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bongwizzard posted:I am amazed that people prefer hiking backpacks to traditional luggage. I would so much rather have a nice rolling box that unpacks flat so I can easily sort my poo poo without taking everything out to get to that one thing at the bottom. Lots of reasons Easier to carry from a bus to an airport to another bus to a train Easier to move quickly / run thru airport or train station when running late Easier to put in lap on crowded bus Easier to clip to a railing while you nap waiting for a train or bus so that it doesn't get easily snatched Easier to walk with it a mile from a bus or metro stop to wherever you're staying Might be hiking in the same trip and not want to bring 2 bags Have zipper at bottom of pack so it's easy to get underwear from the bottom anyway I'm not knocking traditional luggage if that's what you like, but a pack gives immense benefits in ease of getting around before and after the flight itself.
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Mar 13, 2017 15:14
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Eh, I guess I do like 90% of my traveling for work so none of that applies as I am mostly just cab-airport-plane-airport-cab-hotel, so I am never running or napping really.
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Mar 13, 2017 15:21
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bongwizzard posted:I am amazed that people prefer hiking backpacks to traditional luggage. I would so much rather have a nice rolling box that unpacks flat so I can easily sort my poo poo without taking everything out to get to that one thing at the bottom. I thought this was sarcasm at first but I realize its not. I've personally found traveling with a backpack to be incredibly convenient and easier to deal with in general. The ideal backpacks for travel have U shape zippers which give you frontal access to your stuff versus top or bottom loading like most traditional packs. Both of my primary backpacking packs load this way and its awesome. I can pack my clothes flat like a suitcase or roll them as well and I've noticed zero difference in regards to wrinkling. For something like a suit, I would carry the garment bag regardless if I was bringing a backpack or traditional luggage, the difference being with a backpack you can carry a garment bag and still have a free hand. With a suitcase you would have 2 full hands.    Most of my travel tends to be for leisure. I realized the benefits of traveling with a backpack when I first went to Europe as the streets can be old and cobbled, uneven, crowded etc and wheeling a suitcase would have been more of a burden as you would end up carrying it most of the time. You're also more nimble so you can hop onto a bus, train or take the stairs without having to rearrange things in your hands etc. bongwizzard posted:Eh, I guess I do like 90% of my traveling for work so none of that applies as I am mostly just cab-airport-plane-airport-cab-hotel, so I am never running or napping really. This makes a lot of sense in your case. If you aren't having to walk with your luggage or anything then it doesn't really make a difference. I tend to walk and use public transit when I travel internationally so having a backpack makes walking 10x easier.
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Mar 13, 2017 18:20
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bongwizzard posted:Eh, I guess I do like 90% of my traveling for work so none of that applies as I am mostly just cab-airport-plane-airport-cab-hotel, so I am never running or napping really. Rolling bag for work travel 2-5 days a week, Backpacks and maybe one small roller for international or regional travel. Rollers and backpacks for scuba diving.
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Mar 13, 2017 23:25
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How terrible am I for seriously considering hiking sandals? In the summer I'm spending 90% of my time in or near rivers and I hate wet socks. I'd wear normal sandals, but there's usually 5-10 miles of hiking between the car and the river. Between these and my  zip off pants I'm sure to be the coolest cat on the trails.
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Mar 14, 2017 00:06
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Ropes4u posted:Rollers... for scuba diving.  Content. Here's the Saturday where the spikes were insufficient. 
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Mar 14, 2017 00:10
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anyone ever try that backpacking beer stuff...Pat's Backcountry Beverages I guess? Also wonder for a shorter trip if it's easier to just take cans. Think I'm gonna do a 4-5 day trip with my dad later in the year and want to booze it up but taking a whole six pack might be annoying e: like holy poo poo a beer or two every day sounds really fuckin good all of a sudden Levitate fucked around with this message at 00:55 on Mar 14, 2017 |
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Mar 14, 2017 00:50
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App13 posted:How terrible am I for seriously considering hiking sandals? 
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Mar 14, 2017 01:31
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CopperHound posted:I have a pair, and I wear them everywhere there isn't snow on the ground. I'm that goober you see in keens with crew cut wool socks: Do you not get dirt and rocks rubbing inside the sandal?
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Mar 14, 2017 01:32
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Dirt and pebbles get in, but the come out just as easy if I just lift my foot and give it a little shake. The closed toe keeps most of the garbage out. The biggest problem is foxtails. I have to take the socks off if I'm going to walk through dry grasses.
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Mar 14, 2017 01:48
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poo poo like foxtails are why I started thinking gators weren't a bad idea.
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Mar 14, 2017 01:57
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This year I am going to just have wet feet and not worry about it. Lightweight trail runners, super thin 2-layer socks, and like 4 spare pairs in my pack, for if I really get sick of being wet on a specific day. I am sure I am going to get trench foot and die, but we shall see. For days when I am going to be wading or actually in water for more than just crossings I am going to wear 3mm neoprene booties and some Astral Brewer water shoes. The bootie keeps rocks and girt out and, if I stop to rewet them, keep my feet as cool as my normal footwear. Sadly the water shoes kinda suck to hike in so I can really only wear them 4-5 miles per day max.
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Mar 14, 2017 01:57
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The problem I found with trailrunners is that they really, really do not stand up to the abuse of hard hiking with loads, and that getting them wet and then pushing them will cause the shoes to fall apart fast. I've switched back to the slightly higher weight and heat of Scarpa Zanskars this year, purely because having to buy a new pair of hikers every year is idiotic.
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Mar 14, 2017 02:08
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Rime posted:The problem I found with trailrunners is that they really, really do not stand up to the abuse of hard hiking with loads, and that getting them wet and then pushing them will cause the shoes to fall apart fast. Yes if you want to use trail runners you shouldn't carry a ton of weight.But they will hold up just fine if you're not overloading them
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Mar 14, 2017 02:16
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Levitate posted:Yes if you want to use trail runners you shouldn't carry a ton of weight.But they will hold up just fine if you're not overloading them 30-35lbs isn't really a ton of weight, TBH.
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Mar 14, 2017 03:06
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Yes that's true that's about what I carry so I guess I can't say I've had the same experience with them as you. Generally they're not going to last as long as stout boots because they're not designed that way but I didn't really find it to be an issue in general over some relatively rough terrain. BUT it could really depend on the environment you're hiking in.
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Mar 14, 2017 03:21
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I've found that trail runners with 30-35 pounds tend to last me about a year until they fall apart. Usually it's the soles wearing down to nothing but I've also had blowouts near the top mesh parts. I think a lot of it depends on the terrain that you're hiking too. I imagine that rockier terrain would wear them out faster than hiking through hard wood forests. Also its official, I believe this is year 7 or 8 for me not getting my enchantments permit. I was really hoping that this was the year. Instead I'm going to try and move around my schedule and try Glacier for August/September since I was planning on heading out west anyway.
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Mar 14, 2017 14:25
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I've found that trail runners with 30-35 pounds tend to last me about a year until they fall apart. Usually it's the soles wearing down to nothing but I've also had blowouts near the top mesh parts. I think a lot of it depends on the terrain that you're hiking too. I imagine that rockier terrain would wear them out faster than hiking through hard wood forests. my trail runners held up well through my week long trip cross country in the Sierras, but yeah imaybe if you were doing that every trip multiple times it'd be more of an issue? I dunno, I was a little surprised they didn't show much wear
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Mar 14, 2017 15:12
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I got my enchantments permit. First year applying too. It's for the snow zone starting on a Sunday in June.
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Mar 14, 2017 15:39
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Anachronist posted:I got my enchantments permit. First year applying too. It's for the snow zone starting on a Sunday in June. You bastard. Good for you though enjoy it. I always go for Core and Stuart as my secondary in August which is probably why I've had such a hard time. I also only apply once for my group instead of having everyone in the group apply. Maybe I need to just toss aside ethics and do that next year.
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Mar 14, 2017 15:42
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:You must be scuba diving in Greece or something where the underwater thoroughfares are well constructed. I wish.... we usually go to Bonaire for two weeks a year. My wife is an evil person, she is sending me photos of the back country while i am at home sick with the flu.
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Mar 14, 2017 16:25
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I've had my hiking boots for 5 years and I usually wear them all winter long as my daily "shoe".. Like someone said, it really depends on your terrain. I hate squishing my foot into rocks in trail runners. It hurts. I'm often hiking in rocky, scraggy terrain. I can stick my boot in a stream and my foot will not get wet (obviously not over the top of the boot). These are the reasons I prefer boots to trail runners. For a day hike on a well-maintained trail (or a long hike on a well maintained trail) I think a trail runner wins. People who just say they will get their feet wet and blah blah blah are insane in my opinion, but they are likely hiking in California where it's still 30 degrees celsius over night. I know this comes up every few pages. I just can't help myself. To be fair my boots cost 4-5x what my trail runners did. My feet do sweat, but my feet sweat no matter what so that's not really a factor for me.
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Mar 14, 2017 16:37
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BaseballPCHiker posted:You bastard. Good for you though enjoy it. Or go somewhere else in the ALW...
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Mar 14, 2017 19:12
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Enchantments must be one of the most overrated backpacking spots I know of. Sure they're great, but there are plenty of other spots in WA just as awesome, and people talk about the Chants like they're the alpha and the omega. People should put in for permits but NBD if they don't come through, go do Copper Ridge or Buck Creek/Spider Gap or MRNP Northern Loop or something instead.
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Mar 14, 2017 21:12
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I got enchantment permits last year only because I listed Stuart zone as my last pick. I got nothing this year but my close friend got Stuart permits for the exact same weekend this year. I'm sure I will go because well gently caress, its the enchantments, but the others on that trip with me called it the death march for a reason. The worst part about getting a Stuart zone permit is knowing you have to return to camp each night. With his permits, I wouldn't mind just hanging around Stuart Lake to camp, scramble the nearby ridges again and gently caress around the lake without trying to get up to the core again. Later this summer or early fall I'm leaning towards just trying to park 2 vehicles, sleep in one of the vehicles at the Snow Lake trailhead and through hike it in one day so that we can see the entire thing without having to worry about camping in specific zones. Its only 18 miles but staying at Stuart zone and backtracking to Colchuck and up Aasgard pass to the core and back to Stuart is 15 by itself and you miss out on most of the cores and the entire snow lake zone. To be honest, I'm more excited for climbing Olympus, Adams and some other trips I have lined up this year. I've also got a close friend whose into exploring some random spots this year so now that I have a partner in crime I should really be getting out a lot this year. And to this day, Pasayten was by far one of the coolest places I've ever been. If you put in for the Enchantments and you don't get a permit, just go to Pasayten. You won't regret it. There is some dramatic scenery from lakes, rivers, peaks and valleys to tundra environments, you can go to Canada, you rarely see another human being and its pretty relaxed. No permits, you can usually build a fire, and rain is uncommon in summer time. Seriously its great. And unless there's a ban in place, you can build a fire. *** Gear chat *** On a separate note, does anyone have any experience with Salewa Rapace or Crow boots? I'm getting into mountaineering this summer (light summer mountaineering for now) and need something more substantial than my regular hiking/backpacking trail runners and my disintegrating Merrell boots. Originally I was just going to look for a heavy duty backpacking boot but you want a stiffer sole for crampon use so I'm looking towards the lighter side of mountaineering boots. This REI dividend should be rather substantial and I've got a few things to pick up (ice axe, boots, harness, crampons, helmet) and I wouldn't mind picking up a pair of snowshoes with the discount they usually offer at that time. Verman fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Mar 14, 2017 |
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Mar 14, 2017 22:50
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I got back from my honeymoon in Chile, most of which was spent in northern Patagonia, and it was incredible. First of all, it's not hiking or backpacking, but renting a car and just driving around the region is amazing, there is so much scenery and such a variety of scenery, too. We also saw a decent number of bikepackers exploring the region's main/only road as we drove up and down it.  Renting a car there is not cheap, and you need to get 4WD (lots of stretches of gravel road with steep inclines and switchbacks) and be able to drive stick. Anyway the main thing is we did a 3 day backpacking trip in Reserva Nacional Cerro Castillo, which is apparently kind of like Torres Del Paine but less famous, almost as amazing, and farther north (and hence accessible without a boat).   The aforementioned cerro castillo (thusly named bc its peaks look like a castle)  Lots of rainbows on accounta how it spits rain or sleet at you for like 10 minutes every couple of hours.  And a loving crazy mountain we had to climb over that was nothing but scree and 80 mph winds blowing sleet in your face   The whole region is just incredible, I highly recommend it. We explored a lot more than what I'm posting here, I'm just focusing on the backpacking part of it. Oh another note, I was pleasantly surprised by how many Chileans are the adventurous/outdoorsy type! Like, we met a lot of other adventurers down there, including some nice hitch hikers we picked up, and they were mostly Chilean and a few Argentinean. Only met 3 people from US/Canada. And when we travelled in cities like Santiago and Valparaiso, just talking to random people, they'd be like "oh yeah, you're going to Aysen? It's gorgeous there, I biked around there for a month one time." Compared to talking to random strangers in the US, who are usually like "you're doing what?", my impression is outdoors adventuring is way more commonplace there than where I live (Pennsylvania), and maybe comparable to places like WA, OR, CA. alnilam fucked around with this message at 18:07 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 18:01
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That looks amazing. Congrats on your marriage and a successful adventure!
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Mar 16, 2017 00:17
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Oh hey, REI Garage Sale happens tomorrow.
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Mar 17, 2017 18:43
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Oh hey, REI Garage Sale happens tomorrow. My wife was at work nearby when they had the garage sale at the Seattle flagship store. She said the line wrapped around the block. I've gone to a few in other locations where there was no line and no madness. I'm not sure I can deal with that kind of hustle. I wish they would just go back to when they had a garage section in the store, the inventory changed on a frequent basis and you didn't feel like part of a black friday massacre. Also, according to the employee that I was talking to earlier this week, dividends should be coming out this week, and I believe the member coupon as well.
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Mar 17, 2017 19:14
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Verman posted:My wife was at work nearby when they had the garage sale at the Seattle flagship store. She said the line wrapped around the block. I got my dividend the other day. I spent a fair amount this year gearing up for the AT but I guess since most of it was sale\clearance stuff I only ended up with $13. Balls.
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Mar 17, 2017 19:17
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Pretty bummed I'm gonna miss the garage sale. I have to buy a bunch of stuff at REI in a few weeks anyway... FWIW I had a good experience at the one in Atlanta last year. It wasn't that hectic.
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Mar 17, 2017 19:27
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Do you find inflatable pads better to sleep on than foam, for insulation or comfort purposes? I took one of those big silver Therm-a-rests on the JMT and it was mostly fine. But I might pick up a cheap inflatable pad if they're available tomorrow, because people really seem to like em. Also, are there decent rain hats, or should I just get a hooded jacket already?
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Mar 17, 2017 19:40
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Do you find inflatable pads better to sleep on than foam, for insulation or comfort purposes? I took one of those big silver Therm-a-rests on the JMT and it was mostly fine. But I might pick up a cheap inflatable pad if they're available tomorrow, because people really seem to like em. Inflatable pads are better for insulation and comfort in my experience. The cheap REI pads are pretty decent, but there are some really nice more expensive options from exped and thermarest
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Mar 17, 2017 19:56
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I've loved my thermarest zeolite foam pad - it's cheap, warm, comfortable, and it's not going to fail by puncture 2 days into a 4 day trip. It's also lighter than all of my friends' inflatable pads. The one crappy part is the volume, but i just strap it to the outside of my bag, and carry it as my "personal item" when flying.
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Mar 17, 2017 20:03
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Do you find inflatable pads better to sleep on than foam, for insulation or comfort purposes? I took one of those big silver Therm-a-rests on the JMT and it was mostly fine. But I might pick up a cheap inflatable pad if they're available tomorrow, because people really seem to like em. Comfort and insulation for me. I was reluctant about air pads for a while because I don't want a pad to leak while on a trip. I'm a side sleeper so I struggled with foam and self inflating pads for a while but I was never comfortable. My self inflating pad wasn't very insulated so when temps dropped down to freezing, even with a 15º bag I was getting cold. I also slipped off it on a regular basis. It was really slick and being so low to the ground it was easy to roll off. I bit the bullet and bought a big agnes insulated Q core air pad. I sleep well through the night and it has an insulation value of 5 so it has made a huge difference in colder weather. I don't fall off or slip around on it either and I don't notice a lot of noise compared to other pads that get "crinkly" when you move around. The shape keeps you centered in the pad. The pad was the same weight and size as my self inflating so the tradeoff for improved sleep, comfort and warmth was worth it. I've had it about 3 years now and I don't have any leaks. I take it on about a dozen trips per year and its still working like a champ. Getting a deep restful sleep while on a hiking trip is a pretty big deal and makes a huge difference for me. I would buy one new from REI that way if it leaks within a year you can always return it. Garage sale pads are generally no returns. *** Also, I'm only getting $25 in my dividend. Apparently a lot of stuff I bought was on sale. Oh well, thats $25 towards the $800 worth of poo poo that I need to buy. ***
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Mar 17, 2017 21:35
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I'm terrible, I still have 2015 dividend money to spend. It might go toward a multi day backpack.
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Mar 18, 2017 01:58
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Good inflatable pads are great. Lighter, less bulky, more comfortable and warmer than foam pads, the only downsides are expense and leaks. Every cheaper pad I've owned has leaked sooner or later, my current NeoAir Xlite has survived pretty well so far though.
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Mar 18, 2017 18:50
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Yeah I think I'm going to get a neo air xlite when REI does their 20% off
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Mar 18, 2017 20:30
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Good call on not getting a non-returnable inflatable pad. There was a self-inflating pad that was returned because you could only inflate it manually, seemed like a pretty iffy deal. I did get a nice Outdoor Research hardshell jacket that should be great for the PNW rain.
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Mar 18, 2017 21:11
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Garage Sale frustrations: tried to buy an MSR Whisperlite Intl and Whisperlite Universal. Marked at $70 and $85 respectively, both missing the the fuel pumps but in otherwise good condition. Spoke to Customer Service they refused to acknowledge they were not complete items until they paged a floor supe who said 'Yeah he is right these should come with pumps, but it looks like nobody took that into account when pricing them.' They rang a manager who graciously authorized a $10 mark down  after I had spent the last 20 minutes futilely trying to explain that no I am not going to purchase a replacement pump for $40 when I could just walk over and purchase a brand new stove off of the shelf for cheaper.The floor supe tried to say that they couldn't sell anything that fuel had touched, and I asked why they hadn't written the entire thing off, he shrugged  Garage Sale wins: Women's Arc'Teryx Beta LT shell for $200, for a friend still had original tags.
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Mar 18, 2017 22:34
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