The Hiking/Camping/Backpacking Thread

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Chewie, Jun 27, 2009.

  1. i am a bammer

    i am a bammer Ben Eblen>Jamychal Green
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    2 person/3 season backpacking tent recommendations for ~$200 please
     
  2. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    colonelrascals knows his shite.
     
  3. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    REI Half Dome 2 / 2 Plus
     
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  4. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    That is the answer.

    The marmot tungsten 2 is the other I like at that price. It's a bit smaller and I think the half dome is easier to set up.
     
    #654 racer, Feb 29, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2016
  5. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Included the 2, as budget was a factor & you can currently get it for $70 less than the Plus
     
  6. DexterRutecki

    DexterRutecki Well-Known Member
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    Where are you coming from? I live in Portland and grew up 30 minutes from here. Depending on what you are looking for- take Baxter. There will be people up there on Katahdin and hiking Katahdin is a must, but the surrounding area is awesome and desolate. Baxter is huge and remote. The Whites, especially in high time, will be full of day hikers.

    For what it's worth, I would still fly into Portland for Baxter. Portland is an awesome city If you haven't been before.

    Let me know if you have specific questions.
     
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  7. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    Awesome. Flying from Norfolk VA. The remoteness of Baxter is why were leaning that way. The fewer people we see the better.

    I do want to see Portland even if it's just for the beer but driving 5 hours after flying is a bit much. It will be a short trip, 4 nights or so. I thought about flying into Bangor and then departing from Portland. Will have to play with it and see the prices.

    The White Mtns seem easy to get to and I was impressed with the elevation.

    We plan on going early spring, as early as the snow will let us. We hike out west so we have cold weather gear. I'd rather be in the snow a bit with no other people around then be crowded in the mud.

    Appreciate any recs or tips you have
     
  8. DexterRutecki

    DexterRutecki Well-Known Member
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    Katahdin is a must hike and staying at Chimney Pond is the best bet. I also like the Davis Pond lean-to and Wassataquoik Stream lean-to's. A lot of your hikes depend on how hard you want to push it but if you want to enjoy your time it could be fun to do Katahdin one day. Hike Hamlin Peak by North Basin-Hamlin Ridge-Northwest Basin down to the Davis Pond lean-to for a day. Then hike over to Wassataquoik Island lean-to or Wassataquoik Stream lean-to's for a day and then bounce down to Portland for a night.

    That would be a pretty good couple days in Baxter for a rookie trip and wouldn't be too much of a push. It would provide plenty of relaxing time.
     
  9. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    That's a 5 hour drive from Portland correct?
     
  10. DexterRutecki

    DexterRutecki Well-Known Member
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    I would go with 4 but it is an easy 4. No traffic and pretty much a straight shot.
     
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  11. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    When is the earliest you can hike the Baxter area without using leathers?
     
  12. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    I have pretty much been spending every spare moment I have had over the past four months in the mountains

    considering it's been winter I'm fairly proud of myself for getting out like I have. Can't wait for spring/summer to really get here so I can start making some longer trips

    very large picture dump below (picture sizes have been edited) :bigskysmug:

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    #662 Cornelius Suttree, Mar 8, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2016
  13. DexterRutecki

    DexterRutecki Well-Known Member
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    Hard to say with the winter (or lack thereof) that we have had.
     
  14. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    Right on. We want to go as early as possible when the trails are passable. Not afraid of the cold but want to be able to get to where we want to go.
     
  15. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Got my first pair of chacos. Z1. Getting them adjusted, but I'm noticing on my right foot I keep stepping on the outside edge/strap anchor with my heel. Any tips on how to adjust for that? Does anyone cut the stitching to let the ankle part of the strap slide through the guides and adjust more freely?
     
  16. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    They just run narrow in the heel
     
  17. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Secured passes for The Enchantments and St Helens this summer. Fucking stoked.

    That said I need some boots for summer hiking. Any recs?
     
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  18. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    http://www.salomon.com/us/product/quest-4d-2-gtx.html?article=373259

    Rode these hard on a aggressive hike through the Northern Cascades. eHo climbed Rainier in them too I believe. Pretty light and based on a trailrunner so would probably be good for summer.
     
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  19. UrsaGrande

    UrsaGrande wait, what?
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    I'm going with La Sportiva Wildcats right now but feet are fickle, go try a bunch of stuff on and see what's best for you.
     
  20. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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  21. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    I've decided that by summer 17 I want to be be ready to tackle JMT in it's entirety. But not in 2 weeks, that shit is crazy.

    Moving back to the Midwest is going to make finding good hiking really really hard without taking an extended trip. Anyone with Midwest backpacking or hikes? From what I've found pretty much everything is in northern Minnesota.
     
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  22. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Just scored permits for the John Muir Trail in Early September... So fucking excited
     
  23. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Whole thing?
     
  24. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    I wish I had the time. Only about a week
     
  25. UrsaGrande

    UrsaGrande wait, what?
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    I'll try not to leave any trace for you.
     
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  26. eHo

    eHo Fan of teams that never win shit and the Seahawks.
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    If any of you guys have snapchat, #everestnofilter is a great account to follow. A National Geographic photog and a guide are going up to the top without supplemental oxygen from the north side, and documenting their trip. There are a couple snaps today that really show how altitude change saps all of your strength.
     
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  27. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Anyone else live above 7,000 feet? Running with and walking my dog the first few weeks was torture
     
  28. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    Got a permit to hike Half-Dome at Yosemite later this year. Fucking Stoked. Gonna camp for a week there too. So excite.
     
  29. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Any kayakers? Looking to get into it because I'm around quite a bit of water again. Wife grew up kayaking Mississippi River backwaters, but I've never been. Her family is all small and short. I'm 6'4 320. Their kayaks and advice don't really apply to me.
     
  30. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    #680 BP, May 27, 2016
    Last edited: May 27, 2016
  31. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
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    Have that exact set. Works great for 2 people doing simple stuff, likely too small for a 3rd person. Spoons suck, buy something better if you do get that set.
     
  32. Cousin Eddie

    Cousin Eddie Lookin for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
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    Looking for a good 5ish day hike in GA, NC, east TN, or southern VA. Shuttle can be arranged so it can be point to point or loop. Kinda want to do a section of the AT. Thoughts?
     
  33. gopack2104

    gopack2104 Well-Known Member
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  34. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Check out www.whiteblaze.net

    Depending on which area you decide to hike, I might have a shuttle contact for you.
     
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  35. Cousin Eddie

    Cousin Eddie Lookin for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
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    I was just looking at pics of this place last night, looks awesome. Definitely on the shortlist of places we are considering.

    Thanks! I'll let you know.
     
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  36. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    This just opened up
    New: Backbone Trail Set to Open
    The route, which wends from Ventura down to Will Rogers State Historic Park, is 67 miles in all.
    Backbone Trail: 67 Miles of Natural Beauty
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    NPS
    One doesn't need to wend too deeply in a bookstore to find a plethora of memoirs detailing epic, true-life hikes, the kind of mega rambles that occurred on some of America's most famous, and lengthy, trails.

    From Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" -- hello, Appalachian Trail -- to "Wild," which took place along the Pacific Crest Trail, nonfiction narratives in recent years have prompted many readers to find their own long-range adventure, one that requires dependable shoes, a sun hat, and, perhaps, the perfect walking stick.

    The Backbone Trail should deliver Southern Californians more than a taste of that. It isn't as long as the Pacific Crest or Appalachian, not nearly, but at an impressive 67 miles, it'll should nicely challenge many hikers looking for a nice challenge.

    It's not new, of course; rather, the long-in-the-works plan to connect trails and lands running through the Santa Monica Mountains, from Ventura County into Los Angeles County, has reached completion. The final product will debut on Friday, June 3.
    The Ventura County end/start point? Thornhill Broome Beach. And in LA? That's Will Rogers State Historic Park.

    Whichever direction hikers head, and however they set their distance goals, they're bound to see some beautiful, boulderful, sigh-inducing sights. Interesting pauses along the way include Circle X Ranch, Castro Peak, and several other natural vistas to remind one that they're enjoying an outdoors adventure.

    The cobbling together of land parcels, to ensure that the trail offers a seamless run-through, is a story several decades in the making. While some of the land was already hikable and public, other bits, like several dozen acres owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, were the final pieces in the puzzle.

    KPCC reports there are two more bits of that puzzle to come (both sit on a 1924 fire road).

    As for showing with your pup? Dogs are permitted at some places along the Backbone, but not "on backcountry trails managed by California State Parks." Just research ahead, so neither you nor your furry friend get a case of the sad face on your big hike.

    As for tracing the full route, and plotting how many miles you and your hiking buds can cover in a day? The maps may be found here.

    As for finding your own epic trail story, a la the recent spate of bestsellers? A fine place to stretch your leg, and mind, is now official, right here in the Santa Monica Mountains.
     
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  37. colonelrascals

    colonelrascals Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push miracle whips
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    I've got REI friends and family coupons...message me if you want some
     
  38. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Have I ever told you that you are my best friend?
     
  39. colonelrascals

    colonelrascals Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push miracle whips
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    IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY COUPON IN THE MAIL BY TOMORROW MESSAGE ME SO I CAN SEND YOU A COUPON CODE.

    USPS DOESN'T LIKE MY STORE
     
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  40. TheFreak55

    TheFreak55 He should keep his mouth firmly shut
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    Anyone here summited Mount Whitney? How much training/difficult is it?
     
  41. Dudley Dawson2

    Dudley Dawson2 Well-Known Member
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    I assume you will be going Mt. Whitney trail? 2 day, pretty standard as far summiting peaks goes. My wife and I did it when we were in our hiking, climbing days, ie before kids.
     
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  42. UrsaGrande

    UrsaGrande wait, what?
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    I'll be up there in a couple weeks, will report.
     
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  43. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    What's the best Creek hopper out? I've never worn them but I've cut my feet on rocks in a cold ass river, oyster bed in a cold ass bay, and on shells in a tidal pool, all in the last year. Feet aren't as tough as they once were, getting soft.
     
  44. blotter

    blotter Aristocratic Bum
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    I made a pair of sandals from a diy vibram rubber kit that are obviously douchey, but light weight, pack small, and help in those situations. doesn't answer your question, but maybe someone else will :)
     
  45. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Zion is the shit guys. Here's 2 shots I got today. BamaNug have you been? It's awesome. (This is the Observation Point hike fwiw)

    upload_2016-10-21_22-40-23.png
    upload_2016-10-21_22-40-37.png
     
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  46. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    i4l.

    Headed back to Olympic national park (did Sol Duc region last year) for about 5 days in Nov.
     
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  47. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Probably too late, but I have a pair of Vivobarefoot Water shoes that are ultra lightweight & great for crossings... think the model is Ultra II
     
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  48. Doc Louis

    Doc Louis Well-Known Member
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    knocked out a few days in rocky mountain national park last weekend, felt good considering the weather was unseasonably warm around boulder.

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  49. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    The company I work for just opened a Denver office. We have a workout incentive program. Here it's all 5ks and step challenges and stuff. I get really jealous when the Denver office people are all like yeah I did a 14er Saturday while you guys were doing some weird 5k in Iowa.
     
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  50. Doc Louis

    Doc Louis Well-Known Member
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    Easy solution: ask for transfer