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NaDy posted:Yeah the Annapurna Circuit is fine really, been keeping an eye on what's happening over there. It's actually fairly far away from the epicenter and there's very little damage reported from trekkers who've been there since. The nearest city to the circuit - Pokhara - was pretty much unaffected from what I can gather. Kathmandu is still not in the best shape but it's all open for business and several ministers have said if you want to help Nepal, don't just give money, come as a tourist. It's better for them. That is really cool! I had no idea what that was, so I just did some reading up on the Annapurna Circuit, and now that's skyrocketed way up on my list of places to hike abroad. Please post up some of your pictures after you get back! How many days are you planning to knock out the entire thing? What kind of budget are you planning for the trip?
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Jul 18, 2015 12:56
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OSU_Matthew posted:That is really cool! I had no idea what that was, so I just did some reading up on the Annapurna Circuit, and now that's skyrocketed way up on my list of places to hike abroad. Please post up some of your pictures after you get back! I'll definitely post photos but it might be a while until I go. I told my friend about it who now really wants to come, only problem is that when I was planning on going, April next year, is around when he has to hand in his PhD. After that it's the monsoon season until the end of September. I'll definitely wait for him to be available though because it would be great to do it with a friend. I'm too hyped for it already! Seriously most people I tell about this place want to do it. It's such a cool trek. I'd be looking to give it about 20-23 days to do the whole thing. That's giving myself several days to acclimatize on the way up and also a few extra days in case I want to do any other mini-hikes while I'm there. My budget is around £1000 which is very, very generous. This includes airfare (from the UK), all the gear that I want to buy, and then actually doing the trip. On the circuit itself you can get by very comfortably for around £10-15 a day.
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Jul 18, 2015 14:29
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I'm looking for a tent with a tarp floor. Is the Coleman Sundome the way to go? Obv this is for car camping.
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Jul 18, 2015 14:40
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n8r posted:I'm looking for a tent with a tarp floor. Is the Coleman Sundome the way to go? Obv this is for car camping. If you're motorcycle camping, anything from a big box store should be perfectly fine since weight isn't a concern. Also make sure the tent has a mesh top and outer rain fly to vent perspiration so it doesn't condensate at the top and drip down on you A tarp floor would be crinkly and drive you up the wall all night, just pick up a separate foot print to put under the tent for durability. For ten bucks, you can get a urethane coated nylon tarp that's light, small, and works perfectly for a foot print.
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Jul 19, 2015 17:29
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Have any colorado goons been up Longs Peak this season? My wife and I are debating heading up there on Friday and I am a bit concerned it's over her head. We have read the trail reviews and current conditions, and she still wants to go. I would hate to turn back near the summit and was hoping a goon could give me a recent report and gut check the trail. She is capable of scrambling but she isn't a climber ..
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Jul 19, 2015 19:30
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:I used to have the Quarter Dome 1 and loved it. I now own a Big Agnes Copper Spur 1 and love it even more. There are other Big Agnes one person tents, but this one is freestanding and is dead easy to put up fast when it might rain. I just ordered a Copper Spur UL1 and a Seed House SL1. When they arrive, I'll pitch them both side by side to run down a comparison. And then I'll return the one I like less. Also, my wife was looking for a 50L pack and after doing some research, she decided she liked Osprey's Aura 50 the best. I'll stick with my Kelty Redwing 2900 (predecessor to the modern Redwing 50)
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Jul 19, 2015 20:37
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alnilam posted:Please recommend me a 2 or 3 night backpacking trip in driving distance from Sacramento, CA! I agree you'll have a good time in the Tahoe area, some very pretty hiking in the Desolation Wilderness. Another option is the Emigrant Wilderness, in a national forest south of there. I can provide some suggested hikes in Emigrant if you're interested - it's a nice uncrowded area.
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Jul 19, 2015 20:49
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I'm from a land where nobody at all backpacks so there's no such thing as permits "running out," this idea is foreign to me.
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Hungryjack posted:I just ordered a Copper Spur UL1 and a Seed House SL1. When they arrive, I'll pitch them both side by side to run down a comparison. And then I'll return the one I like less. I have been eyeing up some of the Sierra Designs single person ultra lights and would be interested in your thoughts on the Big A ones. I do think I would prefer a side entrance to an end one. I am going to stick with hammocks for now, but will switch to a Hennessy one when I can. Camping next to two of them really sold me on the speed of setup/dismantle and the weight numbers seem better then what I am dealing with now.
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Jul 20, 2015 03:07
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I've recently bought the BA Slater UL1+ and I'm liking it a lot. My previous tent was a 3man ALPS, so not a lot to compare really. But everything about it is better. The poles, the material etc. I think the ALPS is more budget minded, so will be heavier in most cases. I'm really liking the 1+ though. If I needed I could cram in a 2nd person, but it really is for just you and your gear. I had plenty of room to stash my clothes bag in the tent with me. I've been on 2 trips with it, 1 backpack, 1 car camp, and both times it has rained. The tent stays mostly dry inside. If I avoid touching the inner walls to the fly it was fine, but I did get a little condensations when I rustled around too much.
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Jul 20, 2015 04:25
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bunnielab posted:I do think I would prefer a side entrance to an end one. You will. I've been using a Tarptent Contrail this year and everything about it is fantastic except trying to get into it. Whenever I buy a new tent it'll be something with a side/larger entrance.
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Jul 20, 2015 04:30
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Not knocking the Slater, because BA makes a quality tent and unlike the Fly Creek, it's truly free-standing, but the lack of mesh would be a sauna in the summer for me.
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Jul 20, 2015 04:32
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bunnielab posted:
  After spending hours and hours sewing, tweaking, and making all my own gear for my hammock setup, one of my buddies bought a Hennessy and I'm in the same boat. It hurts to realize that all my time, frustration, and money that I've poured into perfecting my gear can't even get me close to the speed and ease of his whole setup
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Jul 20, 2015 04:39
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Hungryjack posted:Not knocking the Slater, because BA makes a quality tent and unlike the Fly Creek, it's truly free-standing, but the lack of mesh would be a sauna in the summer for me. Ah. I'm in Colorado and in the mnts its cold at night still. So not something I'm sure of. The front door zips in half for a full mesh window, then there is a small mesh rear vent. But I could still see overheating in the sun.
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Jul 20, 2015 04:50
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So mountain climbing adventure this week didn't yield any summits, but it was still tons of fun. I actually got a friend out for this one as he wanted to check out the abundance of lakes in the area. We wanted to campout at the trailhead and start early the next morning, but the weather ended up conspiring against us. As soon as we got there it drizzled and varied from light drizzle to harder drizzle for a few hours. It was also cold, guessing mid 40s though the water made it seem even colder. The sun eventually came out an hour before sunset and we set about making a fire and gathering some wood. We camped next to this stream while my friend set up his hammock and I went with the tent.  With nothing but an 8-inch saw blade and a mini shovel we made ourselves a bridge.  Our fire died down after some rather intense moments of flame  The babbling brook  Washington Lake which for whatever reason is not in Washington Basin  Castle loving Peak and Chamberlain Basin. It towers above the adjacent mountains rising 11800 feet up. Almost every major mountain range in the southern part of the state is visible from the top. Supposedly you can see 25 lakes from the summit. The talus slopes that cover the mountain are in a class of their own. Truly an epic mountain.   And here I am lamenting the fact that we wouldn't be getting any closer. It was cold that morning, like stupid cold. Like there's ice covering my friend's dirt bike and it's loving July nonsense cold. We rebuilt the fire to try and get warm before the sun came out. So we started a bit late. Then there was the ridge we summitted. We would have needed to descend the ridge to get into the basin, climb the mountain, descend, then reascend the ridge before dropping down again and hiking back out. Not in the cards for the day. Then my friend drops his phone coming down the ridge heading back so we climb halfway back up to look for it. We found it eventually and returned at a reasonable hour.  Got new tires on my truck and they were great for tackling the road on the way in, minus the washboards from hell.
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Jul 20, 2015 05:54
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Look Sir Droids posted:Looking outside REI, this seems like a pretty good deal: I have an Alps Zenith 2 tent and it is friggin awesome, also was super cheap on sierra trading post - To clarify, what I liked most about it was the double doors and double vestibules. With two people in a small tent, having only one door sucks. The fact that it is all screen if you remove the fly didn't hurt, either. Pulling the poles out and putting the rest in a compression bag it packs up small enough for my purposes, and it fits the wife and I and all of our gear (even all our motorcycle gear) with no problem apatite fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Jul 20, 2015 |
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Jul 20, 2015 16:44
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Oh god I am sick of bugs. Today I decided to enjoy our lovely 85 and muggy weather and take a hike. Being the super smart guy that I am, I decided that the headwaters of a huge swamp would be a good spot. So, as expected, I got destroyed by bugs. Constant mosquito dive bombing and like a thousand nymph ticks caused me to quit after like 7 miles. I need to do something, other then just staying indoors until the first frost. So please weigh in on these plans. For the ticks, I am going to give up on my ankle high LW socks, get some knee high ones, and treat them with permethrin. I have some sock liners to wear with them so the anti-tick socks dont have to be washed every time. This is going to kinda suck as I have gotten to like having my feet cool. I could also try to wear a long john baselayer with my short socks pulled over them but I think that will be worse heat and bug wise. For the mosquitos, I am some what undecided. I hate the idea of bug spray but maybe I could treat my hat heavily? Would that do anything?
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Jul 21, 2015 21:29
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You could get a bug net that hangs from/around your hat. Not sure how fun that'd be to hike with but it's generally the go to for camping in really buggy areas Treating your hat with permetherin also isn't a bad idea, it should probably help mosquitos suck
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Jul 21, 2015 22:05
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Do those ticks dig into your skin like wood ticks? That's horrifying.
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Jul 21, 2015 22:51
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They do. They are the nymph stage of I believe Deer ticks. They do latch on and feed but I believe I got them all before that happened. They really don't like bleach wipes. Any way, I found these socks that I might roll the dice with. I am having trouble finding large enough light weight wool knee socks from a decent brand and these are cheap enough to try. I think with a good sock liner and shoes almost anything should be fine. At the very worst I can wear them as house socks in the winter. Also, Hungeryjack, cheap sleeping bag alert! This Kelty bag is super cheap right now. No idea if they are any good but if your wife is into cheap bags it might be better then the no-name ones.
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Jul 21, 2015 23:08
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Sierra Trading Post is having a pretty hefty sale. They just announced a special 35% off code on twitter, so if you're thinking of getting something they have, now's an even better time to grab it. This applies on top of whatever other discounts are happening, with some exclusions. You can get drat near 50% off on some items when it's all said and done. Enter the code STW71615 at checkout. No idea how long this deal lasts.
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Jul 21, 2015 23:59
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bunnielab posted:Any way, I found these socks that I might roll the dice with. I am having trouble finding large enough light weight wool knee socks from a decent brand and these are cheap enough to try. I think with a good sock liner and shoes almost anything should be fine. At the very worst I can wear them as house socks in the winter. Darn Tough socks are awesome, but yeah... not as cheap as those. Then again, you get a hole, you send them in and get a new pair. A few over-the-calf styles in lighter weights: http://darntough.com/men/mens-ski-ride?dt_height=176 dedian fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Jul 22, 2015 |
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Jul 22, 2015 01:54
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Got all of my big three sorted out today!  Dad bought me a NeoAir XLite as an early early Christmas gift and then I managed to grab a garage sale quilt from Enlightened Equipment in the exact same specs I wanted other than the color so I don't have to wait until September to get one. Kinda sad that I won't have a glorious neon pink quilt but eh, generic forest green/black will do. re tick chat: You could try wearing running leg sleeves and just tuck it into your old socks. Tomato Soup fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Jul 22, 2015 |
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Jul 22, 2015 02:52
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I'm ambivalent about this, but I went ahead and ordered the Big Agnes Seed House SL1 tent from Sierra Trading Post. Actually, I already have this tent on order from REI, along with the Copper Spur UL1. I'm leaning more toward the Copper Spur (it has a side door instead of a front door), so why did I order a second unit of the tent I'm less favorable towards? Well, the Big Agnes Seed House SL1 costs $279 and the footprint costs another $50. It just felt like too good a deal to pass up. I'd still rather have the Copper Spur.
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Jul 22, 2015 05:15
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Hungryjack posted:Sierra Trading Post is having a pretty hefty sale. They just announced a special 35% off code on twitter, so if you're thinking of getting something they have, now's an even better time to grab it. This applies on top of whatever other discounts are happening, with some exclusions. You can get drat near 50% off on some items when it's all said and done. Alright, what should I blow this on? I just ordered a tent and didn't see a better deal there. Better quality probably, but not lower price. Still need a pack and a sleeping pad and bag. But quote:quilt from Enlightened Equipment That's the sleeping bag solution I was trying to remember a few pages ago. if I'm going to splurge on anything, it will be that. Everything else I need is odds and ends.
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Jul 22, 2015 15:17
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Re: Ticks -- I've always had good luck bathing before my trips with with Dr. Bronners Pepperment Soap. It's made with real peppermint by a Mennonite Amish community, and in my experience, ticks just seen to hate the stuff. It's purely anecdotal, but I've never been bitten while my hiking buddies will occasionally pick up some hitchhikers on the same trails. Best part though, is that you get to learn all about the Moral ABCs!
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Jul 22, 2015 19:59
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and it leaves the bears breath minty fresh
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Jul 22, 2015 20:02
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OSU_Matthew posted:Re: Ticks -- I've always had good luck bathing before my trips with with Dr. Bronners Pepperment Soap. It's made with real peppermint by a Mennonite Amish community, and in my experience, ticks just seen to hate the stuff. It's purely anecdotal, but I've never been bitten while my hiking buddies will occasionally pick up some hitchhikers on the same trails. Do you just rub it on your clothes, your skin, or both? I bought some but don't know what to do with it besides pour it on my head
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Jul 22, 2015 20:04
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mastershakeman posted:Do you just rub it on your clothes, your skin, or both? I bought some but don't know what to do with it besides pour it on my head You have to start by applying it directly to your testicles, then washing with the purest mountain stream water. This is the only way to attain enlightenment. 
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Jul 22, 2015 20:15
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Officer Sandvich posted:You will. I've been using a Tarptent Contrail this year and everything about it is fantastic except trying to get into it. Whenever I buy a new tent it'll be something with a side/larger entrance. This is exactly that. Weights are the same, but it's side entry and a touch bigger feeling. I absolutely love mine. http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/LunarSolo.html
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Jul 23, 2015 00:05
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Since I got such a good deal on the Seedhouse SL1 tent on Sierra Trading Post's super sale, I looked around at what else was on sale. I ended up picking up a Kelty Ignite 20-degree bag for about half price as well. Now for what I was going to spend on a tent, I got a tent, a footprint, and a great bag. I call that a win. I still want a quilt, but I think I'm going to get one for my wife because she has expressed interest. No hurry, though. A 20-degree bag ought to be perfect for hammock camping in whatever Texas throws at me in the winter.
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Jul 23, 2015 00:08
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OSU_Matthew posted:Re: Ticks -- I've always had good luck bathing before my trips with with Dr. Bronners Pepperment Soap. It's made with real peppermint by a Mennonite Amish community, and in my experience, ticks just seen to hate the stuff. It's purely anecdotal, but I've never been bitten while my hiking buddies will occasionally pick up some hitchhikers on the same trails. Does this work on mosquitoes too? I'm one of those lucky people who gets at least 3 bites per everyone else's 1. My current personal best is 78 mosquito bites at the same time.
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Jul 23, 2015 02:31
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Thanks for those earlier who suggested the Desolation Wilderness for a 2-3 nighter near Sacramento. It looks incredible! My gf and I are waiting on a map to plan out our hike. Any advice about spots we should really try to hit? Trail sections that are particularly amazing that we should work into our route? I'll re-iterate that we're both appalachia folks so we are wowed by things like stark mountains, beautiful rocky formations, mountain lakes, etc, which it looks like this place is full of 
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Jul 23, 2015 03:41
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I've posted this site before but it has some decent little writeups and suggestions for backpacking in the Sierra. http://www.backpackthesierra.com/home/destinations They got a lot of the ideas from some books that I actually have and could probably pull up some info about recommended hikes in the Desolation Wilderness. I haven't backpacked there myself but I'll see if I can do that tomorrow. I'm also prepping for a trip to Yosemite this weekend so I might not have time e: Lyons Lake is one place they recommend
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Jul 23, 2015 06:01
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My guide to fighting hells servants on Earth AKA Ticks: 1. Wear long sleeves and pants. Even if it is scorching hot out, long loose fitting clothing can actually make you feel cooler by keeping direct sunlight off of your skin and the ticks would have to get through your clothing to bite you. 2. Use real bug spray. Dont bother with that all natural lemon perfume nonsense. It doesn't have to be %100 DEET but make sure it has some in it and lightly spray yourself. 3. Treat your clothing with Permathin. This may be one of the most helpful steps you can take. Buy a bottle of Permathin, take your clothes outside and put them up on a hanger and spray to treat your hiking clothing. Play extra attention to the ankle and wrist areas of your clothing as this is where the ticks are most likely to try and attach themselves. 4. Check yourself before getting into your pack for the night, get down and dirty and check every part of your body. Make sure one of those little bastards didnt sneak in somehow. I've heard anecdotal evidence that the peppermint Dr. Bronners can help, I guess it can't hurt and I do use it myself, but I would put more faith in Permathin and long clothing.
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Jul 23, 2015 14:03
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Does this work on mosquitoes too? I'm one of those lucky people who gets at least 3 bites per everyone else's 1. Sadly not quite so much... I think it helps some, but it's not anywhere near as effective as it is against ticks. Then again, I've never seen any bug spray that's all that more effective. I think the only thing that'll repel mosquitos is no-see-um netting unfortunately. That, and genetically modified mosquitos
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Jul 23, 2015 18:58
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Just got back from 5 days in Banff and Mt. Assiniboine parks. Pics to come later. But I swear I saw someone from this thread there. He looked super familiar, but I never got a chance to talk to him. I guess we'll find out someday if it was him and he posts here.
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Jul 24, 2015 00:45
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BaseballPCHiker posted:My guide to fighting hells servants on Earth AKA Ticks: To expand on this, if you don't want to use DEET (and you shouldn't use DEET, seriously) you can use picardin based repellents. Combined with clothing properly treated with permethrin you'll very rarely end up with a tick on your skin. This approach works well for mosquitos, too. Long sleeves, and treated clothing are the trick with those bastards, and using a bug net along with it is really truly worth it. Permethrin won't completely repel them, but it'll keep them off you enough to avoid bites through reasonably loose fitting clothing. The picardin and being completely covered does the rest. I buy 36% concentrated permethrin and treat my work clothes with it every 2-3 weeks. This whole season of 40 hours a week trailwork so far has yielded only mosquito bites on bare skin, and zero ticks. and yeah, get a hand mirror and check yourself. Seriously, check everywhere. e: this is the general method I use for treating my work clothes/hammock/backpacking clothes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3sGvZE3rh4 Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Jul 24, 2015 |
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Jul 24, 2015 00:57
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This Alfresco stuff is supposed to be a legit but pricey alternative to DEET, not sure if its picardin based or what though.
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Jul 24, 2015 01:19
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Hypnolobster posted:(and you shouldn't use DEET, seriously) I know the 100% DEET is on the strong side, but I use 30% DEET and never had any bad side effects or anything - do folks really think the 30% DEET is that bad as long as your keep it off your face/mouth/eyes?
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Jul 24, 2015 01:27
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gohuskies posted:I know the 100% DEET is on the strong side, but I use 30% DEET and never had any bad side effects or anything - do folks really think the 30% DEET is that bad as long as your keep it off your face/mouth/eyes? Nothing utterly definitive, but it's generally shown to be potentially unsafe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEET#Effects_on_health sources, if you want them. I'd probably still use the stuff if picardin didn't exist, to be honest. e: to be fair, I'm coming from the place of needing to use a bug repellant 40 hours a week for about 4 months straight at a minimum. DEET as casual weekend use or whatever is probably not really a concern.
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Jul 24, 2015 01:40
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