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Karenina posted:Hey everyone! New Jersey-based goon here. I'll go on day hikes now and then, but nothing too challenging. Hoping to step outside my comfort zone, go on cooler hikes, and maybe learn to forage and fish. Ooh, that's pretty! Where was that photo taken? Check out the Backpacking and camping gear megathread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3817829, as well as the hiking and fishing threads: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3521471 https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933162 ! But most importantly 
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Apr 7, 2021 20:02
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For the newcomers, please poke around and ask questions in the various threads of interest. Imposter syndrome is real but the community here is pretty open and honest. A lot of the posters vary from people just getting into camping and the outdoors to people that have climbed some of the most famous peaks and everything in between. Keep in mind there's also no end goal or finish line of success, just enjoy the outdoors in whatever way you find enjoyable. While some might geek out over ultralight tents and weighing their gear by the gram, others are just as happy taking their kids out with a coleman tent and roasting marshmallows at a drive in KOA. Karenina posted:Hey everyone! New Jersey-based goon here. Resources on ultralight packing would also be great. Or advice on hiking with chronic pain on your plate. Because I've had chronic pain for years, mostly around my collarbone, and I'm a little antsy about triggering a flare-up. While I don't have any resources on ultralight stuff per say, I would suggest seeing your doctor and getting a referral to a PT/sports medicine specialist to see if there's any possible way of addressing the pain issue. Trying A B or C won't really help unless your doctor can really thoroughly examine the cause/possible treatment for whatever is plaguing you. Its possible you might have already done this but if its that big of an issue, maybe consider getting a second opinion or a referral to someone who may have some other alternatives. As for chronic pain, I injured my lower back a few years ago playing hockey and fell backwards onto my tailbone. I herniated my L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs and it has caused pain and tension in my lower back/hip and sciatic nerve pain down my right leg ever since. Ive been to PT, ive been trying to stretch and keep with the PT exercises more and its just always there. My doctor finally took an xray and said that he saw some degeneration. When discussing surgery he gave me a 40% chance of success and said often times patients of back surgery often feel no relief and sometimes the pain worsens. Its pretty lovely though. I'm only 36 and in pretty good shape otherwise but it bothers me every day. I notice it the most when I'm not being active which is often because I'm at a computer all day for work. The more I move around and focus on staying loose and limber the better it is but it never completely goes away. Even when backpacking, I'll bring pain reliever (ibuprofen) just to reduce inflammation and take the pain down from a sharp hinderance to a dull annoyance.
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Apr 7, 2021 20:40
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Safety Dance posted:Ooh, that's pretty! Where was that photo taken? Somewhere on the Lenape Trail in Cedar Grove. Not sure what its name is. quote:Check out the Backpacking and camping gear megathread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3817829, as well as the hiking and fishing threads: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3521471 https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933162 ! Already bookmarked! Verman posted:While I don't have any resources on ultralight stuff per say, I would suggest seeing your doctor and getting a referral to a PT/sports medicine specialist to see if there's any possible way of addressing the pain issue. Trying A B or C won't really help unless your doctor can really thoroughly examine the cause/possible treatment for whatever is plaguing you. Its possible you might have already done this but if its that big of an issue, maybe consider getting a second opinion or a referral to someone who may have some other alternatives. So the good news is that I'm already diagnosed and medicated, meaning that the pain is way more manageable now. Huge improvement over the times when it hurt to write or carry a bag on the wrong shoulder. At the same time, I've absolutely overcorrected in a way that's not doing me any favors. This: quote:I notice it the most when I'm not being active which is often because I'm at a computer all day for work. The more I move around and focus on staying loose and limber the better it is but it never completely goes away. is completely true for me, and the more I think about it, it's more inertia holding me back. And this dread of somehow overexerting myself and causing an injury, which could happen, sure, but the fear has more to do with what happened before I was medicated than anything. Some pain's going to follow me no matter what I do. That's what the ibuprofen is for.  Anyway, I think this is something I really needed to hear. Thanks.
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Apr 7, 2021 21:19
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Karenina posted:Resources on ultralight packing would also be great. Or advice on hiking with chronic pain on your plate. Because I've had chronic pain for years, mostly around my collarbone, and I'm a little antsy about triggering a flare-up. If a lot of your pain while hiking is due to having a backpack, you might want to look into a lumbar pack. When I used smaller day packs without a decent lumbar belt, my shoulders and upper back would be screaming at me within a mile or two. Just something the way the straps pulled really aggravated my everything. If I'm just doing a couple hours where water, a rain cover, and a snack is all I really need, there's a lot of options these days for lumbar packs that make you look like an uber dork but are shockingly comfortable. I currently use a north face pack and it's great. No more lovely day pack neck pain or sweaty summer back. If you prefer water bladders, I've rented the osprey one through work a few times and it's also pretty dope.
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Apr 8, 2021 13:25
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Taking both kids camping today. It’s beautiful outside, forecast to be even warmer tomorrow, and I’m so excited.
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May 2, 2021 17:13
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AmbassadorofSodomy posted:Oh yeah, for the other goon, but anyone else who might be hesitant. Outdoors https://imgur.com/gallery/PVCtGWM Went bikepacking. Had fun. Meet a charming little rattlesnake.
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May 3, 2021 01:58
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I'm aiming to go on my first solo car camping trip this coming Thursday and Friday nights. I'm in northern California. I was originally going to China Campground in Big Sur, but that's kind of on fire at the moment. I found a last-minute spot at Cole Creek Campground at Clear Lake, but setting up at a tent at a popular boating site that's like 3 miles out of town isn't really the kind of camping I want to do. It seems like really just a half-step from a KOA, and I want to be further away from people. So I'm thinking about trying to find a dispersed campsite in Mendocino National Forest. Is this a dumb thing for a relatively inexperienced car camper to do? Like I've got a making GBS threads bucket with a toilet seat on top and everything, and I've camped at a site with no hookups before, and it's only for two nights, so I'm pretty sure I can keep myself alive. But how likely am I to get lost in the woods or high center my FWD CX-5 on a fire access road or get killed and eaten by a mountain lion or start a forest fire or whatever? e: also, should TGO have a dumb/small questions megathread?
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Jun 21, 2021 06:27
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Steely Dad posted:I'm aiming to go on my first solo car camping trip this coming Thursday and Friday nights. I'm in northern California. I was originally going to China Campground in Big Sur, but that's kind of on fire at the moment. I found a last-minute spot at Cole Creek Campground at Clear Lake, but setting up at a tent at a popular boating site that's like 3 miles out of town isn't really the kind of camping I want to do. It seems like really just a half-step from a KOA, and I want to be further away from people. Do you have friends or family that disperse camp that area? Here in OR, if you ask around, there are lots of "popular" disperse camp areas in most of our forests. Reduces a lot of the getting lost/high centering vehicle and other associated concerns as frequently they have good, and easy road access, are easy to identify and are normally near a "feature" like good fishing or swimming.
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Jun 21, 2021 08:00
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Steely Dad posted:I'm aiming to go on my first solo car camping trip this coming Thursday and Friday nights. I'm in northern California. I was originally going to China Campground in Big Sur, but that's kind of on fire at the moment. I found a last-minute spot at Cole Creek Campground at Clear Lake, but setting up at a tent at a popular boating site that's like 3 miles out of town isn't really the kind of camping I want to do. It seems like really just a half-step from a KOA, and I want to be further away from people. Nice thing is car camping is probably the easiest and lowest risk overnight you could do solo with lots of room for error. You've got the ability to bring a lot of gear, food, extra clothes. If something happens to your tent you can sleep in the car or just pack up and head home. Download an offline map on your phone of the area beforehand so that you can navigate without service. If you have an area in mind, do some research if possible. Most of the hikes around me have trip reports where you can read up on road conditions etc. Bring a standalone gps if you have one just in case. Obviously understand your cars limits and don't push it. Know how to swap the spare tire on your car. Just give it a shot and see how it goes.
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Jun 21, 2021 08:25
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Cool, will do, and thanks for the advice. I know a goon who camps in BLM land around here a lot and I hit him up. I’ll save a map on my phone, too.
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Jun 21, 2021 16:50
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Steely Dad posted:Cool, will do, and thanks for the advice. I know a goon who camps in BLM land around here a lot and I hit him up. I’ll save a map on my phone, too. I did a little BLM camping in Utah a couple years ago with a rental Corolla. It was fantastic. This one had dedicated sites, but were appropriately isolated from each other:   I've done this approximate trip a couple times: Pack up 120L duffel with tent, pocket stove, sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping pad, clothes, fly to Vegas, rent car, buy cheap cooler and stock up on food and consumables, then drive around SE Utah.
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Jul 19, 2021 15:14
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That is a rad idea.
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Jul 19, 2021 16:51
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Northern Illinois here. Love city biking and yesterday I went kayaking in a stream 200 yards from my house so I think im going to get more into that asap.
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Jul 25, 2021 20:29
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