|
Platypus big zip.
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2022 05:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 05:48 |
|
|
Cat rear end Trophy posted:The adage in cycling is N+1. Where N is the number of bikes you have, and N+1 is the number of bikes you need. I have a Therm-a-rest pillow. It's the best goddamn pillow I've ever used. It's also the shittiest camp pillow I've ever used. If you throw it into the dryer for a few minutes, it expands wonderfully and is comfortable and like sleeping on cloud 9. But when you unroll it after a day's hike, or after you get to base camp, it *never* returns to full fluffy. Like, you'll be lucky if you get it to half-fluff. I've tried everything, from leaving it on the dashboard of a car in direct sunlight, to repeatedly beating it to try and get it to fully expand, the best result I got was to put it in a waterproof bag with a zip seal, squeeze a good amount of the air out to get it to conform to the pillow, and then take it with me into a hot shower, to let the hot water heat the air inside. None of which is feasible unless you're car camping at a camping site with hot showers. I use an exped inflatable pillow now. SwissArmyDruid fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Apr 4, 2022 |
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2022 06:46
|
|
|
Verman posted:I stand by Platypus gravity works filters. They work well, I feel like I rarely have to backflow them. Bags are small and collapsible. I'm also not a trail runner so I don't need to constantly keep filtering. My only complaint is mine has locked up twice now after off-season storage. You have to soak it for a few days to restore flow. It’s currently soaking in the (sanitized) dirty bag where I’ll flush it again in a couple of days. More of an annoyance, but enough to notice. I wound up picking up a Sawyer Squeeze as a back-up for day hikes. === I can’t remember if this was answered before but does anyone have a backpacking cord they like? I’m looking for something that I can use for PCT hang, tent stakes, and other miscellaneous uses (trucker hitches, ridge lines, etc). There are a thousand different options. I’m looking for the best all-around. 50’ of 3mm? Brands? Also, speaking of bear hangs. I’m curious if folks in the West have opinions on the next best option when a hang isn’t available? e.g. above tree-line or in the scrub pine. I’ve been looking at Ursacks, but am just as nervous about marmot as I am black bears.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2022 22:38
|
|
|
I have a BearVault 450 that we use in bear country. I’ve heard that the some of the black bears are smart enough to work them open, but they are otherwise a pretty good option for 3 -4 day trips. The BearVault 500 is twice the size, which is a double edged sword if you have to fit it in your backpack and carry it w you. My friend has the Garcia, which is heavier and has less storage space, but is pretty much impregnable for bears (since it basically requires you to use a coin to turn the latches). Depending on where you are and how often you plan to use it, you can actually rent your bear cans from REI and many ranger stations, etc. E. Also, I’ve heard anecdotally that the Ursack doesn’t do poo poo, fyi. Basically, if a bear finds it, it will be shredded (or at the least your food will be completely ruined from bite punctures, etc). Brother Tadger fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Apr 4, 2022 |
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2022 23:15
|
|
|
Food storage is such an interesting topic. It's a shame it's not talked about more. Very few of the guys I watch on YouTube ever film or discuss their process because of the dogpiling that ensues if they do. I used to do a hang religiously every night and now I more often chuck my (air tight, solid) container into dense bush away from camp and well away from any paths. You need to think about where a bear might approach from and what they might be drawn to investigate. Generally you don't want to stash your food between those points. What ended up changing my mind was talking to some guys who have been camping in the same areas as me a lot more than I do for decades. What they said kind of made sense to me... Bears get around the woods much like we do. They aren't crashing through brush. They use game trails and especially love the ones we maintain for them. A well placed bin off the path far from areas a bear might investigate has zero chance of being found unless it is emitting an odour. What's more, bears often know the campsites and where people keep food. There aren't tons of trees with branches that are high enough, long enough, and able to hold the weight of a hang that far out on the limb, and lots of bears have been observed scoping these trees out. A bear locating and trying to get your food isn't exactly a wonderful outcome either. Lastly, there are just sites where you aren't going to have a suitable tree to do a proper hang and a poorly hung bag is just a pinata. It's probably a good idea to know how to secure your food without hanging it. Disclaimer: this has worked for me and a lot of very experienced campers in my locale. There might be super socialized bears in your area or something that might make the suggestion untenable, but it should definitely work for most. I also would respect the guidelines of your park wherever possible. Math You fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Apr 5, 2022 |
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 03:45
|
|
|
Brother Tadger posted:I have a BearVault 450 that we use in bear country. I’ve heard that the some of the black bears are smart enough to work them open, but they are otherwise a pretty good option for 3 -4 day trips. The BearVault 500 is twice the size, which is a double edged sword if you have to fit it in your backpack and carry it w you. My friend has the Garcia, which is heavier and has less storage space, but is pretty much impregnable for bears (since it basically requires you to use a coin to turn the latches). I use an odorproof liner bag (opsak) for my Ursack in order to keep odors down so bears/wildlife don't pay attention to it. As for the shredding part, that's kind of the point with an Ursack, it's not meant to protect your food from the bear, it's to prevent the bear from getting a reward from your food. If you want actual bearproofing then the canister is just about the only consistent way to go.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 04:08
|
|
|
I've been using a lighter1 lil' sami for years, and while I also have a BV500, the lil' sami is what I take for most trips. With some practice, planning, and use of volumetrically efficient foods, it's enough for a 3 night trip with 2 people, or 6 days solo (assuming 1st day snacks/lunch carried outside the can). Its shorter and smaller diameter than mos cans, which makes it much easier to comfortably carry even in a smaller pack. I can load the can into my backpack first, then stuff my sleeping bag around it to fill any deads pace, and still have most of my pack available for other stuff. Also the thumbscrew design is one of the less fiddly ones out there (especially when it's cold or with gloves).
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 07:55
|
|
|
cerious posted:I use an odorproof liner bag (opsak) for my Ursack in order to keep odors down so bears/wildlife don't pay attention to it. As for the shredding part, that's kind of the point with an Ursack, it's not meant to protect your food from the bear, it's to prevent the bear from getting a reward from your food. If you want actual bearproofing then the canister is just about the only consistent way to go. Same method for me. Opsack into an Ursack. Walk it a ways over from camp and do my best to hang it, but if there are no good spots, I just try to get it off the ground best I can to avoid mice. Never had an issue with this method thankfully.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 12:17
|
|
|
I'm planning on doing Shenandoah in August, and I'm planning on just using a waterproof bag. As a bear hang. There should be no shortage of suitable trees. I have a hiking related question though, I have a very slim phone case for my Pixel 6 Pro and I worry about it when I hike or am doing outdoorsy things in general, is there a suggested phone case that I can swap to when hiking or camping? I was looking at the waterproof ones that are like 20 bucks on Amazon because I feel like it would be safer for the screen then an OtterBox and a regular screen protector, but I was wondering what people here used. I have a pixel 6 Pro if that matters for suggestions.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 16:51
|
|
|
BaseballPCHiker posted:Same method for me. Opsack into an Ursack. Walk it a ways over from camp and do my best to hang it, but if there are no good spots, I just try to get it off the ground best I can to avoid mice. Never had an issue with this method thankfully. Also same: Opsack + Ursack. I'm not in grizzly country or anything. While there are black bears around here, my main concern is rodents. I always cinch it as tight as I can and knot it. It's possible this is a bad system and I've gotten lucky, but it sure is nicer than carrying our massive canister.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 17:24
|
|
|
I don't think anything has ever messed with my food. I used to hang it in a plain stuff sack. Then I started using an odor-proof bag inside the stuff sack. Then I got a bear vault, and I just stash that wherever I can safely wedge it away from camp. The bear vault is a huge pain in the rear end, so I'm interested in something like ursack, but that's another $100 I don't need to spend.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 17:39
|
|
|
incogneato posted:Also same: Opsack + Ursack. I'm not in grizzly country or anything. While there are black bears around here, my main concern is rodents. I always cinch it as tight as I can and knot it. It's possible this is a bad system and I've gotten lucky, but it sure is nicer than carrying our massive canister. I ran that system in grizzly country in NW Alaska in an area that had no trees. Worked well enough for me even there.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 18:00
|
|
|
I feel like the reversal on the PCT hang has been slowly building for the last few years. Andrew Skurka had an article on not hanging food all the way back in 2019. I think the big issue with it is the one-size-fits-all approach - there are situations and environments where the bear hang can be effective, but many many more where it’s not or it’s not necessary. We’ve taken to using a Bear Vault in places with a bear population, and an Ursack when out in the desert.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 18:13
|
|
|
Backpacking and Camping Gear Megathread: Still nervous around bears
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 18:54
|
|
|
alnilam posted:Backpacking and Camping Gear Megathread: Still nervous around bears mods please do the needful
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 21:13
|
|
|
alnilam posted:Backpacking and Camping Gear Megathread: Still nervous around bears Please don't do this, I confuse the two threads enough already. (although it is a funny observation!)
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 21:16
|
|
|
armorer posted:Please don't do this, I confuse the two threads enough already. (although it is a funny observation!) Yeah at least switch the tag from flannel so there's something to tell them apart with.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 21:17
|
|
|
Just mix it up to 'nervous, bears still around'.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2022 21:24
|
|
|
So…why are tarps $100? I’m trying to find something for car camping that’s in between an ultralight tarp crafted from unicorn hair and the big blue tarps they sell to people who cook meth in illegal campsites. Also just smdh that the thread title isn’t “Backpacking and Camping Gear Megathread: What is An Appropriately Sized Bear Sack?”
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 02:43
|
|
|
waffle enthusiast posted:So…why are tarps $100? If you're car camping there's no reason not to use cheap poly tarps. Their only real downside is their weight. Otherwise, they're extremely sturdy, water proof, cheap, and they come in pretty much any size you could want - they even make lots of colors other than blue! Harbor freight or your local big box hardware store will have many options. Nicer ones will have a smoother surface, be thicker/heavier, or have lots of reinforced grommets for hanging/tying down. For car camping, I bring a smallish poly tarp that I use as a footprint for my 6 man tent as well as two other large ones to rig from trees over the camp site for when weather is lovely or for extra shade. https://www.harborfreight.com/painting/tarps.html
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 02:57
|
|
|
plus if you decide to cook meth, you won't look out of place
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 04:14
|
|
|
There's an Ozark Trail camping tarp that comes with two poles and guy lines for $40 at Walmart. I also bought this from Amazon to use as a footprint for my Coleman tent and it's decent quality - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GY6KBPH/
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 04:40
|
|
|
Noah's Tarp from Kelty comes in a few sizes up to 16'x16' and is <$100 (I think). I've got a 12'x12' version that is much more enjoyable to deal with than any cheap poly tarp.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 07:12
|
|
|
$400 bespoke handcrafted tarp made with 100% recycled forks and has a waterproof usb-chargeable perimeter that can turn lights on and off via bluetooth and can emit noises and pheromones to ward away rodents and bears using a machine learning algorithm for both detection and response. Made in China. Designed and tested in Bend, Oregon.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 07:46
|
|
|
The super expensive tarps are DCF which are incredibly light weight and a bit frail. Then you have silnylon or silpoly which are only like 10% heavier(roughly) but hold up for years. Get one of those for backpacking, but yeah for car camping just get some blue tarp. Theyre noisy and heavy but cheap.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 14:54
|
|
|
RodShaft posted:I'm planning on doing Shenandoah in August, and I'm planning on just using a waterproof bag. As a bear hang. There should be no shortage of suitable trees. Consider also a tether. R strap for example has an adhesive anchor + strap system and there have to be others. I find it useful in general outside but especially if I’m co silting a map or marking waypoints often.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 15:28
|
|
|
waffle enthusiast posted:So…why are tarps $100? As a tent footprint or to hang as an awning or what? Tyvek is cheap and pretty light. You can buy it by the foot on ebay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 16:27
|
|
|
The Wiggly Wizard posted:As a tent footprint or to hang as an awning or what? Tyvek is cheap and pretty light. You can buy it by the foot on ebay. Primarily for sun shade or covering gear/people in inclement weather. I already have a big blue tarp I picked up from the hardware store, but I like to travel pretty light, even when car camping. Also having the option to take it on more geared, multi-person backpacking trips would be ideal. So something like silnylon that packs small is attractive.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 17:24
|
|
|
waffle enthusiast posted:So…why are tarps $100? I bought a cheap(around $25) hammock rain fly. It's 10'x10', packable, and weighs ~2lbs. I have no complaints(I mean it'd be great if I could get couple hundred dollar one that weighs A third as much, but I can't convince myself the weight saved is worth the cost disparagy.) Edit: I looked it up, it was this one. doesn't appear to be available anymore, but it was just some generic Chinese brand anyway so I'm sure there's plenty of others of similar quality/price. Here it is in action: 
RodShaft fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Apr 6, 2022 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2022 18:55
|
|
|
so i want to lay out for a warbonnet ridgerunner setup. how often do they go on sale and how much of a difference does it make? i'm gonna be getting the hammock, underquilt and a tarp. i'm going back to the US for the first time since covid in july and i'm just wondering if the sale prices are enough to offset the shipping or not.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2022 12:15
|
|
|
Stringent posted:so i want to lay out for a warbonnet ridgerunner setup. how often do they go on sale and how much of a difference does it make? i'm gonna be getting the hammock, underquilt and a tarp. Warbonnet usually has 1 or 2 sales a year. Typically Memorial Day and Black Friday and both are good for about 10% off. They have a continuous year round discount if you buy a hammock, tarp, and quilt all at the same time that doesnt stack with their sales.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2022 13:17
|
|
|
BaseballPCHiker posted:Warbonnet usually has 1 or 2 sales a year. Typically Memorial Day and Black Friday and both are good for about 10% off. sweet, thanks
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2022 13:22
|
|
|
Verman posted:The foam pillows are more comfortable but heavier and don't pack down as well but there's no better option for comfort. Poly stuff pillows kind of suck, they aren't very supportive and they don't compress down super small. Air pillows are great for weight and space savings, but don't really have the comfort of the foam pillows. They're usually better deflated a bit. these shoes look veeeeeerry interesting to me op
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2022 21:16
|
|
|
Just as a reminder, Costco is gearing up their outdoor stuff for the season. They have their carbon hiking poles again $30 and their 55qt rotomolded coolers are back for $129. I have that cooler and I love it. Its built like a tank but bigger internal storage and less bulky than the 45qt Yeti etc while being much cheaper. Their soft sided semi rigid coolers are back as well. I also saw a cot, some cascade mountain tech sleeping pads etc. It doesn't last long so consider getting it if you haven't yet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2022 23:49
|
|
|
Where are you seeing those items on sale? I've got a membership and get promo emails, but I haven't seen an email about camping gear recently and online the cooler price still says $139. Edit: I just got an email advertising sales starting tomorrow and don't see the cooler or trekking poles listed. Also, unrelated: is there any sleeping bag liner that's better than others? I'd like something that's more focused on being breathable or moisture-wicking than providing maximum warmth. I'm supposed to go camp with friends later this month in balmy Texas weather and I need something for warmer weather than my Kelty Cosmic Down bag. I figure I can use the bag itself as bedding to lay on top of, and just sleep inside the liner. Dick Burglar fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Apr 13, 2022 |
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 00:04
|
|
|
I have the cooler and its great, but its heavy as balls, and I find myself using my old wheeled Coleman when I don't need stuff to be cold for multiple days in a row.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 00:13
|
|
|
Dick Burglar posted:Also, unrelated: is there any sleeping bag liner that's better than others? I'd like something that's more focused on being breathable or moisture-wicking than providing maximum warmth. I'm supposed to go camp with friends later this month in balmy Texas weather and I need something for warmer weather than my Kelty Cosmic Down bag. I figure I can use the bag itself as bedding to lay on top of, and just sleep inside the liner. I have a silk liner from Cocoon that I like, but there are a ton of different options depending on your specific use case scenario. Check out https://thruhiker.co/sleeping-bag-liner/ for more discussion on types (but not necessarily brands). I also have athermolite liner from Sea to Summit that I use for winter camping that I also like, (among other gear from Sea to Summit) and feel like they are a solid company generally as well.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 01:00
|
|
|
Dick Burglar posted:Where are you seeing those items on sale? I've got a membership and get promo emails, but I haven't seen an email about camping gear recently and online the cooler price still says $139. Edit: I just got an email advertising sales starting tomorrow and don't see the cooler or trekking poles listed. In store. I feel like their website is never current. I will say I'm in Seattle so they might push their outdoor stuff out sooner than normal but I feel like this is when it's usually getting displayed. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 01:41
|
|
|
Can confirm a similar spread of camping and hiking stuff at a Costco in the Philly suburbs. They had golf clubs, mountain bikes, patio furniture, and lots of plants for sale too - definitely the new season's poo poo happened in the last two weeks.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 06:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 05:48 |
|
|
Lone Peak 5s are $65 through rei right now
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2022 18:47
|
|