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Pryor on Fire posted:I do sort of medium weight trail runners and super thin socks down to about +5F (-15C), just run faster you'll be fine. But what do you do during breaks, camp etc? Won't your feet freeze when they dont generate any more heat?
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Oct 17, 2016 12:12
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Heads up for anyone planning to come to Canada next year: it's Canada's 150th birthday and as part of the celebrations, entry into all national parks and historic sites is free for everyone. Combined with our low dollar increasing tourism, as well as a huge push for tourism including lobbying for new direct international flights to Calgary, Banff and Jasper are expecting to be completely overwhelmed with visitors. I've been lucky to be able to interview park administration about "problems" they're facing, and that came up time and time again. So if you're headed to the mountains here, expect to be lined up on the highway in your car for over an hour just to access parking lots, and having to walk several km to get to trailheads because the parking lots are completely overflowing. That was already happening this year. Next year is going to be exponentially worse.
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Oct 17, 2016 17:14
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One more advantage to river valley hiking! It's just you and the mosquitoes most of the time!
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Oct 17, 2016 17:42
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Ihmemies posted:But what do you do during breaks, camp etc? Won't your feet freeze when they dont generate any more heat? I also have naturally warm feet, can't sleep with socks on no matter how cold it is.
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Oct 17, 2016 20:00
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FireTora posted:Hoping to complete our trip still, gonna play it by ear on Saturday. Did you guys end up going? We were out on Friday and it was pretty miserable so we just went home and drank instead.
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Oct 17, 2016 22:21
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eSporks posted:I hike in vibrams down to freezing, granted it's not as cold as him. At camp I wear 2 pairs of socks, the outer is a really thick hand knit wool socks. This works fine for me. Man, I did a 50k trail run in VFFs several years ago in sub-freezing mid-20s temperatures and it was quite possibly the most miserable run of my life. Nothing I did would warm my feet up and the cold just seeped through from the ground with every step. More power to you, but cold temps and VFFs did not work for me.
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Oct 17, 2016 23:43
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khysanth posted:Very cool. I grew up in the Murrieta/Temecula area but didn't do much hiking til I moved to LA. Spent a lot of time between there, Escondido, San Marcos, Carlsbad, northern SD, etc. growing up. For Escondido, Daley Ranch has a series of trails that link together so you can spend an hour or the whole day there. Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve is also in Escondido. Where Vista/Oceanside/Carlsbad meet is Lake Calavera which is really easy but is a nice place to go to do a quick hike if you're in the area. Palomar Mountain is also a good one. This guy's site has pretty good info on various hikes across the county: http://www.ihikesandiego.com/
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Oct 18, 2016 00:20
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I only got a pair of hiking poles this year and am a fan. On top of what's already been mentioned, they're handy for breaking cobwebs or dew laden branches on overgrown trails. If you hike for speed they can also help you go faster on straight-and-level-ish terrain too.
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Oct 18, 2016 01:13
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Stanley Goodspeed posted:Did you guys end up going? We were out on Friday and it was pretty miserable so we just went home and drank instead. Yeah, was pretty windy late morning/early afternoon Saturday for the upper half from Castle Rock. Stayed dry besides the occasional misting though. Since there was so much fog we just pushed through and got to Waterman Gap fairly early and got set up before the rain. It started raining around 7 pm, we left camp around 10 am and got to Big Basin HQ around 2:30 with the rain only varying from light to pouring the entire time. All our rain pants and jackets had completely soaked through by the end but we had a great time. I think the trail from Waterman to Big Basin was prettier overall but the fog on Saturday left no view. I have a feeling we might have bailed if it had been raining on Saturday like it had on Sunday though, and any future 2 night trips are probably going to become one night trips if it's that rainy again. We're planning on day hiking the last bit from Big Basin to the coast sometime in the near future so we can complete it, and then move on to other trails. FireTora fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Oct 18, 2016 01:20
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Picnic Princess posted:Heads up for anyone planning to come to Canada next year: it's Canada's 150th birthday and as part of the celebrations, entry into all national parks and historic sites is free for everyone. Combined with our low dollar increasing tourism, as well as a huge push for tourism including lobbying for new direct international flights to Calgary, Banff and Jasper are expecting to be completely overwhelmed with visitors. Just come to parks in BC, where we don't have park rangers and who gives a poo poo about road rules.
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Oct 18, 2016 01:23
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Stanley Goodspeed posted:Did you guys end up going? We were out on Friday and it was pretty miserable so we just went home and drank instead. Maybe Firetora will post some pictures, because the only shots I got were of my home made hammock tarp (which is yet to be used with a hammock):  I need it figure out something other than a giant plastic bag as a ground sheet. I had to focus to not roll over onto the wet ground. I'm thinking of trying tyvek, but will water seep up from below it?  This is the one reason I'm glad I brought a tarp instead of a traditional tent. It gave us some shelter to cook breakfast and pack up our things:  And as a bonus, here is a crosspost of it from one of the bicycle threads:  e:oh he posted while I was writing this.
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Oct 18, 2016 01:38
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Rime posted:Just come to parks in BC, where we don't have park rangers and who gives a poo poo about road rules. Man, that video went so viral on my Facebook. It also reminded me of this picture I took this summer, which was people trying to leave Lake Louise at about 4:30 in the afternoon on a Monday, backed up from a stop sign almost 1/2 mile further down.  I've seen Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Emerald Lake like that. I'm just not going to any national parks. I'll stick to the provincial parks and wilderness parks. Which will get some spillover for sure but it might be somewhat tolerable.
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Oct 18, 2016 02:13
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Interesting story on Zion -- Zion National Park considers limiting visitors due to increased land erosion, ‘overwhelmed’ facilities Thanks for this article, it was interesting. We definitely noticed how crowded it was here, especially since our last NP trip was to Olympic where there was almost nobody at all. We got out early and did a side canyon in the Narrows so we never really ran into a lot of people, but I did have to intervene when we ran into someone who started etching their name into a rock while we were on the way back. I think most people want to make sure that everyone has access to these places, but when people can't even figure out that you shouldn't vandalize stuff that isn't yours it's hard to argue against some sort of metered access.
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Oct 18, 2016 02:19
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FireTora posted:Yeah, was pretty windy late morning/early afternoon Saturday for the upper half from Castle Rock. Stayed dry besides the occasional misting though. Since there was so much fog we just pushed through and got to Waterman Gap fairly early and got set up before the rain. It started raining around 7 pm, we left camp around 10 am and got to Big Basin HQ around 2:30 with the rain only varying from light to pouring the entire time. All our rain pants and jackets had completely soaked through by the end but we had a great time. I think the trail from Waterman to Big Basin was prettier overall but the fog on Saturday left no view. I've been fixated on this trail since it was posted earlier in the thread. We're visiting my wife's family in San Jose over Christmas, and I really want to run this in a single shot. I just need to convince someone to drop me off and pick me up. How was the footing? The pictures all make it look pretty smooth, but it's hard to get a sense from just a few photos.
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Oct 18, 2016 02:22
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EPICAC posted:I've been fixated on this trail since it was posted earlier in the thread. We're visiting my wife's family in San Jose over Christmas, and I really want to run this in a single shot. I just need to convince someone to drop me off and pick me up. How was the footing? The pictures all make it look pretty smooth, but it's hard to get a sense from just a few photos. Footing was great until hitting about 2 miles outside of Big Basin since it gets a lot more foot traffic, the trail went from practically no exposed roots to a large amount in the places closer to Big Basin HQ. The little rock scrambling closer to Castle Rock was a lot less than I expected and would be very easy to cross quickly, and there were a few large rock faces near the start of the second day, but nothing that would really slow you down. Most of the trail is as smooth as the last picture, just mostly single track instead. The trail shares the park fire roads and a couple private roads for a few short stretches. Would be a great long trail run. The only snags you would have hit yesterday was dead fall blocking the trail in a couple places due to the storm.    Didn't take my DSLR on the trip due to rain so I was stuck with my P&S that I never use, it does not like take photos when you're walking.
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Oct 18, 2016 02:37
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Is there a good guide on using trekking poles for the various situations you'd be in? I remember seeing some sort of cruise, brake, drive nonsense method a while ago
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Oct 18, 2016 03:41
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Not sure of there's a link or anything, but generally they're used when going downhill to take pressure off the knees, uphill to help drag your rear end up, and stowed when going over flat ground (unless you're using them as some kind of fast walking pace-keeping thing, I've seen some friends do that while doing Whitney in one day).
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Oct 18, 2016 03:48
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Picnic Princess posted:Man, that video went so viral on my Facebook. It also reminded me of this picture I took this summer, which was people trying to leave Lake Louise at about 4:30 in the afternoon on a Monday, backed up from a stop sign almost 1/2 mile further down. I wish I'd monetized it sooner, could've made $30.  I'm really glad I saw Lake Louise in the 1990's before it got turbo-nuts.
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Oct 18, 2016 03:54
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I am 44, and hiking poles are a must for me. Saturday I hiked to Mount Cammerer in the GSMNP which has a wicked climb up from Low Gap Trail to the AT of over 3,000 feet. The 3 miles descending Low Gap was brutal, and I can't imagine not using poles. So given my experience hiking the AT all over the Southeast, a good set of hiking poles are as important as a good pack. Leki is my brand of choice, but my wife swears by a cheap pair of Coleman ones she uses. Maybe I'm just old, but even if you are young your knees will thank you later in life.
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Oct 18, 2016 03:58
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Glad you guys were able to make it and didn't have to deal with the rain much until the end, I regret not going a little but half our group was total neophytes that would have probably sworn off backpacking forever so I hope it was the right call! That's a cool looking tarp setup, did you end up winging it or following a guide or something in between? I've been interested in moving away from babby's first tent double wall setup. I'm still using a Mountainsmith Morrison which I got on sale, pretty much my first backpacking purchase and it is unnecessarily heavy. Unfortunately, all the ultra light stuff seems to cost an arm and a leg so if there's a good DIY solution I'd love to know. Also re: groundsheets, I've heard good things about Polycro, you can pick up sheets from Gossamer Gear or just buy the heat shrink window seals at Home Depot or Walmart for the same effect. Lighter than Tyvek and still impermeable. EPICAC posted:I just need to convince someone to drop me off and pick me up. How was the footing? If you make a reservation you get a parking pass for free, you can park at the Castle Rock lot and schedule a pickup at the end or probably more convenient for everyone, leave a car at Rancho Del Oso lot at the end and bum a ride back to the starting point. That way you can take the four mile detour for waterfalls on the last day if you want (or not if you're hurting / tired) without busting your schedule or making someone wait for you!
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Oct 18, 2016 04:32
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It took me a while to warm up to the idea of hiking poles. I always assumed they were for old people or snow shoers. They just seemed excessive to me. After moving to Washington, I noticed tons more people using poles out here even for day hikes. I had a backpacking trip coming up this summer and saw the costco poles in stock so I picked them up and decided to try them. If they didn't work out i would only be out $25. They were a game changer. I felt faster, more stable, and more sure footed over tricky terrain. They really helped on inclines and even more on descents. I honestly think they allowed me to cover more ground with less energy.
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Oct 18, 2016 04:45
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Stanley Goodspeed posted:That's a cool looking tarp setup, did you end up winging it or following a guide or something in between? re: polycro it just looks like a sheet of plastic to me, but I'll give it a try. I imagine I'll have to add tie downs to the corners to keep it from bunching up on me.
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Oct 18, 2016 05:19
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Rime posted:I wish I'd monetized it sooner, could've made $30. That's actually your own video? Haha I had no idea. Congrats on being posted by like 30 of my Facebook friends.
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Oct 18, 2016 08:36
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I used to scoff at trekking poles, but then started doing a little more research. I now use them so that my 26 year old knees are still able to move properly when they are 60 year old knees. Backpacking can be very hard on the lower joints, and poles alleviate a significant amount of that stress. They are also great to use on uneven ground to avoid rolling ankles/blowing knees/whatever by giving more points of support. They take some getting used to, but I expect they will help me keep hiking years after many others had to quit due to joint problems. Crazyeyes fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Oct 18, 2016 13:42
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Looks like I'll be taking some poles! Thanks for the advice. I probably won't use them every day, but it'll be good to have some anyway.
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Oct 19, 2016 02:33
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They are very good to have!
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Oct 19, 2016 02:51
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I use my poles on every backpacking trip, but not every hike. Unless its a crazy difficult hike, icy or really long, I leave my poles at home for anything under 10 miles or so.
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Oct 19, 2016 02:57
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I'm on my second knee surgery and I bought some hiking poles to help out with a 3mi hike and camp I did 1 month post OP and after being 6 months on crutches. I scoffed at the idea before, but man are they sweet.Hungryjack posted:Man, I did a 50k trail run in VFFs several years ago in sub-freezing mid-20s temperatures and it was quite possibly the most miserable run of my life. Nothing I did would warm my feet up and the cold just seeped through from the ground with every step. More power to you, but cold temps and VFFs did not work for me. eSporks fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Oct 19, 2016 |
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Oct 19, 2016 03:29
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Alan_Shore posted:Looks like I'll be taking some poles! Thanks for the advice. I probably won't use them every day, but it'll be good to have some anyway. I hiked the PCT last year and used my poles every day. Uphill, downhill, flat ground, river crossings, rock scrambling, all sorts of situations. They're immensely useful. I can't tell you how many times I would have eaten poo poo kicking a rock or slipping on unsteady ground if it weren't for my poles. Especially when I'm hiking on poo poo like this: 
Tigren fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Oct 19, 2016 |
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Oct 19, 2016 04:01
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Alan_Shore posted:Looks like I'll be taking some poles! Thanks for the advice. I probably won't use them every day, but it'll be good to have some anyway. I forgot to grab mine for my last trip, and never have I missed something so much while outdoors. They're also great for moving briars out of your way. CopperHound posted:
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Oct 19, 2016 04:21
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I didn't bring a hammock because according to this hammocks are not allowed in big basin... and I didn't realize waterman gap was in castle rock instead of big basin. I'll have to remember to make some longer tree straps as well. Six feet will not cut it for most of these redwoods.
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Oct 19, 2016 06:30
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CopperHound posted:I'll have to remember to make some longer tree straps as well. Six feet will not cut it for most of these redwoods. For the occasional need for longer straps (mine are 5') I just picked up a set of ratchet tie downs for super cheap at the local car parts store. Paid like 10-15 bucks and got two that are 12' long and will hold 600+ lbs each; just had to cut off the end with the hook and I had a nice long piece. Have hung from them numerous times with no issues. They have a loop on one end so I just go around the tree, through the loop, and then tie a marlin spike hitch with a toggle (just a short piece of stick from the ground) to hang from. Shug did a good video on the hitch here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giumWY1zknU Clayton Bigsby fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Oct 19, 2016 |
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Oct 19, 2016 18:58
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A assume you bring cord with you? In a pinch I have used my normal straps to go around the tree, and then just run some cord from the strap to the hammock. I guess this only works if its the tree distance thats the issue and not the girth.
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Oct 19, 2016 20:59
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eSporks posted:A assume you bring cord with you? In a pinch I have used my normal straps to go around the tree, and then just run some cord from the strap to the hammock. I guess this only works if its the tree distance thats the issue and not the girth. With my Exped I use the whoopie slings I recently made, with the Hennessy it has plenty of heavier cord that works just as well.
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Oct 19, 2016 21:14
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sleeping pad preference questions... I'm 6' which means all the "regular" size pads are almost exactly as long as I am tall laying down. I'm undecided whether this is a good or bad thing...sometimes I feel like trying to fit a pillow on it makes it difficult to get the length down right. On the other hand, the longer sizes are more expensive and heavier and I'm not sure I'd get *that* much more out of it. Anyone have similar issues or thoughts?
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Oct 19, 2016 22:08
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Levitate posted:sleeping pad preference questions... Thermarest NeoAir X-Lite Long is 77 inches and only 16 ounces. Or just put your backpack at the bottom of your pad and rest your feet on that.
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Oct 19, 2016 23:16
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Yeah I almost always buy short options if available to save weight or money or both.
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Oct 20, 2016 10:27
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I'm 6' 7" and no pad is large enough. Extending the pad with something has always been the only option for me :/ Today my xtherm should arrive. Thermarest claims it has some kind of non-slip surface, we'll see how it works on silnylon tent floor. I was too lazy to paint strips on it while seam-sealing the tent. Btw what is the benefit of rectangular pads compared to mummy shaped ones? I considered between both but in the end I bought the regular mummy version.
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Oct 20, 2016 14:04
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Ihmemies posted:I'm 6' 7" and no pad is large enough. Extending the pad with something has always been the only option for me :/ I assume the mummy shaped are to reduce weight mostly. But also, it fits in my big agnes bag better.
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Oct 20, 2016 16:42
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I have an old down bag from a time when bags were just bags. It's quite heavy at 1,4kg with 750g down fill. I don't know how low I can go with it, but with zlite sol it was barely comfortable enough during 2C nights. With xtherm I should be able to go a lot lower. Seems cascade designs is quite conservative with their pad sizing. The large xtherm is way over 196cm long when flat, and when inflated I have no problems with length or width, and I'm 201cm tall. The pad came also with a nice stuffsack, a big gray pump sack and a repair kit. Pump sack is 22*55cm so around 20 liters. Half the size of thermarest's orange pump sack but it seems to work well enogh. I considered getting the 40 liter pump sack as a pack liner but maybe I can live without one for now  Also pad is not crinkly at all. Most noise seems to come from the cloth of the pad when you rub against it while moving around. Many people claimed these sound like a bag of potato crisps but apparently they have solved that problem. Ihmemies fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Oct 20, 2016 |
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Oct 20, 2016 16:59
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