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Recently moved to Denver and I am new to hiking/backpacking. I went to REI and purchased my first pair of hiking boots, Asolo's Tps 520 GB Evo, and promptly developed 2 severe heel blisters after an hour walk today. So, I'll be returning those. A newbie question here but for conditions that you find in Colorado year-round, what sets of footwear should I get? Does everyone typically have trail shoes, hiking boots and winter boots? Just starting off, I don't envision myself doing any extreme or multi-day hikes for a while. Also, for those out there with long and wide feet, any recommendations for trail shoes or hiking boots? Finding a 13/14 wide in store is hard.
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Jan 8, 2017 03:58
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| # ? Jun 4, 2024 00:49 |
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bongwizzard posted:I already have a whistle and even a little baby .22 is still useful for gunstuff as well as making noise. I guess if you're just bound and determined to take a gun with you, a little .22 has the advantage of being lightweight and the ammo is certainly small and light...
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Jan 8, 2017 04:20
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That thing is a horn. A very loud horn. Just fyi.
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Jan 8, 2017 04:32
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Hughmoris posted:Recently moved to Denver and I am new to hiking/backpacking. I went to REI and purchased my first pair of hiking boots, Asolo's Tps 520 GB Evo, and promptly developed 2 severe heel blisters after an hour walk today. So, I'll be returning those. Merrels - I like the Moab's but they may or may not fit your feet. Trail runners are also popular.. Go to wild basin often, hike and snow shoe there, send me photos I miss it there. Thank me later..
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Jan 8, 2017 04:46
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bongwizzard posted:There might be, but even guys who are trying to hunt them rarely encounter one. We also have coyotes now I guess but again, they are still so rare that I have never even seen tracks or scat. That's a terrible excuse for carrying a gun, get a PLB if you're at all serious about being prepared to get rescued. If you want to have the shooty toy just say so. also reminder to all NH goons update your rescue insurance it's been next year for a week already.
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Jan 8, 2017 04:49
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Hughmoris posted:Recently moved to Denver and I am new to hiking/backpacking. I went to REI and purchased my first pair of hiking boots, Asolo's Tps 520 GB Evo, and promptly developed 2 severe heel blisters after an hour walk today. So, I'll be returning those. I'll 2nd Merrells. I wear 12/13, sometimes wide, and the regular 13 Merrell Moabs fit perfectly. And I had to spend all day trying on trail runners until I finally landed on 12.5 Nike Zoom Wildhorse 3s. Also, we got our annual inch of snow this weekend!   Both of these are sinking streams, and the taller one only emerges for a few dozen feet before disappearing again.
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Jan 8, 2017 04:58
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Ropes4u posted:Go to wild basin often, hike and snow shoe there, send me photos I miss it there. Thank me later.. What this guy says. Wild basin is awesome. Ouzel lake is beautiful, thunder lake is equally stunning and boulder grand pass is an easy and rewarding scramble. Once up there you can walk the continental divide and see both sides of the park. For footwear, blisters on the first time out aren't necessarily an instant return. If you're new to hiking your feet might need to toughen up a bit. The more robust the boots are the longer they might take to break in. Also, make sure you're not wearing cotton socks, opt for synthetic or wool. Hiking and backpacking can be tough on your feet and wetness is your biggest enemy. I don't generally get blisters but sometimes if I really hammer the miles or scramble, I might get one here or there even with comfortable shoes that I've had for years. I think two pairs of shoes are ideal, one for warm weather and one for winter weather. Low and light breathable shoes for summer and insulated higher ankle waterproof boots for winter. Most of the time I hike in trail runners, merrell all out peaks. They're light, have grippy vibram soles and breathe well, they weigh at least half as much as my boots and dry out 10x faster. My boots are merrell moab mid goretex and I really only use them for cold weather/winter hikes as they're too warm in the summer but not warm enough to be an actual winter boot. I'll probably end up getting something a little higher up the ankle with better waterproofing, more insulation and crampon compatible for alpine travel and winter hikes and snowshoeing. I live in Seattle so we have all kinds of terrain nearby from desert to alpine glaciers. My friend and I have some plans for this year which included some glacier and light technical travel so my moabs won't really fit the bill. Moabs are a great option though. Low priced, great grippy soles, light weight, comfortable out of the box. Mine lasted 4 years of several backpacking trips per year. It wasn't until I moved to seattle and really started hiking often that they finally started falling apart. I wouldn't hesitate buying another pair, probably the non waterproof variety though.
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Jan 8, 2017 05:24
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Hughmoris posted:Also, for those out there with long and wide feet, any recommendations for trail shoes or hiking boots? Finding a 13/14 wide in store is hard. I wear 13 4E and can vouch for New Balance trail runners. I don't use boots so don't know what's good in real wide sizes.
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Jan 8, 2017 05:33
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Hungryjack posted:I survived a week on High Sierra Trail. We walked off today at noon and I promptly drank a bunch of beers and ate a cheeseburger so life is good. I have lots of photos so I'll do an effortpost when I get home Sunday. Thinking hard of doing the High Sierra Trail with some friends this summer. The CA Dept of Water Resources says that snowpack in the southern Sierra is 123% of normal, so I guess it might be more an August trip than a July one. With 4 people out for 7 days does it make sense to carry a larger stove setup? It would be fun to cook some meals together -- I don't know how practical that is with our ultralight stoves though. e: Looked at it a little more and it seems like larger stoves don't really boil faster than the ultralight, pocket rocket types.
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Jan 8, 2017 06:17
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Pen flares are pretty cheap and lightweight. I means guns can be fun and all but there's no reason to go full  all the time.Or maybe there is 
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Jan 8, 2017 06:23
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123% of snowpack now doesn't mean it'll be that way all winter. Too early to say how good the snow year will be The better reason to go in August is fewer mosquitos Also don't use flares in dry forests
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Jan 8, 2017 06:46
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Levitate posted:123% of snowpack now doesn't mean it'll be that way all winter. Too early to say how good the snow year will be What about hot shells when I'm letting off on my machine gun in an emergency situation?
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Jan 8, 2017 09:36
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Just make sure you pick them all up and LNT
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Jan 8, 2017 14:29
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What's the accepted etiquette on caching supplies during a hike? A guy I know was hitting a bunch of high points and he would cache stuff on his way up so he wouldn't have to carry as much. He said it was no big deal because he packed out everything he packed in, but it still doesn't sit well with me.
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Jan 8, 2017 20:38
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Does anyone use a pad/quilt combo instead of a pad and sleeping bag? I've been looking at the Enlightened Enigma quilt in conjunction with a high R-value pad like this one. I'm a side sleeper and I always toss and turn in a mummy bag, and usually end up getting suffocated by the hood and lose a good night's sleep. I'm hoping this is a more comfortable option for me as well as a lighter and smaller option. My current setup is a Kelty Cosmic Down 20 bag (about the size of a gallon of milk) and a fairly cheap REI Stratus pad (R-value = 2.9).
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Jan 8, 2017 20:38
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Biggus Duckus posted:Does anyone use a pad/quilt combo instead of a pad and sleeping bag? I've been looking at the Enlightened Enigma quilt in conjunction with a high R-value pad like this one. Super common and depending on how you sleep, super comfortable. I did the PCT with an EE Revelation (preferable because of the zippered foot box) and Thermarest NeoAir X-Lite. On hot nights I could just barely lay the quilt over my midsection and stick my arms and legs out to cool off. On cold nights I could wrap it around my body and put on my down jacket/beanie for real warmth. You have to get used to tucking the quilt under yourself or else it will get a bit breezy. This is all 3-season weather. From 90* nights in California to 35* nights in Washington I was pretty comfortable. Tigren fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Jan 8, 2017 |
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Jan 8, 2017 20:54
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Hungryjack posted:What's the accepted etiquette on caching supplies during a hike? A guy I know was hitting a bunch of high points and he would cache stuff on his way up so he wouldn't have to carry as much. He said it was no big deal because he packed out everything he packed in, but it still doesn't sit well with me. I don't see a problem with this unless it's visible or he forgets it...what do you not like about it?
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Jan 8, 2017 21:06
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Depends on where it is I guess. I think most popular parks and forests frown on it because it's likely animals are going to get into it, there's no real way to secure the food AND not have to carry down a bunch of bear cans. Personally I think it's just inviting animals to raid your stash which is a problem for them and for you, but again maybe it depends on where you are. e: I'm thinking food, if he's talking equipment of sorts that's not as a big a deal as long as he doesn't lose it or forget it...seems like an easy way to leave a bunch of poo poo out there on some trip for whatever reason
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Jan 8, 2017 21:25
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Thanks for the recommendations on boots. Also, being big/tall and from Florida, I'm always worried of falling when walking on any sort of ice or snow. However, I worry no more! I purchased a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes and slipped them over my boots yesterday before my trek through the snow. I had zero concern that I would slip or fall due to slick conditions, and I can also slip them over my regular shoes when walking to/from work. A great purchase, can't recommend them enough.
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Jan 8, 2017 21:27
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Levitate posted:Depends on where it is I guess. I think most popular parks and forests frown on it because it's likely animals are going to get into it, there's no real way to secure the food AND not have to carry down a bunch of bear cans. I've cached bear cans before, but with 4 cans for 4 people, ditching one is not a huge deal. We are not carry extra cans just to stash someplace. Standard practice is to leave a note stating who it belongs to, when you left it, and when you plan on picking it up. Rangers will remove anything after the pick up date (but don't rely on them to pack it out for you/forget your cache. That is lovely). I've also cached small amounts of 'loose' food in bear boxes. Again with a note. But it's not like bear boxes are prevalent in the backcountry, or something you should rely on being there for your use. As long as the amount cached is small and won't/can't be disturbed by animals, I don't see the issue.
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Jan 8, 2017 22:08
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Tigren posted:Super common and depending on how you sleep, super comfortable. I did the PCT with an EE Revelation (preferable because of the zippered foot box) and Thermarest NeoAir X-Lite. On hot nights I could just barely lay the quilt over my midsection and stick my arms and legs out to cool off. On cold nights I could wrap it around my body and put on my down jacket/beanie for real warmth. You have to get used to tucking the quilt under yourself or else it will get a bit breezy. Thanks for the suggestion, I like the idea of a zippered bottom much better than a sewn. I'll probably pull the trigger on that soon, just gotta decide on a new pad. I have poor circulation but a R-value of 5+ is still probably overkill for 3-season stuff.
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Jan 8, 2017 23:22
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Biggus Duckus posted:Thanks for the suggestion, I like the idea of a zippered bottom much better than a sewn. I'll probably pull the trigger on that soon, just gotta decide on a new pad. I have poor circulation but a R-value of 5+ is still probably overkill for 3-season stuff. I use a 20 degree EE Revelation with a large Xtherm, it's a good combo. If you end up going with the Xtherm and you back-sleep at all, I would get the large size for the extra width. If you side-sleep exclusively, you should be fine with the regular (unless you're really tall, of course).
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Jan 9, 2017 04:13
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Feedbacker posted:I use a 20 degree EE Revelation with a large Xtherm, it's a good combo. If you end up going with the Xtherm and you back-sleep at all, I would get the large size for the extra width. If you side-sleep exclusively, you should be fine with the regular (unless you're really tall, of course). This is pretty much my setup, and it works great.
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Jan 9, 2017 05:13
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Verman posted:... If you're new to hiking your feet might need to toughen up a bit. ... I've noticed this. I went crazy the other week hiking on rocky trails in soft cross trainers, which killed my feet. Now that I have proper shoes and gave my feet some time to rest, I was able to move around a lot better when hiking today and even did some light jogging for small stretches. One thing I noticed is that I really need to stretch my calves/ankles before hiking. They tend to be really tight at first but they eventually loosened up and things got a lot easier for me. Ended up not needing the poles today, but I like having them just in case.
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Jan 9, 2017 06:44
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Biggus Duckus posted:I have poor circulation but a R-value of 5+ is still probably overkill for 3-season stuff. Depends on your three seasons. I most certainly need one for my area pretty much all year round. I can get freezing weather in the summer and my old pad (self inflating thermarest) wasn't very highly insulated (maybe 2r?) And it made a huge difference once I switched pads (big agnes q core insulated 5r). If you don't get low temps in spring or fall then you probably don't. If you want to do three season stuff and only get one pad, I would rather have an insulated one personally. Doesn't make a difference in summer but it makes a huge difference in colder weather. No quilt or sleeping bag will do a good job insulating you from the ground. If you get cold from the ground you'll never get warm.
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Jan 9, 2017 06:44
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Hungryjack posted:What's the accepted etiquette on caching supplies during a hike? A guy I know was hitting a bunch of high points and he would cache stuff on his way up so he wouldn't have to carry as much. He said it was no big deal because he packed out everything he packed in, but it still doesn't sit well with me. That reminded me of this video. Dude is so happy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC8gJ0_9o4M
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Jan 9, 2017 08:10
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Atticus_1354 posted:That reminded me of this video. Dude is so happy. lmfao, so good
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Jan 9, 2017 08:19
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Atticus_1354 posted:That reminded me of this video. Dude is so happy. That was pretty much me after seven days on the trail when we hit the burger stand at the end and dad was there with a cooler full of beer.
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Jan 9, 2017 13:31
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Can anyone recommend a nice small and light digital thermometer that keeps the highs and lows of the past day? I'd like to know how cold it got on a given night.
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Jan 10, 2017 23:32
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I apologize for causing that bang bang derail. I meant only to note how unaware people seem to be about what it is I do on the weekends. Booties: Asolos are narrow, but they're the only boots I've found where my foot stays in place. It took about 50mi to break in my summer boots, and they were dead after 650mi in the Cascades. There's lots of rocks, boulders, etc. I just switched back to my Powermatics from years ago and my feet feel great, and now they're getting stuffed into snowshoes, so it was good timing. You have to figure out the correct way to tie boots so everything is comfortable. This is not a matter of following your mother's instructions when you were three. You probably need to add an overhand/surgeons in the top of the foot before lacing the uppers. You might need to start at the top of the uppers and lace downward to keep your heel in place. You might need heel lifts or different boots if you can't lock. You might want medium socks instead of hoseiry. Caching: If the snowshoes and ice axe were waiting for me two miles up the trail when I need them, I wouldn't have to carry them. 
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Jan 11, 2017 01:36
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I have meant to look up all the alternative boot lacing methods, but I've never gotten around to it. My hiking bff just bought a crazy lightweight pair of Salomon boots for next season and it is going to be exciting to see how they compare with my 4lb leather monsters. We are the same shoe size so we might switch boots for a hike or two. I also plan to give the "not giving a gently caress about wet feet" plan a solid try next season. I am so sick of fretting over it and at the end of this past fall I started wearing thin neoprene booties under my wading shoes and that combo was pretty comfortable for my 2ish miles back to the car so I am curious to see how far I can go in them. The obvious solution is to carry a pair of crocs and change into them for water crossings and fishing but I hate dealing with changing shoes.
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Jan 11, 2017 01:54
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Please remember that most new hikers and new boot combinations should be trained up slowly and in varied hiking conditions. (Public service announcement I forgot to make in my previous post.) One of the primary concerns forgotten by new hikers is injury avoidance. Even experienced hikers may misremember or misjudge equipment and circumstances; the hope is that the "experienced" hiker will come closer to an accurate assessment, and early enough to limit potential injury. Everyone wants a pair of Salomon trail runners so they can do Five Day MultiSummit Pictures Wooo Hiker God Look at Me.  This is why doctor's offices are so busy at the beginning of the week.My current hiking buddy was all energized last year when he started hiking. Despite my suggestions, he kept going out and doing 15-milers and lengthy overnights. There was that time he and a friend kept wondering where the place was, finally found it 14mi up the trail, ran out of water, had nothing but a few bars to eat, and completely cramped up on the way home the following day. But hey, they each at a whole pizza on the way home, so "success!". The day he and I did 15mi, I kept asking him on the way back if he needed my poles; naup, he was fine... and, I found out later, at the doctor's two days later. He just had to buy all of REI, including the lightweight trail runners (yes, that brand). He just had to do 15 mile trails everywhere, 1000ft or 6000ft of gain. "Surely that's the only place to get pictures". If it wasn't Class 3, near a glacier, "Scrambles in Washington", it wasn't good enough... for six weeks. Doctor's verdict: Acute repetitive stress injury, knees and ankles. Now he needs poles, he had to switch to (big clunky) boots, and he's nowhere near a goal of "trail running" (neither speeds nor endurance). While youth can certainly help recovery, age doesn't matter when you're 7mi from the trailhead and you cramp, roll your ankle, bruise a shin on the boulders, or fall on your face. You then get to spend the next 7mi (assuming you were smart enough to turn around, even if the summit was only another 200m up) in pain, and probably causing more damage. Likewise, when you've failed to notice a change in the weather, changing snow conditions, trail reroutes,... all sorts of things that push you from 90% to 115% capacity, then you get in trouble. New hikers: Start slow and vary your hikes. Distance hiking is different than elevation hiking. Do a distance hike, then an ascent hike. Extend in a measured fashion (10--20%). If you do a hike that requires both distance and ascent, try to find something below your successes in each category. (So you were okay on a 15mi/1000ft hike, and okay on an 8mi/4000ft hike, try for a 10mi/3000ft hike.) Don't be afraid to turn around (if it's an in-and-back hike), and don't let your "friends" talk you into hurting yourself. Avid hikers: When you buy new boots, everything gets messed up. Review your early outs. Review your first aid kit contents so you can tape your feet if necessary. Take your poles if you haven't been, just in case. Give yourself spare time so you don't get caught hobbling back to your Hummer in the afternoon lightning storm. Any web site that claims "Hiking is easy, just put on a pair of boots and walk", makes me laugh extensively, and then I look around for class action lawsuit options. It's like saying, "A full marathon is easy, you just put on a pair of shoes and run". p.s. I know what I'm talking about.  Seven years hiking. 2016 saw 300mi underfoot, 120kft ascent. Shortest hike in 2016 4.8mi, 500m ascent. Longest day hike 17.5mi, 1540m ascent. Most ascent in a day, 2470m. Naup, I'm not a trail runner nor an ultralighter. Now if I could just lose some weight 
PhantomOfTheCopier fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Jan 11, 2017 |
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Jan 11, 2017 07:15
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lol chill
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Jan 11, 2017 07:36
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If I am hiking with some pussy with sore feet who is going slow and may be injured, I just put him down with my trusty 9mm. but that's reasonable advice about easing into things a bit
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Jan 11, 2017 08:15
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Hiking is easy, knowing your limits is harder when you're getting into it. Knowing your equipment and being comfortable with it is probably the top important thing IMO But people shouldn't be scared about trying to start hiking because oh it's so hard or I need a training plan first, just take it easy and build up if necessary PS trail runners are great
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Jan 11, 2017 11:44
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:p.s. I know what I'm talking about. Sir yes sir!
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Jan 11, 2017 12:37
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Yeah I'd fake an injury to stop hiking with an obnoxious partner too
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Jan 11, 2017 13:03
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Hiking is literally just putting on some shoes and walking. I guess you could skip the shoes if you're a hippy or something. I am all for making things harder for the sake of fun, but come on dude.
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Jan 11, 2017 14:52
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I don't think the choice of shoes was the problem in this story.
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Jan 11, 2017 15:35
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| # ? Jun 4, 2024 00:49 |
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bongwizzard posted:Hiking is literally just putting on some shoes and walking. I guess you could skip the shoes if you're a hippy or something. Ran into a dude who was hiking the AT in sandals. Hiking-ish sandals but still. He had a picture of him at the beginning in snow and ice wearing sandals. I ran into him near the Shenandoah's. e: about the other stuff well yeah I'd advise against grabbing a bunch of new equipment and trying to knock out 15 mile peak bagging days if it's something you haven't done before but with nicely broken in equipment and a good plan that's not something that's crazy pants for a hiker who's in good shape
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Jan 11, 2017 18:06
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