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Any recommendations for overnight/3-day backpacking trails in Central PA? I'm going to be in the State College area in a few months and want to check out some of the local trails.
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May 28, 2014 04:08
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Took a 2-night trip to California's "Lost Coast" this past weekend. Up in Mendocino County, where they decided not to build the 1 highway as the terrain was far too rough for construction. Surprisingly the trail was pretty drat packed but it honestly had no affect on the experience as there were ample camp sites. Beautiful place! Hiking on sand/beach stone for half the 24-mile trail sucks though    
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May 28, 2014 07:36
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Discombobulator posted:Anyone got protips for first time backpacker doing the Black Balsam Knob > Cold Mountain trail in NC? Yea don't take your pack up to the peak of Cold Mountain like I did, it's a loving bitch of a hike, and not a lot of space to drop your back, plus you have to come back down anyways. It's a tough hike, so bring plenty of water, and a few extra snacks as there are plenty of ups and downs. Additionally, if it's your first time doing this, give yourself an extra hour or two to get to camp so you aren't pushing yourself too much.
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Jun 2, 2014 02:33
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For the few people in the last while asking about which GPS to get, honestly, learn map reading and also get Backcountry Navigator http://backcountrynavigator.com for Android. But, as with any electronic GPS device, have a map and compass backup (use GPS Visualiser to make your own if you must) Now, question on knives. Most of the time when I go out I get along just fine with a simple Leatherman Crater knife ( http://www.mec.ca/product/5018-828/leatherman-c33x-crater-knife/). I've been wondering about grabbing a Light My Fire knife with the striker in it (http://www.mec.ca/product/5028-388/light-my-fire-swedish-fireknife/?bc=10/50036) mainly in case I get stranded somewhere and need a fire. Also because on our next trip were planning on taking up fresh veggies for a stir fry. Wondering if it might be better overall for not too much money (I don't want to get into an arms race)
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Jun 2, 2014 03:04
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Heners_UK posted:
Since you are linking MEC, I am assuming you are in Canada? I find it's quite frustrating to try and light a stove with a striker, personally, since you are essentially making a ghetto match out of something else. IIRC there's few to no places that allow backcountry campfires in the summer, and if you're going to a front country site just bring a bic or something. Not that learning to use a striker isn't an incredibly valuable survival skill which I would leverage if I was five days from civilization and outside of a park boundary. 
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Jun 2, 2014 03:22
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Oh my stove had a piezo. It's mainly for the good practical knife I would think loose
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Jun 2, 2014 04:04
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For ordinary on-trail hiking and backpacking you don't really need much of a knife. I carry one of the smallest multitools that Leatherman makes. It has a one inch long knife, scissors, tweezers, a bottle opener, and a small screwdriver/file. Of all of those tools, the knife is by far the one I use the least. As for those firesteel things, the best tool I've seen is a small chunk of hacksaw blade to scrape against it. Works really really well.
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Jun 2, 2014 04:26
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Keep your tools separate. Get a good fire starter and a good knife. Not a combo because they will probably do both jobs mediocre. I use a knife more than I thought I would but it's a little folding blade. I bring a fire starter as an emergency backup to a bic lighter and it never gets used if only but to keep familiar.
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Jun 2, 2014 04:45
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Seam-sealed my TT MomentDW and camped in the backyard last night so that nobody could steal it whilst I was sleeping. This is a really robust little unit, and with both poles it's possibly lighter than my hammock setup! The floor seems quite thin though, so some polycro as a ground sheet will definitely be needed to avoid risk of punctures. If you were both on the small / skinny side you could probably fit a significant other inside with you in a pinch, although it would be very cozy.
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Jun 4, 2014 20:45
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drat, I didn't realize Utah had such badass peaks to climb. I'm tempted to drive down on a long weekend and bag a couple. Saw a bear for the first time since I got to Idaho  And it was about that point I realized I should probably invest in some bear spray or something.
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Jun 6, 2014 03:00
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Hey hiking goons, due to some summer rescheduling, it looks like I'll have about a week in July free for backpacking in the Eastern Sierras. Since this came up unexpectedly, I haven't researched trails, much less planned for permits, etc., yet. Can anyone recommend decent 3-6 day trips in the Sierras? Immediately before that week I'll be in the Mammoth Lakes area, so starting from there could be an option, and I should be well acclimated by the time I would be starting.
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Jun 6, 2014 11:26
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A Kpro posted:drat, I didn't realize Utah had such badass peaks to climb. I'm tempted to drive down on a long weekend and bag a couple. eh I don't think you'd need bear spray in Idaho, they're just black bears and proper food etiquette probably goes a lot further. If it makes you feel safer though might as well It's the wolves you really have to watch out for...just kidding
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Jun 6, 2014 11:47
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Depends on what part of Idaho right? I thought there were browns in the northern parts and near yellowstone.
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Jun 6, 2014 16:58
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Yeah my bad after I posted that I realized they might have some in northern Idaho, most of my experience is central Idaho in the Salmon-Challis forest and I've only heard of black bears in there.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:04
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Business of Ferrets posted:Hey hiking goons, due to some summer rescheduling, it looks like I'll have about a week in July free for backpacking in the Eastern Sierras. Since this came up unexpectedly, I haven't researched trails, much less planned for permits, etc., yet. Can anyone recommend decent 3-6 day trips in the Sierras? Immediately before that week I'll be in the Mammoth Lakes area, so starting from there could be an option, and I should be well acclimated by the time I would be starting. A good option would be the High Sierra Trail. Can be done one-way in about a week. You would need to arrange transportation for drop-off or pickup.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:10
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Good news up here in Canada, the Alberta government just announced $10 million to rebuild trails in Kananaskis that were destroyed by the flood last year! I know of at least one of my favourites, Ribbon Falls, was really demolished and still completely closed off. It's a shame because I wanted to take some friends to the backcountry campsite up there. Of course, there's always the chance some could be permanently closed due to a completely changed watercourse etc, but here's hoping. The work is estimated to be completed in 2017. http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/province-commits-10m-to-repair-flood-damaged-hiking-trails-1.1855192
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Jun 6, 2014 17:33
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Business of Ferrets posted:Hey hiking goons, due to some summer rescheduling, it looks like I'll have about a week in July free for backpacking in the Eastern Sierras. Since this came up unexpectedly, I haven't researched trails, much less planned for permits, etc., yet. Can anyone recommend decent 3-6 day trips in the Sierras? Immediately before that week I'll be in the Mammoth Lakes area, so starting from there could be an option, and I should be well acclimated by the time I would be starting. Lots of good stuff in the Big Pine area
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Jun 6, 2014 18:20
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More  stuff. http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/blog/posting.asp?ID=1030&s=hpslider&pos=4 This guy was the first person to hike the entire southern portion of the Trans-Canada Trail, which is 16,000km long, or nearly 10,000 miles. Right now, he's doing the north stretch to the Arctic Ocean, another 4000km/2500 miles. And he's posting it to Facebook. If you have one, check him out for sure. https://www.facebook.com/thegreathike
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Jun 6, 2014 20:50
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So the wife and I are flying to Yosemite tomorrow, starting our backpacking trip on Monday. We're going to take the weekend to sightsee around Yosemite Valley. I think we're about as prepared as we can be, seeing as we're from 0 elevation and our longest trip is 2 days and we're going to be doing 25 miles over 5 days. The only thing I'm unsure of at this point is how the hell we are going to each fit a bear cannister in our bags. Our gear barely fits as-is, I can't imaging stuffing a odd shaped object in our bags is going to make things better. Any tips? I know to avoid hanging stuff off your bag, but it seems like the only way we may be able to carry them is hanging them off the back.
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Jun 7, 2014 00:30
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Internet Explorer posted:So the wife and I are flying to Yosemite tomorrow, starting our backpacking trip on Monday. We're going to take the weekend to sightsee around Yosemite Valley. I think we're about as prepared as we can be, seeing as we're from 0 elevation and our longest trip is 2 days and we're going to be doing 25 miles over 5 days. The only thing I'm unsure of at this point is how the hell we are going to each fit a bear cannister in our bags. Our gear barely fits as-is, I can't imaging stuffing a odd shaped object in our bags is going to make things better. Any tips? I know to avoid hanging stuff off your bag, but it seems like the only way we may be able to carry them is hanging them off the back. You should only need one larger can for the both of you. We've used one large can for three people for five days. Compress all the food by removing access packaging and repackaging things into Ziploc bags. Remove all the air from any bag. The can will weigh a lot and it doesn't usually tie on very well so consider moving a tent or something else to the outside. We started by trying to tie the bin to the bottom of a pack but it through off the balance of the pack and kept falling out. One guy carried two tents the other with the bin internally
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Jun 7, 2014 00:50
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Verman posted:You should only need one larger can for the both of you. We've used one large can for three people for five days. Compress all the food by removing access packaging and repackaging things into Ziploc bags. Remove all the air from any bag. The can will weigh a lot and it doesn't usually tie on very well so consider moving a tent or something else to the outside. We started by trying to tie the bin to the bottom of a pack but it through off the balance of the pack and kept falling out. One guy carried two tents the other with the bin internally That makes sense. I think I may have been looking at the measurements for a large bear can and thinking we needed 2 of them. Good idea on the tent. My bag has a loop to put something under the sleeping bag department, on the outside, so that would be good for the tent. May not even need that if we're only doing 1 bear can. Thanks for the quick response!
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Jun 7, 2014 02:42
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Internet Explorer posted:That makes sense. I think I may have been looking at the measurements for a large bear can and thinking we needed 2 of them. Good idea on the tent. My bag has a loop to put something under the sleeping bag department, on the outside, so that would be good for the tent. May not even need that if we're only doing 1 bear can. Thanks for the quick response! That's exactly how we did it. Just remember that heavy items should be close to your back and middle to higher on your back. Lighter items on the bottom. Also your first day worth of food doesn't need to go into the bear bin.
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Jun 7, 2014 02:51
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Put your tent in a compression bag, lash the poles to the outside of your pack.
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Jun 7, 2014 03:22
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Picnic Princess posted:Good news up here in Canada, the Alberta government just announced $10 million to rebuild trails in Kananaskis that were destroyed by the flood last year! I know of at least one of my favourites, Ribbon Falls, was really demolished and still completely closed off. It's a shame because I wanted to take some friends to the backcountry campsite up there. Of course, there's always the chance some could be permanently closed due to a completely changed watercourse etc, but here's hoping. Awesome! I'm flying out that way in a couple weeks, unfortunately I'm not going to have time for any hiking as the K100 is going to be my priority. I was supposed to run it last year but those floods kinda ruined that plan.
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Jun 7, 2014 05:08
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A Kpro posted:Awesome! I'm flying out that way in a couple weeks, unfortunately I'm not going to have time for any hiking as the K100 is going to be my priority. I was supposed to run it last year but those floods kinda ruined that plan. That is so cool, you get to run Highway 40 through Highwood Pass down to Nakiska! One of my favourite stretches of highway in Canada, and also the highest elevation paved road in the country! Have you been there before? It's really gorgeous. Who knows, maybe I'll be there myself scoping out trail conditions.
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Jun 7, 2014 07:03
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Many thanks for the great recommendations! It turns out I was able to reserve a permit at the trailhead and date that works for the John Muir Trail, so I'm pretty stoked. South of Devil's Postpile, so it's too bad I won't be able to hike into Yosemite, but them's the breaks!
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Jun 7, 2014 08:03
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So, I decided at last minute to take a trip to Zion. (One of the benefits of only living a couple hours away) Here are some pictures: The pictures get pretty gigantic if you expand them. In the center is the 'Organ', behind that 'Angel's Landing', and in the background 'The Great White Throne'  Oh god, I'm going to climb this 'Angel's Landing'?  Over that trek, we will encounter FROGS:  Flowers:  Lizards:  Beetles:  SQUIRRELS!  No, really, there are lots of Squirrels and you should protect your poo poo.  W're going to have to brave a cliff edge path:  And some climbing:  But we eventually see this:  And 180º from that is this:  Cheers to you, Zion!   Now, I have a completely ridiculous, stupid (no, really stupid) question to ask: I have an old MSR campstove. I have an empty gas bottle for it. Where can I actually go to get it filled?
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Jun 7, 2014 12:25
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Picnic Princess posted:That is so cool, you get to run Highway 40 through Highwood Pass down to Nakiska! One of my favourite stretches of highway in Canada, and also the highest elevation paved road in the country! Have you been there before? It's really gorgeous. Who knows, maybe I'll be there myself scoping out trail conditions. I haven't been to that specific area, but my uncle owns a house in Canmore and I remember climbing up Ha Ling one year. Really wish I had some time to explore the area but I'm only going to be there for a couple days.
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Jun 7, 2014 13:58
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Capt. Sticl posted:Now, I have a completely ridiculous, stupid (no, really stupid) question to ask: I have an old MSR campstove. I have an empty gas bottle for it. Where can I actually go to get it filled? Just go to an outdoor store our a department store and pick up a can of camping fuel aka white gas. It's usually a few bucks and comes in a metal can of various sizes. I think Coleman also makes "camp fuel". Msr makes their own as well. I've had good luck with every brand without issue on my msr whisper lite. If your stove is old check that all the seals and o rings are good before using it though. Instructions can be found online, assumably on their website.
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Jun 7, 2014 18:59
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I'm dehydrating spaghetti sauce in a toaster oven right now...I wonder how this is gonna work out
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Jun 8, 2014 00:58
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Capt. Sticl posted:So, I decided at last minute to take a trip to Zion. (One of the benefits of only living a couple hours away) Amazing photos, thank you for sharing! A friend and I hiked Giant Ledges and Panther Mountain in the Catskills today.  On the way up to the Ledges.  On the Ledges.  Slide Mountain (which I hiked last June) peeks over the foliage on the right.     The view from Panther's summit.  
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Jun 8, 2014 03:48
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Every time someone posts a bunch of pictures, I start wondering what camera everyone hikes with. I have a Nikon P60 which I got several years ago, but I'm not totally happy with it as it's had some quality issues. The memory card is now stuck in it and I get occasional lens errors. The main reason I got it was that it was a point and shoot that still had a view finder, and a digital one that actually relayed what was going through the main lens. My wife and I have an SLR but of course it's bulky and heavy, so I'm starting to look for another point and shoot since mine might be on the way out.
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Jun 8, 2014 11:35
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If you are taking photos because it's fun, and you'll never print anything bigger than a sheet of paper, get an awesome camera phone. If you want to edit photos and get into photography a little, but still don't print much, get the smallest/lightest thing that will shoot RAW, like one of Canon's G series (not an SLR). If you print things, things can get more varied, but just be smart. I used to use a D800e and an assortment of heavy lenses. All told it all weighed almost 12 pounds. I've switched to a Sony a6000 and a set of lighter lenses and it makes a world of difference, and the quality is similar, with the resolution a bit lower. An issue I can deal with in exchange for 1/4 of the weight. Almost no one who has a DSLR these days needs one to make great photos, especially when backpacking. I still keep my iPhone in a front pocket in airplane mode simply to get snapshots and whatever.
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Jun 8, 2014 13:14
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Went on an abortive backpacking trip yesterday to the Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County, Ohio. I say abortive because I recently developed a hilariously disgusting reaction to poison ivy after 25 years of not reacting to it, and the trail was overgrown with it. Which would have been fine, just wipe down when we get to camp and deal with it later since it's already on me-- except we brought our dogs who proceeded to cover themselves in it. I didn't want to worry about deep cleaning all of our gear (they sleep in the tent with us) so instead of doing 6 miles yesterday and 4 this morning, my wife and I did 10 miles from 2:00pm to 8:30pm yesterday with full packs and about an hour break, deep cleaned the dogs when we got home, threw our clothes in the wash and had some pizza and beer. So on the upside, pizza and beer. On the downside, no chance to use some of the cool new gear I picked up. Also on the downside, a couple of weeks of oozing, pus-filled sores are in store for me. So my question is-- are there any places within 5 or so hours of Columbus, Ohio that offer a good one- or two-night backpacking trail that doesn't get taken over with poison ivy, or am I stuck hiking in this area during early spring and late fall? For your time, here are some pictures my lady friend took with her camera phone.  Our tiny dog on a big tree. Rescued him expecting about 70lb of dog, only got 40lb worth. Huge rip-off. If you're wondering about the lack of leash, the backpacking trail rules say they have to be "under control" or some such nonsense. Both of ours are pretty good about not bothering people and coming when we call, and we leash them when we see other hikers. They are also good about sticking their goddamn faces directly in huge goddamn patches of poison ivy and rummaging around.  Might be a little tricky to see but there's a bedded-down fawn in there. The dogs were none the wiser, proving the wisdom of tiny deers curling up into little balls on the forest floor.  Pretty cool lake on part of the trail. This area of the trail had poison ivy on both sides of it for quite a ways-- you had to put one foot precisely in front of the other for some parts and even then you were probably gettin' it on ya.
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Jun 8, 2014 15:00
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Elwood P. Dowd posted:
Fawns aren't always that good at choosing hiding spots... Seconds after the mother took off for the next county, the fawn is still trying to figure out what's going on.  Yes! Follow your mother, she's got a better idea of what to do!  Wait a second...  Oh...oh no. That's...not the best approach   I got the heck out of there as fast as I could. At least I heard the mother crashing around in the woods further down the slope so hopefully she went back. I hope the fawn learned that "sticking your head under a bush" tactic isn't the smartest way to deal with potential predators.
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Jun 8, 2014 17:35
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Levitate posted:I'm dehydrating spaghetti sauce in a toaster oven right now...I wonder how this is gonna work out This is one of my favorite posts in the thread. Definitely snorted when I saw it. How did it end up?
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Jun 8, 2014 18:55
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LogisticEarth posted:Every time someone posts a bunch of pictures, I start wondering what camera everyone hikes with. I have a Nikon P60 which I got several years ago, but I'm not totally happy with it as it's had some quality issues. The memory card is now stuck in it and I get occasional lens errors. The main reason I got it was that it was a point and shoot that still had a view finder, and a digital one that actually relayed what was going through the main lens. My wife and I have an SLR but of course it's bulky and heavy, so I'm starting to look for another point and shoot since mine might be on the way out. I hike with a OMD-EM5, but my friend just got a Sony RX100M2 which may be the best P&S I've ever encountered. Tiny, light, F1.8 on the lens, the only downside is a relatively narrow field of view so those sweeping landscapes may be hard to acquire. The thing takes such beautiful pictures without, any fiddling about with settings, that I kind of wish I had one instead of my OMD. Terrifying Effigies posted:
This is the funniest thing ever. 
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Jun 8, 2014 20:20
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BeefofAges posted:For ordinary on-trail hiking and backpacking you don't really need much of a knife. I carry one of the smallest multitools that Leatherman makes. It has a one inch long knife, scissors, tweezers, a bottle opener, and a small screwdriver/file. Of all of those tools, the knife is by far the one I use the least. My go to for a pocket knife is the Opinel No. 9, with a carbon steel blade. You can strike a firesteel with it if you need to, but mostly it's handy as a lockblade that is a good size for almost any day to day work and can be honed to an awesome edge if you need something sharper than the devil himself. You may prefer the No. 8 or No. 6 if you're looking for something a bit smaller, but I've got big hands so the No. 9 isn't oversize. The Mora No.2 is also great if you prefer a fixed blade. Really, they're both under $15 for good quality knives. Liquid Communism fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 20:56
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Marxist Glue posted:This is one of my favorite posts in the thread. Definitely snorted when I saw it. Haha, it really is a thing. The problem with spaghetti sauce for backpacking is that it's hard to just kind of mix together out of dry stuff because most of the time it calls for tomato paste, and no one's going to take a can of tomato paste in their backpack and there doesn't seem to be a great substitute. So you pick your favorite spaghetti sauce (though better not to have one with cheese or lots of fat in it), puree it, then spread it out on some parchment paper in a food dehydrator and dehydrate it. It turns into "leather"...basically like fruit leather except spaghetti sauce leather. Some people then just break that into chunks and pack it, or you can freeze it and then put it in a food processor to turn it into powder. The toaster oven I have works alright because it has a convection oven setting
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Jun 8, 2014 21:30
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Levitate posted:Haha, it really is a thing. The problem with spaghetti sauce for backpacking is that it's hard to just kind of mix together out of dry stuff because most of the time it calls for tomato paste, and no one's going to take a can of tomato paste in their backpack and there doesn't seem to be a great substitute. So you pick your favorite spaghetti sauce (though better not to have one with cheese or lots of fat in it), puree it, then spread it out on some parchment paper in a food dehydrator and dehydrate it. It turns into "leather"...basically like fruit leather except spaghetti sauce leather. Some people then just break that into chunks and pack it, or you can freeze it and then put it in a food processor to turn it into powder. So did you cook the spaghetti and dry it and then process the sauce as above? TIA!
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Jun 8, 2014 21:50
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