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no_shit_columbo posted:I'm attempting to squat on the mountains of Tasmania, and went for a hike in hopes of adding a summit to my belt but unfortunately strayed from the path, got lost and frightened and went home. But here are some photos. Ha, when I first read that, I thought you were squatting as in setting up camp and trying to stake territory and live there, and I was very confused about how you were managing to post on the internet while squatting in remote mountains (does squatting have that meaning in Australia/Tasmania?) Also is "squatting photos" a Thing, or did you just make it up? Anyway it's nice to see some photos of Tasmanian nature, I really don't know anything about the place. Looks pretty rocky.
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Apr 15, 2014 15:50
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Hughmoris posted:Can anyone recommend some easy day hikes near Albuquerque, Santa Fe or Taos? I'll be exploring that area in a few days, would love to find an easy hike with great views to take some scenic landscape photos. I'd be by myself and not much in the way of equipment. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument has a great, easy 3 mile trail through eroded ash formations. It's near Santa Fe. There's also Bandelier National Monument next door, which has Pueblo Ancestor sites and lots of scenery, with trail options from about 2 miles to deep into wilderness backcountry.
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Apr 15, 2014 15:59
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Can anyone give me some advice for the following questions: 1: Camping knife. Go with a HI khukuri? Or a custom made clip tip, about 12' long? I need something that would be most "generally" useful for larger tasks, trimming, chopping, batoning, etc. 2: Water filtration. Will a LifeStraw Personal cover me in the Pacific Northwest? I'd be anywhere from the Olympics, east to the Bitterroots, then down to the Wallowas. I mention where I plan on being as I figure someone else might have an idea of what waterborne viruses are known from those areas, and the areas in between. 3: Tent. I'm looking for a one piece, collapsible, three season tent that will accommodate two adults, two children, and whatever we didn't tie up in a tree. Just something that you can unlatch a few straps, throw it at the ground, and it springs out full size, then throw a few stakes for the rain guard. Less worried about weight than I am about price, as our trips are not going to be long, 30 mile jaunts into the nothingness, more just a few miles from where we parked to get moderately isolated.
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Apr 15, 2014 20:47
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:Can anyone give me some advice for the following questions: I'll comment on the filter. I think you'll want a filter that you can pump and fill up a nalgene, etc with. Unless I'm missing something you can only drink from this, unless you fill your water bottle with dirty water and use the straw. I like the following filters myself. http://www.rei.com/product/830746/katadyn-hiker-water-filter http://www.rei.com/product/767564/msr-hyperflow-water-filter
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Apr 15, 2014 20:58
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:1: Camping knife. Go with a HI khukuri? Or a custom made clip tip, about 12' long? I need something that would be most "generally" useful for larger tasks, trimming, chopping, batoning, etc. Most people on this thread don't take large fixed-blade knives backpacking, even those who are into sweet knives. It's much more useful to have a multitool that features a decent blade. Unless you're going to the backcountry to do specific tasks like hunting or something. Someone mentioned earlier that a small hatchet is way more useful than a bigass knife in the backcountry - if, of course, you also have a multitool with a decent knife blade. A little folding/pruning saw also works wonders if your goal is handling wood, and they're lighter and cheaper.
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Apr 15, 2014 21:04
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e:f,bTricerapowerbottom posted:
That's an. . . interesting choice. Personally, I don't think it's a very useful camping knife at all, even though knife nerds seem to dig the HI khukuris. I think they're more useful for brush clearing and decapitating enemies of the British Empire than for camping use. If you're going to be doing the kind of camping where you're doing all that to wood, which is generally going to be at an established campground where you're chopping up the wood you bought/brought, you'd be better served with whatever regular pocket knife you want and then a hatchet. I personally love this one: http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-7850-X7-14-Inch-Hatchet/dp/B0002YTO7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397592393&sr=8-1&keywords=fiskars+hatchet It's light and takes a ton of abuse. Since I'm editing: Tricerapowerbottom posted:3: Tent. I'm looking for a one piece, collapsible, three season tent that will accommodate two adults, two children, and whatever we didn't tie up in a tree. Just something that you can unlatch a few straps, throw it at the ground, and it springs out full size, then throw a few stakes for the rain guard. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Apr 15, 2014 |
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Apr 15, 2014 21:07
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stealie72 posted:
+1 on the Fiskar hatchet and the larger axe. The SAR group I'm in just did a winter survival course with some SERE instructors and those Fiskar axes were one of there most recommended items.
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Apr 15, 2014 23:10
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If you're dead set on cutting wood with a knife rather than a hatchet you might want something like this: http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/153 It's kind of heavy but I've used it on simple camping trips and it batons through wood nicely. A hatchet and a small survival knife is much better though. That hatchet posted earlier looks great.
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Apr 15, 2014 23:24
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:Can anyone give me some advice for the following questions: This is a joke, right?
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Apr 16, 2014 00:29
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I just picked up a big Agnes insulated q core sleeping pad with my dividend to replace my thermarest. As a side sleeper, 1-1.5" doesn't give me much comfort even when fully inflated. So comfortable and the raised edges help keep you from rolling off. The only issue is the set up time but as long as I don't wake up with sore hips and shoulders again I can manage. Same weight ad my previous pad and roughly the same compressed size. The only thing I worry about is developing leaks but I'll deal when the time comes.
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Apr 16, 2014 00:50
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Speleothing posted:This is a joke, right? God I hate this website sometimes. A quick look at your post history in this thread tells me you are exactly the kind of REI'ed out Everyone else, thank you for answering my admittedly basic questions. The pumps are probably a better all-around idea than the straw, and I like the what I read of the Fiskar hatchet a lot, although I'd rather have something that I could replace my machete with, and also batons. I spend a lot of time grappling with getting to the small streams I'm interested in, especially in the lowlands, as we have a bad problem with Himalayan Blackberry on the west side of the Cascades. As far as the tent, could I get away with this Coleman? I'm only going out two-three times a year with my family, the rest of the time I'd be out by myself and would rather just use a hammock.
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Apr 16, 2014 01:35
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Verman posted:I just picked up a big Agnes insulated q core sleeping pad with my dividend to replace my thermarest. As a side sleeper, 1-1.5" doesn't give me much comfort even when fully inflated. I had one of these for a while and it was super comfy. My only complain was the noise, people from the next tent over said they could hear it crinkling. Maybe I just toss and turn too much.
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Apr 16, 2014 02:11
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:God I hate this website sometimes. A quick look at your post history in this thread tells me you are exactly the kind of REI'ed out I would recommend the Sawyer Squeeze Mini. You can find it for about 20.00, it's faster, lighter, and smaller than most pumps. I love mine and I used to have an MSR Miniworks which didn't even compare. It's also super adaptable, you can hook it up to a regular water bottle to drink straight from, or you can put it inline with a camelback or something similar. Check it out.
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Apr 16, 2014 02:13
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:As far as the tent, could I get away with this Coleman? I'm only going out two-three times a year with my family, the rest of the time I'd be out by myself and would rather just use a hammock. I originally posted to reply to you and completely forgot. Instant tents are only fit car camping due ti their weight and size. If anything goes wrong with it, you probably won't be able to fix it and it will end up in the trash. Most normal tents can be repaired and poles replaced. Modern tents are pretty easy to set up now as most use clips versus sleeves meaning quick set up. Not a lot of tents have sleeves for the poles to thread through anymore unless it's pretty cheap. Also look at the size. The one you posted says it's a four person but it only showed two cramped sleeping bags so photos might not be accurate. Each person needs at least 2' then however long they are so expect for people to need a minimum of 8' x 8'. Rei is going to be pricey but you can always try looking through their used gear, a lot of people return perfectly good stuff after using it once. I look for simplicity in a tent no matter the size. As far as filters, gravity filters are my favorite and im always going to suggest them. No moving parts plus you have lightweight collapsible containers you can use to store water for later filtering and set up as a camp source. A four liter bag weighs nothing and requires no work Verman fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 02:50
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You could always size these plans up for the family. https://www.tarptent.com/projects/tarpdesign.html Sawyer squeeze filter works and is fairly bomb proof.
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Apr 16, 2014 03:06
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:God I hate this website sometimes. A quick look at your post history in this thread tells me you are exactly the kind of REI'ed out Chill.
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Apr 16, 2014 03:42
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Does anyone know how MH's DryQ Evap performs? I'm looking to get either the Marmot Precip ($50) or MH Capacitor ($100): http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-capacitor-jacket-OM5178.html Since these are budget shell, I assume the fabric isn't terribly breathable on its own, which gives a huge advantage to the pit zips and mesh pockets of the Precip. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 05:01
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So I'm gonna be making a trip to Zion National Park in mid-May and it'll be my first time really doing a trip like this solo and I have a few questions- 1. What'll be the best way to make sure all of my gear gets there safely? I'm hoping to take my bag as a carry-on but that means I won't be able to take along my trekking poles, tent poles, knife, etc... So what are my options here? The thing I've seen recommended the most is mailing them ahead of time and having it be held at the post office. What do you guys recommend? Also would mailing my sleeping bag be advisable if only to cut down on how much will be in my bag? 2. For anybody familiar with the area, what's the best way to get from St. George to the Kolob Canyon visitor center without paying out the rear end for a shuttle or renting a car? This is probably my biggest hurdle right now. I can hitchhike if necessary, but I'd really like to minimize any chance of unpredictability/stabbings on the way there. 3. Any tips for minimizing my chance of loving up and dying in the middle of the desert apart from usual common sense stuff? Almost all of my experience camping is centered around the Great Lakes/BWCA, so being somewhere where water is potentially scarce is gonna be a new experience for me.
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Apr 16, 2014 10:16
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You could always hire the equipment that you can't carry. Although I don't know if you can hire sleeping bags due to hygiene issues.
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Apr 16, 2014 10:40
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Belmont Geoffrion posted:So I'm gonna be making a trip to Zion National Park in mid-May and it'll be my first time really doing a trip like this solo and I have a few questions- I'd probably mail the poles and knife etc. Also heard that sometimes airlines will give you poo poo about stoves because of the residual traces of gas on them but I don't know if that's still true. Also feel like I took tent poles and stakes as carry on once but maybe I'm making that up... I wouldn't mail the sleeping bag to be honest but I guess it depends if you're low on space and I'm probably just being paranoid about a more easily damaged piece of equipment (obviously stores ship sleeping bags to people all the time with no issue) quote:3. Any tips for minimizing my chance of loving up and dying in the middle of the desert apart from usual common sense stuff? Almost all of my experience camping is centered around the Great Lakes/BWCA, so being somewhere where water is potentially scarce is gonna be a new experience for me. Make sure you know where water is, and what the status of those water holes is. Since it's early in the year that probably won't be a big problem but some places you have to worry about a dry year reducing the number of usual watering holes. Check with the Rangers before you and see if they have any knowledge of water levels, etc.
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Apr 16, 2014 14:24
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Anyone going to Zion needs to read every page on this site, it's so helpful. http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/
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Apr 16, 2014 16:08
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Belmont Geoffrion posted:So I'm gonna be making a trip to Zion National Park in mid-May and it'll be my first time really doing a trip like this solo and I have a few questions- Is there a reason you're just not checking your baggage? I fly with gear all the time and never had issues. Stoves, empty fuel cans, knives, etc just no actual fuel. I might worry if I were making connections that my bag wouldn't show up but I've actually only flown direct for my backpacking trips. When I fly I put my backpack in a canvas army surplus duffel bag for protection which worked great. I've been using the large plastic bags lately instead but sometimes the counter doesn't have any. Also, my pack never weighs more than 30 lbs so it is under the over weight category. Mailing gear seems like a hassle, costly, and as much risk as checking in my opinion. I would trust ups more than the postal service if it were my gear. Some of my usps packages have shown up in humorously terrible condition and most are never on time. Unless there's a significant reason to ship it I would just say to check it instead. It will probably end up being the same price for shipping/checking.
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Apr 16, 2014 20:09
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:Can anyone give me some advice for the following questions: Cabela's has some decently priced family style tents. Expect one in the size you are looking for to be pretty heavy. Sounds like you are mostly just walking a mile or two from your car when your family heads out so you should be fine. I've used them before on hunting trips where we travel by four wheeler and weight is less a concern then bulk and packing multiple tents.
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Apr 17, 2014 00:36
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Josh Lyman posted:Does anyone know how MH's DryQ Evap performs? I'm looking to get either the Marmot Precip ($50) or MH Capacitor ($100): http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-capacitor-jacket-OM5178.html Both of these jackets, assuming we're talking about a SP14 Precip, have an air permeable membrane. These are newish style laminates that sacrifice some waterproofness for a lot of breathability. I'm pretty sure Dry.Q Evap is 2.5L eVent, and the PreCip uses the new NanoPro stuff they just came out with. I would get the Mountain Hardware jacket. It's lighter weight, probably higher quality in general and I just trust eVent more. Marmot's low and mid level hardshells are noticeably lower quality than a lot of the competition (lower stitch count, fat zippers, etc), and the PreCip has long been known for being unreliable. Also, it looks like a shell from 10 years ago. If you're looking at a past season PreCip I wouldn't even consider it.
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Apr 17, 2014 05:11
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It's important to reinforce that the new S14 PreCips use a totally new waterproof coating versus the old ones (still not technically a laminate). The old ones have been around for a long time, and they were a lot of poeples' first rain shell, since they're so inexpensive. But they have a tendency to be clammy and not breath as well as a more high-tech shell. They're also noisy. If you're seeing them at $50, they're almost certainly the old ones. But if you've got a coupon and can get the new ones for $50, it would be very worth considering. The new material is a lot better. Speleothing fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Apr 17, 2014 |
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Apr 17, 2014 05:34
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I recently picked up a Kelty Redwing 44 and redesigned my loadout. Pretty happy with the pack, it feels great fully loaded and I can easily live out of it for 3-4 days without a food haul. I also got my base pack weight down to 15 lbs on the dot before food/water (but counting bladder and water bottles) which I'm thrilled with. That said, if anyone is interested I'm gonna sell my High Sierra 65L pack, as I never used the full capacity and don't imagine I ever will. It was used very lightly this winter and is in like new condition. This is the pack, I'll probably sell it for $75 on SAMart if anyone is interested http://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Sentinel-Internal-Silver/dp/B00HPLQ2MC/ref=dp_ob_title_sports Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 02:11
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alnilam posted:Ha, when I first read that, I thought you were squatting as in setting up camp and trying to stake territory and live there, and I was very confused about how you were managing to post on the internet while squatting in remote mountains (does squatting have that meaning in Australia/Tasmania?) I don't know if its actually a 'thing' or not. Whenever i mention it to people at the gym they keep telling me i'll have to work on my pistol squats... And i've seen a few pictures of people pistol squatting on mountains so i don't know  Tasmania is very beautiful, Its getting into winter now so I'm curious as to how the landscape looks covered in snow. I'll keep posting every now and then for the hell of it.
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Apr 21, 2014 13:34
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Marman1209 posted:Both of these jackets, assuming we're talking about a SP14 Precip, have an air permeable membrane. These are newish style laminates that sacrifice some waterproofness for a lot of breathability. I'm pretty sure Dry.Q Evap is 2.5L eVent, and the PreCip uses the new NanoPro stuff they just came out with.
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Apr 21, 2014 21:14
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is this the best thing to happen to hiking/camping in years or not? http://io9.com/powdered-alcohol-is-officially-a-thing-in-the-united-st-1565530773
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Apr 22, 2014 00:15
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So I recently transitioned to minimalist shoes for pretty much everything but work and dress. Yesterday was the first time I was actually able to hike in them though. It was a 10 mile hike with about 3000 ft. ascent/descent. Everything was fine going up and I felt great, but the downhill drat near killed me and at the end my knees and ankles were in so much pain I thought I might crawl back to my car. A day later I feel a little stiff but that's about it. I've never really had much trouble with the downhills in regular hiking boots. Anybody experience something like this in their first hike with minimalist shoes or maybe have some insight in to what I might be doing wrong? Maybe I'm just not used to them? I'm using Merrell trail gloves.
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Apr 22, 2014 01:26
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belt posted:So I recently transitioned to minimalist shoes for pretty much everything but work and dress. Yesterday was the first time I was actually able to hike in them though. It was a 10 mile hike with about 3000 ft. ascent/descent. Everything was fine going up and I felt great, but the downhill drat near killed me and at the end my knees and ankles were in so much pain I thought I might crawl back to my car. A day later I feel a little stiff but that's about it. I've never really had much trouble with the downhills in regular hiking boots. Were you landing on your heels? If so, practice landing on your forefoot to absorb some of the shock. Also, shorten your stride a bit and make sure you're letting your knees flex instead of just landing stiffly.
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Apr 22, 2014 03:42
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MMD3 posted:is this the best thing to happen to hiking/camping in years or not? Um, yes?  I mean I don't mind packing a cheap 12oz plastic coke bottle filled with whiskey, but that's probably about 10 less ounces I could be carrying.
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Apr 22, 2014 04:25
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BeefofAges posted:Were you landing on your heels? If so, practice landing on your forefoot to absorb some of the shock. Also, shorten your stride a bit and make sure you're letting your knees flex instead of just landing stiffly.
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Apr 22, 2014 11:15
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BeefofAges posted:Were you landing on your heels? If so, practice landing on your forefoot to absorb some of the shock. Also, shorten your stride a bit and make sure you're letting your knees flex instead of just landing stiffly. I didn't think I was. I've been fine running and doing everything else. I'll give it another shot and try to pay more attention when I'm going downhill, because I definitely wasn't focusing on it. Thanks!
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Apr 22, 2014 15:29
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belt posted:I didn't think I was. I've been fine running and doing everything else. I'll give it another shot and try to pay more attention when I'm going downhill, because I definitely wasn't focusing on it. Thanks! It takes a little while for your leg muscles to adapt to minimalist shoes. A common complaint about them is that people will put them on and then resume their previous level of activity - and end up really sore as a result. You just have to take it slower. Doing a 10 mile 3000 ft elevation gain/loss hike on your first trip out with minimalist shoes sounds like a recipe for disaster. Kaal fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 22, 2014 18:22
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belt posted:I didn't think I was. I've been fine running and doing everything else. I'll give it another shot and try to pay more attention when I'm going downhill, because I definitely wasn't focusing on it. Also, are you using trekking poles? If not those could make a significant difference in how your knees and feet feel after significant downhills.
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Apr 22, 2014 18:38
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I haven't tried trekking poles, but I'd be open to them to continue using minimalist footwear if refocusing on my stride doesn't work.
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Apr 24, 2014 04:16
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Can someone recommend me a camping katana ? Or a custom made scimitar, about 4' long? I need something that would be most "generally" useful for larger tasks, trimming, chopping, batoning, looking like a dumbass, etc.
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Apr 24, 2014 05:22
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These are getting ridiculous. Just get a machete or a hatchet if you seriously need a chopping or clearing tool which you won't need if you're ib an existing trail. Carrying a sword in the woods is beyond any existing level of goonery and more important it's ridiculous and will freak people out if they see it. I'm sure there's a knives and swords thread somewhere which well probably be more useful. Hiking and backpacking thread: Ask me about my broad sword/machete/ka-bar/crossbow. Verman fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Apr 24, 2014 |
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Apr 24, 2014 06:09
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Pretty sure that was a joke post.
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