Backpacking/Camping Gear: I've thrown my baby into the water in various orientations

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > Backpacking/Camping Gear: I've thrown my baby into the water in various orientations

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Poles come into their own in wet conditions and especially when going downhill. Save your knees and quads a lot of grief using them, not to mention the increased safety of having a reduced chance of a tumble. The cheap Costco or Amazon ones are fine. Used, good quality ones can usually be had pretty cheap on local classifieds if you want less weight and a better build quality

# ¿ Aug 6, 2023 23:11

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 03:24

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Seconding the waxed canvas or oilskin recommendation, it won't break down nearly as bad as a plastic jacket will. They're a good bit heavier but since it's more of an emergency coat that's fine as it'll be warmer too. They're also great for doing outdoors work in the spring/fall in light rain and/or cooler conditions. Plus they look cool as gently caress once they've worn in and weathered a bit.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2023 18:21

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Yeah but my msr pump filter and our gravity filter already have attachments that go directly on my wife and I's two wide mouth nalgenes so I don't see myself switching from them.

My wife got the little "easy sipper" that goes into the wide mouth bottle and she much prefers it that way.

Personally I like the chugability of the unfettered wide mouth and see the bit of water that leaks out onto my chin and chest as free Air conditioning :sickos:

# ¿ Aug 22, 2023 19:59

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Am I the only poor goon who's still using a MSR Whisperlite? My uncle gave me two, I had to replace some minor parts in both with the repair parts kit, but it's so gotte dang nice once it gets going. I use the thick aluminum base and windscreen it came with as a rule, regardless of wind conditions. The efficiency boost and time to boil decrease is just too good to omit for such a tiny weight and space investment. I'm not a weight weeny, regardless.

Sure, it's less convenient than a jetboil, but we don't usually eat exclusively freeze dried food, we like to cook stuff like (powdered) egg omelettes with shelf stable cheeses+meats+veg filling, chili/soup, pancakes, quesadillas, pastas, etc. Usually we try to plan fancier meals for after the hardest day and the last day, and freeze dried/convenient stuff for the rest.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2023 04:39

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

xzzy posted:

I have a couple pairs of darn toughs that lost their "stuffing" in a weird spot, right on the transition from the ball to the arch, behind the big toe and the pinky toe. Just two bare spots on four different socks in the exact same spot.

Not complaining about them, it's just a mystery that has bugged me for a couple years since I noticed it. I still wear them and they work great.. but I can't figure out the pattern. By any chance anyone ever seen something like that?

That's right on the edge of one of* the highest pressure point areas* of your foot, where it shifts back and forth slightly as your foot pivots during walking/hiking. All of my work socks wear in that same place, as do the sole inserts I put in my work boots. If you or your partner is handy, you can darn that area with a needle or a compatible sewing machine with fluffy yarn/thread (like this https://www.mimifabrics.ca/notions/thread/serger-thread/aeroflock-fluffy-thread.html) and get more life out of it.

Mederlock fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Aug 30, 2023

# ¿ Aug 30, 2023 19:36

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Fitzy Fitz posted:

Yeah to all the big footers out there, Darn Tough doesn't care about you.

I'm a US 11.5 fairly wide.. am I a big footer? :tinfoil:

If that's a size they're not good in, I guess I'll keep looking

# ¿ Aug 31, 2023 17:13

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

I actually really like using my Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire on the trail, but if you're using the gps the entire time it goes from 15 days of battery life to more like 3-5. I do like the logging and tracking features tho, it helps me pace myself by keeping my heart rate in check.

I always carry a map and compass as a backup and have some experience orienteering so. Two is one and one is none and all that

# ¿ Sep 6, 2023 14:37

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Seconding Superfeet, their newer green hike support model is fantastic. My wife also swears by their low profile model meant for flats/fancy lady shoes, and I use their regular green model in all of my work steel-toed boots.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2023 00:06

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

HenryJLittlefinger posted:

This one?

Yeah, I run those in like 3 pairs of boots and my wife's hiking boots

# ¿ Sep 27, 2023 16:02

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

I'm really starting to not mind wool/synthetic blends in my base layers and socks and such for that reason. Especially when I'm at work outside in winter and being wet and clammy will make you colder than anything

# ¿ Oct 20, 2023 13:47

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Dick Burglar posted:

Thanks for this.

Definitely need to get a water filter, so good to know, thanks.

The backpacking youtube channels I've been watching seem to recommend using Smartwater bottles for water

I've definitely been overpacking clothes.

Navigation is something I am very not-great with. I'd be a lot more comfortable if I took a map-reading/land nav class, even if modern GPS solutions are far and away the better option.

For tools, how do you feel about a folding saw? My guess is probably unnecessary unless you're looking to build your own shelter.

How much paracord is a goo amount to pick up? I was thinking of getting 200 feet because that's almost certainly more than I'd need, but I'm probably gonna ruin some of it doing stupid poo poo so best to have some extra.

I've got a Black Diamond headlamp. It's a AAA using kind, not a rechargeable kind, but it works for now.

I've been watching channels like TA Outdoors and I think it'd be fun to try super low profile camping with a bivy and a simple tarp, but that's probably best reserved for when I better know what I'm doing. But it's fun to imagine, at least?

Thanks for the information and the recommendations. I'll consider renting some stuff from REI when next I go camping. Any more suggestions for brands to look into or to absolutely avoid, I'm all ears!

- I'd recommend looking at the gravity water filters like the platypus gravityworks or equivalent. There's something to be said for just scooping some water into a bag and hanging it on a tree or your poles.
- I'd honestly recommend a Nalgene wide mouth or compatibly-threaded wide mouth water bottle. Many water filters have adapters directly to them, and they're built like tanks. My wife and I both carry a 1.5 litre Nalgene that fits in our side pockets of our backpacks perfectly. They're like $20.
- highly recommend merino wool base layers, with a loose and lightweight pants/shirts over top. They're naturally stink resistant and stay reasonably warm even when wet, so you can get away with fewer changes of clothes that way.
- for most backpacking in designated parks areas, it's illegal to go around and harvest wood for a fire anyways. Skip the saw and hatchets, unless you're going into unrestricted natural areas and plan to use them explicitly
- you don't need miles and miles of Paracord, despite what the survivalist YouTubers might say lol. 100' is plenty. 200' is approaching overkill, unless you're actually using it as part of one of your shelter systems.
LED battery powered headlamps are good, because you can carry an extra set or two of batteries. Rechargeable ones are fine as long as you've tested it's actually useful battery life.
-definitely don't go straight into ultralight minimalist camping. Start thinking about that after you have a couple hundred/thousand km's of backpacking behind you. You'll know what you want and what you actually need at that point

# ¿ Nov 1, 2023 21:30

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

How do you like the Coleman camping oven? My wife and I have been thinking on and off about picking one up for use on our camp stove and or camp chef

# ¿ Dec 8, 2023 19:52

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

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.

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.

You can get custom fit skates that are waaaaaay more comfortable, fwiw

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 03:31

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 03:24

Mederlock: Jun 23, 2012; You won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it; Grimey Drawer

Pick up a good camera tripod at a secondhand store for cheap and get an adapter mount for the binos and you'll boost your comfort a lot, not having to hold your arms up the whole time. Plus the image will be more stable and thus you'll probably resolve even more

# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 02:29

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > Backpacking/Camping Gear: I've thrown my baby into the water in various orientations