|
talktapes posted:Anyone here experienced with dehydrating food? Just eating gorp, prepackaged jerky/fruit, Snickers bars and Mountain House chili mac gets demoralizing pretty quickly. I've been reading through backpackingchef.com but am curious if anyone has any direct experience with recipes or equipment. In fact, any backpacking food advice would be welcome, because I'm just barely competant at the sustenance aspect of food planning, let alone packing meals that are consistantly palatable. I've dried mixed frozen vegetables, kale, and spinach in the oven to add to these: Up here they go by the name Sidekicks and they're really quite good. I just cook them on a stove with water even if the recipe calls for milk and/or butter. If it's 1 cup milk 1 cup water, in go 2 cups of water. I add the veggies in with the pasta because rehydrating them does take time. I like to put the veggies and pastas and powder into a ziplock bag and label it with the flavour and amount of water needed. I hope to make all my own fruit leather and energy bars next year, but with a proper dehydrator. Edit: Here's a pic of some white cheddar Mexican rice with veggies mixed in. I didn't make enough though, so it's kind of sparse. But it was drat delicious. 
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 01:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 15:39 |
|
|
Any suggestions for a good backpacking pad for side sleepers? I have had a therm-a-rest pro-lite inflatable foam pad for ages, but my hip and shoulder go straight through it and I hardly ever get any sleep. I am looking at the Therm-A-Rest XTherm inflatable, but it is quite expensive. On the food discussion: A bag of rice with a variety of different spice combinations can last you forever.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 02:57
|
|
|
Side sleeper here, I love the big Agnes insulated q core pad. Size of a Nalgene and same weight as my thermarest (2lbs so not ultralightbut really packable). Very thick and super comfortable, also warm. Also mine seems to be quiet. Some inflatable pads get really loud and crinkle when you move. Did you folks get anything outdoorsy for Christmas? Mostly amazon gift cards from the folks, a bear vault 500 from my soon to be brother in law, and two Washington specific camping books from my other brother in law. I have a ton of hiking & backpacking guide books but nothing for car camping. They both lean away from pull-in paved plots with rv hook ups and electricity and more toward secluded rustic sites out in the boonies off forest service roads and such. My 7 year old nephew is getting into the outdoors and really likes rocks and minerals so I've been getting him small stuff here and there like a flashlight, compass, binoculars etc. For Christmas I bought him a real sleeping bag and a gold panning kit. I'm aiming for this hike up to an abandoned gold mine for his first overnight in the spring/summer.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 06:38
|
|
|
I'm reading up and looking at things and was wondering if most base layers are fine for both heat and cold since you'd layer over that or are there different kinds for those climates? E: Warm and humid weather base layer recommendations are very welcome. net work error fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Dec 28, 2015 |
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 06:53
|
|
|
Hungryjack posted:ok, so this is something I've been looking at a bit lately as well. In fact, I went shopping at the grocery store yesterday to pick up some stuff to experiment with. Now I know you're asking about dehydrating food, but I'm too lazy for that so after reading some folks' blogs and talking to my friends, I'm looking at mostly pre-dehydrated stuff and a little bit of packaged meat in containers that work easily with backpacks. I was trying to maximize calories per ounce while still providing a decent variety of tastes to help fend off flavor fatigue. This is exactly the stuff I like to take
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 07:18
|
|
|
Snowshoeing today with my favorite hiking buddy 
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 10:08
|
|
|
This is the best.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 13:29
|
|
|
Dutch clips and whoopie slings just arrived for my hammock. The overall weight of the hammock went up by 2 oz if I include the tree webbing, but that lets me leave the old straps at home, which weigh 12oz and are the size of a soda can. That's a net improvement. I'm going to try them out this afternoon ahead of this weekend's backpacking trip in the Ozarks.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 18:08
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:Any suggestions for a good backpacking pad for side sleepers? I have had a therm-a-rest pro-lite inflatable foam pad for ages, but my hip and shoulder go straight through it and I hardly ever get any sleep. I side sleep and love my Big Agnes Air Core. I have the long version (6'3"): http://www.rei.com/product/846690/b...8&RRID=15312720
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 20:13
|
|
|
khysanth posted:I side sleep and love my Big Agnes Air Core. I have the long version (6'3"): I've had the air core for years and I used to swear by it. But last August during a trip to Guadalupe Mountains, both of my air core mattresses popped in the course of two nights. Both of them ruptured along the plastic area right by where you inflate it. It's not a place where you can patch it either. I really need to get with Big Agnes to see about if and how i can repair them.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 20:35
|
|
|
Is that dog backpack awesome? I just got a new dog about that size and am going to get her a pack in January.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 21:19
|
|
|
If anyone's been looking for some "poor man's outlier" pants I just got my prana brions in the mail and they're a pretty solid choice. They're basically just slimmer, cheaper Zions in a 5 pocket shape, so they pass better for casual wear. I went with the smallest size they make, and the leg openings are that perfect balance between slim, but able to stretch around a boot. A+ will buy a bunch of different colors next time they go on sale. Inseam was a bit over 1" more than advertised and I wish they would have made the crotch gusset thicker because they can kinda put your junk on display without a baselayer, but that's just the nature of the beast with tech pants I guess. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Dec 28, 2015 |
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 23:17
|
|
|
Atticus_1354 posted:Is that dog backpack awesome? I just got a new dog about that size and am going to get her a pack in January. This was her first time using it, pretty happy with it so far. I picked it up off of Craigslist hardly used. I was looking for this specific model (Palisades by Ruffwear) because it's one of the only ones I could find that has detachable saddlebags so you can use the harness independently or just take off the bags if you're at camp and want to leave the harness on. Most of them have the bags sewn right onto the harness. I didn't load her down with anything but dog treats this time since I wanted her to be comfortable with it but I'll work her up to carrying my first aid kit on one side and whiskey on the other  https://www.instagram.com/p/_0VjXBhwA2/
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 01:34
|
|
|
MMD3 posted:I didn't load her down with anything but dog treats this time since I wanted her to be comfortable with it but I'll work her up to carrying my first aid kit on one side and whiskey on the other That's a good dog. I pretty much just want my dog to carry a little water, her collapsible bowls and enough food for an overnight trip.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 03:37
|
|
|
Atticus_1354 posted:That's a good dog. I pretty much just want my dog to carry a little water, her collapsible bowls and enough food for an overnight trip. well... realistically that's probably exactly what she'll be carrying as well  they recommend not loading a dog with more than 25% of their body weight so in her case that'd only be like 6-7lb.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 12:07
|
|
|
Bit of a long shot, but has anyone done an overnignt trip to Mt Barney in Australia?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 12:37
|
|
|
I love me some Ruffwear. In fact, we got a climbing harness for Christmas for Mak. Mak is a talented climber. He scrambles up trees and up rock faces that I wouldn't think he'd be able to climb. He's also fearless and while he doesn't think he'll ever fall, I don't like the idea of him slipping with a leash on a collar around his neck. And his old harness is fine for walking him, but he'd slip right out if he was hanging by it.    So for Christmas, we got him [url=http://www.ruffwear.com/DoubleBack-Harness?sc=2&category=1131]Ruffwear's Doubleback harness/url] for climbing. In addition to the absolutely hilarious video on the website of a lab being hoisted up a cliff face, it's a solid harness that I can attach the leash to so if he falls, I'll be able to catch him and drag him back up to me without undue stress on his body.   I like the Doubleback because if you don't want to use the rear leg harnesses all the time, they pack up into a zippered pocket and you can just use the front of the harness.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 14:56
|
|
|
Tashan Dorrsett posted:If anyone's been looking for some "poor man's outlier" pants I just got my prana brions in the mail and they're a pretty solid choice. They're basically just slimmer, cheaper Zions in a 5 pocket shape, so they pass better for casual wear. I went with the smallest size they make, and the leg openings are that perfect balance between slim, but able to stretch around a boot. A+ will buy a bunch of different colors next time they go on sale. Where did you buy? I looked at these on Campsaver and they only had weird colors and not my size on the clearance price. Also how tall are you? I'm 5'8" and have trouble finding pants that don't balloon at the ankle.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 16:18
|
|
|
Look Sir Droids posted:Where did you buy? I looked at these on Campsaver and they only had weird colors and not my size on the clearance price. Also how tall are you? I'm 5'8" and have trouble finding pants that don't balloon at the ankle. I am 5'8" and wear 30" inseam Stretch Zions and they fit great, no ballooning.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 16:52
|
|
|
Hungryjack posted:I love me some Ruffwear. In fact, we got a climbing harness for Christmas for Mak. Mak is a talented climber. He scrambles up trees and up rock faces that I wouldn't think he'd be able to climb. He's also fearless and while he doesn't think he'll ever fall, I don't like the idea of him slipping with a leash on a collar around his neck. And his old harness is fine for walking him, but he'd slip right out if he was hanging by it. That's pretty awesome, definitely more climbing specific, I wouldn't trust the harness I got for tying in to ropes as it is just buckles but it is fine for picking your dog up over logs or streams or whatever and not worrying about their collar getting caught. Ruffwear reposted that photo of mine on Instagram and it has like 3,000 likes now haha. Woke up this morning going why are all of these random people liking my photos before realizing they had shared it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2015 00:52
|
|
|
Look Sir Droids posted:Where did you buy? I looked at these on Campsaver and they only had weird colors and not my size on the clearance price. Also how tall are you? I'm 5'8" and have trouble finding pants that don't balloon at the ankle. I got them from prana's website when they were doing a free shipping promo and googled a coupon code to get them down to 58 shipped. They had every size/color in stock. I'm 5'9 and the 30 inseam was a tiny bit long but not enough to bother hemming. They're a little more baggy around the ankle than like, slim cut jeans, but they're designed to be slim in the leg but fit around a boot. Seems to be that sweet spot where the leg opening isn't overly big but you can still wear them with thicker boots.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2015 03:13
|
|
|
Just got back from a New England trip where I did a Mt Washington ascent with EMS Schools. Hips and knees are in pain but the overall experience was pretty fantastic. Learned a lot, and it was a real challenge considering two days before I dropped 15 lbs overnight due to the norovirus.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2015 03:36
|
|
|
Picnic Princess posted:I've dried mixed frozen vegetables, kale, and spinach in the oven to add to these: I took a bunch of these on the JMT and they worked great. Throw in a little olive oil for some extra calories and flavor.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2015 03:55
|
|
|
Does anyone have experience seam sealing a tent? I got a Tarptent ProTrail for xmas and I picked up some sealant for silnylon (Sil Net) which looks right. But there's a conflict between the directions that came with the tent and the ones on the sealant -- the tent says to mix the silicone sealant with paint thinner to use it, while the Sil Net says I can put it on the seams from right out of the tube. Any idea which is preferable?
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2015 16:32
|
|
|
Vivian Darkbloom posted:Does anyone have experience seam sealing a tent? I got a Tarptent ProTrail for xmas and I picked up some sealant for silnylon (Sil Net) which looks right. But there's a conflict between the directions that came with the tent and the ones on the sealant -- the tent says to mix the silicone sealant with paint thinner to use it, while the Sil Net says I can put it on the seams from right out of the tube. Any idea which is preferable? Tarptent recommends using actual silicone caulk mixed with thinner. I'm not sure how well Sil Net will work, but the trick with the Tarptent method is that it's very liquid, and can be brushed on very thinly and evenly with a foam brush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuxUcOZYvog
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2015 16:42
|
|
|
I'd be interested in hearing what you think of the tent once you get to use it
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2015 16:48
|
|
|
Sierra Nevada talk: out of curiosity does anyone know if there's a consensus on where, exactly, the northernmost and southernmost ends of the Sierra Nevada range are? I initially thought Mt. Lassen was part of the North Sierra, but that's definitely the Cascades. My understanding is that Lake Almanor (a reservoir 20 miles or so south of Mt. Lassen) is the "official" cut off between the two mountain ranges. As for the southern end, I'm less sure, but I think the town of Tehachapi which is not too far east of Bakersfield is a likely point. I have hiked a little bit in the Sierras above Lake Tahoe such as Donner Pass, but I find it disappointingly logged and industrial. I read that this area is less formidable than the Sierras below Tahoe (lower elevation, etc.), so it was an easy target for logging and cattle grazing. I would love to check out efforts that specifically try to restore this north sierra region.
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2016 21:33
|
|
|
Found these at Costco tonight (Shoreline - north of Seattle). Snow Trax made by Yaktrax. They were $9 and came in S/M and L/XL. Seem decent enough for the price and I'll probably just leave them in the car for when we go hiking. They would have came in handy on our Thanksgiving hike.  (I stole the photo from amazon)
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2016 07:38
|
|
|
I'm officially signed up for the WTC Orange County class this year. Thanks again to everyone who encouraged me to sign up a few months back. I'm excited to be more confident and self-reliant on the trails, hopefully spurring me to get out more. Prana talk- I'm solidly a 32" inseam and had problems with both pants. The issue with me was the size of the ankle opening, not the length. It's so large to begin with. From what I'm reading here, maybe the QC is loose enough on them that I tried on pairs that were larger in that area than normal?
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2016 16:04
|
|
|
A decent tailor can easily alter the taper of pant legs, I have a pair of soft shell pants that I had tapered down so they don't snag as often.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2016 17:49
|
|
|
First hike of the new year, up to the top of Hawksbill Mtn: Weather on the east coast has been crazy warm so far this winter but it's finally starting to get down to normalish temps. Hopefully we get a little snow for some winter hiking!
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2016 22:18
|
|
|
Blinkman987 posted:I'm officially signed up for the WTC Orange County class this year. Thanks again to everyone who encouraged me to sign up a few months back. I'm excited to be more confident and self-reliant on the trails, hopefully spurring me to get out more. they're supposed to fit around hiking boots, they aren't going to have skinnyjeans leg openings. my 28x30 brions barely stretch around my quest 4d gtx's which aren't a particularly bulky boot. but a tailor could fix that for you if you always wear them casually or with trailrunners or whatever.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2016 11:26
|
|
|
Terrifying Effigies posted:First hike of the new year, up to the top of Hawksbill Mtn: Before clicking on the picture I thought you was talking about Hawksbill Mtn. at the Linville Gorge in NC, but it's the one in VA. Despite growing up in Johnson City, TN (now in Knoxville) I haven't done a lot of hiking in VA. I've of course hiked the area around Mt Rogers, but that is about all. I need to expand up North some this spring. I've been enjoying the crazy warm temperatures so far, and I've taken advantage of it with a couple of small hikes in the Smokies. That said it looks like close to normal temps return this week, but overall it is still looking like a pretty mild winter.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2016 14:19
|
|
|
Enlightened Equipment quilts are 10% off right now (according to their FB page), so I think I'm going to take the plunge. Can anybody recommend the Enigma or Revelation at the better option? They're the same price. Any compression sack recommendations? Look Sir Droids fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Jan 4, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2016 18:19
|
|
|
If you were born after 1979 you have never experienced a normal winter, all the winters have been mild. Kind of funny to think about global warming that way, it's just normal now.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2016 19:57
|
|
|
Look Sir Droids posted:Enlightened Equipment quilts are 10% off right now (according to their FB page), so I think I'm going to take the plunge. They're (construction wise) pretty similar - I think the Enigma used to be cheaper since it doesn't have the extra draw channel and snaps/zipper (makes it a bit lighter too). I'd get the Revelation unless you know you'd never ever want to open up / adjust the footbox (though I can't think of when I've wanted to... but it's there if I need to I guess?) I haven't noticed any cold spots from the footbox, it closes up pretty well. They come with a compression sack, but I've just thrown both my quilt and underquilt in a trash compatcor bag and compressed that as much as I could in the bottom of the bag; it fills up the space a little more efficiently than two tubes of compressed sleeping bag. dedian fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Jan 5, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2016 15:53
|
|
|
Ah, I thought they just came with a storage bag that doesn't compress them that much. Garbage bag is a good idea though. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2016 18:00
|
|
|
Yep they come with both storage bag and compression sack. Except when the guy putting your order in the box forgets a compression sack and puts the underquilt suspension hardware on completely incorrectly... they were helpful of course and got things taken care of.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2016 18:58
|
|
|
We just got back from our New Year's Eve backpacking trip in the Ozarks. We visited three State Parks, two National Forests, and a National Park, and a state high point. Some of the folks were a little less experienced with backpacking, but nonetheless, we logged about 30 miles on the trails including hammock camping with night temps in the 20s every night. It was a pretty nice trip and I learned quite a bit, had some ideas validated, some disproven, and as always, I refined my technique and packing lists.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2016 04:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 15:39 |
|
|
Well out with it. What worked, what didn't? It could help some of the people who are just getting into it
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2016 05:14
|
|