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I have a MEC Vectair : https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5042-420/VectAir-Insulated-Sleeping-Pad I really like it. My next camping trip though I want to try sleeping in a hammock. Can I/ should I use the pad in the hammock? Maybe deflate it less? Is it worth it? thanks.
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Aug 20, 2020 21:26
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:Assuming you looked at their other UL2 tents and you're aware of the n+1 rule for tent sizing, it's probably a good tent and you get what you pay for Yeah, I mean I don't know a lot about the tiger wall but I appreciate the improvements they made to the Copper Spur for 2020, the awnings, head & foot overhead pockets, etc. Most of the time it'll just be myself + my dog on backpacking trips with maybe the occasional backpacking trip w/ my girlfriend where we can just be a little cramped. It'll probably compliment a 3-4 person for more general car camping use.
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Aug 20, 2020 21:55
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PokeJoe posted:get a day pack w a waist belt that has a snack/weed compartment Alas, My current day pack does have a waste belt but no pouches for weed.
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Aug 20, 2020 22:12
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MMD3 posted:About to pull the trigger on a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (redesigned for 2020). I bought the 3-person and if it’s in your budget, go for that instead unless you’re using it solo. It is a great tent imo: plenty of space both inside and in the vestibules, tons of storage, light and easy to set up. The only thing that would make me pause would be if REI or someone is going to have a sale soon - the 20% off for members was much appreciated on that purchase, but I don’t know offhand when those come around.
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Aug 20, 2020 22:20
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MMD3 posted:Yeah, I mean I don't know a lot about the tiger wall but I appreciate the improvements they made to the Copper Spur for 2020, the awnings, head & foot overhead pockets, etc. Sounds like the perfect situation for 2p imo
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Aug 20, 2020 22:30
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Colonel J posted:I have a MEC Vectair : https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5042-420/VectAir-Insulated-Sleeping-Pad If you're gonna be someplace where it gets cold at night, you'll want the insulation.
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Aug 20, 2020 22:32
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MMD3 posted:About to pull the trigger on a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (redesigned for 2020). My partner and I barely fit with my 25" pad and her 20" pad. I would go +1 if you're not solo
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Aug 20, 2020 23:17
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MMD3 posted:About to pull the trigger on a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (redesigned for 2020). Camp Saver has it for 20% off if you wanna save some cash https://www.campsaver.com/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul2.html Won't get that sweet return policy like REI but I've bought a few things (and returned a couple) from them and been satisfied. If you want to stick with REI or another retailer I would hang on until Labor Day in a couple weeks and see if it goes on sale FCKGW fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Aug 20, 2020 |
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Aug 20, 2020 23:26
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ROFLburger posted:My partner and I barely fit with my 25" pad and her 20" pad. I would go +1 if you're not solo I figured if we ever do go on a backpacking trip together we would probably buy a 2nd narrow backpacking pad to ensure we can fit both of our pads in the tent. As it is I'm expecting most of my backpacking is going to be me and the cattle dog. Good insight though... I assume Big Agnes has pads that are designed to fit 2-up in a 2man though yeah?
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Aug 21, 2020 00:07
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thatguy posted:Trail maintenance. Generally you can only do 3-4 miles a day on average, so what would be a normal easy trip turns very slow, and routinely we'll be 15 or 20 miles in from a trailhead so its not effective to go in and out with lighter loads. The 5000ish calories is a requirement because while I'm fat and I just lose weight, a lot of my guys don't have body weight to lose. If you talk to wilderness rangers or any of the GS4/GS5 trail crews, they run into similar problems. lol well that sucks. Most I ever had to carry around consistently was only 60 lbs or so. I found that the hipbelt being wide, and stiff, was more important than padding or anything else. Basically packs with thinner and more flexible hipbelts just couldn't transfer the load as effectively, but if I had enough surface area and a hipbelt with plastic reinforcement and enough torsional rigidity, it helped a lot. I guess YMMV... I'd second whoever said to maybe try high-volume mountaineering packs, as they are pretty routinely used with monster loads. Edit: I'm guessing pack animals aren't an option...
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Aug 21, 2020 02:41
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Morbus posted:lol well that sucks. Yeah i use an 80L arcteryx. I have a lot of the old 75+ packs. I bought 3 new old stock arcteryx bora 95s a couple years ago for 400 apiece, which I was so proud of. I even have one of the largest old Dana designs which is barely used, and one of my guys bought a mystery ranch which he swears by, with some kind of bizarro load bearing system on the back which looks like voodoo to me
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Aug 21, 2020 05:53
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I know some people who swear by McHale packs for comfortable carrying of heavy loads, but holy poo poo their website is a mess lol (also they look crazy expensive)
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Aug 21, 2020 05:59
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PokeJoe posted:get a day pack w a waist belt that has a snack/weed compartment Every compartment is a snack/weed compartment.
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Aug 21, 2020 06:03
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Nitrousoxide posted:Alas, My current day pack does have a waste belt but no pouches for weed. no weed pouch? sounds like a 'waste' belt indeed! dohohohoho
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Aug 21, 2020 06:44
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MMD3 posted:Yeah, I mean I don't know a lot about the tiger wall but I appreciate the improvements they made to the Copper Spur for 2020, the awnings, head & foot overhead pockets, etc. I just bought the 1 Person. The 2020 improvements are great, and I'd recommend the series.
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Aug 21, 2020 10:50
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okay, ended up giving up on getting the Copper Spur before my trip to Mt. Margaret (St. Helens) this Sunday as I decided on the UL-3 and it's not in stock anywhere in the Portland area so I had to order it... the good news is being patient means I can use a pro-deal site I have access to and get the tent for 40% off. Now I'm curious what the best water bladders are now, particularly looking for ones that don't taste like rear end. I have a 3L camelbak that is ~8 years old and still serving me well but it doesn't taste great. I'm tempted to go Camelbak again just to ensure it fits in the camelbak brand daypack I use all the time.
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Aug 21, 2020 17:11
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I put an inline filter on my CamelBak bladder and it tastes much better now, takes out the plastic taste
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Aug 21, 2020 18:04
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MMD3 posted:the good news is being patient means I can use a pro-deal site I have access to and get the tent for 40% off.  Pro deals are the only way I can afford to kit myself out these days.MMD3 posted:
I picked up a osprey branded reservoir and I kinda like that it has a magnet attachment for the bite piece and that there's an easy access quick disconnect so I can pull it out to fill without having to pull the whole hose out. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Aug 21, 2020 |
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Aug 21, 2020 18:52
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Sawyer has a $10 quick disconnect kit for I think all water bladder brands so you can fill it up without taking it out of your pack. It also has the bonus of preventing you from accidentally getting some contaminated water in there while filling it up.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:01
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Yeah, the camelbak I have is new enough that is has a quick disconnect as well. It seems like it's pretty standard on their bladders these days. I like the idea of an in-line filter, I have never used one of those, presumably though it means once you add it to your hose that hose can't be used for electrolyte drinks anymore (nuun tabs) Guess I could carry a separate smaller bladder just for those electrolyte drinks and not bother putting a hose on it.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:37
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MMD3 posted:Yeah, the camelbak I have is new enough that is has a quick disconnect as well. It seems like it's pretty standard on their bladders these days. I personally would not use a bladder for any sort of electrolyte or sugary drink. with all the nooks and crannies in it that's just asking for stuff to start growing in there off the sugar. I would stick with a traditional water bottle for that even if you still take along the water bladder for plain water.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:41
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i only put water in my bladder but my filter has the quick connect ends on it so you could just take it out when drinking sugar water. it's one of these but they don't make them anymore, i wanted it specifically because i just wanted a carbon filter and they're like $15: https://www.rei.com/product/812018/camelbak-fresh-reservoir-filter i had to find some small shop in new mexico that still had some in stock on their website, i got one and a friend of mine bought their last one. it will fit on non-camelbak bladders, they all seem to use the same fitting. you can probably still find one if you do some net sleuthing. they take filters that also go in some camelbak water bottle so they're easy enough to source. MSR makes one with a pore filter like a saywer mini combined with carbon but its $40: https://www.msrgear.com/water-treatment/filters-and-purifiers/thru-link-inline-water-filter/13236.html ive never used it but similar idea here PokeJoe fucked around with this message at 19:57 on Aug 21, 2020 |
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Aug 21, 2020 19:52
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If you want to use the bladder for sugar drink, store it in the freezer
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Aug 21, 2020 20:11
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I'm good just carrying a smaller ~20oz. bottle for the sugar drinks and keep the 3L bladder for water. Hadn't thought about the implications for bacteria but that makes a ton of sense.
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Aug 21, 2020 21:00
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Guy with the crazy heavy pack, have you looked at hunting packs? They're built with the assumption that you'll eventually be packing out 100 lb of inconveniently-shaped dead animal.
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Aug 21, 2020 22:52
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Pham Nuwen posted:Guy with the crazy heavy pack, have you looked at hunting packs? They're built with the assumption that you'll eventually be packing out 100 lb of inconveniently-shaped dead animal. yeah most hunting packs are pretty cheap. The ones that aren't, especially with the load bearing magic are about as expensive as high end custom packs and they're usually built so you can spray your pack out but aren't concerned with protecting the stuff you're carrying. I can manage to attach most hand tools to 75L packs, especially if they've got ice axe loops on the top compartment. I mean I just hauled a broken jackhammer a mile out today up a trail we've been building. Sometimes you just can't avoid lovely
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Aug 22, 2020 00:09
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thatguy posted:I just hauled a broken jackhammer a mile out today up a trail we've been building. Sometimes you just can't avoid lovely dang sometimes you can't avoid leg day either
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Aug 22, 2020 03:57
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I have two Source WLPS 3L bladders. They came with backpacks. Like this: https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/source-wlps-hydration-reservoir-3l/59950 I haven't noticed any taste at least. Maybe use a couple of citrus juice concentrate drops too?
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Aug 22, 2020 07:26
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Well, I got a piece of gear home that I've really been looking forward to. Going to test it proper this coming weekend, but couldn't resist checking it out at home.   North Face "The one bag". Basically it's a lower part combined with two uppers: one synthetic and one down. Run either one alone, or both together. The yellow down one is quite wide so will easily serve as a nice toasty hammock quilt. Also has snaps so you can wear it around camp if you're a bit chilly. Finally the compression bag has a fleece liner so you can turn it inside out and stuff some clothes in and have a decent pillow. loving clever. And while I haven't used it in the wild yet I gotta say everything feels like it's quite good quality. If this works out it'll replace three sleeping bags and a top quilt for me. (edit: forgot to mention it's very roomy inside, can easily move around and not feel cramped) Clayton Bigsby fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Aug 22, 2020 |
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Aug 22, 2020 19:13
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Well, I got a piece of gear home that I've really been looking forward to. Going to test it proper this coming weekend, but couldn't resist checking it out at home. If you skip the base wouldn't that work as a quilt as well? I'm not sure what temperature it will be rated for then though. I ended up getting a $65 hammock on Amazon to test out before making any commitment to hammocks or tents in general. And this is pretty comfortable. I probably need to get a few carabiners to make setting up the bug net a little easier. But otherwise it's a very comfortable setup. I almost fell asleep when I was testing it out so that's a thumbs up.
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Aug 22, 2020 22:24
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I need a better lantern and wouldn't mind spending a bit of money. Any recommendations? My current one is probably the most annoying thing in my kit and uses D cells of all things. It's like a brick. I want something that packs up small, weighs little, maybe doesn't use batteries at all, and doesn't sacrifice light too much. Maybe something like this would be fine idk: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/157561/ultimate-survival-technologies-spright-recharge-lantern Fitzy Fitz fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Aug 23, 2020 |
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Aug 23, 2020 02:44
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Some stuff is heavy.. my old Silva headlamp with stock headband was I think 90 grams and with 40grams extra for 3xAAA backup batteries. I bought a Nitecore NU25 and made a custom headband from nylon webbing and a piece of elastic cord (weight 3-4g). Now the headlamp total weight is 35 grams with the UL headband and a micro usb->usb-c adapter (why does still anyone use microusb.. sigh). So I saved nearly 100g of weight by just changing the headlamp. I don't hike during nights, I only use the headlamp around camp in the evenings/mornings/inside a tent. Ihmemies fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Aug 23, 2020 |
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Aug 23, 2020 08:06
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I need a better lantern and wouldn't mind spending a bit of money. Any recommendations? I have a Snowpeak mini hozuki. It's well-made, small, and just bright enough to read by in a tent. Probably a little expensive for what it is so use an REI coupon or whatever if possible
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Aug 23, 2020 16:36
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I need a better lantern and wouldn't mind spending a bit of money. Any recommendations? i used a Luci solar rechargable lantern for a long time. the lantern body is inflatable so it packs down to the size of a few stacked CDs, and you can clip it outside your pack to charge while you hike. the panel did eventually crack but for 2x  it was worth it for a few years of trips.
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Aug 23, 2020 16:58
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Fortunately, I am not in evacuation range of various California fires, but it still has me re-examining and reassessing my emergency kit (which my camping gear doubles as). Does anyone have a lead on a decent, MODERN loving emergency radio? I have changed over to entirely USB-C things in my daily kit, why is it so loving hard to find an emergency radio that doesn't still use Micro or Mini USB to recharge?
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Aug 25, 2020 07:21
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SwissArmyDruid posted:Does anyone have a lead on a decent, MODERN loving emergency radio? I have changed over to entirely USB-C things in my daily kit, why is it so loving hard to find an emergency radio that doesn't still use Micro or Mini USB to recharge? What do you mean by emergency radio? Just like a NOAA weather AM/FM radio or are you looking for a small 2-meter band handheld ham radio? If you just need a weather radio I have something like this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EUG3II that has a hand crank and solar charger that actually work pretty well. If you need a real handheld check out the ham radio thread and expect to spend more money.
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Aug 25, 2020 13:14
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NOAA/AM/FM with a hand crank and solar, with some kind of internal battery. Sometimes there is an accommodation made to allow the radio to charge off something else through USB. However, despite being in 2020, the USB input that they all universally use is MINI, (not even Micro some times) or micro USB, as opposed to, y'know, the USB type-C connector that most of us have moved over to. It's that last point that's a stickler.
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Aug 25, 2020 13:22
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SwissArmyDruid posted:NOAA/AM/FM with a hand crank and solar, with some kind of internal battery. Sometimes there is an accommodation made to allow the radio to charge off something else through USB. However, despite being in 2020, the USB input that they all universally use is MINI, (not even Micro some times) or micro USB, as opposed to, y'know, the USB type-C connector that most of us have moved over to. I have a ton of rechargable devices - radios, lanterns, flashlights, bike lights, power bricks, etc. NONE of them use USB-C. The only things I've encountered that use it are modern cell phones and macs.
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Aug 25, 2020 13:29
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I had to buy a micro USB adapter (2-3 grams) for my headlamp because my phone has usb-c and I'm not going to carry another cable.
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Aug 25, 2020 14:55
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More ali-gear: This headlamp is nice, you can focus the main light and the red leds are great for digging around your shared tent in the dark. It's rechargable and it weighs about 75 grams w included strap.  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000162962529.html This lantern is good enough to illuminate my campsite well enough a few people to dick around and it also has a red light. It's also supposedly weatherproof but I haven't left it in the rain to try.  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000096108187.html No USB C charging though, all micro. I've caught a bunch of trout with this fly rod and reel set:  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2006693589.html Flies and accessories are not badly priced either: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32296662898.htm https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32956197658.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1347349292.html Cheap clip-on lenses for your phone to take fish pics. These work ok. I have some other ones outside the set too but I use the macro and zoom lenses. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32813157327.html You can use them for stuff like this: https://i.imgur.com/nPHbpvp.mp4
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Aug 26, 2020 00:06
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