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Speleothing posted:Look at the Brion
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May 25, 2015 17:03
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cheese posted:I'm happy with my Hammock Gear quilt, and after handling an Enlightened Equipment Revelations and an Underground Quilt Flight Jacket, there doesn't seem to be too massive of a difference between them. They all seem to be well made the and their feel and weight is mostly based on how warm you want it to be.
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May 25, 2015 19:31
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Welp I just spent $450 on a sleeping bag THANKS FOR ZERO HELP ON THIS DECISION YOU lovely BACKPACKING THREAD
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May 25, 2015 22:48
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The Precious posted:This is exactly what I was going to ask about. I was set on buying a quilt from Hammock Gear but it's hard to commit when I see other quilts like the Enlightened Revelation at pretty much the exact same price. Did you get the sewn or snap shut footbox option on your HG quilt? I'm interested in how much colder the snap option makes it. Pryor on Fire posted:Welp I just spent $450 on a sleeping bag THANKS FOR ZERO HELP ON THIS DECISION YOU lovely BACKPACKING THREAD
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May 26, 2015 00:02
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Pryor on Fire posted:Welp I just spent $450 on a sleeping bag THANKS FOR ZERO HELP ON THIS DECISION YOU lovely BACKPACKING THREAD Can't tell if sarcasm or angry brag.
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May 26, 2015 00:29
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atomicgeek posted:What's up, Ozark buddy? I wish I could set ticks on fire with my mind. Gorgeous pictures though! Hey, thanks! I'm going to school at Mo. State right now, so it made a nice day trip. I would really love to go back and do some canoe/kayaking on the river. I think those were probably the biggest hills I've ever seen, having lived in Illinois and Missouri for my whole life...
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May 26, 2015 00:58
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Pryor on Fire posted:Welp I just spent $450 on a sleeping bag THANKS FOR ZERO HELP ON THIS DECISION YOU lovely BACKPACKING THREAD A few pages back the consensus seemed to be Kelty Cosmic Down for value/performance. One of my ground dweller buddies has the 0° bag and loves it for winter trips. I've always thought Big Agnes bags would be nice, with the integrated pad pocket, so you don't roll out and don't have wasted compressed insulated underneath you. Wiggys bags are just awesome if you don't mind the bulk. Lesser known, but it's the best synthetic insulation out there because it's antistatic and never loses its loft. For my hammock, I use the 20° flight jacket top quilt and full length zeppelin underquilt from Underground Quilts, and it has by far and away surpassed my expectations--just an incredible piece of kit. Cannot recommend them highly enough. Everything I have from them is top notch quality, plus it's literally a mom and pop shop. Most major manufacturers rate their bag in a lab by measuring heat loss from a copper pipe, which is a piss poor approximation for a human outside with condensation, wind, etc. Look at stuff like draft tubes for the zipper and collars. Buy a mummy bag, none of the bullshit rectangular ones. Synthetic retains loft and will function even while wet, whereas wet kills down's loft and ability to function. (Though you'll still convect heat away when wet, but you'll dry eventually). Also look for offset baffles, because when a bag is sewn straight through it creates cold spots where there is no insulation. Ideally a synthetic bag doesn't have any (see wiggys bags). Also store your bags in a large mesh laundry bag or hanging up in a closet, otherwise it'll lose it's loft and efficacy over time (unless it's a wiggys bag, it'll never lose it's loft). And don't forget a sleeping pad, that's equally as important as the bag, otherwise the ground will suck out all your body heat and you'll be cold and miserable, nomatter how expensive your bag is. Hope that answers your question, and that it's not too late to return your 450$ impulse buy Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 02:36 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 02:30
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Hopefully you bought a Western Mountaineering or a Feathered Friends if you went the traditional bag route.
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May 26, 2015 04:02
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OSU_Matthew posted:
I must have missed it, how does the wiggy not lose its loft over time? Feel like that just a general rule, more use or re/compression wears down the loft. Can you explain what's going on there?
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May 26, 2015 08:45
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Rime posted:Get a down quilt from Enlightened, they are the bees knees. I have a thin one of these that works down to about 10 degrees celcius which I use for summer trips and can confirm, these are indeed awesome  Also 450 dollars for a sleeping bag is insane, you could get like a zpacks tent or something for that kind of money! edit: woah, I retract my 450 dollars statement after looking at the feathered friends website. Still, seems a little excessive. prinneh fucked around with this message at 11:37 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 11:32
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Pryor on Fire posted:Welp I just spent $450 on a sleeping bag
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May 26, 2015 11:36
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Really good bags are expensive. Light and warm means pricey. You can get cheaper if you don't care about weight
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May 26, 2015 13:26
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I'm looking for some recommendations for hikes around boulder and denver this coming weekend. My brother and I will be visiting the area from new england and would like to take some memorable hikes. We've done a lot in the northeast and have hiked a little bit out west, but arent comfortable doing any technical climbing or climbing in the snow. Any recommendations for day hikes preferably under ten miles?
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May 26, 2015 13:33
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OSU_Matthew posted:A few pages back the consensus seemed to be Kelty Cosmic Down for value/performance. One of my ground dweller buddies has the 0° bag and loves it for winter trips. I've always thought Big Agnes bags would be nice, with the integrated pad pocket, so you don't roll out and don't have wasted compressed insulated underneath you. All good points. I'll second the Cosmic Down as a good "budget" bag, especially the zero degree bag. I've used it with a good sleeping pad down to about -10 below and was warm. I hunt with a guy who has a Big Agnes with the built in pad holder and he loves it, personally I've never had a problem sliding off so that wasn't a big selling point for me. I know he liked one of their bags too because it was wider than usual and could toss around a bit more in it. You can look for manufacturers that use a EN rating for their bags. At least that way you know the testing procedure is consistent across all manufacturers. It's not an exact science but will give you a better idea of a realistic temperature rating. A good bag can be useless without a sleeping pad so hopefully that angry $450 less in his pocket person has a good sleeping pad for the conditions he plans on being in. Wiggy's bags are indeed the poo poo. Got to test them out first hand at the Chalet in Anchorage and they were awesome. Still to pricey for me but well worth the money. Even their used bags go for quite a bit on Craigslist up there.
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May 26, 2015 14:23
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I think I'm in love with Michigan. The upper peninsula was beautiful to drive through and I want to make an effort to check out some of the national forests up there soon. I've also been dreaming of an Isle Royale trip for years now. Got to check out a national lakeshore which I had never heard of, they're run by the National Parks department. Went to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes:  Was a beautiful spot to spend a day hiking in. Unfortunately by noon the place was packed and we didnt have the time or inclination to do the extremely steep up and dune hike on one of the dunes. Plus I found myself getting pissed at the laziness of people. The place was overflowing so people were just double parking or taking bus/rv spots instead of parking and walking a short bit. That and instead of just carrying their trash when a bin was full people were just dumping it on top of the garbage can or next to it.
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May 26, 2015 14:29
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I think I'm in love with Michigan. The upper peninsula was beautiful to drive through and I want to make an effort to check out some of the national forests up there soon. I've also been dreaming of an Isle Royale trip for years now. Awesome! I love Michigan since thats where I grew up but I'm from the lower peninsula, not the UP. I've been to the rockies, cascades, africa, etc but I still go to the upper peninsula to meet up with my step dad and do some fall camping and bird hunting every year and I look forward to it like any other trip. Sure it doesn't have the mountainous scenery but I for me its the closest "wild" place to where I live (Chicago). On an unrelated note, I just returned from South Africa where I went to Cape town and then on a safari in Kruger national park. Didn't do hiking per say but it was a different world down there and I felt like I needed to share here. I did opt to go for a guided nature hike with an armed bush guide between our drives. We walked for about an hour or two and covered a decent amount of ground. We tracked a rhino for a while but were unable to spot it. We ended up seeing it later that night on our evening drive. Casually walking through the African bush was really interesting, and surprisingly less intimidating than I thought it would be. Lion, cheetah, elephants, rhino, hippo, hyenas, spitting cobras, black and green mambas ... and all we saw on the walk was dung, birds and a lot of tracks. The safari was another thing. Saw everything but the snakes (thankfully) and cheetah. Saw zebra, lions, giraffe, hippo, rhino, elephants, water buffalo, wildabeast, warthog, etc.   Verman fucked around with this message at 17:09 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 16:58
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I went with the Marmot Helium bag. I find I'm bringing a tent along less and less and just going with the hammock, looking forward to testing it out. It seemed like the big differentiator once you get into $$$ ultralight range is in the down rating, but you kind of have to take that with a grain of salt since every maker uses their own (possibly bullshit) rating. Going from a synthetic lovely heavy $50 sleeping bag to this should be a bit of an improvement.
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May 26, 2015 17:07
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Down fill rating should be consistent across brands (it's a standardized test), but how much they use/overfill matters a lot.
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May 26, 2015 17:55
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Fluffs McCloud posted:I must have missed it, how does the wiggy not lose its loft over time? Feel like that just a general rule, more use or re/compression wears down the loft. Can you explain what's going on there? It's because Wiggy's uses a proprietary anti-static fiber that's weaved together as a continuous fill. Instead of the material clumping because it's just stuffed in there, it's sewn into the bag, so it doesn't lose its place and it will gradually fluff back out because the fibers repel each other. Because of this it also doesn't need baffles to keep the material in place. It's really awesome stuff, the air force/navy use the bags in their vacuum packed survival kits, because they can leave it compressed for years until it's needed, with no negative impact on the efficacy of the bag itself  Plus he adds other nice touches, such as a full length draft tube, largest zipper YKK makes (for easy pinch free zipping) and that kind of stuff. Downside is it's bulkier and heavier (though on par with other synthetic bags). However, I do have one of his sweaters (really a coat) which is just awesome. It's like wearing a sleeping bag. From 0° to 40° it's the only non base layer I need.
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May 26, 2015 18:30
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evil_bunnY posted:Down fill rating should be consistent across brands (it's a standardized test), but how much they use/overfill matters a lot. Oh interesting I guess it is, I thought that was a phony manufacturer number for some reason. drat sleeping bags have gotten a lot easier to compare in the past 20 years.
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May 26, 2015 19:41
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OSU_Matthew posted:It's because Wiggy's uses a proprietary anti-static fiber that's weaved together as a continuous fill. Instead of the material clumping because it's just stuffed in there, it's sewn into the bag, so it doesn't lose its place and it will gradually fluff back out because the fibers repel each other. Because of this it also doesn't need baffles to keep the material in place. Ahh, that's a pretty nifty design. Do you know if it's consistent error on the website or are all those bags designed with giants in mind? Website says all those bags start at 82" inches, which seems pretty ridiculous. I mean thats 6'10" starting height, does he supply the NBA? I'm gonna be eyeing a new bag real soon, and I'll almost certainly prodeal it (haven't seen wiggys on prodeal site), but those seem cool, just a bit gargantuan for my 5'8" needs.
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May 26, 2015 20:26
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Anyone have any experience backpacking the Silver Moccasin Trail in the San Gabriels here in CA? My wife and I hiked a short section of it over the weekend and want to do the whole 53 miles. Googling has turned up very little information as far as trip length/camping spots. Do people just camp wherever on that trail, or only at established campgrounds along the trail such as Horse Flats? I'd like to do it in 4 days/3 nights.
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May 26, 2015 22:05
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I'm leaning toward this bag for my all-purpose Texas four season hammock bag. It has the right combo of weight, packed size, and comfort rating. I don't mind paying a
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May 26, 2015 22:34
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If I'm dropping 450+ on a bag, its gonna be the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite.Hungryjack posted:I'm leaning toward this bag for my all-purpose Texas four season hammock bag. It has the right combo of weight, packed size, and comfort rating. I don't mind paying a
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May 26, 2015 23:40
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Yo, is this a decent bag for Maryland/mid-Atlantic hammock use? http://www.wiggys.com/specials/sale-ultra-light-mummy-style-sleeping-bags-selected-colors/ It is rated to +20f, which the last two years aside, should be fine for 4 seasons here. In any case I could get the overbag for it which takes it to -20f. I still not sure if I really am going to like camping so I don't want to spend a ton.
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May 27, 2015 00:24
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cheese posted:If I'm dropping 450+ on a bag, its gonna be the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite. Yeah I thought it might be, kind of like the REI Ingeo. Thanks for bringing that up. I may need to reassess that. I like having a bit of wiggle room sometimes.
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May 27, 2015 00:39
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Icheese posted:If I'm dropping 450+ on a bag, its gonna be the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite. got my wife the versalite for Christmas the other year. Nice bag
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May 27, 2015 01:13
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bunnielab posted:Yo, is this a decent bag for Maryland/mid-Atlantic hammock use? That's not a bad bag, Wiggy's stuff is top notch but it is very heavy for that temperature rating. If you are at all concerned that you dont think you'll like camping I'd recommend car camping first. Try to borrow any equipment you can from friends and setup a base camp than go day hiking from your camp site. That way you don't have to sink a bunch of money into top notch lightweight gear at first and you can still get outside and get some hiking in. Here is an even cheaper decent 4 season bag rated to 35F: http://www.campmor.com/Product___43193 With a good sleeping pad that should take you from summer into mid fall at low elevations.
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May 27, 2015 03:39
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I bought an ENO doublenest hammock to try out when we go camping next week, just curious how extreme the 400lb limit is and if anyone tested it or gone over it can comment on it. We are probably just a bit over the 400lb limit, maybe 410-415lb combined. I thought I read something about the hang angle can affect the amount of tension on the straps and stuff, but just curious. I've never set up a hammock before. (I got the atlus straps as well). Otherwise we can take turns using it, my 6'5 rear end would enjoy bigger one either way.
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May 27, 2015 04:02
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Fluffs McCloud posted:Ahh, that's a pretty nifty design. Do you know if it's consistent error on the website or are all those bags designed with giants in mind? Website says all those bags start at 82" inches, which seems pretty ridiculous. I mean thats 6'10" starting height, does he supply the NBA? Huh, that's weird... I dunno if that's a typo or a weird measurement, but I've got the extra long/extra wide bag (I'm 6' 4") and it fits like a glove. Shoot him an email and he'll hook you up with sizing. Most of Wiggy's stuff either goes to the military or Alaska/Artic expedition type gear. It's definitely a cut above the rest in terms of quality, but the 20° bag is just bulky. It's something you have to cram to fit into the bottom zip of a backpack. If I were ground camping again, I'd try the big Agnes bag since the bottom insulation is mostly useless when compressed anyways. bunnielab posted:Yo, is this a decent bag for Maryland/mid-Atlantic hammock use? If you're not sure you'll like camping I'd get a sleeping bag over a quilt because you'll use that for everything else anyways. I personally have no experience with big Agnes, but I love the idea, it's quite clever. On the topic of trail runners, I tried wearing my new balance trail runner shoes that I wear for my daily shoes for the first night backpacking in Dolly Sods this past weekend, and I have to say the difference hiking with a fully loaded pack is pretty astounding in terms of how easy it is to keep the feet swinging (the whole 1 to 5 lb ratio). I'm glad I had my boots for the terrain/marshes, but I might see a good pair of trail runners in my near future for certain terrain. Good Dog posted:I bought an ENO doublenest hammock to try out when we go camping next week, just curious how extreme the 400lb limit is and if anyone tested it or gone over it can comment on it. We are probably just a bit over the 400lb limit, maybe 410-415lb combined. I thought I read something about the hang angle can affect the amount of tension on the straps and stuff, but just curious. I've never set up a hammock before. (I got the atlus straps as well). I dunno about ENO, but the suspension should be able to handle somewhere in the neighborhood of a ton, if you're using climbing gear. But moving and swinging in a hammock could eat up the safety margins there... just be sure to never hang higher than you're willing to fall. Also, two people per hammock isn't a very good solution for overnight sleeping. 400 lbs is probably ok here and there, but it'll probably put stress on the fabric seams over time. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 04:15 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 04:07
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Hutzpah posted:I'm looking for some recommendations for hikes around boulder and denver this coming weekend. My brother and I will be visiting the area from new england and would like to take some memorable hikes. We've done a lot in the northeast and have hiked a little bit out west, but arent comfortable doing any technical climbing or climbing in the snow. Any recommendations for day hikes preferably under ten miles? Any of the peaks around Boulder is nice for a good view (Bear Peak, Mt. Sanitas, Green Mountain to name a few), but really the right answer is to get a growler and hike Squaw Mountain with headlamps and see the stars.
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May 27, 2015 04:45
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Discomancer posted:the right answer is to get a growler and hike Squaw Mountain with headlamps and see the stars.
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May 27, 2015 04:59
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OSU_Matthew posted:For my hammock, I use the 20° flight jacket top quilt and full length zeppelin underquilt from Underground Quilts, and it has by far and away surpassed my expectations--just an incredible piece of kit. Cannot recommend them highly enough. Everything I have from them is top notch quality, plus it's literally a mom and pop shop. I think I'm going to splurge and get these when I get my hammock.. I'm 5'10, and i would want it to be useable 4 seasons if I can, but I'm not a picky sleeper as long as I'm not freezing myself to death in the winter tbh. What length do you think I should go with for the UQ? You recommended me the 3/4 20* earlier, but I was wondering if that would stand if I would be trying to use it in the winter, or if i should do a 7/8 or full 20*. Doesn't get TOO cold here, but i run a bit cold.
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May 27, 2015 05:03
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I made a thing. It just shows how much an alpine lake can change by season, really. I visit Moraine Lake a few times a year, and it's empty in May, because it drains over winter then fills up with the spring and summer melt. The empty pic was from Saturday, and the full pic was mid-July last year. I'm curious to see what it will be like later this year though, because this is a ridiculously low snowpack, so I'm thinking the lake level will be really low all season.
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May 27, 2015 06:23
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BaseballPCHiker posted:That's not a bad bag, Wiggy's stuff is top notch but it is very heavy for that temperature rating. My thought was that if I did like camping, I would already have a decent to good bag and if I don't like it, then it will be easier to sell the Wiggy's. I also admit that the allure of getting a free pair of their Pack Boots also factors into it. I am always looking for the perfect winter chore boot and my current $14 rubber ones are obviously cold as poo poo. OSU_Matthew posted:
This is good to hear. I do also think that having a bag will also be useful in the winter when we have people over. Our house is heated with a wood stove and the loft where the guest bed is can get super cold if hangovers prevent us from getting up early and keeping the fire going. Next question: I want to mess around with a tarp to go over my hammock, is there an option in between "$100 purpose built one" and "$15 hardware store tarp"? I have been looking at this 16x16 Kelty but I want to mess around with different set ups before I pick a size.
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May 27, 2015 14:05
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Picnic Princess posted:I made a thing. 
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May 27, 2015 14:09
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bunnielab posted:Next question: I want to mess around with a tarp to go over my hammock, is there an option in between "$100 purpose built one" and "$15 hardware store tarp"? I have been looking at this 16x16 Kelty but I want to mess around with different set ups before I pick a size. The 12' Kelty tarp would probably work, you're going to lose a little coverage since it's a diamond shape (so not as good in heavier/windier weather), but it'll work. I've also heard good things about the Hennessy Hex. Just don't be like me and DIY a sil-nylon hex tarp if you value your time. Sure $40 or so in materials sounds like a great deal, but it's a lot of (slippery) work. dedian fucked around with this message at 14:41 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 14:26
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Discomancer posted:Any of the peaks around Boulder is nice for a good view (Bear Peak, Mt. Sanitas, Green Mountain to name a few), but really the right answer is to get a growler and hike Squaw Mountain with headlamps and see the stars. Thanks for the recommendation. Ive never hiked at night but I figure it's the same with warmer clothes and a headlamp. That is going on the to do list
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May 27, 2015 14:28
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bunnielab posted:My thought was that if I did like camping, I would already have a decent to good bag and if I don't like it, then it will be easier to sell the Wiggy's. I also admit that the allure of getting a free pair of their Pack Boots also factors into it. I am always looking for the perfect winter chore boot and my current $14 rubber ones are obviously cold as poo poo. IMO - I'd pass on that Wiggy's bag. 4 pound synthetic bag is loving massive. My -10 down bag is 3 pounds and even with the extreme compressibility of down it's way too large in an event compression sack to want to deal with for regular hiking (luckily I only ever need it when I'm in Alaska early season.) also a 20 degree bag is just uncomfortable as hell in the temperatures you'll spend a majority of your time hiking in. Synthetics sleep a ton colder but I bet you'll still be uncomfortable. You'll be happier with an actual super light down bag/quilt designed for 2-3 season use than trying to get a warmer bag in the idea that you'll use it all 4 seasons. my general opinion outside of your question: I can't think of any good reason to ever get a synthetic bag - the only advantage (stays warmer when wet) is nullified in extreme cold because you don't get wet in those environments and modern hydrophobic down, modern shells, and compression dry bags sacks have pretty much made extreme negligence the only way you're getting a bag wet enough for that to matter in other environments. edit: I just checked this - that bag + overbag system that is rated to -20 is 7 pounds. That weighs more than a -60 degree down bag. Vomik fucked around with this message at 14:38 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 14:30
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P. S. Quite a few people are seriously allergic to down.
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