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Got up to try my hand at reserving Tuolomne this morning the minute it opened, but everything was booked instantly. 
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Feb 15, 2016 16:18
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jamal posted:I doubt it, but you want to do it the other way. Treatment works better in clearer water. Thanks for the advice. I would have done it the other way around.
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Feb 15, 2016 16:25
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The other thing is that a filter will take care of the majority of what can make you sick - things like giardia and crypto. Giardia for example, which is one of the most common things in water, can take over 4 hours to kill with aquamira, and iodine is even less effective. The steripen will kill those things plus what gets through a filter, like viruses (virii?). One thing neither will clean out are things like heavy metals from mine tailing or fertilizers/chemicals from agricultural runoff. Some articles on the subject: http://www.trailspace.com/articles/backcountry-water-treatment-part-3.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-in-the-Water-Now?&id=710636 As far as the steripen goes there's a sensor that needs to be submerged for it to come on, and also in bright sun it is hard to tell. In addition to the uv light there's a blue light bulb so you can see it's working. I was trying to use mine in bright sunlight one time and thought it wasn't working or the batteries were dying or something, and then I got to a shady spot and tried it again, and it turned out to be working fine. jamal fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Feb 15, 2016 |
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Feb 15, 2016 18:20
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khysanth posted:Got up to try my hand at reserving Tuolomne this morning the minute it opened, but everything was booked instantly. That sucks, what dates were you trying for? A couple of years ago I was able to get a campground reservation in August without issue but just anecdotal obviously. As other people have said, keep an eye on it and try again multiple times. Sometimes people try to book multiple reservations in order to make sure one gets through and then they cancel the other so sometimes spots become available 15 minutes after everything looks all filled up. Might also try something like Crane Flat since it's close enough driving distance to Tuolumne or Olmstead Point, etc I put in for a permit on a cross country trailhead in Yosemite that doesn't list whether it's full or not on their report. Interested to see if it goes through e: cool, got a permit for Nelson Lake. Will have to see if it's still real snowy up there or not, could impact it overall but if we're just trying to get up over a crest and then be back down below the snow for most of it then it hopefully won't be too bad. Plus it will probably depend a lot on how warm the spring is Levitate fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Feb 15, 2016 |
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Feb 15, 2016 18:41
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FWIW, I have the Camelbak All Clear and it's too heavy for backpacking, but it's pretty awesome when traveling abroad assuming you don't mind the co$t. What kind of glove setup do you all use? I saw the OR sun gloves are super popular with my group and I'm taking a look at those. I just have a basic glove liner for sun protection. But that's not the big issue. My current big issue is that I gave my winter gear setup a run this past weekend and everything passed except gloves. I tried using a thin glove liner and my softshell windproof gloves at 15 degrees and holy poo poo, too cold. Too cold. Ideally I think I'd want a wool glove for wicking/breathing at more spring/fall temps and then a insulated waterproof mitten shell over it when the temp dropped to that 15 F, but that's just a guess.
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Feb 17, 2016 02:46
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Blinkman987 posted:
For cold weather, these kinco pigskin work gloves are just freaking awesome down into the negatives. The fingers have reinforced leather palms, so they're not as dexterous for stuff like tying shoes, but they have a lot more mobility than mittens and they're ridiculously cheap for how awesome they are. Plus leather is just a wonder material, it's breathable, windproof, water resistant, and durable. Fun sidebar, the heatkeep lining on these things actually has a warning to pay attention near fire because the insulation is so effective, you may not notice if your hands catch on fire.
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Feb 17, 2016 03:41
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I tried wool liner with weather resistant gloves over the top last year with pretty bad results. The wool gloves wore through in just a few weekends, and they really weren't that warm if they were wet at all or if it was windy. This year I got a pair of BD soloist gloves on sale and I've loved them. The liners are bulky but super super warm. The shells are great when you want to protect your hands from the elements.
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Feb 17, 2016 03:43
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turevidar posted:I tried wool liner with weather resistant gloves over the top last year with pretty bad results. The wool gloves wore through in just a few weekends, and they really weren't that warm if they were wet at all or if it was windy. Confirming the BD liners as being great. I use them as just my winter gloves up until ~Jan. I'm in Fairbanks. e: Also lasted almost a whole year before my index fingers started poking through.
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Feb 17, 2016 07:09
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gloves are something i'd choose 100% subjectively off of fit, for instance none of OR's gloves fit my hands in any size but they make good, generally well regarded gloves. I would always go with poly/nylon gloves and steer clear of wool, because gloves tend to get wet + see a lot of abuse. Quick drying and durability are king, and wool is inferior in both regards. thinnest liners you can get 99% of the year, and something with a slight bit of substance for the winter. find a good durable disposable glove for waterproof when needed, there's no need for a real shell glove but a little durability beats out an extra gram or 2 of pack weight. best brand i've used were some black ones called "onyx" or something that a bunch of car detailers around me swear by. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 08:47 on Feb 17, 2016 |
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Feb 17, 2016 08:45
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khysanth posted:Got up to try my hand at reserving Tuolomne this morning the minute it opened, but everything was booked instantly. Are you sure they were actually booked? I tried the same thing and it looks like they just pushed the opening date back from June to July, probably based on El Nino snows.
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Feb 17, 2016 09:24
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Are you guys climbing with gloves or just hiking with them on? I never thought to really bring any along as I hike with my hands in my jacket pockets and stay pretty warm. I have a pair of neoprene gloves for winter fishing that I wore while shoveling a 100y path to my car, they were warmer and more comfortable then any of the hundreds of different work gloves I have owned. I don't think they would hold up to much hard use but they were like $20 at bass pro.
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Feb 18, 2016 05:31
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I don't typically bring gloves while backpacking since I'm usually out in summer with some overnight freezing temps. When I go bird hunting in the fall I will bring gloves. Usually a pair of mechanics gloves for hunting and a pair of leather work gloves like the kymco. When I'm hiking in the winter I wear thin running gloves or maybe my snowboarding liner glove. I guess when I'm hiking my hands don't get very cold. Those leather kymco gloves and gloves similar are so ridiculously awesome and not just because they're cheap ... they're typically warm on their own but if you wear a thin pair of liner gloves in addition you would have to be in some very serious arctic conditions for your hands to be cold. I always keep a pair in my truck. A lot of ski workers use those gloves because they're indestructible, cheap, warm and tolerate wetness very well. There's something about leather that just seems to keep your hands warm in a way that a lot of synthetics won't.
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Feb 18, 2016 06:16
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bongwizzard posted:Are you guys climbing with gloves or just hiking with them on? I never thought to really bring any along as I hike with my hands in my jacket pockets and stay pretty warm. I have a pair of neoprene gloves for winter fishing that I wore while shoveling a 100y path to my car, they were warmer and more comfortable then any of the hundreds of different work gloves I have owned. I don't think they would hold up to much hard use but they were like $20 at bass pro. hiking, i can't use my pockets like that when i'm using trekking poles & they help minimize blisters from said poles in the warmer months. i also sunburn like a motherfucker without them so ymmv. also neoprene gloves are top king poo poo for construction/labor in the winter my extremities run extremely cold tho Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Feb 18, 2016 |
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Feb 18, 2016 06:18
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I picked up the Kinco gloves for now since so many stores don't have winter gloves in stock. I'll probably circle back in the fall and try on some when gloves are in-season. Just picked up my first food dehydrator, and I'm getting ready for my first run of freezerbag cooking. Our group has a variety of stoves to try and outlined their pros/cons this week, so I'll be able to get a good sense of what I want before investing in that piece.
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Feb 18, 2016 08:44
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I like to bring two pairs, especially if I'm going up something and then coming back down. On the way out a lighter pair of gloves that end up a bit sweaty, and then toasty dry gloves for the walk back. Nice to bring another hat too. I have some thin liners, fairly light bike gloves, a warmer pair of bike gloves, and then some even warmer ski gloves, so I'll usually bring whichever two I think will be appropriate.
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Feb 18, 2016 09:02
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I wear gloves all year for "reasons". For most three-season hiking, I wear something like the Damascus DRE25 leather rappelling glove. There's always branches or logs to jump over, and they work really well for high class 2 / class 3 trails. I always carry a pair of runners mittens that are very thin and light. If it's below 40F and raining, sometimes I can't keep the leathers warm. Likewise if it's dry but variable temperatures dropping near 25F during the day, I might need them. They are presumably very water resistant, but with the sweat it doesn't matter; they tend to be soaked by journey's end. Winter (in the Pacific Northwest) is still confusing, glove-wise. I meant to use REI dividend money to get some new gloves this year, but I never did. I have a pair of neoprene gloves that I wear when I'm digging through the snow (i.e., snowshoeing up to summits), but I typically have to wear cotton liners with them because they leak in cold and water. I also have a pair of skiing gloves ($5 mountaineers auction), but the material is really stinky and they only really work while dry, so it would have to be 0--15F and not raining for me to take them on a trip. Whilst walking around town, to and from work, on the bus, I wear either fingerless or fingered standard leather gloves. I'd say that people stare at me because I'm hot, but it's probably because they're not used to seeing someone wearing fingerless gloves unless they're on a bike. Whelp, they aren't biking gloves because the palms aren't padded.
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Feb 18, 2016 14:20
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My camping/hiking buddy is moving to Sacramento this week, so we're going on our last trip this weekend Palo Duro Canyon State Park!
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Feb 18, 2016 17:49
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I wear gloves all year for "reasons". A-are you Rogue from the X-men? Kidding aside, I'm not very experienced with gloves, but it sounds like leather over neoprene gives the best combination of insulation, water resistance and durability.
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Feb 18, 2016 21:51
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The Mandingo posted:My camping/hiking buddy is moving to Sacramento this week, so we're going on our last trip this weekend well your buddy is in for a treat - Sac is relatively close to countless wilderness areas, both seashore and mountain. it's in the middle of everything great about NorCal's outdoors. visit! reservation talk: hoping to get a wilderness permit in the Evolution Region in John Muir Wilderness for July. This is will be my first backpacking trip longer than a few days.
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Feb 19, 2016 04:39
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Leaving tomorrow for a winter skills training trip. Unfortunately, the temperature is going to be 55/39, high winds, and maybe some rain. Since it can't be rescheduled... 
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Feb 19, 2016 05:17
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Warmachine posted:Leaving tomorrow for a winter skills training trip. Unfortunately, the temperature is going to be 55/39, high winds, and maybe some rain. Since it can't be rescheduled... Rain and 39 is more dangerous than below freezing, I think.
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Feb 19, 2016 05:23
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mastershakeman posted:Rain and 39 is more dangerous than below freezing, I think. The chance of rain has fallen off considerably since I first looked at the report, and there's <2% chance during the time we'll be out there. The conditions are actually better than the trip I took mid-autumn last year to see the leaves changing, which treated us to sub freezing lows and rain-turned-sleet.
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Feb 19, 2016 05:43
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Mokelumne Trekka posted:well your buddy is in for a treat - Sac is relatively close to countless wilderness areas, both seashore and mountain. it's in the middle of everything great about NorCal's outdoors. visit! That's a great area, loved it in the Evolution Basin. Are you going in over Bishop Pass?
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Feb 19, 2016 05:47
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Yeah I would take sub freezing temps and dry versus 30-40 and rain. Good luck though, now that I'm out here, I need to take a course. Anyone in here a member of the mountaineers in Seattle? I'm thinking of joining and just curious about it.
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Feb 19, 2016 09:03
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Verman posted:Yeah I would take sub freezing temps and dry versus 30-40 and rain. Good luck though, now that I'm out here, I need to take a course. I've been an avid hiker for years and, having been a college instructor for a number of years, people always tell me I should teach hiking classes in my spare time. My usual response is to look at them and blink, confused about what that would entail. I think about it at times while hiking, but short of a few basic tips that one can easily find online, I'm typically left laughing to the notion of a class where people learn "It puts the right foot in front of the left foot, transfers weight, then...".  Which leads to two questions:1. What are people hoping to learn when they go to a course? 2. What do people find they actually learn when taking these courses? I would take a climbing course to ensure basic belay safety, or a skiing course to get a streamlined intro, or a scuba diving course to be told appropriate levels at which to swim without blowing up my blood vessels. But three hours on 'how to hike' or 'how to snowshoe'... I don't understand. Goon friend did some stuff with the mountaineers in Seattle and I've not heard him complaining(*). I went to one of their public events, and their online events calendar reveals when you can show up and get info. There's a Meet the Mteers on Monday, Feb 22, at 18:30. (*) Either a lack of complaints or sufficient Koolaid.
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Feb 19, 2016 14:42
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I would imagine covering things like how to dress for various conditions, footwear and the different upsides and downsides, basic info on food and water and how much to take in certain conditions (you see plenty of day hikers just carrying one 20 oz water in conditions that call for more), common sense stuff like "it's the middle of summer in the desert probably hiking in the middle of the day isn't the best idea" and "it's spring in the mountains do not try to ford this raging creek that's swollen with snow melt". Could easily expand into backpacking basics as well. All stuff that seems like it doesn't need a class but there are lots of people who have no clue how to dress for hiking or how to prepare if the hike is over a mile or two. They could just do their own research but some people like classes
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Feb 19, 2016 15:41
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:1. What are people hoping to learn when they go to a course? I've introduced a lot of friends to hiking and these are the questions that I get the most: 1. What type of gear do I need? Basically a whole class could be done on gear, what to look for, brands, whats really needed vs whats unnecessary, how to pack appropriately for the conditions, etc. 2. Planning. How to plan a hike, where to go and how to get there, estimating time, etc. This also leads into - 3. Navigation. How to read a map and use a compass, how to stay on the trail, what to do when lost. 4. Basic wilderness first aid. 5. Campground preparation. How to select a good site for your tent and set it up well. Using guylines when needed. How to pack food correctly and protect it from animals, how to use bear bags, etc.
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Feb 19, 2016 15:53
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I've introduced a lot of friends to hiking and these are the questions that I get the most: I figured it was talking more about hiking and less about backpacking but yeah you can really expand things a lot when you get into multi day trips.
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Feb 19, 2016 16:48
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I've been an avid hiker for years and, having been a college instructor for a number of years, people always tell me I should teach hiking classes in my spare time. My usual response is to look at them and blink, confused about what that would entail. I think about it at times while hiking, but short of a few basic tips that one can easily find online, I'm typically left laughing to the notion of a class where people learn "It puts the right foot in front of the left foot, transfers weight, then...". I used to put on what you could call seminars about hiking and backpacking for a large outdoor retailer and you'd be surprised how packed those classes were. I'd cover all the basics (all while hyping product) and then some. People that either haven't grown up doing outdoor activities or decide to try something new (this was the start of the everyone is all of a sudden a runner or a hiker in North Face). For the most part people just wanted clarification on stuff like water filters, packs, LNT, and what to expect. But then I belong to a group on FB about hiking in MI and I swear these people can't plan anything for themselves or do a bit of research. I understand getting opinions and where is a better spot than others but these people are having life crisis' about which jacket should I bring and about how many miles they should do. But I think the former is because of a n alarming rise in gear heads I've met the last few years. No I don't want to talk pack weight when we're all pumping water in the backcountry.
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Feb 19, 2016 17:25
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Nateron posted:No I don't want to talk pack weight when we're all pumping water in the backcountry. Haha. When I hiked the JMT the most common question was "how long are you doing it in? Oh, I'M doing it in *x number of fewer days*" People really liked to talk about how fast they were hiking or how many miles they were going to put in
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Feb 19, 2016 17:51
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Nateron posted:But then I belong to a group on FB about hiking in MI and I swear these people can't plan anything for themselves or do a bit of research. I understand getting opinions and where is a better spot than others but these people are having life crisis' about which jacket should I bring and about how many miles they should do. But I think the former is because of a n alarming rise in gear heads I've met the last few years. This used to drive me up a wall. I get that gear chat can be fun and all when you are stuck inside but I swear some people spend more time agonizing over the materials, fabric, and construction of some soft shell then they do actually outside. At some point enough is enough. There is no piece of "perfect" gear. Just buy the best you can and then go outside and ACTUALLY USE IT.
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Feb 19, 2016 17:56
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:
See: people wearing jeans in the backcountry. There's so much stuff you could cover, starting with materials. Eg, difference between water absorbing (cotton) and water wicking (art. fiber, wool), insulation (down vs art. fiber), footwear & appropriate socks (eg two layer sock system), consequences of keeping footwear near a fire, fire safety and building. Styles of backpacks and importance of a frame in distributing the load, how to properly pack a backpack, importance of the hip belt to transfer the load off your shoulders/spine. Then you can get into really deep science with stuff like water treatment, or how to pick out good gear (talk about stuff like draft tubes, double wall tents, or hammock stuff, or what breathable waterproofing really means vs stuff like urethane coating). Navigation, trail planning and what blazes are, how to use a map and compass, what to do if you get injured or run into an emergency, things like symptoms and stages of hypothermia. What should you really bring with you, leave no trace tail etiquette, and so so so much more. I had your attitude in college, and was blown away by just how much I learned from a competent, experienced instructor. No offense, but if you have to ask, chances are you probably shouldn't be teaching this course.
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Feb 19, 2016 18:06
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Going camping this weekend to mid 50s and possibility of a little rain. In February. The nights will be chilly though so a great chance for me to try my new hammock setup 
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Feb 19, 2016 19:49
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OSU_Matthew posted:See: people wearing jeans in the backcountry. Hah, my hiking buddy wears jeans, a cotton tshirt, a fleece vest he bought at a thrift store in '97 for $5, and one of the half dozen pairs of boots he owns, all ranked according to tread level and remaining waterproofness. He does wear wool socks I guess. He is an amazing counterpoint to my gear obsessiveness.
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Feb 19, 2016 20:01
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I saw a guy post a couple of weeks ago his trying to summit Mt. Leconte in the Smokies. The roads were closed due to snow, so he had to hike several miles just to the trailhead (the summit is like 6 miles from the trailhead). Well he said he had to turn around after a couple of miles on the actual trail due to 3ft snow drifts. Looking at his pictures the first thing I noticed was he was wearing jeans in the middle of one of those snow drifts. I'm sorry but I find that insane, and you will never catch me on a trail (no matter where or weather) in denim.
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Feb 19, 2016 21:27
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Cycling is insanely gear- and performance-oriented, it's really not that much fun if all your buddies care about is shaving off grams from their bikes. By comparison I find backpacking to be way better even though gear is still very important. This is a silly generalization but I feel like many hikers/backpackers are into their hobby for better reasons than cyclists.
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Feb 19, 2016 21:40
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Cycling is insanely gear- and performance-oriented, it's really not that much fun if all your buddies care about is shaving off grams from their bikes. By comparison I find backpacking to be way better even though gear is still very important. This is a silly generalization but I feel like many hikers/backpackers are into their hobby for better reasons than cyclists. I like to do both, biking is fun to go places and good exercise (and it's fun to bomb down hills). You can have gear freaks in either but it's probably upsold in cycling a bit more
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Feb 19, 2016 23:04
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I hiked a 48km semi-challenging trail last year with my brother who wore steel-toed shoes. He also had an incredibly light-weight down sleeping bag and temperatures were down to 0 Celsius. I went on a multi-day hike with another friend and he didn't bring a sweater/jacket even though we were hiking into the mountains. People...don't think.
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Feb 19, 2016 23:13
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For me, the gear part hooks into my brain in a way I'm very familiar with but not entirely comfortable with. The thing though is that it's very expensive and it's not super easy to "try before you buy." And once you're out on a 3 day hike, it's not like you can run to the store to go buy an extra layer or something. With very little experience or knowledge, it's useful to ask people who have experience to provide advice on purchases.
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Feb 19, 2016 23:19
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Thanks for the constructive replies. Indeed much of this was on the course curriculum lists that I've been compiling over time. I still wonder how much people actually learn, versus merely being reminded of something that they've already realized, versus simply succumbing to advertising/upselling (sorry retailers). I also wonder how many walk away from these courses feeling functionally entitled to "do anything now that I have the gear!!" One that consistently amuses me, and was mentioned above, is "navigation". As an advanced topic it makes sense to point out blazes and cairns and typography and such, but " stay on the trail " should be enough (slight bias from local trails here, probably, as no one should be getting lost in their first year or two). Tips like "don't go snowshoeing unless you've been there without snow" would be helpful, I guess. In general, I can see that some people have a learning style suggesting a class as the best option. That's certainly different than someone hiking for a year, realizing that they want to go off the beaten path, then researching how that can be safely done. But yeah... derpy unprepared people are commonplace.
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Feb 20, 2016 00:10
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