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Internet Explorer posted:My wife is allergic to down so that means we don't get to have good sleeping bags. I haven't used it personally, but I've heard good things about Climashield Apex. Enlightened Equipment and Mountain Laurel Designs both make quilts using this stuff. I'm sure others do too.
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Nov 30, 2017 20:59
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Tigren posted:I haven't used it personally, but I've heard good things about Climashield Apex. Enlightened Equipment and Mountain Laurel Designs both make quilts using this stuff. I'm sure others do too. Hey, that Revelation APEX looks pretty good. Gets down to 20F and isn't heavy at all. Thanks for the recommendation, will do some more research.
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Nov 30, 2017 21:04
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Apex quilts are easy to DIY too. No baffles or anything, just sew 2 pieces of cloth around the apex sheet and call it a day. Maybe add a drawcord to both ends, a few snaps and if you're fancy, copy the mattress attachment system from EE. I have a down quilt and a down bag for now but I've been considering a synth quilt. Down has never let me down though so I'm hesitant to try new things! Maybe I'll first try an apex jacket. Varusteleka.com sells a level 3 70g/m^2 jacket for 100€. It would be a bit lighter than my heavy fleece, take less space, and be more warm. It's just so expensive... A T.W. Kempton Softie jacket would be 50-70% cheaper. I have softie pants already but I'm not too sure a softie jacket would be warm enough...
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Nov 30, 2017 21:31
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Even though I've been lurking this thread for years, I'm somewhat confused by the difference between quilts and sleeping bags. I had always assumed when everyone was talking about quilts, they just meant the standard definition of the term. What's the big difference between these and sleeping bags? You still use a sleeping pad... does any fabric separate you and the sleeping pad? It looks like maybe they don't zip up quite the same way? But I see there is still a zipper on most of them. How do you ensure you stay wrapped up and cozy? [Edit: I found a couple of videos that answer my questions.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWS4gVqqik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHznRpNJpxU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHLsfAaHjQI Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Nov 30, 2017 |
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Nov 30, 2017 22:06
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Internet Explorer posted:Even though I've been lurking this thread for years, I'm somewhat confused by the difference between quilts and sleeping bags. I had always assumed when everyone was talking about quilts, they just meant the standard definition of the term. The concept is that the down/insulation under you isn't doing anything anyway since it's compressed. The pad is doing all the work. So the quilt usually doesn't have a zipper at all, but either a fully sewn footbox or one that snaps together with a cinch type thing at the bottom. This reduces production costs and weight, which are good things to reduce. Keeping it wrapped around you can take place a few different ways. Tucking it manually, some kind of strapping system around the pad, elastic cords through loops that end up between you and the pad.
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Nov 30, 2017 22:18
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Thanks for the answers. The thought of sleeping directly on the pad sounds not fun. I don't often sleep with clothes on and I use an inflatable pad. I might pick up that Convert though, seems pretty nice and not too heavy.
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Nov 30, 2017 22:35
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Internet Explorer posted:Thanks for the answers. The thought of sleeping directly on the pad sounds not fun. I don't often sleep with clothes on and I use an inflatable pad. I might pick up that Convert though, seems pretty nice and not too heavy. One thing I'm surprised quilts don't employ is some kind of stretchy gauzy fabric in the open section of the quilt. That could provide some comfort layer between the pad and your skin without adding much weight, AND keep the quilt close to you.
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Nov 30, 2017 22:39
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more weight and isn't needed
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Dec 1, 2017 00:16
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Levitate posted:more weight and isn't needed Do you like sleeping directly on rubberized plastic?
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Dec 1, 2017 00:34
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ShaneB posted:One thing I'm surprised quilts don't employ is some kind of stretchy gauzy fabric in the open section of the quilt. That could provide some comfort layer between the pad and your skin without adding much weight, AND keep the quilt close to you. One of my favorite parts of my quilt is that I can pull my legs out if I'm too warm. Standard sleeping bag/quilt EN ratings assume you are wearing long underwear to be comfortable at the rated temperature. I typically wear light weight wool tights and shirt when I sleep and if it's not very cold out, it is crucial that I can lightly drape the quilt over myself. I'm pretty sure I've said it before, and I'll say it again as long as people need to hear it, but like most things in life, backpacking gear is not one size fits all. If you don't like a quilt-style sleeping bag, don't use one. There are companies that make hoodless sleeping bags so you can still save some weight. You can use a lightweight sheet over your sleeping pad if you don't want your skin against that weird plastic. I know when it's really hot out and I'm sleeping basically naked, that rubberized plastic against my already clammy skin is gross. There's a reason why thru-hikers say Hike Your Own Hike all the time. Tigren fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Dec 1, 2017 |
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Dec 1, 2017 00:34
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You can also drag a lightweight sleeping bag liner around. Cut it in half to cover only your feet, if you at least sleep with a shirt. Or get a pad with somewhat comfortable surface. Thermarest xtherm is pretty ok against a skin at least. Or buy a wide quilt you can wrap all around you 🙈 Luckily it's never warm in Finland and a 20F quilt is my summer sleep system...
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Dec 1, 2017 00:51
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Internet Explorer posted:Do you like sleeping directly on rubberized plastic? All the pads I've used have a softer fabric feel to them, dunno what you're using that is rubber. I also generally long underwear or at least a shirt and boxer briefs and it doesn't bother me. I've been using a quilt for years now and sleeping directly on the pad is a non issue for me. Tigren posted:I'm pretty sure I've said it before, and I'll say it again as long as people need to hear it, but like most things in life, backpacking gear is not one size fits all. If you don't like a quilt-style sleeping bag, don't use one. There are companies that make hoodless sleeping bags so you can still save some weight. You can use a lightweight sheet over your sleeping pad if you don't want your skin against that weird plastic. I know when it's really hot out and I'm sleeping basically naked, that rubberized plastic against my already clammy skin is gross. But yeah do what you wanna do. I think my point is basically that most people who use a quilt are OK with the sleep system and would prefer to save the weight. You're probably looking at something that has a pretty niche appeal if you want to build in a fabric panel to the "bottom" of a quilt.
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Dec 1, 2017 01:17
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Well there are some mummy bags without bottom insulation, and instead a pocket where you insert the sleeping pad.
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Dec 1, 2017 01:38
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I don't even like the moisture buildup between the sleeping pad and my body with the down sleeping bag layer in there. Are you people lathering yourselves in aluminum chlorohydrate or something?
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Dec 1, 2017 01:47
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Ihmemies posted:Well there are some mummy bags without bottom insulation, and instead a pocket where you insert the sleeping pad. I have a Big Agnes pad and bag for semi-glamping that works this way and it is insanely comfortable. Zero dealing with pad sliding around and things getting weirdly misaligned.
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Dec 1, 2017 14:12
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I'm working on planning out trips for my backpacking group next year, and one of the destinations I wanted to build a 3-4 day trip around is New River Gorge. I know there are a ton of spectacular day hike trails and mining ruins along the gorge, and that it's National Park land so you should be able to disperse camp there... But I can't find much about backpacking oriented loops or trails that I could stitch together without having to drive from spot to spot. Has anyone here done stuff in that area they could recommend (apart from Whitewater)? Fall Dog posted:
The advantage is whichever you find more comfortable and better suited to the way you hike! Personally I'm a huge hammock proponent--it's extremely comfortable, and much faster to set up and tear down than a tent. Grab the stuff sack, wrap one strap around the tree and clip, repeat, and you're done. Teardown is unclip and stuff back in the bag. Plus if it's raining, you can set up and tear down under the tarp. I think it's easier to find hammock spots as well, but I mostly hike Appalachia so YMMV. Oh, and I love not being tightly cocooned in a mummy bag, able to stretch out and splay my legs and stuff. But inflatable sleeping pads are super light and actually very comfortable these days, and tents have gotten really light as well... so six to one, half dozen to the other. I could talk about how great hammocks are all day long, but it all depends on where you're hiking and what your personal preference is. Hammocks require a lot more initial research to figure out and do well, and can get expensive if you want good gear from cottage vendors, but I sleep great in a hammock so I think it's absolutely worth it. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Dec 4, 2017 |
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Dec 4, 2017 22:55
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I've not looked into dispersed camping at the New, but Chestnut creek campground and the AAC campground are both pretty good if you want showers.
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Dec 4, 2017 23:32
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You could call up the gear store in Fayetteville and ask for recommendations. I stopped there for an afternoon on a road trip and they helped me find some climbing.
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Dec 5, 2017 01:57
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Cathedral cafe is a popular breakfast spot, and pies and pints is a popular dinner spot.
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Dec 5, 2017 02:47
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armorer posted:Cathedral cafe is a popular breakfast spot, and pies and pints is a popular dinner spot.  I was actually driving through the area and detoured specifically to grab lunch at Cathedral Cafe today! Probably one of, if not the best place to eat in the state (although CJ Maggie's up in Elkins is pretty great too, especially if you've just finished hiking Dolly Sods). Funny you should mention Pies and Pints too, because the original one is over there in Fayetteville, but they've since expanded to a bunch of cities, including Columbus where I live, and they've got a great local beer selection on tap!
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Dec 5, 2017 13:27
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A friend of mine is trying to convince me to do the PCT in 2019 -- taking only four months to do it.  I'd really like to, but I can just see my body falling apart at that kind of pace.
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Dec 18, 2017 12:19
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I've been thinking about how thru-hikes of the PCT might soon be a thing of the past, thanks to extreme weather events and megafires becoming the new norm. I don't think I personally will ever have the opportunity or the fitness to attempt it, but it was one of my dreams in my teens and early 20s, and the thought of how the trail keeps getting cut up by fires or blanketed in smoke every summer is heartbreaking.
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Dec 18, 2017 15:21
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:A friend of mine is trying to convince me to do the PCT in 2019 -- taking only four months to do it. That's about ~22 miles/day average. Not super fast but definitely not slow. I think many people start hitting mid-20s days once they get their hiker legs.
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Dec 18, 2017 20:56
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I think you'd just need to train up real well for it so you could hit the ground running so to speak. As for more extreme weather making the PST more difficult...eh, kind of. It's always been somewhat of an issue in terms of whether it's a big snow year and how to make it through the mountains, but we're likely to also see really poor snow years as well going forward. Fires are fires, always have been there, more likely to have really big ones after a heavy snow/wet winter. I think if you're talking the relative near term then things will more or less go on as usual. Long term? Who knows what climate change will end up doing.
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Dec 18, 2017 21:35
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Ok this might be a strange question. But could u make a 35liters bag fit for a 1 or 2 night trip with a tent?. And during the winter around (0-(-5) at night. Any thoughts on this, i usually go camping with my bike but want to try hiking but dont have a bigger bag than a 35l.
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Dec 18, 2017 23:49
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khysanth posted:That's about ~22 miles/day average. Not super fast but definitely not slow. I think many people start hitting mid-20s days once they get their hiker legs. Ya, that's 22 miles per day, every day, for 120 days straight. If you take 1 day off per week to resupply, shower, eat a real meal, rest, get injured, etc, that's more like 25 miles per hiking day. It's a pretty hardcore pace, but it can be done if you are in tune with your body and your hiking.
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Dec 18, 2017 23:55
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fritzov posted:Ok this might be a strange question. I think that totally depends on what gear you have. I think it's certainly doable with summer gear and packing light, but winter tents, bags, pads, extra clothes, etc, might be too much for a 35L bag.
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Dec 19, 2017 00:17
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fritzov posted:Ok this might be a strange question. Levitate posted:I think that totally depends on what gear you have. I think it's certainly doable with summer gear and packing light, but winter tents, bags, pads, extra clothes, etc, might be too much for a 35L bag. Ya, it depends if you need a 4 season tent or can get away with a 3 season tent. And if that's 0C or 0F. But I think I could get away with a 35L bag in 0C weather, possibly with room to space.
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Dec 19, 2017 00:26
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fritzov posted:But could u make a 35liters bag fit for a 1 or 2 night trip with a tent?. And during the winter around (0-(-5) at night. The second part, I bet not. Clothing and food, plus snow gear, take up considerably more space. There would be difficulty maintaining proper load balance so you'd get injured or at least be very uncomfortable. Don't misinterpret. I can tie anything to anything, but pack suspension on a 35L will be rough because the straps are too narrow, and you won't be able to get anything when you need it because it'll all be safely tied behind thirty fathoms of cord.
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Dec 19, 2017 00:28
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Hi folks I don't know anything about hiking but my mom sure does love it. She asked for a pair of new boots for christmas but I was wondering if anyone could recommend something better or if these are decent enough that works too I guess. https://www.rei.com/product/894625/salomon-quest-prime-gtx-hiking-boots-womens I only mention better because she has a habit of choosing subpar/cheaper things to make us spend less but if these are nice then I'm good
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Dec 21, 2017 17:11
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Razzled posted:Hi folks I don't know anything about hiking but my mom sure does love it. She asked for a pair of new boots for christmas but I was wondering if anyone could recommend something better or if these are decent enough that works too I guess. I have the men's version and they're great.
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Dec 21, 2017 17:51
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I would get someone a gift certificate rather than a pair of boots. Everyone has a different fit / preference. I guess the problem would be that she might try to get a cheap pair and spend the rest on other things, but ah... tell her its for boots I guess. Maybe go with her to the store to help pick out a pair if that's an option?
Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 21, 2017 17:53
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Razzled posted:Hi folks I don't know anything about hiking but my mom sure does love it. She asked for a pair of new boots for christmas but I was wondering if anyone could recommend something better or if these are decent enough that works too I guess. I know someone who has those and liked them, but she bought a pair with full leather uppers for her next set of boots because it's easier to just wax up a nice smooth leather surface. That's my inclination also for boots.
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Dec 21, 2017 18:06
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Internet Explorer posted:I would get someone a gift certificate rather than a pair of boots. Everyone has a different fit / preference. I guess the problem would be that she might try to get a cheap pair and spend the rest on other things, but ah... tell her its for boots I guess. Maybe go with her to the store to help pick out a pair if that's an option? You're totally right, sorry I forgot the mention the important part-- she sent me the link to these boots herself. I just wanted to make sure these are decent, which it seems like they are
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Dec 21, 2017 18:06
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Those boots are probably fine if she picked them out/has tried them on previously. Very hard to give shoes/boots as a gift because everyone has different feet and needs. Personally I stay away from the GTX versions because they are "waterproof" which translates to DOES NOT BREATHE WELL, WILL EVENTUALLY GET MOISTURE INSIDE BY RUNNING DOWN YOUR LEG, OR FROM YOUR FEET SWEATING. Salomon is a respectable boot brand though.
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Dec 21, 2017 20:17
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The solomon quests are one of the most common boots I see in the mountains, next to the merrell moabs. They seem to fit nearly everybody and have great reviews. I will add that I would much rather try on boots myself and see what fits/feels good versus just getting a pair by surprise. At the very least, include a gift receipt so they can return/exchange for something else if needed.
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Dec 21, 2017 20:41
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Salomon make decent stuff mainly. Any non-leather boot is skewed towards the lightweight, comfortable, less durable side of things, but that’s fine.
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Dec 21, 2017 23:13
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Oh man, I'm so excited... I just got offered a spot on a weeklong Grand Canyon backpacking trip with a guy that used to be a field archeologist for the National Park Service  We'll be by heading along the South Bass trail, that much I know as of now. I haven't done much desert hiking though, and we'll have a few dry camps so I'm looking at bringing at least two gallons of water with me to make it to the guaranteed water sources. Does anyone have any recommended bladders or anything for carrying that amount of water? Just from a sheer volume perspective, I'm not sure what the best way to go about that is... Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Dec 22, 2017 |
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Dec 22, 2017 21:31
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When I did an overnighter in the Chisos Mts (Big Bend), both my wife and I had 3-liter platypus bladders in our packs, as well as two 1-liter bottles in our packs' side pockets. That's 1.32 gallons each. If you had two 3-liter bladders and a liter bottle of water that would be close to two gallons. We used every ounce of our water on a hike that lasted just over a day (I drank some of my wife's water too). Someone may make something larger than a 3-liter water bladder, but from what I've seen, they look more like something you'd pack in empty and then fill at a water source. Someone with more experience than a single desert camping trip could probably offer more useful advice! Anyway, sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy.
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Dec 23, 2017 01:16
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M.C. McMic posted:When I did an overnighter in the Chisos Mts (Big Bend), both my wife and I had 3-liter platypus bladders in our packs, as well as two 1-liter bottles in our packs' side pockets. That's 1.32 gallons each. If you had two 3-liter bladders and a liter bottle of water that would be close to two gallons. My friend was just down there bike packing, his fifty miler turned into 30 miles when he realized he was going to run out of water.
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Dec 23, 2017 01:49
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