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Verman posted:What's your budget? What kind of lightweight are you looking for? Are you looking for down or synthetic? My dividend came out to around $215, but that's because I ended up buying a lot of car camping and bike touring gear that doesn't go on sale often and that I'm going to have indefinitely. Besides, I had long ago decided that this was going into my sleeping bag fund, to wit- I plan on using this mostly for bikepacking or bike touring, so my criteria are 1. down (for packability) 2.rated around 30 degrees or so, since I don't intend on going out in temps much cooler than that. I went by REI today and spoke with one of their salespeople, and they recommended the Zissou Plus bag. They didn't have it in store so I'd have to order it online for in-store pickup, but I figured I'd check with the goon hivemind first. Also xposting to the bike touring thread as well.
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Mar 21, 2016 01:44
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Mokelumne Trekka posted:I remember these were brought up before here, thanks for the reminder. I live near a Costco and will look for them at some point. Their four and half star average on Amazon is reassuring. Otherwise I'll use my REI 20% coupon on the Leki ones. Nothing, I pick the costco poles over my $150-200 black diamond setup regularly. They're seriously good poles for the money. Flip locks feel a little on the cheap side, but that's not a problem if you don't crank down on them and go out of your way to break them. I have the same complaint with many "higher end" flip lock poles. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Mar 21, 2016 |
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Mar 21, 2016 03:53
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Speaking of... Between flip locks and twist locks on trekking poles, which type is preferred?
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Mar 21, 2016 08:34
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theroachman posted:Speaking of... Between flip locks and twist locks on trekking poles, which type is preferred? The Leki poles I have are probably 4-5 years old at this point but they are twist locks and I had the damndest time figuring them out for a while and still struggle with them from time to time. I don't use poles very often but it was a pain in the rear end when I was backpacking with friends and they had to wait for minutes for me to futz with my poles because they wouldn't lock because I inadvertently extended them too far or whatever without realizing it. Maybe there's just a learning curve and I'm too dumb to figure them out but it was a frustrating enough experience that I generally opt to leave the poles at home now.
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Mar 21, 2016 08:49
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Thread consensus was flick locks when I asked. They've held up fine and I treat my poles like poo poo.
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Mar 21, 2016 09:02
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I prefer flip locks. There is also a pretty noticeable difference between carbon fibre and aluminium when it comes to weight. Not that lighter is necessarily better, but it's worth testing out a pair or two to decide what you like.
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Mar 21, 2016 10:28
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suboptimal posted:My dividend came out to around $215, but that's because I ended up buying a lot of car camping and bike touring gear that doesn't go on sale often and that I'm going to have indefinitely. Besides, I had long ago decided that this was going into my sleeping bag fund, to wit- My dividend was about the same amount as yours. Per REI recommendation I went with the Igneo sleeping bag. I plan on using it for a lot of bikepacking as well. Rated down to 19, but I'll never be out in that kind of cold on purpose. Hoping it won't be too warm for summer trips. The bag should arrive this week.
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Mar 21, 2016 13:55
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Re: cameras and trekking poles I used a set of poles from REI that you could unscrew the top of the handle from and use as a monopod. CopperHound fucked around with this message at 14:02 on Mar 21, 2016 |
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Mar 21, 2016 13:56
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For people looking to gear up for the summer and spring seasons dont be afraid to check out your local goodwills, cragislist, etc instead of just looking at retail options like REI. I scored a nice car camping two burner stove for $40 on Craigslist last summer and just now got an awesome old Camp Trails external frame backpack for $20. I honestly think a lot of the clothing you'd get at REI is overpriced too. For instance one of their REI sahara shirts is just a regular nylon shirt. If there is any difference its in the cut not the material. You can find a ton of good used shirts that are similar at goodwill for a fraction of the cost. Even at places like Gander Mountain or Cabelas you can usually get clothing way cheaper. Again the cut is usually the big difference not the material, just size down or try on first if you have to.
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Mar 21, 2016 14:15
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Unless you're spending your dividend.... http://www.sierratradingpost.com/s~leki-trekking-poles/?perPage=24 Edit-- I get that it's cool to buy quilts, but I can't imagine buying a high-end down sleeping bag these days when I can buy a 0F down quilt for under $300. I guess I've never experienced a draft at that temp, but that's about the only downside I can think of. Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Mar 22, 2016 |
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Mar 22, 2016 04:17
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Flick lock = tent pole folder > twist lock. Flick locks weigh less than tent poles but are bulkier. They take more fiddling but are adjustable which is nice because extra length helps on descent. Twist locks are old tech, harder to use and less durable. Carbon weighs less but cracks under stress. Aluminum deforms and can be bent back to shape. Cork grips chafe your hands less than eva foam when they get sweaty on hot days. Meaning less blisters. Neither is very durable and both are comfy (cork takes some break in time) Make sure you buy all the attachments when you get poles if they don't come as a kit like the costco ones. You'll feel silly when your $100 poles are worthless because you didn't spring $3 for the snow baskets etc. On that note uniqlo airism shirts are perpetually on sale for $10 and my favorite tech tee even if you ignore price. Can get them in a regular weave or mesh, I prefer the normal ones but they're both nice. They have some $15 poly athletic shorts w/ a gusseted crotch this season as well but they haven't had my size in stock so I can't comment on if they're any good. As long as the material isn't super thick they look ideal tho. Costco also has a lot of screaming deals if you go during the right season: $12 4 packs of thick merino/nylon boot socks note: darn tough are still more economical in the long term at $20/pair but these make amazing casual/work socks and are a++ warm campsite/sleeping socks. $20 polartec fleeces (winter) $40 600 fill down jackets (winter) note: the hardware on these is much nicer than the cheap uniqlo down jackets, same down fill weight, cheaper. $20 600 fill down vests (winter) $30? cascade mtn tech carbon flick lock trekking poles w/ all attachments $30? down throw blankets that people DIY into hammock quilts etc. they have the best stuff in the winter but you can find hidden gems all the time at costco. the only real downside is that they don't stock sizes XS and S in anything. chinese auction/wholesale sites like aliexpress dealextreme etc also have some really good camping gear. cheap titanium cookware made in the exact same factory as the ones at REI, cheap ultralight canister stoves etc. some of the chinese stoves are very nice and underlooked, like the Kovea Spider. right now the lightest weight and smallest canister stove on the market is some no name chinese one. then you could get into things like zenstoves diy cooking systems, the famous wal*mart grease pot, heineken can cook pots etc. creativity can save you tons of money and ounces off your pack. for instance i was recently able to drop 4 different items from my pack in place of bringing a cotton bandana. who needs pot grippers or handles on your pot? Some of these deals are even better than thrift store prices, for brand new gear w/ good return policies. I could write a book about ultralight+ultracheap at this point. As long as you don't cut corners in important areas (boots/shoes, rain shell etc) you can ultralight backpack very affordably. The one thing I can never seem to find cheaply.... is ankle gaiters... Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Mar 22, 2016 |
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Mar 22, 2016 06:59
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 Conditions here are pretty terrible right now, this is a size 3 avalanche that ran for 800m on a small ridge in Kananaskis, triggered by a snowshoer. The body wasn't recovered until the next day because they were alone with no beacon. There had been no avalanche activity on this slope all season, even with some traffic. The weather has been ridiculous this season and there are some really hazardous persistent layers in the snowpack that are just begging to give. The thing is, I just did an avalanche safety course on Sunday, same day this happened, and as we were hiking/skiing along, our instructor was bringing us to certain slopes to gauge our opinions on potentially hazardous conditions. There was one that he decided not to cross, just in case because condition forecast implied there was definite risk. In hindsight I am really glad we didn't go. I'll post photos of my day here soon, once I get my not-broken USB cord to upload my photos. But goddamn, I'm reluctant to go out anywhere as the forecast right now is basically "no where is safe, not even below treeline"
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Mar 22, 2016 09:26
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Tashan Dorrsett posted:On that note uniqlo airism shirts are perpetually on sale for $10 and my favorite tech tee even if you ignore price. Can get them in a regular weave or mesh, I prefer the normal ones but they're both nice. They are great shirts but have very limited availability in fall and winter. I was waiting for months for them to restock. They are insanity light though, to the point where I will not wear them by themselves, even my dude nipples high beam like crazy in them.
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Mar 22, 2016 11:34
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Picnic Princess posted:
 Poor guy, that's awful. I feel like having a panic attack just at the thought of being trapped and unable to breathe under all that snow... Glad you're ok... Any wisdom or learnings you could share with the rest of us about identifying and avoiding hazardous areas?
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Mar 22, 2016 11:50
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OSU_Matthew posted:
Avalanches typically occur on slopes of 30-40 degrees, but when conditions are bad, can be as low as 25 degrees. Convex slopes are where a lot of human-triggered avalanches occur. Obviously, avoid avalanche tracks. Have a look at the trees at the bottom of a slope: if the slope-facing branches are stripped from the base of the tree, snow typically hits those trees with force and breaks the branches off. That's called flagging. Be aware of overhead hazards such as cornices and steep slopes. The spot you're in could be avalanche proof but higher up could come down on you, and the snow can move at 200km/hour. Cornices can fall on sunny days as they warm and soften, hit a slope and trigger a slide. You can also do a snow profile and tap test in the area you plan on going, which will tell you conditions below the surface. Do it in the same spot you are going: the conditions on the side of the highway won't be the same as 400m up.  Dig a snow pit with one flat wall, and look at the layers of snow. You can see and feel different types of snow depending on the weather conditions at the time it fell. Really soft and sugary snow in the layers can mean trouble, especially if they're sitting above or below a hard crust layer, formed by sun, wind, or rain exposure. The different textures means there's no cohesion and they just slide when subjected to pressure or vibration. The tap test in the photo above is when you isolate a pillar of snow, place a shovel on top, then tap 10 times each from the wrist, the elbow, and the shoulder. If you notice a shift in the pillar with only wrist tapping, stay the hell off the snow. Elbow tap is generally the same force as a person so it's still not quite safe. Shoulder tap is similar to a snowmobile in the area, and generally speaking you're safe as a hiker or skier, but still exercise caution and avoid sun-exposed, steep convex slopes. Of course, if you hear whoomphing or see cracking, and the slope is more than 20 degrees, you could be in major trouble. Hopefully that never happens when you're too far to reach safety. If you need to cross a questionable area, do so one at a time if you're in a group. Several people searching for one person is better than one person searching for a bunch. If you are in an area where avalanche conditions exist, really consider a buddy system and invest in a beacon, shovel, and probe of appropriate length. And check if there are avalanche bulletins posted online for your area. If it's like here, you get daily reports with really in-depth data and information. The Rockies here are one of the most avalanche-prone mountain ranges in the world, so we have a really fantastic system in place to prevent accidents. Unfortunately it still happens, but it would probably be much, much worse without avalanche.ca providing such valuable forecasts. I'll post some more photos from Sunday because we were in an incredible place to do this training. It was at a place called Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park.   We were all nervously laughing at the snowshoe track coming right down the middle of the slope as something you don't do, because even that slope could trigger a size 1/1.5    We measured the snowpack at 1.5m/5' deep. This was the roof of the outhouse in the parking lot.
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Mar 23, 2016 04:27
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Or just bundle up, sit on the porch, and drink brandy until spring time. Like man, I gently caress around a little too much hiking rivers/creeks during thunderstorms, but no way in hell would I want to gently caress around with all that a avalanche poo poo.
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Mar 23, 2016 05:06
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Kananaskis Public Safety posted this photo today of the slide, it's big.  Sad part was that since the guy was alone, there was no call until he was reported missing by family when he didn't return, and rescue went to scope out the area and happened across the avalanche debris. Apparently no one witnessed it. They brought in a search and rescue dog for recovery. This is why I'm glad I took this course, I don't ever want to think "Oh this peak is small compared to all the surrounding peaks, it's safe" then end up another sad story. The location was a place called Tent Ridge, which is hugely popular year round due to its ease of access and awesome views. It's only 600m/1900' elevation gain. But looking at it on Google Earth, it has numerous avalanche tracks on all faces and it's ultimately no surprise that one occurred. Didn't really think a size 3 could happen though, but that's indicative of how intense the snowpack is this season. https://goo.gl/maps/PyqHQf9tQNS2 The narrow yet really long track at the top is where this one occurred, with the starting area behind the clouds.
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Mar 23, 2016 08:31
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Guess I'll add this video too, our instructor showed this during our classroom day to emphasize that you really don't want to gently caress with snow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aAFcbr8euA
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Mar 23, 2016 09:53
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bongwizzard posted:They are great shirts but have very limited availability in fall and winter. I was waiting for months for them to restock. you should see my shorts bulge  point is, who cares what you look like out in the woods let the nips rip. you can't beat them in the summer & i'll even double them up in place of a thicker poly tee in the winter because 2 shirts is more versatile and warmer (from the air pocket between shirts) than 1 for about the same weight as your average thicker poly tee. and you always have the choice to shed one when you're exerting yourself. not the best shirts for all outdoors activities for sure, but they're great for ultralight backpacking, running, etc. availability totally sucks seasonally especially for some sizes, it's easier to get them if you live near a brick&mortar store. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 11:01 on Mar 23, 2016 |
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Mar 23, 2016 10:57
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Digging snow pits is a waste of time unless you're at near avalanche professional levels of expertise. Read the avalanche forecast for your area, learn how to recognize avalanche slopes and obvious signs of snow instability.
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Mar 23, 2016 15:53
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just move to a snowless country like the north half of australia pros: no avalanches probably dont need a sleeping bag no bears cons: the snakes might kill you if you provoke them
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Mar 23, 2016 16:22
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Tashan Dorrsett posted:you should see my shorts bulge I prefer a short sleeved button up for hiking as I like a collar to pop and the ability to vent by unbuttoning. I am going to start hiking in bootie shorts this summer. Now that I have discovered picaridian bug repellent I want maximum skin exposure so I can kill the fuckers before they reach my balls.
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Mar 23, 2016 19:51
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Picnic Princess posted:Kananaskis Public Safety posted this photo today of the slide, it's big. Yikes.
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Mar 23, 2016 20:01
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Mt. Rainier had a problem with their reservation system and are going all walk-in this year. If you've been looking at any popular trips there they'll probably be easy to get permits for this year.
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Mar 24, 2016 04:33
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Anyone have any swell tips for synthetic button-up shirts that aren't $60? Long-sleeved would be preferable, but not totally necessary.
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Mar 24, 2016 04:35
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Minnesota is going away from leaving 1/4 of their campsites walk up reservations to an entirely online reservation system this year. Curious to see how that will play out. In the past it has been frustrating to see 5 open sites you couldnt reserve online and not wanting to risk a long drive and not get a site. On the other hand I always thought that if I woke up super early and made it to the camp station right at opening I had 100% chance of getting the site I wanted.
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Mar 24, 2016 04:36
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A question for those familiar with the rules of the Enchantments. I'm curious if we (a group of 6) go out and establish a basecamp in our specified zone, can we split off and hike separately during the day so long as we return to sleep in our zone all together that night? I know there's a rule about people sleeping as a group but I didn't see anything along the lines of hiking as a group. My thought is that we would split during the day as some folks want to go technical climbing and others just hike. Those who want to climb Mt Stewart could go do so, those who want to go explore the other areas for the day could go do that stuff just as long as we all return back to our zone and camp for the night.
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Mar 24, 2016 20:53
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Well, now I'm glad I'm stuck at work all weekend. http://www.avalanche.ca/news/VvQXUyUAAPoYCTk8/spaw-032416 quote:March 24, 2016: Parks Canada, Avalanche Canada and Kananaskis Country are issuing a special public avalanche warning for backcountry users for the coming long weekend. The warning applies to Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper National Parks, Kananaskis Country, and Avalanche Canada’s Purcells and the North Rockies regions. The warning is in effect from March 25 to March 28. Basically it says: No where is safe, stay the gently caress out please. It's supposed to be warm, it's the long weekend, there's one of the worst snowpacks seen in years, I'm sure they're expecting the worst. Here's hoping we don't have any more deaths in the next few days. 
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Mar 24, 2016 21:27
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WOW southern California is awesome. No "stay away or die" warnings. ...except the constant looming threat of a huge earthquake hanging over our heads that force people to not look up.
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Mar 24, 2016 22:02
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Thanks for sharing all that avalanche knowledge!! I had never even thought twice about that happening A Saucy Bratwurst posted:just move to a snowless country like the north half of australia Uh, the highest concentration of poisonous poo poo per capita doesn't exactly strike me as safe either... Not too keen on going hiking someplace where there's a legit possibility of a funnel spider making its home in my boots overnight. Re: Cheap Synthetic Shirts: Check goodwill or VOA. Golf polos are pretty nice and you can pick them up for a buck. You can find all sorts of great stuff at your local thrift shop.
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Mar 24, 2016 23:51
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Verman posted:A question for those familiar with the rules of the Enchantments. Yes, Enchantment permits only apply to sleeping. You can walk wherever you want as long as you sleep in your zone. Be aware that the north side routes of Stuart are very technical though, and should only be attempted by people who are experienced alpine climbers. There is a scramble route up Stuart (Cascadian Couloir), but it's on the other side of the mountain from the Enchantments zones. There are some other peaks that are difficult scrambles like Colchuck and some that are basically walk-ups like Little Annapurna. Stuart is not to be taken lightly.
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Mar 25, 2016 00:56
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Cool that's what I was thinking. I got permits and will bring a couple friends with to hike/scramble. I invited a coworker (a very experienced climber) who applied and didn't get permits. Basically my group of friends (3-4 of us) would hike around and the other group (2-3) would go climbing so long as we all meet back up at camp.
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Mar 25, 2016 02:15
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A Saucy Bratwurst posted:just move to a snowless country like the north half of australia Sometimes it gets below 10C!  ... I did a winter hike last year starting off at sparrow's fart, and less than ten minutes in I had stripped off all of my winter clothes.
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Mar 25, 2016 03:26
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Ok, so this is a really lame question, but how do you guys actually store all your backpacking gear between trips? I've just accumulated so much over the years, including spare stuff for others, that the closet I'm using is just piling up and bursting at the seams--there's gotta be a better way
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Mar 25, 2016 03:59
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Stacked tubs in closet. Sleeping bag in loose stuff sack under bed.
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Mar 25, 2016 04:02
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Stuffed in the various day and overnight packs I have, piled in a corner of the closet. Tent and other hard stuff on bottom, sleeping bag on top.
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Mar 25, 2016 04:04
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Tsyni posted:Anyone have any swell tips for synthetic button-up shirts that aren't $60? Long-sleeved would be preferable, but not totally necessary. I am in love with Woolrich shirts, they might be more but I only buy poo poo like that when I find a deal. Sign up for all the outdoor-stuff deal sites and you can find a ton of great stuff for reasonable prices. Edit: all my poo poo is in two huge tubs and I have a dresser drawer for hiking clothing. Well, actually 80% of my clothing is hiking clothing, but I only keep one active set dedicated per season for actual hiking. I also always keep a loaded daypack and a change of clothing in my car, as I often have random free time and know myself well enough to know that not having water or bug repellent isn't going to keep me out of the woods if the mood takes me. bongwizzard fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Mar 25, 2016 |
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Mar 25, 2016 04:10
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Rodenthar Drothman posted:WOW southern California is awesome. No "stay away or die" warnings. Eh... there are if you're in mountain lion territory (which are off limits after dark). I risked it once and had an encounter. Never again.
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Mar 25, 2016 04:15
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I have a steel rack in a spare bedroom that house all my backpacking and travel stuff. I have a bin for the small stuff like headlamps, snorkeling gear etc
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Mar 25, 2016 06:08
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Ok, so it sounds like clear containers are the way to go... Thanks! I keep telling myself this is the last thing I'll ever need when I buy new gear, but the pile just keeps growing and growing, like it's alive. Doesn't help that backpacks are bulky and uncompressed sleeping bags/quilts turn into the stay puft marshmallow man, absorbing everything in sight.
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Mar 25, 2016 12:14
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