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Ropes4u posted:My friend was just down there bike packing, his fifty miler turned into 30 miles when he realized he was going to run out of water. I did not imagine myself running out when I was humping 15 lbs of water up the Pinnacles Trail (in addition to everything else). I drank every bit of my water (and then some), though! I'd plan on ~1.5 gallons per day, including cooking water. I believe the National Parks Service recommends a minimum of a gallon of water per day per person, and I would definitely emphasize minimum. Granted, Big Bend in March/April may be a bit warmer than the Grand Canyon during winter. Also depends on your level of exertion, of course.
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Dec 23, 2017 02:17
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I think I must exist in a constant state of dehydration, as I have never found myself wanting more than 2L of water when spending all day hiking around in 90° heat. Hell, most of the time I end up with at least a half a liter left over when I back to my car.
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Dec 23, 2017 15:04
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I went snowshoeing for the first time today and loved it. That is all.
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Dec 28, 2017 00:30
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Dukket posted:I went snowshoeing for the first time today and loved it. Where about? What snowshoes did you use? Been wanting to do this some time as well.
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Dec 28, 2017 02:59
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khysanth posted:Where about? What snowshoes did you use? Been wanting to do this some time as well. A snow sports complex in W Mi with rented snowshoes. Redfeather, not a brand I had heard of. I don't have anything to compare them with, but I was fairly happy with them. The bindings were easy to deal with. I stepped right out of one of them toward the end, which was weird, it didn't feel loose in any way, humorously I took a couple steps before I realized it. Stepping over logs was a bit clunky, but not a problem. Steep descents were probably the hardest part and where I came closest to falling. Climbs weren't too bad, but it was nice to have poles. I ended up doing 8 or 9 KM. Mostly flat, but a couple steep bits when I got into the dunes. I bumped a branch and dumped some snow down the back of my vest. They have a luge track, if I had the time I'd take the class.
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Dec 28, 2017 19:46
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Even with very aggressive snowshoes, descending is difficult. I typically zigzag if the terrain permits. In some places and conditions you have to descend backwards to maintain crampon grip. In other places it's easier to glissade. If you decide to descend in spikes only, please do it off the snowshoeing trail. 
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Dec 29, 2017 01:22
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A bit upset with myself after today. I had been planning this overnight hike out in the desert for a few months and squandered it after 5 miles in of the 12 I needed to do today. I fell and got some ocotillo thorns stuck in my forearm along with scrapes all over my right hand. I washed the areas with some water, but wasn't paying attention to how much I used and ended up using almost a quart of water to get all the gunk out. Since I only brought two gallons of water I realized I wouldn't be able to make it out and back without really stretching it. Hopefully I can retry the hike next month since I somehow have two days off in a row again at work, otherwise I may have to wait until next year. 
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Dec 29, 2017 02:23
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Hey thread I am having a bit of trouble picking out a jacket and was hoping for your help. I live in the PNW and besides general pedestrian commuting in the cold and rain, I day hike quite a bit in the snow and cold weather. I currently have a MontBell freney goretex hard shell that I wear with fleece and base layer when I hike that works very well for even like, gale force winds in the snow at tops of mountains so far. What I am really looking for and trying to fill is a coat to wear in the city cold rain and while skiing and other snow activities. It is cold here, and I hate the cold while walking, and above all want to be warm and dry. I’ve found four options it seems, 1) the super thick Canada goose style coats, I don’t much like these because they are really hard to move around in. 2) a MontBell Droites Parka that is goretex, as well as has a thin layer of synthetic insulation and seems warm but also seems quite thin. 3) a coat by Columbia called the wildcard that uses their Omni tech and Omni heat technology (I don’t know how good this stuff is). It is a bit thicker than the MontBell and they swear that silver reflective stuff inside is super warm, but I doubt their waterproofing or the silver stuff is any more than just a gimmick. 4) getting a synthetic filled puffy jacket or comparable warm fleece that I just wear as a layer under my MontBell shell when it is raining. This would probably be the warmest but not waterproof by far. I guess, I don’t know whether I should be trying to get a “one coat works for everything” deal like the MontBell Droites or Columbia jacket, or get a very warm but not waterproof down/fleece jacket that I can wear my waterproof shell over when I need to. Do you guys have any thoughts on what would be the wisest choice here? Or other options that might work really well? Blind Rasputin fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Jan 1, 2018 04:30
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I'll answer (probably without answering): In the pnw, why would you not be prepared to layer dynamically in all circumstances? If it's raining but not cold, raincoat. If it's cold but not raining, hood/fleece thing. If it's raining and cold, both. If you think 50F is cold, substitute a down inner jacket for the fleece. I can only imagine some possibly-misplaced notions of style suggesting that one should wear a single coat, at which point you should be prepared to be cold and wet, which may be part of the reason that crowd is always overdressed in sweaters or always seems to think public spaces should be heated to 80F. Final observation: If at all possible, avoid wearing your hiking gear around town. Car seatbelts, daily backpack straps, buses, rubbing up against things, sitting in seats, roaming around work in fleece washing your hands and such, wears down GoreTex rather quickly, increases the likelihood of tears, stretches out elastic, and degrades Velcro and such. The lifetime of my shell went from 1.5--2yr up to 5--10yr when I started wearing it only for hiking and backpacking.
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Jan 1, 2018 06:36
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Blind Rasputin posted:
I'd stay away from the Columbia unless you're price sensitive. My wife picked up some boots with that omni tech and it was pretty underwhelming. Beyond that they lacked the fit and finish of a boot that was $40 more. I had an Omnitech toque and the "tech" is just little aluminum foiled printed fabric thingies that would do about nothing. Maybe it'd be a step up from generic department store jacket, but if you're already rocking a Montbell I'd stick with that and layers. My go to lately has been an OR softshell, Patagonia synthetic hoody, light fleece, and a baselayer if it drops below -10. My GoLite winter pants finally shredded so now I have to hunt for something that isn't ridiculous snowboarder setup.
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Jan 1, 2018 14:48
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I use (new) milsurp clothes just for hiking. They're all camo patterned so I have less of an itch to wear them in public. The DWR coating requires less maintenance that way. I try to layer whenever possible. The pants & jacket are just for protecting the warmth and base layers underneath and block wind. I swap to my gtx jacket when it starts to rain enough. I've been trying some synthetic warmth layers (climashield) which seem to work better than heavy fleece, weigh less and take less space when compressed. No idea how long it takes for them to go bad though, my heavy fleece are at least 20 years old and still work like new. Also the synth layers give some extra warmth when sleeping, meaning I can theoretically bring a lighter weight mummy bag or a quilt. I don't like to take extra risks during winter though.
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Jan 1, 2018 17:24
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Blind Rasputin posted:Hey thread I am having a bit of trouble picking out a jacket and was hoping for your help. I live in the PNW and besides general pedestrian commuting in the cold and rain, I day hike quite a bit in the snow and cold weather. I currently have a MontBell freney goretex hard shell that I wear with fleece and base layer when I hike that works very well for even like, gale force winds in the snow at tops of mountains so far. Since you're dealing with cold rain, I'd avoid down because it collapses when wet. My experience with even down mid layers was they accumulated perspiration and collapsed, making it innefectual. That was also a cheap down vest, so maybe more expensive down is better, but I've pretty much sworn it off for high activity winter coats. I will say that my favorite all around jacket has become the North Face thermoball synthetic. It's a great mid later puffy, and very versatile as a stand alone three season down to freezing. I've worn it in cold rain down into the thirties, and it did a great job keeping me warm and shed most of the water by itself. You could easily layer it with an outer waterproof shell and an inner thermal layer for most high activity winter stuff. Plus, I got mine on sale from Backcountry.com for 100$, so it's not as pricey as comparable jackets if you're patient and look around. For a real below freezing winter jacket, I really love my wiggy's sweater. They've got a new version that is more water resistant which I'd love to get, and might be more up your alley. Only downside is that it's not as long of a torso as I'd like for a standalone winter jacket, but I'm also 6'4". Beyond that, if you're looking for something like a parka, I'd personally love to get one of these. I just have trouble justifying that much when I only do below zero camping trips twice a year, depending on the kind of winter we have. I've just muddled through with base layers and my wiggy's sweater, but a real parka would be pretty sweet for low activity winter camping. I recently bought these artix snow bibs, so I'm pretty excited to see how they work out. Last time I backpacked in the negatives, I just about froze my dick off with just thermal layers and hiking pants. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 21:28 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Jan 1, 2018 21:25
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Seattlite here: I layer all year round, in town or in the mountains. Goretex shell if raining or threat of rain(OR Furio shell) with a down puffy mid (if needed), a tech mid zip-up (OR Radiant Hoodie - I live in these pretty much every day) and then whatever shirt I’m wearing that day. If it’s exceptionally cold out, I’ll rock a tee or Hoodie and my Feathered Friends Volant down puffy cuz gently caress it, that poo poo is warrrrrrrm and waterproof and a down puffy is pretty much the standard Seattle uniform. If I’m going out for a fancy evening where I know I won’t be outside much more than from the Lyft to the place of hangout, I’ll wear whatever warm dressy coat I have. But layers are great and provide the most versatility. Also, note: I work for in tech, cycle to work pretty much every day rain or shine, and mostly wear jeans and a tee after changing out of my commuter clothes so, I may not be the “style” you’re going for.
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Jan 2, 2018 03:41
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Yeah thank you my dudes, I went and purchased a midweight synthetic poofy layer from Montbell. The thermawrap Pro. It is extremely warm, very light, and looks like it will stand up to light rain if need be and definitely wind. I think I will just do what you all recommend and if it’s raining throw on my Goretex or shell coat over. But otherwise I think I have found exactly what I was looking for to get through those cold as hell mornings that were killing me.
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Jan 2, 2018 05:00
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Anyone ever go trekking in Nepal? Thinking about planning a 7-12 day trek in October and November and I need some inspiration or suggestions on where to start
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Jan 2, 2018 17:54
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marsisol posted:Anyone ever go trekking in Nepal? Thinking about planning a 7-12 day trek in October and November and I need some inspiration or suggestions on where to start There are a couple of goons in this thread that trekked the Annapurna Circuit. I don't know if that's your plan or not, but it is one of the world's most popular trekking destinations if you're not already aware of it
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Jan 2, 2018 22:13
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I really enjoyed Everest Basecamp. Back then you had to fly into Lukla, but from what I understand there is now a road that gets really close to there that you can hike in from. Everything past Lukla is amazing. Takes about two weeks, but will be crowded in October and November.
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Jan 3, 2018 00:19
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Cheesemaster200 posted:I really enjoyed Everest Basecamp. Back then you had to fly into Lukla, but from what I understand there is now a road that gets really close to there that you can hike in from. Everything past Lukla is amazing. Takes about two weeks, but will be crowded in October and November. Yeah I looked briefly into EBC and Annapurna but I think I would like something with a lot less people. I started looking into the Langtang Valley, which was obliterated by the earthquake but is finally starting to come back. I'm just a little worried it wouldn't be enough of a "Himalayan Experience".
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Jan 3, 2018 03:05
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Wherever you go you really don't have to worry about people. When I did the AC I did it in the busiest month and for most of it we came across maybe 2 or 3 other groups per day. Plus the scenery is absolutely incredible. You can't go wrong with the AC or EBC.
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Jan 3, 2018 10:40
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Crossposting from the Gear Thread, but I was wondering if anyone here could give me some winter glove recommendations?OSU_Matthew posted:Question about winter gloves... I'm looking for a good all-in-one compromise for backpacking. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Jan 4, 2018 |
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Jan 3, 2018 23:33
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OSU_Matthew posted:Crossposting from the Gear Thread, but I was wondering if anyone here could give me some winter glove recommendations? I'm usually good without gloves until 30-40 degrees depending on wind and if I'm moving and staying warm. Then I go with some light gloves (costco version of these). Dexterity is good, especially if you get some with grippy palms/fingers. Durability isn't very high but its hard to find that balance between warmth, durability and dexterity. https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/mens/mens-gloves/mens-pl-100-sensor-gloves/p/2432030893007 I really like these gloves though. They aren't crazy thick but they are pretty warm for their size and I feel the dexterity is pretty good. Not mechanix glove dexterity though. Those are usually my standard by which all gloves dexterity is based. The only time I wear thicker gloves is skiing or down to 0 temps. https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/mens/mens-gloves/mens-stormtracker-sensor-gloves/p/2448810639006
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Jan 4, 2018 00:21
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Crosspost from Seattle regional: Anyone able to suggest how far toward Miuir (Mt Rainier) regular groups (no climbing permit) are allowed to go this time of year? It's only 1400ft to Panorama Point... With all the driving required to get there, I'm trying to find enough options for the buddy and I to fill the time, and it's only 9.4mi RT at 4700ft ascent to Miuuir, which is well doable if surface and weather conditions allow. It might be above freezing up there after 7am, so the snow may be too fluffy to make good progress. (Well... and oxygen deprivation, in which we have not trained, but I intend to slow down my pace.)
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Jan 5, 2018 14:54
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Email the rangers about current conditions, but you never need any permit below Camp Muir. There are tons of snowshoe routes from Paradise- you will have no problem filling the day without heading higher. Camp Muir is very popular and should have trail broken. It is below 10k feet so altitude will not be a problem. Just be prepared to navigate/survive in freezing whiteout. It is not a beginner snowshoe by any means. Also be aware lately they have been requiring 2WD vehicles to put chains on- check the daily twitter if that is an issue for you.
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Jan 5, 2018 17:29
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Unless something has changed you don't need a permit to go to Muir. You just need to be ready to turn around if weather changes which it does quickly, and be prepared for snow travel and potential whiteout conditions. If you get clear skies the view from Muir is way better in winter.
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Jan 5, 2018 17:40
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Also be aware that they do close the gate from Paradise in the evenings, I think at 5 pm, and especially if they open it late in the morning it can be tough in winter to make it all the way up to Muir and back in time to make the gate. So sick to your turnaround time.
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Jan 5, 2018 18:10
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Very thorough, many thanks. Twitter says the gate has been opening at 9am, traction tires advised, required to carry chains. Definitely watching the weather models today and tonight, watching the sky, and there will be two GPS receivers between us. More later perhaps.
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Jan 5, 2018 20:22
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Now I want to go. My wife is out of town though and I have the dog so I can't leave him all day and certainly can't bring him to Rainier. All of my friends are going skiing this weekend too. Dammit. Maybe I'll just go snowshoeing.
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Jan 5, 2018 22:15
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Yeah we're just boring snowshoers. I'd probably fall down and kill myself on skis. Crazy hiking buddy thinks it's time for him to climb big mountains so now he has crampons. Well... Adams maybe I can do, but yeah.
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Jan 6, 2018 00:18
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Yeah we're just boring snowshoers. I'd probably fall down and kill myself on skis. Do Adams if you can (wait for summer obviously). Its a lot of fun and really rewarding for a relatively easy non-technical mountaineering summit of the 2nd highest peak in the state. Plus you get to rear end slide down from the false summit to Lunch Counter which takes a few minutes. No technical experience/skills/equipment needed other than walking in crampons and knowing how to self arrest with an ice axe. The age of some of the people up there was pretty surprising. Plus, you get to rear end slide down from the false summit to lunch counter which is about 2k feet IIRC.
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Jan 6, 2018 00:52
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I suspect the Longmire gate may be delayed in the morning and, as suggested above, that may hinder a full run trip to Muir. Hiking buddy has also fallen a bit out of shape, etcetera, so I'm holding "Ice axe practice yay!" in reserve as a backup plan a few thousand feet above Panorama. Maybe I'll even post a picture of we survive and indeed, sigh, I should probably just buy crampons and plan to do Adams. Edit: Weather cleared as expected for the first 90min but turned into a wall of white soon after which seemed to follow us down. Visibility was mostly 10--20ft until dropping back to ~6000ft but by then it was snowing everywhere. Road was worse outbound than in the morning. Very nice snowshoeing and ice axe mini practice up some of the hills. PhantomOfTheCopier fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Jan 7, 2018 |
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Jan 6, 2018 07:28
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Fyi, Costco has exofficio boxer brief 3 packs for $11. They usually run 15-25 per pair.
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Jan 7, 2018 06:18
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I think a couple of people here have been to Henry Coe State Park...assuming it isn't raining, is this time of year a decent time to go? Any suggestions for an overnight with an under 10 mile hike in?
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Jan 8, 2018 05:45
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Levitate posted:I think a couple of people here have been to Henry Coe State Park...assuming it isn't raining, is this time of year a decent time to go? Any suggestions for an overnight with an under 10 mile hike in? Yes, it's a lot of hilly open space and one of California's nicest state parks. Most of the park is unimproved trails and I bet you will have a lot of space to yourself this time of year. It looks like it will be cool but not freezing at night in January, so I'd give it a shot! The park has several entrances. I've only been in via Hunting Hollow and Dowdy Ranch, and if you're in the Bay Area you'll probably go to the headquarters entrance. I highly recommend the Orestimba Wilderness area and the surrounding country, so maybe go east from the HQ up into the hills? The wilderness area itself looks like it might be difficult to reach by foot in a day, however. 
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Jan 8, 2018 06:23
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Yes, it's a lot of hilly open space and one of California's nicest state parks. Most of the park is unimproved trails and I bet you will have a lot of space to yourself this time of year. It looks like it will be cool but not freezing at night in January, so I'd give it a shot! Thanks, I'll look at it a bit closer as well. Does it require permits? Basically trying to plan some short trips during the winter months to keep busy
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Jan 8, 2018 18:36
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Levitate posted:Thanks, I'll look at it a bit closer as well. Does it require permits? No permit needed, you'll pay a little fee at the visitor center.
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Jan 8, 2018 19:10
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I suspect the Longmire gate may be delayed in the morning and, as suggested above, that may hinder a full run trip to Muir. Hiking buddy has also fallen a bit out of shape, etcetera, so I'm holding "Ice axe practice yay!" in reserve as a backup plan a few thousand feet above Panorama. Late to this but FYI: I’ve done parking lot to Muir with a full summit pack in 3 hours - this was in September, and being in peak climbing shape. Plan on 4-5 hours to get up there in full blown winter on snowshoes. I personally wouldn’t even consider it without my split board since skinning up and snowboarding back down is wayyyyyy faster. That being said, snowshoeing around Paradise and up to Pano Point is pretty awesome. Adams is a great mountain to climb due to it being relatively non-technical. It IS still a big mountain so don’t get lulled into a false sense of confidence. Depending on how conditions are this coming summer, you can do Adams with just microspikes (I used my crampons, but that’s because I already own them). Oh, and if/when you head up to Rainier/Paradise and/or Adams, mountain-forecast.com is an awesome resource for planning.
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Jan 11, 2018 22:43
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Did an "alternate route" for Horsetail Falls Trail (along 50 in CA) which involved going up a ravine, not without its share of obstacles. These included wet, slippery granite boulders and thick manzanita bushes. Worse of all, however, were gooseberry bushes, characteristic for their sharp thorns. Got nice views of Pyramid Peak and some frozen lakes (Osma? Ropi?) below. Came across tracks in the snow that may have been a bobcat's. On the way down, I lost the ravine for a bit (hard to see in all the vegetation everywhere) and had to walk on top of manzanita branches to get around. I probably deserve all the bruises and scrapes I have. Later, I bought an Outdoor Research Foray jacket. I hope it lives up to is reputation... I never even had a good rain layer before.
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Jan 14, 2018 19:18
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Verman posted:I'm usually good without gloves until 30-40 degrees depending on wind and if I'm moving and staying warm. Then I go with some light gloves (costco version of these). Dexterity is good, especially if you get some with grippy palms/fingers. Durability isn't very high but its hard to find that balance between warmth, durability and dexterity. Thanks! I made it through the weekend, which dipped down to -6° with -18° windchill, by rotating between some Fox River wool Glomitts for site setup and stuff like working zippers and stoves, and a pair of Kinco ski gloves for gathering firewood and being less active sitting around the fire. I figure this is probably the coldest weather I'll run into while backpacking, so I'm glad to know what works. My favorite part of winter camping is being able to use sleds to bring in ridiculous stuff like a second sleeping bag and bundles of firewood.        
Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Jan 14, 2018 |
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Jan 14, 2018 19:42
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Holy gently caress that bacon and those eggos. You are doing something right.
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Jan 15, 2018 03:48
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The last time I checked in on down fill power, it was generally agreed that anything over 800 was basically marketing bullshit. But now I'm seeing 900 and 950 fill in a bunch of places. Is >800 fill legit now?
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Jan 16, 2018 07:39
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