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HolaMundo posted:I need sleeping bag recommendations. Zero degree small bag means a high loft down, and those tend to be pricey. If your in SF I'd recommend looking for a dealer that carries Western Mountaineering bags. They make some of the best size to warmth ratio bags. The downside is they are expensive as gently caress. However, you can certainly pick up quality zero degree bags without paying a small fortune. The trade-off is the bag will be a bit bulkier and weigh more. It really comes down to what works best for you.
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Mar 11, 2014 19:08
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But biking is really, really loving expensive. I can't think of a piece of hiking/back packing kit that is so prohibitively expensive, save maybe a GPS. Want a decent bike that wont pound your spine into dust on a hilly trail, or vibrate your balls off during a road ride? Expect to drop at *least* a thousand dollars on just the bike. I'm really very bitter about being hard bit by the I want a bike bug only to be denied by the start up price.
lite_sleepr fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Mar 11, 2014 |
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Mar 11, 2014 19:17
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A 0 degree bag in the US will mean 0 degrees F (almost -18 C) So since you're looking while in San Fran, for a 0 C bag look for a 32 F, generally not nearly as expensive as a 0 F bag!
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Mar 11, 2014 19:18
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Bent Gate Mountaineering can ship a Western Mountaineering bag to your hotel in SF, though international credit cards usually require a bit of back & forth with customer service (use PayPal). You probably want the Highlite (35), Megalite (30), or Ultralight (20). Speleothing fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Mar 11, 2014 |
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Mar 11, 2014 19:23
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Joe Videogames posted:But biking is really, really loving expensive. I can't think of a piece of hiking/back packing kit that is so prohibitively expensive, save maybe a GPS. Want a decent bike that wont destroy your spine on a hilly trail, or vibrate your balls off during a road ride? Expect to drop at *least* a thousand dollars on just the bike. I'm really very bitter about being hard bit by the I want a bike bug only to be denied by the start up price. No, it really doesn't have to be. It's not just me, ask a large group of people I know who have been happily biking for many years, often carrying groceries or work stuff, in one of the hilliest cities in the US. Most of them ride older steel-framed "touring" road bikes that they got for between $60 (needed some work done) and $500 (sold in awesome shape by a bike shop). My bike was $120 (lucky find, but could find the same for $250 today), and my second bike was $60 + some work and some parts from my older bike, and I've taken both on 150 mile bike-camping trips and ridden both daily for commuting and errands. I also know some people who have brand new $400-600 comfort, cruiser, or cyclocross bikes that do them just fine. These are not low-end bikes. The only bike that will rattle your balls off is a lovely department store bike, or perhaps if you take a rigid aluminum or carbon frame on a bumpy trail. Find a local shop that sells refurbed steel-framed road bikes from the 80s, you'll see plenty of good choices. Finally, comparing the cost of a bike (the one single piece of equipment you really need to bike besides a $40 helmet), to "any single piece of hiking/backpacking kit," which might be one of several you need if you're backpacking, isn't really a fair comparison. I'll give you that you can get into hiking pretty well for a $50 daypack and some $100 shoes. Hell, you can just go out on a hike in street shoes for starters (but please bring a pack with some water). Backpacking is a different story, and will probably run you several hundo in addition to shoes. Levitate posted:Really compared to hobby's like cars or something, biking doesn't have to be that expensive even if you do buy a nice bike. making GBS threads on someone because they wanted a nice bike, even if they aren't racing, is dumb. If you can afford it and you use it a lot, then go for it. Okay that's true, I didn't mean to poo poo on everyone who uses nice bikes. If you can afford it then why not; nice bikes are definitely nice. I just do a lot of urban bike advocacy stuff and it's really frustrating how often I get "Doesn't it cost thousands to get into biking? That's what my coworker says."
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Mar 11, 2014 19:35
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Getting into biking isn't that bad if you shop the used market and don't need all the newest and fanciest stuff. My bike shop for example sells all their rentals at the end of the season for like $250. Not high end, but you are getting a season old kona 29er that will withstand pretty serious mountain biking. With a road bike you can be a little less picky because things haven't changed as much and something 20 years old can still be a great bike. I think mountain biking is a little more fun though and fits more in line with the hiking and backpacking thing.
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Mar 11, 2014 19:43
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jamal posted:Getting into biking isn't that bad if you shop the used market and don't need all the newest and fanciest stuff. It still goes fast and works fine. And frankly, is more bike than I need for the amount that I ride now. So yeah, don't not ride because you think you need to drop 2 grand. Thinking about my backpacking/hiking stuff, I've probably accumulated 2 grand worth of stuff over the years anyways. Edit: Having said that, mountain bikes have seen a lot of improvements over the years, and it's getting hard for me to find components for my cantilever-braked, trigger shifted 90s Stumpjumper that is now my city bike. For example, my shifters and brakes are integrated, and I can't upgrade to v brakes because I can't find a decent 7 speed shifter either as a seperate component or integrated into V brake handles, so replacing one component basically means replacing my entire drive train. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Mar 11, 2014 |
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Mar 11, 2014 19:54
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alnilam posted:
Yah I definitely agree, sorry if I came off a bit harsh as well. It can be done for a good reasonable price as well, just like you don't need the latest and greatest expensive backpack/tent/sleeping bag combo in order to get into backpacking  The main point of both things is to get out there and do it and enjoy it
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Mar 11, 2014 20:02
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HolaMundo posted:I need sleeping bag recommendations. Come to Gilman St in Berkeley. Not only is there an REI but also a North Face Outlet that has some very good deals.
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Mar 11, 2014 20:37
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Is there a difference between backpacking and hiking or is it just semantics?
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Mar 11, 2014 21:04
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Backpacking has the implication that you're going to be overnighting (and carrying the equipment to do so) hiking can include day-hikes as well.
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Mar 11, 2014 21:05
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Joe Videogames posted:I'm really very bitter about being hard bit by the I want a bike bug only to be denied by the start up price. Hey Joe ... don't get off the biking bug yet. Have some patience and see what you can find used and you will be good for a long time. As i said in the biking thread, I started with a used $300 bike and am now on a $2000 (1700 at end of season) new bike because I saved a little at a time for a few years and treated myself for sticking with it and joining a cycling group. Literally saved $20 a paycheck for 2 years and boom new bike. I also learned how to fix and maintain my bikes myself to save cash. And since I bought a used road bike to start I didn't lose money on it when I sold it. I actually sold it for double what I paid which went into my new one. For what it's worth I've spent more than $2k on backpacking/camping gear. Hiking certainly isn't expensive but when you start spending multiple days in the woods with everything on your back then it gets pricey. And it seems like the price for anything related to backpacking starts at $100. Tents, sleeping bags, boots, water filters, backpacks, jackets, gps. I'm certainly not a "rich person" and I've got student loan debt out of the rear end. I just keep to a budget, never pay full price for anything, and learn how to find deals. Start small and go from there. Collect a piece of gear at a time and eventually you will have everything you need. Honestly every hobby has it's levels of gear. You can seriously start at whatever your budget is and enjoy yourself. You don't really even need nice boots to hike with. Running shoes work pretty well as long as you aren't doing anything crazy. If you like something enough, figure out a way to make it happen rather than jumping ship at the first sign of trouble.
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Mar 11, 2014 21:11
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Joe Videogames posted:But biking is really, really loving expensive.
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Mar 11, 2014 21:13
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For most of my hikes I bring a water bottle and some snacks and wear trail running shoes. I have some friends that bike pack and would love to get into that but that means more camping stuff than I currently own plus frame bags and stuff to carry it all. So yeah, it combines all the expenses of biking and backpacking.
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Mar 11, 2014 21:22
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evil_bunnY posted:It really, really isn't, and if you'd provide the bike thread you suddenly left with your local craigslist equivalent we'd prove it to you. Cool, hopefully that's the end of bike chat in the hiking thread?
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Mar 11, 2014 21:23
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Tigren posted:Cool, hopefully that's the end of bike chat in the hiking thread? We have twelve bike threads so it's hard to tell things apart after a while.
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Mar 12, 2014 00:41
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Trust me I'm doing you hiking types a favor ok
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Mar 12, 2014 00:52
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Thanks everyone for the sleeping bag recommendations. There are some dealers close to where I'll be staying carrying Western Mountaineering bags so I'll check those out as well as REI and North Face.
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Mar 12, 2014 02:21
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Joe Videogames posted:But biking is really, really loving expensive. I can't think of a piece of hiking/back packing kit that is so prohibitively expensive, save maybe a GPS. Want a decent bike that wont pound your spine into dust on a hilly trail, or vibrate your balls off during a road ride? Expect to drop at *least* a thousand dollars on just the bike. I'm really very bitter about being hard bit by the I want a bike bug only to be denied by the start up price. You can buy a drat nice bike on craigslist for less than 1,000.
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Mar 12, 2014 03:57
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Ropes4u posted:You can buy a drat nice bike on craigslist for less than 1,000. That's enough about bikes, please.
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Mar 12, 2014 05:53
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Shine posted:That's enough about bikes, please. But, you see, biking is a lifestyle choice I care deeply about, and I feel that this particular excuse isn't good enough. I'm thinking I should chime in without reading the other responses, just in case my particular view isn't expressed succinctly enough.
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Mar 12, 2014 06:06
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Anyone have any suggestions for restoring wet down? My basement flooded and I had my 0 degree down bag stored in a big box so that it wouldnt be all compressed. Of course it got wet and there are baseball sized clumps in the baffles now.
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Mar 12, 2014 14:19
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I don't think I'll be able to find any hiking buddies and I'm worried about getting turned around in a trail area and dying from exposure. If I'm not going off to blaze a new trail in the deep woods, do I still run a chance of getting totally lost? Maybe I don't want to go backpacking/camping as much as I'd like to hike around an established trail. Is that still considered good outdoorsy fun? lite_sleepr fucked around with this message at 14:30 on Mar 12, 2014 |
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Mar 12, 2014 14:28
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That's what most people consider hiking. Not that many people hike off-trail.
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Mar 12, 2014 14:31
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Joe Videogames posted:I don't think I'll be able to find any hiking buddies and I'm worried about getting turned around in a trail area and dying from exposure. If I'm not going off to blaze a new trail in the deep woods, do I still run a chance of getting totally lost? You are way, way, WAY overthinking this. I don't know where you live, but unless it's someplace with a shitton of wilderness, or someplace with godawful weather, go throw a sandwich and some water in a backpack and hit a trail. I would say, and others may disagree, that probably 80% of the trails in this country are so well used that unless you are completely not paying attention, or wander off, or something like that, it's fairly difficult to get lost. Plus, you probably have a phone with a GPS. Don't rely on that to save your life, but again, unless you're in serious backcountry with no signal, google maps will help you find your way back. If you're really worried, in most places, there are multiuse trails, rail to trail trails, canal towpath trails, etc that are generally like a high school running track. Go take a walk on one of these. Odds are that there's a hiking club where you live too. I grew up in Buffalo, which isn't exactly an outdoor mecca, and we had an active chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club there with hikes pretty much every day. It's also a great way to learn, because old timers love to pass along the knowledge they've gained over the years. BaseballPCHiker posted:Anyone have any suggestions for restoring wet down? My basement flooded and I had my 0 degree down bag stored in a big box so that it wouldnt be all compressed. Of course it got wet and there are baseball sized clumps in the baffles now. Not sure this is the best answer, but when I had a soaking wet bag, I put in in the dryer with two cans of unused tennis balls. Spun it on low for a while, then air dry for a while, and it came out puffy and dry. edit: with something that needs as much loft as a 0 degree bag, you may want to find a laundromat with an industrial dryer that is big enough to give the bag room to tumble freely. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 14:39 on Mar 12, 2014 |
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Mar 12, 2014 14:36
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I think Joe Videogames is in Germany. Dunno what the hiking and camping is like out there but seriously just look up some hiking trails on the Internet and go out and hike them. If you enjoy it, look up some hiking areas that are big enough to hike in and camp, then throw your stuff in a pack and go out and hike and camp. You can usually buy maps of hiking areas and seriously you're not going to get lost if you're staying on the trail. Don't overthink poo poo
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Mar 12, 2014 14:42
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Whoa I got the denial email for Enchantments but my buddy entered too and we got it!
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Mar 12, 2014 16:51
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hbf posted:Can anyone recommend any trail runners or other lighter hiking shoes (or maybe even just regular shoes) that don't look super flashy/tech'd out? Looking for something that would look passable on the street, but also has some tread. Something simple without bright colors. I'm going on trip and will be doing equal amount of walking around cities as I will be doing some light hiking and I'm trying to consolidate to one pair of shoes. I think in the boot world there are a number of good answers to that question. Up until now, I've used Ecco Track 2 boots as my everyday shoe AND my hiking/backpacking shoe. I've gone to several conferences for work, cleaned them up real nice and worn them (academia is slightly more casual but they still work IMO), and then gone on hikes or one time a 3-day backpack with those shoes. However, I also decided to move away from "waterproof boots!" and towards light, fast-drying trail runners, as other posters here have mentioned. So I'd be interested in an answer to this question too.
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Mar 12, 2014 17:10
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I wear the Tevas that hbf linked as my work shoes/city shoes. They're pretty comfy for that purpose. I went for a nine mile walk along the coastal cities of LA yesterday in them and they're fine for that. They don't really have much tread, and they're not that breathable, so I'm not really sure how good they would be for actual hiking. I expect they'd do okay. They're basically barefoot shoes with no cushioning or support of any sort, so if you don't have strong feet they might not be right for you.
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Mar 12, 2014 17:43
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I don't know much but I know Salomon makes an excellent trail runner.
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Mar 12, 2014 17:49
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Yeah, you can't go wrong with Salomon.
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Mar 12, 2014 18:01
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Our outdoor rec center is having a footwear sale this weekend and Keen and Salomon trail/hiking shoes and boots are included  It was meant to be.
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Mar 12, 2014 18:55
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alnilam posted:Two thousand big ones you say? I guess like anything else you do have both ends of the spectrum. My cheap commuter bike I have maybe $350 into it, but on the other end of the scale I have a ~$1400 fork for my downhill bike (I bought the bike used and only have ~$1200 total into it). For what I picked up, I did get quite a steal on the downhill bike. Backpacking seems to be similar, you can pay out the nose for the lightest and smallest of everything, or sacrifice an ounce or two here and there and save quite a bit of cash up front.
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Mar 13, 2014 01:03
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Oxford Comma posted:Bay Area of California. Okay, wnt through my contacts on this and I don't know any cavers in the Bay Area well enough to give you a reference. My West Coast peeps are in San Diego and Oregon. But you can probably find yourself a newbie trip through this link: http://www.nssio.org/find_grotto_overview.cfm?state=CA
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Mar 13, 2014 01:59
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Hello thread! I am a swarthy person of southern European descent and as such have never found much of a need for sunblock. Until 1. snowshoeing at 13,000 feet last Sunday with consequences and 2. realizing I have developed some suspicious moles  . I freaking hate sunblock because all the sunblock I have ever used has been greasy crap that runs into my eyes at the barest hint of sweat. Any awesome recs for sunblock that doesn't do these things that will keep me from looking like a pink racoon? A friend recommended Neutrogena 100 SPF but that sounds like overkill.
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Mar 13, 2014 03:04
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You could always just cover up with a thin layer of clothes. Bandanas or hats are nice if you're just worried about your face.
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Mar 13, 2014 03:33
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Coppertone sport spf 30 is may go to in Denver and in the mountains. Use it for hiking, skiing, and biking. Never had an issue. V my man
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Mar 13, 2014 03:42
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Coppertone sport in the blue bottle
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Mar 13, 2014 03:42
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I use face lotion with an spf rating. 15 for normal days and that neutrogena 50/70/100 whatever when I'm going to be out in the sun all day. Then if my face is puffy I put on an ice pack while I do my crunchies. I can do a thousand now.
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Mar 13, 2014 03:46
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Question for the "I backpack in light trail runners that aren't waterproof at all and they dry real fast" people: If something has leather in the upper, like this Teva Kimtah shoe, will it dry quickly-ish if I walk through a stream? I know some of you hike in super light shoes and obviously this won't dry as fast as those. I'm just working on moving away from GTX cause it inevitably gets wet and dries slow as gently caress. And as I posted before, I'm trying to find a shoe that fits this bill that is also at least halfway not-weird looking in a city/casual work environment. These Tevas look pretty good for all this except for the leather in the upper, so I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts about it. edit: gently caress, just noticed it has "waterproof membranes" involved that are probably just off-brand goretex. Nevermind. edit2: but I'd ask the same question for a shoe like this or this, basically a shoe without goretex but that has leather involved alnilam fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Mar 13, 2014 |
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Mar 13, 2014 03:49
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