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Sierra Nevadan posted:Can anyone recommend a good headlamp? Maybe on Amazon? I really like my Black Diamond Spot. It has several light settings including a red light, a long battery life, and it feels solid.
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Apr 26, 2014 10:28
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Seltzer posted:Can anyone recommend me a good lightweight daypack that's available on Amazon. I know the REI pack was praised in the OP but there's shipping and I have a prime account (REI doesn't sell on Amazon.) Also can anyone recommend good day hikes around Central NJ? Willing to drive a decent amount. I was shopping for a daypack recently and ended up getting a Deuter Speed Lite 20, which so far I like a lot. Some smaller packs still try to incorporate a fairly substantial, often padded hip belt, but I've found that for a pack that size they're not very useful. The Deuter has a very minimal hip belt that helps stabilize the pack without doing any real load bearing. It's ridiculously light but feels durable and has nice little touches like comfy rubberized loops around the zippers. It might be a little expensive if it's not on sale, but I heartily recommend at least trying one on if you find a place where you can compare packs. I don't know what other peoples' experiences with Deuter are but I'm pretty sure it's a trusted name.
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Aug 3, 2014 07:17
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gohuskies posted:What would folks recommend for a mid-layer jacket? Down is good if you're in a dry, cold (below freezing) climate and it packs down super small. Otherwise synthetic insulation is your best bet so you don't freeze your rear end off if it happens to get wet. Here are a few good light/mid weight jackets to consider: Synthetic: Arc'Teryx Atom LT (60g insulation, breathable fleece side panels) Arc'Teryx Atom AR (120g insulation in body, with less under arms and in hood) Patagonia Nano Puff (60g insulation, easy to layer) Patagonia Nano Air (60g insulation, super breathable but little wind protection) Down: Arc'Teryx Thorium AR (I own this and it's great but not worth full price) Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer (Super light and compressible) Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket (Also super light. Pretty good wind and water resistance for down) That's a quick run down off the top of my head, but there are plenty of great options in the insulated mid layer category and a lot of good deals this time of year, so shop around!
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Mar 15, 2015 04:46
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Blinkman987 posted:Sorry, I had it backwards. Bacteria can regrow in darkness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection#Cautions You had it right the first time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photolyase
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Apr 30, 2015 23:43
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I backpacked and camped on snow this weekend for the first time at Mount Shasta base camp. It was only an overnight trip, but I was freezing cold despite my fancy 0 degree bag. I know I didn't eat nearly enough that day and I'm wondering if you guys have found that staying well fed makes a huge difference in your warmth, or if it could be attributed to using a super lightweight closed cell foam pad on the cold snow.
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Jun 10, 2015 07:50
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evil_bunnY posted:You're compressing your bag with your bodyweight, so the pad has to manage a 35C+ temperature differential. So yeah. It's weird that those are the standard sleeping pads the local climbing shop rents for that route. Everyone else had the same one, but maybe most people are willing to have a cold night in exchange for not having to lug as much weight up the mountain before their summit attempt.
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Jun 10, 2015 21:39
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n8r posted:Were you wearing a hat? Were you totally zipped into the bag? Was wearing a hat but my bag was a little too short for me. Ended up sleeping with another bag on top of me and still wasn't warm, so I think all my heat was getting leeched out from under me. Definitely buying a Neo-Air XTherm if I ever snow camp again.
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Jun 11, 2015 03:48
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n8r posted:That sounds... really expensive. Yeah I wouldn't buy one unless I got a screaming deal since I will probably never snow camp again in my life. It IS very light and compact compared to my thermarest though.
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Jun 12, 2015 06:20
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bunnielab posted:If you can deal with a thigh zip pocket, Outdoor Research has some interesting looking options. I have a pair of their softshell pants, from a discontinued line, and I love them. They are basic jean cut and pocket placement. They were not crazy slim, but not too baggy either. I second this recommendation. I just bought the new Outdoor Research Prusik soft shell pants and they're fantastic. Not too slim, but not even close to baggy. They'd be great for anything not in hot weather. Also--do any of you use mountaineering boots as your backpacking boots. I'd like to have crampon (with heel clip) compatible boots that could do both since I don't do either often enough right now to justify the expense of buying separate pairs. I'm thinking the La Sportiva Trango Cubes would be a good candidate for this.
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Dec 5, 2015 10:29
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n8r posted:You can get strap on style crampons that work with anything. You can also get microspikes that work amazingly well for certain applications. I think you'd be unhappy with hiking in a full on mountaineering boot. What sort of stuff would you be needing them for? Sorry, I should have been more specific. I'd be using them on fairly steep snow in the Pacific Northwest and Sierra Nevada. Mt. Shasta, Mt. Hood, etc. So I'd really like the security of a hybrid style crampon over a strap-on. It sounds like you're saying even a lightweight mountaineering boot with a heel welt is going to be a lot less comfortable for backpacking though?
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Dec 6, 2015 20:21
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Spime Wrangler posted:I've done a bunch of hiking in la sportiva trangos and they are pretty drat light but still seriously overkill if your primary use case isn't technical mountaineering. The sole is almost completely stiff and the footbed is hard as rock. They certainly work but if you'll mostly be backpacking or dayhiking and not technical climbing you'll probably be happier dialing back to even a heavy leather boot without the hardcore shank and heel welt. Pretty much exactly what I needed to hear. I'll go with two separate boots. Tashan Dorrsett posted:Microspikes are plenty good for all of those hikes, I don't think I saw a single person with crampons last year. I'm know it's possible to summit Shasta in microspikes (particularly on the Clear Creek route), but there's no way in hell I'm going up the Red Banks at 6am in the Spring, when everything is frozen solid, wearing anything less than 12 point crampons. That's just me.
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Dec 7, 2015 20:17
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Hotel Kpro posted:Since winter may never strike Utah again I decided to get out and climb Pilot Peak just across the border in Nevada. Nice day for it Nevada's beauty is underrated.
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Nov 16, 2018 05:03
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Thanks, that's very helpful! I will probably be buying a pair from REI Outlet because I have some store credit. Ascender bars will save your calves if you're snowshoeing uphill much. If you don't anticipate anything remotely steep you can usually find better deals on ones without them though. Generally speaking you can't go wrong with anything from MSR.
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Dec 23, 2018 09:21
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I wear my Peregrines on most hikes, but if the terrain is rocky a shoe with a stiffer sole can be really nice and won't tire out your calves as quickly.
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Feb 17, 2019 19:47
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I finally bought a backpack and I'm wondering if it fits right. There seems to be a lot of space between the pack and the middle/upper part of my back. My torso measurement is in between M and L, so I went with a M. Thoughts?
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Apr 1, 2019 05:56
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Tsyni posted:Yeah, put weight in it (if there isn't already) and it's hard to tell from the angle, but pull tight the straps under your armpits and then the ones that are on top of your shoulders. About 19lbs in the pack in that photo. Everything is fully tightened and load lifters engaged at a 45 degree angle. It’s not uncomfortable, but just seems odd that the entire pack is resting on my lumbar.
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Apr 1, 2019 16:21
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Thanks for all the feedback. I’m naturally quite swaybacked, so I thought the extra lumbar support of the Gregory would be good to fill in the arch of my lower back, but maybe not. I’ll experiment with more weight and removing the lumbar pad if possible. I wish I had an REI within 100 miles. I’ll probably just go to Sportsman’s Warehouse and throw some 20lb bags of hardwood pellets into the packs while they glare at me.
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Apr 2, 2019 18:52
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I’ve decided to try backpacking this summer and figured I was basically all set since I’ve already got a down sleeping bag and tent. The sleeping bag was made in the early 70s and the tent is from 2005, and evidently we’ve made some strides in lightweight equipment since then (they weigh 4lbs 6oz and 6lbs 6oz, respectively). I just bought a Sierra Designs Backcountry Quilt 20F to replace the bag and I’m wondering if anyone uses sleeping pad covers to make their pad surface more comfortable or if they bring some kind of lightweight sleeping shirt that feels nicer than their daytime wear. Also I know there are much lighter quilts, including Sierra Designs’ new Nitro, but I wanted the biggest and widest one since I’m a side sleeper and afraid of drafts, possibly irrationally.
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May 24, 2019 07:38
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Jato posted:Anyone ever heard of the “Rhinowolf” or have any thoughts about it? My girlfriend discovered these while looking at tents for us to use on bike trips and is super excited about them - she backed the 2.0 version on Kickstarter yesterday to get us each one. I’ve read a little bit about people’s experiences with them and the biggest complaints seems to be about bad condensation. Is there something similar I should tell her to look at that might be better or are all-in-one systems like this a poor choice in general? I thought this was cleverly marketed garbage at first, but then I watched the video at the top of that link and discovered it’s actually garbage with insultingly dumb, obnoxious marketing as well.
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May 29, 2019 22:03
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After making GBS threads on the Rhinowolf I feel obliged to offer some actual constructive advice. Here is a selection of gear for two people that comes in at a cheaper price, weighs less, is warmer, and is more comfortable. Tent Blanket Sleeping Pad
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May 30, 2019 04:29
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Oh wow that's cool. Yeah I might just go with that then. If there’s anywhere nearby where you can try on packs, it’s worth it to get a sense of which brands fit you best. That Osprey pack is beloved by most, but doesn’t feel right on my body, so I ended up with a Gregory Zulu, which has a similar design but slightly different ergonomics. Hard to know until you strap them on with some weight.
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May 30, 2019 10:24
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incogneato posted:We're considering Death Valley and/or Joshua Tree this year. Has anyone done those in the winter? Any suggestions? I've never been to either (during any season). If you have a high clearance 4wd vehicle and enjoy driving through beautiful and rough desert back roads, a lot of the coolest places in Death Valley National Park aren't in Death Valley itself. The Racetrack Playa, Saline Valley, and Eureka Valley with its giant dune are all worth checking out. Just make sure you're prepared. Death Valley's peak season is spring, so winter campground availability shouldn't be a problem and the classic hikes like Golden Canyon won't be crowded.
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Jun 5, 2019 19:39
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People who are saying 60L is too big for an overnight pack generally have light and compact gear. I bought a 65L Gregory Zulu for 2-3 dayers and once my sleeping bag (a 6lb down bag from the early 70s) and tent were packed, I had almost zero room left. I ended up buying a quilt and have some extra space now, but better too much pack than too little as long as you can resist the urge to fill it. The weight penalty between a 45L and 65L pack is often minimal for the flexibility you gain.
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Sep 4, 2019 20:27
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If you’re ever driving to California, Lava Beds National Monument on the CA/OR border is a fantastic stop. Little visited park due to the location, but the lava tube caves are first rate.
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Nov 21, 2019 09:38
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pumped up for school posted:I have a story tangential to Kelso Dunes. In May of 2003, the company I was working for was hired by CalTech for something different: the professor wanted to send us out with a bunch of students to image the subsurface layering beneath the Dumont Dunes. They were comparing Dumont and Kelso, and gave me some samples from both that I still have, strangely. Singing dunes are the best. I’ve had good luck experiencing it at the Eureka Dune in the Eureka Valley in the northern tip of Death Valley National Park. Once you get used to it it’s very soothing.
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Jan 16, 2020 10:09
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Trail runners are great, but for anything remotely rocky a stiff sole matters more to me than anything else.
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May 29, 2020 01:58
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