|
I had to write a paper on Patagonia's history, charity and business model. They do seem pretty cool. But I'm a poor student still so I own nothing by them. MEC gear is good enough for me right now.
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2014 19:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 11:24 |
|
|
Patagonia makes some great stuff. They get some hate because their prices tend to be relatively high and like the North Face, their clothes are becoming more common amongst non-outdoors people with money to spend. Nothing necessarily wrong with their gear, its just that they are trying to bring in more money by trying to reach a bigger market. Look at it this way, with all the money they make from selling tee shirts and jackets for city dwellers, they can use for R&D on better gear for those who actually push their gear to the limit. I like wool long underwear but lately I've just been using synthetic stuff from targets c9 line. Its been surprisingly warm and lightweight. With wool long underwear I had this weird problem with my leg hair pushing through the fabric and it would hurt after a while. Also, it wasn't always the most durable stuff, and it stretched/shrunk in weird ways over time. I'm sure I will go back to it after a while but for right now the synthetic stuff is working well for me.
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2014 21:26
|
|
|
I find wool works in a wider range of temps and you can wear it for a number of days before you start getting really stinky. Patagonia is good stuff but never pay full price for it (you could say the same for any outdoor clothing).
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2014 21:46
|
|
|
the obvious solution is to shave your legs
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2014 21:46
|
|
|
Shave your legs like a runner, and you get the address bonus of when you are in a tent by yourself you can pretend your legs belong to a girl. I think the most expensive item I want right now, is the Ghost Whisperer down jacket. I don't pay full price for anything, until I get surprised with a trip and have to buy certain stuff for specific things. http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-ghost-whisperer-down-jacket-OM5678.html loving 205g.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 01:43
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:Hey guys, I hope it is ok, I am doing a gear check. I am heading to RMNP in about a week(for two nights), and want to make sure I have everything I need. I will have some other people with me that will have cooking stuff, a water purification system, navigation stuff, and such. Bear canister, required in the Park's backcountry. Make sure you have sufficient capacity for everyone's foods and toiletries.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 02:02
|
|
|
So I mentioned to a coworker that I was thinking about backpacking this weekend and long story short he's gonna hit me up with all his gear so that's neat. I think the only thing I'll need to get is some kinda soft-shell (something I needed to get anyway, my last one started peeling and was no longer waterproof). He's also given me recommendations of where to go and such so I feel like this might actually happen this weekend. Only things he won't have for me that I can remember right now would be: Water filter vs. tablets, thoughts? He's gonna loan me his soda can stove that he made. Should I futz around with this or buy a real stove? Guess I'll need a pot while I'm at it. I actually was not even considering bringing a stove at first until you guys mentioned it. Are those really actually needed or is it more of a luxury thing? Speaking of food, I'm a vegetarian. Literally most of my meals are some kind of salad or roasted vegetables of some kind, depending on how much effort I want to put into making food that day. I never thought about it before but this might be a problem with backpacking. Am I pretty much stuck with peanut butter and canned beans? Also like I said, I have a pair of "minimal trail running shoes." They are like the OP describe: zero drop shoes with a rock plate. I find them awesome for running in trails. I'm thinking they'd be fine for backpacking too? Boris Galerkin fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Sep 17, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 04:04
|
|
|
Trail running shoes should be fine. You will not be restricted to just cans of beans and peanut butter. http://www.packitgourmet.com/ http://www.mountainhouse.com/ http://www.backpackerspantry.com/ All of these offer vegetarian options, and there are more than enough to pick from. I would bring packets of instant oatmeal for breakfast. I consider a stove a needed item. Some will disagree, but nothing can you head back into the game like a warm meal. I have gone camping before, and just ate peanut butter, granola, and etc. I would find it hard to start out that morning and do stuff. If I eat something warm, I am excited to get out there and do stuff. Also, almost forgot: http://hawkvittles.com/ I have heard great things about their food, but I have never tried it myself.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 04:14
|
|
|
Boris Galerkin posted:So I mentioned to a coworker that I was thinking about backpacking this weekend and long story short he's gonna hit me up with all his gear so that's neat. I think the only thing I'll need to get is some kinda soft-shell (something I needed to get anyway, my last one started peeling and was no longer waterproof). He's also given me recommendations of where to go and such so I feel like this might actually happen this weekend. Only things he won't have for me that I can remember right now would be: Tablets take time to work, can alter the taste of the water and don't filter bigger particles. Filters are probably the ideal way to go and are less hassle. There are pumps which work great but I prefer the platypus gravity works because it doesn't have any moving parts and works quickly with minimal effort. A stove is a needed item on a backpacking trip unless you know for a fact there is a fire pit at your site and there's no fire ban in effect ... and you can find dry firewood nearby. Some national parks require stoves for backpackers and don't have fire pits. National forests can be more relaxed but everything depends on the rules of your local area. Call ahead to be sure of the rules if you're confused. Verman fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Sep 17, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 04:28
|
|
|
Verman posted:Tablets take time to work, can alter the taste of the water and don't filter bigger particles. Filters are probably the ideal way to go and are less hassle. There are pumps which work great but I prefer the platypus gravity works because it doesn't have any moving parts and works quickly with minimal effort. The only thing I dislike about the Platypus is if you lack a decently deep pool/running stream. I know with one of the pumps, I can get water from pretty much any source.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 04:42
|
|
|
I think the tablets vs filter depends a lot on where you are and where the water us sourced. I only go hiking where all the water comes from glacier melt, sometimes only a couple hours from the source, so it's pretty much clean right off the bat. Of course, I have to carry multiple containers for water since it can take over two hours to be safe just because the water temp is so low, and that slows the tablets' effect. But I also really like the thought of drinking all the minerals in glacial flour so I don't want to filter it anyway. Maybe it's all hokey BS, but it makes me feel good goddammit.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 14:23
|
|
|
Picnic Princess posted:I think the tablets vs filter depends a lot on where you are and where the water us sourced. I only go hiking where all the water comes from glacier melt, sometimes only a couple hours from the source, so it's pretty much clean right off the bat. Of course, I have to carry multiple containers for water since it can take over two hours to be safe just because the water temp is so low, and that slows the tablets' effect. But I also really like the thought of drinking all the minerals in glacial flour so I don't want to filter it anyway. Maybe it's all hokey BS, but it makes me feel good goddammit. Glacial flour? I would actually like to read about that, anywhere I can find decent information?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 14:25
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:Shave your legs like a runner, and you get the address bonus of when you are in a tent by yourself you can pretend your legs belong to a girl. no joke I actually ended up wishing I had shaved legs while on the JMT, because whenever my wife tried to give me a leg massage (one of the benefits of backpacking with a significant other), my legs hairs just ended up getting pulled a lot and it hurt  Probably the real reason cyclists and such actually shave their legs... re: filters versus treating water, IMO it really depends on where you are going and your water sources. The vast majority of water contamination is caused by humans and livestock, so if you're getting water in the mountain backcountry where most of the water is from alpine lakes and streams, it's entirely likely you can even just drink it straight provided stock aren't allowed up there and large amounts of people haven't poo poo on the side of the lakes and streams. Some people hike through the Sierra's without treating or filtering water. There's also evidence that the presence of algae mats in the water is more likely to correspond with contaminated water; a good example would be the water source near trail camp on the way up Mt Whitney. Until they started requiring wag bags, the volume of people camping and defecating in that area was just too much for the ecosystem to handle even if everyone was doing it properly (which they weren't) and reportedly it all just smelled like a sewer. Things are a lot cleaner now but the water source is still kind of sketchy and requires treatment. Anyways, I'll circle back around to the point of I prefer treating water with Aqua Mira myself but most of the places I backpack generally don't have murky and crappy water that need particles filtered out. I've never had a problem, personally. Treating water with something like aqua mira (chlorine dioxide) generally will kill everything in the water with enough time and a high enough dose. I think the toughest thing is cryptosporidium and it can take chlorine dioxide up to 4 hours to really kill it. Takes care of most everything else faster than that though. I also really don't notice much of an aftertaste at all with them, but some people do. Filters on the other hand really depend on what size they can filter down to and most don't filter out viruses (though viruses usually aren't an issue in NA). On the plus side, they can filter out actual particles from the water that might make it taste bad or unpalatable. The other option is something like a steripen...I'm intrigued by them (they basically kill everything quickly and small ones weight around 4 oz, while full bottles of aqua mira way around 3 oz) but I dislike the idea of relying solely on batteries and having to carry spares, etc. In the end, it still ultimately comes down to what your water sources are IMO, and to some degree whether you're ok with waiting for treatment and can detect any aftertaste. I carry a 3 liter lightweight platypus and just fill that up at camp and treat it along with my regular bottles and generally then have enough water to last me through dinner and breakfast and cleaning up as well as getting me on the trail in the morning. Also, it's speculated most people who think they get sick from the water while backpacking are more likely to be getting sick from poor personal hygiene. Wash your hands well after going to the bathroom and disinfect them if you have disinfectant. Wash them before you eat, etc etc. Also, if you spend all your time treating or filtering water and then go do stuff like wash your face or dunk your head or go swimming in suspect water sources, then you're just putting yourself at risk anyways since you're almost sure to get some water in your mouth when doing that. Colt Cannon posted:Glacial flour? I would actually like to read about that, anywhere I can find decent information? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_flour Basically just ground up rock and minerals from glacial activity. It's why lakes near glaciers often look so stunningly aquamarine. Lake Louise in Banff is a good example (random google image) 
Levitate fucked around with this message at 14:31 on Sep 17, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 14:28
|
|
|
Levitate posted:Filter Talk I live in an area with a lot of murky man made lakes, the filters are my best choice. I usually carry some tablets to clean, because sometimes the water gets infested with e. coli. I thoguht that photo was a drawing. Jesus christ that is gorgeous.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 16:12
|
|
|
Where's the best place to rent a SUV (4 dudes, backpacks, gonna need a big one) when flying into Seattle and heading to the Enchantments? I remember reading in here that going downtown first saves a ton of money?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 17:52
|
|
|
I've had a drink of that lake. Fairview (the peak in the foreground) was the first summit I ever hiked! It was also the first mountain I went up after almost giving up after my scrambling accident. It's a great mountain. Also if anyone is interested, the photographer of that pic is Paul Zizka, a local guy who is contracted with Parks Canada. His work kicks rear end, I suggest checking him out if that's your thing.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 18:05
|
|
|
Picnic Princess posted:I've had a drink of that lake. Fairview (the peak in the foreground) was the first summit I ever hiked! It was also the first mountain I went up after almost giving up after my scrambling accident. It's a great mountain. What was your scrambling accident?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 18:19
|
|
|
mastershakeman posted:Where's the best place to rent a SUV (4 dudes, backpacks, gonna need a big one) when flying into Seattle and heading to the Enchantments? I remember reading in here that going downtown first saves a ton of money? Few tips. First, I took the lightrail from the airport to the SODO stop, and went to the Budget here. I've always liked budget but you can use whatever. It was close to a train line and near the city. Its by far the weirdest rental place I've ever been but we got an SUV for a week for ~$270 with a coupon code. It was a silver Chevy Traverse? which was surprisingly nice for the trip, everyone had a lot of room and it wasn't terrible on gas. The train ride is $2.50 each way and takes about 20 minutes if I remember correctly. Anyway once you get off the train, the place is less than a 5 minute walk from the train stop. Fairly industrial part of town but I never felt unsafe. Check their hours, they might be weirdly timed. Budget Downtown 4th Avenue So Rent-A-Car 2724 4th Ave S Seattle, WA 98134 Second tip, my wife and I use our American Express SPG card as our main credit card since we get great points/miles and they have a travel section you can book through. Its been pretty consistently cheaper to book flights and cars through them than any code I've ever been able to find.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 18:22
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:The only thing I dislike about the Platypus is if you lack a decently deep pool/running stream. I know with one of the pumps, I can get water from pretty much any source.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 19:31
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:I thoguht that photo was a drawing. Jesus christ that is gorgeous. Yeah, the area around Banff is gorgeous. Simply beautiful. Alright, I'm gonna finish off my JMT trip report because why not After my dad came in and resupplied us near the Kearsarge Pass junction, we stayed the night around Upper Vidette Meadow, and then started up Forester Pass the next morning. It's the highest official pass on the JMT at over 13,000 feet (Trail Crest is higher but apparently isn't an "official" pass or something), but it's a long well graded climb up it. Lots of people out that morning making the ascent, and saw a whole lot of people with ULA packs too. For some reason we saw very few at the beginning of the JMT but a lot of people with them near the end. My dad and wife hiking up past the lake at 12,250 feet  On the way up, we passed this guy headed down the north side of Forester, and he briefly stopped to chat. Called us "ultralight JMTers" and asked about my dad's old Dana Bridger pack. We didn't know he was going for the JMT unsupported speed record, but he mentioned he had just finished the PCT, so that was impressive in itself. He ended up hiking the JMT south to north in just under 3 and a half days, which broke the old unsupported record. On the way up Forester, my dad tripped and managed to rip open a wound on his hand that he got from biking a few weeks prior, so there was some first aid excitement for awhile, but we made it up to the top without any difficulty. We took a picture of him for his records and then he headed back down and to his camp while we continued on down the south side  Lots of people resting up on the top by the way, it was kind of weird to have a bunch of people sitting there watching you make the final couple of switchbacks and all that. The other side of Forester is kind of like Upper Basin, desolate looking with some lakes and streams running through it, and then gradually descends back down into some pine forests  We felt low on energy again that day so we ended up just reaching the first bear box area near Tyndall Creek and then camping around there. Probably not the best choice since a lot of people ended up camping around that area, but it wasn't too bad. The next day we had a free day so we left our camp as it was and took a hike up to Lake South America. It's off the beaten path so we were pretty much the only ones up there...just had to do a short but steep climb up over a ridge and then had a relaxing day to ourselves. Along the shore of Lake S.A. looking off in the direction of the Kern River Canyon  I forgot to take a picture of it earlier but from the ridge on the way to Lake S.A. you could get a decent view of Mt. Whitney  The next day we'd get up early to head out to Guitar Lake, we didn't want to end up scrambling for a campsite in case it got crowded around there. The Bighorn Plateau would have been a fun place to camp on previous nights, kind of surreal to come out of the forest and there's a big open grassy/sandy area.  We made good time and the hiking was nice. Up and down out of some small drainages but alternating between forest and meadow and finally back up into the rockier alpine areas. Timberline Lake from above  Then it turns out we hiked almost 12 miles by noon and got to Guitar Lake with a lot of time to spare. We set up camp at a tarn above Guitar Lake and spent most of the day resting and trying to stay covered up from the sun, because there's just no shade at that altitude (11,600 feet). Great view of the side of Whitney though! We watched a lot of people coming down from Whitney with daypacks or no packs and figured they were part of some group that was camped down at Guitar Lake and had all their tents and foot and equipment packed in by mules. On one hand I envied the advantage that gave them and on the other I felt smug that I was carrying everything I needed on my back. Guitar Lake at sunset  We basically killed time all day and went to sleep when we could. I got woken up later that night a couple of times by people night hiking up Mt. Whitney in an attempt to be at the summit for sunrise. Some people were quiet, and other people carried on loud conversations while hiking at 3am. Not impressed by the loud talkers... We got up around 5:15 and got our stuff together for our final day. The climb up that side of Whitney is actually quite easy compared to many of the other passes and such on the JMT. Long switchbacks with an easy grade, nicely maintained trail, and I for some reason felt really good that morning and like I could jog up the entire thing.  We got to "pack's rest" pretty easily and decided to keep going up to the summit without taking our packs off. Honestly after 16 days on the trail I felt more unbalanced with my pack off, and carrying it didn't bother me at all. Again, the trail up wasn't steep or difficult in any way, there was just a few spots that were a little rocky or had some drop offs.  Saw a lot of people struggling with altitude on the way up though. I think most of them coming from the east side had only been out for a day or so and stayed at trail camp the night before, and it's just not quite enough time to really acclimatize to the altitude. Almost there!  Annnnnd done. Official end of the JMT  We rested, took some pictures, and chatted with some other people for a bit while up there. One couple was actually on their honeymoon and had hiked the entire JMT, which is pretty cool. Lots of other people (both at the top and on the way down) seemed surprised and confused that we had been backpacking for 17 days, and just assumed everyone was hiking up the east side of Whitney. Then, only another 10-12 miles to go! Heading back down can be kind of slow because you run into all the people who are heading up so you're always stepping aside for them, etc. Nice picture of Mt. Hitchcock and Hitchcock Lakes  We passed back by "pack's rest" and then continued on to Trail Crest. There we got a good reminder about why you don't leave food in your pack:  Some guy left his daypack with a footlong subway sandwich in it and a couple of marmots unzipped it and devoured his sandwich. Oh well, that's why they tell you not to do that poo poo. Heading down the east side from Trail Crest involve a ridiculous number of switchbacks...I didn't count them but people at least call it the "99 switchbacks" Again it's not hard, but it's just a little nuts how many switchbacks there are. Lots of people headed up were really struggling as well, it must suck to try to do Whitney in a day or two. Looking down at trail camp and the Owens Valley in the background  It's a pretty long slog downhill no doubt...Mt. Whitney is around 14,500 feet and Whitney Portal is 8,360 ft, so you're dropping over 6,100 feet. Plenty of rocky areas as well but it starts to smooth out a bit as you get lower. I don't know if this meadow has a name but I think Lone Pine Lake is hidden by the trees at the far end of it. This was pretty far down the trail  Still plenty of great scenery though. The Whitney area is really pretty, I was kind of surprised for some reason.  After passing Lone Pine Lake we almost immediately ran into my dad, who was hiking up to meet us. We had told him to expect us much later in the day but apparently we made great time and so he was surprised. At that point we were probably only a hour or so away from Whitney Portal and the end of our trip, so there was a lot of reminiscing, telling stories of the last couple of days to my dad, and thinking ahead to "real life" (or having a shower). Then it was over.  17 days was the longest I've been out at one time but overall it was fantastic. I never felt under prepared or uncomfortable with my gear choices, it was just second nature after awhile. It was certainly hard not to look forward to a shower and some different food, but I felt like I could have also kept going for much longer if it was an option. We got some burgers and beer at the Whitney Portal Cafe, and then drove out to Independence where we'd stay the night (Lone Pine hotels were expensive, and we didn't think about Bishop for some reason). Spent some time and money at the visitors center in Lone Pine, had breakfast in Bishop the next morning, and headed out to Reno where we'd fly out of the Sunday before Labor Day. As mentioned earlier in this thread, the drive up 395 is pretty great as well, wonderful scenery along the way.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 19:33
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:What was your scrambling accident? I lost my footing on the top of a 500 foot vertical cliff, landed on an 8 foot wide ledge 15 feet down. Heli-slung to an ambulance and ended up in hospital. I didn't break anything but I was so banged up I was in bed for 4 days. Lost a lot of skin too and I have a bunch of scars now. Almost dying so easily freaked me the gently caress out and I vowed while waiting for rescue to give it up completely. A few days later I couldn't wait to get back up at it again. It took 5 weeks to get going again. I realized just how much I loved being out in the mountains by thinking I'd never go again. I even changed my degree from biology to ecotourism and outdoor leadership to become a hiking guide or something like that.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 20:14
|
|
|
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm not sure of the water situation but I hate drinking stuff in my water so I guess filter is the way to go for me. In any case I'll head over to REI tomorrow after work to pick things up.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 23:16
|
|
|
Levitate posted:Heading down the east side from Trail Crest involve a ridiculous number of switchbacks...I didn't count them but people at least call it the "99 switchbacks" I have counted, and there are indeed 99 of them. This was the first time that I've seen a trail had a posted number of stairs/switchbacks that was correct. Don't ask me why I count stairs/switchbacks, I've been doing it since I was a kid. Great photos! Looks like you all had a blast.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 23:59
|
|
|
mastershakeman posted:Where's the best place to rent a SUV (4 dudes, backpacks, gonna need a big one) when flying into Seattle and heading to the Enchantments? I remember reading in here that going downtown first saves a ton of money? You could take the train, pretty sure it stops in Leavenworth.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 00:01
|
|
|
The train arrives in Leavenworth around 6 PM and departs for Seattle before 8 AM. Have fun with that. For what it is worth, you can do Icicle Creek Road in any ol' car. No reason to pay extra for an SUV unless your stuff truly won't fit into anything smaller.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 01:49
|
|
|
Levitate posted:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_flour On the opposite end of the spectrum is this:  Blackwater is just tannins and decaying plant matter, so while it looks like toxic cola its generally safe to drink. The tannins and leaf bits taste disgusting though so you really need a filter to make it palatable.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 02:15
|
|
|
Alright, I think I'm all set up to go backpacking this weekend. This is going to be my first solo overnight trip so it's both exciting and a tiny bit scary at the same time. Could you guys tell me if I missed anything? Everything I'm bringing: backpack w/ waterproof cover tent w/ tarp for the ground inflatable mattress 20 ºC sleeping bag rope knife 3L water pouches (2) Lifestraw foodbag freeze dried food (4) as many granola bars I can shove into my bag soda can stove & alcohol for fuel pot down jacket (don't expect it to get that cold, but it's light) 2 changes of wool socks and underwear (+ the pair I wear) poop shovel (did not know this was a thing) headlamp flashlight hand sanitizer travel size toiletries wet wipes lighter spoon/fork/knife thing I'll need to buy a map and a small compass when I get there to the visitor's center to buy a parking pass but other than that I'm pretty much good to go for 2 nights yeah?
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 03:27
|
|
|
I'm still new to this whole backpacking thing but I would bring one more way of filtering water besides the Lifestraw and probably leave behind a pair of underwear and a pair of socks. My wife and I brought 2 pair of each total on an day Yosemite trip.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 03:42
|
|
|
Boris Galerkin posted:Alright, I think I'm all set up to go backpacking this weekend. This is going to be my first solo overnight trip so it's both exciting and a tiny bit scary at the same time. Could you guys tell me if I missed anything? Good but also don't forget something to boil water in And yeah just turn one pair of underwear inside out and keep the other for 'MERGENCIES, it's only a weekend. Squiggle fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Sep 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 04:06
|
|
|
My brother-in-law just posted this from a solo trip this week, and all I have to say is   Pulsatilla Pass in Banff National Park. Click for big.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 04:25
|
|
|
Picnic Princess posted:My brother-in-law just posted this from a solo trip this week, and all I have to say is gently caress me, jesus ed: That's that close to Calgary? Sweet. That must be fantastic to have such close access. ed2: Well I guess I do live near Denver... I should really get deeper into the Rockies - Vail is as far west as I've gone, and not too far off the paved roads. Devil's Head, ~Nederland, and RMNP are a treat though and I'm still new to no-poo poo backpacking. Squiggle fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Sep 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 04:34
|
|
|
Squiggle posted:gently caress me, jesus I have to say, it really is. I can leave the city at noon and still get a short summit in during the height of summer. If I didn't have the Rockies so close I'd have been gone a loooong time ago.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 04:49
|
|
|
Boris Galerkin posted:Alright, I think I'm all set up to go backpacking this weekend. This is going to be my first solo overnight trip so it's both exciting and a tiny bit scary at the same time. Could you guys tell me if I missed anything? 20c is not a lot, is it warm where you are? I'm in Colorado, and want a 20F quilt! What's the rope for? Unless it's bear-hanging or you have a specific use like canyoneering, I'd leave it. That's a lot of water capacity outside of the desert, some Gatorade bottles work well. I'm personally not a huge fan of bladders because they are hard to fill from stagnant water sources, but whatever works. Really, you're good without a change of underwear. A second pair of socks to swap out, and another (warm) pair to sleep in, and you'll be fine. Leave the flashlight, you've got a headlamp already I realize I will probably get poo poo for this, but if you don't know how to use a compass and are sticking to established trails, then just take the map because the compass won't be of use to you anyway. Add up the calories in your food and make sure you are taking enough. Granola bars can vary in caloric content (I've seen some as low as 90kcal, but most are around 200 for a 2oz bar, which is okay). Put your freeze dried food in feezer ziplock bags, then pour the boiling water in that. When you're done, just zip it and put it in your trash bag. This eliminates mess and having to clean your pot out after a meal. It's hard to say for any specific area because I don't know what the conditions are, but the usual things you'd be missing are: -hat/balaclava -gloves -rain gear -water purification (tablets) -sun protection (hat/sunscreen/long sleeves, etc.) -small first aid kit and some immodium, because nothing ruins a trip like leaving that at home
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 05:08
|
|
|
Terrifying Effigies posted:On the opposite end of the spectrum is this: Drank this for 5 days on a hiking trip this summer, this is an example of the "worst" of it. Actually was some of the better tasting water on the trip. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 07:41
|
|
|
Picnic Princess posted:I have to say, it really is. I can leave the city at noon and still get a short summit in during the height of summer. If I didn't have the Rockies so close I'd have been gone a loooong time ago. Yeah but...super grizzlies  Which reminds me, there was recently a bear attack fatality in the Bridger-Teton NF. They assume a grizzly but don't have enough info yet. Basically, be extra careful in grizzly country! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2756999/Man-reported-missing-week-ago-killed-grizzly-bear-remote-Wyoming-wilderness.html
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 12:05
|
|
|
Discomancer posted:Unless where you're going is super rocky and lovely, you can leave the tarp at home for the tent groundcloth, just check the site before you pitch it and clear it of sticks and rocks that will poke through it. It might be 20F, I don't know. I think in metric units but this is America so it's probably F then. I'm told there are bears/raccoons/etc in the forest park I'm going to so I'll need to tie up my food on a tree. The food I bought already came in pouches I pour the water in. The pot itself is used for boiling water??? Oh drat it I forgot to pick up a soft shell.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 13:28
|
|
|
Boris Galerkin posted:The pot itself is used for boiling water??? Oh don't worry, it was a joke - I love smoking after a hike. I saw pot and lighter and initially laughed. Squiggle fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Sep 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2014 14:22
|
|
|
So I just weighed all my new gear, which mainly just a tent and a sleeping bag. I am now at 14 pounds before food and water. This includes clothes for a two day backpacking weekend in some warmer weather. I have to say, I am extremely happy.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 01:42
|
|
|
Colt Cannon posted:So I just weighed all my new gear, which mainly just a tent and a sleeping bag. I am now at 14 pounds before food and water. This includes clothes for a two day backpacking weekend in some warmer weather. I have to say, I am extremely happy. You will loving love RMNP. I am so excited for you. The first weekend trip into the park, especially back-country, was as near a religious experience as I am capable.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 03:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 11:24 |
|
|
Squiggle posted:You will loving love RMNP. I am so excited for you. The first weekend trip into the park, especially back-country, was as near a religious experience as I am capable. Best thing is, I might get to see some snow. I think we are doing Bear Lake area, hitting up Helene Lake, and maybe one or two other places. I am so loving excited. Plus my cousin and I are planning a trip to Yellowstone for next year, and Colorado is close enough that I can just take either a short flight, or a 9 hour drive and join him when he goes camping. I wish I would've thought to do this before. I have a small day pack, like 14L, should I try and find a way to jam it into my main pack to tke on the short day hikes? Also, now I have to watch Falling Down. Colt Cannon fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Sep 20, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 03:36
|
|