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Since you said you'll be in the Appalachian region, consider getting a bottle of permethrin and pre-treating the clothes/gear you'll be wearing during the day. I started doing this last season (West coast) and IMO it's both more effective than DEET and less gross to put on over and over. It also won't melt or stain your gear if you splash some.
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Feb 14, 2020 16:45
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I bought a chair one over a chair zero because there are people I camp with approaching the max weight of the zero (240lbs). The extra capacity is very significant especially since you're not always using it on perfectly flat ground where all four legs are sharing the load evenly. Something to keep in mind. I'm really happy with the thing. I'm an early riser and it changed my morning routine quite a bit. I used to just shuffle around camp being productive because I was bored. Now I enjoy lounging at the shoreline to watch the sunrise and the fog burning off the lake. I'm sure my pals miss waking up to fire and a coffee but fuckem I also canoe camp so I'm only carrying my poo poo for 500m-3km at a time. I'm not sure if I'd carry it backpacking, especially on a more ambitious route.
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Feb 14, 2020 16:48
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Never heard of permethrin before, super cool, thanks for the link! As for the chair question, if we were doing 10+ miles a day I'd probably pass altogether but I'm not really considering this amount of hiking/day as ambitious so I'm not too worried about it. Plus I'm close to 200 lbs and I know for a fact my fat rear end 30lb dog will jump in my lap with no regard for load bearing capacity, so I think the Chair One is gonna be the move. I'm also an early riser and am super looking forward to setting up my little chair to watch the sunrise and drink my coffee, which I will make for only me the rest of those fuckers can make their own.
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Feb 14, 2020 17:08
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I will say the best decision I made recently hiking and camping wise was going from a synthetic sleeping bag to a down insulated quilt. The packability and versatility of a quilt is just amazing. Good chance I will never buy another sleeping bag.
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Feb 14, 2020 17:09
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Chard posted:Since you said you'll be in the Appalachian region, consider getting a bottle of permethrin and pre-treating the clothes/gear you'll be wearing during the day. I started doing this last season (West coast) and IMO it's both more effective than DEET and less gross to put on over and over. It also won't melt or stain your gear if you splash some. My go to is now permethrin on the clothing and picaridin on the person. We have really nasty black flies and the picaridin seems to keep them off really well. I've found the 20% picaridin to work best. Haven't had a tick or mosquito bite in a couple of years.
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Feb 14, 2020 17:22
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black.lion posted:As for budget I'd like to get everything I need for under $1,000 - I'm intending to be carrying the big pack and have my wife carry a daypack (which we have piles of) so really the expensive-ish things are going to be (I think): backpack x1, tent x1, sleeping bag x2 (necessary?), sleeping pad, camp chairs, boots... everything else is like $20-$40 items that I'm not too concerned about the cost of. It may have just been a typo, but since you listed number of items just before it: you'll need to two sleeping pads. Backpacking sleeping pads are single person. I'm not an expert in hiking boots, but since no one has answered your Danner question: I personally wouldn't get hung up on a certain brand just due to a coupon. Try on a lot and see what feels good for you. Lighter and quicker drying are definitely preferred by most people these days (often sold as trail runners or close to that). A good pair of boots that works for your feet is pretty important. Blisters suck. I don't really know Danner as a brand, except I thought they were associated more with heavy traditional leather boots. I could be wrong, maybe they have other styles. Personally I wouldn't want to backpack or even long day hike in something like that, but I'm sure some people do.
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Feb 14, 2020 17:39
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black.lion posted:Never heard of permethrin before, super cool, thanks for the link! Keep in mind permethrin is HIGHLY TOXIC to cats and dogs while wet, but okay once dried. Spray it outside and let the clothes line dry completely before bringing them inside.
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Feb 14, 2020 18:11
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armorer posted:Keep in mind permethrin is HIGHLY TOXIC to cats and dogs while wet, but okay once dried. Spray it outside and let the clothes line dry completely before bringing them inside. Now THAT is a pro tip! My dogs lick everything so that little tidbit is much appreciated, will do wrt the line drying thing. For the sleeping pads, I thought they made double-wide inflatable ones? If I'm wrong, then yes I will need two! Good catch, thanks For the boots, yea Danner is usually those heavy old-school style boots, I just feel bad taking this vendor code thing and not using it. I'll try some other options on while I'm trying on Danners and if they fit me better (for comparable price) I'll go that route for sure.
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Feb 14, 2020 18:29
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incogneato posted:It may have just been a typo, but since you listed number of items just before it: you'll need to two sleeping pads. Backpacking sleeping pads are single person. Danner has a history of traditional leather hiking boots, but now offers plenty of trail shoes and such as well. Since black.lion mentioned a couple times that they're not a fan of how those traditional shoes look, maybe they should check out the Danner Trail 2650 series, which mostly just look like low-top running shoes. Alternatively their Jag and Caprine series look more like sneakers than hiking boots. Mostly I wouldn't worry about it too much. Any outdoorsy shoe will be totally fine. https://www.danner.com/men/hike?sortId=product-family Kaal fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Feb 14, 2020 |
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Feb 14, 2020 18:37
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Sorry I forgot to mention about the toxicity! Hopefully that warning would be all over the order site and bottle, and it dries pretty quickly.
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Feb 14, 2020 18:43
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black.lion posted:For the sleeping pads, I thought they made double-wide inflatable ones? If I'm wrong, then yes I will need two! Good catch, thanks They definitely exist, but I'm pretty dubious about double sleeping pads or bags. You give up a lot of versatility and ease of storage, and they're typically too narrow unless you're sleeping really close with each other. It's also already quite easy to be woken up while camping, and sharing a pad only makes that worse. I much prefer having two separate sleep systems.
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Feb 14, 2020 18:50
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Good call on the sleeping pads, I'll look for two singles! Inflatable is the move, yeah? Chard no worries homie I'm sure I would have read the bottle! And yeah I was looking at the Jag or the Mountain 600 (enduroweave one), both seem to be a sort of hiking-sneaker-boot which works for me; may also try the trail shoes but at that point something in my brain starts to yell "dude just wear your Vans if you're about to buy these" - idk luckily I have a few months to try things on
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Feb 14, 2020 18:59
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black.lion posted:Good call on the sleeping pads, I'll look for two singles! Inflatable is the move, yeah? Inflatable has largely taken over the pad market for good reason. They're much more compact and generally easier to sleep on. You can still get fairly comfortable foam pads for pretty cheap, though I think the comment earlier about investing in your sleep is a pretty good one. One caveat is that dogs have a tendency to puncture inflatable pads, so consider how likely your fur buddy is to do that. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sleeping-pads.html
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Feb 14, 2020 19:26
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Ditch double sleeping bags and pads. Individual is the way to go from a comfort and practicality standpoint. A humid 40 degrees with a bit of wind can feel really cold. Also who knows, maybe you end up wanting to go somewhere else eventually. Air pads have gotten really good especially if you're a side sleeper like myself. They weigh less and take up less space. Mine lasted 5-6 years before it got a hole. A little seam grip and it's back to normal. No more sore hips and shoulders. Get an insulated pad to keep the ground from sucking out your warmth. Those danner 600s are all over the place on the trails out here (Pacific Northwest) so they can't be terrible. The difference between hikers and Vans are traction on the soles and usually a more robust sole/rockplate to prevent feeling everything through the bottom of your foot.
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Feb 14, 2020 19:32
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Inflatable it is! Though the dog nail thing is a good point, are there any materials/models/whatever that claim to be puncture resistant? I don't expect that my dogs would pop a pad (they tend to either lay ON TOP OF US or in the corner) but better safe than sorry I guess. But this:Verman posted:Get an insulated pad to keep the ground from sucking out your warmth. ...reminds me of a question I forgot to ask. Back when I knew wtf I was doing, we had...ground tarps? Idk what they're called but they're basically a small tarp (smaller than the footprint of a tent but only just, so the edges dont come out and catch rain) to go under the tent to keep groundwater from seeping in. Is that something I need still? Maybe 20 years later they're built in, idk but one time I didn't have one and was sleeping on the damp all night and it was miserable. Word re: the Danner Mountain 600s I think that's where I'm leaning unless I try something else on that blows my mind. Also I completely forgot rockplates were a thing so yea gently caress hiking in Vans across rocky terrain.
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Feb 14, 2020 19:46
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You’ll want a ground tarp for your tent to keep water from seeping in easier and also just to protect the bottom from dirt and rocks.
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Feb 14, 2020 19:51
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black.lion posted:Inflatable it is! Though the dog nail thing is a good point, are there any materials/models/whatever that claim to be puncture resistant? I don't expect that my dogs would pop a pad (they tend to either lay ON TOP OF US or in the corner) but better safe than sorry I guess. But this: Just keep the dog in mind when you're looking at pads. Some of the inflatables can have pretty thin walls. Perhaps take a look at self-inflating pads, which are essentially hybrids and tend to be made of more durable materials than normal inflatables. I use one for backpacking, and it's nice in many ways, but probably is not as comfortable as one that could truly inflate. Some tents come with their own custom footprint tarp, or offer them as accessories. Square tarps are also still commonly used, particularly by ultralight folks who like their versatility. The weather forecast said that there was something like a 30% chance of rain in that region in May, so it could certainly be worth picking up.
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Feb 14, 2020 20:01
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Anecdotally, tent floors are tougher and more waterproof than they used to be so if you're obsessing big time about weight you can skip the footprint. But otherwise I would use one to improve the tent lifespan.. the tent material is still super thin so one piece of gravel poking the wrong way and welcome to hole town.
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Feb 14, 2020 20:03
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I’m getting sick of pads constantly getting better. I’m the proud owner or two REI Trekker pads from 15 years ago, and two Therm-a-rest Trail Lite pads from circa 2015. The Trail Lites probably have a grand total of 10-15 days on them (because kids), and yet I now find myself lusting after something smaller, lighter, and warmer. GAS is bad in the outdoor industry.
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Feb 14, 2020 20:48
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I'm definitely not obsessing about weight, knowing how limited the distance we're going each day is I don't think I'm going to be anywhere near overburdened. A ground tarp it is!
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Feb 14, 2020 21:01
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black.lion posted:Inflatable it is! Though the dog nail thing is a good point, are there any materials/models/whatever that claim to be puncture resistant? I don't expect that my dogs would pop a pad (they tend to either lay ON TOP OF US or in the corner) but better safe than sorry I guess. But this: Footprint (basically a tarp the size of the footprint of your tent). Most tents have pretty good bathtub floors but they do still make footprints specific to your tent for extra protection. Good point about the dog nails. Considering air pads and self inflating pads can both be punctured, maybe look into solid foam pads then .. they're pretty light but very lacking in the comfort department unless you can sleep on a hard surface.
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Feb 15, 2020 00:07
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xzzy posted:Anecdotally, tent floors are tougher and more waterproof than they used to be so if you're obsessing big time about weight you can skip the footprint. But otherwise I would use one to improve the tent lifespan.. the tent material is still super thin so one piece of gravel poking the wrong way and welcome to hole town. Yes, when I was camping twenty years ago, some kind of extra covering on the floor was pretty much mandatory if you didn't want water seeping up in, now tents are so much better that if you take 30 seconds to check that there's not something pointy and sharp sticking up, you can usually just throw the tent down.
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Feb 15, 2020 04:47
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I'm in the Pacific Northwest and I forgot those footprints were even a thing. I use an REI half Dome and have never had any issues in lots of wet weather. Obviously if the ground is rocky then extra protection could be nice. Just my two cents.
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Feb 15, 2020 10:50
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I have some stupid light weight tent and i feel like bringing a foot print kinda kills the point of it being so lightweight. It's not ripped yet but I always check the ground and I have ductape just in case...
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Feb 16, 2020 13:27
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Anyone have suggestions for a backpacking trip out in the rockies around Denver for August that's between 30ish to 40ish miles? Looking for three to four nights, and looking at all the options I can't figure out what's gonna be good but not super packed with other hikers. Don't need the best best hike that everyone does.
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Feb 16, 2020 17:22
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Around Denver, August, and not packed are going to be a tough get. How far are you willing to drive to start? Anything specific you want to see?
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Feb 16, 2020 17:51
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If you feel like you have to have a footprint for your tent, a sheet of tyvek is pretty ultralight
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Feb 16, 2020 18:00
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Dangerllama posted:Around Denver, August, and not packed are going to be a tough get. How far are you willing to drive to start? Anything specific you want to see? I want to see the rockies and that's about it. I'll take crowded as long as it's not the most impacted trails if that makes sense. Willing to drive 3ish hours? Maybe more if it becomes very worth it.
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Feb 16, 2020 19:13
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Wild basin in Rocky mountain national Park. Hike to all the lakes, thunder, falcon, lake of many winds etc. Hike up to Boulder grand pass onto the Continental divide. The view up there is incredible. You can easily scramble peaks from there. Just pay attention to afternoon thunder storms which are almost clockwork in summer. Also give yourself time to acclimate to altitude. The park starts at 8500 feet and goes up to 12 with peaks around 14. It affects everybody different and it kicked my rear end the first time. I noticed shortness of breath walking to the ranger station. I think we pushed through a few miles but then I had the headache and vomiting. Don't go from sea level to 10k feet in 5 hours and expect to crush miles unless you know how altitude affects you.
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Feb 17, 2020 02:13
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Clark Nova posted:If you feel like you have to have a footprint for your tent, a sheet of tyvek is pretty ultralight I do have two complaints about the stuff: - Even though it is light, it doesn't fold down very small. - My pad slips around on it.
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Feb 17, 2020 02:28
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Verman posted:Wild basin in Rocky mountain national Park. Hike to all the lakes, thunder, falcon, lake of many winds etc. Hike up to Boulder grand pass onto the Continental divide. The view up there is incredible. You can easily scramble peaks from there. Just pay attention to afternoon thunder storms which are almost clockwork in summer. Thanks for this tip! The initial plan is to car camp one night somewhere before we start actually hiking for this reason.
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Feb 17, 2020 04:47
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Spikes32 posted:Anyone have suggestions for a backpacking trip out in the rockies around Denver for August that's between 30ish to 40ish miles? Looking for three to four nights, and looking at all the options I can't figure out what's gonna be good but not super packed with other hikers. Don't need the best best hike that everyone does. Four pass loop of its open
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Feb 17, 2020 04:53
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We hiked in to a remote lake in the middle of the Hiawatha National Forest this weekend. Tons of snow, probably 3 feet on the ground, 4 in other spots. Snowshoes were required off trail. The dutch oven dinner was a bit of a challenge to cook down in the hole.  Big dog was quite pleased until he went off the snowshoe trail. Next round will be on the south shore of Lake Superior next weekend. They had Icefest this past weekend and the area I want to go gets pretty crazy, especially since the climbers can't get to Grand Island this year.
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Feb 17, 2020 17:51
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Wow that looks fun. Having to dig a big hole to make food. The past few years Wisconsin, in my area at least, hasn't been getting a lot of snow. This year it's the same. It's snowed twice where I needed my snowblower (lol gently caress shoveling) and it was only maybe 4-5 inches. Both times it did the temps dropped below zero and just froze everything. I really wanted to snowshoe this year but so far it just hasn't happened. How deep do you guys think the snow should be for snowshoeing? The 10 day forecast shows rain a few days which is just crazy here in February. Ugh.
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Feb 17, 2020 23:15
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Wow that looks fun. Having to dig a big hole to make food. I think a foot, depending on snow type. Usually once it's a pain to tromp in snowshoes are OK. We actually didn't dig down to the dirt, my snow-fire barrier idea was a failure so it burned its way to the ground.
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Feb 17, 2020 23:31
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Feb 17, 2020 23:32
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The "proper winter" belt is creeping northward, where I'm at in northern Illinois we don't get our first snow until January and the ponds don't sufficiently freeze anymore to skate on them. 15 years ago? We'd have snow in December as well as frozen ponds. Now it's all rain. I have a number of Wisconsin webcams bookmarked to keep an eye on conditions, once you get into the UP it's servicable for any snow activities you might want. Conditions aren't great, the snow is kinda slushy and rotten but at least they have some accumulation.
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Feb 17, 2020 23:32
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Snowshoes: You always put them on too late. If you're punching through, you're destroying the trail for everyone and should feel bad. But then there are those fun places where the runoff means you need to take them off half a dozen times, so shrug, but snowshoes are fairly tough and you can wear them across pebbles. Just watch out for the really sharp rocks. Likewise exercise caution if you have a bunch off roots and fallen branches to get hung up on. 4" is enough.  So 8 Internet"
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Feb 17, 2020 23:52
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I am planning on doing some bikepacking this year. Unless you buy a $300 Big Agnes tent with short poles, the standard length of most tents ~18" isn't a great form factor for carrying on a bike. I've decided that I will just tarp camp, or use hammock if the conditions merit. Anyone have recommendations for a hammock? I'm looking to be a cheapass here, so does random Amazon no name brand with a thousand fake reviews work?
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Feb 18, 2020 23:13
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n8r posted:I am planning on doing some bikepacking this year. Unless you buy a $300 Big Agnes tent with short poles, the standard length of most tents ~18" isn't a great form factor for carrying on a bike. I've decided that I will just tarp camp, or use hammock if the conditions merit. Anyone have recommendations for a hammock? I'm looking to be a cheapass here, so does random Amazon no name brand with a thousand fake reviews work? If you don’t care about color, certain ENO SingleNest hammocks are down to 32 bucks on backcountry. https://www.backcountry.com/eagles-...L8aAuZvEALw_wcB I wouldn’t cheap out much on the thing that will 100% ruin your night if it tears.
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Feb 18, 2020 23:50
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