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Hahah yeah. Sometimes you just gotta repeat yourself to make a point 
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Mar 23, 2024 20:47
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I'm looking for some footwear recommendations. I currently have a pair of Salomon X ultra 4 GTX hiking shoes, that I purchased around 2021 when they first came out. Now they are pretty beat up and worn down and I'm looking for a replacement. The easy option is to just rebuy them again, since I liked them but I wanted to explore other alternatives in case there are new shoes since then that have come out or ones that fit my use cases better. I use my Salomons as my everyday outdoor/hiking shoe, if there was any chance I would walk in dirt, mud, snow, rain I wore them. I've probably walked more miles on pavement with them than trail but I appreciated the toughness and resilience that getting them a little wet didn't mean my socks/feet were soaked unlike sneakers. I like the low cut of the shoe as I want to use them for day hiking, and general outdoor use and don't need "ankle support". I prize the light weight and flexibility of the shoe so much that it is one of my most comfortable shoes to wear just all the time. I probably would go for a goretex model to resist any rain/water that gets on or splashes on the shoe but I can do without. I've been looking at trail runners as an alternative option to consider but I don't really know how to pick or narrow down my search as every shoe is "premium" "light" "flexible" "perfect for [you]". So alternative shoes/brands I should explore? Or just buy the Salomons again because they're that good, (nearly every "best hiking shoe list" has them somewhere at 1 or near the top)
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Mar 24, 2024 05:22
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Altra lone peak #whatevers are the practically universal favorite trail runner. They come in a goretex option but you probably don’t actually want them in goretex, your feet will be dry more often in a non waterproof shoe That said the Salomon’s are good and imo if you’ve got a good thing going on your feet you keep that going
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Mar 24, 2024 05:28
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Bloody posted:Altra lone peak #whatevers are the practically universal favorite trail runner. yeah this is what I wear
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Mar 24, 2024 05:38
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Would also suggest topo designs if you have a slightly narrower foot. Also at Costco today, I saw ladies and men's short merrel moabs.
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Mar 24, 2024 05:59
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Chillyrabbit posted:I'm looking for some footwear recommendations. If you like em, I'd just look at it like a consumable and buy another pair! Unfortunately, unlike say goodyear welted boots that can be resoled, glued soles can't really be fixed. With the softer materials it's really a tradeoff between comfort, traction, and longevity, and even small stuff like warming your feet by the fire for too long can melt the adhesives. I used to be all in on the ankle support train, but what I've learned over time is that apparently the impact just gets transferred up to your knees which are less capable of absorbing lateral movements like that when you have your ankles tightly bound up in boots. I love my Lowa boots for certain trips, especially harsh and rocky trails, but mostly I'm team trail runners now, and I love me my New Balances for my sasquatch feet.
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Mar 24, 2024 13:29
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Solomon x ultra is my winter boot (down to 0F for me), love it. Altra lone peak is my summer shoe, love that too. Shoulder season I haven't really found the perfect solution, insulation on the Altras is nonexistent so if it's chilly at all it's gonna cut right through. I usually wear the Solomon's in those situations but they're kind of overkill. So my point is if you want an alternative to the x ultras, the lone peak is well worth a look. Each is a very good option on either end of the spectrum. I wouldn't use lone peaks as a daily shoe, asphalt will obliterate the lugs, but they feel great on gravel and dirt. My daily shoe is a merrel Moab, I get about two years in them before the rubber is gone. Waterproof is fine but they will get very hot and cause swampy feet. They'd be fine for hiking if they weren't so hot, and the non water proof version is basically a sponge so that rules them out on shoulder season.
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Mar 24, 2024 13:48
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I have three shoes I rotate through, the Hoka Speedgoat, Brooks Cascadia, and La Sportiva Mutant. I’ll probably just cut it down to the Brooks and Hokas. I don’t recommend filling up a closet with trail running shoes though, the girlfriend gets mad that they take up so much room
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Mar 25, 2024 18:39
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Hotel Kpro posted:I have three shoes I rotate through, the Hoka Speedgoat, Brooks Cascadia, and La Sportiva Mutant. I’ll probably just cut it down to the Brooks and Hokas. My primary trail shoe for day hikes and backpacking is the topo terraventure. Its very similar to the altra but feels a little less like a ducks foot in the toes. Its still wide but not as wide as altras. I really wish Altra made a slightly narrower version for people with narrower feet.
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Mar 25, 2024 21:39
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Verman posted:My primary trail shoe for day hikes and backpacking is the topo terraventure. Its very similar to the altra but feels a little less like a ducks foot in the toes. Its still wide but not as wide as altras. I really wish Altra made a slightly narrower version for people with narrower feet. No!!! Altras are one of the only brands making good shoes for wide feet. There are a million brands for narrow feet. Let us have this.
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Mar 25, 2024 21:53
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Are there any decent general-use (not backpacking-specific) cots besides the REI Kingdom one? It looks nice but I always balk at the price tag.
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Mar 25, 2024 23:55
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Costco has the US Forest Service cot for $50 right now. It's a basic, big, heavy, sturdy cot, no padding or anything wild. Most no-frills cots should run in the $50-100 range.
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Mar 26, 2024 00:05
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It always seemed to me like a cot would be pretty rough on the tent flooring. Is that not a valid concern?
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Mar 26, 2024 00:23
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I recently got this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073WJACW (for $80 from amazon warehouse) It seems comfortable but I haven't actually slept on it yet. (It comes with a thin pad but for spring I'm planning on cutting down some memory foam that I was using with an air mattress before.) It's heavy but very easy to unfold and since it has bars rather than feet it seems like it shouldn't damage a tent too much. There may be more options if you're shorter though. mystes fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Mar 26, 2024 |
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Mar 26, 2024 00:24
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I put little soft carpety pads on the feet of my cot and my tent floor has held up fine through several years of use
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Mar 26, 2024 00:24
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I have the NatureHike brand cot. Comfortable, decent quality and design. I can assemble it in my 2 person tent if needed. I use it with a Nemo pad, as I'm a side sleeper. It's as bulky as 2/3 of a tent when packed, but much lighter. Keeps me just off the ground, maybe 3 inches. As moderate priced cots go, it's good.
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Mar 26, 2024 00:34
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The thing people don't get about modern Altras are that they aren't just for wide feet, they're feet-shaped. They have three different lasts from a narrow one that fits my b/c width feet all the way up to the old original last like the Lone Peaks. The difference between them and most shoes is that they don't taper to a vanity point in the front (and therefore have room for, oh I dunno, all your toes).
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Mar 26, 2024 02:07
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The lone peaks felt really weird the first time I wore them and they only got more comfortable after that. I don't have insanely wide feet but I do have some sensitivity on them and am prone to pain along the outside edge if the shoe squeezes a little too tight. Usually a warmup or breaking the shoe in works around it. With the altras none of that happens and it's sad that it feels weird to have shoes that actually fit. At least shoes are soft. I also cram my feet into hockey skates which have no give whatsoever and there isn't a single hockey boot out there that fits. I just have to accept that the area behind my pinky toe is gonna be in agony when I take them off. Thus, Altra should make ice skates too.
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Mar 26, 2024 03:08
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Topos also have a more foot shaped toe box. I've had a pair of MT-4s for a couple of years and they are actually designed for mixed terrain and I've been surprised by how well the lugs have held up to walking on concrete and asphalt. Very flexible under foot and insanely grippy. Anyway, I'm a pretty big fan of them. I guess you could consider them altra lites? Minimal (but not zero) drop with a roomy toe box. Apparently they increased the cushion (and stack height) of the new model. Kind of a shame. I've been digging the minimalist(ish) design. Math You fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Mar 26, 2024 |
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Mar 26, 2024 03:12
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armorer posted:It always seemed to me like a cot would be pretty rough on the tent flooring. Is that not a valid concern? Not bad if you’re harping beneath the floor. There’s less active wear with a cot since they don’t move or rub much when in use. If it’s a sharp rock concern, the cot neither addresses nor alleviates that.
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Mar 26, 2024 03:17
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xzzy posted:The lone peaks felt really weird the first time I wore them and they only got more comfortable after that. I don't have insanely wide feet but I do have some sensitivity on them and am prone to pain along the outside edge if the shoe squeezes a little too tight. Usually a warmup or breaking the shoe in works around it. With the altras none of that happens and it's sad that it feels weird to have shoes that actually fit. You can get custom fit skates that are waaaaaay more comfortable, fwiw
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Mar 26, 2024 03:31
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Since Altras came up, would you recommend them for the wonderland trail? I’ve never tried a pair but definitely need something for wide feet. My only concern would be the tread because I’ve relied on my keens (blisters be damned) and they’ve never let me slip.
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Mar 26, 2024 04:43
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Yeah certainly
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Mar 26, 2024 05:22
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Altras and tops have great treads. Pretty aggressive and grippy. Lone peaks are like the top through-hike shoe fwiw
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Mar 26, 2024 05:59
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Chillyrabbit posted:I'm looking for some footwear recommendations. Salomon makes a bunch of trail runners and lighter weight non-GTX hiking shoes. I haven't tried them personally but I see s/lab ultras everywhere. I have no idea if the last is the same as the hiking shoes you are used to, but salomon in general tends to make footwear that is "average" sized, so you may consider starting there. If you need something narrower maybe try la sportiva, if you want wider definitely try altras. As you say there are a bunch of different trail runners, approach shoes, etc. on the market and it can be hard to differentiate them just reading the (mostly meaningless) ad copy. Is there some particular reason you are looking at alternatives or something specific you want out of your footwear (i.e. lighter weight, more breathable, better traction, more flexible or more stiff, looking for better performance in certain terrain, climbing ability, looking to actually run in them, etc...) One thing I'll tell you is trail runners/approach shoes are not built for durability and many of them aren't cheap either. So if you value that in your current shoes, they do everything you want them to, and they fit well...I'm not sure there's much value in dropping $100-200 to try something else.
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Mar 26, 2024 06:09
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Mostly just checking to see if anything new or better came out since then. Technology changes and there could be new brands that offer the same thing but better or cheaper. I'm likely to wear these shoes into the ground again, and this is really the only opportunity to look for something different. I'm probably going to go for the x ultra 4's again
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Mar 27, 2024 14:33
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All this shoe talk convinced me to buy a pair of sandals! Specifically these keens that look like the incest spawn of a one night stand between a pair of Crocs and Chacos
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Mar 27, 2024 19:50
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I have a less fabulous set of those keens and they are awesome. I've used them on rafting trips and not lost them in a dunk, strapped to my bag for easy access on stream crossings, as well as a pair of slip ones for taking out the trash. Truly a do anything shoe! I do not suggest hiking in them though. I did that once in super wet conditions and the blisters were epic. I figured I could get lucky because I almost never blister.. but I sure managed it on that day. Lesson learned.
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Mar 27, 2024 19:59
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Well, crud, hiking was exactly what I wanted to do with them lol. That's good to know though, I'll just have to bust out some socks to go with em  Question about mosquito repellant... has anyone had luck with any area based repellents or traps? I know the best solutions are long sleeves, deet, bug screens, and that citronella and zappers don't really do much. But I've seen some positive reviews for stuff like Thermacell and I was curious whether anyone had any experience with that or anything else that seems to work all rightish to keep mosquitos at bay when camping in the same spot for a few days (as I'm planning to do next weekend with the eclipse).
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Apr 1, 2024 02:45
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Thermacell is basically just fogging the area with insecticide. Not the best tool in natural areas, even if it does work.
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Apr 1, 2024 03:11
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they're bad for fish and stuff too I think
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Apr 1, 2024 03:15
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Just drive your pickup to the camp site and roll coal until all the wildlife is dead
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Apr 1, 2024 03:20
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mystes posted:Just drive your pickup to the camp site and roll coal until all the wildlife is dead We've been doing that for 200 years now. Probably about 20 years until the plan comes to fruition.
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Apr 1, 2024 03:38
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Catatron Prime posted:Well, crud, hiking was exactly what I wanted to do with them lol. That's good to know though, I'll just have to bust out some socks to go with em Wirecutter has a writeup. They recommend some thermacell products and Pic coils. Here's what they say about safety: quote:Both chemicals, in their pure form at high, regularly administered doses, have shown toxicity to lab animals. But spatial repellents like our picks use a diluted version that then vaporizes into the air in an outdoor setting. Joe Conlon, writing about repellents and pesticides on the AMCA website, notes, “The dosages at which these products are legally dispensed are at least 100-fold less than the point at which public health and environmental safety merit consideration.” Alternatively (or in addition) you can treat your shelter with permethrin, which if nothing else helps avoid the annoyance of a mosquito in your tent at night. Also i like picardin lotion instead of DEET. It's just as effective, but the smell is inoffensive and it won't damage synthetic fabrics.
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Apr 1, 2024 03:48
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Is picardin itself not supposed to be smelly at all? I got something with it and I thought it was still pretty smelly but I guess that could be other ingredients so maybe I should try a different brand
mystes fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Apr 1, 2024 |
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Apr 1, 2024 04:15
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mystes posted:Is picardin itself not supposed to be smelly at all? I got something with it and I thought it was still pretty smelly but I guess that could be other ingredients so maybe I should try a different brand I get the sawyer stuff. It smells a little citrusy with some sunblock notes, but nothing like deet
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Apr 1, 2024 04:22
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hypnophant posted:I get the sawyer stuff. It smells a little citrusy with some sunblock notes, but nothing like deet
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Apr 1, 2024 04:23
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Thermacell does work surprisingly well if you're used to the various candles and coils that always seem to do exactly nothing. We picked up a gas powered model while canoe camping on some very mosquito infested, forested islands on a lake after getting eaten alive the first two nights, and were actually able to comfortably sit outside with one going. It even seems to helps somewhat against midges.
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Apr 1, 2024 08:13
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Thermacell is basically just fogging the area with insecticide. Not the best tool in natural areas, even if it does work. Ah, well, poo poo, that's good to know. I didn't realize that it was straight up insecticide, I was hoping it was more of a deterrent or mask so mosquitos didn't detect your CO2 and whatnot. I can't imagine any sort of insecticide is all that great to breathe for long term. Usually haven't had too many issues when hiking around to backcountry sites, especially combined with a good campfire and eucalyptus spray, but we'll be staying at a state park campground on an island which is what I'm more concerned about. I'll just do a picaridin on some of my long sleeve camping clothes here and lean on that... appreciate all the feedback! Anyone have any lightweight popup screened shelters they particularly like? I've got a nice 23zero 180 awning, but unfortunately the walls that zip to it aren't screened in any way. I've also got a screened coleman popup gazebo, but frankly that thing is just way too big and heavy to mess with for most trips.
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Apr 1, 2024 16:00
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 19:46 |
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Thermacells work great for us. I cant imagine its all that harmful when used outside. Between premithrin and picardin lotion I hardly seem to need it now.
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Apr 1, 2024 18:18
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