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Speaking of shelters what’s the deal with leantos I’ve never done east coast backpacking. Like. Do you just set up your sleep system in there? And get devoured by mosquitos??
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Nov 17, 2023 17:37
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not on the east coast but where I am now mosquitoes functionally don't exist
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Nov 17, 2023 18:05
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leantos and bivy camping is for people that think sleeping in a tent on a thin air pad isn't miserable enough so they had to develop a new level of hell. Or those psychos that cowboy camp.
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Nov 17, 2023 18:10
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Bloody posted:Speaking of shelters what’s the deal with leantos I’ve never done east coast backpacking. Like. Do you just set up your sleep system in there? And get devoured by mosquitos?? Do you mean like adirondack shelters? I've camped in a few, i definitely still use my tent for mosquito purposes, but it's nice to be able to skip the rain fly in the hot humid summer. Also you can hang out / cook / eat up in the shelter (but outside of tent ofc), nice to be able to do that out of the rain.
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Nov 17, 2023 18:11
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I've cowboy camped, slept in a lean-to, and own and occasionally use a bivy sack. All of them have their time and place in my opinion, but most of the time I use a free standing tent. Cowboy camping is really nice if you're somewhere that doesn't have mosquitoes, or it's cold enough that the mosquitoes are gone but not so cold that your face will freeze off. As with camping in general, having the right pad and bag for the temps is most of what matters.
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Nov 17, 2023 18:19
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alnilam posted:Do you mean like adirondack shelters? I've camped in a few, i definitely still use my tent for mosquito purposes, but it's nice to be able to skip the rain fly in the hot humid summer. Also you can hang out / cook / eat up in the shelter (but outside of tent ofc), nice to be able to do that out of the rain. Yeah I’m thinking specifically of the Adirondack ones but I think the AT has a bunch too. The NPT is on my list for hopefully next year or maybe somewhere in the next few years, and it’s loaded with leantos
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Nov 17, 2023 18:30
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incogneato posted:If you're just getting into backpacking from car camping, I'd resist the urge to buy the latest and greatest stuff until you've done a handful of trips and get a feel for what you have. I've been using the same moderately heavy (by ultralight standards) tent for years now because, frankly, I don't end up doing a lot of long distance trips and it has served me just fine. When I finally replace it, it'll probably be with a Big Agnes or something rather than ultralight. My casual trips don't really justify the tradeoffs. Mrs. rear end Trophy and I started out this way with the big 3. We used a rented tent, pack and sleep system from REI. Our plan was to purchase our own items, 1 item after every 3 trips. The first item we bought was out own backpacks. I mentioned before I got a ULA Circuit, she picked up a 50l Osprey, I think it is the ladies version of the Atmos. After our next 3 trips we bought our own tent. And this is where things became a little spendy. A Zpacks Triplex. But man, that thing is really roomy and light. I don't always use trekking poles so I bought a pair of their dedicated carbon poles. And lastly we got some Nemo Disco 30 sleeping bags when they were on a half off sale at REI. Those are yet to be field tested, although Jr. Miss rear end Trophy and I did a backyard campout and found them to be plenty warm at 40F. I am a side sleeper, so I really liked the extra room. Yes, the wallet took a bit of a hit. I come from a cycling background, so the sticker shock for backpacking equipment is nor near as bad as bike purchase, though. But just these 3 items saved a bit over 8 pounds compared to what we rented on our first trip. So anyway, yes, buy your own. But try getting it piece by piece after a set number of outings.. It spreads out the cost, and provides a nice incentive to go backpacking.
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Nov 17, 2023 19:03
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I went to the Adirondacks in October and experienced the lean-tos for the first time. That time of year there were no bugs and we just laid our pads out in the shelters. It was cold at night, maybe the high 30s, but we all brought adequate bags and slept comfortably. I don't know if it's a general rule or specific to where I was, but one of the rules was no erecting tents inside the lean-tos. I believe you could spread a mesh screen or tarp across the opening but it would have to be large as the shelters are pretty wide, and I'm not sure how effective it would be anyway. You could probably get a cheap mosquito net and suspend it from the ceiling of the shelter. You can also set your tent up next to it and use the shelter as a hanging out/cooking space.
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Nov 17, 2023 21:51
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I have an Australian friend who takes a bivy style tent (similar to a one-person tent, keeps fabric off your face, not the kind of bivy sack that's just, like, a fully enclosed sleeping bag) to the beach regularly to camp there. That sounds amazing and I am mega jealous of being able to just drive to a nearby beach and pitch a tiny lil shelter for myself. I'm told that kind of thing is very common there. EDIT: Reading up on these now -- I've never discussed too many of the details with him -- apparently the Australian ones are monstrous canvas things? I don't know if this sounds as appealing now, maybe I just like the idea of loving off to the beach by myself and leaving all of my responsibilities behind for a weekend. guppy fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Nov 18, 2023 |
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Nov 18, 2023 00:41
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I have a very basic bivy sack that I've used occasionally - something like this: https://alpkit.com/products/kloke. It's fine for a night if you really need the weight and space saving - most of my use has been climbing in the Alps. Pretty horrible if insects are a problem since you can barely move in there and getting ready in the morning has to be done outside, and not much fun in bad weather. Pretty claustrophobic if it's snowing and you have to wake up regularly to clean snow off your head. I can't imagine choosing to use one as my main shelter outside of lovely, perfect conditions where you can leave the face zip open, or needing the absolute lightest way to protect against wind and cold.
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Nov 18, 2023 01:00
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Yeah my bivy sack is basically a way to keep myself dry if I'd otherwise be cowboy camping. You can kind of get dressed in it, but ideally you don't need to try. It's not at all a replacement for a tent.
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Nov 18, 2023 05:52
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I ended up with the current version Baltoro-75. I ordered the Deuter at first but I spent about two hours at REI sticking weights in backpacks and as much as I wanted to like it, the Baltoro ended up being a better fit for my goon sized frame. I tried a few Ospreys as well but the Gregory still came out on top. I thought about getting the 65 or smaller but the 75 cinches down pretty well with a less than full load. Picked up a new mostly down big Agnes Sidewinder SL and Rapide SL insulated pad. Compared to my old early/mid aughts therm-a-rests and Sierra Designs bag, everything is so much lighter. With the sleeping bag and pad the new pack still weighs a bit less than the old Palisade alone. Also picked up a new car camping MSR Habitude-4 for like $70 from the used section. It has a cracked pole segment which was why it was returned, but MSR will either fix it under warranty or I’ll have to pay $5. I should limit my trips there so I don’t keep walking out with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff every time.
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Nov 18, 2023 06:54
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I have a few bike packing events coming up next year, so I need some new sleeping equipment. My current stuff (synthetic North Face Cats Meow and cheap self-inflating pad) are far too big to carry on the bike, even if they are pretty comfy. I’m in the UK and can’t see myself needing to go out in the winter, so 3 season seems fine. I’ve been looking at 0C comfort bags just in case, because one event is in Scotland in September, but maybe I can go higher and supplement with a jacket/thermals if necessary. I’m not going to be super competitive so I’m not looking to spend a tonne to shave a few grams off, but pack size is important. I’ve been looking at something like this for a sleeping bag. But I’ve never used a quilt before and saw this quilt recommended elsewhere which looks interesting and versatile. I tend to get very hot legs in sleeping bags, especially if I’ve been working hard in the day, so the option to stick a foot out to cool down is attractive. But drafts on a cold/windy night seem worrying, which is why I’ve never considered a quilt before! Pads….no idea. Any suggestions? Will probably go with a Lanshan 1 for a tent, although a bivvy might be handier for stealth camping for one of the races. Any comments/ideas welcome!
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Nov 18, 2023 10:43
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Another version of Australian swags/bivvies - I've used one once or twice 4x4 camping in the bush during winter where all you're really worried about is keeping warm, would be a whole other matter if there was rain or bugs. Pretty much a canvas sleeve with built-in sleeping pad you can just roll out on a tarp and stick your sleeping bag inside for some extra insulation and protection. Biggest plus to me is waking up in the middle of the night, opening your eyes and seeing a million stars and meteors right above you.
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Nov 18, 2023 14:39
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guppy posted:I have an Australian friend who takes a bivy style tent (similar to a one-person tent, keeps fabric off your face, not the kind of bivy sack that's just, like, a fully enclosed sleeping bag) to the beach regularly to camp there. That sounds amazing and I am mega jealous of being able to just drive to a nearby beach and pitch a tiny lil shelter for myself. I'm told that kind of thing is very common there. Americans just pay $4k to stick a tent on the top of their cars instead
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Nov 18, 2023 16:28
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Terrifying Effigies posted:Biggest plus to me is waking up in the middle of the night, opening your eyes and seeing a million stars and meteors right above you. 100% this. Cowboy camping is great when the conditions allow.
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Nov 18, 2023 17:15
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I would need to get lasik to really take advantage :[
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Nov 19, 2023 01:30
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charliebravo77 posted:I would need to get lasik to really take advantage :[ Do it sooner than later because in your 40's your night adaptation starts to turn to poo poo and you lose the ability to see the fine details. My eyes are especially bad but I can't even really see the milky way anymore, even in properly dark parts of the country.
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Nov 19, 2023 01:57
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Oh no I'm almost 38  I've definitely noticed my night vision isn't what it used to be.
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Nov 19, 2023 16:15
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SOOOOO glad I got lasik when I was in my late 20s. Best money I've ever spent. Makes winter sports way more enjoyable. I cant imagine doing all of the winter camping I do with fogged up glasses. Warbonnet is doing their black Friday sale in a few days if anyone wanted to save a little bit of money on a hammock or tarp. I'm picking up a replacement for my torn minifly (rip). Got some tarp poles on sale too so I can try this out for my bigger winter tarp: 
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Nov 19, 2023 18:14
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Pantsmaster Bill posted:I have a few bike packing events coming up next year, so I need some new sleeping equipment. My current stuff (synthetic North Face Cats Meow and cheap self-inflating pad) are far too big to carry on the bike, even if they are pretty comfy. I have the pipedream 200 and i'm always in scotland at around september camping. I've had some cold nights, but nothing too bad, so I think the 400 should be good for that time of year. They have the ultra 120 too which is a tad cheaper but less warm (also bigger for packing) For pads I've got a sea to summit Ether light it's really comfy and good. My bf has the Big agnes SL and it's also good and cheaper. You wanna get an insulated pad, it'll take up waaay more space but it's so much warmer. If the races are in scotland you won't need to stealth camp! but otherwise, I tend to pack a bivy bag with me + a tent. This will make some people scream at me for wasting weight but bivy bag is like 300g, can be used to keep warm inside a tent on reaally cold nights, and if you crash and have to get under something to stay alive it's there.
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Nov 21, 2023 16:33
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Has anyone here done the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier NP? I’m honestly in love with that place and I got the crazy idea that I have to do this trail. Just wanted some personal experience background. I just got done with the Grand Canyon, camped at the bottom and explored some of the trails down there. If I can climb in and out of the canyon with a loaded pack, do you think it’s feasible for me to tackle the WT? I have hiked a little bit of it inside the park and know that it’s very steep, but I trained for the canyon and thought I did pretty well considering I live at sea level with no hills at all. I haven’t done backcountry camping there and I know the permits aren’t easy, so I’ll take any advice 
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Nov 21, 2023 17:40
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I hiked the Wonderland Trail solo last summer, but I split it up into two separate outings. The first was three days covering 53 miles and second was two days covering 40 miles. I did this because I planned my route pretty poorly, and I was burnt out on long sojourns. I figured I'd properly enjoy the whole trail without getting grumpy if I split it up. I don't know how many multi-day hikes you've done, but the hardest part physically is hiking through soreness each morning. As long as you get up early enough, eat and drink enough, and plan realistic mileage (maybe 10-15 miles per day?) then you'll probably be fine. There are lots of switchbacks too, so it's not straight up climbing. FWIW I live in Seattle and train at sea level too, though I had thru-hiked the AT in 2021 and had that experience to fall back on. Also , the Wonderland Trail has a fair number of spots where you get picked up if things go south. You can drive to Mowich Lake, Sunrise, Longmire, and a few other places where the trail crosses the road. You probably already know about the lottery, but your best bet to hiking the trail all in one go is by winning a slot for the early access lottery which usually takes place in early February. This site should be updated in January 2024 with the updated dates and has a whole lot of information I used to plan my trip. However, I found this elevation profile map to be the most useful in planning my route because I could space out which camps I should stay at and see how many climbs there would be between each one. Back to the lottery: the early access lottery grants you access to only one reservation (I THINK), so make that one count. I picked Reflection Lake and loved it, but of all the camps I saw I think Summerland and Indian Bar were my favorites (note that I did not get permits to either of those two sites). Once the reservations open up to the general public in April you can attempt to put in the rest of your reservations. This is where the reservation system gets frustrating because a.) your perfectly planned route falls apart because most of the sites are reserved and b.) the reservation system doesn't allow you to pick a camp that is more than 17.5 miles past the camp you initially reserved. That second one through me for a loop, but it is spelled out with other tips here. It wasn't until after I had talked to some folks on the trail that I found out about the 17.5 mile rule. For reference, my route was counter-clockwise around Rainier: Trip #1 Day 1. Start at Sunrise Lodge. Hike to and spend the first night at Mowich Lake. ~20mi Day 2. Hike to and spend the second night at Reflection Lake. ~16mi Day 3. <Hike to and get picked up by friend at Longmire Lodge, ~15mi> Originally I had planned on getting a spot at one of those pay-for-spot campsites near Longmire on Day 3, then get up really early in the morning on Day 4 and go to the Longmire Ranger Station to try to get a walk-up site for that night, then Day 5 hike the rest of the way back to Sunrise. However, don't count on the sites you want being available for walk-up reservation, because I attempted that on Trip #2 and nothing I wanted had any availability. That was more than a little frustrating because most parks guarantee at least one walk-up will be available, but I guess Rainier is so popular that they don't even allow for that. Trip #2 Day 0. Drive to Sunrise with friend in another car and leave my car at Sunrise. Friend and I car camp nearby Longmire. Day 1. Friend drives me to Ranger Station at Longmire and I get a walk-up reservation for Ollalie Creek Camp. Then hike to and stay there. Not a great campsite and not one I'd even planned for if I'm being honest, but it was near the midway point so it worked out. 17mi Day 2. Hike to Sunrise and drive home. 23mi IIRC the others I met thru-hiking did it over a longer period of time (10-15mi days) which might work out better thanks to reservation system's 17.5 mile rule. Tips: 1. Longmire is usually where people stage their midway point re-fuel by leaving a bear cannister's worth of food at the Ranger Station. Pretty sure that can be pre-arranged with the Rangers. Since I broke my trip up I didn't need to do this. There's no place to get/buy food on the trail of course. 2. You have to go to one of the approved Ranger Stations (Sunrise and Longmire are the two I'm aware of) the day you start your thru hike to get your reservation tags, and if I recall correctly I had to bring my reservations' purchase receipts with me. Most people just get there before the Ranger Station opens. I remember there were some people there hoping for and getting some last minute reservations to complete their loop, but I wouldn't count on that. Note that rangers on the trail were constantly checking to make sure I had my reservation tag. 3. If you go during peak melt season, there's a good chance glacial melt will wipe out at least one of the many bridge crossings; forcing you to ford. There was one bridge tipped over on its side that I scooted across which wasn't too bad, and there was another that had been wiped out completely. That one proved to be the most dangerous ford because of the very fast moving water and lack of good crossings. This is all on the western side of Rainier. 4. Mowich Lake had a surprising number of open slots (it's a pretty big site). It's not the prettiest camping, but I'd say it's a dependable site you can probably get a reservation at if need be.
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Nov 21, 2023 20:48
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Pantsmaster Bill posted:I have a few bike packing events coming up next year, so I need some new sleeping equipment. My current stuff (synthetic North Face Cats Meow and cheap self-inflating pad) are far too big to carry on the bike, even if they are pretty comfy. If you're in the UK I'd consider sticking with a synthetic bag/quilt instead of down. There are ~0C synthetic options with packed sizes around 6-7 liters, (and +10C options with packed sizes around 2 liters). For pads, the xlite/xtherm from thermarest can't really be beat in terms of warmth vs. weight or packed volume, but they are expensive. I've found the pads from exped to be slightly more durable and cheaper, just a bit heavier and with a bit more packed volume (still small, though).
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Nov 21, 2023 22:35
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drat, I missed bivvy chat. I've used a Macpac bush cocoon with an inflatable mat and Rab down bag. That gives me a sleep system for about 2kg all up and it all fits in a standard compression sack. I tried tarp camping all of once and woke up to a weka having a poke at my face.
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Nov 23, 2023 09:27
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carrionman posted:drat, I missed bivvy chat. Weka: / (ˈwæka) / nounplural, Australian and NZ informal, a roving bush homosexual
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Nov 23, 2023 12:55
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yaffle posted:Weka: / (ˈwæka) / nounplural, Australian and NZ informal, a roving bush homosexual That would be preferable to one of those bastard birds.
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Nov 27, 2023 04:03
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Anybody have experience with the Helikon-Tex Swagman Roll Poncho? Assuming it works well for the purposes it's advertised for, it seems like a pretty neat piece of kit. I've watched some reviews on youtube and they seem to like it. The main issue seems to be that the sleeping bag is narrow, so wider people don't fit very well into it. That's not going to be a problem for me. Also the head hole is apparently kind of narrow, which probably won't be an issue. It looks good for a lighter summer sleeping bag, to complement my warmer Kelty Cosmic Down 20, which is way too warm for summer camping. And it can be used in poncho and blanket modes in cooler weather. And, if I ever get into hammock camping (which I'd like to try), it can be used as a small underquilt. I recognize that I may just be being silly and just wanting to buy more stuff, but this thing seems pretty neat, and serves functions that I don't currently have.
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Nov 27, 2023 21:31
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I also thought about the Swagman, but for me the price just does not justify as I already have a poncho and a light sleeping bag and it would probably just be something I carried around on day hikes for just in case. I think for the reasons you mentioned, it is not a bad idea if you do not already have the specific purpose items.
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Nov 29, 2023 11:16
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      Got the chance to try out my new Ellis Canvas Tents - Shackelton and Four Dog Stove Co - Titanium stove over the weekend. Lows only got down into the 20's and we havent had any snow up here in Northern MN unfortunately. So we didnt get to do a basecamp ski/snowshoe style trip but it was still fun to just hang out and relax. The stove is incredible, weighs hardly anything and its nice to not have any fiddly parts to setup in the winter. It took me a bit to get used to it, but eventually got it dialed in where I could have a log going providing a good amount of warmth slowly burning without roasting us out of the tent. The tent is now my favorite canvas tent. I liked it way more than the Snowtrekkers ive used in the past, though you cant really backpack with this thing as it weighs close to 50 pounds. Still setup real easy and is like a palace on the inside. Really liked it and now I want to get one of their Aframe style tents.
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Dec 8, 2023 18:40
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that looks awesome, what does transporting all that gear look like does it reasonably pack down into a pulk?
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Dec 8, 2023 19:13
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How do you like the Coleman camping oven? My wife and I have been thinking on and off about picking one up for use on our camp stove and or camp chef
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Dec 8, 2023 19:52
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The Fool posted:that looks awesome, what does transporting all that gear look like You could do it if you had a group. The tent and stove would take up one of the standard size pulks/toboggans that get used around here, but its heavy enough that it would be all that person is pulling. But for me I usually winter camp while backpacking so I go without a wood stove or hot tent. I got this for base camping with the family primarily. Check out Snowtrekker tents if you want to see some cool canvas backpacking style setups. Mederlock posted:How do you like the Coleman camping oven? My wife and I have been thinking on and off about picking one up for use on our camp stove and or camp chef It has its quirks. The best thing we did was putting a pizza stone at the bottom to sort of minimize hotspots and more evenly heat. Ive read of people making little covers for them as well as there are quite a few holes that can let heat out the sides. We may end up doing that down the line, as it can be hard to get up to some temps and hold it there. But its really fun being able to bake biscuits, muffins, etc while youre out camping.
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Dec 8, 2023 20:23
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Man that wall tent looks awesome. So much room for activities! I’ve never cooked on my tent stove, how is it for pan frying stuff? I feel like the temperature is so hard to regulate that I might gently caress stuff up with it and burn poo poo to the pan.
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Dec 9, 2023 20:09
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I'm not that great at it yet. It wasn't until our last night that I got used to keeping the stove and tent at a fairly constant temp. The stove worked great for bacon and eggs and boiling water. Beyond that I would need some more practice.
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Dec 10, 2023 01:43
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There's this thread for gear and there's the hiking/backpacking thread, but since there's no general camping thread other than that, maybe someone should make a thread for car camping?
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Dec 10, 2023 01:46
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Anyone had issues with exofficio's tugging the poo poo out of leg hairs? I've never had tight/compression type shorts do this and it's getting worse as they age. Hopefully the solution doesn't involve a razor because I am not shaving my legs to wear a pair of undies. 
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Dec 18, 2023 00:54
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xzzy posted:Anyone had issues with exofficio's tugging the poo poo out of leg hairs? I've never had tight/compression type shorts do this and it's getting worse as they age. Yes, actually. They've been my favorites for a while, but I'm transitioning to 32 Degrees, which are essentially the same, much cheaper, and haven't pulled any hairs so far.
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Dec 18, 2023 02:03
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I've also transitioned to Costco 32 Degree or Duluth Trading Co boxers. Both are more comfortable in my opinion.
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Dec 18, 2023 03:22
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Duluth Trading undies are great. I’ve also got some American Eagle compression undies that have held up well so far
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Dec 18, 2023 15:00
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