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Mercury Ballistic posted:A jet boil should suit you well too. I second the Jet Boil. It's a great compact design and heats up really quick. Been using mine for a few years now and it's been awesome.
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Mar 2, 2013 20:00
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I am going to be doing my first real winter camping next weekend, pretty excited. Only thing I am not sure what I am unsure about is what I am going to do for food. For other trips I have done freeze dried back packers pantry stuff but after my last trip I don't really want to do that again. Any suggestions on alternatives?
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Mar 2, 2013 21:52
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Okay, so as promised, I wrote up a guide to the Canadian Rockies Parks system. Except it's not quite complete and I haven't compiled links yet. But I figured I should get something posted since I promised to do it months ago. I'll keep working on it, touching it up, and get some links. Hopefully it works, I've never used Google docs before. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6Ko1nYC9e1fd2JCRS0wT3pwYlE/edit?usp=sharing
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Mar 3, 2013 05:54
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It's been a good week to get out and sample the environments close to me. I spent most of the work week in and around Moab for business, which included a couple nice hikes through Arches National Park. You forget just how drat cold it gets in the desert. It was just under 30°F when this picture was taken.  Then on Saturday I spent the day enjoying the recent addition to the Colorado snowpack up in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a gorgeous bluebird day and we only encountered a little wind up at the high lakes. Snowshoes were unnecessary for most of the day as the trails are packed pretty well. They definitely helped though on the push up the hill to Loch Vale where we stopped for lunch. 
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Mar 4, 2013 01:03
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Hey that looks familiar! Summertime view on a windy day: 
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Mar 4, 2013 01:21
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^^^ Nice! My buddy and I were talking yesterday about coming back in the summer. The lake looks a lot bigger when your vantage point isn't from the middle of its frozen surface. The entire area in the foreground of your photo was the most stunning bright blue color and the wind had sculpted and polished the surface into really cool shapes. If you can get back there now do it!Dread Head posted:I am going to be doing my first real winter camping next weekend, pretty excited. Only thing I am not sure what I am unsure about is what I am going to do for food. For other trips I have done freeze dried back packers pantry stuff but after my last trip I don't really want to do that again. Any suggestions on alternatives? I can't stand freeze dried "camping food" and refuse to eat it. It's way too expensive for what's essentially a substandard meal with a multivitamin mixed in. Many freeze dried soup / noodle / pasta mixes from the regular old supermarket work great. Personally I like bringing the Knorr Pasta Sides from the "Rice-A-Roni Aisle" with me. They definitely cook better with a stove that has flame control (not JetBoils, where they pretty much scorch instantly on the bottom) and for about $1.50 they work great. Bring some extra protein to throw in there. Also Fritos are pretty great in the backcountry since they're pretty much just fat and salt; I can't stand them otherwise. Tasty Bite Indian food pouches work really well, although they're much heavier than a freeze-dried alternative. I mix those with some instant boil-in-bag brown rice for a really hearty meal. Oatmeal is a good standby for breakfast since it's so hearty and you can add fruit and honey along with a non-dairy creamer packet for extra flavor (and sugar) for a minimal weight penalty. Pop-Tarts are great as long as you take care to pack them well since they smash easily. Most Whole Foods also have a huge display dedicated to the "Just Veggies / Just Fruit" dehydrated foods which, while somewhat expensive, make it a bit easier to put together your own soups and other favorite foods without owning a dehydrator of your own. This veggie mix along with some Soba noodles and a bouillion cube in a ziplock bag is really tasty, healthy and easy to make. My favorite thing to bring winter camping however are those cookie dough tubes you can get in the refrigerator case. When it's cold it freezes to the consistency of cookie dough ice cream and it's really easy to eat on the trail. I eat super healthy at home but my diet goes to poo poo in the name of ensuring I am getting enough calories every day at altitude. It's kinda fun to cheat like that. i_heart_ponies fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 4, 2013 |
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Mar 4, 2013 01:24
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What foods do you all like to bring on long dayhikes? I'm always in sore need of an energy boost after a big hill or the first 6-7 miles, but I can't seem to find any snacks or lunches that do the trick. (Mostly because I'm so out of shape.) Anything that I can eat cold, or cook up the night before, and packs a lot of calories -- that's what I want.
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Mar 4, 2013 02:56
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I got my last hike of calendar winter in yesterday (I'll be out of town the last two weekends of the season). I did North and South Kinsman (New Hampshire) using Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy (AT), and Kinsman Ridge Trails (AT). It was a pretty warm day. Temps were about 25ºF at the hut, and maybe around 15ºF/20 mph winds on the summit of South Kinsman. The peaks were in the clouds, so the views were non-existent, but the rime-covered trees totally made up for the lack of views. I left the hut at the same time as another solo hiker, John, and we ended up hiking together the rest of the day. It's always great meeting people out on the trail. On the way down we passed Randy Pierce, a completely blind hiker, and his support team heading up. Lonesome Lake by EPICAC, on Flickr  Rime-Covered Trees by EPICAC, on Flickr  Rime-Covered Trees by EPICAC, on Flickr  Rime-Covered Trees by EPICAC, on Flickr  Lonesome Lake by EPICAC, on Flickr
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Mar 4, 2013 03:18
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Time Cowboy posted:What foods do you all like to bring on long dayhikes? I'm always in sore need of an energy boost after a big hill or the first 6-7 miles, but I can't seem to find any snacks or lunches that do the trick. (Mostly because I'm so out of shape.) Anything that I can eat cold, or cook up the night before, and packs a lot of calories -- that's what I want. I'm not fancy in the slightest. Trail mix with peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, and smarties, along with a cheesebun or pizzabun or bagel, and usually a fancy muffin or two. I'm also terrible and bring a coffee-based energy drink as a treat on the summit.
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Mar 4, 2013 05:23
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Picnic Princess posted:I'm not fancy in the slightest. Trail mix with peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, and smarties, along with a cheesebun or pizzabun or bagel, and usually a fancy muffin or two. I'm also terrible and bring a coffee-based energy drink as a treat on the summit. For the non-Canadians out there, these "Smarties" of which she speaks are like M&Ms, not the Smarties you would get in the States. In case you were wondering.
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Mar 4, 2013 07:26
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I had to look those up, because I didn't realize American Smarties were different. Here in Canada we call that type of candy "Rockets". Which is clearly a superior name. Besides, Smarties are "smart" because they melt in your mouth and not in your hand!
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Mar 4, 2013 10:09
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i_heart_ponies posted:I can't stand freeze dried "camping food" and refuse to eat it. It's way too expensive for what's essentially a substandard meal with a multivitamin mixed in. Thanks, this is basically the kinds of thing I had in mind so that is good.
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Mar 4, 2013 17:27
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Picnic Princess posted:I'm not fancy in the slightest. Trail mix with peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, and smarties, along with a cheesebun or pizzabun or bagel, and usually a fancy muffin or two. I'm also terrible and bring a coffee-based energy drink as a treat on the summit. I get so sick of trail mix, but I guess it's an old standby for a reason. Maybe if I buy bulk peanuts and M&M's, I can make my own mix for much less money than the pre-mixed packages go for. Bringing some sugary caffeine sounds like an excellent (terrible) idea, though! Thanks.
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Mar 4, 2013 17:47
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Dread Head posted:I am going to be doing my first real winter camping next weekend, pretty excited. Only thing I am not sure what I am unsure about is what I am going to do for food. For other trips I have done freeze dried back packers pantry stuff but after my last trip I don't really want to do that again. Any suggestions on alternatives? Depending on what kind of stove you have during winter you might be able to pack some premade pancake mix and make pancakes. I love making some in the morning at camp. Another delicious way to add some variety to oatmeal is to use tea as the water to cook the oats. Chai tea oatmeal is amazing!
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Mar 4, 2013 19:41
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MMD3 posted:I don't suppose anyone here has experience with Snow Peak's tents? I've got some of their titanium cookware that I love as well as one of their stoves but don't know much about the rest of their equipment. I might be doing some event photography for them which would pay money + gear credit and I'm looking at their catalog to see if any of their tents would be something I'd like to pick up. The only reason I'm even remotely questioning it is that I can get 50% off of Mt. Hardwear tents pretty much whenever I want. Wondering if the credit would be better spent on car-camping gear like a table and chairs or something. So I've got a $1000 gift card for Snow Peak for doing a photography job for them. Trying to figure out the best way to spend this, it shouldn't be too difficult considering they have tons of rad stuff and it's all pretty $$$ but I'm trying to make sure I don't waste it on stuff I'll never use. I was happy to discover they carry Gransfors Bruks axes so I think I'll have to get a small hatchet that I've been ogling for a while now. I already have some Snow Peak Ti cookware that I've been using for backpacking for a few years as well as one of their stoves Some of the stuff they make is stuff I'd never have considered taking on a backpacking trip but I really like the thought of it. Is something like a collapsible aluminum backpacking table a really dumb idea or something that may actually be handy? I may just end up stocking up on some car camping gear like a table and some folding chairs even if I wouldn't use them as frequently as backpacking stuff. A titanium flask is a dumb waste right? right??
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Mar 4, 2013 20:09
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If you do any fishing on your trips, collapsible tables like that are great for cleaning fish.
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Mar 4, 2013 22:31
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Time Cowboy posted:I get so sick of trail mix, but I guess it's an old standby for a reason. Maybe if I buy bulk peanuts and M&M's, I can make my own mix for much less money than the pre-mixed packages go for. Bringing some sugary caffeine sounds like an excellent (terrible) idea, though! Thanks. I can't tell you how many middle of nowhere grocery stores/targets/walmarts/quick-e-marts/etc I've stood in the parking lot of dumping a bag of M&Ms, a can of peanuts, and a box of raisins into a gallon zip lock bag. There's pretty much no need to ever buy the commercial stuff. When that gets boring, I've come up with some tasty accidents grabbing handfuls of random dry stuff in my kitchen on my way out to something. I would have never had any idea that pretzels, butterscotch chocolate chips, and granola taste good together if I stuck to store-bought stuff 
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Mar 4, 2013 22:50
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stealie72 posted:I can't tell you how many middle of nowhere grocery stores/targets/walmarts/quick-e-marts/etc I've stood in the parking lot of dumping a bag of M&Ms, a can of peanuts, and a box of raisins into a gallon zip lock bag. There's pretty much no need to ever buy the commercial stuff.
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Mar 4, 2013 22:57
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:making your own trail mix is definitely the way to go. If you've got a bunch of friends who all like to mix their own, it can be a fun game at the campsite to put all the bags into a pile and try to guess who made which one. I like to put sour gummies in mine. 
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Mar 4, 2013 23:49
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i made the mistake of dumping huge chocolate morsels into mine last summer. Huge gooey mess. Peanut butter M&Ms are awesome though
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Mar 5, 2013 01:24
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Mmmm, I sometimes go with Reese's Pieces too. Most store-bought mixes also have various freeze-dried fruit in them which I can't stand. Doesn't help that most fruit gives me awful stomach cramps. My husband still buys me an apple whenever we go out even though I always refuse to eat it. I think he hopes I'll cave because it'll give me a good energy boost, but I just can't eat them.
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Mar 5, 2013 03:31
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Saddamnit posted:I second the Jet Boil. It's a great compact design and heats up really quick. Been using mine for a few years now and it's been awesome. Just wanted to chime in about the Jet Boil. I lived out of one for a week and cooked pretty much everything from packaged food, beans and rice, to deer meat in it. Its awesome living in the woods knowing you can make coffee in 5 minutes every morning with almost no effort.
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Mar 5, 2013 04:49
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I have never gone on more than a day hike, but I don't understand why people go through the trouble of bringing a cooker/pans/cutlery on 3-4 day treks. Is it so bad to just take nuts and jerky and granola bars and save all that space for other things?
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Mar 5, 2013 10:41
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MyPlate posted:I have never gone on more than a day hike, but I don't understand why people go through the trouble of bringing a cooker/pans/cutlery on 3-4 day treks. Is it so bad to just take nuts and jerky and granola bars and save all that space for other things? Because at the end of a lovely, cold, rainy hike the only thing you want is a hot meal or warm drink. It's a huge morale booster.
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Mar 5, 2013 13:11
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One time I was leaving for a hike from rural Brazil, and what did they have there but tons of local cashews and Brazil nuts* for super cheap. Some of the cashews we're sugared and caramelized. Best trail mix I ever made. *Simpsons joke nonwithstanding ("we just call them 'nuts' here"), they actually call them Pará nuts in Brazil (Pará is a northern province). So they're still named after their origin, they just get more specific.
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Mar 5, 2013 14:43
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MyPlate posted:I have never gone on more than a day hike, but I don't understand why people go through the trouble of bringing a cooker/pans/cutlery on 3-4 day treks. Is it so bad to just take nuts and jerky and granola bars and save all that space for other things? You don't have to bring a lot. My cookset weighs about 11 ounces including fuel for a weeks worth of dinners. It's a tiny pot, spork, soda can alcohol stove, lighter, and plastic scraper tool. Having some hot pasta or mashed potatoes after a long day feels really good. That said, plenty of people don't bother bringing any cooking gear. Do what you like! BeefofAges fucked around with this message at 16:11 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 16:03
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Hell, if conditions call for it I bring my stove on cold enough hikes. Sitting on a frozen lake drinking tea in the wind and spindrift is wonderful.
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Mar 5, 2013 16:13
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i_heart_ponies posted:Hell, if conditions call for it I bring my stove on cold enough hikes. Sitting on a frozen lake drinking tea in the wind and spindrift is wonderful. Exactly. When I was in Colorado, I almost always packed my Jetboil and some tea when I did 14ers. Tea and/or breakfast on top of a 14er as the sun comes up is pretty much the best thing ever. AT Update: Finalized gear list. Pics/list/weight this afternoon. Starting the hike next Friday. Stoked. Here are two pics of Springer. First one is me on 2/23, second is from the shelter on the morning of 3/5. Both are within ~.5 miles of eachother.  
Akion fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 17:12
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Drinking fresh coffee in the morning at 12,000 feet miles from so much as a dirt road is like being a god and is the best experience.
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Mar 5, 2013 17:45
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If I had six months to spare (and insane amounts of money for equipment and supplies), I'd probably pick the PCT over the AT, but after discovering some AT books in my library, the AT has been edging up in the rankings. Unfortunately, I'll have to live vicariously through people like you, Akion. Maybe in a few years I'll have enough money and spare time to do month long segments, but I probably won't have six months free until I'm 45, at the very youngest. It's a bummer. I kind of have thru-hike fever right now. Maybe next summer I'll find a 50-100 mile trail and do a mini thru-hike.
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Mar 5, 2013 18:35
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Time Cowboy posted:If I had six months to spare (and insane amounts of money for equipment and supplies), I'd probably pick the PCT over the AT, but after discovering some AT books in my library, the AT has been edging up in the rankings. Unfortunately, I'll have to live vicariously through people like you, Akion. Maybe in a few years I'll have enough money and spare time to do month long segments, but I probably won't have six months free until I'm 45, at the very youngest.
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Mar 5, 2013 18:58
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:Hiking north to south through the Winds in Wyoming would be a good one. Oooh, you're right. I'll add that to my short list, right up there with an Olympic traverse, the Wonderland Trail, and the Northville-Placid Trail.
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Mar 5, 2013 19:42
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Final AT Pack List. Total weight is ~26lb. Carried is around 20-21 before Food/Water depending on what I wear. Some stuff I already had and listed a $0, some stuff I already had and listed a price. I'd imagine my total outlay specifically for this trip is in the $1500 range. You can definitely do it cheaper, and you can definitely do it lighter. I settled on gear options that I preferred rather than just going for straight ounces or bells/whistles. Some items will be traded out for lighter stuff once I hit Grayson Highlands, and some may just get sent back if I don't use them.  Time Cowboy posted:If I had six months to spare (and insane amounts of money for equipment and supplies), I'd probably pick the PCT over the AT, but after discovering some AT books in my library, the AT has been edging up in the rankings. Unfortunately, I'll have to live vicariously through people like you, Akion. Maybe in a few years I'll have enough money and spare time to do month long segments, but I probably won't have six months free until I'm 45, at the very youngest. I just managed to land in a point in my life where I am able to make the trip financially, and career-wise. I turn 30 around the time I finish the trail, so it's a good time for me to make a change in my career if that's what I decide to do. I'm very fortunate in that my company will allow me to return if I choose to do so after my hike, as well. I chose the AT as it's closer to home (family lives in GA) so training and logistics are much easier, and I have several friends that have done it before so I have access to their knowledge. Akion fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 22:10
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I did the at with my wife in 2011 and have no regrets, just that we cant do it again any time soon. I have had the thru hike fever bad since we finished and we are now making plans to move away from the DC area to live closer to the mountains. Find a way to make it happen, it is a truly life changing experience. I cannot over recommend it. I am looking for a good 7-9 day hike on the East Coast, right now the Mountains to Sea Trail east from Clingman's Dome is looking interesting. Anyone here done any of it? Another option is part of the Long Trail, but as my window is probably in May I don't think that is a good idea weather wise..
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Mar 5, 2013 23:40
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Mercury Ballistic posted:I did the at with my wife in 2011 and have no regrets, just that we cant do it again any time soon. I have had the thru hike fever bad since we finished and we are now making plans to move away from the DC area to live closer to the mountains. :hi5: Yeah, I am super super excited. My two big concerns are my knees and weight loss. I've been training pretty hard and the knee pain seems to have subsided, and I've preemptively put on a few extra pounds since I got back to Georgia thanks to Mom's home cooking. I'm shooting for about 25lb of weightloss on the trail, but I know my metabolism well enough that I think it will probably be higher (currently 6'2 and 195). Weighed the pack at the gym today with about 4-5 days of food in it, and it came to 26lb. Did 3 miles in an hour on a 15% grade on the treadmill and felt pretty good, as well. That's way faster than I plan on going on the trail (I budgeted myself 6 months just to be safe, though I expect to finish in 4-5). My start days are showing on extended forecasts now, and it's looking like 50's and 60's and overcast/partly cloudy. Wish it was the sunny/60's we are getting later this week, but I'll take it over the stuff the poor bastards I was camping on Springer with Saturday night are dealing with right now. I do hope the hikers I did some trail magic for (ride back into Dahlonega for warmer gear, got em a good breakfast, and walked them to three forks) are doing well. I liked them, they were so hopeful.
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Mar 6, 2013 02:39
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Start slow! Try to keep it under 8 miles a day for a week or two. There's no rush. Your pack list looks pretty good, though a few things seem a little redundant (aquamira and a filter?). I also think a phone + an ipod touch + a camera + a battery + a gorillapod is a bit overkill. If your first aid kit has scissors, use them instead of nail clippers. Instead of soap, carry hand sanitizer. Instead of a mug, just eat and drink out of your jetboil pot. Your tent groundcloth is probably unnecessary, most of the tent pads you'll find on the AT are very soft and unlikely to cause much wear and tear. Feel free to ignore everything I just said and hike your own hike, seriously. Don't do what people tell you to do, do what you want to do. It's your adventure.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:24
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Mercury Ballistic posted:
I've crossed parts of the MST on random hikes and overnights, and would just caution you to make sure you've done your homework on the section you chose. As I'm sure you already know, the trail is not "complete" yet. There are some sections in promising territory, and if memory serves at least a few miles around the Black Balsam area are great. I've never looked up any specifics so I'm not much help, just wanted to make sure you didn't end up walking along a road unexpectedly. Have you looked into the Benton MacKaye Trail in the Smokies? I've heard some people prefer it to the relatively crowded AT in the Smokies, though I've heard you need good maps and orienteering skills.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:24
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BeefofAges posted:Start slow! Try to keep it under 8 miles a day for a week or two. There's no rush. I'm still kinda in the mood to futz with stuff (may ditch a few of the layers, but after that 16* night on springer I'm not sure. I was wearing all I had to stay warm. Electronics I am in the air on. The reason I separated that phone+camera+iPod is so that if I feel like listening to music I'm not stressing about whether I am going to gently caress myself out of being able to call. I may yet ditch the Camera since the battery pack leaves me confident that I'll have the juice to not worry about not being able to snap a pic if I see something cool. Battery pack is because I am a music fiend. I was just going to combine all of it by using my Smartphone, but my smartphone is a giant piece of poo poo and I don't trust it. I'm contemplating taking it skeet shooting and using it in place of a clay pigeon, to be honest. FAK does not have scissors, I use a Gerber Crucial right now but may trade it for one with scissors instead of pliers. I absolutely need to trim my toe nails about every 4-5 days, though. Failure to do so results in immense pain.  Definitely carrying hand sanitizer, but I can't use that to wash my hair in hostels and clean my pots in camp. Groundcloth is on the "maybe" list still, along with the Mug. I'm actually off the trail 4 days in at Blood Mountain to go back to Dahlonega for Trailfest for a day (organizer is a friend) so I'm using that as my opportunity for a shakedown. I figure 4 days gives me a good opportunity to go through everything in detail and nail my daily routine down pretty well. My family lives ~30 minutes from Dahlonega, so gear I don't need can be gotten home cheap/free. I figure even if I keep it all, folks used to do the AT with 70lb packs so I've got it pretty easy at 26-30lb.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:40
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i_heart_ponies posted:I eat super healthy at home but my diet goes to poo poo in the name of ensuring I am getting enough calories every day at altitude. It's kinda fun to cheat like that. Time Cowboy posted:What foods do you all like to bring on long dayhikes? I'm always in sore need of an energy boost after a big hill or the first 6-7 miles, but I can't seem to find any snacks or lunches that do the trick. (Mostly because I'm so out of shape.) Anything that I can eat cold, or cook up the night before, and packs a lot of calories -- that's what I want. So... high caloric intake foods? I shall add back some more basic sugary trail mix with Reeses/MMs+nuts, and I might think about adding back in some morning cheeses for the saturated fats, but are there any other suggestions for calorie bombs? "One full chocolate cake with chocolate icing"? 
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Mar 6, 2013 06:32
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:So... high caloric intake foods? I shall add back some more basic sugary trail mix with Reeses/MMs+nuts, and I might think about adding back in some morning cheeses for the saturated fats, but are there any other suggestions for calorie bombs? "One full chocolate cake with chocolate icing"? I keep thinking peanut butter and cheese. I want to experiment with... I don't know, cheesy peanut butter rice and potato bake, and pack it in with a spork for the summit. Anything with cheese might not keep so well on a warm or sunny day, though.
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Mar 6, 2013 06:51
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