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Ruptured Yakety Sax posted:Cool yeah I was wondering about that. The mini seems to be stocked here in australia but the squeeze not so much (except maybe as part of a kit that costs twice as much). I'll have to have a look around and see if I can find it, or see how much International shipping is. What's this survey you speak of? I'm always looking for a little bit of extra holiday dough (oh ho) I bought myself an MSR Guardian. It's as bombproof as it is cumbersome, but I bought it to keep me watered while car camping as well as hiking. I've used it in the scummiest dams I could find and it's worked perfectly. MSR seems to have put out a new filter called a Trail Shot which could be an option depending on your success with finding the Sawyer Squeeze.
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Jun 8, 2018 04:08
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Did a quick hike today with some new shoes I picked up to try and help combat my blister problems. It was only a 4.5 mile hike, but those coupled with toe socks and those bandaid blister things equaled no blisters! There were definitely some hot spots on my little toes at points but nothing ever developed, so that's a decent start. I really dig those shoes too. They're super comfortable and they stick to rocks insanely well. They aren't hiking specific but after reading some reviews of people that bought them to hike with I decided I'd give them a try. So far so good.
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Jun 11, 2018 04:16
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Dayhiked Mt. Whitney this past weekend -- a guy in my hiking group got some permits so we went for it. Sea level to 14,508' in 24 hours was not fun. Everything above ~12k was pretty brutal. One guy got altitude sickness pretty badly and had to turn around with his friend before Trail Camp. First time using an ice axe and microspikes. Going up the chute was strenuous but also kind of fun. Two hours to get up, and only five minutes to glissade down! Switchbacks still iced over/closed so there isn't another way up from the East except the even more difficult Mountaineer's Route.
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Jun 11, 2018 20:14
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Thanks for the advice about water filtration. Ended up ordering the Squeeze. Any advice or anything I should know before I start using it?OSU_Matthew posted:Oh, also be sure to bleach or chlorine your filter if you're not going to be using it again for awhile. I learned the hard way that stuff grows up in the and clogs it otherwise. Cool, thanks. How much do you dilute out the bleach prior to cleaning? Fall Dog posted:What's this survey you speak of? I'm always looking for a little bit of extra holiday dough (oh ho) If you're in Australia the groups called Realtime Research. A bit of spending money never goes astray. I see they've just posted one "looking for Interior Designers & Architects who advise members of the public what paint colours that they should paint their homes!", don't think I'll be able to bullshit my way through this one. I am very poor Over the long weekend made it down for a short, leisurely hike to Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island. Only 8.5 km and flat, but some nice views and surprisingly good weather. Saw tons of wallabies and a fearless echidna eating ants right on the path 
Ruptured Yakety Sax fucked around with this message at 09:52 on Jun 12, 2018 |
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Jun 12, 2018 08:07
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RobotRob fucked around with this message at 13:13 on Jun 14, 2018 |
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Jun 12, 2018 20:24
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khysanth posted:Dayhiked Mt. Whitney this past weekend -- a guy in my hiking group got some permits so we went for it. I just read your trip report on /r/ultralight, correct? Looked like one heck of a fun trip
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Jun 14, 2018 19:17
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fknlo posted:Did a quick hike today with some new shoes I picked up to try and help combat my blister problems. It was only a 4.5 mile hike, but those coupled with toe socks and those bandaid blister things equaled no blisters! There were definitely some hot spots on my little toes at points but nothing ever developed, so that's a decent start. I really dig those shoes too. They're super comfortable and they stick to rocks insanely well. They aren't hiking specific but after reading some reviews of people that bought them to hike with I decided I'd give them a try. So far so good. Just going to harp on again about the boots I bought from Altai Gear. I took them on a 12 mile hike with no breaking in and it was like walking on a cloud. I just wore them with some thick socks and pretty much forgot I had them on for the entirety of the hike. Zero hot spots at all and my only issue was getting chilly toes after setting up camp because of their breatheability. Give them a consider if you're still having issues with your feet.
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Jun 19, 2018 06:19
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Any other goons signed up for the EGGS hike this weekend?
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Jun 22, 2018 04:12
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Successfully completed the 20 on the Emma Grandma Gatewood Solstice hike!   For reference, it's an annual hiking challenge on the summer solstice put on by the Buckeye Trail Association to honor a founding member of the Buckeye Trail/first lady to thru-hike the AT. However, the trail around Burr Oak was pretty rough this year from all the rain we've been getting, so pretty much everyone who signed up for the 60 and 80 called uncle after the first 40 mile loop, and I think nearly all of the 40 milers only finished the 20. We also had several rainstorms during the hike, which made conditions even worse, especially when you got to the part of the trail that shared a bridle trail on the last half, or the sections that were outright consumed by the lake (which between the undergrowth and steep slope of the hill, couldn't be avoided).   One section usually served by a boardwalk:  This is basically what a lot of the trail was like throughout the hike:  This is actual trail:  How deep that water was (keeping in mind I'm 6'4")  Crossing Sunday Creek was fun too:  ~250 floors worth of sliding back downhill while trying to climb crappy bridle trails (god how I hate horse people):  Combined with tons of downed trees blocking the path:  The last eighth mile back to the campground was great though!  Fortunately there was lots of cool stuff to see along the way!     
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Jun 26, 2018 19:47
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Guest2553 posted:Thanks for the tip. I'm not much of a picture taker (as in, I just don't take pictures as opposed to sucking at it) but would like to eventually make some prints of cool places Finally got around to doing this one  It was more of a two-day-two-night trip since I started late on day 1 and finished early on day 3. I was also at the mercy of available campsite since I didn't make a reservation, so instead of evenly spaced legs I had 10/20/10 mile legs. That last day was my favorite by far. Day 2 kinda sucked though - it was raining intermittently so my socks got wet early on, and some of the trail legs were really rough and unkempt. Mosquitoes were also bad so I didn't stop any longer than the two minutes it took to grab water. Super non-ideal, especially with wet socks, but within my limits so I sucked it up.Kit list here. The only things I found myself ever really wanting were scree gaiters and gum. Almost everything else was used or emergency use stuff. One exception was the notepad - I don't write poo poo down so it'll go, but I'll keep the pencil and a single leaf of paper folded in with my map. After dissatisfaction with alcohol, wood, and tablet stoves I have finally found my zen with a canister stove. That plus harmony house soups made meals super convenient. They have very low calorie density by themselves, but a handful of instant rice or noodles and some dehydrated meat or TVP makes it pop. Each pouch is good for about 2 meals so the 18-count box can stretch out into 36 meals. Next time I go out I'd like to do all three loops of the highlands. Hikes for the hike god, trails for the trail throne. Guest2553 fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Jul 2, 2018 |
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Jul 2, 2018 17:58
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70k, 2 night/3 day trip either this week or next week. Who knew it was as easy as going outside?
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Super stoked that the hammock I've used ~5 times split in half as I was getting into it. What should I know when planning the purchase of my next hammock?
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Jul 6, 2018 00:50
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If you have access to a sewing machine you can order the components from Ripstop By the Roll, otherwise spend a little extra and order something premade from Dutchware. Both can provide guidance wrt weight limits if that was the issue. Otherwise just keep sharp stuff out of it and you'll be fine.
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Jul 6, 2018 01:03
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Ruptured Yakety Sax posted:Thanks for the advice about water filtration. Ended up ordering the Squeeze. Any advice or anything I should know before I start using it? Someone posted on the gear thread a great cleaning mix is 30% peroxide and 70% boiling water to kill all the organic stuff without leaving a taste or buying new stuff. huhu posted:Super stoked that the hammock I've used ~5 times split in half as I was getting into it. What should I know when planning the purchase of my next hammock? Oh gently caress... That's no bueno... What hammock did you get? Was it the 4$ vipon special? Can you just return it and get a replacement, maybe with a heavier weave or something this time?
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Jul 6, 2018 01:15
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I weigh 170 pounds. It was a Golden Eagle $40 hammock. I managed to tear about a 5 foot long hole in it before I was able to get out. Thinking it's not even worth it to get replaced because I would rather not be out on a trip and have this happen again.
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Jul 6, 2018 01:33
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huhu posted:I weigh 170 pounds. It was a Golden Eagle $40 hammock. I managed to tear about a 5 foot long hole in it before I was able to get out. Thinking it's not even worth it to get replaced because I would rather not be out on a trip and have this happen again. That's a bummer... Probably just a rebadged one from Guangdong province, like this one: http://m.vipon.com/#/details/4971369 Cheap and great to give hammocks a shot, but you know every corner that could be taken to save every single penny possible was absolutely taken. I'd just see if you could return your defective one wherever you bought it. If I could make a recommendation, I really like my Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, or one of the Dream Hammocks would also be very nice. I literally kayaked with the couple that own/make all the Dream Hammocks just last week, they were really great people and I plan on buying one here soon because I love cottage gear.
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Jul 6, 2018 04:26
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My first hammock was the Claytor Jungle Hammock set. It's pretty bomb proof but is on the heavy side at 4 pounds (tarp inclusive). I only really throw it up anymore for my kid when we go on small hikes, but once he's old enough to sleep in a hammock it'll be his if he wants. I have a dream hammock darien as well that I probably paid too much for after exchange rate/international shipping/duties, but it's fun when I feel like hangin' out.
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Jul 6, 2018 21:59
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I have a Hennessy Hammock which is pretty good. Used it in the jungle in Malaysia for a few weeks and had no complaints, it's light and easy to set up even in the dark. They are not cheap but pretty benchmark https://hennessyhammock.com/products/explorer-ultralite-asym-classic
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Jul 8, 2018 04:57
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Went hiking to a lake today and missed a hidden turnoff early in the trail. After 2 hours we didn't reach the lake and I realized we must have missed a turnoff. Even when we hiked back to where the turnoff should be I couldn't find it anywhere. Either way it was a fun day in the mountains. My dog and I jumped in the river for all of about 2 seconds. It was ice cold and literally took my breath away but it felt good after a sweaty hike. When we got back to our vehicle I noticed the car originally parked next to us was gone and they must have left their boots behind by mistake. Nice new Solomon gtx over the ankle boots size 11. I propped them up hoping they would come back and pick then up.
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Jul 8, 2018 07:28
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Verman posted:Went hiking to a lake today and missed a hidden turnoff early in the trail. After 2 hours we didn't reach the lake and I realized we must have missed a turnoff.
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Jul 8, 2018 15:40
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Robin Lakes? Thorp. I've navigated a whole lot worse and my wife wasn't feeling 100%. When we realized our mistake we decided that should be the end of the day. I'll probably head back there for an overnight next weekend.
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Jul 9, 2018 07:12
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Did the Twin Sisters today  . I liked it. Good distance, good difficulty, and the views are a great payoff. Only some minor blistering on one toe because my bandaid thing slipped off a bit and I didn't notice it. I had to replace the one on the toe that's a real problem a couple times as I could tell it had shifted off. I was trying out some new smartwool socks that worked fairly well. And on the plus side, the bandaid blister things didn't fuse to them like they do with my toe socks.  Gonna have to check out some of the stuff at Wild Basin next.
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Jul 11, 2018 01:34
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Oh wild basin. So nice.
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Jul 11, 2018 01:45
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Anybody here done any hiking or backpacking in the Coronado National Forest /Atascosa Mountains west of Nogales, AZ?
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Jul 12, 2018 04:47
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Verman posted:Thorp. I've navigated a whole lot worse and my wife wasn't feeling 100%. When we realized our mistake we decided that should be the end of the day. I'll probably head back there for an overnight next weekend. If only this 55F overnight had lasted one more day. 
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Jul 13, 2018 14:58
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I'm tempted to crash your party but I won't. I was ready to work from home today so I could bolt at 2pm and head toward Mirror Lk overnight and some of the three summits Saturday morning. With dumm at work this week and the generally elevated temperatures, I decided I'd just go up something steep for pictures tomorrow morning then hide indoors. We decided not to do thorp this weekend anyway, the drive is a little too far for our timing. One of our buddies wanted to come with and is on call starting late saturday afternoon so we're heading up tonight and then coming back tomorrow. We'll likely car camp so that we can get a super early start and be back in time for our friend. We were originally planning on Gothic Basin but now I think we're going to change plans, possibly Rampart lakes. Verman fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Jul 13, 2018 |
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Jul 13, 2018 17:42
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My goodness have I gotten lazy after my last backpacking trip. I mean well after, like a week and a half. Had an epic 5 day trip in Sierra Nevada that was grueling and agonizing but incredible, now I just haven't been doing my cycling and running routines back home faithfully. also quite sleepy. Sure hope a long recovery period is normal, however honestly I was expecting to return and be a badass after a brief rest.
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Jul 14, 2018 17:36
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What was the trip?
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Jul 14, 2018 18:44
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What do you guys think about this combo: $240 https://www.rei.com/product/754773/eno-doublenest-hammock https://www.rei.com/product/754781/eno-guardian-bug-net https://www.rei.com/product/814104/eno-profly-hammock-rain-tarp https://www.rei.com/product/840700/eno-atlas-hammock-suspension-system vs $220 https://www.rei.com/product/129825/eno-onelink-shelter-system-with-doublenest-hammock Looks like those two packages are exactly the same except for $240, I can choose the color of everything and for $220 I get a large carrying bag.
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Jul 14, 2018 19:55
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Levitate posted:What was the trip? We backpacked from Bishop Pass Trailhead to Palisade Basin on day one, this involved doing some cross country Class 2 over Thunderbolt Pass (a navigation error threw some Class 3 into the mix). From base camp at the basin we then attempted North Palisade and did Polemonium Peak. Got some mountaineering experience out of it but it was hellish at times given my level. Mountaineering is hard.
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Jul 14, 2018 20:06
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Just booked my Christmas hike of the W in Torres Del Paine, Chile over Christmas. I'll be in a tent (supplied by the refugio campsites) for all but one night. Any recommendations on footwear or any tips you wish you had known before you went? For footwear, I'll be in an Osprey Exos 48 with a pretty light load so I'll be using trail runners, but I'm not sure on waterproof vs non-waterproof with Gore-Tex socks. Note that I also use the Hoka One Challenger ATR as my day hiker, which is fine for the dry, kept trails of OC/LA but wouldn't last two days if I had to do anything asking more than that, so if there is terrain like that I'd need to get a different pair of shoes anyway. Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Jul 15, 2018 |
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Jul 15, 2018 05:55
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I went with some buddies on a quick overnight. We left work Friday night, drove up to the trailhead and camped so that we could get an early start Saturday morning and be back oh the city that evening. It cooled down to around 50 degrees which felt amazing and I slept really well. We hiked rampart ridge via an alternate route which only ends up being about 6 miles but it's nothing but up. The nice part of the hike is that it's not very popular and there are great payoffs (views of Rainier, several lakes, peaks etc) spread throughout the entirety of the hike. There was some snow still but not much. Enough that we were able to glissade down to rampart lakes. The area is beautiful but seemed like it was going to get crowded as the day went on. We only saw about a dozen people in the trail the whole day. We took a few wrong turns but managed to figure it out before we got to far off. Pretty buggy. A strange long white bug landed in my arm and when I went to swat it away it stung me. No idea what it was but it bothered me the rest of the day more than the mosquito bites. All in all a great hike and I'll return to explore the lakes and ridges some more. I'll post pics when I transfer them to my phone.
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Jul 16, 2018 02:03
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Heading to Yellowstone for the first time next week. Any suggestions for a good ~10 mile hike around the Canyon area that isn't swarmed with people?
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Jul 17, 2018 02:19
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Saturday was sadly warm when I started in the forest, nearly 70F. Above 4000ft it started to cool down and became loaded with biting insects, mosquitoes primary among them. Bug juice worked for 15min. It's rare to have this in the Cascades. 2.5mi one way, 970m up. Second trip with the new camera (not a dslr). (I'd post a picture but it doesn't seem possible to use imgur anymore???)
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Jul 19, 2018 00:27
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Photos of my hike to Rampart Lakes last weekend. Mt Rainier over Lake Lillian  Looking down on Rampart Lakes   On the return, looking south from Rampart Ridge 
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Jul 19, 2018 19:24
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Verman posted:Photos of my hike to Rampart Lakes last weekend. Oh good, it’s melting out nicely up there! How were the mosquitoes?
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Jul 19, 2018 22:49
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That reminds me, I did a 3 night trip in the Alpine Lakes wilderness earlier this month and as someone coming from California it was really fuckin' with me that there was still snow on the ground at 4k feet what the gently caress Washington! Oh and that 3-4k feet was like the normal altitude for there where in CA that's like the the chaparral climate ( I guess Yosemite Valley is 4k feet and change or something). In my mind mountains don't even start until like 7k feet Was also the first trip with a toddler and man it is definitely a lot more work... e: on our trip mosquitos were definitely present but not unbearable. Some judicious application of repellent and head nets when lazy worked fine.
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Jul 19, 2018 22:59
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Braincloud posted:Oh good, it’s melting out nicely up there! How were the mosquitoes? Bugs weren't terrible. In the open areas it was windy enough they weren't too bad if you kept moving. Once you stopped in the trees without a breeze they started swarming. It cooled off enough that they weren't bad at night. Liberal bug spray worked well. It was too warm for me to wear long pants and shirt all day. I went up in that area with my wife about a month ago and we couldn't get through the forest roads because they were still covered in several feet of snow. I'm amazed how quickly it melted.
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Jul 20, 2018 05:25
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Mokelumne Trekka posted:My goodness have I gotten lazy after my last backpacking trip. I mean well after, like a week and a half. Had an epic 5 day trip in Sierra Nevada that was grueling and agonizing but incredible, now I just haven't been doing my cycling and running routines back home faithfully. also quite sleepy. Sure hope a long recovery period is normal, however honestly I was expecting to return and be a badass after a brief rest. That's entirely normal, I felt the same way after spending a week backpacking the grand canyon earlier this year, and also after doing TOSRV, a double century ride over two days. You'll kick back once your body hits equilibrium  That sounds like an awesome trip! Please post some pictures when you get a chance... Which, speaking of, here's some pictures and stuff of my trip Grayson Highlands last weekend:   Thought this was really interesting... Because the recent bear sighting, they closed down the whole park and set up a bunch of solar powered electrified fence food storage areas for the campers, complete with steel strongboxes. Thought that was pretty cool! Funny side story, one of the guys on the trip had to stop at Walmart in the way down and get more food, because he left his food bag in the back of his truck at home overnight, and a raccoon stole everything before he ever left the house        Right before we all went to bed one night, we heard a motor and then to our surprise, this thing pulls into our camp:  Wound up being search and rescue, though how they got that Polaris down the trail we came in on baffles me. They were looking for a lady and her dog, who had gotten lost earlier that day and called in for help. However, instead of staying where she was like the rangers asked her to, she wandered off, away from the scales, which is a central nexus with a with literal road access. The lady in question had actually ran into us earlier that day, and we chatted for a bit, petted her dog, and asked where she was headed. She said parking lot and walked away, which we thought nothing about. She didn't seem in distress, didn't ask for any directions, nothing. Goddamn people are loving dumb. Funny addendum, the search and rescue volunteers were half lost when they stopped and talked to us... One of our guys actually pulled out some maps and gave them directions.
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Jul 20, 2018 17:52
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Grayson was so fun. Waking up to ponies drinking nearby and petting them was definitely a highlight. Did hear that some hikers would wake up to their tents being trampled though so that’s kinda scary.    
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Jul 20, 2018 18:01
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We are planning to spend a few days in Southwest VA in early October. Going to bike ride the Creeper, hike some in the Mt. Rogers area, check out Grayson (I have never been despite growing up right now in the road in Johnson City), and a few other hikes. Just curious has anyone been to the Channels Natural Area Preserve in that area (it is listed as being in Abingdon)? It looks pretty cool from the pictures, and different from what you normally find in the area. https://virginiatrailguide.com/2016/10/23/great-channels/
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Jul 20, 2018 20:29
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