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mastershakeman posted:I still don't get how a national park was created in Ohio in 2000. They had to make Cuyahoga a national park because Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area was already a thing.
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Apr 6, 2015 01:18
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bunnielab posted:I went to buy a hammock and there clearly has been a huge advancement in hammock technology sense I last bought one. The price range seems to be like $20 to $200. I just want something simple, rugged, able to support my fat (~220) rear end, and has a simple ring at each end. I will mostly be using it at work in the back of trucks and containers so I don't need any bug netting or what have you. Can anyone recommend one? My ENO double nest treats me just fine. I was told that since I'm 6'3" I should get the double nest. My wife has ENO's single nest and it looks about the same, only not as wide. The extra width can be a little bit of a hassle if you sink way into the hammock. At any rate, I've taken it camping in hot and cold weather and I'm a big fan. In fact, I take it with me any time I travel whether I plan to be camping or not. It does great on vacation and it packs up small and light.  For what it's worth, I hear Kammock's hammocks are just as good. I use their hammock straps.
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Apr 6, 2015 01:38
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erobadapazzi posted:Since there seems to be a decent LA-area population on this thread, I figure I can throw a question at you. My husband and I have been talking a lot about wishing we had an app that we could point at mountains to figure out their names (like when we're somewhere up on the Crest, mostly). I seriously doubt that exists. However, there must be some sort of visual of the different peaks of the San Gabriels, right? Any suggestions of a book or website or something with labelled pictures? Why not get a Silva Polaris or similar small cheap light compass and a map? I don't know how dense the mountains are, if there are more than a couple within 5 degrees of each other you could get a better compass with a sight, and that should do for identifying any mountain you can see. Levitate posted:Somewhat random question...I assume some people here read backpacking blogs or websites or magazines, do you have things you wish they'd write about that no one seems to do? Everyone loves doing gear reviews or trip reports and stuff like that, just wondering what people would find interesting that they don't see a lot of. Climbing blogs and websites tend to be heavy on the pictures and videos, and light on practical advice for climbing (or alternatively, super heavy on the gear and almost no climbing content). I wish there were more people like scandinavian-hiking or woodtrekker or paradox. I think there is a huge lack of blogging when it comes to people who make their own gear, combine backpacking and hunting, combine backpacking and climbing, and ski mountaineering. I also would love to see some good blogs from mountain bikepackers. I would really like to know what sorts of mechanical problems you run into, for example, biking in a desert for a week at a time. There's also a huge lack of wilderness flying guys. Aviation blogs in general tend to be written by old men who don't know how to create an appealing website, content is sparse and among the handfuls of people who fly aircraft into wilderness and blog about it, generally they talk too much about the good times they had and the things they saw on their travels and not enough about the technical aspects of flying onto unprepared surfaces for me. Plus there NO blogs of wilderness paragliders! WTF! I know people are crazy enough to climb mountains and jump off them, I've seen them in action several times, but there are no blogs. Long term gear reports are always valuable, as is any detailed documentation of new techniques (for example woodtrekker likes to modify his stoves and guns for lighter weight or greater performance). Likewise I highly value posts written in English from natives of places where English is not spoken. There is some great content (I recall for example one series of posts describing a russian guy in siberia who drove out to his spot in the middle of nowhere, and using only hand tools, dug out and built up a small hunting lodge) that isn't available in English; there is some OK stuff for wilderness stuff in central and northern europe, but most of Asia and Africa, and south america are severely lacking of english language content written by natives (although of course everyone loves to read a story about, say, a motorcycle trip in south america, it is not as good as learning the raw techniques from someone who lives there). EDIT: quote:As you sink back into the snow, shaken, your heat begins to drain away at an alarming rate, your head alone accounting for 50 percent of the loss. The pain of the cold soon pierces your ears so sharply that you root about in the snow until you find your hat and mash it back onto your head. goddamn this guy didn't even bother to factcheck. This figure is obsolete, from an ancient U.S. Army flawed scientific experiment in the 50s. This whole thing is written by some dude who has read books but has very little experience or training with hypothermia. Why didn't he just loving take 3 coworkers, an EKG, blood pressure monitor, a handful of thermometers, and just take off his clothes and stand outside in -27F weather until he turned blue? It would have been more valuable. He could have compared rewarming with a sleeping bag to chemical heat packs... anything would have been more valuable than this piece of fiction. He could have loving measured the rate of heat loss, and then he would have KNOWN what it was! Written about his mental state when his body temperature lowered by a degree... Keldoclock fucked around with this message at 03:33 on Apr 6, 2015 |
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Apr 6, 2015 03:10
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bunnielab posted:I went to buy a hammock and there clearly has been a huge advancement in hammock technology sense I last bought one. The price range seems to be like $20 to $200. I just want something simple You should absolutely check out hammockforums.net (yes there's an entire site dedicated to this question). But to answer your question, no, it's all the same ripstop/taffeta nylon. The hammock part actually matters very little, more important is the underquilt/tarp/suspension  It's stupid easy to diy a great hammock/suspension straps for twenty bucks. Buy a taffeta nylon table cloth, whip the ends with some amsteel blue, and get some climbing webbing and two climbing carabiners for the straps to hang with (simple knots required, eg slippery half hitch). Here's a picture of my setup, from backpacking in Red River Gorge last weekend:  And bonus pic of luncheon ridge (didn't do so hot capturing how awesome that spot really was):  Three-Phase posted:Hiked deep off the beaten path in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park today. He-ey, another Ohio Goon! Ever done Zaleski? I've never been up to Cuyahoga... How does that stack up to other Ohio spots? edit: Don't buy a Kammock--my buddy bought one and it is cut all catterwampus and not at all comfortable. Diamond ripstop weave is the exact same as square ripstop weave nylon. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Apr 6, 2015 |
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Apr 6, 2015 03:24
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Certainly hammock camping can be done in cold weather, but I feel like hot weather is where it really shines. Having that airflow over and under you can keep you cool even on a hot sticky Texas summer night. Just make sure you get the bug net if you're going that route. My boss rented a beach house last August and I brought my hammock just for the heck of it. I strung it up on the deck between two massive pillars and it ended up being the surprise hit of the party. Hammocks and beaches were made for each other.
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Apr 6, 2015 04:08
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Thanks for the hammock advice guys. Like I said, I am going to use his at work mostly so I will be under cover already. I would like to do a little camping on the farm I live on to see if my opinions on sleeping outside have changed in the last 15 years and a hammock would be perfect for that. Also, Hungryjack, I still, sometimes, when confronted by something ridiculous, mutter "loving awesome possum" under my breath. I think that was you, right?
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Apr 6, 2015 19:35
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It was me  and oddly enough, Awesome Possum came up in conversation just last weekend. Weird.
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Apr 6, 2015 19:38
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Hungryjack posted:It was me Hah, it was the picture of you in the hammock that made me remember, I had forgotten who's username it was. I still have a picture of you and him somewhere in my "gun pics" folder.
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Apr 6, 2015 19:43
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 This is my boyfriend getting into our Eno hammock on one of our BWCA adventures. We got a two-person hammock and I'm glad we did, it fits both of us comfortably (6'1'' and 5'6'', combined weight of about 320 pounds) and is great to have when we go on our leisurely canoeing trips. It compresses down nicely, is lightweight, and we just use rope to tie it up. I like having the two-person width when I'm using it by myself because the sides wrap around like a cocoon. It has also come in handy as a makeshift shelter when we've been caught in a rain storm. It's not waterproof but it was resistant enough to act as a tarp that we sat under and stayed dry. Koivunen fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Apr 6, 2015 |
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Apr 6, 2015 21:59
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It looks like the ENO hammock is the one to get, but do I get the double or single. Amazon says the double packs down to the size of a grapefruit and the single a softball. Which seem to me be super close in size. I am going to be hanging this thing in close quarters most of the time and I am like 5'10" and ~220. And most importantly, what is the most awesome hammock color combo? Amazon has an insane amount of options.
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Apr 6, 2015 22:31
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We've got Ticket to the Moon hammocks and really like them. (website is ticketothemoon.com) You can choose whatever color combinations you want. I have a single and a king-size (and the mosquito net and tarp) and like them both. Their customer service has mostly always been really great, too.
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Apr 6, 2015 23:16
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Big Bend was fun.     The weather was absolutely perfect for hiking with a high of low 70s and overcast. Sadly the clouds didn't clear up enough at night and a full moon kept us from some truly spectacular stargazing. 3 days is perfect if you want to day hike all the main attractions. (Santa Elena Canyon, Chisos Mountain Basin, and some of the other smallerish trails) Nothing felt better than taking a dip in the hot spring sunday morning after two days of not showering and being grimy. Go to Big Bend when it isn't miserably hot George H.W. Cunt fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Apr 6, 2015 |
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Apr 6, 2015 23:24
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I love your Big Bend pics. I could (and should) go back there every year. Looks like you hit Santa Elena Canyon, Emory Peak, and where's that last picture taken from? My favorite view of Emory Peak:  (It's a big drop, yo) Also, this pano I took of my friend Melanie in front of the South Rim came out really well in my opinion.  Bunnielab, from left to right: Double Nest, Single Nest, Bug Net, Kammock Straps with a dollar bill for scale. Kammock and ENO straps are almost identical in construction, material, size, weight, price, and capacity, but the Kammocks are 10' each and the ENOs are 9' each. A very minor difference. 
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Apr 7, 2015 00:13
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Thanks man, just ordered a singe in Orange. Also, these guys must be buying some huge loving grapefruit.
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Apr 7, 2015 00:22
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The last picture is looking west towards the Chisos. We ended up doing backcountry camping and had to hike out to find a site in the dark so that was fun. Luckily we found a creek bed to walk along so we weren't trudging through the grass and cacti the entire time.
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Apr 7, 2015 00:32
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bunnielab posted:Thanks man, just ordered a singe in Orange. Depending on how tall you are, a double might have been more comfortable. The trick to a hammock is to lay at a diagonal--that lets sleep flat. The wider it is, the better you can lay out straight and sleep in it
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Apr 7, 2015 03:06
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OSU_Matthew posted:Depending on how tall you are, a double might have been more comfortable. The trick to a hammock is to lay at a diagonal--that lets sleep flat. The wider it is, the better you can lay out straight and sleep in it This is true, but at 5'10" the single nest will do him just fine.
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Apr 7, 2015 03:07
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OSU_Matthew posted:Depending on how tall you are, a double might have been more comfortable. The trick to a hammock is to lay at a diagonal--that lets sleep flat. The wider it is, the better you can lay out straight and sleep in it Hah, I had no idea. I have never been in a hammock that wasn't hanging under a stage at an outdoor event, and I assume never in one that was hung stretched out enough for that to work.
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Apr 7, 2015 03:13
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This weekend a group of us went hiking down the Bright Angel trail in Grand Canyon National Park. We made it to Indian Gardens, then followed Garden Creek down through the Tapeats Sandstone. Soon, we stopped at trailside to change into wetsuits. We got some odd looks from passing rim-to-river hikers.  Garden Creek cuts a gorgeous slot canyon through the Vishnu Schist. Despite its proximity to one of the most popular trails in the world, the canyon remained largely unheralded until a few years ago, when the book "Grand Canyoneering" was published. Following the beta in the book, we headed into the canyon, soon arriving to descend a massive 400-foot multi-stage waterfall rappel.  There are multiple rappels in the canyon, each of them down a spectacular waterfall. Kind of miraculous when you think about how many thousands of hikers trot past the canyon with no idea of what lies within. You can see part of the flow from Plateau point, but to really see the canyon, you have to rig up and descend into its depths. Its a different side of the Grand Canyon than most people are familiar with, less about spectacle and more about intimacy.   This is pay-to-play territory. Beside the technical requirements to descend the canyon, you've got haul all those pounds of wetsuits and wet rope up and down 5000 feet of elevation change. We camped at Indian Gardens, meaning we needed to haul overnight gear as well. Despite the difficulty, I'd do this trip again in a heartbeat. This was adventure on a grand scale.  Here's a video of the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbaEqdw9_8
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Apr 7, 2015 04:45
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i keep buying coats oh god i think i have a problem
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Apr 7, 2015 05:17
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Just got my Backpacker's Cache, and I am wondering if the carrying case is worth it? I have an external frame pack, so I think it would be nice if it allows me to attach it to the outside easier.
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Apr 7, 2015 06:33
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Awesome post and vid. I miss canyoneering so much. 
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Apr 7, 2015 11:55
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What's a good sized pack for a 2-3 day hike? I don't think I'll be doing any more than that until I have more stamina and I have older kids. Also, is it a really dumb idea to hike alone as a novice? Getting friends willing to go hiking and coordinating schedules means I might be able to hike once a year. I would much rather just go solo.
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Apr 7, 2015 17:10
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^^ it's more fun to go with people... try checking out meetup and see if there's a hiking group near you. Also try an overnight trip somewhere close and easy to test your gear before going too far into the woods. Pack size via REI: http://m.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpack.html I'd go ~60 liters--you'll condense gear the more you go and realize you don't need to bring the kitchen sink, but the extra space is always nice (even if you just fill it with an uncompressed sleeping bag). Speaking of bear canisters, does anyone have any recommendations for lightweight non-bear food storage containers? I don't typically hike in bear country, but protection against raccoons and the occasional curious animal would be real nice. I was looking at Ursacks since they're light and claim to be chew resistant, but a container would be nice to lock out smells and protect smashable foods. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Apr 7, 2015 |
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Apr 7, 2015 17:39
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Look Sir Droids posted:What's a good sized pack for a 2-3 day hike? I don't think I'll be doing any more than that until I have more stamina and I have older kids. 45 liter to 60 liter is what most people use, depending on how much you like to carry. Solo hiking is exactly as dumb as you make it. Know how to use your gear, practice setting up your shelter and using your stove a few times at home. Do your homework: plan very safe trips for your first outings, leave a copy of your plans with a check-in person, only deviate from the plan if it puts you in significant danger. Be ready and willing to bail if you get into a little trouble - you have less margin for errors when you are alone. Carrying a cell phone or GPS rescue beacon might help if you are in a crisis.
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Apr 7, 2015 17:43
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turevidar posted:45 liter to 60 liter is what most people use, depending on how much you like to carry. Solo hiking is exactly as dumb as you make it. Know how to use your gear, practice setting up your shelter and using your stove a few times at home. Do your homework: plan very safe trips for your first outings, leave a copy of your plans with a check-in person, only deviate from the plan if it puts you in significant danger. Be ready and willing to bail if you get into a little trouble - you have less margin for errors when you are alone. Carrying a cell phone or GPS rescue beacon might help if you are in a crisis. Yeah, what I thought. I'll skip solo trips until/if I become some wilderness bad rear end. My concern with Meetup is if I'm slow, I don't want to hold anybody up and I don't want to feel like an rear end in a top hat because I'm slow. I suppose there might be other newbs.
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Apr 7, 2015 17:48
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Hiking alone on trails and stuff really isn't a big issue I think if you like solitude and can enjoy that. I think that's the big thing, lots of people enjoying hiking and camping with others. If you enjoy solitude then there's nothing wrong with going solo and probably would be more enjoyable in a lot of ways. Hiking off trail alone would probably mean you need to be real experienced and able to navigate well. I might still bring a PLB on trails if you're in a pretty remote place. A broken ankle is still trouble even if you have a nice easy trail to follow
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Apr 7, 2015 18:17
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I like solitude. I just don't want to, you know, die or make my wife worry to much. I'd like to hit up the trails in Smokey Mountain National Park around Gatlinburg.
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Apr 7, 2015 18:36
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Unoriginal Name posted:i keep buying coats oh god i think i have a problem I know! But each one is for a different purpose!
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Apr 7, 2015 18:42
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Look Sir Droids posted:I like solitude. I just don't want to, you know, die or make my wife worry to much. I'd like to hit up the trails in Smokey Mountain National Park around Gatlinburg. Get a SPOT or PLB then
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Apr 7, 2015 18:46
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Levitate posted:A broken ankle is still trouble even if you have a nice easy trail to follow My bff is going to die alone in the woods. Dude is always going on these long solo hikes without informing anyone. Fortunately he lives in a very built up area and mainly has to follow river valleys but I have already had to drag his rear end out of the woods with a broken leg once so far. For some reason he called me instead of 911 and by some insane stroke of luck I was in a car full of people maybe a mile from where he was.
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Apr 7, 2015 19:34
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Look Sir Droids posted:What's a good sized pack for a 2-3 day hike? I don't think I'll be doing any more than that until I have more stamina and I have older kids. Note that from a pack-size perspective, there's no real difference between packing for 2-3 days and packing for 2-3 weeks, except food. Whatever you buy now can work in the future too.
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Apr 7, 2015 20:26
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So the camping bug has definitely bitten the gf and I after going to Big Bend. First thing to upgrade is a sleeping bag that isnt as big or weigh as much as the regular pack I had. This is going to become an expensive hobby real quick isnt it
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Apr 7, 2015 20:42
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SaltLick posted:So the camping bug has definitely bitten the gf and I after going to Big Bend. First thing to upgrade is a sleeping bag that isnt as big or weigh as much as the regular pack I had. This is going to become an expensive hobby real quick isnt it Where do you live? I mean in general. Not trying to stalk you. I'm in Houston and Big Bend is about 10 hours away so my friends and I are always weighing possibilities within a day's drive. I was just wondering what ideas you had come up with. Also, if you have a strong back and don't mind carrying weight, backpacking can be extremely inexpensive.
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Apr 7, 2015 20:46
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I'm in Houston as well. I'd like to hit up some of the state parks with some decent mountain bike trails near by and she wants to go to places with things to see. Probably check out Balcones, Big Thicket, and from a random clicked page on this thread it sounds like Ouachita National Forest is pretty baller and only 7 hours away.
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Apr 7, 2015 20:55
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beefnoodle posted:Note that from a pack-size perspective, there's no real difference between packing for 2-3 days and packing for 2-3 weeks, except food. Whatever you buy now can work in the future too. Yeah this. If you're going out more more than one night you are probably bringing 90% of the same gear as you would for much longer. The only difference being the amount of food and clothing you bring. Most multiday trips require a shelter (tent, hammock or tarp) sleeping system (bag/pad), water filter, stove and clothes. Food is dependent on length of trip. Multi day trips should be something between a 50-70L pack depending on how much you want to carry, how light/compressible your stuff is etc and if you are willing to sacrifice leaving some things behind for a lighter pack (shelter, stove etc).
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Apr 7, 2015 21:03
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SaltLick posted:I'm in Houston as well. I'd like to hit up some of the state parks with some decent mountain bike trails near by and she wants to go to places with things to see. Probably check out Balcones, Big Thicket, and from a random clicked page on this thread it sounds like Ouachita National Forest is pretty baller and only 7 hours away. Yeah, Ouachita/Ozarks is a good option. Arkansas has some great state parks. I used to go there with my dad when I was a kid. A few thanksgivings ago, my wife and I drove up to Petit jean SP and camped in a cabin, but just the day hiking was great. Those are probably the closest legit (if small) mountains we have to Houston. My Big Bend group is probably going to road trip it up to somewhere in the Ozarks this winter. Since my wife works for Enterprise, we just rent a big 15-passenger fan and drive in shifts through the night so we don't lose a day to travel. If you don't mind putting in that 10+ hour drive, Davis mountains, Guadalupe Peak in west Texas and Palo Duro canyon up in the panhandle are fairly big deals, as is the often-overlooked Big Bend Ranch SP, which is just west of the national park. Closer to home, Enchanted Rock SNA is a small but fun park with some decent primitive camping but good luck getting a reservation. Pedernales SP is a bit easier, especially in the summer if you don't mind the heat. Bandera SNA west of San Antonio is nice rugged stuff with some exciting trails. I've done a trail race there that turned me inside-out. If you don't mind a little drive, Colorado Bend SP is about four hours away and really nice. My wife and I went there last summer. it's hot as gently caress, but a great place for hammock camping. hen we have the Lone Star trail on the Sam Houston national forest up in Conroe/Huntsville. I'd like to try out some of the other nearby state parks. I know every trail and root in Huntsville SP from all the races I've done there. Same with Brazos Bend, which is a pretty neat park, but the trails are kind of boring. Stephen F. Austin SP is really close-by and I'd like to see what it has to offer. Toward Austin, there is some decent hiking in Buescher and Bastrop SPs, which are more or less linked so you can roam from one to the other. I'm probably telling you a lot of stuff you already know, but maybe a little of this is useful. I'd love to hear about some of the places you've gone so I can get out there and check it out.
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Apr 7, 2015 21:22
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SaltLick posted:This is going to become an expensive hobby real quick isnt it Quoted for truth... There's always more awesome kit to buy
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Apr 8, 2015 00:14
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Look Sir Droids posted:What's a good sized pack for a 2-3 day hike? I don't think I'll be doing any more than that until I have more stamina and I have older kids. No, solo hiking is more fun than hiking with people because you can go where you want, stop when you want, and change plans if you feel like. Plus, you see more wildlife by yourself. Bring a map, stick to established trails, and don't do anything too stupid/risky (I realize that me saying this is quite hypocritical). Solo hike best hike
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Apr 8, 2015 00:28
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Discomancer posted:No, solo hiking is more fun than hiking with people because you can go where you want, stop when you want, and change plans if you feel like. Plus, you see more wildlife by yourself. Bring a map, stick to established trails, and don't do anything too stupid/risky (I realize that me saying this is quite hypocritical). Solo hike best hike Other people are the easiest way to ruin a good hike. ... I should really buy a gps beacon.
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Apr 8, 2015 00:44
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