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Eh this is for trailer camping not actual camping.
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Nov 18, 2021 04:06
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xzzy posted:That seems like a waste of propane.. can you even cook on it? Can't do it on the west coast these days unfortunately. For two years now the whole state of Washington has had a burn ban from about June to September--can't do fires even in established campsites with fire pits. But they do allow propane/gas so there's a whole bunch of little portable camp fire pit things popping up to fill the gap.
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Nov 18, 2021 04:19
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Nov 18, 2021 04:22
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I understand and appreciate the fire ban issue, I spend my summers in the west too. But I have trouble seeing how a propane fireplace that you can't cook on fills the gap. Every campfire I've ever been at was for cooking first and anything else that came out of it was extra, so unless people really dig sitting outside staring at an open flame I don't get it.
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Nov 18, 2021 04:35
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xzzy posted:so unless people really dig sitting outside staring at an open flame I don't get it. Never expected the gooniest take of all time to come from TGO camping threads.
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Nov 18, 2021 04:37
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Is there no practical fireless cooking method?
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Nov 18, 2021 04:46
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Is there no practical fireless cooking method? Hot plate or similar appliance powered by a portable battery (big ones like jackery do 120volt outlets with hundreds of watts) or inverter. Cold soaking if you are a through hiker or like gruel. Realistically gas is pretty good and usually allowed under bans because it can quickly and easily be extinguished like an on/off switch. mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Nov 18, 2021 |
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Nov 18, 2021 04:50
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70% of camping is sitting outside staring at an open flame!
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Nov 18, 2021 04:50
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xzzy posted:I understand and appreciate the fire ban issue, I spend my summers in the west too. But I have trouble seeing how a propane fireplace that you can't cook on fills the gap. Every campfire I've ever been at was for cooking first and anything else that came out of it was extra, so unless people really dig sitting outside staring at an open flame I don't get it. Yeah we sit around the fire as a family and talk? Like that's a big reason why my family goes camping...
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Nov 18, 2021 04:51
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there is a lot to do in a natural type environment besides burning small portions of it. ambulate, perhaps.
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Nov 18, 2021 05:05
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Oh cool. Thanks for the gear recommendation. E: I just realized that this reaction I'm getting is the exact same way I feel when someone posts about longboarding in the skateboard thread so I get it. DR FRASIER KRANG fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Nov 18, 2021 |
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Nov 18, 2021 05:10
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All the more reason to use gas--it's totally LNT. A lot of campsites explicitly disallow foraging for firewood though so you bring your own wood to burn. Places that do allow collecting firewood are usually in areas where they need regular clearing of tinder and such to control larger fires. It's not totally cut and dry fire = bad.
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Nov 18, 2021 05:10
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highme posted:The Kingdom 4 and 6, the mud room and footprints are all on sale at REI for 40% off right now. I did it. I saw all the recs and I had to do it. Now to go camping...idyllwild (or joshua tree), here I come
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Nov 18, 2021 05:27
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I'm in colorado, and I cannot fathom a summer without a fire ban any more. When I'm car camping, I have a propane fire pit. They're actually pretty great. I'm no longer (as the last one awake) having to down a sixer of bud to drown the fire out at the end of the night. I just turn a dial. Also, no more embers burning my chair. No more smoke. Car camping only obv, but do yourself a favor and give in.
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Nov 18, 2021 08:31
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My parents got me this "pocket chainsaw" for my birthday.  The only actual use case I can imagine is cutting through blowdown across a remote forest road that is blocking your car. But we already keep a bow-saw in our car for such things. I suppose you could cut big firewood with it too, but sawing firewood to length is kind of a rare situation for backpacking (I usually just burn long pieces in half), and there's no way I'm spending the weight bringing that along on a backpacking trip anyway. And if I'm car camping I already have the bow-saw. Has anyone had one of these and is it useful at all? Seems kinda gimmicky. Like a gift you'd get for a backpacker (me) if you don't know much about backpacking (my parents). Just wondering if I should return it or if it's more useful than I realize.
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Nov 18, 2021 18:27
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I've never had any luck with those. Personally I think they suck and you're much better off with a folding saw of some sort like a Silky BigBoy or some small takedown bowsaw if you need one.
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Nov 18, 2021 18:35
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For when you need to dismember the body but the walls are too thin to run a real chainsaw.
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Nov 19, 2021 10:53
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Add me to the pile of people who find the gas fire pits to be a bit.. wasteful. Regardless of the fuel consumption (which I haven't reviewed), I don't think I could stomach running gas if I was not actively cooking. Managing fuel for my stove is enough. I couldn't imagine doing it for ambiance.
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Nov 19, 2021 17:03
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alnilam posted:My parents got me this "pocket chainsaw" for my birthday. The only real use I've seen for these is tossed them over a treebranch and cutting it down in the air If you're cutting anything that is on the ground... nah. I used one once to try to hack up some firewood and it paled in comparison to my 30 year old coghlan's
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Nov 19, 2021 17:12
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Business of Ferrets posted:For when you need to dismember the body but the walls are too thin to run a real chainsaw. Dexter is that you?
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Nov 19, 2021 17:24
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Get that silky katana and go nuts
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Nov 20, 2021 17:39
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So it's getting winter-ish again and the last time I looked into this was pre-covid. Are there any new tips or tricks or products that'll help my glasses stay fog free? Contacts fall out super easy and lol I'm too broke for lasik. I'll prob give cat crap another try.
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Nov 21, 2021 16:11
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Casu Marzu posted:So it's getting winter-ish again and the last time I looked into this was pre-covid. Are there any new tips or tricks or products that'll help my glasses stay fog free? Contacts fall out super easy and lol I'm too broke for lasik. I'll prob give cat crap another try. Band aid or medical tape on bridge of nose is supposed to help a lot: https://twitter.com/DanHeifermanMD/status/1326949105290141696
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Nov 21, 2021 17:34
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Agreed. I use "cloth double sided tape" on the inside of my mask. It's not cloth, it's just mean to be used on cloth. For example, to hem pants temporarily. You stick the mask to the bridge of your nose and it keeps your glasses fog free. Best option I've found.
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Nov 21, 2021 18:21
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I don't think they were asking about with a mask
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Nov 21, 2021 18:54
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Casu Marzu posted:So it's getting winter-ish again and the last time I looked into this was pre-covid. Are there any new tips or tricks or products that'll help my glasses stay fog free? Contacts fall out super easy and lol I'm too broke for lasik. I'll prob give cat crap another try. Ive had luck in the past putting on shaving cream and then buffing out. They do sell specific anti fog wipes as well that are supposed to help. Also save up for Lasik. Totally worth it.
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Nov 22, 2021 13:24
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I havent done any substantial backpacking since my first kid was born (6.5yrs ago now) - and then we added two more. But we've been doing more and more hikes and progressively adding mileage and finally starting to push a little bit (regularly in the 3-4mi range, some more moderate difficulty, nothing obscene, obviously). I'd like to start introducing them to very, very lightweight overnight trips. Anyone have any tips for overnight trips for a family of 5? Namely: - Any tips for backpacks for kids so they can haul some of their own (light) gear? - Any suggestions for navigating downtime? Easy games we can toss in a backpack that a 6/5yr old can understand? - Any other tips for parents that have been down this road? We're being super, super intentional about keeping it fun, interesting, and low pressure on the kids - the primary thing is we want to expose them to experiences that are new, interesting, and expand their own perspective of the world. No real "goals" beyond that. edit: to clarify, I'm starting to plan for spring/summer 2022. I'm not interested in their first backpacking experience to be in the depths of late fall or winter
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Nov 22, 2021 16:29
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How old is the youngest? We did our first post-kid backpacking trip this summer with our 2.5 year old. Also with us were: a friend of ours and her 6 and 9 year old. Two other friends of ours and their 2.5 year old. Having other kids along helped a lot with the kids having fun. It also helped that all the kids were very used to camping - in our case we've been camping with her since she was 6 months old. We did take the occasion to upgrade our 2p backpacking tent we had been cramming into, to a 3p backpacking tent though. Our trip was a pretty chill 5 mile loop, camping on a spur halfway. Not a lot of elevation gain or loss. You don't have to go far to really feel deep in the wilderness. The hike itself was nothing the kids hadn't done before, and camping was also nothing hte kids hadn't done before. Combining the two was more an exercise in stuff-arrangement than anything else. For the toddlers: each set of parents put toddler into a kid backpack (osprey poco), which they were also already used to. I strapped our tent and sleeping pads to the outside of the poco - plenty of space under the foot-bar. Stuffed toddler supplies (diapers etc) into the pouch of the poco. My wife carried everything else in a regular backpack in a lighter overall load. The other couple had a similar setup but mom was carrying the kid and less additional stuff, and dad, being bigger, had a ton of stuff strapped to the outside of his pack. For the 6 and 9 year olds - remember they are a separate family and they were with their mom. But each kid carried basically a school backpack, with their own sleeping bag, a bottle of water, and one change of clothes. Mom carried everything else. Not sure where the kids' pads were, maybe they carried those too. The hike itself, just be patient and plan extra time. Remember we had 6 and 9 year olds actually hiking the whole way. The toddlers also typically don't last an entire 2.5 miles in the backpack, they want to get down and hike for a bit (slowly), or play around, and then eventually they're down to get back in the pack. So the 2.5 miles took us like, 2-3 hours? lol Entertainment wise, first of all kids are great at entertaining each other, so there was a lot of just kids playing and being imaginative. We brought 5 or 6 books and some little rubber dinosaurs/animals for our little one. The little dinos had a great time digging in the dirt. The older kids were pretty good at entertaining themselves most of the time, though everyone joined us for storytimes too. The 9 year old had also brought her own  chapter book and read it on her own a bit.There was a fire ban, but I imagine a campfire alone would have been enough to pass the entire evening. Camp chores are a lot of fun for kids to help out with and can pass a lot of time. Help gather firewood, help pump water, etc. They got a good half hour of entertainment watching me try to hang a bear line lol Also just like, enjoying exploring. Look at the cool critters in the stream. Look for animal poop. Check out that mountain and the different layers in it. See how the trees thin out near the top. We did an evening dinner hike after setting up camp, up to an alpine meadow. It was beautiful and the kids really enjoyed the hike itself, it passed plenty of time. Weeks later the 9 year old was still telling me how cool she thought it was to go camp in the real wilderness and how cool she felt carrying her stuff on her back  e: I guess that post was more how-to, but given that this is the gear thread... gear-wise I'm going to assume you already have camped with the kids? Are your tent(s) backpacking tents? Food wise we did backpacker meals and brought lots of extra calorie-dense snacks for the kids. Kid appetite is very unpredictable as you know, so be prepared to overpack food 
alnilam fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Nov 22, 2021 |
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Nov 22, 2021 17:56
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alnilam posted:e: I guess that post was more how-to, but given that this is the gear thread... gear-wise I'm going to assume you already have camped with the kids? Are your tent(s) backpacking tents? Thanks this is super helpful just to gauge the texture of what to expect (which all more or less matches); youngest is 3 but will be almost 4 when we start to push into making this happen. We have plenty of gear from the before-kids days; but are likely going to get a second tent and may go through storage and replace anything that's on the older and worn side; tbd - got a few months to sort all that out. We've done a few camping trips with the bigger kids, but just car camping.
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Nov 22, 2021 18:04
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The best backpacking card game I’ve played so far is “monopoly deal”. MONOPOLY Deal Card Game (Amazon Exclusive) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQQTZCO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BKV8F5T6GD4YQWA1AVRS Not sure if it’s age appropriate for your youngest, but the 9yo and the adults at least would have a blast. Highly recommended for killing a few hours around camp.
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Nov 22, 2021 19:21
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Bananagrams, hive pocket and Iota are our backpacking games. Hive is a two player game, and Iota requires a picnic table (and no wind). A normal deck of cards is a safe bet too. Maybe not kids, though. I guess bananagrams could be good for under 10's.
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Nov 22, 2021 19:25
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Tracing paper and leaves can be fun for kids, or bring along a Tree ID book, and do a little collection... I started camping age 3, though... And growing up rurally with no AC, we cooked on a campfire pit in our front yard a lot in the summer. Bread on a stick (mix biscuit mix nice and thick, paste on the end of a thicker stick, toast over fire) was one of my favorite things. Pillsbury tube biscuits also works!)
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Nov 22, 2021 19:36
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What's this thread's go to model for light winter gloves? I have a cheap model from Decathlon (this one]) but they are letting in the cold through the seams and the touch screen finger tips  So I'm wondering if there is a similar but more qualitative model. Thanks!
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Nov 23, 2021 14:52
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Chikimiki posted:What's this thread's go to model for light winter gloves? I have a cheap model from Decathlon (this one]) but they are letting in the cold through the seams and the touch screen finger tips These are my favorite gloves because of their great fit and dexterity. Minimal bulk but still pretty warm. I use these for mountaineering/snowshoeing a lot. I'll use them for ski days as well when it's not blistering cold. Water proofing is pretty good but not impervious to getting soaked. The cuff is a nice length and overall I'll bring these to most winter related activities. outdoor research storm tracker gloves
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Nov 23, 2021 18:24
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If you have no qualms about looking a little weird w your glove choice, check out “Showa TemRes 282” gloves, and if you can find them, the 282-02 model in particular. They are basically industrial gloves that are 100% waterproof, have a soft liner, and a textured grip. The 282-02 models even have a nice cinch at the end to keep out drafts. They run small, so be sure to size up a size (or two if you plan on wearing liners, though you shouldn’t need them). https://www.go2marine.com/showa-282...ASABEgLnqfD_BwE
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Nov 23, 2021 22:01
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Brother Tadger posted:If you have no qualms about looking a little weird w your glove choice, check out “Showa TemRes 282” gloves, and if you can find them, the 282-02 model in particular. They are basically industrial gloves that are 100% waterproof, have a soft liner, and a textured grip. The 282-02 models even have a nice cinch at the end to keep out drafts. They run small, so be sure to size up a size (or two if you plan on wearing liners, though you shouldn’t need them). I’ve got a pair of the original two-tone blue Showas and have to say I don’t love them. Feel like dish gloves with some fleece inside and don’t breathe very well. Not the worst ever, but not as good as I thought they would be. They’re being heavily promoted on YouTube ads here in Japan these days, though.
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Nov 24, 2021 11:28
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Verman posted:These are my favorite gloves because of their great fit and dexterity. Minimal bulk but still pretty warm. I use these for mountaineering/snowshoeing a lot. I'll use them for ski days as well when it's not blistering cold. Water proofing is pretty good but not impervious to getting soaked. The cuff is a nice length and overall I'll bring these to most winter related activities. Those are some of the best lightweight gloves out there. My favorite warm midweight gloves are the now discontinued Outdoor Research Lodestar Gloves. But for burly, warm, inexpensive winter gloves, it’s hard to beat Kinko insulated work gloves (either fabric backed or full leather). They’re my go-to ski gloves except for extremely warm or extremely cold days. Treat with Sno-Seal once a season and you’re set.
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Nov 24, 2021 11:46
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I camped a ton growing up (Boy Scouts) but then immediately stopped. Recently got back into it, had a pretty successful overnight with my toddler, looking to do it more. (Not sure winter camping is in the cards for her at this point, but maybe spring...) Since I've been out of it so long, I don't know any of the gear anymore. Several years ago I blind-bought a Kelty tent that I didn't use until now, which worked great, and the REI guy recommended a Big Agnes sleeping bag that seems pretty solid. (Comes with both a travel stuff sack and a mesh storage bag! Very nice.) The one place my purchases have let me down was an REI-branded sleeping pad that is too thin and doesn't inflate well. So I'm re-shopping for a new pad, maybe more than one. It is unclear to me what people mean by "car camping" -- some people seem to mean camping literally in the back of an SUV, some people seem to mean driving to a campsite and pitching camp right there -- but I am doing the latter. I am not going to be backpacking or otherwise transporting all my gear long distances by foot, so weight is not a super big issue. But I am looking for a self-inflating pad, I do not want to use a pump or a sack or my own breath and I have never found a closed-cell pad that was comfortable for me at all. I got my old Thermarest from my folks. I am going to need at least one more pad for my wife and maybe my kid if she isn't just going to snuggle up in the bag with one of us. My old Thermarest is nearly 30 years old and still awesome so I am heavily inclined towards a Thermarest, although I suppose I am willing to consider another brand if you will super swear that it's better in some way. (I once owned a Slumberjack that was solid, but they don't seem to make sleeping pads anymore.) Thermarest has expanded their product line since I was a kid, or else I just didn't know how many models they offered. My old one was rectangular and had a valve at the corner and was light blue, although I don't know if they made multiple colors of it. If I could just buy that again, I would. These days a lot of the distinctions between models seems to be the R-value, which I guess I care about but not as much as cushioning. I'm not going to be doing any hardcore camping in Finland or whatever but I guess I would like winter to be an option. Priority is comfort, even the comfy ones have historically rolled up pretty small to fit in the stuff sack. I would also like it to be durable, I am not rough on gear but you never know. While of course I would love to spend less money, I really don't want to under-spend and have to throw good money after bad. I was looking at the BaseCamp but maybe also the LuxuryMap? Unrelated question: My tent is a Kelty Discovery 4 (fun fact: they literally didn't make a groundcloth for it? People apparently don't use those now? I used a tarp), which is the first tent I've ever had that has a vestibule with guyout lines. (The tents I'm used to didn't have a vestibule at all.) Am I meant to leave my shoes/other stuff outside in the vestibule? Or is that going to leave me with wet shoes? I vaguely recall that I was taught to turn shoes on their sides overnight.
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Nov 25, 2021 10:48
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REIs Kingdom pad would be worth a look if you’re just gonna be car camping. It’s an insulated and queen sized. A little bigger to store than individual sleeping pads, but way more comfortable. https://www.rei.com/product/136261/rei-co-op-kingdom-insulated-air-bed-queen Also, I’ve seen a few the garage sale section of a couple of different REIs for around $50-75.
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Nov 25, 2021 15:35
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Usually when people talk about car camping they mean the situation where you basically drive up to a campsite and set up right there. You can bring as much stuff as you like and don’t have to worry about carrying it any real distance. I guess camping literally inside your car with no tent is a subset of that, but it will usually be obvious is someone is talking specifically about that. As opposed to backpacking where you pack in everything you need for the night a good distance in a single trip and you need to worry a lot more about total weight and volume. withak fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Nov 25, 2021 |
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Nov 25, 2021 15:50
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