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

mystes: May 31, 2006

RodShaft posted:

Oh dag!
$79 Ozark Trail 10-Person Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent (Walmart.com)

Edit: fuckit. I bought that one too.

I recently got the 6 person version of that for camping and now I wonder if I should have just gone for the 10 person version even though it would be kind of absurd for one person, lol

# ¿ Apr 22, 2023 17:18

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 7, 2024 21:14

mystes: May 31, 2006

I think it's reasonable with 2+ people car camping because there's really no downside to a bigger tent (it's really different from backpacking in that sense)

For 1 person I guess it might almost make sense for like a week in variable weather conditions where I might be stuck in the tent for a day but I've just been camping overnight and I would just skip it if the weather looked iffy so it would be ridiculously overkill

(Also the one problem with this type of design seems to be that the small rain fly might not be enough to keep water off the sides in heavy/sustained rain. I figure with the 6p design I could probably put a tarp over it or something if necessary but I think that would be harder with the enormous 10p version)

mystes fucked around with this message at 18:07 on Apr 22, 2023

# ¿ Apr 22, 2023 18:05

mystes: May 31, 2006

guppy posted:

So, uh, if anyone was looking for those Prana Zion IIs, Backcountry's price is better than it looks, and it already looked lower than REI's. I just bought two pairs because when they added to my cart, it reported an additional 20% off for some reason, dropping the price from like $61 down to $49. I have no idea why, I wasn't signed in yet when I added them to my cart. Great price on apparently the go-to outdoor pant if you're in the market.

I find it kind of weird that those pants have an integrated belt but also belt loops so it looks like you're wearing pants that are supposed to be worn with a belt without one

(maybe it's so you can carabiners on them or something but still)

# ¿ May 20, 2023 19:18

mystes: May 31, 2006

I didn't think sierra even has had real discount codes since they were bought by tj maxx

# ¿ Jun 16, 2023 18:17

mystes: May 31, 2006

Pantsmaster Bill posted:

Trekking poles - unlikely to be using them a lot other than this trip so I�m not super keen on spending a tonne of money. Am I going to hate my choices if I get some of the ~�40 options from Amazon or Alpkit?

I got a pair of dirt cheap collapsible ones from amazon so I can just take one in my pack and only use it when I need it, and it's been working fine although it's not as nice as some of the fancier ones

# ¿ Aug 6, 2023 23:05

mystes: May 31, 2006

You really should be spending at least $300 to get a decent technical windbreaker to leave in your car

# ¿ Aug 8, 2023 16:38

mystes: May 31, 2006

Shoe fit is an individual thing. Try on different ones that have the type of sole you want. This isn't something the internet can answer for you.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2023 19:07

mystes: May 31, 2006

armorer posted:

Literally the first google result - https://casualgeographical.com/vibram-xs-trek-vs-megagrip/

That looks like it might be a computer generated page so I'm not sure I would trust it

In general a lot of sites that come up if you do a search like "x vs y" are like that now

# ¿ Aug 10, 2023 00:12

mystes: May 31, 2006

AfricanBootyShine posted:

I just got back from a hiking trip in the alps, and my phone was a mess for navigation. It kept overheating and freezing, and had it rained it would�ve been useless. I�m thinking it�s time to get a smart watch with some sort of trail navigation. Something that I could copy a GPX to and then follow. I don�t need any fitness features - just reliable, precise navigation. Is there any product like this? The Garmins seem to be stacked with unnecessary logging features.

Bonus if I could also use it for directions when cycling around town.

Smart watches suck for this kind of thing. Maybe the Garmin Fenix line is okay (I haven't tried it) but you probably don't want to bother with anything else.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2023 13:06

mystes: May 31, 2006

Taking a paper map is still a good precaution and you could prevent running by printing it on a color laser printer at a Kinkos or something

# ¿ Sep 7, 2023 18:36

mystes: May 31, 2006

Verman posted:

I may have to look into more of these gourmet backpacker meals as I've really stepped away from mountainhouse/backpacker pantry as they're pricey, generally huge portions, and not the best in terms of taste and texture. I've heard nothing but great things about packit gourmet.

Also, anybody else heard of or use Amazon Vine? I got invited and basically you get free stuff from amazon from companies looking to build reviews in exchange for an honest review of the product. The catch is you can get up to three products per day, valued under $100 and have to review 100 items in 6 months. BUT you have to pay taxes on the estimated value (like half of MSRP) at the end of the year. Anyway, its filled with a ton of junk, like ... lots and lots of random poo poo that I can't fathom people are ordering, and stuff gets added every day. After you review 100 items, you are then bumped up and can order items of any value. The search function is pretty awful as you can't filter by price or size or anything. But hey, free is free.

I'm giving it a go to see how it is. So far I've been able to order a bunch of random stuff. Some good, some okay. I've mostly done outdoor stuff and tools. Lots of rope, camping pillows, a folding foam sitting pad, camp chairs, headlamps, a multi tool, etc. I was thinking of making a post of some of the stuff for better or worse if anybody is interested.

Lol I never trust vine reviews

# ¿ Sep 21, 2023 19:48

mystes: May 31, 2006

they're so expensive

# ¿ Sep 27, 2023 21:42

mystes: May 31, 2006

BaseballPCHiker posted:

I've got these - https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/winter-boots/vasque-snowburban-ii-ultradry

And they've worked really well for me over the years. When these eventually wear out I'll definitely get another pair. Only real issue is the lacing system, but I modified it slightly and its been fine since.

I have these too and they're pretty nice

Personally for non-winter use I also prefer not having a waterproof membrane (but I also prefer trail runners rather than boots for non-winter use)

# ¿ Nov 1, 2023 21:06

mystes: May 31, 2006

I think deuter is pretty good. I have a small pack from them I've been using for day hikes and biking and stuff for like 10 years and I got a slightly bigger one with a mesh back off mercari but I usually don't carry that much stuff on day hikes so I ended up giving it to my mother who has been happy with it.

I haven't tried their backpacking packs though.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2023 19:58

mystes: May 31, 2006

There's this thread for gear and there's the hiking/backpacking thread, but since there's no general camping thread other than that, maybe someone should make a thread for car camping?

# ¿ Dec 10, 2023 01:46

mystes: May 31, 2006

Hotel Kpro posted:

What do you do when you feel like you have everything you need but you still have money to blow on REI? I�ve got leftover dividends, plus the next one coming up, and some money from turning in some equipment. I can�t think of anything I need, wondering what to do with it all. Buy one really expensive item?

as long as your dividends are at least $25 you can request a check

# ¿ Dec 26, 2023 17:21

mystes: May 31, 2006

I just picked up a cot to use for car camping (because my tent is really fast to set up / take down but my air mattress was taking way more time) but I can't imagine it being practical for motorcycle camping

admittedly I wasn't looking closely at finding one that was as small/light as possible but anything smaller/lighter than what I bought looked too fiddly to be worth the trouble; as far as I'm concerned the whole appeal of a cot is taking no time to set up and being extremely stable, and a complicated design that folds up more seems like it would defeat the purpose

mystes fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Dec 28, 2023

# ¿ Dec 28, 2023 03:39

mystes: May 31, 2006

some kinda jackal posted:

This is oddly specific since I want to make rice for spam musubi in the field (spam musubi seems feels like the perfect camping food, if i can solve the rice thing) so I can't just use minute rice in a bag or something.

rather than trying to make spam musubi while backpacking I would suggest making onigiri or onigirazu with spam in them at home and bring them. you might need to use an ice pack or something but it should still be more convenient than trying to cook rice for sushi

withak posted:

Just use minute rice.

I don't think this would work because parboiled rice won't stick to itself enough

edit:
vvv yeah exactly

mystes fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Dec 29, 2023

# ¿ Dec 29, 2023 16:30

mystes: May 31, 2006

Math You posted:

Even better would be to dehydrate the rice at home.

I still don't think that will work for sushi, even if you use sushi rice, because of how parboiling changes rice

BaseballPCHiker posted:

This reminds me I forgot to post pictures of my luxurious car camping trip with my new hot tent and stove:

Ellis Shackelton Tent

A palace for two even with the stove in. Will be awesome for base camping with my wife and kids.

Four Dog Titanium stove. I've wanted one for years, and can now say easily that its the best wood burning camping stove I've ever used. Well worth the money and is something my kids can fight over.

goddamn that's ridiculous and I'm jealous

# ¿ Dec 29, 2023 16:42

mystes: May 31, 2006

Guest2553 posted:

Lol, I eventually learned not to buy people hobby stuff because it'll almost always fall into thought-that-counts territory.

yeah people tend to be extra picky about hobby stuff, although I guess at least you are showing that you know that they are interested in that hobby

# ¿ Dec 29, 2023 22:18

mystes: May 31, 2006

xzzy posted:

Now I can sleep peacefully knowing I do not have too many bags.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 17:48

mystes: May 31, 2006

BaseballPCHiker posted:

In my quest to make everyone else feel better about their gear I will try and post shelters next.

Is your house the place they go in the Matrix when they're selecting their gear?

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 17:58

mystes: May 31, 2006

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

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 00:24

mystes: May 31, 2006

Just drive your pickup to the camp site and roll coal until all the wildlife is dead

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 03:20

mystes: May 31, 2006

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

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 04:15

mystes: May 31, 2006

hypnophant posted:

I get the sawyer stuff. It smells a little citrusy with some sunblock notes, but nothing like deet

Actually I just checked and it looks like I was confusing two different products I bought at different times and the one that was smelly wasn't picardin, it was "lemon eucalyptus oil" so I guess I should go back to picardin

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 04:23

mystes: May 31, 2006

There have been a couple of nice days and I really want to go camping but none of the campgrounds in MA open until around the end of the month

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 18:56

mystes: May 31, 2006

xzzy posted:

Pop on over to ioverlander and find a dispersed camping site.

There also aren't dispersed camping sites in massachusetts afaik

Edit: maybe there's somewhere at the western end where you can with a permit or something but it's not like places where there's tons of blm land you can just camp at whenever you want

mystes fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Apr 1, 2024

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 20:25

mystes: May 31, 2006

Verman posted:

Basically.

I occasionally write reviews, or I used to, and enough of them were found to be useful enough that I got an invite to the program. They have a selection of products available. There's a lot of random junk in there to sift through and the filters aren't great. It changes daily so you need to look pretty often. There are two tiers, the first is capped at products value less than $100. The next is unlimited. You have to review a certain amount of items every 6 months to stay active.

Most of the good stuff I've received has been a lot of sleeping pads, one from kelty, two Osprey backpacks, a knockoff jetboil, some backpacking pots/tea kettle very similar to the GSI stuff, 5lb propane tank, headlamps galore, ski goggles, a ski wax and tune-up kit, lots of tools and sockets. I got a few replacement parts for my 4runner and Prius. We're expecting in August so now my wife has started on the maternity stuff and some random baby things. I got an electric paddle board pump. They had a $1000 DeWalt laser level that I missed out on. Otherwise I usually just grab small useful stuff and giveaway a lot of it. I wish there was an option to minimize shipments into one so that I didn't get as many boxes.

I was skeptical of the program at first and decided to try and get to the second tier to see what else was available and if it was worth it. So far it has been but I'm not sure how long I'll do it.

Definitely take advantage of it if you can. Otoh anyone who actually listens to vine reviews is a moron.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2024 19:12

mystes: May 31, 2006

FogHelmut posted:

Anyone know what the difference is between small tent vs tent vs large tent on the recreation.gov campsite descriptions?

Googling it this comes up:
Small tent: A tent that is equal to or less than 12 feet x 12 feet.
Large tent: A tent that is greater than 12 feet x 12 feet.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2024 17:01

mystes: May 31, 2006

FogHelmut posted:

I found that, but on the campsites themselves, they list three tent sizes. I've been checking different campsite descriptions. Sometimes, large tent says "over 9x12". Nothing specific next to "tent" and "small tent" though.

I guess since the one I booked says "tent", then I'm good up to 9x12.

Oh I don't know then. It's annoying that it's always this hard to figure this poo poo out on recreation.gov

You probably should just call them and ask honestly

# ¿ Apr 8, 2024 18:43

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 7, 2024 21:14

mystes: May 31, 2006

Fitzy Fitz posted:

What's the idea behind an ultralight daypack? Backpacking makes sense because you pair it with other UL gear, and the effect is kind of magnified because you're shaving weight off of multiple items (tent, sleeping bag, etc.). I've never felt like my daypack was particularly heavy to begin with.

Also don't UL packs that are fully frameless typically rely on you putting something like a foam pad, which you wouldn't have on a day hike, toward the back to give it shape?

# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 00:33

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