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I recently upgraded my pack from a 20-year-old external frame (still perfectly good  just lacking in modern amenities), and am I the only one who thinks that having a 'dedicated sleeping bag compartment' at the bottom of most new packs is kind of weird? I mean of course you can do whatever with whatever, but I'm used to putting the bag in a stuffsack and cinching it down with the top flap over the rest of everything else. In my mind heavy stuff goes down in that area to keep center of gravity low. What am I missing?
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Apr 22, 2017 03:41
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Well Imma put my food and water down there, and if Osprey wants to come tell me otherwise I'll fight 'em. Anyone have a good recommendation for lightweight optics? I like birding and backpacking, but my nice binoculars are too heavy and awkward to bring while hiking. Ideally I'd like something that can clip to a gear hook on a shoulder strap, so probably a monocular, at least 10x.
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Apr 22, 2017 06:03
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Rime posted:Heavy at the bottom is bad mojo, here's a good illustration of optimal packing: This is useful, thanks! CopperHound posted:Moving your weight higher in the pack can help you stand more upright. And this pretty accurately depicts my posture during the back half of a trip, so I'll give this a try.
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Apr 24, 2017 01:35
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CopperHound posted:I always scoffed at alcohol stoves, but today I had some denatured alcohol, aluminum cans, and time: Did you have much trouble getting the alcohol to vaporize properly? I've messed with alcohol stoves only a little bit, and each time it seemed like I had to pour a lot of fuel around to get the metal heated up to the point where it was actually a stove and not just a wisp of blue flame. Big weight savings over a white gas stove but I wonder if the extra fuel eats into some of those savings, or if I was simply doing it wrong.
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Apr 25, 2017 15:03
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ROFLburger posted:I'm going backpacking tomorrow for a few days and I'm wondering if it's uncommon to just not bring a stove? This'll be my first trip where I'll need hot water for food and my plan is to just use a campfire with a pot or whatever. I have trouble budgeting weight/space as it is, I don't want to try to accommodate a stove. I see stoves are always recommended but it just seems unnecessary to me? I've only gone backpacking a few times, though Where are you camping? In nearly every place I've been ground fires are either not allowed, or wood gathering is prohibited. If you're okay on those fronts then yeah a campfire and pot for water will do you fine.
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Apr 27, 2017 02:50
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Sometimes I forget that a lot of folks don't live in a state is perpetually on fire/almost on fire.
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Apr 27, 2017 05:34
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Bogan King posted:Ahahaha, I was gonna make some stupid joke about how your fire safety laws are all made by drop bears but then I remembered The Recent Situation here, and well, I just can't. Anyway, I'd bet anyone reading this thread is perfectly capable of making a safe campfire. Woodgathering is still probably not good, because the ecosystem needs that decay, so stoves are nice if you want hot.
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Apr 28, 2017 06:01
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Pennywise the Frown posted:edit: The deer ticks here are loving horrible. Notice how the New England is filled with them............... and then just Wisconsin. Oh and this isn't tick reports, it LYME DISEASE reports.  From how much I was always warned about it, I figured the West Coast had it bad when it comes to Lyme Disease, but that's horrifying.
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May 10, 2017 20:22
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Dr Bronners is the poo poo and everyone should use it anyway
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May 12, 2017 01:24
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I have and love a Luci Inflatable Lantern. I like that it collapses down to the size of a few CDs, recharges in the sun and can be clipped to your pack while you hike, puts out lots of light and is lightweight enough to hang in a tent. They also make funky colored ones if you're into  camping.
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May 19, 2017 20:56
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Do you mean like the plastic is permanently fogged? 'Cuz if there is one thing about it I would change, that would be it.
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May 19, 2017 21:52
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I'm a proud wuss, which is why I never tip my circumcised trekking poles after they wipe standing up.
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May 21, 2017 06:18
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FogHelmut posted:Hopefullly I'm going to be doing some car camping in the Southern California area. I'm looking for a tent, and/or other gear. Weight isn't much of a concern, though I'm not really looking for anything larger than in the 4-6 person range. Breaking the bank, however, is a concern. I've been looking at Alps Mountaineering and CORE Equipment - something a step up from Coleman stuff, but not anything super high end. Although I read somewhere recently that Coleman was making an effort to improve their quality? If you want to try it out without buying, tent rentals are a thing. Try your nearby colleges and outdoor stores.
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Jun 13, 2017 05:24
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I have to patch a hole in the mesh of my tent. Best to apply patch inside, outside, or both? I got extras.
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Jun 17, 2017 02:14
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Can vouch for platypus gravity filter bags, I was on a trip a year ago with a group that used those to filter massive amounts in short order. No pumping, carry extra dirty water as mentioned, dead simple. I use a katadyn vario pump, but it is a bit heavy and fiddly.
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Jul 26, 2017 03:20
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How is your pack on gear loops? You can strap/clip a lot of gear to the outside of some packs, bungie cords or just string. Are you going solo? Maybe you can spread some of the bulkier things out if you have partners. How far are you hiking?
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Jul 29, 2017 20:10
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thatguy posted:I also don't use toilet paper and as of yet I haven't managed to poo poo all over my hands. Know your limitations Lol get this macho poo poo out of here. It is definitely worth taking a trivial extra step to protect yourself when you're in an exposed environment. At a minimum it's worth mitigating the risk of making GBS threads uncontrollably for days after you've already taken vacation time to go camping. Chard fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Jul 31, 2017 |
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Jul 31, 2017 06:32
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That is extremely cool. Needs to have the silhouettes for backgammon tho, I can never remember the setup 
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Sep 10, 2017 04:21
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Time to learn how to use those useless upper legs I'd say.
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Sep 21, 2017 22:57
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Was that not a joke post?
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Mar 20, 2018 02:03
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I'm not sure I would solve the problem of "bring fire" by upgrading my stove, but congrats on your new acquisition!
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Apr 5, 2018 15:48
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SwissArmyDruid posted:The Snow Peak has a piezo igiter built-in, my old-rear end pocketrocket does not. I get that, and it's cool. I just can't imagine stepping out without multiple redundant sources of fire for me/the group. I usually have two cheap Bic lighters and some hurricane matches in with emergency kit.
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Apr 5, 2018 18:53
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If I were camping in areas where I was actually building ground fires (see: not California), I would definitely bring things more along those lines. Building fires is fun! But it just doesn't make sense in most cases where I only need to light a candle or jazz cigarette or stove , whether alcohol or white gas, and I'm lazy enough that the few extra grams don't make it worth messing about with flint. People who litter are terrible and I usually end up filling my side pockets with trail trash to hike out.
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Apr 6, 2018 20:12
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If it's stainless you could hit it with Barkeeper's Friend and a bottle brush, couldn't hurt to try if you're going to toss it otherwise.
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May 11, 2018 21:06
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Anyone use the Petzl e+LITE as a primary headlamp? I'm trying to decide on a replacement for my heavy AAA-eater and leaning towards that one based on weight, but I don't have a good sense of what 50 lumens looks like, but it's 1/4 what the Tikka puts out
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May 17, 2018 23:38
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Thanks, that's really helpful. I guess I should take the description of it as an emergency backup seriously and pick something burlier.
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May 18, 2018 00:18
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I did see the zebralight H52 on one review site; it's on the higher end of my budget. Do you find the ability to take it off the band and use it as a hand light is worthwhile?
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May 18, 2018 00:43
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TBH the red option is something I would like to have. I'll see if any of my local shops have one to get my hands on.
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May 18, 2018 03:42
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FogHelmut posted:Any ideas for sleeping situation for a toddler? I'm thinking about sticking him in a dog bed, as they're cheaper As a childless goon, this seems to me like solid advice in general
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Jun 8, 2018 04:29
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Hammock enthusiasts, is the ENO singlenest a good beginner's hammock? The current rei sale has got me looking e: for warm weather how feasible is it to just use a regular sleeping bag instead of quilt(s)? I tend to sleep pretty hot anyway. Chard fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Jun 22, 2018 |
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Jun 22, 2018 21:26
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CopperHound posted:If it is cool enough for a blanket, your backside will probably get chilly. Does it work to shove a z-lite under you in this situation? I know double-layer hammocks exist that have special pad slots but I don't think this one has that. deong posted:Would you be able to unzip a sleeping bag from the toe box, then use it like a sleeve? If you mean draping it over me like a blanket, this is what I do most of the time already
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Jun 22, 2018 21:59
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Loucks posted:No, not unless you're 5'6". The Eno is short enough to be (imo) suitable for hanging around at the park but not great for actually backpacking. I suggest Dutchware as a good starting point. You can get an 11' netless hammock cheaply, and it will be much more comfortable than an Eno. I've got one made with a single layer of 1.6 Hexon, and it's perfect. I should have mentioned that I'm a little over 6'. From the reviews I've looked at seemed like that would be okay at that size. I like the DIY kits, but for a first timer I'll probably end up getting a finished product.
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Jun 22, 2018 22:03
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I don't even have a sewing machine so those are right out, but I thought it was neat that is an option at all. I guess it really boils down to two questions then: 1) what will fit a 6'-ish person comfortably, and 2) does it work to use a pad inside the hammock rather than an underquilt? It sounds like the answer to 2 at least is yes, so now I just need to figure out the height equation.
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Jun 22, 2018 22:38
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Thanks for the hammock tips everyone. I got to try it out for two nights last weekend, one with an inflatable pad, and it was honestly the best night's sleep I've had in recent memory, to the point I am seriously considering building a permanent stand for home use.SwissArmyDruid posted:Paging Chard, I saw that Petzl has expanded their lineup and added the Bindi, a 35g light with 200 lumens. That's a little under 1.5 times the weight of the E+Lite you were looking at, but I think that's horribly expensive, and I'm not enough of a gram weenie to see the appeal. Woof, that's pretty pricey for a lamp; I'm not a fan of the cord-style straps either, even with the low weight I think that might be uncomfortable. I ended up getting the Actik when it was on sale and I've been quite happy with it so far
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Jul 4, 2018 18:38
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OSU_Matthew posted:Nice! What did you wind up getting? I did end up going with the Doublenest. REI sale combined with Having It Right Now made the decision for me and I've very satisfied. That being said, if I decide I want to upgrade a few years down the line I'll have a better idea of what my other options are. I rent, so I'd be nervous about doing anything that could put holes that size in the walls. It would also be kind of awkward given the layout of the place I'm in. Honestly I've done about two minutes of research on this so far, but a lot of video thumbnails seem to suggest you can make one for just a few  of materials and a little labor. If I were a homeowner than yeah, permanent installation no question.
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Jul 5, 2018 21:15
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Guest2553 posted:Food is kinda gear, so I'll ask it here - has anybody else had firesales of larabars/cliff bars going for firesale prices in their locales? The normally 1.50 to 2.00 bars are going for under a buck each. I've been buying a box on every grocery trip and have like 100 of them stashed, which is probably more than I'll use this year but it's not like they go that bad. The Winco near me has last-season flavors for $.28, so my summer outings have tasted like gingerbread and pumpkin spice.
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Jul 6, 2018 04:57
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Internet Wizard posted:Get a cheap foam sleep pad and cut off a strip and put it between the tongues of your boot and the laces  My dad has toe trouble when we hike together, I'm going to recommend he try this, so clever
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Jul 20, 2018 02:05
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Does anyone carry bear mace? I was camping last night, and as I was cooking breakfast today I spotted a trio of black bears across the river from me, maybe 2-300 feet away. They turned around almost as soon as I saw them, I think because they saw me moving, but it was equal parts scary and amazing. Hanging smellables isn't much good when you're eating them 
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Aug 5, 2018 20:18
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Bells don't work? I'm a pretty noisy hiker and have a bad habit of singing/talking to myself and always figured that would be enough to let critters know I'm coming... As for the mace I don't ever want to have to use it, I guess I'm just wondering whether it's effective in emergency situations.
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Aug 5, 2018 21:18
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:17 |
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Thaddius the Large posted:By what I read there isn’t a ton of research to begin with, but while making noise in general is a good idea, there wasn’t much to indicate bears take much notice of bells, and just kind of ignore them. There was some debate though, it’s just not significantly clear the bells are helpful. Terrifying Effigies posted:Bells are meant to prevent bears from getting spooked by your approach when they're gorging and not paying attention to their surroundings. If you're close up by the time a bear realizes your there they may decide to lash out rather than run off. I should probably get something anyway, since I'm almost always out by myself and any measure of extra safety I can add is a good idea. Or at least learn some more songs to sing. wesleywillis posted:Allegedly bear spray is more effective than a gun. That being said, I'd rather have a gun. I have heard stories of predatory black bears getting sprayed, but then coming back around once their eyes stop burning. Thats not something I'd like to encounter. Guns aren't an option for me, and while I've never heard of a bear coming back on someone who maced it I wouldn't write it off. Do you have a link on that by any chance? What I have heard is that if you're in a situation where the bear is killing angry it's just going to shrug off the pain until it's done anyway... point being to avoid getting there in the first place.
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Aug 5, 2018 22:06
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