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Its tragic and we lose people every year due to getting lost, injured etc but we also can't hold peoples hands and still preserve the wildness of these areas. You could put all the signage and warnings in place and someone would still wander off trail, get lost and die. Humans are surprisingly successful at ignoring warnings and pushing past their limitations. Everybody thinks their skills are much much higher than they actually are. I don't mean to sound callous but the same freedom we love about the outdoors is the same freedom that gets people into trouble. Allowing people to freely experience the outdoors is a wonderful thing but it puts the responsibility in the hands of the individuals who need to make their own decisions. Things are always going to happen. Even with all the modern tech we have now, people still get lost because they don't remember to bring fresh batteries for their GPS, or simply dont turn it on. Most people don't bring more than a granola bar and a bottle of water on a day hike. Permits aren't the best solution for every area. There are a lot of wild areas and the manpower to keep up with the traffic is limited in most. Enforcing permits and constantly checking trails isn't feasible for most. Trailhead warning signs are likely the best solution. Give the mileage (if its a clear trail), hazards (loose rock, sharp ledges, hard to follow, scrambling etc) and give someone an idea of what to expect in terms of difficulty and remoteness and let them make the decision for themselves. If it doesn't remotely scare someone, its probably not doing its job.
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Oct 24, 2017 22:08
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| # ? Apr 16, 2024 06:47 |
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Freaquency posted:I bought a base Garmin eTrex a few years ago and it still holds up. You can put in the coordinates of where you want to go and it will draw a solid line to the destination, and as you walk it leaves a dotted line that you can follow back. My new fenix watch does this. It doesn't show terrain or anything, but the "navigate to start" function is pretty good when there are no established trails. Recently used in in the alpine area of RMNP, Great Sand Dunes and on the Muir snowfield on Rainier (though I didn't really need it on the last one). Also, regarding a response the rare instance of people who get lost and shoot themselves because of some long itinerary of unfortunate circumstances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkV_ztynYDM As has been previously stated, how many resources do you really want to commit to such things? Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Oct 24, 2017 |
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Oct 24, 2017 22:23
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Any recommendations on a good looking pair of hiking pants? I'd like something that zips off/rolls up, dries quickly, and that I could wear around town/not too baggy.
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Oct 25, 2017 02:58
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I like Eddie bauer first ascent guide pro pants. Zip offs are hard, most companies fit like trash bags.
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Oct 25, 2017 19:32
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For pants I am a huge fan of "anything softshell". For shorts I have settled on a pair of AFTCO fishing shorts. I have owned zip-leg pants but never used them. It's not like thin poly provides any useful insulation and I would rather have my legs be a little more chilly in the morning and just wear shorts on days where it would get hot enough to want zip-offs.
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Oct 25, 2017 20:57
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Convertible/zip-off pants are nice if you have to wade through a lot of streams.
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Oct 25, 2017 21:05
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I used some Marmot Arch Rock pants this year and like them. Not zip off though. They're lightweight enough to wear without overheating unless it's really hot or humid, pretty good range of motion without being too loose and baggy. Held up well to cross country hiking.
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Oct 25, 2017 21:16
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Shorts and t-shirts almost all the time. For temporary leg warmth, gaiters are sufficient. Otherwise just throw on the rain pants. Thermal layer typically goes on for the entire day if needed.
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Oct 25, 2017 23:32
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marsisol posted:Any recommendations on a good looking pair of hiking pants? I'd like something that zips off/rolls up, dries quickly, and that I could wear around town/not too baggy. These Academy pants are pretty great, and pretty drat cheap. Nylon pants are nylon pants, not too much to distinguish them honestly. The zipper thing is legit nice, though these poly/spandex pants are pretty great and maybe more what you're after. No reason to break the bank on pants, and I've absolutely loved any Magellan academy gear I've ever had, it's honestly all probably made in the same sweatshop in Shenzhen as Northface and stuff. I usually wear either those or athletic shorts myself, since nobody really cares what you look like when backpacking.
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Oct 26, 2017 03:39
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My Enlightened Equipment Revelation arrived. I got the special Hurricane Harvey edition with the Texas flag pattern. drat this is a good quilt and only 19oz.
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Oct 26, 2017 05:46
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Hungryjack posted:My Enlightened Equipment Revelation arrived. I got the special Hurricane Harvey edition with the Texas flag pattern. drat this is a good quilt and only 19oz. I have that quilt! Bloody amazing
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Oct 26, 2017 06:06
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OSU_Matthew posted:These Academy pants are pretty great, and pretty drat cheap. Nylon pants are nylon pants, not too much to distinguish them honestly. The zipper thing is legit nice, though these poly/spandex pants are pretty great and maybe more what you're after. No reason to break the bank on pants, and I've absolutely loved any Magellan academy gear I've ever had, it's honestly all probably made in the same sweatshop in Shenzhen as Northface and stuff. Prana pants are awesome, but expensive. I have two pair and would happily have two more.
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Oct 26, 2017 17:17
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newer Prana pants all seem to be boot cut which look ridiculous on me
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Oct 26, 2017 17:46
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Function > Fashion
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Oct 26, 2017 19:39
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They're also thicker than I'd like so their function isn't good enough  Like I said I found the Marmot Arch Rock pants to be just what I wanted.
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Oct 26, 2017 19:47
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khysanth posted:Function > Fashion I had my softshell pants tapered down. It is amazing how much less I snag them on poo poo. Never going back to boxy cuts for anything.
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Oct 26, 2017 21:37
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Hungryjack posted:My Enlightened Equipment Revelation arrived. I got the special Hurricane Harvey edition with the Texas flag pattern. drat this is a good quilt and only 19oz. Nice  My 20F version was too cold for me without a proper hood. Today also my Aegismax Down bacalava arrived. Maybe $16 from Aliexpress, 1 month shipping time. My head size is 60cm and the hood is large. It fits a beanie inside and still has lots of extra room. Weight is 75g, also the neck portion is very long so it should suit even the longest-necked people. I'm 200cm and my neck is quite tall...So if you ever feel like your head is too cold with the quilt, I can recommend one of those unethical chinese down hoods. MLD hood would have been $130 incl. shipping, customs and tax.
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Oct 30, 2017 19:22
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Ihmemies posted:Nice If you want a real Antarctic/Alaskan insulated balaclava, the Wiggys one is the end all/be all for superior warmth, durability, and utility: https://www.wiggys.com/clothing-outerwear/insulated-head-cover/
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Oct 30, 2017 19:31
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Ihmemies posted:Nice In the rare event I find myself camping below freezing, I'm going to try using the Revelation as an underquilt and my 20 degree bag to sleep in.
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Oct 30, 2017 19:53
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Ihmemies posted:Nice Yea, I also went the Chinese route and got 2x balaclava, 2x down booties, and 2x down pants for me and the wife. Our UGQ Bandit quilts should be arriving in ~3 or so more weeks... If we ordered all of that stuff from cottage American manufacturers, it would have cost nearly ~5x as much. Sorry Chinese ducks/geese...  If anyone is wondering, the largest booties they sell barely hold my men's size 13 US. Pretty snug but not uncomfortably so on the heel and toe. The pants link is for the men's only. The women's are available here in the color/size option area. khysanth fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Oct 30, 2017 |
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Oct 30, 2017 20:06
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khysanth posted:Yea, I also went the Chinese route and got 2x balaclava, 2x down booties, and 2x down pants for me and the wife. Our UGQ Bandit quilts should be arriving in ~3 or so more weeks... The last discount down thing I bought was the down quilt from Costco, and it was spectacularly lovely. I also bought a discount down sweater from Sears a few years back, which was okay for light fall temps or if you're indoors, but basically craptastic for anything I'd actually want to use down for. To me I'd rather pay the extra bit and get something known to be decent, since hiking or backpacking (especially in the winter) means that your life could potentially depend on it, instead of your quick discomfort between the car and your front door. I also think that anything you're going to be active in would be better off being synthetic, since it still performs when wet and sweaty, whereas my experience with cheap down is that it just collapses and is useless as an insulator. E: Just to be clear, I absolutely love my down quilts from HammockGear and Undergound Quilts. Both have been absolutely fantastic, even the budget econ line HammockGear underquilt. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Oct 31, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 02:38
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Since you brought it up, I'll speak up in favor of the very same Costco down quilt. At 16oz and $20, it's extremely warm and affordable. My friends and I have had universally positive experiences with it both on and off the trail.
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Oct 31, 2017 18:19
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Hungryjack posted:Since you brought it up, I'll speak up in favor of the very same Costco down quilt. At 16oz and $20, it's extremely warm and affordable. My friends and I have had universally positive experiences with it both on and off the trail. Dude I still have the $10 amazon "sleeping bag" you tricked me into buying. I think it is stuffed with barbershop floor sweepings.
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Oct 31, 2017 18:45
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bongwizzard posted:Dude I still have the $10 amazon "sleeping bag" you tricked me into buying. I think it is stuffed with barbershop floor sweepings. If you're sore about that, I'll Paypal you the drat  That bag does suck so bad though.
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Oct 31, 2017 18:56
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If we're on the subject of discount gear, I'd definitely suggest looking into the used military surplus sleeping bags. They're formally known as Modular Sleeping Systems, and you can typically pick up a used patrol bag for like $10. It's good to about 30F, weighs about 2.5 lbs, is fully synthetic, and fits tall people no problem (a common issue for me with lightweight bags that skimp on length). There's also a heavier intermediate bag, as well as a bivy and a compression sack, and you can get all four parts for about $60 used - at which point you've got a cheap and comprehensive system that is rainproof and capable of keeping you warm even in the face of serious subzero temperatures (it's nominally rated to -50F, assuming you're also wearing cold-weather clothing). Of course it's also about 11 lbs, and not as compressible as more advanced gear, so there's a trade-off going on, but still it's a pretty good place to start for an aspiring backpacker.
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Nov 1, 2017 23:25
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Hungryjack posted:If you're sore about that, I'll Paypal you the drat Not sore, just wary of pancake mixes suggesting cut rate deals on camping gear.
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Nov 3, 2017 15:51
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I have a Made in Finland down bag already. I got the Aegismax hood just to try it out first. Only for sleeping, and it should be better than beanies. And for real winter I will probably use my down bag, a d quilt stays home. Of course I'm going to try how a quilt and a hood works first in a safe environment (or bring both with me). Those AliExpress down pants look awfully tiny. I got british army softie pants at size M and they are "big enough". 500g for pants is heavy, but they're roomy and maybe they let me use the quilt in lower temps too?
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Nov 3, 2017 16:09
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bongwizzard posted:Not sore, just wary of pancake mixes suggesting cut rate deals on camping gear. I still swear by most of what Costco has to offer.
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Nov 5, 2017 22:59
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Much depends on one's definitions of hiking, backpacking, and camping.
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Nov 6, 2017 07:54
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Hungryjack posted:I still swear by most of what Costco has to offer. I will say that the Costco down quilt makes an excellent pillow, and it was a great blanket to take with me on my kayaking trip down the great dismal swamp in July. It was about the perfect amount of coverage and warmth for when the temperatures plummeted down into the eighties overnight, and I was really quite comfortable with it in my hammock.
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Nov 6, 2017 12:29
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I just discovered GSI makes an ultralight pour over device for backpacking...tested it out a few times at home and it makes a good cup of coffee. Not sure I'd take it on a long trip because it requires more coffee than the usual Starbucks Via's or whatever but I'm definitely going to try this out on any shorter trips... Biggest downsides I see are need to carry more coffee because pour overs require more beans per cup, and having to have everything pre-ground which loses some of the flavor if it's been sitting there for awhile. I guess if I had a vacuum sealer I"d do something like vacuum seal a bunch of small coffee packets or something but I"m not going to get quite that crazy
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Nov 6, 2017 19:30
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I’m a giant nerd who lovingly roasts his own beans every few days, and I’ve found that even just portioned and shoved into a sandwich bag with the air squeezed out coffee doesn’t get too stale for a few days. It definitely stays better than anything you’re going to get outside of a speciality coffee shop. Didn’t know that existed. Will order immediately. I love my Clever Coffee Dripper, but it’s huge.
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Nov 7, 2017 02:13
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I'm really picky about my coffee, and used to be quite the snob about it. Then I discovered cafe bustelo and realized its better than any artisan fresh roasted blend I have ever had. I also ditched the aero press for cowboy coffee. The clean up sucks, but man does it make for some rich jet fuel.
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Nov 7, 2017 03:59
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There's also a jet boil french press plunger that fits their pots (and probably others with a similar diameter).
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Nov 7, 2017 04:19
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eSporks posted:I'm really picky about my coffee, and used to be quite the snob about it. Then I discovered cafe bustelo and realized its better than any artisan fresh roasted blend I have ever had. I also ditched the aero press for cowboy coffee. The clean up sucks, but man does it make for some rich jet fuel. Interesting, I'll have to see if I can find that around anywhere. I've had several instant coffees and while I'm happy to drink them they all have a flavor that's just a bit off at least. The little pour over things seems intriguing because I like pour over coffee and it's like .37 oz (I weighed it)
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Nov 7, 2017 06:03
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Levitate posted:Interesting, I'll have to see if I can find that around anywhere. I've had several instant coffees and while I'm happy to drink them they all have a flavor that's just a bit off at least.
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Nov 7, 2017 06:39
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You just do it cowboy coffee style while camping?
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Nov 7, 2017 06:49
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Bustelo Supremo instant coffee is pretty loving good while hiking. Especially at altitude, it tastes like heaven. Much better than the Starbucks via, and much cheaper.
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Nov 7, 2017 15:30
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I like to move quickly and carry lightly, so my regular life pour over coffee addiction is swapped out for Starbucks Instant Via coffee on the trail. It does the job. I'm even considering just switching to caffeine pills for backpacking. Maybe I could ween myself off the 'feine that way too.
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Nov 7, 2017 20:26
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I kind of like the sitting around camp feel of breakfast and a cup of coffee or dinner, assuming the weather is good. I don't like taking forever to get going in the morning but a cup of coffee is nice.
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Nov 7, 2017 20:42
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