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pumped up for school posted:Wasn't sure which backpacking thread to post, but this one says gear, so... sorry if wrong thread. For carrying 50+ lbs of gear, including lots of bulky/awkward stuff, I'd look at military-style rucks, especially the stuff targeted at the SF community. Something like a mystery ranch crewcab might be a good place to start looking, but a ton of brands have popped up over the past decade to service people with needs similar to yours. At the other end of the price scale, a surplus ALICE or MOLLE pack might also work for you- they'd both be top-loaders but both are wider than most civilian gear, so you'd have an easier time packing what you need.
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# ¿ Aug 5, 2019 16:30 |
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# ¿ May 9, 2024 23:46 |
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Honestly some leather patrol gloves or work gloves with a liner might be your best bet
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# ¿ Nov 13, 2019 07:00 |
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Rolo posted:I’m starting to think my limiting junk accessory has become my underwear. These bargain bag Haines cotton briefs might need to turn into merino wool or something. Goons? Uniqlo airism is also worth a mention here
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# ¿ May 13, 2020 21:46 |
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Sab669 posted:Anyone have suggestions for a jacket that isn't too bulky to wear in the winter time for North-East US? I've just been wearing my Burton coat for years, which is extremely warm and great for layering, but it's so big and bulky. Don't necessarily need something that heavy duty when I'm just driving to work or for casual hiking (2-4 hours tops) around in the winter. Hello buffalo friend. I don’t live there any more but grew up there. For driving to work and hiking, as long as you keep moving, you would probably be ok in something like a nano puff with a good base layer, with maybe a windbreaker to throw on as an outer layer. I like the uniqlo ul down puff as a cheap alternative. Make sure you have a warm hat, gloves, and socks, as these will affect your comfort significantly. You might also appreciate having a 3/4 length wool car coat or similar, these can also be very warm and you’ll appreciate the extra length if you’re doing something less active.
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# ¿ Aug 17, 2020 14:20 |
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Get the same thing (cascade mountain tech brand) from amazon, where they cost 15 additional dollars
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# ¿ Dec 12, 2020 06:23 |
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tildes posted:Has anyone who is a tall/larger person tried an Osprey Talon 22? I’m 6’6” and like 200 lbs and a lot of stuff online seems to suggest it runs a bit small, so I’m worried even the larger size might still not fit super well. COVID makes it a bit harder to try on, so wondering if anyone has experience with it prior to ordering/maybe returning. The hip belt won't sit on your hips but it might not matter all that much to you, especially if you're just planning to use it for day trips. The physical dimensions of a small daypack don't really match up with the dimensions of a very tall person, but it also doesn't make much difference because you won't notice <20lbs on your back nearly as much as a smaller person would. FogHelmut posted:Sub $20 ultralight stove recommend? Not trying to rely on it for survival, just putting together a small kit for recreational use. I have this which should fit in about anything hypnophant fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Jan 8, 2021 |
# ¿ Jan 8, 2021 04:38 |
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Depends on when you got your training. Post Iraq/Afghanistan we've learned a limb stands a good chance for up to 6 hours in a tourniquet. No, 6 hours is about what I learned in EMT-B in 2006. People who got medical training in the military really, really overestimate the importance and value of tourniquets (and needle decompression) in civilian care. In 6 years in civilian EMS I saw arterial bleeding only a handful of times, but was able to control it every time without using a tourniquet. We didn't even carry the fancy tourniquets on the truck since you could easily improvise one with cravats if you really needed it. I haven't taken a wilderness course but I doubt they'd have any more value there, and frankly I think they'd have close to zero value in the SHTF scenario either, since you really are writing off the limb if you put a tourniquet on without modern emergency care immediately available to back it up (and writing off the organism, too, if you don't have some kind of surgeon who can amputate after the limb is lost.) That doesn't stop North American Rescue from selling CATs to every prepper putting together a bugout bag, though.
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# ¿ Mar 23, 2021 23:50 |
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withak posted:Thing about first aid gear is you hardly ever need it, until you need it really badly. That's all fine but the expected value you will get out of a tourniquet is really very low (because the situation where you will need it is so rare) and the potential for doing harm with it is very high. In particular I think ex-military types really need to understand why tourniquets are a first-line treatment in combat care and a last-line treatment in civilian emergency care, and I don't think most people should be carrying them without a very thorough understanding of what will happen after the tourniquet has been applied. The CLS training is "once the tourniquet is on, that limb is fixed and you don't need to worry about it any more;" that's wildly inappropriate in civvie EMS and potentially disastrous in a situation like wilderness medicine where care may be delayed. For that reason, I don't think a CAT belongs in a general backpacking or camping kit.
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# ¿ Mar 24, 2021 02:27 |
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DapperDraculaDeer posted:Its difficult to talk about this though since you can hop on youtube and find dozens of videos from former service members with very little wilderness and civilian EMS experience discussing how crucial it is to always have a tourniquet. On top of that they've practically become a fashion item for extremely tactical types. The whole thing is just kind of silly, really. I saw one video (might have been Garand Thumb, who I've since stopped watching, so I won't go digging to verify) suggest that since you have four limbs, you should be carrying four tourniquets. That kind of thing is pervasive in certain communities and it doesn't make any sense, from an emergency medicine perspective.
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# ¿ Mar 25, 2021 17:32 |
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Ploughman's lunch? Half a loaf of good bread and a big chunk of cheese, with some butter and maybe mustard or chutney for spreading, will keep you going in any kind of weather. If you really want a hot lunch I'm told the zojirushi or similar bento jars do a good job keeping stuff warm.
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# ¿ Mar 26, 2021 22:11 |
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xzzy posted:Read up on the local requirements. Canisters are the near-universal first choice but there are areas where they've been banned (somewhere in the Appalachians I think, one bear has figured out how to open them and is passing the skill to her cubs). In parts of the adirondacks in New York, bears have regularly defeated bearvault-style canisters, but other types of canisters are still mandated. Ursacks don’t meet the requirements.
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# ¿ Apr 21, 2021 20:38 |
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Apollodorus posted:C. Saw—do I want a folding saw to cut up firewood or is a hatchet sufficient? I like merino with a little nylon in it for durability. My favorites are the triple aught design traverse tech tee - they’re thin enough for the summer and mine get a lot of wear, and have held up great. IME the very cheapest merino gear tends to fall apart quickly so $40-$50 is the least i expect to pay, which is around what TAD costs on sale
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# ¿ Jul 28, 2021 14:10 |
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Red Bones posted:Is this the right thread to ask for backpack/rucksack recommendations? I have a rucksack that's already good for actual hiking, but I was looking to buy another bag for travelling/commuting etc, and I got my rucksack second hand so I'm not sure which outdoor gear companies make 'good backpacks'. There are also a ton of companies that make travel bags first or exclusively, which may better fit your needs over a travel bag from an outdoor company. I'm not familiar with the european brands but aersf.com ships internationally and has nice bags which might fit in your price range. You tend to get better organization and more durable materials from a "travel bag company" at a cost of higher weight; you also get something that looks less like it came from an outdoor gear maker, which might or might not matter to you.
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# ¿ Sep 2, 2021 01:39 |
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i like the rothco boonie hat, which, in addition to being very cheap and available on amazon, comes in actual hat sizes, a critical feature for my 7 7/8 dome e: mine is od green because my dad started wearing my ucp one and i didn’t have the heart to take it back, so i can confirm it’s a very dad hat hypnophant fucked around with this message at 12:34 on Oct 1, 2021 |
# ¿ Oct 1, 2021 12:30 |
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incogneato posted:That's unfortunate to hear. A camp blanket is a nice luxury item, it just doesn’t sound like you need the specific minor weight and cost savings of the nanoloft. Have you looked at the original rumpl, or cheaper competitors like the kelty bestie? Any of those are light enough to pack for a day hike.
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# ¿ Nov 29, 2021 13:52 |
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jetz0r posted:I'm interested in doing some hammock camping this year with my gf, and was wondering how comfortable those two person hammocks are for two people to sleep in? separate hammocks is a must, and for actually sleeping in overnight you probably want 11’ long ones unless you are very short
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# ¿ May 1, 2022 13:59 |
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At 6’ I’m not super tall or anything but i find the ENO doublenest a little too short to get a comfortable full night’s sleep. I also stan warbonnet XLC now and the beckett suspension I got with it is very easy to use.
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# ¿ Jun 30, 2022 17:11 |
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the absolute cheapest option would probably be to find a way to hang the blanket you’re already using underneath the hammock, ideally by stitching mitten clips or grosgrain loops or something to its edge but you might be able to get away with just using clothespins. If it’s not enough to block the wind, maybe add an underquilt protector?
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# ¿ Aug 15, 2022 19:36 |
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hammocks aren’t easier or lighter they’re just way more comfortable
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# ¿ Aug 15, 2022 22:21 |
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Fitzy Fitz posted:They make some pretty fancy instant coffee now. as an outrageous coffee snob, i don't bring a coffee setup, i bring this stuff when I travel. one 2g stick per 6oz cup. it's got a bit of cinnamon sweetness, mild acidity, very low bitterness - it's genuinely lovely coffee. at home I have a decent espresso machine, and I've done the hand grinder and aeropress or v60 routine in past travels, but you can get reallll good instant nowadays. also that's an insane amount of water to carry. I would definitely try to reach out to park staff and see what they advise since ten liters is a hell of a lot of water, and if you really need to carry that much I would make it an emergency to cut down weight any other place I could.
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# ¿ Aug 22, 2022 22:58 |
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nothing weird, you’re just briping
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# ¿ Aug 23, 2022 01:29 |
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SwissArmyDruid posted:https://www.rei.com/product/174397/kammok-swiftlet-hammock-stand get a cot or air mattress instead https://www.rei.com/product/892837/rei-co-op-kingdom-cot-3 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Tritech-QuadComfort-18-Air-Mattress-Antimicrobial-Coating-with-Built-in-AC-Pump-Twin/354734233 The cot will probably last longer, the air mattress will be more comfortable. You’ll need 9’+ to set up the hammock stand so it will be less practical to use indoors than you think, and it doesn’t look like you can lie flat in the combo hammock-cot, which will be uncomfortable to sleep in
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# ¿ Nov 19, 2022 16:41 |
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SwissArmyDruid posted:The air mattress is right out, It's a machine shop, I can't be 100% certain there won't be shavings that riddle it full of holes even after sweeping. gently caress paying $200 for a hammock stand if you work in a machine shop, just weld some metal sticks together lol but seriously, i’d still go for the cot, unless you already know you are more comfortable sleeping in a hammock. If you do know you’re comfortable sleeping in a hammock, you will already know why the combo will be uncomfortable - in a real hammock, you lay at an angle to the line of the hammock (head to the right, feet to the left, or vice versa) so you actually lay flat. You can’t do that in the combo unit, because of how the fabric is attached, so you’ll sleep with a curve in your spine and, most likely, wake up with terrible back pain.
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# ¿ Nov 20, 2022 04:13 |
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Side/back/front sleeper? Sleep hot or cold? i’m a side sleeper and like the klymit inflatable pad, klymit luxe inflatable pillow, and rei 30° down quilt. I haven’t actually taken the quilt down to 30 but it’s been good (in a hammock, with an underquilt) into the 40s, which ought to be plenty in california unless you’re up in the mountains. If you’re actually backpacking you probably want a down quilt or bag, which is a big expense up front, but you can get away with a lightweight synthetic bag in warmer weather.
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# ¿ Mar 27, 2023 04:04 |
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and, by virtue of being down, one of them weighs 4 ounces less and is about a quarter the packed size
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# ¿ Mar 27, 2023 07:35 |
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Catatron Prime posted:multi tool hear me out: folding (or non-folding if you like) knife, 4” knipex pliers, and actual bottle opener
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# ¿ Apr 4, 2023 00:18 |
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guppy posted:I have almost no athletic socks these days and I ordered myself one six-pack of basic white tube socks and one pair of Darn Tough hiking socks. The tube socks are still in the mail, they're mostly what I hiked in as a kid, but the Darn Tough socks are here and I used them. They were fine. This was obviously a very short hike, but I plan to do longer ones as I get back into it. The Darn Tough ones are obviously quite expensive, something like $24 for a pair, vs. $15 for six pairs of basic athletic socks. I'm aware of the guarantee, which is obviously one difference, but beyond that, are they worth it for functional reasons? Worth it but only if you are doing some seriously hardcore hiking/backpacking? Not worth it at all? $24 is a lot for one pair of socks. cheap cotton socks are fine until they get damp. once they do, they don’t dry out, which is likely to cause blisters. They’re a bad choice in even mild weather for the same reason - once you get damp you stay damp, and unlike wool, cotton doesn’t insulate when it’s wet. I’ve waded through streams in some pretty cold weather, changed into dry wool socks, and kept moving perfectly comfortably. That’s not something you can get away with in cotton socks, because they’ll absorb too much moisture from your wet boots and your feet will freeze. If you don’t want to pay for darn tough, at least get a pack of wool/synthetic blend socks. costco has nice 4-packs of merino blend socks for like $12, but any wool/nylon blend is fine, it doesn’t have to be merino. Blends also come in lighter weights than pure merino, which is nice in hot climates.
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# ¿ Apr 23, 2023 21:32 |
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ReelBigLizard posted:Any goonsensus recommendations on hammocks/brands? I've got an ultralight one that my cousin made from parachute silk and it's pretty good as a casual solution but very basic. Not even a mosquito net. I used it to good effect this summer but there's definitely some features I want if I'm going to hammock camp in the shoulder months. Warbonnet with whoopie slings imo
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# ¿ Aug 29, 2023 04:27 |
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Morbus posted:Honestly I've had the worst reliability problems with physical maps you need a map case https://www.amazon.com/map-case/s?k=map+case
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# ¿ Sep 6, 2023 20:44 |
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cascade mountain tech are basically identical to any of the amazon/ebay pseudo-brand poles, because they're made in the same factories from the same materials. pick whatever and upgrade to lekis or black diamond or something if you manage to wear them out if they don't stay at the height you set, tighten the nut on the little adjustment lever. that's the only secret sauce - none of the $30 poles are made from a higher grade of carbon fiber or aluminum than any of the others
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# ¿ Nov 16, 2023 20:29 |
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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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# ¿ May 9, 2024 23:46 |
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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 |