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Anything that enables me to be outside and more active is about the best spend on personal wellness I can imagine. +1 on the Darn Tough sock gang... fantastic for cycling, I just wait to find a good sale and buy 3-4 pairs at a time. Eventually I’ll have all my socks replaced 
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Mar 17, 2021 13:36
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Wool socks forever. They're just so much better than cotton socks, it's ridiculous.
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Mar 17, 2021 13:40
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wool sock gang
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Mar 17, 2021 13:49
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Good point keep talkin posted:Piggybacking off of this, I have a $20 dividend and a $25 gift card but I don't have any strong ideas on what to pick up. Got all of my car camping setup last year (tent, bags, pads, lantern, other stuff I'm probably forgetttin). I was thinking maybe a wide brimmed hat or some cooking supplies but I'm open to any suggestions more broadly if there's cool stuff you think I could use. Tent string lights are always a cool edition to car camping. We just picked up a bathroom bucket plus bags from REI. The bucket has toilet like seat and bags have some form of chemicals in it that help with the waste. We haven’t used it yet, but it will be tested soon (mainly a pee bucket for the wife, because I don’t see me ever using it). Also camping towels are a nice pick up. They are thinner while still absorbent than normal towels and I use mine all the time when getting back to my truck from a run or bike ride.
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Mar 17, 2021 14:28
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KozmoNaut posted:Wool socks forever. They're just so much better than cotton socks, it's ridiculous. 
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Mar 17, 2021 17:20
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Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? I've only ever owned 1 pair of wool socks in my life, some Carhartt wool blend advertised as a "boot sock" I bought off Amazon 8 years ago for $14. They're nice over my "regular" socks in the winter when it's mega cold, or snowboarding
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Mar 17, 2021 17:40
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Darn tough makes my feet feel swampy even though when I take them off my feet are fine. As a result I only use them when I need to, either because I'm packing light and I want stuff that won't stink or it's really cold out. It's not nice to feel like my feet are sliding around in my socks on a layer of water.
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Mar 17, 2021 17:43
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? There are merino wool socks for running and all kinds of summer activity.
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Mar 17, 2021 18:07
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? About two years ago I got rid of all my cotton socks and replaced them with ~10 pairs of darn tough wool socks and, honestly, it’s been one of the best purchases/upgrades I’ve made in my life. Wool socks everyday all day.
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Mar 17, 2021 18:07
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nate fisher posted:There are merino wool socks for running and all kinds of summer activity. Yea I have seen those, my only experience is with the "heavy duty" ones meant for warmth over anything else I guess. 1redflag posted:About two years ago I got rid of all my cotton socks and replaced them with ~10 pairs of darn tough wool socks and, honestly, it’s been one of the best purchases/upgrades I’ve made in my life. Wool socks everyday all day. Gotchya; this is what I was wondering. I asked my buddy who is more knowledgeable about the kinds of things discussed ITT and he seemed to think dailying wool sounded expensive / "not worth it" but he's also... well, I wouldn't call him cheap, but he certainly doesn't dispose of his disposable income as willingly as I do 
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Mar 17, 2021 18:18
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I wear decently thick wool socks at work every day to the metal shop, even in the dead heat of summer. The wool helps keep my feet dry and not all pruned up. Good enough for that, good enough for hiking.
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Mar 17, 2021 18:44
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? I wear these socks daily. They work well for steel toe work boots and hiking, and they never get smelly or make my feet stink after being locked in a boot all day. I also wear them for cold weather cycling. They only last about 1-1.5 years of regular use though. The worn out ones get tied into knots and given to the dog.
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Mar 17, 2021 18:52
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wool's just a material, how thin or thick the weave is, and whether they blend in synthetic fibers, really determines how warm your tootsies will be kept. that said i am fully on team wool sock (getting the REI employee discount helped push me over the edge to daily wear)
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Mar 17, 2021 19:05
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? I still have a ton of cotton socks that I'm going to use until they wear out, and get replaced with wool. As for the wool socks, I've got dress socks, slightly thicker athletic-style socks, hiking/boot socks and thick knitted wool socks. I'll use each of them on their own most of the time, but doubling up socks is the real pro move. Even completely unlined boots become serious winter footwear, but you obviously have to get the proper size boot for it, so the fluffy socks don't get too compressed.
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Mar 17, 2021 19:11
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1redflag posted:About two years ago I got rid of all my cotton socks and replaced them with ~10 pairs of darn tough wool socks and, honestly, it’s been one of the best purchases/upgrades I’ve made in my life. Wool socks everyday all day. Same.
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Mar 17, 2021 19:44
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Wool socks also don't feel like they get gross as quickly as cotton socks. I can comfortably wear a pair of wool socks two days in a row with no grodiness, but I would never do that with cotton socks. That cuts down the cost of getting them by half.
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Mar 17, 2021 19:47
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If you buy wool socks I highly recommend picking up some wool thread and a darning needle. It’s an easy skill to pick up, and you can extend the life of your socks by years by darning them once they pick up holes in the heel/toes.
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Mar 17, 2021 20:06
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Just in general, take the time to get comfortable with repairing clothes. You can get additional years out of them, maybe not for formal use, but certainly for home and outdoors use. Anything with a membrane obviously needs special care, but aside from that, break out that needle and thread.
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Mar 17, 2021 21:01
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Wool socks also won't burn like cottons or synthetics, in case you get set on fire.
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Mar 17, 2021 21:39
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Just started reading the thread so apologies if this has been covered. Going to start doing some hammock camping, and so for my research has me liking the DD travel/bivi hammock. I live in a mountainous region and sleeping off the rocky/sloping ground is always a plus, and if need be it can also be used as a bivi. Anyone have any experience with this particular product or DD hammocks in general? Also will get a under quilt, though not to sure how much one should splurge on these or if I’m better off doing something else to help stay warm.
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Mar 17, 2021 22:50
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You'll probably get plenty of great answers here, but there's also a hammock specific thread --> https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933174
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Mar 17, 2021 23:42
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys wear them day to day, or just for active use? Every single day. Even in the summer in 90F heat and 90% humidity. They wick sweat, but my feet don't sweat anyway so I don't know how good they are at it. My socks are really thick too. Doesn't matter. Wool is the poo poo. Pennywise the Frown fucked around with this message at 00:51 on Mar 18, 2021 |
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Mar 18, 2021 00:47
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drat, it's starting to get to that time of year where I start buying tons of hiking/camping gear I don't need. My basement "outdoors" section is already full and overflowing into the middle of the room.
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Mar 18, 2021 00:55
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Pennywise the Frown posted:drat, it's starting to get to that time of year where I start buying tons of hiking/camping gear I don't need. My basement "outdoors" section is already full and overflowing into the middle of the room. Same here. And I'll be buying new boots too.
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Mar 18, 2021 01:12
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Except I don't have a basement. Just a coat closet. With no coats, unless you want to wrap a sleeping bag over your shoulders.
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Mar 18, 2021 01:13
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Pennywise the Frown posted:drat, it's starting to get to that time of year where I start buying tons of hiking/camping gear I don't need. My basement "outdoors" section is already full and overflowing into the middle of the room. If there is room to overflow to the middle of the room then the room still has empty space, not sure what the problem is.
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Mar 18, 2021 01:18
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withak posted:If there is room to overflow to the middle of the room then the room still has empty space, not sure what the problem is. Noooooo..... 
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Mar 18, 2021 01:25
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Hey Pennywise do you know of any decent dispersed camping spots in mid WI?
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Mar 18, 2021 01:30
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ganglysumbia posted:Just started reading the thread so apologies if this has been covered. I assume you're British or something because when I google that brand it comes up with prices in pounds. It looks OK, I cant convert the specs easily enough to Yankee but it doesnt look like it comes with a ridgeline. Looks like its made with parachute material as well. If you absolutely need a bivi/hammock combo I'd say go for it. Otherwise there are probably a lot of better hammocks out there.
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Mar 18, 2021 01:36
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AKZ posted:Hey Pennywise do you know of any decent dispersed camping spots in mid WI? None at all. I'd love to know of some. I don't know of anything outside like, a 50 mile NW trip from me. edit: lol I just found this in my bookmarks. I haven't done any of it nor do I remember reading or bookmarking it Wisconsin Explorer Primitive and Dispersed Camping in Wisconsin Pennywise the Frown fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Mar 18, 2021 |
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Mar 18, 2021 03:20
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Hydration bladders: fine or a terrible idea that will likely explode and soak all my stuff? I have trouble making sure I drink enough water while hiking and was thinking of trying a bladder since I could sip while walking. I was looking at the Gregory 3D or Platypus Big Zip EVO, though the latter seems hard to find now.
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Mar 18, 2021 15:54
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z0331 posted:Hydration bladders: fine or a terrible idea that will likely explode and soak all my stuff? I have trouble making sure I drink enough water while hiking and was thinking of trying a bladder since I could sip while walking. I was looking at the Gregory 3D or Platypus Big Zip EVO, though the latter seems hard to find now. You'd have to do something pretty wild to rupture a hydration bladder. As long as it works with your backpack, they're quite nice. I use them on day hikes, but on overnight stuff I typically go with 2 nalgenes.
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Mar 18, 2021 16:04
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I love the bladders on day hikes, backpacks are designed around using one so it's like you're not carrying anything and it's super convenient to drink. They're also pretty thin which means if you come across some cold meltwater you can submerge the bladder for 10-15 minutes and chill it down real nice, get a cold drink on the trail. It's loving amazing when the sun is beating down on you.
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Mar 18, 2021 16:13
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if you're going to get a bladder anyway i strongly recommend the CNOC bladders. super easy to fill, very tough material, and built-in interface with sawyer squeeze filters so on longer trips you can get clean water as you go
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Mar 18, 2021 16:20
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I have never heard of anyone refer to a water bladder as a bad idea, never mind a terrible one 🤨 I don't use mine often, but it is nice. Beats carrying a water bottle on multi hour hikes.
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Mar 18, 2021 16:22
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Chard posted:if you're going to get a bladder anyway i strongly recommend the CNOC bladders. super easy to fill, very tough material, and built-in interface with sawyer squeeze filters so on longer trips you can get clean water as you go Oh nice, they're back in stock, thanks for the link!
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Mar 18, 2021 16:24
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Sab669 posted:I have never heard of anyone refer to a water bladder as a bad idea, never mind a terrible one 🤨 Just making sure they weren't something that seem good but everyone has horror stories about having them leak, be difficult to use, take up more room than they're worth, taste awful no matter what, etc.
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Mar 18, 2021 16:40
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I am always anxious about my bladder, but I've never had any problems If you're a hammock camper, hanging a bladder on your ridgeline and running the hose inside your hammock is some of the best poo poo ever. Wake up in the middle of the night dehydrated? Just lift your head up a little bit and drink like a gerbil, rather than running your hands all along your tent floor looking for that dang bottle that still has water in it >: ( I am a thirsty boy and also cooking out of a hydration pack sucks so I have a 3l bladder + I carry two liters with me, though I might not always have those bottles filled
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Mar 18, 2021 16:59
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I also take them on day hikes but prefer nalgenes for backpacking. I need that interior space for my stuff, and it's easier to refill the nalgene with my water purifier. Never had any leaking issues.
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Mar 18, 2021 17:31
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z0331 posted:Hydration bladders: fine or a terrible idea that will likely explode and soak all my stuff? I have trouble making sure I drink enough water while hiking and was thinking of trying a bladder since I could sip while walking. I was looking at the Gregory 3D or Platypus Big Zip EVO, though the latter seems hard to find now. I like bladders when going on day hikes. I use my TETON Sports Oasis 1100 Hydration Pack which I really like. Sometimes I just put a Smart Water bottle in the side pockets but it's can be slightly annoying to swing the pack off of one shoulder to take it out. Plus it's a bit tall so sometimes I just use a nalgene bottle. (edit: I responded before I read all of the replies so I guess I do what all of you guys do too lol) Anyone have any essentials they take on a day hike? I understand like..... shoes and a phone is all you really need. But I like having stuff. I even bring a GPS so I can "ugh" about how much more trail I have left until I finish. Pennywise the Frown fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Mar 18, 2021 |
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Mar 18, 2021 17:42
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