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Has anyone been to/does anyone have any tips for trekking in Nepal? The group I'm intending to go there with and I have done a fair amount of hikes in Australia and one in New Zealand, totaling maybe 40 in total (that we've done as a group) ranging from 1 - 7 days in length, over the past 8 years, and I would say we're all fairly sensible people (with 2 of the 5 intending to go being medical students, and another 2 of the 5 including myself being regular St. John Ambulance volunteers), so I'm not too worried about us doing anything stupid or ignoring symptoms of altitude sickness/hiding injuries/being too goal orientated to let people know when something is up etc. I've gotten the Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya guide, and have had a fair look through some of it (esp the part about health/preparation/equipment), but we are still fleshing out a plan at the moment while we start committing to training. At the moment the date we're looking at going there is 1 December (I will possibly go to Kathmandu around 24 November and spend some time there before the rest of the group catches up). The trek we really want to do at the moment is Gokyo - just up to Gokyo, maybe hop on top of Gokyo Ri and then head back basically the same way back to Lukla. Before tackling Gokyo though, we are hoping to do another trek that will have us spend up to half a month elsewhere in Nepal, hopefully getting used to some altitude but we are not sure where this could be. Does anyone have tips for Gokyo, or tips about where we could spend some time acclimatising and getting used to some altitude before tackling Gokyo, and other tips along those lines? Also any tips about Nepal in general? One of the group has been to Nepal once before for a few weeks, but just spent his time there in Pokhara teaching kids English or something. Unfortunately spending our lives in Australia we have never had any real altitude experience which is why we want to spend half a month doing other stuff before going all the way up to 5000+ m. Is that acceptable before going up to that sort of altitude?
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Feb 25, 2013 15:58
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 03:18 |
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What are people's opinions on shock absorption in hiking poles? I've only ever walked with stuff that doesn't have shock absorption and I like that I can immediately put weight on the pole without any further downward travel after contact with the ground, however I need to buy new poles and the ones that I've found at a great price are the Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Shocks. I'm just wondering if I get them, if the shocks will be so great that it will rock my world, if I won't notice them, or if I'll hate the extra movement of the poles. I'm aware the Contour Elliptic Shocks have that weird non-spring shock installed just under the grip. I've used those really, really cheap poles with lovely springs in the bottoms before and I hated those.
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Mar 18, 2013 13:43
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slartibartfast posted:I don't think shock-absorbing poles are worth it. Even if you get a good deal on them, it's just more poo poo to break and more weight to carry. i_heart_ponies posted:If you're skeptical of shock absorption, the elastomer dampers in the BD poles will give you the least issues of any of the varieties out there. There really isn't anywhere for them to go wrong without catastrophic failure of the pole itself. I had a pair of BD Trail Shocks that I used when I was a fat guy basically until I lost one of them off a cliff somewhere in the Sierras. If anything I feel that they extended the life of the poles, since my weight had somewhere to go aside from directly into the pole shaft itself. MMD3 posted:another vote for shock absorption being nice in trekking poles. I've got a pair of Leki's that have them and I really appreciate them. I only use trekking poles on hikes with serious incline/decline for the most part and it's really nice to have that little bit of absorption. They still hold plenty stiff and feel solid, it's not like a pogo stick. If you've never used them before I'd certainly recommend trying them out. Thanks a lot for the advice, everyone. I'll have to admit I haven't actually tried shocks that aren't on a cheapshit pole, so I'll head up to the shops tomorrow and try to see if they have any I can get a feel of. Unfortunately for the BD sales though, they don't ship to Australia  . Either way I've managed to find both the Contour Elliptics and the Contour Elliptic Shocks for a price I'm happy with, so now it'll just come down to deciding on the shocks I think.Edit: I did find an Australian store that is having a sale with very similar prices to the BD website, and also free shipping hooray! Am I right that carbon fibre poles are generally regarded as much better than aluminium (due to weight, strength etc)? Chroisman fucked around with this message at 12:04 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 19, 2013 11:52
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Does anyone have any good suggestions for waterproof 8" tall hiking boots? I feel like I really need them as 8" tall for extra ankle movement restriction because I've got a bad ankle. I had a good pair of 8" tall boots before, but they weren't exactly purposed for hiking and now they're falling apart a little bit. Also they had vents so water would get in.
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Apr 5, 2013 02:53
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Business of Ferrets posted:Are you looking for hiking boots or backpacking boots? If the latter, and if you would also consider a 9-inch boot, you might look at the Lowa Tibet GTX. I have the non-Gore-Tex version, and I love them. Ditto comments above about weight and needing to break them in, but the flip side is that these things are bombproof. Being handmade in Germany, they're not cheap. Lowa makes a wide version, too, which was a godsend. Yeah I was actually going for backpacking boots, thanks for pointing that out. What's the general consensus about commercial (e.g. Lowa, Asolo, Salomon etc.) vs military boots (Danner, Altama etc.)? Like if they all have Gore-Tex linings, Thinsulate, good shank/midsole and treads, would there be any particular reason to pick one over the other?
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Apr 7, 2013 10:30
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Thanks for the boot advice everyone. Yeah I was just interested because when I asked for recommendations before someone posted up a military type Danners. I got curious because I thought the really higher end non-issued military looking boots (like the $350 Danners or those Lowa Zephyrs) would have been more geared towards slugging it out with a heavy pack or something like that. I guess that's not always the case?
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Apr 8, 2013 22:48
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mystes posted:You asked for waterproof 8" boots, so someone suggested something along the lines of what people used to wear when they wore boots like this, but be aware that this is pretty much the opposite of the current trend in hiking footwear. Now most people want lighter shoes and many just use low shoes such as trail runners and this includes people doing backpacking as well. Of course, the trend is also toward carrying less stuff, so it may be a moot point which style is better suited to heavy packs. Ah right yeah, I get you, thanks. I've got a bad ankle so I was after a bit more support, and with a lot of creeks and snowy trails coming up, I just assumed criteria like a tall waterproof boot would be my way to go. Light boots would be amazing, but yeah we're on our way to trek in Nepal at the end of the year, for about a month and a half so I was looking for something really rugged to break in soon. Thanks for all the suggestions folks.
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Apr 9, 2013 05:14
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More hiking gear questions: Could anyone please recommend some relatively cheap but high quality brands of moisture wicking shirts and pants? Got some extended periods of wet conditions ahead of me and if I bring my normal cotton stuff I will never get dry. Thanks in advance.
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Apr 14, 2013 07:21
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For snow shoes and crampons, do they usually just strap onto any boot across the board, or do you have to have boots that are more so catered towards putting crampons and snow shoes on? I'm not likely to do anything like that in the immediate future but I was just wondering.
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May 24, 2013 03:28
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Sorry I keep peppering this thread with really dumb questions, but in terms of a boot, given a choice between nylon and fiberglass shank, is there any preference between the two?
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May 25, 2013 12:41
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I entirely repack my bag before every trip, just to make sure that all items are present and in their proper place. Single items that move between various bags won't be forgotten, and you'll be less likely to forget where they actually are once you get on the trail. This also gives you a chance to readjust all straps (that you loosened after your last trip; right?) and do a cursory inspection for broken zippers, or those that are caked with mud, potential tears, and so forth. I also do this. It's also good to give a lot of your gear a good wipe down after you walk anyway so you'll probably have to completely unpack if you want to do that. What I find also helps is that I have a standard packing list that has everything I usually bring, and I modify it once off if I need something additional. If you only have a couple of things that move around a fair bit and is standard wherever you go, another thing I find helps is just to memorise the number of things you constantly move and just count them every time. Then you only need to think about what you're missing if your count is off.
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May 30, 2013 05:54
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Business of Ferrets posted:Just wanted to give a shout out to the Sea-to-Summit E-vent Drybag; great little piece of equipment! (I pack one with my down quilt and/or jacket, and another, larger one for the rest of my clothes. Works wonderfully.) Have you found any issues with the durability of the dry bags? I was looking at getting the E-vent compression bags but some people said they tear easily.
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Jun 11, 2013 09:52
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Does anyone use Arc'teryx jackets or can comment on them? They're so massively expensive compared to other brands that have similar looking (and functioning?) jackets I was just wondering how they justify charging up to $900 for a jacket. Is half the cost just the name, or are they actually super amazing?
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Jun 18, 2013 17:30
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PRADA SLUT posted:In general, is Arc'Teryx worth the premium? How's the Beta AR? I've been trying to decide on a shell and I think I'm choosing between the Alpha SV and the Beta AR now. I'll be using the shell for general hiking, backpacking, rain/storms and I also climb outside occasionally.
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Aug 12, 2013 23:47
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evil_bunnY posted:I use a Beta AR as a do-everything (what really amounts to hiking, biking and skiing) jacket and it's never let me down, but it and the SV are very different animals. So for my purposes (hiking/backpacking, rain/storms, occasional outdoor climbing) would the SV be too overkill? Especially considering that it tends to be $200+ more than the Beta AR. Also, on another note, does anyone know where I would be able to get either the Alpha SV or Beta AR 2013 models in Sydney, Aus? Or anywhere else I can get them shipped for not too much. I think places like REI have a shipping restriction on Arc'teryx (and other brands e.g. Black Diamond) so I can't order from them. Edit: I've been looking online for Sydney stores that would have them, but I can't seem to find either with Large size in stock, and also I'm looking for one of their bright red colours (I think they're called Cognac or Cardinal or something) for visibility. Chroisman fucked around with this message at 11:03 on Aug 13, 2013 |
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Aug 13, 2013 10:59
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yellowjournalism posted:What headlamps (and flashlights) do you guys use? I'm looking at Fenix lights right now but also hear good stuff about Zebralight, though they don't offer models as cheap as some of the Fenixes. I can't speak to headlamps (actually looking for one myself right now as well), but my flashlight is the Four Sevens Quark QT2A. It's not too big, has a bunch of different modes (inc. strobe, beacon, SOS), you can program two settings for when the head is tight and loose, and all Four Sevens lights have 10 year warranty. I've been really happy with it so far and the brightest mode throws incredibly far (even though it drains the battery pretty quick). My little keychain backup light is a Fenix E05. Very reliable, and it's only as long as a key so it doesn't really add bulk to what's already on my keyring.
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Sep 7, 2013 06:33
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Does anyone have any advice on what to do with hiking packs when checking them in to airline companies? I'm hiking overseas and depending on how heavy my pack is I might need to check it in (haven't fully assembled all my gear yet so I haven't had a chance to weigh it). I'm just concerned about things like loose straps, bag security (do I just padlock every conceivable zipper?) etc.
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Sep 8, 2013 08:05
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Thanks for the advice. I also just 5 minutes ago learned about the existence of tote covers for backpacks (e.g. http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/osprey-airporter-medium-transit-backpack-tote-cover/OSP0293), do you reckon that would be a good idea, or is that just overkill?
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Sep 8, 2013 09:06
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Speleothing posted:This is a terrible idea. What's so bad about doubling up? I double up always, regardless of whether I am walking in summer or winter. I've never had a blister when I've doubled up and have only ever got them when I only wore one pair. It could be coincidence but then it would be a huge 8 year, many hundreds of kilometers coincidence.
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Nov 12, 2013 17:46
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 03:18 |
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I have a quick photography question (that I have also asked over in the photography sub-forum, I was just hoping for some varying perspectives). I recently started moving towards buying lighter gear and packing significantly lighter whenever I go hiking/backpacking/trekking. I also like taking landscape shots though, and I feel that shooting free hand limits me quite a bit (e.g. if I want to take "soft" water shots, or in the morning/evening/light/general low light) so I am looking for a good super light tripod. Also, because I significantly lightened the rest of my gear, I have available "weight space" to carry a tripod. Would anyone have any experience or recommendations for this? Some examples of tripods I have been looking at recently are ones like the Gitzo GT0531, GT0541 or GT1544T. I did consider monopods, but I would rather just sit my camera there for longer exposure shots so I don't gently caress them up. Also, I'm not too keen on a GorillaPod because I was looking for something a bit more full sized. Thanks in advance!
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Aug 30, 2014 16:04
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