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Need some new trekking poles. For the cheap ones, is there any reason to prefer aluminum vs carbon?
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Nov 20, 2023 03:40
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Need some new trekking poles. For the cheap ones, is there any reason to prefer aluminum vs carbon? Aluminum poles are, in general, sturdier but heavier. FWIW I've had the same pair of cheap Costco carbon poles for ~8 years but I also only use them on descents when I'm carrying a heavy pack. Carbon makes sense for me since they live on my back most of the time.
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Nov 20, 2023 03:50
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Aluminum will bend, carbon fiber will snap. Personally I've seen too many carbon fiber poles get stuck between rocks and snap, so I opt for aluminum. The weight savings isnt that great and I prefer the durability.
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Nov 20, 2023 17:33
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Black Diamond Trail Back poles are as simple as it gets. Aluminum, non cork grip, no funky grip angles, collapsible. Last 2200 miles on the AT with lots of abuse and I never felt they were heavy or anything.
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Nov 20, 2023 17:42
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They both bend to a degree, and they'll both snap in the right situations. If you're getting into situations where you're snapping poles, consider your placement or usage. They're not intended to be an ice axe and used for self arrest (although my carbon pole worked great when it needed to). A dumb situation will snap any pole regardless of material. When they snap, it's often the insert where the tip meets the lower section. I've rarely seen a snapped pole on the trail, but I have seen stuck poles that were internally corroded and no longer adjust in length. They're both great materials for poles and neither will really be noticeably/significantly better than the other. Plus, poles aren't crucial gear like a tent or shoes. If you destroy a pole, you still have another and two feet. It won't make or break a trip. If it's broken low, just extend the pole and use the broken one like regular.
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Nov 20, 2023 18:18
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George H.W. oval office posted:non cork grip, I sprung the extra  for cork grips and I've been very happy with them for the past 11 years, is there a reason anyone doesn't like them? It's such a good material, nice grip in sun or raine: i believe i sprung for cork on the advice of this very thread (or its predecessor), possibly even Verman themself?? I had previously eschewed poles, thinking they were for old people, but this thread convinced me of their benefits. Those poles may have saved my life on the kalalau trail (the trip I originally bought them for) and have definitely saved my knees a hundred times over. They've also helped keep me stable on many steep sections and stream crossings with children on my back. Poles are extremely cool and good. alnilam fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Nov 20, 2023 |
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Nov 20, 2023 18:18
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I personally felt cork got grimy and slippery when my hand would sweat. The version I had was a rubber with little "fins?" as part of the grip that felt better to me. edit: Something like this was what I was going for. 
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Nov 20, 2023 18:40
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alnilam posted:I sprung the extra Its just personal preference. I personally prefer cork grips because in my experience they hit a sweet spot of cushion/comfort, anti abraision (no blisters), and grip regardless of weather. Foam grips are fine as well, but I've had a few that caused my hands to stink after using, or the foam started to degrade and rub off like glitter in my hands. Honestly though I don't think most people will notice a difference or develop a preference if they used either, they would probably prefer whichever they started with simply out of familiarity.
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Nov 20, 2023 18:52
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I’m not much of a hiker (yet) but I’m getting into it more. Just ordered some Arcteryx hiking boots from their outlet for $85. I know boots aren’t their best products, but I got them bc I only have an old (but lightly used) pair of Timberland Gore-Tex hiking boots. They’re super comfy but Reddit is adamant that unless it’s cold, the waterproof membrane is gonna cause the sweat from your feet to make the interior of the boot clammy and cause chafing. So I went with the Aerios non-waterproof. I tried on the waterproof version at my local Arcteryx store and they’re not super cushioned but they seem very durable, and I’ve read Arcteryx boots take some time to break in. And again, for $85, I’m unlikely to find anything better. Everything at REI, even their store brand, has a waterproof membrane, and everything Salomon is way more expensive. https://outlet.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/aerios-aura-mid-shoe Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Dec 15, 2023 |
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Dec 15, 2023 02:40
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Ya your non waterproof options are more likely to be trail runners or similar
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Dec 16, 2023 18:41
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Merrell Moabs still make a non waterproof vented boot. But yeah, you're not getting any under $100. It would be hard to find any hiking boot or trail runner under that price point unless it's clearance/mega sale.
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Dec 16, 2023 20:51
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ebay / Facebook Marketplace for used boots is doable if you're willing to sift through everything
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Dec 16, 2023 21:08
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I don't think I would buy used sight unseen. It's already a gamble at somewhere like rei when you can handle and inspect them in person.
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Dec 17, 2023 01:02
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I have work in San Diego in April. Anywhere within driving distance worth visiting that time of year?
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Dec 18, 2023 02:07
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Kind of a joke post, but Glamis? If you've never seen that kind of desert before, it is a very accessible "whoa" Hiking sucks though.
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Dec 18, 2023 05:32
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COPE 27 posted:I have work in San Diego in April. Anywhere within driving distance worth visiting that time of year? Just eat all the tacos.
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Dec 18, 2023 06:05
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COPE 27 posted:I have work in San Diego in April. Anywhere within driving distance worth visiting that time of year? Depends on what you'd want to see and how far is driving distance to you. About an hour east is the Mt. Laguna part of the Cleveland National Forest and 75 minutes NE is the Palomar mountain bits of it. Go about about 1.5-2hr east and you're in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. There's also a lot of open space areas within 30 minutes of downtown. I usually try to do one or two desert hikes every April to close out the season since that's the last month of comfortable temps. This April a friend and I did Whale Peak and it got up to 100F before we finished. The Aardvark fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Dec 18, 2023 |
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Dec 18, 2023 07:27
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Dec 18, 2023 07:32
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The Aardvark posted:Depends on what you'd want to see and how far is driving distance to you. About an hour east is the Mt. Laguna part of the Cleveland National Forest and 75 minutes NE is the Palomar mountain bits of it. Go about about 1.5-2hr east and you're in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. There's also a lot of open space areas within 30 minutes of downtown. I'm mostly interested in seeing mountains or any unique geology, and "driveable" to me is basically under 3 hours each way. Where I live April - May ranges from unsafe to miserable because of snowmelt so I'm hoping to get an early start on the season while I'm somewhere a bit warmer. 100F would be amazing.
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Dec 18, 2023 21:12
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I'm worried you underestimate 100F, but, you know, you do you, be safe and carry a shitload of water.
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Dec 18, 2023 21:26
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COPE 27 posted:I'm mostly interested in seeing ... geology, Then you probably want to do Anza-Borrego.
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Dec 18, 2023 22:07
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pumped up for school posted:Then you probably want to do Anza-Borrego. That looks amazing! Safety Dance posted:I'm worried you underestimate 100F, but, you know, you do you, be safe and carry a shitload of water. Yeah I've been out in 100+ a few times and 95+ many many times so I'm pretty good at staying inside my limits.
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Dec 18, 2023 22:26
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COPE 27 posted:That looks amazing! Okay, cool, thank you. Your last post taken out of context was setting off "Death Valley Germans" warnings in my head.
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Dec 18, 2023 22:30
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Quebeckers really do love dying on USA hikes though.
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Dec 18, 2023 22:37
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The hike I usually suggest for first-time Colorado desert visitors is The Domelands and Windcaves, especially if you like geology. The drive up and over the mountains on the 8 has a lot of changes in the biomes we got in San Diego, and a neat stop is at Desert View Tower in Jacuma Hot Springs. Others are to see natural water tanks or some some small slot canyon stuff, or if we're lucky and it rains a lot this winter Hellhole Canyon's falls will flow a bit and there might be a lot of wildflowers blooming, especially by Clark Dry Lake. I carry a minimum of one gallon of water whenever I'm out there, up to two if it's going to be a long day. A lot of the hikes have no deidicated trails, just following washes and footprints from previous hikers which is something I really enjoy about the desert here. Borrego Springs is an International Dark Sky town, so if you want to see stars and have some of a night to spare it's great for that too. The Aardvark fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Dec 19, 2023 |
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Dec 19, 2023 20:28
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Hiked today for the first time since summer. I wish somebody would pay me to wander through the woods every day.
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Jan 7, 2024 17:57
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Ehud posted:Hiked today for the first time since summer. I wish somebody would pay me to wander through the woods every day. one of the few things i truly regret/would change about my life would be to have been a guide for outdoors activities when i was young.
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Jan 7, 2024 18:04
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Ehud posted:Hiked today for the first time since summer. I wish somebody would pay me to wander through the woods every day. https://appalachiantrail.org/careers/ Be a ridge runner!
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Jan 7, 2024 18:41
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Ehud posted:Hiked today for the first time since summer. I wish somebody would pay me to wander through the woods every day. Not a bad gig imo
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Jan 7, 2024 22:07
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Hiking is cool + good
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Jan 8, 2024 01:51
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Bloody posted:Hiking is cool + good Hell yeah We did a road trip over the holidays and hiked in Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas and it ruled. Basically looked at the map to see where there was green close to the highway to break the drive up and got to see a lot of environments we wouldn’t have otherwise.
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Jan 8, 2024 02:41
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WoodrowSkillson posted:one of the few things i truly regret/would change about my life would be to have been a guide for outdoors activities when i was young. The two times I've hired a guide for climbing trips I'm always just like, wow what an amazing way to make a living.
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Jan 8, 2024 02:54
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I dunno I feel like if you're having to deal with the general public on a regular basis like that you'll be burned out quickly. I could see it as a fun side gig but not a regular thing
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Jan 8, 2024 04:26
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A hiking group I hooked up with in the past year does trail maintenance, I'd like to help out with what stuff. But they usually do it at weird times of the week and all over the state so it hasn't happened yet. Someday though.
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Jan 8, 2024 04:42
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Next weekend is my annual overnight pilgrimage to Rabbit Peak and I am excited.
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Jan 8, 2024 04:49
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I'm heading to Costa Rica later this week for 8 days where we're planning to do 4-5 hikes. The forecast is around 75F in the morning and 85F mid-afternoon without any rain. I'm relatively new to hiking and this will be the warmest weather I've experienced by far. Given the weather, I would think to bring moisture-wicking polos and shorts, but since mosquitoes love me and there's a risk of malaria, I've been told to also bring loose-fitting moisture-wicking long-sleeve shirt, pants, and a hat. I'll be bringing non-waterproof boots since my understanding is my feet will be drenched in my Gore-Tex ones. Any other suggestions? I do have a lightweight rain jacket I'll bring just in case.
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Jan 8, 2024 10:13
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I took the dog to the mountains today for a day in the snow so he could run with my friend's dogs. Not much hiking, maybe two miles at most but it was nice to get out. My friend also wanted to check snow levels and check out his new vehicle in the snow. We were in two vehicles anticipating getting stuck at some point. It was getting hairy, lots of slipping and lots of traction. Then we stumbled onto this guy.  There's hosed and there's turbo hosed. Out wheeling by himself, heading up a steep uphill off-camber slope. To the right, several hundred feet of nothing but rock and trees below. I'm honestly not sure how he didn't fall, which 100% would've been deadly. I'm very happy I didn't stumble onto that. We saw his tracks going up and were surprised we hadn't run into him until we did. We came up on him around 3:45 so maybe only an hour before it got dark. Temps were around 30f. I carefully walked up to his vehicle and made myself known, made sure he was okay. His car was running and I noticed a winch line to a nearby tree to hold him in place. The trees weren't very big so I made sure not to go near the cable. We talked for a bit, I asked if he needed anything like food/water/gas etc, or if he wanted a ride into town. He politely refused and said he has cell service and contacted some friends who were on their way but it was going to be a while. I told him what I had in my truck, recovery wise, but that I think it would be wise to wait for his friends as he needed another winch or two, which I didn't have. He agreed and we eventually left. I felt bad for leaving but he insisted. We were *this close* to finding a body. I can't express how grateful I am that wasn't the case. It didn't fully hit me until we stopped for food on the way home just how close of a call it was. Be safe out there folks. Don't take unnecessary risk.
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Jan 8, 2024 11:03
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Josh Lyman posted:I'm heading to Costa Rica later this week for 8 days where we're planning to do 4-5 hikes. The forecast is around 75F in the morning and 85F mid-afternoon without any rain. I'm relatively new to hiking and this will be the warmest weather I've experienced by far. That sounds good. Bring mosquito repellent (I like picaridin wipes) and/or permethrin-treated clothes. Protect your skin from the sun; it's really strong there. Fast-drying clothes and shoes are best because they'll never dry out otherwise. Have a plan for carrying water.
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Jan 8, 2024 14:10
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Hotel Kpro posted:I dunno I feel like if you're having to deal with the general public on a regular basis like that you'll be burned out quickly. I could see it as a fun side gig but not a regular thing Yea I'm sure it's a total buzzkill when you have people who don't even know how to tie a figure 8, or just some general lovely people. In general I'm just so burnt out on being a cubicle drone lately I've been idly fantasizing about every & any alternative career 
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Jan 8, 2024 14:18
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Especially considering what the US pays its rangers. You absolutely must be in love with it to put up with that kind of abuse. Under $40k with a four year degree.. just lol. Or you could be a trust fund kid and vanlife it.
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Jan 8, 2024 14:30
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