weakness, disorientation, and of course it's rapidly dehydrating, and attempting to manage diarrhea can sometimes lead to exposure as well. Giardia is probably the highest risk but it takes like a week before symptoms show up so it's only likely to threaten a long-distance hiker with being stuck somewhere in the wilderness with diarrhea. But unfiltered water can also gift you with cryptosporidium, E. coli, campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, or various viruses like norwalk virus. E coli in particular can cause diarrhea within hours. None of them are especially likely and most hikers are by default in a situation where it can be dealt with effectively. Drinking from a moving water source, ideally from springwater emerging from the ground nearby, is safer than drinking from stagnant water or a stream that may be contaminated upstream. As you noted, most filters don't remove dissolved minerals, so if you managed to find a water source contaminated with actual poisonous chemicals, you could be in serious trouble? I guess maybe if you drank from mine runoff or the water at an abandoned quarry or waste dump that could be a risk? I would avoid drinking water running out of mine tailings or something. I've never heard of that but maybe it's happened. To my mind, though, the danger of unfiltered water is as a risk multiplier, which means the need to be sure of your water rises as you take on more risk. Hiking off trail, hiking alone, hiking in areas subject to unexpected severe weather, being elderly or having preexisting medical issues, and long-distance hikes all represent higher-risk situations where water security becomes increasingly vital. It's also relatively easy to mitigate the risk of unfiltered water: my filter cost $20, weighs just a few ounces, and using it reduces my risk to near zero; perhaps not strictly necessary when I'm not taking any other risks, but a great comfort when I plan for the worst-case scenario - lost, off trail, seriously injured, or otherwise in dire straits. e. Verman put it pretty well, although: Verman posted:You can't control getting attacked by wildlife, getting struck by lightning, slipping and breaking your knee, etc but you can control the cleanliness of your water. You do have some control over all of those things too, though; making good choices about where you're going, the equipment you have, and knowing how to reduce the threat during interactions with dangerous wildlife are all part of the Be Prepared credo. I can reduce the odds of a violent interaction with a bear by cooking, eating, and storing food well away from my tent/using a bear cannister/etc.; good shoes or boots in good condition reduce the chances of slipping and breaking a knee; taking appropriate shelter during a thunderstorm can eliminate the risk of being struck by lightning, and so on. Backpacking and hiking is inherently a risky activity. Sensible and easy precautions that cost little but have a big effect on risk mitgation are worth it; absurd caution regarding tiny risks aren't, and every hiker should be making informed decisions about where to draw the lines. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Aug 16, 2017 |
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2017 22:57
|
|
|
Leperflesh posted:Giardia is probably the highest risk but it takes like a week before symptoms show up so it's only likely to threaten a long-distance hiker with being stuck somewhere in the wilderness with diarrhea. But unfiltered water can also gift you with cryptosporidium, E. coli, campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, or various viruses like norwalk virus. E coli in particular can cause diarrhea within hours. I was mostly wondering if it was all poop-bugs or of there was worst stuff out there. I wanna start doing some longer/backcountry trips, but the places I am looking are all old/current coal country, thus the fear of chemical-bad water.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 02:44
|
|
|
Leperflesh posted:Excellent explanation  Dehydration from diarrhea is absolutely a real concern and people die from that every year. You don't know who or what has been making GBS threads upstream, so why risk it? I carry immodium in my med kit so I don't literally poo poo myself to death. I've actually seen Yellowboy mine runoff near Zaleski, it's literally a yellow tint in what otherwise looks like great water. I also hiked by the remains of an abandoned uncapped gas well in Allegheny, and the whole area reeked of sulphur. No idea what that kind of poo poo is doing to the local water table. For reference, here's one I found at Daniel Boone National Forest:  Most popular places where this is an issue will post some sort of warning or provide alternative water.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 03:02
|
|
|
Dr Ozziemandius posted:Take a look at Klymit sleeping pads. They have a hammock-specific model that I just picked up off Massdrop, but I've used one of their smaller pads for a while in my hammock without issues. Deflated, it packs down to about the size of a can of pop, and weighs less than one. I really ought to do a little more research. I used the blue pad to keep my back/butt from getting cold due to not owning an underquilt (with mixed success), not so much for comfort. I've slept comfortably with just a fleece blanket on warm summer nights. Do people usually use both pad and underquilt?
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 03:11
|
|
|
Loucks posted:I actually am starting over with respect to hammock. I recently felt the urge to spend some time in the Hennessy Expedition hammock I used to stealth camp with before trail races. Between the hammock, blue foam pad, and vintage 1980's US Army-issue down mummy bag the set-up was ridiculously heavy and bulky and I never wanted to walk more than a couple of miles into the woods with it. I was going to get one of the single layer 11' Dutchware netless with ridgeline, a dutchware summer sock, and the hammockgear 20F econ quilt set. Just glancing at the relevant sites puts that whole set up at <5lbs, which seems reasonable for the price. Why the Blackbird XLC? It's basically a much more comfortable hammock, with a built in footbox and shelf so you lay flatter and have some out of the way storage for stuff like a jacket or your phone. I was pretty dismissive of both until I tried it, and it's actually super useful in practice. Plus the included suspension is really easy and works great--just loop around the tree and pull the strap to tighten. To me, it's absolutely worth the extra price premium to just buy the best stuff, otherwise your mentality is always well, if only I had X. If you're looking at Dutchware stuff, the chameleon hammock looks promising. I trust Dutch to be innovative and do stuff right I'd also make sure you always bring a tarp, you never know when it's going to rain, and the Dutch sock isn't very waterproof on it's own
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 03:34
|
|
|
bongwizzard posted:I was mostly wondering if it was all poop-bugs or of there was worst stuff out there. Water filtration and treatment used by backpackers will not protect against chemical contamination of water. In fact, water filtration and treatment in general can not reasonably remove many chemical contaminants, including even big fancy municipal water treatment facilities. The best municipal sources can do is routinely test water for contamination, and if it is contaminated, tell you to drink bottled water until they get around to finding a better source or otherwise fixing things. So if you are drinking from rivers that are ultimately the source for clean municipal water, and you are not immediately next to sources of local contamination (abandoned mines etc.) you should be fine. The water would have to be pretty hosed up for it to cause you problems. It's not like you are drinking a lot of it. If you are backpacking in places administered by the NFS or other federal agency, they may be able to give you information about potentially contaminated areas.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 09:29
|
|
|
Relevant AvE reviewing a MSR water filter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbdQcW2gwMM
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 09:32
|
|
|
Loucks posted:I really ought to do a little more research. I used the blue pad to keep my back/butt from getting cold due to not owning an underquilt (with mixed success), not so much for comfort. I've slept comfortably with just a fleece blanket on warm summer nights. Do people usually use both pad and underquilt? I usually use the just the pad, but my hammock is a Hennessy with an undercover, basically just a windbreaker layer that you can put an insulating pad in. That's where I stick the Klymit pad. If it's really cold, I'll take the SuperShelter pad and put a Mylar sheet between the layers; I've slept comfy in that down to below freezing, with an overcover over the net. I sleep with a Thermarest down blanket thing usually.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 15:00
|
|
|
Dr Ozziemandius posted:I usually use the just the pad, but my hammock is a Hennessy with an undercover, basically just a windbreaker layer that you can put an insulating pad in. That's where I stick the Klymit pad. If it's really cold, I'll take the SuperShelter pad and put a Mylar sheet between the layers; I've slept comfy in that down to below freezing, with an overcover over the net. I sleep with a Thermarest down blanket thing usually. I really wish I had bought the double bottomed Hennessy. Trying to keep the pad stable in the hammock with me never works for long as I toss around a lot. I guess I could sell my current one, but I suspect used camping gear don't hold much value.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 17:54
|
|
|
Leaving tomorrow for my first solo wilderness backpacking trip in a long time. Just two easy days/nights. Wife meeting me at the end to drive me back home on Sunday. Doing the first two sections of the Silver Mocassin Trail. Here's my map: https://caltopo.com/m/EH41 e- oops didn't mean to post in the gear thread. Here's my lighterpack link I guess! https://lighterpack.com/r/d1d26h khysanth fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Aug 17, 2017 |
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2017 20:43
|
|
|
bongwizzard posted:I really wish I had bought the double bottomed Hennessy. Trying to keep the pad stable in the hammock with me never works for long as I toss around a lot. I guess I could sell my current one, but I suspect used camping gear don't hold much value. If you buy the SuperShelter from them, it basically just adds the bottom layer, and gives you a custom cut piece of really light weight foam insulation to hang between them. I just leave the undercover on there and never use the insulating pad unless it's wintertime cold. Also, if you watch their google+ group, they sell returns/repairs and demo models for cheap.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 04:09
|
|
|
ASSTASTIC posted:Relevant AvE reviewing a MSR water filter: Dang... I was actually hoping for more detail and poo poo being an Ave vid, instead of just talking about the O-rings for half the video Loucks posted:I really ought to do a little more research. I used the blue pad to keep my back/butt from getting cold due to not owning an underquilt (with mixed success), not so much for comfort. I've slept comfortably with just a fleece blanket on warm summer nights. Do people usually use both pad and underquilt? Most people start out with a pad if they've already got one to start with, to save money buying an underquilt. A half inflated pad is a bit more comfy than a foam pad, but if you don't have one, HammockGear.com sells an econ quilt line that just has a new, significantly less expensive but basically similar Ion fabric being the only difference. The main downside to a pad is that it doesn't breathe like a quilt, so it may get damp, and it's just not as comfortable/stable. You usually only use one or the other. A good topquilt and underquilt is definitely a worthwhile investment, and HammockGear sells both for basically half of what I paid for mine several years ago. khysanth posted:Leaving tomorrow for my first solo wilderness backpacking trip in a long time. Just two easy days/nights. Wife meeting me at the end to drive me back home on Sunday. That looks awesome man--have a great time on your trip! If you're going solo, I'd highly recommend bringing a Kindle or a book with you. Also, putting your phone in airplane mode saves 99% of the battery while still allowing you to use it for pictures and whatnot.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 12:31
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:Most people start out with a pad if they've already got one to start with, to save money buying an underquilt. A half inflated pad is a bit more comfy than a foam pad, but if you don't have one, HammockGear.com sells an econ quilt line that just has a new, significantly less expensive but basically similar Ion fabric being the only difference. The main downside to a pad is that it doesn't breathe like a quilt, so it may get damp, and it's just not as comfortable/stable. You usually only use one or the other. A good topquilt and underquilt is definitely a worthwhile investment, and HammockGear sells both for basically half of what I paid for mine several years ago. Makes sense. Like I said, I'm planning to buy those quilts specifically. Money isn't really tight, but I'd rather not spend what the truly top tier quilts cost. After more research it really looks like single-person tents are a lighter/smaller solution, but I live where trees are very common and really value being able to make camp on the side of a hill or where it would be a hassle to clear all the debris. edit: Also there's no reason I can't buy a tent later and still use the HG Burrow quilt because 
Loucks fucked around with this message at 18:05 on Aug 18, 2017 |
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 17:56
|
|
|
Loucks posted:edit: Also there's no reason I can't buy a tent later and still use the HG Burrow quilt because I recently ordered a top quilt that I plan on using for both hammock and ground camping for what that's worth! The time has come to retire my cheap summer sleeping bag that I've had for what seems like eons. I also bought an inflatable pillow not too long ago because as my gear gets lighter and I get better about not bringing extra crap I find I have less and less clothes to stuff into something resembling a pillow. The one pair of socks and shirt I had last time didn't quite cut it. Inflatable pillow feels good man
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 20:49
|
|
|
I got a new tent (http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Hornet%202P) and the stakes dont have any loops at the top or anything, just a little red rope knotted on it. It seems very easy for the lines to slip right off the top. How can I make sure that my tent will stay attached?
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 21:16
|
|
|
blue squares posted:I got a new tent (http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Hornet%202P) and the stakes dont have any loops at the top or anything, just a little red rope knotted on it. It seems very easy for the lines to slip right off the top. How can I make sure that my tent will stay attached? Angle the stakes? I have never use the little loops for anything other than pulling the stakes out in the morning.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 21:17
|
|
|
Oh you mean angle it like: \ [TENT] / So that to slip off they would have to move against the tightness. Duh. I didn't think of that! My old tent had nice loops on the stakes so nothing could get off
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2017 21:31
|
|
|
blue squares posted:Oh you mean angle it like: \ [TENT] / Your stake surely must have some kind of a notch or textured area on the shaft to help keep the guyline from slipping, right? Otherwise I think you feel for the old stake/stick scam, it's one of the classics.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2017 14:17
|
|
|
Turns out I'm just an idiot. Setting up that tent for the first time kicked my rear end yesterday, but today it was really easy, and I even figured out a way to do it where the fly stays over the tent almost the whole time, for rainy set up
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2017 16:26
|
|
|
Several months later I decided to do something about not having a pot stand for my alcohol stove:  And it fits in the pot:  I used this tool to draw the cone template for me: http://zenstoves.net/PotStands-Conical.htm#ConeTemplates
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2017 05:34
|
|
|
FYI, Gander Mountain is going out of business, almost everything is 70-80% off now. They have lots of gear like day packs, sleeping bags, and fishing stuff. I just brought home a massive haul of fishing crap as well as a camping cook set, compass, folding shovel, and other stuff I can't quite recall as I was just shoving things into my basket.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 00:18
|
|
|
Trip report: Jefferson Wilderness was closed due to fires. We wound up more or less car camping so I did not put any of my new gear to a proper backpacking test. Still: -We didn't even finish the half-full cannister of fuel for my old stove. We boiled 2 cups of water three times and 3 cups of water once, plus about a cup and a half of water for tea. -Never got to use the new water filter. I always bring a couple gallons of distilled water in the car for emergencies. We hiked about a mile downhill looking for a stream that was on my map, but didn't find it - the map was probably inaccurate. On the other hand, our compasses were perfect, we were hiking off trail through new growth pine forest about a mile each way and we emerged back on the forest road within about 20 feet of the car. -My old tent is a backpacking tent (a Walrus) but it's too heavy. Probably like six or seven pounds. It also doesn't vent well enough between the main tent and the fly - there's always dew on both in the mornings, which is annoying to deal with when packing up in the morning. I did open both front and rear a few inches for ventilation all night, and the inside stayed dry, but I'm now wanting a better much lighter backpacking tent... maybe one of those ones that uses your hiking poles? -I'd never used those water bladder things with a tube you bite to drink from while hiking before, but I'm sold. Easier to pack in the backpack, works fine for dispensing water for food, great for dispensing a little water for washing dishes/hands. My only concern is the potential for a puncture, but they seem pretty tough. -I think my old frame pack (a late 1990s Kelty) is heavier and larger than it needs to be. Probably fine for longer 6+ day/winter heavy treks or something, but for a two night trip, it's overkill. I'm loathe to stop using it since it's still in like-new condition, but if I do much more backpacking I think I want a smaller, much lighter, frameless pack. -I want a pillow. Like forkbucket, I did not pack much extra clothes, and found it was pretty uncomfortable sleeping on a tight wad of rain jacket + two shirts + one pair of extra socks, while my wife luxuriated on her Thermarest pillow. -My sleeping bag is great but like my tent, I think it's old and much heavier than necessary. It got cold at night (we were at about 4k feet in the cascades, so not super cold, but probably mid-low 50s?) and I was still sweating unless I opened it up a bit. I think a much lighter bag with maybe a liner I can bring for colder weather would be better. Same deal as the pack, though, it's in perfect condition so I'm reluctant to just get rid of it. -I hate my army surplus style heavy folding metal spade/trench tool. A shovel is required if you want to have a camp fire, but camp fire restriction was in effect so we couldn't do that anyway. It worked great for latrine duty but it's like 2.8 pounds or something. What I really want is an ultralight (aluminum? titanium?) spade attachment that fits on the end of a hiking pole, but that's probably a recipe for a broken hiking pole. What do you guys do for digging latrines? -I always bring too much goddamn food. This time I packed freeze dried premade meals for dinner, plus hot chocolate packets, plus oatmeal for breakfast, plus crackers, cheese, and dried fruit for lunches, plus a pound of mixed dried fruit, jerky, and trail mix for snacks. We ate about half of it. When I slung up the bear bag in a tree I realized it was really quite heavy, like probably 6+ pounds? That's including the stove and mess kit and food trash etc. but still it felt like way too much. On the other hand, I hate the idea of being stuck for an extra day or two and immediately running out of food. -I'm possibly overdoing it on the emergency/survival kit, but old habits die hard. Waterproof matches, emergency blanket, 100' of 750lb paracord, fire striker, med kit, map & compass, it all feels pretty essential especially for bushwhacking cross country. -I want an ultralight solution for camp shoes, and maybe a camp stool/chair too. Because I need to carry more crap; but we had no good seating, there were a lot of ants on the ground that were bothersome just sitting straight on the ground, sitting crosslegged/squatting isn't as comfortable in hiking boots, and all that together made camp less relaxing than I'd hoped.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 06:24
|
|
|
Suspect Bucket posted:FYI, Gander Mountain is going out of business, almost everything is 70-80% off now. They have lots of gear like day packs, sleeping bags, and fishing stuff. I just brought home a massive haul of fishing crap as well as a camping cook set, compass, folding shovel, and other stuff I can't quite recall as I was just shoving things into my basket. Still? http://cw39.com/2017/05/08/gander-mountain-and-the-confusing-going-out-of-business-sale-many-stores-will-remain-open/ Apparently they were all supposed to close in May. My nearby store is not on the list but according to Google is still open.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 12:46
|
|
|
Leperflesh posted:-I want an ultralight solution for camp shoes, and maybe a camp stool/chair too. Because I need to carry more crap; but we had no good seating, there were a lot of ants on the ground that were bothersome just sitting straight on the ground, sitting crosslegged/squatting isn't as comfortable in hiking boots, and all that together made camp less relaxing than I'd hoped. I really like my chair. I have sat in it for hours comfortably at home, even. Its the Helix Chair Zero
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 12:47
|
|
|
Suspect Bucket posted:FYI, Gander Mountain is going out of business, almost everything is 70-80% off now. They have lots of gear like day packs, sleeping bags, and fishing stuff. I just brought home a massive haul of fishing crap as well as a camping cook set, compass, folding shovel, and other stuff I can't quite recall as I was just shoving things into my basket. Man, I was on a little road trip two weeks ago and we stopped at three different Gander Mountains but they were already picked clean.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 13:03
|
|
|
For digging shitholes, a tent stake or suitably shaped rock work well enough. Surely they wont be as efficient as a 3 lbs steel shovel if the ground is hard or super rooty, but good enough. If you really want, there are plastic trowels that weigh 2-3 oz that you can pick up at REI or online for a few bucks, but I've never really felt like I needed a dedicated tool for the job. For camp chairs, bear in mind even the lightest ones weigh around a pound (although there are several good options that weigh in that range and not much reason to get a heavier one in my opinion). I often just use a BV500 bear canister as a stool if I am carrying it. Often the lightest option is to just carry a small closed cell foam pad as an rear end cushion, which can turn a lot of otherwise uncomfortable, awkward, or wet natural objects into perfectly good chairs.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2017 22:21
|
|
|
I got a lightweight trowel (not titanium I'm not that crazy) cuz I got tired of using sticks and rocks to dig holes. Bear can chairs are the pro move but if you don't need a bear can then obviously you're SOL using an inflatable pad has the one downside of not really being great to use as a sitting pad for the worry of punctures, but I have a small CCF pad that I use and weighs very little so that usually does the trick
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2017 04:02
|
|
|
blue squares posted:I really like my chair. I have sat in it for hours comfortably at home, even. Its the Helix Chair Zero Amazon says the Helinox Zero is $119! But it looks really dang comfy. I think I may have sat in one at REI recently. 1.1lbs seems... actually probably reasonable, for what you get. Bear canister seat sounds a lot less comfy but also no extra weight if you're carrying one. And here in CA I probably should be carrying one, although I've always relied on hanging a stuff sack with my food from a suitably high branch and not had an issue with that. Digging our shithole this past weekend definitely involved cutting through roots and stuff, but I expect with an extra ten minutes of effort, we could have managed. I'll have to give it a shot. Maybe trade the two pound shovel for each of us carrying a one pound chair and my wife would be happy with that compromise... Pad right on the ground and bear canister are both not great for kicking back and relaxing in camp for a few hours, but I'll think about that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2017 05:40
|
|
|
Leperflesh posted:
Depends on where you're at...lots of forests and parks in CA require bear cans and I would use them if they're required. Most people can't hang bags very well and even a well hung bag can be gotten by a tenacious bear. That said I've heard some PCTers basically ditch the bear cans as soon as it's allowed and then sleep with their food or some poo poo which rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm wrong and they hang it, just remembering hearing people saying "oh yeah sleep with your food to keep the bears away".
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2017 17:25
|
|
|
I would never bring food into my tent and don't even like to prepare food within a hundred feet of where I'm sleeping. But mostly because raccoons: Raccoons don't give a gently caress and will slash their way right into your tent in five seconds: this happened to me when I was a boy scout and it was not fun. I've only ever encountered bears that were unafraid of humans when camping at Yosemite. If I was trekking in the high sierra I'd probably seriously consider a canister, because a lot of bears along those well-traveled trails have probably learned about humans as a food source. I know how high and far away from a sturdy branch to hang a bear bag, but I've heard tales of bears that figured out how to deal with rope. My best guess is that a correctly hung bear bag will almost always work, but occasionally not? Really, though, by the time a bear is tearing at my food canister, poo poo has already gone way more sideways than I'm comfortable with. Not creating strong food smells in the same place where you store your food or where you sleep is probably the most important precaution.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2017 17:39
|
|
|
I've become significantly less worried about bears. Mice/chipmunks/rodents will gently caress your poo poo up infinitely worse on a more frequent/likely basis. They will chew through your $250 backpack to get a granola bar. They will chew through your $300 tent to get some leftover string cheese. I would rather leave my food away from my tent in a cheap stuff sack and replace it if they chew through it than any other piece of gear. Bear bins are nice because they keep food dry, clean and away from all animals. I still hang a bag when I can though because bear bins are heavy and awkward to pack but they do give you a chair to sit on. I've tossed around the idea of a chair but then realized its adding a new pound to my pack and I'm not trying to add weight anymore, just subtract.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2017 17:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 05:57 |
|
|
I'm just getting started and trying to build gear on a budget. I live in the south east (carolinas) and have good proximity to a lot of good places to backpack and being newly divorced...have a lot of time on my hands I'd like to steer into something productive that isn't chasing skirt or hanging out in bars or staying home with the vidja games. Like I said I'm on a pretty tight budget for gear and am trying to save where I can. After weeks of agonizing over it I committed to going tent instead of hammock. The price wasn't a lot different and tent seems easier to do with less places it goes wrong or I wake up wet and cold...also have a 70lb german shepherd roomate to take with me. All that poo poo being said I've so far picked up a Kelty 44L backpack that seems to be heavily recommended and settled into a cheapish kelty backpacking tent. It weights like 4lbs which I hear is on the heavy side but the cost to weight kind of seemed inefficient right now. What I am worried about is my sleep system ie. bag and pad. I see the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 recommended a lot online so I think I might go that direction but as for a sleeping pad I'm lost. As soon as I settled on something I learned more about R value on pads. I guess my question is: Is R value on your pad extremely important or is this something that can be supplemented with something like a foil E-blanket underneath? I was looking into a Nemo Astro I've seen them online as low as 40 and 50 bux https://www.amazon.com/NEMO-Astro-I...Astro+Insulated Until I saw it only has an R value of around 1.5 which I hear is only rec'd for warm weather. The Astro Insulated is a good bit pricier...and also I don't find it any cheaper online. I guess I say to mean...is it worth it for the inflatables...I've seen stuff like the thermarest trail scout recommended etc. but it looks hella uncomfortable and those foam pads have decent R value compared to inflatables. I side sleep in a bed but I'm not opposed to back or stomach sleeping in situations that require it. I'm kind of lost on this subject so far.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2017 15:53
|
|
