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DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006
I have been a backpackers for many years, including a AT thru-hike attempt(~900 miles). However when I graduated from university and got a full time job, time got scarce. Well I found out my co-workers enjoy backpacking and we were planning a hike for labor day this year. Went to go get some gear ready and realized I cant find my pack, or gear... I was planning on getting a new pack and shelter anyways, but am really sad I cant find my AT book or some of the other items Ive hiked with for so long.

Can anyone recommend me the following items, I would like to go as UL as possible while keeping comfort

Pack(was looking at atmos 50)
2 wall tent
stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed)
water filtration(used drops previously)

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meefistopheles
Nov 11, 2013
Hey folks, I was wondering if anyone has particular recommendations on first aid kits. Do most people use a prepackaged kit, or make up their own versions? It seems like the majority of cheap kits lack at least a clotting agent, and I would like to make sure there aren't any other must-haves that I am missing out on. Most of my use is weekend hikes, with the occasional four-day to week-long hike.

thesurlyspringKAA
Jul 8, 2005
Does anyone have experience backpacking around the lakes near Blue Bell Knoll in the Dixie National Forest in Utah? I'm looking to head out there for a 2 day out-and-back with a couple buddies in mid-september, but we are all pretty rusty. I've got the most recent, and most overall experience, but its been a while since I've done any serious backpacking. Does anyone have tips for getting back in the game after a long dry spell? Anything in particular to look out for in Utah cypress forests? Thanks guys!

Good Dog
Oct 16, 2008

Who threw this cat at me?
Clapping Larry
Its pouring rain and thunderstorms in Zion which means no hiking for us today. :(

EPICAC
Mar 23, 2001

Mr. Powers posted:

On the way down Sunday, in the rain, we saw countless people covered in cotton head to toe (khakis and polo shirts) starting the 4 mile hike up to Lafayette, with a forecast high of mid 40s.

Last Sunday (the 10th) some friends and I did a single day Presidential Traverse. The weather was beautiful for most of the day, but about halfway between Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson we started to hear thunder. We hurried over the summit of Jackson, and got below treeline as fast as possible. We were back in the trees for 10 minutes, with about 2.5 miles left of 22 miles total, and it started dumping. At first it was rain, then cranberry sized hail. This section of trail is pretty steep and rocky, and we were descending through a flowing river of hail. Getting soaked, and pelted with hail sucked, but the trail was manageable with caution.

We'd probably made it down a mile when we ran into two college age women standing on the trail. One pack between the two of them, only one had a poncho, the other was wearing a sweatshirt. It's around 6:15-6:30 PM by this point.
Them: Hi, we don't know what to do. What should we do?
Me: It's a lot worse higher up, and the summit is exposed, you should go down.
Them: But, we're afraid of slipping if we go down. And what do we do if it gets dark?
Me: Well, you just need to be careful descending, but you really should turn around.
Them: How far are we from the summit?
Me: You're probably about a mile from the summit, but you shouldn't go up. The weather is worse, and you have further to descend.
Them: But it was so nice and then it just suddenly started, and we were having fun.
Me: You really should go back down.

We started back down, and they were just standing there. One of my friends yelled back at them that they should turn around. I'm not sure what they did, but I never saw any news of a rescue so I assume that they were fine in the end. I just can't imagine thinking it's a good idea to keep heading to the top in the middle of a hail storm when you're so unprepared.

Tigren
Oct 3, 2003

DholmbladRU posted:

I have been a backpackers for many years, including a AT thru-hike attempt(~900 miles). However when I graduated from university and got a full time job, time got scarce. Well I found out my co-workers enjoy backpacking and we were planning a hike for labor day this year. Went to go get some gear ready and realized I cant find my pack, or gear... I was planning on getting a new pack and shelter anyways, but am really sad I cant find my AT book or some of the other items Ive hiked with for so long.

Can anyone recommend me the following items, I would like to go as UL as possible while keeping comfort

Pack(was looking at atmos 50)
2 wall tent
stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed)
water filtration(used drops previously)

What's your budget like?

  • Pack(was looking at atmos 50) Atmos will work great, or you can take a look at something like the ULA Circuit
  • 2 wall tent How many people? I use a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 which I really enjoy, but their Copper Spur is also great. Also look into the MSR Hubba (Hubba) or Tarptent (Double) Rainbow
  • stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed) Jetboil is still the way to go if you're just boiling water.
  • water filtration(used drops previously) Drops or Sawyer Mini plus bandanna to filter larger particles

Tigren fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Aug 19, 2014

Verman
Jul 4, 2005
Third time is a charm right?

DholmbladRU posted:

I have been a backpackers for many years, including a AT thru-hike attempt(~900 miles). However when I graduated from university and got a full time job, time got scarce. Well I found out my co-workers enjoy backpacking and we were planning a hike for labor day this year. Went to go get some gear ready and realized I cant find my pack, or gear... I was planning on getting a new pack and shelter anyways, but am really sad I cant find my AT book or some of the other items Ive hiked with for so long.

Can anyone recommend me the following items, I would like to go as UL as possible while keeping comfort

Pack(was looking at atmos 50)
2 wall tent
stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed)
water filtration(used drops previously)

Pack - For a smaller pack, I really like my gregory Savant which comes in a 48 and a 58L variation. I know its not an ultralight pack by any means but the 48L is equivalent to the weight (3lbs) of the atmos 50.
Stove - I've use an MSR whisperlite but the bulk/priming is starting to get on my nerves. My friends pocket rocket had water boiling before I could even get my stove fired up not to mention it weighs 4oz.
Filter - I'm pretty gay for Platypus' gravity filters. They make a 2L version and you could just bring the dirty bag and the filter/hose to reduce clutter and it weighs nothing while filtering quickly and effortlessly.

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006

Tigren posted:

What's your budget like?

  • Pack(was looking at atmos 50) Atmos will work great, or you can take a look at something like the ULA Circuit
  • 2 wall tent How many people? I use a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 which I really enjoy, but their Copper Spur is also great. Also look into the MSR Hubba (Hubba) or Tarptent (Double) Rainbow
  • stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed) Jetboil is still the way to go if you're just boiling water.
  • water filtration(used drops previously) Drops or Sawyer Mini plus bandanna to filter larger particles

Thanks for the recommendations. The ULA packs seem to have been popular choice with thru-hikers a few years ago. I will check them out. Was looking at maybe on of the 1man big anges tents, possibly the fly creek.

As far as the stove goes, I think jet boil might be a winner. I really liked the french press add-on when I had it. Also I think the jetboil out performs the pocket rocket on fuel usage

Reformed Tomboy
Feb 2, 2005

chu~~

meefistopheles posted:

Hey folks, I was wondering if anyone has particular recommendations on first aid kits. Do most people use a prepackaged kit, or make up their own versions? It seems like the majority of cheap kits lack at least a clotting agent, and I would like to make sure there aren't any other must-haves that I am missing out on. Most of my use is weekend hikes, with the occasional four-day to week-long hike.

I make my own kit, and it does not contain any clotting agent because I've never needed it. Bleeding can be stopped in many ways, so I never felt it was a must-have for my kit. That being said, black pepper works as a clotting agent for small or medium sized wounds. Depending on how you prepare meals on the trail, you might already have pepper in your bag.

If you really want a premade kit, look at Adventure Medical Kits. They have many kits of different sizes, and they also sell "refill" items so if a kit is missing something you want you can add it onto your order.

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006
I was thinking about the big agnes UL tents. But after reading some reviews I am not sure. I like to have a durable product that will last. I used the same arcteryx pack for ~10 years.

Does anyone have recommendations for shelters which are lightweight but still reasonably durable.

Reformed Tomboy
Feb 2, 2005

chu~~

DholmbladRU posted:

I was thinking about the big agnes UL tents. But after reading some reviews I am not sure. I like to have a durable product that will last. I used the same arcteryx pack for ~10 years.

Does anyone have recommendations for shelters which are lightweight but still reasonably durable.

What Big Agnes tent were you looking at? I have a Fly Creek Platinum 1 tent and it's held up fine (though it is only a year old at this point). The material is really thin, but I don't foresee any issues with it as long as I keep treating it properly. How rough are you on your tents? I've never really understood the issues people have had with Big Agnes.

I do also have an old Hubba Hubba 2 tent (which someone else brought up earlier), but it's not what I would call UL. The new 2014 model is way lighter though, so it may be worth a look.

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006

Reformed Tomboy posted:

What Big Agnes tent were you looking at? I have a Fly Creek Platinum 1 tent and it's held up fine (though it is only a year old at this point). The material is really thin, but I don't foresee any issues with it as long as I keep treating it properly. How rough are you on your tents? I've never really understood the issues people have had with Big Agnes.

I do also have an old Hubba Hubba 2 tent (which someone else brought up earlier), but it's not what I would call UL. The new 2014 model is way lighter though, so it may be worth a look.

Was looking at the normal UL fly creek. Not necessarily rough with my tents. Had an marmot EOS1 for a little while, don't know if that's on par with the big agnes tents or not.

dedian
Sep 2, 2011
Kinda shelter related I guess - anybody hammock camp? I'm just getting back into backpacking and I'd like to get away from sleeping on the ground. I'm in MN and plan to do most of my outings in state forests or up north, so plenty of trees. Right now I'm planning on DIY'ing a double-layer hammock and using either an inflatable pad (that I already own) or a foam pad for some insulation between the layers, until I can afford quilts of any warmth. Is this a horrible idea? :D

beefnoodle
Aug 7, 2004

IGNORE ME! I'M JUST AN OLD WET RAG

DholmbladRU posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for shelters which are lightweight but still reasonably durable.

If bugs aren't going to be a problem, I really like my GoLite Shangri-La. I've started using it this summer, in preparation for hiking above treelike on the Colorado Trail, where I can't use my Hennessy Hammock (in which I used to use a pad until I got an under quilt).

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006

dedian posted:

Kinda shelter related I guess - anybody hammock camp? I'm just getting back into backpacking and I'd like to get away from sleeping on the ground. I'm in MN and plan to do most of my outings in state forests or up north, so plenty of trees. Right now I'm planning on DIY'ing a double-layer hammock and using either an inflatable pad (that I already own) or a foam pad for some insulation between the layers, until I can afford quilts of any warmth. Is this a horrible idea? :D

Have you slept in a hammock before? If not I would maybe borrow one and test it out to see if you are able to.

Good Dog
Oct 16, 2008

Who threw this cat at me?
Clapping Larry
We got rained out of Zion but we ended up spending part of the day in the valley of fire on our way back to Vegas and had a blast. What a beautiful place. Even had some standing water by the white domes for my gf who had her heart set on the narrows of Zion.

Dread Head
Aug 1, 2005

0-#01
Did a hike up to Marble Meadows in the alpine in Strathcona Provincial park on Vancouver island a few weeks ago. Started by boating across a lake and then a steep (1400m) climb up to a lake to setup base camp and then explored from there. Always nice to get up into the alpine although the bugs where really bad which sucked.

Camped the first night on the lake before starting up into the alpine the next morning.





Hike up to the alpine was not overly scenic, just lots of switch backs but once in the alpine things got pretty nice.







Spent the next day exploring and summited Marble peak which looked over camp which involved a number of exposed scrambles.





Views where well worth it though.


If you are ever camping away from city lights do yourself a favour and get up in the middle of the night.



And a few more from around camp



BaseballPCHiker
Jan 16, 2006

DholmbladRU posted:

I have been a backpackers for many years, including a AT thru-hike attempt(~900 miles). However when I graduated from university and got a full time job, time got scarce. Well I found out my co-workers enjoy backpacking and we were planning a hike for labor day this year. Went to go get some gear ready and realized I cant find my pack, or gear... I was planning on getting a new pack and shelter anyways, but am really sad I cant find my AT book or some of the other items Ive hiked with for so long.

Can anyone recommend me the following items, I would like to go as UL as possible while keeping comfort

Pack(was looking at atmos 50)
2 wall tent
stove(used jet boil previously, like the speed)
water filtration(used drops previously)

Granite Gear and GoLite both make some UL 50L packs for a decent price. There are a bunch of good tents out there now. The REI quarterdome is a good cheap 2 wall tent, LL Bean makes a backpacking tent thats pretty good, or you can go the tarp tent route if you really want to save on weight. For water filtration I use iodine if I'm going solo otherwise you can get some pump filters that work well when hiking with big groups where you can split up the weight. For stoves I like jet boils if I'm by myself or going really light otherwise I really love my Trangia for some more complex trail cooking.

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Granite Gear and GoLite both make some UL 50L packs for a decent price. There are a bunch of good tents out there now. The REI quarterdome is a good cheap 2 wall tent, LL Bean makes a backpacking tent thats pretty good, or you can go the tarp tent route if you really want to save on weight. For water filtration I use iodine if I'm going solo otherwise you can get some pump filters that work well when hiking with big groups where you can split up the weight. For stoves I like jet boils if I'm by myself or going really light otherwise I really love my Trangia for some more complex trail cooking.


Thanks for the input. I actually ended up finding my pack with all my gear in it, after I bought a new jetboil... But I will still be purchasing a new pack and sleep system.

I am not a fan with the golite products, customer service is good, but I had a shoulder strap rip out of the jam on a thru-hike after two days.

The packs I am looking at currently:
osprey exos 48
ula catalyst
osprey aether 60

beefnoodle
Aug 7, 2004

IGNORE ME! I'M JUST AN OLD WET RAG
A bunch of lovely pics, but this is a standout!

Dread Head posted:


If you are ever camping away from city lights do yourself a favour and get up in the middle of the night.


Pryor on Fire
May 14, 2013

they don't know all alien abduction experiences can be explained by people thinking saving private ryan was a documentary

I make it a point to go to my undisclosed location in Southern Colorado at least once a year on a good clear night. It's amazing how little of the US is free of light pollution nowadays:

http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

cheese
Jan 7, 2004

Shop around for doctors! Always fucking shop for doctors. Doctors are stupid assholes. And they get by because people are cowed by their mystical bullshit quality of being able to maintain a 3.0 GPA at some Guatemalan medical college for 3 semesters. Find one that makes sense.
Couple of questions. First, what kind of shape do you need to be in for the John Muir trail? I'm in decent shape but only really do day hikes with the occasional overnight (with borrowed gear), and a friend who plans on being almost a farther next summer (they want to have a kid next fall) wants to do the trail as a final "there goes my free time" trip. I have a full year to prepare and imagine I should be ready if I stick to it.

Second, we plan on doing some multi day trips throughout the year to prepare and I'm looking into creating a gear set. I assume its worth it to spend some money and buy things that are at least lightweight, if not ultra light? I don't know if I have 300 bucks for a ultra light quilt but something close?

cheese fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Aug 22, 2014

Discomancer
Aug 31, 2001

I'm on a cupcake caper!

cheese posted:

Couple of questions. First, what kind of shape do you need to be in for the John Muir trail? I'm in decent shape but only really do day hikes with the occasional overnight (with borrowed gear), and a friend who plans on being almost a farther next summer (they want to have a kid next fall) wants to do the trail as a final "there goes my free time" trip. I have a full year to prepare and imagine I should be ready if I stick to it.

Second, we plan on doing some multi day trips throughout the year to prepare and I'm looking into creating a gear set. I assume its worth it to spend some money and buy things that are at least lightweight, if not ultra light? I don't know if I have 300 bucks for a ultra light quilt but something close?
Stream of consciousness rambling ahead:

I'm a cheap motherfucker but I think dropping $250-300 on a quality bag or quilt is totally reasonable, it's a piece of gear you will constantly use and will easily last over a decade if treated right. Skimp on the stove and use an alcohol stove, bring a driducks jacket instead of something expensive, bring cheap food with you, but buy an awesome sleeping bag/quilt. Going ultralight doesn't always mean expensive. Sure, if you're getting the lightest possible cottage manufacturer cuben fiber tarp, that's expensive. But using a cheap Home Depot tarp instead of bringing the 4 pound tent is ultralight and cheap. Use 1 liter Gatorade bottles instead of a platypus or nalgene, use tablets instead of a water filter, don't bring a change of clothes (other than socks).

There are a lot of ways to save weight and money, I would recommend setting up a spreadsheet with EVERYTHING you have, each piece of gear, every stuff sack, even list out the contents of your first aid kit. Weigh each item if you can, and that quickly helps you determine where the best bang for your buck will be, and helps you figure out if you're carrying anything that you don't really use, our don't use often enough to justify carrying.

Canna Happy
Jul 11, 2004
The engine, code A855, has a cast iron closed deck block and split crankcase. It uses an 8.1:1 compression ratio with Mahle cast eutectic aluminum alloy pistons, forged connecting rods with cracked caps and threaded-in 9 mm rod bolts, and a cast high

Discomancer posted:


I'm a cheap motherfucker but I think dropping $250-300 on a quality bag or quilt is totally reasonable.

Agreed. A good night's rest is a big part of being happy in the woods. I feel like you should spend the cash on a good bag/quilt, a neo air, a light weight backpack from one of the cottage gear makers (I like ula) and a large sil tarp. Everything else can be had for cheap, but those big four will make your trip much more enjoyable.

Hotel Kpro
Feb 24, 2011

owls don't go to school
Dinosaur Gum
So last year I tried to hike up this mountain called Invisible Mountain. It gets its name from the ridiculous number of false summits that you encounter along the way. I ended up bailing out a half mile from the summit cause of some recent snowfall on a knife edge that made it impossible to see where I could safely step. This was as close as I got



Today I came back to the same spot



It really lives up to its namesake. drat near missed the summit too. Hit a ridge and thought I was at the top, then noticed the real summit off to my right hiding in some clouds. But they hosed up the benchmark :(



The clouds were everywhere





It sucked cause it moved all the normal haze out, but the low lying clouds obscured everything



And another grim reminder of the dangers of hiking. gently caress loose rocks

DholmbladRU
May 4, 2006
Picked up an osprey exos this past weekend. Seems like a nice durable light bag.

Rime
Nov 2, 2011

by Games Forum
Solo through-hiking the Stein Traverse starting on Friday, one hundred km of pristine alpine and watershed over the course of ten days. :black101:



Will bring back many pretty pictures.

Rime fucked around with this message at 18:41 on Aug 27, 2014

SulfurMonoxideCute
Feb 9, 2008

I was under direct orders not to die
🐵❌💀

I took a friend up to see Sunshine Meadows in Banff National Park, I passed through on a backpacking trip a few years ago. It has yet to be sunny when I'm there.


Mt. Bourgeau by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr


Fireweed, Sunshine Meadows by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr


Rock Isle Lake, Sunshine Meadows by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr


Where's the snacks? by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr


Columbian Ground Squirrel by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr

Easy peasy wandering, but still a great place to spend an afternoon. The access isn't easy for most so there's no crowds, you can hike up 500 meters on either a 5km access road full of construction equipment or an 11km trail, or take a $25 shuttle bus. Most skimp out for easier trails. Most of the people you see are those backpacking on the Great Divide Trail.

Also, fireweed (the pink flowers) smell really strongly of some sort of stinky cheese to me.

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

Going to Sequoia over the holiday weekend. Will probably hike the Wolverton Cutoff Loop but was wondering if any goons had other recommendations. Preferably above 5,000' to stay cool.

Last year we did the Crystal Cave tour which was pretty neat and saw General Sherman and Muir Grove.

BaseballPCHiker
Jan 16, 2006

Picnic Princess posted:

I took a friend up to see Sunshine Meadows in Banff National Park, I passed through on a backpacking trip a few years ago. It has yet to be sunny when I'm there.



Where's the snacks? by Geographic Ecotourist, on Flickr



Also, fireweed (the pink flowers) smell really strongly of some sort of stinky cheese to me.

Seeing all of that fireweed really makes me miss Alaska. Despite the smell it is good in salads! And I've had some good fireweed jelly too.

Took advantage of a sale and bought my first down quilt. Really looking forward to trying it this fall. Has an EN comfort limit of 38 and a limit of 28. I think it will be awesome with my Exped down mat and I got a great deal on it. Hopefully it can become my summer bag of choice and I can my old faithful cats meow to late fall duty only. For those of you who are quilt sleepers do you find it necessary to wear a hat all of the time? I always like that about my mummy bags is that I could take my hat off and let my head breath a little.

Rime
Nov 2, 2011

by Games Forum

BaseballPCHiker posted:

For those of you who are quilt sleepers do you find it necessary to wear a hat all of the time? I always like that about my mummy bags is that I could take my hat off and let my head breath a little.

Depends on your shelter arrangements and the climate. My TT Moment or Hammock are both fairly drafty, so when I'm in the alpine I find that both my wool hoody AND a wool cap are necessary to avoid discomfort, otherwise I end up pulling it over my head in the early morning and building up condensation.

Rime fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Aug 28, 2014

SulfurMonoxideCute
Feb 9, 2008

I was under direct orders not to die
🐵❌💀

Rime posted:

Solo through-hiking the Stein Traverse starting on Friday, one hundred km of pristine alpine and watershed over the course of ten days. :black101:



Will bring back many pretty pictures.

Your ridgerest looks so perfect, mine is chewed up to poo poo from bushwhacking.

Rime
Nov 2, 2011

by Games Forum

Picnic Princess posted:

Your ridgerest looks so perfect, mine is chewed up to poo poo from bushwhacking.


That Ridgerest is five years old, no less! Love it, lighter than any air mattress out there and works as an insulating layer in a hammock. :v:

This will be my first trip with the Boreas 55 instead of my old Infinity 60 with the articulated hip belt. It's lighter, and has some really nice features, but we'll see how it holds up to this kind of abuse.

Edit: I suspect I just waterproofed my tarp hat with a beeswax based leather treatment. I'm going to get eaten. :magical:

Edit2: Somehow my final weight came to 40lbs. I suspect most of that is food, but still, that is not as light as I had been aiming for. My base is 16lbs for heavens sake!

Rime fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 29, 2014

Crabby Abby
Apr 26, 2006

I'm the graph in the OP
Last weekend I finally had a chance to explore up above Mammoth & June Lake. I'd driven by a few times and the mountains looked impressive, but I didn't really know what was up there. I think a lot of people start trips to that area from Agnew meadow (or Yosemite if they're on the JMT), but I decided to start out from Silver Lake and go up the Rush Creek trail. It was easier to get a permit, and I didn't have to worry about catching the bus.

I went up to Thousand Island Lake:


Then over to Ediza:


And on to Iceberg Lake:


I wanted to keep going up to Cecil lake from Iceburg, but the trail appeared to fade out into a steep pile of scree so I decided to stay at Iceburg. There were a lot of people who seemed to have day hiked up from Ediza to Iceburg, but nobody else camped out there. It was great having it to myself. As the sun was setting, I decided to just run up the ridge bit by bit to stay in it for a little longer. If there had been other people around I probably would have felt more self conscious and just sat in camp.

It was my first night on my Xtherm pad, which I was very excited about. The pad was great when I first settled in - much warmer than my previous pads. However, when I woke up in the morning about a third of the air had leaked out. That really shouldn't happen on the first night. It must be a pretty slow leak, so I don't know if I'll be able to find it. I'll probably end up seeing if REI's return policy is as good as it's supposed to be.

Levitate
Sep 30, 2005

randy newman voice

YOU'VE GOT A LAFRENIÈRE IN ME
Just summited Whitney today from Guitar Lake and exited after 17 days on the JMT. Will write up some more info and pics and some gear review e: when I get back home Monday

Overall awesome scenery, gorgeous. More people than I expected which knocks it down a bit for me but really I shouldn't be surprised considering the trail and time we were on. I'm generally just used to less crowded areas and like some solitude in trips, but still awesome overall.

For the person asking about gear, I loved my Circuit on this trip, my favorite piece of equipment. Not a single day did I hate having to put it on or feel uncomfortable, though some of that is me keeping my weight 30 lbs or under (left MTR with 6.5 days of food at just under 30, probably 28 lbs)

Levitate fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Aug 30, 2014

Levitate
Sep 30, 2005

randy newman voice

YOU'VE GOT A LAFRENIÈRE IN ME
Oh my god a shower feels so good and I'm so sunburned

E: more edits because I have hiking on the brain. I'd really recommend the Circuit over the Catalyst if you're looking ULA. I fit my quilt that wasn't compressed all that much, a bearikade weekender bear can, clothes, cookset, tent, and accessories and poo poo in my circuit and it looked like I was out for a few days with no bear can. My wife also got a circuit and it drat near looked like she was on a day hike and had no bear can (she also had a weekender). Obviously this depends some on how much stuff you want to bring and how bulky some of your gear is but if you're also looking at the Fly Creek UL tents then it seems like you're at least thinking of going light. The hip belt pockets of ULA packs are also huge and awesome. I'll write even more about it when I'm home.

We also have the UL2 and it probably holds up as good as any relatively lightweight tent out there. The seams seem good and the rest is mostly sil nylon which is universal. It's not going to last forever but a bombproof tent is gonna weigh a ton.

For the person who asked what kind of shape to be in for the JMT, we saw some people in not great shape but I think the important thing is making sure your equipment fits you well and you won't get poo poo like blisters or bad leg/feet problems. You don't have to move fast or far everyday but injuries will kill your trip and are often a result of not having the right shoes or carrying too much, etc. really think hard about what you would use and not use. Don't bring a frying pan if you'll only use it once. Don't bring big heavy poo poo just because it seems more comfortable in camp or something, you may find that carrying it is ultimately less comfortable.

Also give yourself time to acclimate or at least prep for the altitude if you don't live in a high place. It's not tough starting at 4k or even 8k (at Lyell Canyon) but still something to think about if you have any past experience with altitude sickness. By the end I felt like I could drat near run up Whitney and had zero problems (though I was feeling good today for some reason)

Get a pack loaded up with about what you would carry on the trip and then go on some day hikes. Try to do at least 8 miles (though work up to it if have trouble). Get your feet and body ready but remember it's still just walking. You can go slow and rest going uphills or whatever, just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and take care of your feet and legs! We saw two guys have to quit at Muir Trail Ranch because of leg problems

Levitate fucked around with this message at 05:06 on Aug 30, 2014

Chroisman
Mar 27, 2010
I have a quick photography question (that I have also asked over in the photography sub-forum, I was just hoping for some varying perspectives). I recently started moving towards buying lighter gear and packing significantly lighter whenever I go hiking/backpacking/trekking. I also like taking landscape shots though, and I feel that shooting free hand limits me quite a bit (e.g. if I want to take "soft" water shots, or in the morning/evening/light/general low light) so I am looking for a good super light tripod. Also, because I significantly lightened the rest of my gear, I have available "weight space" to carry a tripod.

Would anyone have any experience or recommendations for this? Some examples of tripods I have been looking at recently are ones like the Gitzo GT0531, GT0541 or GT1544T. I did consider monopods, but I would rather just sit my camera there for longer exposure shots so I don't gently caress them up. Also, I'm not too keen on a GorillaPod because I was looking for something a bit more full sized.

Thanks in advance!

cheese
Jan 7, 2004

Shop around for doctors! Always fucking shop for doctors. Doctors are stupid assholes. And they get by because people are cowed by their mystical bullshit quality of being able to maintain a 3.0 GPA at some Guatemalan medical college for 3 semesters. Find one that makes sense.

Levitate posted:

:JMT Advice:
Thanks! Looking forward to it so much. I have heard that it is pretty crowded in August but that's the way it goes I guess.

Levitate
Sep 30, 2005

randy newman voice

YOU'VE GOT A LAFRENIÈRE IN ME

cheese posted:

Thanks! Looking forward to it so much. I have heard that it is pretty crowded in August but that's the way it goes I guess.

There are quite a few people but it's not that bad...you can usually end up not having to camp right next to someone, but you'll see lots of people each day usually, especially people doing shorter trips which I didn't really think about would happen, but the JMT is kind of a highway that runs through a lot of good areas in the Sierras and is used to get places.

Just don't expect solitude unless you have energy to go off the trail a bit. We had an extra day and went to Lake South America on a day trip and it was nice, no one else around.

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Smoove J
Sep 13, 2003

yeah Meade's ok I spose
Gonna use this long Labor Day weekend to climb Tinkham Mountain tomorrow. I wish you many miles of success & good weather, you hikers.

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