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so Elijya mentioned that he keeps all of his survival gear in a small pouch that he just moves from one pack to the other... got me thinking I should probably make one of these since I use different packs for different trips. Does anybody have a recommended packing list or a link to a video or site that has a good list to use as a basis? thinking like compass, bandaids, gauze, some paracord, moleskin, whistle, etc. minimalist and lightweight but good emergency gear. MMD3 fucked around with this message at 22:52 on May 30, 2013 |
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May 30, 2013 21:31
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I personally like the roll top compression/dry/ditty bags because they are fairly inexpensive, have an acceptable amount of water proof/resistance, compress very small, and weigh nearly nothing. They are also typically brightly colored for easy organization. If possible, I try to get all my internal bags yellow or orange so that they are easy to see in case something catastrophic were to happen and everything gets scattered. http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Produ...ywords=dry+sack
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May 30, 2013 22:26
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A few friends and I are looking at going on a few casual hikes in and around Perth, Western Australia, now that the weather's not 90ºF+. I got back from Indonesia last week, and this morning I woke up to 32ºF and ice on my car... We're all at a reasonable level of fitness (rock climbers, cycling to work, weightlifting, swimmers etc), and won't be doing particularly long or difficult trails until we get more experience. After reading the OP I started going through all the rest of the thread's pages hoping to get info on a good hiking equipment brands, and a standard hiking kit that one would expect to have for every trip but it never eventuated. Any thoughts as to basics beyond the following I already have: 3L Camelbak Mule NV Will be picking up some boots this weekend and suitable socks Leatherman multitool Will be picking up a wilderness First Aid Kit Hat Trousers Long-sleeve shirt Rain jacket Beyond that, I'm not really 100% on what is standard fare and what's more personal preference. These will just be daytrips at first, so shelters and cooking equipment are definitely not required. Further, due to living in Australia, I don't have easy access to as many brands as Americans or Europeans that I can try on before purchasing, and at decent prices (drat YOU, RESOURCE BOOM). Any help or input would be appreciated, as I'd hate to have a poo poo trip or two and have it discourage me from getting out there.
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May 31, 2013 01:27
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http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/day-hiking-checklist.html You don't need everything on this list (it's way overkill), but it might give you some ideas.
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May 31, 2013 04:07
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Anyone have any tips on cooking with aluminium foil? I always feel I should use the fire to cook on as well as to keep warm, but obviously carrying saucepans and poo poo is out of the question. I just prefer to not cook anything too adventurous in the trangia because it takes ages and is usually boiling water in the meantime anyway.
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May 31, 2013 08:21
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MrSaturn posted:(note: This post is Mod-approved... and crossposted to the mountain bike thread and the bicycle megathread. Thanks Shine!) You should post this in the running thread too, we have a few trail and ultra runners that likely have to bring their phones with them on long trail runs.
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May 31, 2013 09:03
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Shrinking Universe posted:Went for an overnight stroll to the Cascade Hut, about 10km along the Cascade Trail in Kosciusko National Park (very near to Australia's tallest mountain!). Quite an easy walk. Winter is beginning to close in and there was about 8cm of snow on the ground at the highest point. We're hoping to do it again in winter with snowshoes. Wasn't that cold, got down to about -2c. Thanks for this, now I have found an excellent walk in Australia to do to test my gear and food selection before I attempt the AT next year!
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May 31, 2013 10:49
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Shrinking Universe posted:Went for an overnight stroll to the Cascade Hut, about 10km along the Cascade Trail in Kosciusko National Park (very near to Australia's tallest mountain!). Quite an easy walk. Winter is beginning to close in and there was about 8cm of snow on the ground at the highest point. We're hoping to do it again in winter with snowshoes. Wasn't that cold, got down to about -2c. Spot a Canadian guy by any chance?
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May 31, 2013 13:44
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Hi. I live in TN and I like to hike in the Smokies. I also like finding hidden dongs, such as this beaut from the AT today: 
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Jun 1, 2013 22:52
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This is the closest thread in all of SA I could find on camping. I figure some of you may know about tents. I'm currently in the market for an entry level tent, and there sure are a hell of a lot of them. I'm not sure where to start looking. I'm looking for a casual camping tent for me and my girlfriend. I'm looking for something under $100. Any recommendations? There are a ton by Coleman, Wezman, and some company called Mountain Trails that looks a little sketchy based on what I read on Amazon, but are super cheap.
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Jun 2, 2013 02:37
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Those tents will be too heavy for anything other than car-camping. And will not be particularly durable nor have clever features. 100 US dollars is an incredibly low price for a tent. Even on clearance, I would expect to pay closer to 150 or 180 for a 2.5 person tent. More than 200 if you're buying full-price.
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Jun 2, 2013 02:52
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rcman50166 posted:This is the closest thread in all of SA I could find on camping. I figure some of you may know about tents. I'm currently in the market for an entry level tent, and there sure are a hell of a lot of them. I'm not sure where to start looking. I'm looking for a casual camping tent for me and my girlfriend. I'm looking for something under $100. Any recommendations? There are a ton by Coleman, Wezman, and some company called Mountain Trails that looks a little sketchy based on what I read on Amazon, but are super cheap. What conditions do you plan to camp in most? What seasons? How many people are you planning to sleep? Some tents are cheap but they could be heavy and the water proofing might not be the greatest. Fine if you are only ever car camping in fair weather bit bad if youre . Eureka makes decent cheapish tents for car camping. Not sure on models though. Always read reviews to see what people have problems with and like about them. Places like rei can seem high but their return policy for members is unbeatable and they carry top notch products.
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Jun 2, 2013 02:54
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Speleothing posted:Those tents will be too heavy for anything other than car-camping. And will not be particularly durable nor have clever features. 100 US dollars is an incredibly low price for a tent. Even on clearance, I would expect to pay closer to 150 or 180 for a 2.5 person tent. More than 200 if you're buying full-price. Well that's the thing, I haven't a clue what I'm looking for. I don't anticipate having to hike far with the tent, so weight isn't too much of an issue. But I need something that would stay dry and not tear. Verman posted:What conditions do you plan to camp in most? What seasons? How many people are you planning to sleep? In order of the way you asked, commercial site sort of thing, summer, 2 people.
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Jun 2, 2013 02:57
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By "casual" camping I assume you mean car camping at like family campgrounds and whatnot? Do you want a tent to hang out in or just something to sleep in? Do you care if it can be used for backpacking in a pinch? I assume you're not looking for some minimalist tarp tent, a one-person shelter, or a hammock set up. My standard all-around tent for car camping has been what is a precursor model for the Eureka Apex 2XT. I've had it for something like 12 years now and it's still kicking. I think you can find them for $80-100 or so online. It's not perfect, I occasionally have some condensation problems with the fly, but it's also got great fly coverage which keeps things dry when it's raining, and if you stake all the guy lines it's a champ in high winds too. Simple to set up also. You can do better but you'll probably end up spending more. There's a few comparable models out there so shop around. I would avoid cheap tents. They will leak, they will tear, they will fold in the wind.
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Jun 2, 2013 03:06
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LogisticEarth posted:By "casual" camping I assume you mean car camping at like family campgrounds and whatnot? Do you want a tent to hang out in or just something to sleep in? Do you care if it can be used for backpacking in a pinch? I assume you're not looking for some minimalist tarp tent, a one-person shelter, or a hammock set up. By the way you defined it, sounds most like car camping. Thank you for the recommendation. My girlfriend insists on not being large enough for friends to hang out in it to avoid awkward third wheel situations. Edit: While we are at it, are tents sold by Eastern Mountain Sports and Dick's Sporting Goods actually good quality tents or are they marked up incredibly? They're around $200-$400 for a 2-3 person rcman50166 fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Jun 2, 2013 |
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Jun 2, 2013 03:10
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rcman50166 posted:Well that's the thing, I haven't a clue what I'm looking for. I don't anticipate having to hike far with the tent, so weight isn't too much of an issue. But I need something that would stay dry and not tear. My husband and I have been using an Ozark Trail tent that we picked up at WalMart for 60 bucks. It's not too heavy and he can compress it down to a tiny little ball and stuff it into his pack so we've even been using it on 3-4 day overnight backpack trips. We were planning to upgrade to something nicer (particularly something with two doors so no one gets stepped on in the middle of the night  ), but it's honestly been such a good tent we haven't felt the need to yet. It's been through some rain and wind and held up okay, but I'm fully expecting it to spontaneously combust at the worst possible time (in particular I'm expecting the poles to do something horrible one day). But if you're not doing difficult overnight trips it might be something to look for if you're looking to save some cash until you're certain you want to invest in high quality gear with better features.
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Jun 2, 2013 04:57
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A 4 person Coleman tent is fine for car camping and will be under 100. Just be sure to clean it out when you get home and don't put it up wet. Spray it with some sealant from time to time and you'll be good. Yes, a $400 Eureka tent will be better, but if you're just starting out a Coleman will do just fine.
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Jun 2, 2013 05:03
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They're also nice because they're dead simple. 2 poles for the tent, 1 for the fly. After you put it up once you'll be able to do it in the dark. My parents have a couple we used when I was a kid. They're still using the drat things (15-20 years) with nothing but an occasional waterproofing or pole replacement.
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Jun 2, 2013 05:12
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EvilElmo posted:Spot a Canadian guy by any chance? He had just been reported missing when I got back, and had been out for a week at that stage. It's now been 3 weeks, with pretty ordinary weather this weekend from what I've been reading (and catching the tail-end of). I don't think the private search parties will have any more luck then the police. Regarding training for the AT using the Alps track (AAWT). My knowledge of the AT stems entirely from reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, and it seems that there is a wealth of towns and shelters along the AT that the AAWT doesn't really have, apart from going through Mt Hotham & Thredbo. Therefore, food drops need to be laboriously pre-positioned in order to do the whole thing, although a guy I was speaking to reckons at a good pace you could knock it over in 30 days, and carry enough food for that period. Optimistic. If anything, that would probably make selecting light-weight and calorie efficient foods easier! Plus, any track that gets you 30 or so km underfoot each day has got to be good training.
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Jun 2, 2013 05:15
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Fryhtaning posted:Hi. I live in TN and I like to hike in the Smokies. 
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Jun 2, 2013 06:05
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Got a chance to try out my full hammock setup this weekend at a campground. There were no trees near enough to each other or clear enough between them to hang, but there WAS an old fallen tree that looks like it's been used as a seat and mini-playground near the campfire for a while, with limbs spaced far enough to use!    I sleep on my side, and my butt rested lightly against part of the trunk, but it was a fun hang and a good night's rest!
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Jun 2, 2013 17:01
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rcman50166 posted:Edit: While we are at it, are tents sold by Eastern Mountain Sports and Dick's Sporting Goods actually good quality tents or are they marked up incredibly? They're around $200-$400 for a 2-3 person Eastern Mountain Sports is far more likely to carry good name brand tents than Dicks, at least if the Dicks out your way has similar selection to what ours out west have. EMS in my experience carries similar brands to REI, unless its changed a lot in recent years.
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Jun 2, 2013 17:17
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Or Craigslist....here is a newish REI Passage 1 with footprint for $100....offer $75. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/spo/3840198771.html I really like my Passage 2 since it also has room to store some of my stuff. The rainfly works as it got some use again this last week while I was up in the Tahoe National Forest. I highly recommend the Plumas-Eureka State Park Campground for "car" camping in this area. Lots of nice hikes to do from there and excellent facilities with nice campsites.  Eureka Peak   Silver Lake - Plumas National Forest  Trail Doggie bonus pic (people bring their dogs to swim in the easier reachable lakes)  Farther away but worth a visit off Hwy 49, this is the place with the nutcase stairs and fire lookout. Sierra Buttes 
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Jun 2, 2013 17:53
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The default hundred dollar tent should be the rei half dome 2. I see it everywhere.
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Jun 2, 2013 22:56
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mastershakeman posted:The default hundred dollar tent should be the rei half dome 2. I see it everywhere. I love that tent to death and will always recommend that for a great starter tent. My only gripe is that the rainfly isn't very big. My passage 2 rainfly goes all the way to the ground around the entire tent.
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Jun 3, 2013 00:14
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Keyser S0ze posted:Farther away but worth a visit off Hwy 49, this is the place with the nutcase stairs and fire lookout. Oh hey, I just got back from riding my bike up the Sierra Buttes. It turns out that not to be a great bike ride (too steep), but it's probably a good hike.    The stairs to get to the top reminded me of the Needles lookout which burned down back in 2011:  On the topic of tents, I have a passage 2 and it's awesome. It's very easy to setup and it has some pretty smart features that my previous $30 tent didn't. Features like pockets in the corners, a "shelf" hanging from the ceiling, and doors on both sides.) It's well worth the money. Unfortunately your best bet probably would have been to buy one last weekend when REI had their 20% off sale.
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Jun 3, 2013 01:34
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Crabby Abby posted:The stairs to get to the top reminded me of the Needles lookout which burned down back in 2011: Oh the irony.
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Jun 3, 2013 02:08
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Verman posted:I love that tent to death and will always recommend that for a great starter tent. My only gripe is that the rainfly isn't very big. My passage 2 rainfly goes all the way to the ground around the entire tent. Yeah I really hate the modern design of minimal rain flies.I was in an exposed field with lots of wind and rain last week and the wind was lifting lots of tents by their fly since the flies weren't staked down along the ground. My passage 1 barely moved while my friends big Coleman tent had the poles coming out repeatedly.
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Jun 3, 2013 03:58
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I got my contrail tarptent in today and set it up in my backyard, it works fine with my shorter than recommended trekking pole, 110cm Z distance poles, from what I can tell I just have to cinch the front guy lines tighter. 1.5 lbs and I could definitely fit two friendly people in here if I wanted to. I seam sealed it so it should be fine as long as a huge thunderstorm doesn't hit us on the JMT
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Jun 3, 2013 04:51
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Ah, entry level cheap tents. I remember those days. $40 at Canadian Tire, 2 person tent for car camping was our first. We're not that tall, 5'7 and 6', and our heads and feet touched both ends with no room to curl up sideways. It poured all night, and with the lovely waterproofing, meant our heads and feet were drenched instantly. Anyway, I said I'd post some Borneo photos, and while they kind of suck because we were constantly moving, here are a few. These were from a couple of short hikes we did May 14 in Bako National Park, in the Malaysian province of Sarawak. One of the signs at the visitor's centre:  Borneo: Serious business by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr On the trail:  Bako NP Trail by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr On the summit, very hot, black rock, like being on a frying pan:  Sweltering summit by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr Plants:  Borneo flora by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr Tide pools:  Tide pools at low tide by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr Then some of us found some "caves" (gaps between large boulders):  Caves by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr And of course, a macaque, because you can't go to Borneo without seeing primates:  Macaque by Trips in the Rockies, on Flickr It was 33 or 34C that day, with more than 90% humidity. Even the breeze was hot. You just constantly pour sweat. I never knew my legs and eyelids could sweat before.
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Jun 3, 2013 07:11
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Marshmallow Mayhem posted:I got my contrail tarptent in today and set it up in my backyard, it works fine with my shorter than recommended trekking pole, 110cm Z distance poles, from what I can tell I just have to cinch the front guy lines tighter. I feel like I should have gotten the Double Rainbow instead of the Fly Creek UL2, but whatever, not gonna complain about it now. The UL2 will work just fine and if I feel like blowing money I'll buy a Tarptent next year My dad has the Contrail and used it on the JMT last year, and was really happy with it. He did get caught in a huge thunderstorm and it did fine according to him. Silicone treated nylon seems to be the big thing for lightweight tents these days, and it's not really water "proof" in the sense that if you get hit with hard, driving rain, it will keep off most of the water but you'll get some "mist" from the bit of water that forces its way through the fabric. Doesn't seem to be enough to actually get you real wet, more like heavy condensation or something. Still, unless you're in heavy rain for days at a time, it shouldn't be a problem edit: actually, he has the Moment, but still... edit2: because I like looking through his hiking pics and everyone could always enjoy more hiking pics, here's a couple from the JMT last year Lake Marie  Mount Banner over Garnet Lake  'Sup little Pika dude 
Levitate fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Jun 3, 2013 |
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Jun 3, 2013 14:12
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Pikas own
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Jun 3, 2013 14:45
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My contrail has a pct thru hike (plus other use) on it, and while its slightly beat up, it is still serviceable. I would recommend adding guylines to the sides at the very least. They make the tent much more storm worthy. The front beak guy and the rear guy in the middle of the footbox help, but are not as crucial. The stock guyline tensioners are also kind of iffy after a lot of use. When your guyline gets old, smashed up, slick, they won't hold as well. I switched all of mine to the Clam cleat style of line locs. I also just got some Altra Lone Peaks. Pretty stoked about them, but I'm still not sure I like them more than my Tevas. Anyone have some miles on their Lone Peaks? Canna Happy fucked around with this message at 15:00 on Jun 3, 2013 |
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Jun 3, 2013 14:58
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On Friday I'll be headed out to middle-of-nowhere Colorado (Westcliffe) to stay in a cabin for a week. I hope to do a lot of hiking and outdoors stuff. No camping though because we don't have the equipment. Problem is, it has been well over a decade since I've done any serious hiking so I am pretty rusty on what to pack and what not to pack. Pretty much the only thing I have is boots. Does anyone have sock recommendations? Like, can I just get normal synthetic hiking socks on Amazon? Is it OK to get cheap ones or will I hate myself if I don't upgrade? I was going to buy some iodine tablets in case of water emergencies. Is this a good idea or is an actual filtration system necessary? I have a 20oz metal water bottle. Am I going to want something bigger (for an all-day hike I'm thinking yes)? I don't own any fancy quick-dry pants. I was planning on just hiking in jeans. OK? Not OK? If not OK, anyone have recommendations for not-insanely-expensive hiking pants? I'm jumping on this late in the game so don't have time to order pants online, try them on, then return them if they don't fit. I do have workout pants made of quick-drying material, but they wouldn't offer much protection. Speaking of clothing, my layering was just going to be t-shirt, hoodie, and outer shell jacket, with a fleece lining for night. For a pack, I have this kind of thing, a backpack that's slightly sturdier than normal ones. I recognize that none of these ideas are optimal, but since this was my first excursion in a long time I didn't want to immediately dump a bunch of cash on equipment. I guess I'm trying to figure out which fancy stuff is absolutely essential and which is icing.
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Jun 4, 2013 01:06
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ATP5G1 posted:On Friday I'll be headed out to middle-of-nowhere Colorado (Westcliffe) to stay in a cabin for a week. I hope to do a lot of hiking and outdoors stuff. No camping though because we don't have the equipment. I'd rather have 2 pairs of quality socks than 5 pairs of cheap ones. I'm a big fan of Smart Wool but REI's branded socks are good as well. If you're hiking any kind of great distances or if you were backpacking I'd suggest you try out silk sock liners too but probably not too necessary if you're not backpacking. I'd certainly suggest you get some better, synthetic, hiking pants, they don't have to be terribly spendy or fancy but anything is going to be better than denim. For an all day hike you definitely want more than a 20oz water bottle... you should probably look at a small camelbak or platypus style hydration bladder that you can throw in your pack. You can get most of this gear for not too much money and you'll be much more comfortable for it.
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Jun 4, 2013 01:22
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If you want to minimize gear investments for the time being, plenty of folks wander the woods with gatorade bottles. I'd definitely reuse a couple gatorade bottles than hike in jeans personally.
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Jun 4, 2013 01:50
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Levitate posted:I feel like I should have gotten the Double Rainbow instead of the Fly Creek UL2, but whatever, not gonna complain about it now. The UL2 will work just fine and if I feel like blowing money I'll buy a Tarptent next year Sweet, I'm less worried about my contrail now  I didn't own any backpacking tents, I've always tagged along in my friends' REI half dome 2, but I wanted to invest in my own and I think $200 was a pretty good investment for 1.5 lbs!Aweeeeeesome, so cute! I couldn't get a picture of the first pika I've ever seen last week on Alta Peak! Fast skittish bugger unlike the more courageous marmots. And AWESOME pic of Banner peak I'm biased though cuz this is my arm:  I can't wait to be there in July! ATP: Don't hike in jeans. Get a camelbak unless you want to be stopping removing and unzipping your backpacking constantly to open the water bottle and close it and put everything back on just to hydrate. Hiking in spandex workout/lifting pants is better than jeans. And seconding 1 or 2 pairs of GOOD synthetic socks is way better than 5 pairs of crappy cotton socks or whatever. I like teko brand, REI fine too. pizzadog fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Jun 4, 2013 |
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Jun 4, 2013 01:53
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One of my favorite pairs of pants for hiking are from Eddie Bauer. They are the synthetic guide pants. They also come in shorts and are super comfortable/flexible and only about $50-60. The pockets are deep and placed well. http://m.eddiebauer.com/catalog/pro...cmPathInfo=null
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Jun 4, 2013 02:18
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Getting nice hiking clothes really isn't necessary. It certainly makes you more comfortable, but lots of people get along just fine with jeans or ordinary shorts or cotton t-shirts or whatever. I wouldn't bother getting new hiking clothes unless you plan to do a lot of hiking in the near future besides this trip. Keep your hikes gentle and short and you'll have a good time. If you push it you might end up miserable. I'd definitely go with the gatorade bottle plan suggested by PabloBOOM. They're cheap and very sturdy and you'll be able to easily carry several liters of water.
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Jun 4, 2013 02:57
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BeefofAges posted:I'd definitely go with the gatorade bottle plan suggested by PabloBOOM. They're cheap and very sturdy and you'll be able to easily carry several liters of water. 2 plastic gatorade bottles will weigh less (empty) than your metal 20oz, and carry more liquid. And gatorade is good for when you're sweating a lot! It's a triple-win. I always use a one-quart gatorade & a one-liter nalgene when I go caving - if you're not planning to be away from camp for more than 5 hours at a time, you should have plenty. The platypus/camelbak probably isn't worth it, but iodine & a coffee filter will carry you through. Get nice & hydrated before you leave. As for socks, do not buy cheap socks. Carry two pairs of good socks (wool, not synthetic), and maybe two pairs of liner socks if that's your thing. I recommend Darn Tough above all else. Jeans are fine (in good weather), but usually don't have a great range of motion. I prefered slacks before I got my hiking pants. If you've got a fleece, why carry a hoody? Just bring a hat! Also, where are you coming from and how are you arriving? There are a million-billion stores in the greater Denver area that will have good stuff for you to get - most of the major online retailers will have a brick & mortar that you could stop at.
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Jun 4, 2013 03:25
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