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I am way to deep into the hammock camping whole. I think I've bought a half dozen already and resold to just try out the different fabrics. Just ordered a 2.20z Hex XL hammock from Simply Light Designs to try out. Supposedly they go wider than just about any other fabric, and should be super firm with a comfort weight limit of 375 pounds.
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Dec 19, 2023 22:46
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I backyard camped every day this week on a lark to test out various combinations of gear and remember how to use stuff that's been on a shelf for a while. Figured out how to dial in my topquilt with a ground pad and am now in the market for a new tarp to have some more options. Intended use would be ground camping, and occasionally pairing up with an alpine bivy in extended rain/storms. The zpacks square tarp seems ideal but costs way too much for now - any goon thoughts on the Gossamer Gear solo or twin? They're on sale and 10/12 oz all-in is better than using my 25oz winter tarp when conditions allow. Also willing to take any recommendations on square tarps in that ballpark price/weight.
Guest2553 fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Dec 24, 2023 |
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Dec 24, 2023 04:10
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Did you consider the slingfin nft? It seems to be wildly popular among tarp enjoyers
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Dec 24, 2023 06:28
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It looks pretty neat I don't think it's quite what I'm after at the moment. My winter tarp is essentially a bigass square tarp that can go storm mode if wings are needed, but I don't have the lightweight/mild weather niche filled. I feel like 80 bucks for the GG Solo is as good as I'm gonna find now until I make the $DCF jump.
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Dec 24, 2023 06:46
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Is there a consensus on larger UL 3 season tents? I'm pretty big and claustrophic in tents, so either looking for a 3P or a very generous 2P. Budget is under $1000 CAD.
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Dec 24, 2023 17:37
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COPE 27 posted:Is there a consensus on larger UL 3 season tents? I'm pretty big and claustrophic in tents, so either looking for a 3P or a very generous 2P. Budget is under $1000 CAD. I have the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Long, and it feels really big to me with two people in it.
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Dec 24, 2023 17:51
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I hadn't used my tent in probably three years. It's been stored wrapped up but dried after last use. Was thinking about doing some motorcycle camping this upcoming year so I checked on it, and it does smell a little musty so I unwrapped it today and hung it up in the basement. Now I'm finding that the fly is like.. shedding. I mean like crazy all out flaking white stuff like it's snowing inside on christmas day. The fabric itself feels like it's sturdy so I presume this is the waterproofing flaking. I'm googling and reading a lot about seam sealant flaking off and that is definitely happening as well, but this is coming off EVERYWHERE off the underside of the fly. It's visually the same as seam sealant peeling but .. everywhere. Is this one of those things I can re-apply or is this just a sign that I'm going tent shopping before my next outing? It's not an expensive tent; probably a $300-ish (canadian funbux) two person tent from MEC that I've had for a decade now, but if this sounds like something I can fix by re-applying a waterproof coating then I'm definitely happy to get a little more life out of it. This may be worthless without pics, I'll snap some tomorrow. I just noticed the flaking now and got a little worried.
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Dec 26, 2023 02:53
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some kinda jackal posted:Was thinking about doing some motorcycle camping this upcoming year so I checked on it, and it does smell a little musty so I unwrapped it today and hung it up in the basement. Now I'm finding that the fly is like.. shedding. In my experience the tent is done. I've had this in two tents before and they couldn't keep water at bay after. Most tent fabrics are a thin interior membrane layer bonded to the main fabric (poly/nylon etc), with a thin DWR coating (ex. wax based) applied on the outside. What's flaking off is the interior side membrane and it's not repairable. You can keep applying DWR to the exterior but in my experience it's not going to work for long and water will find a way in. It gave you ten years before failing so it might just be time to buy a new one. I'm not sure how much use you got out of it but that's a pretty standard lifespan for some tents, especially those meant for lightweight travel.
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Dec 26, 2023 03:23
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Sounds good, thanks for the frank advice!
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Dec 26, 2023 03:33
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That's an age thing, not a "been in storage for 3 years" thing if that helps at all. My old school flash 18 pack is doing the same thing and I hate to lose it, REI has messed with the design and I don't like the new ones as much.
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Dec 26, 2023 03:35
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I've been eyeing a Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Hotel bikepacking tent for the past month or two anyway, maybe this is a sign from the universe.
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Dec 26, 2023 03:57
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Once something like that delaminates it's pretty much toast. My REI flash 18 is doing the same. I've hear storing open a bit in a low humidity area can help with that but if you got 10+ years out of it you probably did everything right.
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Dec 26, 2023 05:07
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What do you do when you feel like you have everything you need but you still have money to blow on REI? I’ve got leftover dividends, plus the next one coming up, and some money from turning in some equipment. I can’t think of anything I need, wondering what to do with it all. Buy one really expensive item?
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Dec 26, 2023 17:14
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Hotel Kpro posted:What do you do when you feel like you have everything you need but you still have money to blow on REI? I’ve got leftover dividends, plus the next one coming up, and some money from turning in some equipment. I can’t think of anything I need, wondering what to do with it all. Buy one really expensive item?
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Dec 26, 2023 17:21
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I usually use the leftovers on backpacking meals. Always need more trail food.
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Dec 26, 2023 17:23
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Idk what kind of headlamp you're rocking but a while ago I upgraded from a low-tier to mid-tier headlamp and I have not regretted it.
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Dec 26, 2023 17:34
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I just get snacks or darn tough socks. These days I either get most of my gear used online or through a cottage vendor it seems.
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Dec 26, 2023 17:53
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Hotel Kpro posted:What do you do when you feel like you have everything you need but you still have money to blow on REI? I’ve got leftover dividends, plus the next one coming up, and some money from turning in some equipment. I can’t think of anything I need, wondering what to do with it all. Buy one really expensive item? Socks, insoles, bike consumables (tubes, CO2, lube), sunscreen, refresh first aid kit, gear waterproofing, replace oldest Nalgene, buy a gift for someone are my go-to.
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Dec 26, 2023 19:53
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Hotel Kpro posted:What do you do when you feel like you have everything you need but you still have money to blow on REI? I’ve got leftover dividends, plus the next one coming up, and some money from turning in some equipment. I can’t think of anything I need, wondering what to do with it all. Buy one really expensive item? I'm in the same boat. I was gifted like $250 and haven't touched it yet. I have more than I need so I upgraded a few big items like backpack and tent, clothing is always an option but honestly I only need so much outdoor clothing, they do have casual stuff also. Footwear always wears out and it's not cheap. Darn tough socks and exofficio underwear. Ski stuff is an easy way to lose money. Gifts is another thing. They always have great bottles and giftable stuff for outdoor people.
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Dec 26, 2023 21:37
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Camp stove fuel would be my pick
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Dec 26, 2023 22:21
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Brother Tadger posted:Camp stove fuel would be my pick speaking of, this is why one shouldn't buy the large canisters.. the tab wears off before you use all that fuel. I had nothing that could get that cap off besides my teeth. 
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Dec 26, 2023 22:27
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xzzy posted:speaking of, this is why one shouldn't buy the large canisters.. the tab wears off before you use all that fuel. I had nothing that could get that cap off besides my teeth. I would just ditch the cap, the odds of that thing leaking are basically zero unless you're stabbing a thin tube into it. I recently got a kit to refill (refillable) 1lb propane canisters, and it's amazing. I should have gotten one a decade ago. Doesn't help me when I need to bring an isobutane stove, but for everything that uses the 1 lb canisters it's amazing.
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Dec 26, 2023 22:42
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I really need to get one of those refill systems for my propane car camping stove. Which one did you go with?
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Dec 27, 2023 01:54
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armorer posted:I would just ditch the cap, the odds of that thing leaking are basically zero unless you're stabbing a thin tube into it. I'll have to from now on, but I store the fuel in my cook pot and the idea was to avoid metal on metal grinding as it jostled around in my bag. I used to store it with the bottom side down and got a little rust ring inside the pot which seems really bad from a health perspective.
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Dec 27, 2023 02:16
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I have that same rust ring and responded the same way
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Dec 27, 2023 02:27
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I really need to get one of those refill systems for my propane car camping stove. Which one did you go with? "Flame King Refillable 1LB Empty Propane Cylinder Tank with Refill Kit and CGA600 Connection" and two extra 1 LB canisters. I use them with my Coleman north star lantern and two burner stove. Really easy to fill from a BBQ tank, and I'm not generating a pile of empties to deal with anymore. xzzy posted:I'll have to from now on, but I store the fuel in my cook pot and the idea was to avoid metal on metal grinding as it jostled around in my bag. I used to store it with the bottom side down and got a little rust ring inside the pot which seems really bad from a health perspective. Maybe you can toss a scrap of stiff fabric in there as long as that canisters is still kicking? armorer fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Dec 27, 2023 |
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Dec 27, 2023 02:32
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There’s some 3D printed pucks out there to perfectly nest various canister sizes in various pots that weigh practically nothing could be useful idk I don’t have one but now that I type this I’m gonna get/print one
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Dec 27, 2023 04:27
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armorer posted:I would just ditch the cap, the odds of that thing leaking are basically zero unless you're stabbing a thin tube into it. I leave the cap on but it's more to protect the threads from damage/dust/food gunk while the canister is kicking around with the other crap in my pot. A lot of the threads aren't great to begin with and I've had issues with cross-threading in the past, especially if the stove itself has seen some wear.
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Dec 27, 2023 04:37
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Bloody posted:There’s some 3D printed pucks out there to perfectly nest various canister sizes in various pots that weigh practically nothing could be useful idk I don’t have one but now that I type this I’m gonna get/print one That's a fine idea and as a recent 3d printer acquirer it seems like a good way to justify the purchase. I still haven't internalized the "I can just make a thing" thought process.
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Dec 27, 2023 05:20
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Having a 3d printer means you solve every problem by printing a widget.
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Dec 27, 2023 05:36
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Thanks for the tent advice earlier, friends. I took the opportunity to pick up a BA Blacktail 2 Hotel bikepack tent with basic footprint to replace the MEC Tarn 2 that started to delaminate. While motocamping does offer some ability to lug larger items, I'm still quasi-prioritizing size on some things (picked a bikepack tent vs the regular, example) just to get the overall bundle down. Not everything has to be minimalistic, however. My primary use case is two season motocamping, possibly stretching it into three. I don't really expect to be going out in sub-10C (50F) temperatures right now, which I would interpret as "I don't plan to go out where the forecast calls for a low of 10C". If I really get the bug maybe I stretch this, like I said, but right now I doubt that's the case. Right now my kit is as follows: - BA Blacktail 2 - TETON trailhead mummy bag I searched the entire house and I can't find whatever sleeping pad I used to own, so I guess this is a case of me starting from scratch there. I took the opportunity to head to my local oudoorsy place to look at sleeping pads and they had a meager selection, but I had to start with some kind of frame of reference for preference, so the one that seemed to "feel" the best was the Thermarest Trail Pro. I fluctuate between 170-180lbs depending on the season, 5'10. I guess I add that because I want to qualify what will keep me off the ground, if weight has anything to do with it. I like the Trail Pro, but I'm not married enough to it that i want to instantly walk out of the store with one without seeing what's comparable. I also am very cognizant that I'm very much just looking at the Trail Pro because I had a gut reaction of "I seem to like how firm and full this is" compared to the other store displays which could easily have been underinflated or punctured or something. Reviews of the Trail Pro seem to be ok. I don't know if I need a self-inflating pad (I have a portable battery air pump), but I think that the foam inside is probably part of the "stiff" feeling I liked. It packs up fairly bulky but I'm on a motorcycle, so it's not like I can't spare the room. There's 10001 "best sleeping pads" videos on YT and they're all over the place with the same pad being "best" on some and "worst" on others and vice versa while having vastly different criteria across the board, or not really giving much context in evaluation. The curse of YT reviews in general, I'm very aware. So I don't know what my exact question really is. I'm not looking for a specific recommendation because I realize that it's very subjective, but if I say "Thermarest Trail Pro" does anything in that same ballpark stand out as something I should be looking at? I'd love to spend in the ballpark of 200 Canadian (so maybe 150usd) which does kind of put an upper limit on the "best" stuff available, but I'm also not married to that price. I have a $100 Amazon GC so bonus if it's available on Amazon.ca but at this point I'm just exploring options so not necessarily looking to pull the trigger impulsively, and also I'm taking the mindset that this is one of those things where the difference between a good and bad decision could be the difference between a good night's sleep or seven hours of discomfort so I'm also not discounting something better, I'll just have to budget accordingly and buy when I'm ready. Hopefully there was the germ of a rational question in there 
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Dec 27, 2023 13:10
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Are you a back, side, or stomach sleeper? How much cushion do you typically need in a pad? For 2-season you don't really need to worry about R-value which opens up your options at any given price point. I find that back sleepers can generally get away with much thinner pads and still be happy, whereas side sleepers will not be happy unless they get a pad with at least a little thickness to it.
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Dec 27, 2023 17:25
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Yeah I'm absolutely a side sleeper, which I think is why the foam appealed to me. I'm ok making a decision based on how I plan to camp in the immediate future which means 2 season is more than likely A-OK. If I need colder I can supplement in other ways I think.
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Dec 27, 2023 18:50
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I'm a side sleeper, and as a backpacking pad I have the Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT. It's a very similar pad, specs wise, to the one you mention, just lighter weight. I sleep okay on it, although I would prefer something even thicker. The tradeoff for me for weight and packed size is well worth it, and I sleep well enough on it that it's not an issue. I've slept on a variety of pads over the years, and my preference when I'm car camping is something like an Exped MegaMat, but that's an absurdly large and heavy option to bring on a backpacking trip, and equally so on a bikepacking or motopacking trip. On the rare occasion that I need more than the R4.5 it provides, I put it on top of a folding z-lite foam pad and that gets me up over R6.
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Dec 27, 2023 19:05
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some kinda jackal posted:Lots of words about sleeping pads How are you testing the firmness of said mats? A properly inflated air mattress is going to look very flat without you spreading your weight evenly across it. It's definitely something you need to lie down on, and you'll need to play with the pressure. Self inflating pads are significantly worse for side sleepers than pure air pads, because they are not going to be nearly as thick. You could theoretically make one but that would be a lot of foam to carry around. The equivalent air pad will always be much more compact. Why is thickness so important? As a side sleeper, your hip and shoulder will compress the mat until the rest of your body begins to be supported. On a thinner pad, either those points of contact are going to hit the ground or your pad will be so firm you'll have the same problem (sore shoulders and hips). As someone who originally got a self inflating pad because I didn't bother spending 10 minutes figuring out how to properly inflate an air mattress, I'd recommend taking another look. With all the volume you save you can get a L/W pad (which will probably still have a smaller pack size) and live like a king.
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Dec 27, 2023 20:20
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Join the dark side and start hammock camping. Then you could look down smugly at all of the ground dwellers and their pads.
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Dec 27, 2023 20:30
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Join the dark side and start hammock camping. Then you could look down smugly at all of the ground dwellers and their pads. It's obvious who here doesn't sleep above tree line. Math You posted:How are you testing the firmness of said mats? A properly inflated air mattress is going to look very flat without you spreading your weight evenly across it. It's definitely something you need to lie down on, and you'll need to play with the pressure. The pad they're referencing is still kinda mostly an air pad. It's 3 inches thick, but it contains some self inflating foam. armorer fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Dec 27, 2023 |
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Dec 27, 2023 21:36
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Dec 27, 2023 21:38
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thinking about doing the hammock thing as part of my first foray into bikepacking assuming I have a full set of backpacking/ camping gear but it's all nearly a decade old is there anything that is a must update/ replace? or is it reasonable to just swap out the tent for a hammock and see how the test overnight shakes out
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Dec 27, 2023 21:55
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| # ? Jun 11, 2024 07:31 |
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some kinda jackal posted:Sleeping pads I'm a side sleeper, 5'10 165, and air pads are my savior. I tried all the other kinds and air pads give me the most comfort by far. You just can't get that much cushion in a foam pad or even self inflating without adding a ton of weight and bulk. I swear by big Agnes pads. My last one (insulated q core something) lasted 10 years before leaks started happening. It was 4" thick, r value of 5, and was less than 2 pounds. My newest one is a Rapide SL? 3.5" thick, r value of 4.5, and weighs about a pound. It's great. Rei has them for $110 us right now. Looks like they're $200 on Amazon ca.
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Dec 27, 2023 22:05
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