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I got one a few months ago and it's turned into my first pick for biking/travel/outings. No obvious defects but I never had an old to compare it to.
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May 20, 2023 18:15
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So, uh, if anyone was looking for those Prana Zion IIs, Backcountry's price is better than it looks, and it already looked lower than REI's. I just bought two pairs because when they added to my cart, it reported an additional 20% off for some reason, dropping the price from like $61 down to $49. I have no idea why, I wasn't signed in yet when I added them to my cart. Great price on apparently the go-to outdoor pant if you're in the market.
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May 20, 2023 18:57
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guppy posted:So, uh, if anyone was looking for those Prana Zion IIs, Backcountry's price is better than it looks, and it already looked lower than REI's. I just bought two pairs because when they added to my cart, it reported an additional 20% off for some reason, dropping the price from like $61 down to $49. I have no idea why, I wasn't signed in yet when I added them to my cart. Great price on apparently the go-to outdoor pant if you're in the market. (maybe it's so you can carabiners on them or something but still)
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May 20, 2023 19:18
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Never felt the need for a camping chair before but I impulse bought the house brand ultralight one at REI thanks to this thread. A bargain is a bargain I guess. Also replaced my klymit pad with a real cold weather one. $120 for R4.2 ASTM rating. A Good Day. Guest2553 fucked around with this message at 01:04 on May 21, 2023 |
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May 20, 2023 23:49
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drat, went to bed to ponder on whether to purchase the Insta360 X3 that was in my cart with the sale coupon valid for it. Only for me to remember as I woke up that during at the beginning of the last sale, it mysteriously went out of stock the whole sales period. So of course I logged on to find history repeating itself.
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May 20, 2023 23:58
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Yeah the one thing that I want a discount on (because it never seems to go on sale) is conveniently out of stock
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May 21, 2023 01:25
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Guest2553 posted:Never felt the need for a camping chair before but I impulse bought the house brand ultralight one at REI thanks to this thread. A bargain is a bargain I guess. Yes, the chair is less than a pound and has taken my 200 pounds well. I am just careful not to throw myself down into it. The full price may not be worth it, but when they went on sale I got two for myself and Mrs. rear end Trophy. It feels so decadent to break them out mid hike to sit down for lunch, a snack or just to rest for a bit. It has become the luxury item I won't give up.
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May 21, 2023 02:56
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alnilam posted:Haha we're going through exactly the same thing... started car camping a lot more after having kids (we do still backpack sometimes though!) and it took us a full year to realize we can bring real pillows instead of stuffing clothes in a sack. Then we got a table, Coleman stove, starting bringing regular kitchen equipment, and now it's kinda getting too big. We're currently assessing how to slim down our setup for a week long family dirtbag trip we're taking next month, and also more dedicated and pre packed stuff for quicker packing on short weekend getaways. This is us right now. Fully making the switch from backpacking multiday trips or high mileage overnighters to car camping with kids. We've slowly added more gear and creature comforts and now its a big ordeal to pack and setup camp. Trying to organize and streamline as best as I can for the rest of our trips this year. Definitely going to go the pop-up camper route but thats probably 1-3 years out as I save up money for it. So far the best idea I've had is around our kitchen. I bought this thing: https://www.rei.com/product/208010/...irect-pup=false Hoping I can fit my stove, fuel canister, dishes, pots/pans, coffee percolator, etc in one handy tote. Beyond that Im still sort of scratching my head. Thinking maybe some big rubbermaids to bundle things together, or one of those packing cube organizers for clothes for us and kids, etc.
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May 22, 2023 14:33
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Pre organized totes are incredible. For car camping, I can grab and go and it makes life easier. I agree though. There's a balance to how much poo poo to bring especially if it's just a weekend. It's nice if you're going with friends to have everybody bring something so everybody doesn't bring multiples of the same thing. Unfortunately I'm that guy who has everything and my friends don't so I tend to bring a lot of poo poo like a stove/lantern/cooking stuff. It's amazing when backpacking how you can live in a 30lb bag for a week but when car camping, adding a few luxuries requires hundreds of pounds of gear.
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May 22, 2023 16:42
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I've tried pre-organized bins, but I haven't figured out a great way to do it yet. I end up having to add and remove things anyway.
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May 22, 2023 16:59
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I almost bought the Osprey 45L Daylite duffel. Last year I bought the Backcountry 40L duffel, and I keep thinking I'm not crazy about it, but I think I really just like the way the Osprey one looks, and also I think I'm still a little mad that I picked a color for it and they sent me a completely different-looking bag (same model, just very different color). Really I think I just have gear derangement syndrome, which I'm trying to keep in check. The Osprey was one of the contenders last year but I opted for the other one and I kind of regret it, but I don't think I really have a good reason; for my needs they are probably functionally equivalent. In some ways the Backcountry bag is more practical; one of the side pockets is a waterproof dry pouch that expands into the main body, which is good for wet stuff and also good for just sticking dirty clothes in. It really does not make sense to buy another duffel bag, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. One thing I really would like to upgrade is tents. We have a perfectly good 4-person Kelty, we are not doing any kind of serious camping (young kid), but I would like a little more room -- we have very cushy sleeping pads, and with me, my wife, and the kid, it's a little cramped than I'd like, but perfectly usable -- but more than anything else I would like a second door, because I hate climbing over people to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. And having a tent we could stand up in would be nice, and if I'm going to pay a few hundred bucks, I'd love to get something like the Nemo Aurora Highrise, although I am sure the Eureka Spacecamp is fine too. But... the Kelty is perfectly functional, and with a young kid we really only get out a handful of times per year. But... I want it. 
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May 22, 2023 20:57
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I've tried pre-organized bins, but I haven't figured out a great way to do it yet. I end up having to add and remove things anyway. I always start a trip neatly organized and by the end it looks like a bin of lego. I still start out that way though, because it's a good way to make sure I've packed everything I need.
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May 22, 2023 21:09
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guppy posted:I almost bought the Osprey 45L Daylite duffel. Last year I bought the Backcountry 40L duffel, and I keep thinking I'm not crazy about it, but I think I really just like the way the Osprey one looks, and also I think I'm still a little mad that I picked a color for it and they sent me a completely different-looking bag (same model, just very different color). Really I think I just have gear derangement syndrome, which I'm trying to keep in check. The Osprey was one of the contenders last year but I opted for the other one and I kind of regret it, but I don't think I really have a good reason; for my needs they are probably functionally equivalent. In some ways the Backcountry bag is more practical; one of the side pockets is a waterproof dry pouch that expands into the main body, which is good for wet stuff and also good for just sticking dirty clothes in. It really does not make sense to buy another duffel bag, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. I have a 60l Daylite duffel, which is too big for me but it was on sale. It's light and packs up really small when it's empty. The backpack straps are good enough to help you when you're unloading the car and have a lot of other stuff to carry, but I wouldn't want to wear it that way for long. It never looks like it does in the picture; it has no real shape when it's not fully packed. I think I like the look of the Backcountry one better!
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May 22, 2023 21:37
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Thanks, that helps! The pictures sure make it look like it has structure. And yeah, I wouldn't really want to wear the Backcountry one by the backpack straps either. The Backcountry one also has no real structure when not fully packed, but it is solidly constructed.
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May 23, 2023 00:13
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I've tried pre-organized bins, but I haven't figured out a great way to do it yet. I end up having to add and remove things anyway. I like the bins for storing stuff in my garage, but there's a lot of dead space in the car because they don't perfectly fit. I end up taking sleeping bags and other soft items out of the bins because they can fit in the odd spots.
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May 23, 2023 00:20
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One of the best car camping accessories is the collapsible garbage can. You can get two of em for like $25, one for trash and the other for recycling. It's a hell of a lot better than just tying a bag to an awning or tent stake, and you can zip it shut to keep raccoons out of em at night.
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May 23, 2023 17:25
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Among other items on sale at REI, Nemo Disco 15 and 30 sleeping bags are 40 percent off. I tested one since I am a side sleeper, and it worked out well for me. The heat gills are kind of gimicky looking, but they worked.
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May 26, 2023 18:37
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I have a Disco 15 that I use all the time. It's incredibly comfortable and, while not UL, pretty compact and light for what you get out of it. Another sale right now is 32 Degrees. They make pretty decent athletic wear that's a steal at 5$/shirt: https://www.32degrees.com/collections/memorial-day-sale?sort_by=manual&compactView=true&page=1
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May 26, 2023 18:46
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I have a Disco 15 that I use all the time. It's incredibly comfortable and, while not UL, pretty compact and light for what you get out of it. This stuff is good low budget gear. They sell a lot at Costco. Great for cheap thermals and base layers.
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May 26, 2023 20:05
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Dr. Lunchables posted:One of the best car camping accessories is the collapsible garbage can. You can get two of em for like $25, one for trash and the other for recycling. It's a hell of a lot better than just tying a bag to an awning or tent stake, and you can zip it shut to keep raccoons out of em at night. I just use an old white rubbermaid with press open top lid and put it under the picnic table. to secure it. You can pack a lot of kitchen stuff in it that makes it grab and go. Do the same with a camp sink just two rubbermaid bins with a plastic dish drainer that nests inside perfectly and I can tuck in little things like towels and sponges and soap and hot pads, tea whatever. Also bring a 5 gallon water cooler for group trips that I can also pack a ton of stuff in like clothesline, cups, utensils, drink mix, ziplocs whatev. Basically everything should be dual use, the gimmicks are nice and all but car camping I am not caring about weight I'm caring about storage and compartmentalization that I can just grab and go when the mood strikes. I also find that if you know what you're going to make and only pack the stuff you need for that and prep as much as you can makes things a lot easier to have prepacked. Like first night setup dinner I make stew beforehand and freeze it and use it in the cooler to help keep stuff cold then take it out to thaw while we set up and you can just toss it in a pot and leave it because its stew and its already cooked you just want it warm. Grab a few loaves of bread and remember the butter and you've got a hearty dinner with a minimum amount of dishes or work on a day you're going to be tired and cranky from packing/driving/setting up camp. Leftover bread can be made into garlic bread with spaghetti next meal. Stir fry is also great if you prep the ingredients at home, cooks up quick (though rice is a pain in the rear end, I've never mastered campfire rice. I will cop to having brought a rice cooker to electric sites without shame). Then just go with pancakes for breakfast (I love this thing, premix your dry ingredients and store it in there) and or eggs and bacon and sandwiches for lunch and you've got your weekend food all planned out and you only need one or two pots and a griddle.
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May 26, 2023 22:49
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Ive got so much gear at this point that I never really need anything which saddens my inner gear hoarder. I run a field crew in public lands in northwest Colorado every spring and summer. I've been through many different screen tents over the past 10 years. Every one of them folds up in the wind. Right now, I've got this Browning Basecamp Screen House, which is in great shape after 2 seasons. Generally, a season has my screen tents pitched for 7-8 weeks straight at the bottom of a canyon getting blasted by wind, sand, sun, and heat. Sportsman's Warehouse used to make this thing just called a screen house, and they were the best but discontinued now. A few things that are key to having a screen tent survive: -No aluminum poles. Remember, they all fold up in the wind. Aluminum poles do not go back into their original shape once bent. Fiberglass poles usually do. If it's windy enough to bust a fiberglass pole, no screen tent is likely to survive. I've had 3 or 4 of the REI Screen House Shelters. Zippers failed earlier than the Browning one I posted, and once the poles bent, that was it, they're trash. -Use guy lines. I do a minimum of one on every corner, and two facing the prevailing wind. Make your guy lines beefy and don't use the chintzy little sewn in loops, tie them to the poles. -Stake down the corners. -Don't spread the corners tight enough to put tension on the main zippers. They'll fail eventually, but it'll happen a lot sooner if there's always tension there. -If you have trees available, run a line from the roof poles to the trees. -The bigger the sides, the bigger the sail area. Doesn't matter that they're mostly screen, they're still a sail. -When you're tying guy lines, try to get some kind of line that's not static, or use a length of shock cord or bungee tied into the guy line. That'll give them enough play that the tent doesn't just get ripped off the poles. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 23:34 on May 26, 2023 |
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May 26, 2023 23:28
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BaseballPCHiker posted:This is us right now. I recently picked up this camp kitchen organizer because using a tackle box as a kitchen organizer just wasn't ideal for the odd sized everything: https://adventuretoolcompany.com/product/camp-kitchen Haven't tried it out yet, but I'm looking forward to taking if down to Grayson Lake here soon! I love being able to hang everything and save table space, like the Osprey rollup organizer for toiletries We went through several hardside container iterations but finally settled on these Plano Medium Sportsman Trunks. Seems pretty sturdy, latches, stacks, and even has tie down points! Best of all the size actually fits camping poo poo really well, without being onerous to carry around or costing much. I'm surprised how much of a difference a better organizer can make! All that being said, we're going down the small camper route too. It's onerous trying to organize and pack bedding and kitchen stuff, so I figure a tent on wheels with built in exterior kitchen is the ticket to getting back outside more often! It's a perverse thing to square in my head though... bringing extra gear can make camping more enjoyable, but having to deal with the extra gear makes it more of a pain to do more often... so I guess the solution is to buy even more gear to make it easier? Also just so many places I want to visit that need a longer road trip than I can do in a weekend, so I figure a small teardrop will help me finish stamping out my national parks passport. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 14:03 on May 27, 2023 |
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May 27, 2023 08:54
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Catatron Prime posted:We went through several hardside container iterations but finally settled on these Plano Medium Sportsman Trunks. The design of these is already decently rainproof, but you can make them very waterproof if you run a piece of weatherstripping around the groove in the lid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqSZU2MCNkY
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May 27, 2023 12:49
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FogHelmut posted:The design of these is already decently rainproof, but you can make them very waterproof if you run a piece of weatherstripping around the groove in the lid. Oh that is really great idea, thanks! Literally adding that to my cart now... I was initially half thinking about getting a tube of butyl rubber caulk and putting a bead down or something, but I'm bad at caulking and this is just so much easier, cleaner, consistent, and compressible! I'm also just really glad to know I'm not the only person who is struggling with how much gear is too much gear, and it be an impediment to getting out.
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May 27, 2023 14:14
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The solution is always more gear.
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May 27, 2023 14:18
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FogHelmut posted:The design of these is already decently rainproof, but you can make them very waterproof if you run a piece of weatherstripping around the groove in the lid. Oh these are dope. I've been looking for something to replace my aging truck tool box.
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May 27, 2023 15:14
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withak posted:The solution is always more gear. And more storage racks to hold said gear
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May 27, 2023 15:57
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withak posted:The solution is always more gear.
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May 27, 2023 16:44
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Brother Tadger posted:And more storage racks to hold said gear Storage racks is gear.
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May 27, 2023 16:51
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Sorry! I know I’m coming here late, especially since the REI sale is over tomorrow. I need recommendations for a sleeping pad. My current pad is the Nemo Flyer, standard length and width. Had it for about 1.5 years now. I think I need something a bit warmer and just a bit different to hit the right spot for me. I am 6’ and ~175 lbs but I usually run a little cold. We go 3 season backpacking here in MN, so we end up going til nights get down to around 25F or so. I am a side sleeper. Regular length pads are fine, but I’m pretty positive now that I need a wide pad. So people find that side baffles actually do help keep you on a pad? Take it or leave it? I do notice that my hips hurt a bit. It varies depending on ground conditions. My current pad is okay at 3” thick but I think maybe a little more could help, but I see that limits the options considerably. Maybe different materials or something (the baffles?) could help with that too? Weight is a consideration. We try to go very light. Not extreme UL, but overall we go light. Sleep is too important though so I’d take the weight here. The Nemo Quasar 3D seems interesting re: side sleeping but isn’t any warmer. The Big Agnes Q Core Deluxe seems like it could fit the bill. Fellow side sleeper, what do you like? (Sorry. I know I rambled here.) crestfallen fucked around with this message at 18:42 on May 27, 2023 |
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May 27, 2023 18:40
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Big Agnes qcore or rapide sl. I've used both and I love them as a side sleeper. They changed my sleep on the trail from sleeping very lightly, tossing and turning, falling off a thin pad, or waking up sore to getting a very comfortable, warm and deep sleep. My last insulated q it's core lasted me 10 years before it developed pinhole leaks in the gussets. With a 15 degree bag i was often comfortable down to about 25-30. I like their new valves as you can inflate and deflate faster. They also weigh and pack smaller as well. My rapide is smaller than a nalgene and weights a little over a pound.
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May 27, 2023 19:31
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Oracle posted:I just use an old white rubbermaid with press open top lid and put it under the picnic table. to secure it. You can pack a lot of kitchen stuff in it that makes it grab and go. Do the same with a camp sink just two rubbermaid bins with a plastic dish drainer that nests inside perfectly and I can tuck in little things like towels and sponges and soap and hot pads, tea whatever. Also bring a 5 gallon water cooler for group trips that I can also pack a ton of stuff in like clothesline, cups, utensils, drink mix, ziplocs whatev. Basically everything should be dual use, the gimmicks are nice and all but car camping I am not caring about weight I'm caring about storage and compartmentalization that I can just grab and go when the mood strikes. A kitchen trash bin sounds nice and all but there’s no way it would fit, since we already have all our kitchen stuff organized into Rubbermaid tubs. Space is more of a premium for our setup. 2 collapsible garbage cans pack down to about the size of a pizza box.
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May 27, 2023 19:58
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Verman posted:Big Agnes qcore or rapide sl. I've used both and I love them as a side sleeper. They changed my sleep on the trail from sleeping very lightly, tossing and turning, falling off a thin pad, or waking up sore to getting a very comfortable, warm and deep sleep.
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May 27, 2023 23:24
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I had my first trip in my disco 15 recently and the colder night was below freezing. I was toasty in light thermals with the gills open, and even kept the zip partially open most of the night as well. Feel like I could easily sleep nude in the thing at or a bit below the comfort rating (-3c). Very pleased with it
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May 28, 2023 00:34
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Nth-ing the Disco love - wife and I have 30's and they're at least good to their comfort rating. Mega breathable too so much less likely to get sweaty than other bags I've used.
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May 28, 2023 03:26
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The Big Agnes sleep system is the GOAT imo. I have never slept better in the backcountry then I have with the Air Core and the Anvil Horn. I finally convinced my SO to get one of their bags and now she wishes she’d done so years ago.
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May 28, 2023 15:09
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What are peoples thoughts on bear canister packing locations? In your backpack? Strapped outside somewhere? Doing a packing practice run and trying to fit it inside and my goodness it just takes up the whole dang pack. I know it’s what they recommend but like drat
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May 28, 2023 20:45
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You basically pack it as full as you can then put it in your pack and fit other stuff around it as best you can. Location in the pack depends on how heavy it ends up being, I think usually you want the center of mass of the pack situated as close to your center of mass as possible. So if it ends up being relatively heavy compared to everything else then you probably want it lower down, but not at the bottom. If it is lighter than your other stuff then it may ride better higher up or lower down. withak fucked around with this message at 20:51 on May 28, 2023 |
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May 28, 2023 20:48
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So I went down the rabbit hole of trying to find a cheap outdoor grill that I could use for car camping that would provide easy clean up, etc. I went down the skottle hole and after getting some sticker shock, I think my half-baked solution is to buy an outdoor wok burner and a large cast iron griddle pan. How much am I going to hate myself?
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May 28, 2023 22:09
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That's a griddle, not a grill. Is there any reason you're not considering a Weber Go Anywhere? There's a gas version, if you don't want to deal with charcoal.
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May 28, 2023 22:12
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