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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:As another anecdote, I never wash my hands while backpacking, and again, have never been sick. likewise, i've rinsed my hands off before if I get something sticky on them during food prep but I never carry soap or hand-sanitizer on shorter backpacking trips.
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Jul 18, 2013 21:06
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My wife and I were very religious on filtering all our water during our 2011 AT thru hike. Sometimes we would use Aqua Mira if we were not worried about waiting, and when I am soloing I use Aqua Mira cause the weight cant be touched by a filter or UV magic wand. In spite of all our care, including purell before eating, we both got Giardia within about an hour of each other while in NJ. The wife had it worse, but we were both laid up puking and making GBS threads all over this nice lady's basement until she took us to the hospital. In total we were off the trail for 10 days and I lost about 8 lbs in the first three. The treatment (Flagyl) is no joke either and left both of our stomachs a mess for a few weeks. I just figured there are more ways than water to get beaver fever.
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Jul 18, 2013 22:26
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I bought a sayer squeeze filter and can say that I love it.
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Jul 18, 2013 22:27
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Hey hiking goons! I'm living in nevada, and I still like the occasional hike, though I feel it's more like a walk through trails or the bush here. Grew up in Maine, so the outdoors is pretty ingrained in me. Now here's where I ask some really dumb questions of you guys: After hearing about a bad week I had, some of my friends invited me with them for a hike. They invited me today, the hike is on saturday. All I know so far is that is it supposed to be a three day hike with two nights spent camping. The hike will be in the sierras near Tahoe along the American River north fork. I'm waiting for some more details to be forwarded to me. I'm in better shape than most of them in terms of general fitness, and fairly competent at running. But they have done much more hiking than I have. Is this something I can do? What do I pack? Can I boil water over a campfire? If so do I bring a small pot or do I bring my ibrik(a small copper coffee pot)? How much water do I need, is two liters a day enough? Currently my plan is to pack the following into my backpack (which is a regular backpack, I do not have a hiking one) Four pairs of socks, spare underwear, two flannel shirts, three thin cotton undershirts, a knife, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, a lighter, a hat, sunscreen, instant oatmeal packets for breakfasts, some fruit, maybe some sandwiches for lunches(?),two liters of water, some knäckebröd, a small pot and a tupperware bowl. In short I have never done this before and I would like a couple of days hanging around the sierras with my friends and not deliverance.  EDIT: So that my naivete isn't bringing the thread down, here's a picture of me being a dork while hiking around the Jack's Valley Wildlife Management area. 
Quantumfate fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 23:30
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Quantumfate posted:Currently my plan is to pack the following into my backpack (which is a regular backpack, I do not have a hiking one) Four pairs of socks, spare underwear, two flannel shirts, three thin cotton undershirts, a knife, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, a lighter, a hat, sunscreen, instant oatmeal packets for breakfasts, some fruit, maybe some sandwiches for lunches(?),two liters of water, some knäckebröd, a small pot and a tupperware bowl. Where is it that you plan on sleeping?
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Jul 19, 2013 01:40
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Quantumfate posted:Hey hiking goons! I'm living in nevada, and I still like the occasional hike, though I feel it's more like a walk through trails or the bush here. Grew up in Maine, so the outdoors is pretty ingrained in me. Load up your backpack with a bunch of weight and walk around a whole bunch tonight or tomorrow to see if you can handle carrying lots of poo poo for three days. But if you are generally pretty fit, I think you'll likely be okay, IF one of your friends knows what they're doing. My first backpacking trip was planned by an inexperienced me, and it turned out fine, likely due somewhat to luck and somewhat to me having a cautious attitude (well, as cautious an attitude as I could have given I was planning a backpacking trip without much experience). Then again, I was also in fairly tame PA woodlands, and you're going to mountain land, so I'd hope one of your friends knows what they're doing. Also make sure there are plenty of water sources along the way and backup places to camp if you don't make it as far as you'd hoped. Ditch 2 of the 3 cotton undershirts. And I dunno how the weather is there, but you may be able to ditch one of the flannel shirts. Basically, don't bring any clothes for cleanliness' sake, other than socks. Only bring clothes for layering sake. Nobody cares how you smell on a 3 day hike. A small pot should be fine for water. It will likely get charred to gently caress being over a wood fire - it's fine if you don't care about how your pots look. Make sure fires are okay where you're going (could be a no-no in some places due to wildfire danger); if they're not okay, bring some other means of water treatment or bring a little camping stove. Check with your friends if any of your gear overlaps with theirs.
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Jul 19, 2013 02:40
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I was able to get a backpacking pack that I dropped a pair of 15 pound plates into. It was kind of heavy, like it would push me to carry that. I was worried, but now that I have my shoddily packed backpack readied I realize it's far less weight than I thought. I think I'll do okay. One of the group was a trail guide before and an avid backpacker still, so I know at least one of them knows their stuff well. Said person has a campfire permit too, so that covers that worry. I'm worried about ditching the extra clothes because I was packing them less for cleanliness' sake more as a precaution. I'd like extra socks to keep from getting bad blisters, and extra shirts in case mine get too sweaty, because cotton takes a long time to dry out and nights will be getting -cold-. Am I worrying too much, or am I being realistic? Also, I'm glad you brought up the point about the pot getting charred to gently caress! I'm not going to bing my light coffee pot, I brought a bigger, but still fairly compact, steel pot that I don't really care about. I have my kit fairly light, I feel- I'm just unsure about the clothes. Nifty posted:Where is it that you plan on sleeping?
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Jul 19, 2013 20:13
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Quantumfate posted:I was able to get a backpacking pack that I dropped a pair of 15 pound plates into. It was kind of heavy, like it would push me to carry that. I was worried, but now that I have my shoddily packed backpack readied I realize it's far less weight than I thought. I think I'll do okay. One of the group was a trail guide before and an avid backpacker still, so I know at least one of them knows their stuff well. Said person has a campfire permit too, so that covers that worry. I'm worried about ditching the extra clothes because I was packing them less for cleanliness' sake more as a precaution. I'd like extra socks to keep from getting bad blisters, and extra shirts in case mine get too sweaty, because cotton takes a long time to dry out and nights will be getting -cold-. Am I worrying too much, or am I being realistic? Okay, good to know there's someone experienced in the group. Extra socks are definitely a good call. If you bring any extra shirts, make it a warm layer. Extra undershirts just seem sorta pointless to me. You can just take the sweaty one off and put on warm stuff when it's cold at night. Why is a dry cotton short-sleeved shirt important when you're putting on your warm long-sleeves anyway? I dunno what the temperatures are actually like where you're going, but consider adding a pair of long johns. Also, bring two big black garbage bags. Also, bring an extra day of food in case you hike your 1.5 days in and get tired/blistery and it takes you twice as long to hike back out.
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Jul 19, 2013 20:22
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"Winter is Coming" and I need to learn about traction. I have a pair of microspikes, & I've been using the same pair of red plastic MSR snowshoes for two decades without a hitch, but now I'm thinking about crampons. I don't want any specialty boots and I don't want to climb waterfalls, but I know I'll be on steep icy/windy terrain. So far the snowshoes have gotten me up lots of mountains, but they can't do everything, & recently I've found myself wanting that little bit extra. That being said, ice cleats and snowshoes are amazing things. What can you guys tell me about crampons? Tomorrow I'm doing Amphitheater Mtn, 16 miles with 6,000ft elevation gain, should be a good one.
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Jul 19, 2013 20:30
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Quantumfate posted:I was able to get a backpacking pack that I dropped a pair of 15 pound plates into. It was kind of heavy, like it would push me to carry that. I was worried, but now that I have my shoddily packed backpack readied I realize it's far less weight than I thought. I think I'll do okay. One of the group was a trail guide before and an avid backpacker still, so I know at least one of them knows their stuff well. Said person has a campfire permit too, so that covers that worry. I'm worried about ditching the extra clothes because I was packing them less for cleanliness' sake more as a precaution. I'd like extra socks to keep from getting bad blisters, and extra shirts in case mine get too sweaty, because cotton takes a long time to dry out and nights will be getting -cold-. Am I worrying too much, or am I being realistic? Ditch the cotton. For most day hikes its not a big deal, but if you are anticipating getting sweaty and the weather getting cold at night, cotton is a terrible choice if you cant get it dry. Wet/damp clothes will drain your body heat really fast and thats what leads to hypothermia not to mention they tend to stink pretty badly. Always plan for the worst case scenario no matter how ideal the conditions are looking beforehand. Bringing that 1 extra layer can make the difference between a miserable trip and a memorable trip. For a weekend trip that will get down to the 40s at night and as high as the 70s in the day time, I would bring a pair of zip off pants/shorts, 1 pair of wool sock liners, 1 pair of wool socks, 1 pair of boxer briefs (synthetic), 1 set of synthetic long underwear, a short sleeve tech shirt, a long sleeve tech shirt, down sweater or vest, rain shell. Enough clothes that you can wear them all at the same time if it gets down to freezing but not so much that you cant fit it into a small-medium sized compression sack.
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Jul 19, 2013 20:32
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Smoove J posted:"Winter is Coming" and I need to learn about traction. I have a pair of microspikes, & I've been using the same pair of red plastic MSR snowshoes for two decades without a hitch, but now I'm thinking about crampons. I don't want any specialty boots and I don't want to climb waterfalls, but I know I'll be on steep icy/windy terrain. So far the snowshoes have gotten me up lots of mountains, but they can't do everything, & recently I've found myself wanting that little bit extra. That being said, ice cleats and snowshoes are amazing things. You want mountaineering or alpine travel crampons. They're lighter, but their front points aren't suitable for vertical ice. There are 3 types of attchment systems: automatic, semi auto, and strap. A strap crampon can be attacked to any boot. A semi auto needs a heel ledge, and a fully auto needs both the heel and toe ledges.
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Jul 19, 2013 22:27
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If you're venturing into that territory, get an axe too.
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Jul 19, 2013 22:51
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I've attempted a few self-arrests with an ice axe, I'm terrible but I guess that's what practice is for. I went to this (http://www.avalanchesafetyworkshop.com/) last year, awesome class, and it got me of the mind to buy probes and shovels and beacons etc but I haven't yet... crampons first. Looking at these two, they both offer strap attachments and look a little sturdier than BD stuff http://www.backcountry.com/petzl-vasak-fl-mountaineering-crampon http://www.backcountry.com/grivel-g12-new-classic-crampon I'll try these on in the shop before I buy, but am I on the right track, do you think? any other suggestions/advice?
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Jul 19, 2013 23:41
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If your boots will take a semi-auto crampon, I would recommend them over a pure strap. Edit: VVV Doesn't look like it to me, they probably just meant that it's stiff. VVV Speleothing fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Jul 20, 2013 |
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Jul 20, 2013 00:29
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This is my current boot http://www.backpacker.com/gear/details/boots/2484 They say it's crampon compatible, but my loafers could be crampon compatible for all I know
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Jul 20, 2013 00:37
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Smoove J posted:This is my current boot http://www.backpacker.com/gear/details/boots/2484 Those look like they'll take strap crampons. Auto or semi-auto is unlikely. Though I've never used the semi-auto crampons, but those boots don't have the heel/toe welt like here:  That said, I've seen people do some insane poo poo with the wrong kinds of crampons, including a friend I watched climb a waterfall in tennis shoes with some strap-on crampons and trash bags. Go to REI/your favorite outdoor store with your boots and ask. edit: just to be clear, boots that take semi-auto just have the heel welt. Heel/toe is auto. Strap-on will attach to just about anything, but are not suitable for ice climbing unless you are an insane person. krispykremessuck fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Jul 20, 2013 |
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Jul 20, 2013 00:56
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Well ok. Might be time to think of a new shoe. Thank you
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Jul 20, 2013 01:03
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Smoove J posted:Well ok. Might be time to think of a new shoe. Thank you Snow/glacier travel with strap-on style crampons and a semi rigid boot will be fine. I wouldn't buy mountaineering boots unless you have serious money to burn OR you're doing something that'll benefit from a full shank/extra insulation/ability to take automatic crampons. Do not attempt glacier travel without an ice axe, and preferably with some instruction. Not saying you would, but glaciers kill even the prepared. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2018496296_rainierrescue22m.html
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Jul 20, 2013 01:26
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I was just telling that goon to do trails in the Lake Louise area, figured I would mention that a cougar has been spotted following people along the north lake shore so an official warning is now in place. Make sure you're educated on safety and encounters before you go. While the area is popular, it's not unreasonable to be temporarily alone every now and then. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/natcul/animaux-animals/couguar-cougar.aspx
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Jul 20, 2013 02:17
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Alright, thanks for the help on my last minute prep guys! I have my kit pared down quite a bit and we're heading out. See you guys on the other side!
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Jul 20, 2013 02:22
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Don't buy mountaineering boots for general snow/ice travel. You'll hate it. Get strap on crampons for your otherwise good backpacking boots and some gaiters for those long snowfields and icy bits. You'll know when you need mountaineering boots (hint: you'll need ropes too).
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Jul 20, 2013 04:36
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:Don't buy mountaineering boots for general snow/ice travel. You'll hate it. Get strap on crampons for your otherwise good backpacking boots and some gaiters for those long snowfields and icy bits. You'll know when you need mountaineering boots (hint: you'll need ropes too). I think I'm at that point, I've been lead climbing in the winter in CO & summer in MT for a while, though it's much easier to find a place in RMNP than in Glacier. Blackleaf Canyon is a good one. I really don't see myself ice climbing, though, it just doesn't seem as interesting as rocks. I'll try some of those strap crampons, but I'm going to consider those boots... Glacier peaks in February are quite nice, but I've only seen the edge of the park in that climate.
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Jul 20, 2013 04:50
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Smoove J, for glacier walking or iced-over trails, strap-on crampons will work just fine with just about any boots. If the soles of your boots are flexible, like the Garmont Zeniths, you should look into also buying a flex bar for your crampons. These take the strain off the center connecting bar and allow the crampon to better move with more flexible boots. My recommendation would be to make sure you get steel crampons (I'm partial to chromoly, but stainless looks prettier; they both perform similarly, though there have been some issues with the BD stainless Sabretooth breaking on vertical ice, which it sounds like you don't plan to do anyway) instead of aluminum, for durability. Both models you linked to will give you years of hard use, even on mixed terrain. I have a pair of G12s (New Classic strap binding) that are real workhorses. No complaints. For your intended use, stick with horizontal front points like the models you linked; vertical points are for technical ice and mixed climbing, and will not give you as much surface area on neve. Also, most crampons these days come with anti-bot plates (plastic snow-resistant plates on the bottoms) to prevent snow build-up, but double check to see this important safety feature is included. If you're thinking you might buy proper mountaineering boots, that changes the equation on bindings (you'd likely be better off with a heel bail, with either front basket or front bail). But like JAY ZERO SUM GAME said, hiking in mountaineering boots is horrible.
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Jul 20, 2013 08:02
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Sat in a café in Whitehorse, YT, about to leave for Skagway, AK to do the Chilkoot Trail! Can't wait but also kind of concerned we are not exactly sure where the bus stop is. We had an interesting problem though, does anyone know any formidable bear defences that can cross borders, and use planes? Bear bangers and spray are not suitable for air travel and the spray certainly counts as a weapon for crossing the border from US into Canada from he eyes of the Canadian Border Services Agency?  Bit late to be asking I know... We have whistles and bear bells. Also, for the Chilkoot Trail, apparently there are so many people bears don't bother us in any case.
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Jul 20, 2013 16:06
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You can bring bear spray across the border as long as it is explicitly labelled as for use on bears, according to tons of documentation I've read, including hearing it personally from rangers in Glacier. No personal experience however.
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Jul 20, 2013 16:21
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When we drove to Canada last month my mom brought bear spray over the border and brought it back with us. Didn't have any problems.
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Jul 20, 2013 16:57
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So I am looking to start picking up some gear for camping and backpacking and was wondering about this threads opinions on these tents and sleeping bag. Any of you use these and can let me know about them? http://www.rei.com/product/828301/marmot-trestles-0-sleeping-bag http://www.rei.com/product/810115/rei-passage-2-tent#video-inner http://www.rei.com/product/845478/rei-half-dome-2-tent
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Jul 21, 2013 03:58
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Ingenium posted:So I am looking to start picking up some gear for camping and backpacking and was wondering about this threads opinions on these tents and sleeping bag. Any of you use these and can let me know about them? What kind of use do you plan to get out of them? Primarily car camping? How far do you plan to backpack? Where or what climate? What is your budget? An excellent resource for learning about and choosing outdoor gear is http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/ . The tents you have linked would work fine for car camping or for short hikes, but are on the heavy side if you plan to backpack far or if there's a chance you won't be ble to split the load with someone else (such as if you decide to do some solo backpacking). Not a deal breaker, but if your budget is flexible you can shed considerable weight and save space in the pack. Same with the sleeping bag. Unless you anticipate multi-day trips in truly wet/damp conditions, down will always be better than synthetic. Way lighter, more compressible. But if you can tell us more about your plans, goals and price range, we should be able to make some recommendations.
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Jul 21, 2013 07:29
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Ingenium posted:So I am looking to start picking up some gear for camping and backpacking and was wondering about this threads opinions on these tents and sleeping bag. Any of you use these and can let me know about them? I've heard nothing but good things about the Marmot Trestles for the price but it is bulky and heavyish. Ask yourself this. Do you really expect to be camping/backpacking in conditions nearing 0º enough to warrant buying a bag rated for zero? You could shed some weight by going with something like a 15º bag, or consider going for down if you can afford it. You can always get a silk or fleece liner to add warmth to a bag and bring it when you need it versus lugging a 5lb 0º bag when its 50-70º outside. That could save you 2 pounds alone on warmer treks. As for the Passage 2, thats the tent that I own and I love it. Sure it could be lighter but gently caress if that thing hasn't more than proved its worth to me. 5lbs for a 2 person tent with a rainfly that goes all the way to the ground and gives you 2 vestibules for gear is nice especially for around $150 or less. The half dome 2 will have slightly more headroom due to more upright pole structure and it will have more ventilation due to the additional mesh panels. To be honest, I would buy the Passage 2 again in a second if I were to need another tent for any reason. If you want to shed weight, lose all the little bags, the steel stakes, the guyouts and just pack it within itself inside your pack. I carry 100 feet of paracord on me anyway so if I really need guyouts I can improvise. I found some MSR aluminum stakes that someone left behind at a site which I have now started to use and they are lighter than the steel ones it comes with. Really though, the weight shouldn't be an issue unless you're trying to do an ultralight set up in which case you can use the rainfly and the footprint for a sub 3lb setup.
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Jul 21, 2013 07:32
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Business of Ferrets posted:What kind of use do you plan to get out of them? Primarily car camping? How far do you plan to backpack? Where or what climate? What is your budget? I realize I really didn't provide enough information in my post. I am only now starting to get into camping so I cant be definite about what type of camping I will do most often. Largely I expect to do weekend backpacking/car camping either alone or with a friend. Thats why I have tried to find more general cheaper supplies. While I am sure I could shed allot of weight at higher prices, I don't know how hard I will end up backpacking. For the sleeping bag, I live in Washington so I do expect frequent damp conditions. Verman did have a point with my bag likely not needing that low of a rating though.
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Jul 21, 2013 08:26
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For what its worth, I backpack with the Passage 2 no problem. On my 4-day backcountry trips to the rockies I will usually have my pack weighing in at 30lbs or less. While some people can find ways of cutting 2 lbs out of their tents, for me personally it wasn't worth the extra $150 to pay. The Passage 2 is a great budget backpacking tent and will more than suffice for car camping. As for your sleeping bag, theres a lot to consider. If you buy one really nice bag now, you can have it for a long time to come rather than buying a mediocre bag and upgrading a year from now when you realize you wanted something lighter/compressible/warmer. A lot of factors come into play with sleeping bags. I really like down because its lighter, more compressible, longer lasting (the insulation doesn't break down over time), and personally feels warmer quicker. I do keep my sleeping bag in a waterproof compression sack to keep it dry. Synthetic bags are better for wet conditions as they don't lose all of their insulation performance if they get wet unlike down which is terrible for keeping you dry when wet. They just tend to be heavier and bulkier until you spend more for better insulation and materials. Lastly, keep in mind when shopping for gear that backpacking gear is typically lighter and smaller for the reason that it is meant to be carried long distances but it can easily be used for car camping as well. Car camping gear on the other hand is only meant for hauling in your trunk and it is generally made of cheaper materials and weighs a ton. If you spend your money on gear and you are even remotely interested in backpacking, buy gear that you can use for both rather than buying all car camping gear that won't be able to go backpacking with you. Just a thought, coming from the person who takes pride in only bringing 1 backpack to a camping trip when everyone else has three car loads of poo poo. Verman fucked around with this message at 09:41 on Jul 21, 2013 |
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Jul 21, 2013 09:35
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It's not that you can't backpack with cheaper, bigger, heavier gear. People did it for years until manufactures got better at making lighter gear, etc. It just means you're lugging more weight around which can be difficult but certainly not impossible. Like a lot of stuff that involves the buying of gear, it's probably worth it to find out what the limits of your budget are and buy the lightest stuff you can according to that, and you can always upgrade and sell the old stuff later. I just say this because I think it can come across like "you can't possibly backpack with that it's too heavy what are you thinking?!" even if that's not the intention, and it's pretty easy to get caught up in gear stuff and start trying to get everything as light as possible because some ultralight hiker snickered behind your back at your 35 lb pack or something. Buy the best you can comfortably afford. Packing your clothes and food in some ways makes a bigger difference on weight so learn how to do that and then go have fun.
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Jul 21, 2013 12:39
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I, too, went up to Glacier National Park recently. I, too, am still afraid of bears.
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Jul 21, 2013 18:44
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My boyfriend and I broke up, and I have decided that I want to get the gently caress out of town and go to Gatlinburg to walk this off. I have been hiking pretty much only on day trips through the wetlands and grosser parts of central Florida, and I know the Rockies are completely different terrain. Has anyone been to Gatlinburg? I'm not really that concerned with the money aspect of it, but I'm really excited to see a different part of the south. And yes, before I get ahead of myself, I plan on doing some overnight trips to really get me into being alone and in the woods, but I always like advice.
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Jul 21, 2013 18:52
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Erudite Sybarite posted:My boyfriend and I broke up, and I have decided that I want to get the gently caress out of town and go to Gatlinburg to walk this off. I have been hiking pretty much only on day trips through the wetlands and grosser parts of central Florida, and I know the Rockies are completely different terrain. Has anyone been to Gatlinburg? I'm not really that concerned with the money aspect of it, but I'm really excited to see a different part of the south. Good for you for getting out of the hiking hellhole that is central/south Florida. Working on doing the same myself.
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Jul 21, 2013 19:01
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Levitate posted:It's not that you can't backpack with cheaper, bigger, heavier gear. People did it for years until manufactures got better at making lighter gear, etc. It just means you're lugging more weight around which can be difficult but certainly not impossible. Like a lot of stuff that involves the buying of gear, it's probably worth it to find out what the limits of your budget are and buy the lightest stuff you can according to that, and you can always upgrade and sell the old stuff later. Either cuz of my shoes (Merrell Siren Waterproof) lack of ankle/arch support (they're a bit old - good tread though I've been hiking on them for a year or two) or my pack weight (the only ultralight thing I've invested in was my 1.5lb tarptent, with food/water/bearcan and all my gear it was about 40 lbs, which is pretty much the max for my height/weight and heavier than my two males friends' packs) I had to cut my JMT attempt short/over after only 4.5 days. Killer plantar fasciitis I think, excruciating arch pain increasing with every step as the day went on, even after trying Superfeet insoles and Gel insoles. Sucky  Went about 60 miles from Happy Isles in Yosemite to Mammoth (Red's Meadow). I'll post some pictures eventually though. I will endeavor to figure out if my sturdier backpacking boots Montrail Torre GTX will help with support. I will probably also invest in lighter base gear. After experiencing this pain, and it ruining my trip, it will be worth the expense sadly for upgrades.
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Jul 21, 2013 22:11
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Marshmallow Mayhem posted:Don't discount the advantages of lighter gear. oh I'm not! I'm just trying to tell someone who is looking into buying equipment for the first time that if they can't afford ultralight gear, that it doesn't mean they're doing it wrong or something like that. Light gear definitely makes things better (as long as you're not stupid about what weight you're cutting) but not everyone has the money to invest in that stuff when they're first getting started and they shouldn't feel like they're getting "crappy gear" or something because they can't afford to get the best.
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Jul 21, 2013 22:20
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Here's yesterday's hike, I was going to climb Amphitheater but decided to do Curly Bear, the long way. 17 miles, too much elevation to think about, 13 hour day.  Red line was my route, black dot is where the shot was taken. I'm looking at Mt James and Amphitheater, James looks awesome, I'll go back and try it. And as far as ropes and crampons, I misread, I definitely don't have any experience roping up for glacier travel, I'll look into that. It sounds like strap crampons are the way to go for my needs, though. Thanks you guys.
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Jul 21, 2013 23:41
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Ultimately, your enjoyment of backpacking comes down to your own motivation to GTFO with whatever gear you happen to have and put in some miles. I see people on backwoods trails with their makeshift walking sticks and giant heaps of quilts and foam and tarps and pots bungee-corded to their 40 year-old aluminum-frame backpacks, and they seem to do just fine. They'll hike a little slower, and probably drive home more sore and chafed, but they're out there doing what they love. Yes, the specialized gear is nice and often totally worth it, but just because some guy on Youtube weighing his gear in grams with a kitchen scale says your poo poo is too heavy doesn't mean you can't actually go backpacking. My first few backpacking trips were with "car camping" gear (including a 4-person dome tent for two of us) and that didn't stop me from having a blast. Upgrade as the need arises and as you can afford to do so, but make your first priority actually getting out to the trail.
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Jul 22, 2013 00:43
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snappo posted:Ultimately, your enjoyment of backpacking comes down to your own motivation to GTFO with whatever gear you happen to have and put in some miles. I see people on backwoods trails with their makeshift walking sticks and giant heaps of quilts and foam and tarps and pots bungee-corded to their 40 year-old aluminum-frame backpacks, and they seem to do just fine. They'll hike a little slower, and probably drive home more sore and chafed, but they're out there doing what they love. Yeah this exactly 
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Jul 22, 2013 01:30
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