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Any goonsensus recommendations on hammocks/brands? I've got an ultralight one that my cousin made from parachute silk and it's pretty good as a casual solution but very basic. Not even a mosquito net. I used it to good effect this summer but there's definitely some features I want if I'm going to hammock camp in the shoulder months. I'd like some bug protection and the option to fit a thermal mat inside. I'd like the bug netting to self support off the hammock rather than attach to a separate ridgeline. I value roominess over lightness, but I don't want anything especially bulky or with long rods. Most of all I want no knots, so some kind of strap/cinch/carabiner system So far the most likely options look like DD Hammocks XL Frontline. Their dyneema friction loop system looks pretty foolproof and it seems great for the money. https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/xl_frontline_coyote_brown?from_cat=0 Any similar recommendations appreciated.
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Aug 28, 2023 19:42
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Beezus posted:So I went on my first overnight backpacking trip in a loooooong time and borrowed my friend's Jetboil. It was so idiot proof aka perfect for me that it just about sold me on it. I never do anything fancier than boil water when I'm on the trail, so I'm trying to find some deal-breaking reason to not get one, because I really do want to get one and don't have a stove of my own yet. Wondering if there's a gotcha to this thing I'm not aware of? I know the system is pretty proprietary and it's not super versatile, and I'm okay with that. I'm just not sure if there's something else I'm missing. Jetboil is quick and fuel efficient, but expensive and heavy. You can get a system that’s less than half the weight for 3/4 the price. Personally, I really like the PocketRocket 2 + a lightweight ~1L pot.
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Aug 28, 2023 20:04
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ReelBigLizard posted:I'd like some bug protection and the option to fit a thermal mat inside. I'd like the bug netting to self support off the hammock rather than attach to a separate ridgeline. I value roominess over lightness, but I don't want anything especially bulky or with long rods. Most of all I want no knots, so some kind of strap/cinch/carabiner system This is really going to limit your options. But the Clark Hammocks now sold by Dutchware fit the bill as does the Haven Hammock which is basically a floating cot/tent.
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Aug 28, 2023 21:27
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jetboils are also pretty bad in adverse conditions (e.g. light+ wind) due to poor windscreening and an underpowered burner. BPL has written a vast number of words on the topic across at least 3 articles: https://backpackinglight.com/msr-windburner-review/ https://backpackinglight.com/upright-canister-stove-reviews-stovebench-tests-and-gear-guide/ https://backpackinglight.com/lipstick-on-a-pig-wind-cold-temperature-testing-of-the-jetboil-stash-stovebench/ we pretty much only ever boil water and after trying to convince myself that a jetboil or windburner was a good choice I'm pretty much certain we'll upgrade from our white gas stove to a pocket rocket deluxe
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Aug 28, 2023 23:09
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waffle enthusiast posted:Jetboil is quick and fuel efficient, but expensive and heavy. You can get a system that’s less than half the weight for 3/4 the price. Personally, I really like the PocketRocket 2 + a lightweight ~1L pot. Pocket rocket is a fantastic stove and my personal favorite. It offers a ton of flexibility while being relatively inexpensive and tiny. If all you want to do it boil water, get a teapot. If you want to cook stuff, get a pot. You can increase or decrease the size of your pot based on your needs.
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Aug 28, 2023 23:15
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Verman posted:Pocket rocket is a fantastic stove and my personal favorite. A pocket rocket has also been my go-to stove for years now. I have a jetboil and use it sometimes, but it lacks the flexibility of my pocket rocket and takes up a bit more space in my pack. Recently I've been playing around with alcohol stoves (a few homemade and an evernew titanium) when fire conditions allow, mostly just to get more experience with them. I really appreciate how quiet they are, and they can be notably lighter if I plan ahead and bring a specific amount of fuel based on my needs.
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Aug 28, 2023 23:42
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Only downside to the pocket rocket is if an arm gets bent (say, you got clumsy and elbowed it off a picnic table) you’re stuck with a lifetime of it never being quite straight ever again. I know fragility is a fact of life when you get into lightweight gear but it’s made me reluctant to ever store it outside that little red case because I’m afraid how bad it would get if it spent all its time haphazardly stuffed into a bag.
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Aug 29, 2023 00:02
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xzzy posted:Only downside to the pocket rocket is if an arm gets bent (say, you got clumsy and elbowed it off a picnic table) you’re stuck with a lifetime of it never being quite straight ever again. Mine lives in a double walled titanium mug, which nests into a titanium pot. The mug essentially fills the role of the red plastic case but also is a useful thing.
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Aug 29, 2023 00:10
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Any stove will suffer with wind. On multi day trips I always bring a windscreen, the weight is more than made up by better by better gas efficiency. Another consideration is what temps you’re camping in. For winter temps I switch to white gas. You can get a canister stove down to low temps too with a Moulder strip but the effectiveness of that only goes down to about 0F in my experience though in testing I’ve pushed it down to -15F.
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Aug 29, 2023 02:01
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ReelBigLizard posted:Any goonsensus recommendations on hammocks/brands? I've got an ultralight one that my cousin made from parachute silk and it's pretty good as a casual solution but very basic. Not even a mosquito net. I used it to good effect this summer but there's definitely some features I want if I'm going to hammock camp in the shoulder months. Warbonnet with whoopie slings imo
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Aug 29, 2023 04:27
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Am I the only poor goon who's still using a MSR Whisperlite? My uncle gave me two, I had to replace some minor parts in both with the repair parts kit, but it's so gotte dang nice once it gets going. I use the thick aluminum base and windscreen it came with as a rule, regardless of wind conditions. The efficiency boost and time to boil decrease is just too good to omit for such a tiny weight and space investment. I'm not a weight weeny, regardless. Sure, it's less convenient than a jetboil, but we don't usually eat exclusively freeze dried food, we like to cook stuff like (powdered) egg omelettes with shelf stable cheeses+meats+veg filling, chili/soup, pancakes, quesadillas, pastas, etc. Usually we try to plan fancier meals for after the hardest day and the last day, and freeze dried/convenient stuff for the rest.
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Aug 29, 2023 04:39
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There’s nothing wrong with liquid fuel stoves - there are good things about them for sure. More reliable - in mechanics, across conditions, and across international borders for sure. Our xgk-ex is nigh indestructible and can burn anything (allegedly, even, olive oil). The flip side, for me, is that for the weight of just that stove (13.2 ounces) I could instead have an entire cook system that is reliable enough for everything I do with margin to spare. Dropping a pound+ from my pack, plus moving to something volumetrically smaller, is appealing and worth it for my use cases (1-3 nights, 3 seasons, below the tree line , primarily just boiling water, maybe some day branching out a bit to actually cook real food but not yet). fwiw our guide in alaska did all of the cooking on an msr dragonfly and let me tell you that backcountry pizza was absolutely worth the extra weight of her cook system
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Aug 29, 2023 04:55
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I still roll with my old spirit cooker, any time I think about getting something lighter I jump up and down in front of a mirror and look at all the other ways I could save weight cheaper. The fact that meths burns at below freezing in wet conditions is also a winner.
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Aug 29, 2023 07:35
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Given the last few posts, anyone have a good windscreen they’d recommend? I don’t like the cheapo I got off Amazon a few years ago
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Aug 29, 2023 07:54
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Mederlock posted:Am I the only poor goon who's still using a MSR Whisperlite? My uncle gave me two, I had to replace some minor parts in both with the repair parts kit, but it's so gotte dang nice once it gets going. I use the thick aluminum base and windscreen it came with as a rule, regardless of wind conditions. The efficiency boost and time to boil decrease is just too good to omit for such a tiny weight and space investment. I'm not a weight weeny, regardless. I still have mine and only use it for winter or high altitude activities. They're great stoves but a bit bulky and heavy for summer backpacking. A pocket rocket is just so perfect given the small size and weight. Plus there's no risk of leaking fuel or setting something on fire while you're priming it. Fewer moving parts/things to break. I love my whisper lite but it's bulky and cumbersome for quick, light trips with an extra person or two.
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Aug 29, 2023 09:13
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Brother Tadger posted:Given the last few posts, anyone have a good windscreen they’d recommend? I don’t like the cheapo I got off Amazon a few years ago I used a piece of folded up aluminum flashing for years and I'm still not convinced that any "official" windscreen I've tried really works any better.
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Aug 29, 2023 14:51
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Mederlock posted:Am I the only poor goon who's still using a MSR Whisperlite? My uncle gave me two, I had to replace some minor parts in both with the repair parts kit, but it's so gotte dang nice once it gets going. I use the thick aluminum base and windscreen it came with as a rule, regardless of wind conditions. The efficiency boost and time to boil decrease is just too good to omit for such a tiny weight and space investment. I'm not a weight weeny, regardless. I still use the old MSR Rapidfire, I think it's gotta be near 40 years old now. I've never had an issue out of mine, and I picked it over the Whisperlite to avoid liquid fuel. Equivalent amount of isopro to a bottle of white gas is probably a greater volume of cans, but I don't backpack anymore so having this for solo car camping and spike camps is pretty nice. I mostly only boil water for coffee and oatmeal and meals I've dehydrated myself, but every now and then I'll saute up a scallion and jalapeno and then toss in some beans and such for burritos.  Brother Tadger posted:Given the last few posts, anyone have a good windscreen they’d recommend? I don’t like the cheapo I got off Amazon a few years ago armorer posted:I used a piece of folded up aluminum flashing for years and I'm still not convinced that any "official" windscreen I've tried really works any better. This. Depending on what's around I'll also pile up some rocks around the whole arrangement for stability and more heat retention. I've dug a pit in pine duff before as well, that seems to help, as long as you don't knock duff down into the burner.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:06
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I usually use my Sierra Nevada DIY beer can as a windscreen, or for winter trips, or trips I think its going to be real windy my Amazon ALLCAPS brand one. I think it was like $10 and weighs about 8 ounces. The super light ones can actually get blown around in the wind in my experience.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:08
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BaseballPCHiker posted:The super light ones can actually get blown around in the wind in my experience. Yeah I had one that got blown into the burner when I walked away from it on my tailgate and it drat near melted the screen. Would have if I hadn't seen it.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:12
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The windscreen I bought has a series of holes along the edge that just so happen to perfectly fit the end of the arms on my pocket rocket, so I can securely attach it to the whole assembly. If you search ultralight wind screen on amazon you'll almost assuredly see it in the first few hits.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:16
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Besides the folded aluminum flashing, I have an Optimus clip-on windscreen, and some folded multi-panel ALLCAPS thing from amazon. What I use really depends on whether I'm car camping or not and how light I'm trying to get my gear. I also have the evernew stove stand that is essentially a windscreen itself, and I have a jetboil which acts as its own windscreen. When I said above that the folded flashing works as well as any of those things, I really meant it. Some combination of rocks, my backpack, my own body, or whatever other random stuff I have lying around has always managed to get the job done.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:26
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The Olicamp XTS pot is still one of my favorite pieces of cooking gear, because the built in heat exchangers give it almost the efficiency of a jetboil, but also act as a windscreen. Works great every time, especially with the newer mini MSR pocket rocket. Plus the silicone lid snaps on so it doesn't rattle in the pack, and helps it boil stupid fast.ReelBigLizard posted:Any goonsensus recommendations on hammocks/brands? I've tried almost everything from multiple DIY, ENO, Kammock, Warbonnet, Ridgerunner, etc, and the Blackbird XLC has consistently been my favorite for years. The footrest and shelf are both ingenious, so you can put your pillow in there while getting in, loop your headlamp on the ridgeline, put your phone etc in the shelf, and have a super flat lay. Webbing + buckles is stupid quick and easy to setup & teardown too. I was never a whoopie sling fan, I prefer the extra ounce for the convenience of easy adjustment, and for being to loop around a tree, clip, then cinch, and then cramming it all back into the bag for a quick teardown. The one downside of the Blackbird XLC is that while other underquilts work ok, mine tended to slip to one side during the night (probably because I'm built like sasquatch and my footbox pushed it over). Buying the warbonnet quilt specifically made for it was a big improvement. It's spendy, but like most other gear, buy once cry once. Sleeping comfort is one of the few things I would not skimp on. Tarp wise, I'm a big hex tarp fan. Dyneema was a nice upgrade, but not a really that much of a big difference overall from silnylon imho.
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Aug 30, 2023 04:36
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Snow Peak Gigapower here. Because it is about the same price as a pocket rocket, but has a piezo lighter built in. I do not understand the level of gram weenage that drives Pocket Rocket sales, why does the PR2 still not have an integrated piezo lighter.
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Aug 30, 2023 06:59
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SwissArmyDruid posted:Snow Peak Gigapower here. Because it is about the same price as a pocket rocket, but has a piezo lighter built in. I definitely prefer the PR2. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 15:04 on Aug 30, 2023 |
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Aug 30, 2023 14:57
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I finally have enough Darn Tough socks so that I was able to get rid of everything else in my sock drawer besides cycling socks. REI has them at 25 percent off for their Labor Day sale. That was the deciding factor to finish my sock goal replacement. And Mrs rear end Trophy surprised me by buying his and hers matching Nemo Disco 30 sleeping bags at 50 percent off. Both of us are side sleepers and it looks like these things should fit the bill for us. No more getting strangled in the middle of the night by mummy bags.
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Aug 30, 2023 18:13
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Cat rear end Trophy posted:I finally have enough Darn Tough socks so that I was able to get rid of everything else in my sock drawer besides cycling socks. REI has them at 25 percent off for their Labor Day sale. That was the deciding factor to finish my sock goal replacement. Congrats on never having to buy socks again, unless darn tough goes out of business
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Aug 30, 2023 18:19
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waffle enthusiast posted:
Yeah the PR2 is my preferred. As one of the most important parts of my kit, I got tired of using ultralight or gimicky stoves like the BSR, so I just started using the PR2. Its popularity tells me it been used extensively and the reviews are mostly positive. Even if it is middle of the road, it gets the job done.
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Aug 30, 2023 18:19
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Ive had Darn Toughs wear out, but its after like 5 years of wear. Well past the point they owe me anything. Speaking of socks. Injini Toe Socks are SO nice for long 15+ mile days. Totally eliminated blisters for me. I'd usually get one on the inside of my big toe with regular socks.
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Aug 30, 2023 18:26
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Ive had Darn Toughs wear out, but its after like 5 years of wear. Well past the point they owe me anything. They call it a lifetime warranty for a reason. Send them in!
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Aug 30, 2023 18:29
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Eh just feels wrong to me. They served me well. I dont expect them to last forever, happy enough to buy a pair every 5 years. This has got me thinking though of my longest lived piece of gear. It has to be either my original version Jet Boil which still chugs along fine, or my old non reflective service foam Zlite pad. Both of those things seem indestructible.
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Aug 30, 2023 19:03
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I have a couple pairs of darn toughs that lost their "stuffing" in a weird spot, right on the transition from the ball to the arch, behind the big toe and the pinky toe. Just two bare spots on four different socks in the exact same spot. Not complaining about them, it's just a mystery that has bugged me for a couple years since I noticed it. I still wear them and they work great.. but I can't figure out the pattern. By any chance anyone ever seen something like that? 
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Aug 30, 2023 19:13
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xzzy posted:I have a couple pairs of darn toughs that lost their "stuffing" in a weird spot, right on the transition from the ball to the arch, behind the big toe and the pinky toe. Just two bare spots on four different socks in the exact same spot. That's right on the edge of one of* the highest pressure point areas* of your foot, where it shifts back and forth slightly as your foot pivots during walking/hiking. All of my work socks wear in that same place, as do the sole inserts I put in my work boots. If you or your partner is handy, you can darn that area with a needle or a compatible sewing machine with fluffy yarn/thread (like this https://www.mimifabrics.ca/notions/thread/serger-thread/aeroflock-fluffy-thread.html) and get more life out of it. Mederlock fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Aug 30, 2023 |
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Aug 30, 2023 19:36
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I want to actually use the snowshoes I got as a Christmas present several years ago, what socks should I pick up? They probably need to be mid-calf
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Aug 30, 2023 21:06
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padijun posted:I want to actually use the snowshoes I got as a Christmas present several years ago, what socks should I pick up? They probably need to be mid-calf Anything Merino wool will work.
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Aug 30, 2023 21:34
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padijun posted:I want to actually use the snowshoes I got as a Christmas present several years ago, what socks should I pick up? They probably need to be mid-calf Darn Tough!
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Aug 30, 2023 21:56
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Banging my fork and knife on the table chanting "Darn Tough! Darn Tough!" as other posters itt start appearing out of nowhere and joining in until its a deafening cacophony
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Aug 30, 2023 21:58
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Darn Tough, but let me also say that Kirkland's merino wool socks should not be slept on. At a quarter the price of Darn Tough.
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Aug 30, 2023 22:15
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Darn tough medium or thick, at least mid to calf height. The new costco merino socks are great. They're less fuzzy and thinner but still warm and likely more durable, and cost next to nothing for like 3-4 pair. I think a lot of it depends on your boots. If you have insulated boots, you likely don't need as thick or warm of a sock. If you don't have insulated boots, you might need a slightly thicker sock.
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Aug 30, 2023 22:28
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Bombas are like 5x more comfortable than Darn Tough but I'm lucky to get a year out of them whereas DT have never failed me. The costco merino ones are closer to bombas ime.
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Aug 30, 2023 22:42
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Do the costco ones come in a pallet of 6 dozen pairs or something?
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Aug 30, 2023 22:46
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