Wife and I are honeymooning in Bali and did a sunrise hike up Mt. Batur volcano the other day. It was incredible. Will post pics when I get on a stronger WiFi connection.
Cousin's wedding is in Colorado Springs and I used to live there so gonna go early and hike then have the next week off of work and gonna make the drive to Grand Teton and do some hiking there. Haven't planned out any of the hikes yet though. Probably will check out Garden of the Gods bc the gf hasn't seen it yet, but it's cool enough I don't mind going again.
Socks should be bought depending on the shoe fit. A thicker sock will add volume to you foot and take up more space in the shoe, so it’s not always better to have a thicker sock. Thicker socks are also warmer, so take that into consideration. If a boot’s comfort is dependent on the sock inside it, you’ve got the wrong boot. A proper fitting should alleviate that. As far as a liner sock is concerned, see above. You can get wool, synthetic, or silk options as a liner (I prefer wool but they do wear faster than a synthetic). It acts as a friction barrier and is only necessary if you need that protection. Most shoes these days don’t require that unless you’ve purchased a full grain leather monster like my trekking boots. I have many options but tend to hike in chacos or trail runners, but primarily the former. I’ve backpacked in them as well. It’s all about the fit mon frere. Gear nerd tangent warning: it’s virtually impossible to find a solid leather lined boot anymore. I don’t wear waterproof, as they’re hot and useless if you’re really getting into the thick of it backcountry. I’ve had a pair La Sportiva Pamirs since 2012 that are calf lined and they’re the best shoes I’ve ever worn. I could wear them barefoot if I wanted to. I pamper them as I know they aren’t made any longer and are irreplaceable. I don’t advise buying waterproof footwear and if you can find a pair of leather lined boots that fit like a glove, buy them and they’ll last a lifetime if you care for them correctly.
I’ve also had three broken toes for the last 2.5 months and my podiatrist told me on Wednesday that I have to be in the boot for at least another month if not more as one hasn’t healed while the others have. It’s fucking awful not being able to hike and camp with the sniffer. It’s my primary means of recreation/relaxation and my dog and I are just sitting around getting fat. I hate my life rn
Moved it up a weekend due to other arrangements. Going to try and depart Saturday AM early, get as high as we can, and summit on Sunday. Current forecast is highs in the upper 20s, lows in the mid teens, with snow showers Saturday afternoon and night. Fingers crossed it improves a bit, didn't think I'd have to use my snow gear until next winter.
Yeah, it was a 10/10 for me. I bring it up bc it’s largely about some friends climbing a mountain out west like you’re talking about. Your trip sounds awesome
Anyone ever done a Cotopaxi Questival? We did one in Vegas for a team-building at work, but it was a custom build for us and not as outdoor focused. Looking at doing a real one soon.
I just moved back into black bear territory last year so haven’t needed any bear bags or canisters until recently, but I’ve had these come highly recommended: https://www.ursack.com/ I’d much rather carry than than a canister. For now, we just use a dry bag and rope/paracord and hang a bear bag outside of camp. That’ll be a kickass trip.
Weather forecast keeps getting pretty bad, but Saturday looks good ... going to try and knock it out in one day. Sleep at trailhead Friday night, leave 4-5 AM, hopefully back to the car by 6-7 PM.
REI's got a memorial day sale going on, looks like some good deals on tents. For example the Half Dome 2 + is on sale for 30% down to $160.
Anyone have a rec for a baby carrier backpack? Torn between going affordable and getting a top of the line osprey/deuter.
Get the mid tier Osprey. Top tier isn’t worth the extra money for a daypack. Dieter also makes a solid carrier for a good price
I’ve been told I need to buy a four person tent for just my wife and me and a few dogs. Just trying to get into camping and will mostly do park and camp instead of hiking with it and setting up. Any good options in the rei sale?
I think the wife will be more comfortable in the kingdom 4 than the half dome 4 and it’s cheaper at the moment. HD 4 is a great tent too
Tell you what after backpacking for years, car camping in a nice sized family tent and on thick sleeping pad is titty city.
Speaking of, any recommendations on sleeping pads for backpacking? I’ve gone without one until now, but starting to get older and value that comfort a little more.
I recently(2 years ago) went from the Therm-a-Rest ProLite that I used forever to the NeoAir Xlite. The Neo is so much more comfy but I haven't had it that long so I can't speak the durability.
I’ve also been doing a lot more backpacking in to fly fish. I’m eyeing the Fishpond Thunderhead pack hard, but just can’t justify the cost right now. https://fishpondusa.com/thunderhead-submersible-backpack
https://www.rei.com/product/105158/...1_U1PbKk2gzuzulUwEGk4mvBqFJcqthsaAmAqEALw_wcB I've been using this for the last 3 years backpacking in Colorado. Packs in small and light. Takes maybe 2 minutes to inflate. Slept on a few ridges with this pad and it holds up really well.
I really liked it. The foil gives it a better heat rating than just air. Cons is that it's loud. Like wake up your wife and dogs loud. Also, while camping in prudoe bay, in a fucking ice storm it blew a baffle. If you weren't pressing on the blown baffle area directly it would boil up there and push you off the side of the pad. Inconvenient. Too bad though because otherwise it was nice. The big Agnes pads consistently develop leaks around the valves. You'd think for a few hundred bucks they would be able to stand up for a bit. I had the Rei manager give me crap for returning 8 pads over a 3 year period. I told him to stop selling shit pads. Bought an old fashioned closed foam rollup for car camping (at least you're not on the ground at 3am) and then a basic thermolite.
Going through the same 8 pads in 3 years sounds like a you problem. Furthermore, the valves have changed and most companies are going with two one-way valves that resist leaking much better than the old twist valves. I’ve had a ExPed SynMat UL for years with that system and it’s been fantastic. Smaller than a nalgene with no problems to note. I retired it a while back but it’s still good to go after 100+ nights on it.
That would have been my thought but when I talked to Rei customer service the valve issue was something they get those returned for frequently. Used to be good and then they changed the valve. Happened with the pad I got for me, my dad and my girlfriend. Maybe they are better now if they changed again. Just poor quality control and/or design. I suspect they all failed with under 40 nights on them. Hard to remember because in 2015 we had over 200 nights out. Funemployment and all that.
Weather wasn't cooperating, couldn't get in the mountains. Hiked in and camped on the Pacific Coast at Olympic National Forest for 2 nights. It's a temperate rainforest that abuts right to the beach, pretty amazing. 16 miles total in and out, really flat, but half of it was through pretty deep sand. Spoiler During low tide we were able to walk really far out into some tide pools. Was awesome with the wildlife and colors Spoiler
Hiked in and camped on the North Mills River up in Pisgah National Forest last weekend. Got a little fishing in, too. Spoiler: Pics
First time on the inflatable SUP board yesterday. Took it to Lake Serene, about 1 1/2 hours northeast of Seattle. 8.5 miles in and out, 2,500 feet of gain. The whole set-up (board/paddle/air pump) is about 45 lbs in a backpack--not terrible, but pretty heavy. But this thing is going to be so fucking fun this summer. Spoiler
That prompted me to look up the actual dimensions. The board itself is 32 lbs in the backpack. I strapped the air pump to the back, that's 4-5. The paddle broken down is 2-3. Other misc. stuff is maybe 1-2 lbs--so maybe 40 lbs is more accurate. But still pretty heavy, and bulky as hell.
We used inflatable SUPs in Tahiti - provided by the resort. They felt like they were in the 10-15 range . Not pissing on your sup, btw
I missed the sleeping pad convo earlier but my Rec for car camping if you don’t mind spending the extra money are Paco pads. They are completely water proof and I use them as padding/insulation on my raft trips. Best sleeping ever when camping and durable as hell. https://www.nrs.com/product/2707/el-grande-paco-sleeping-pad
After reading a little more, I think I got one of the bigger sizes. It’s almost 12 ft and rated for 400 lbs. But it’s pretty sweet having 2 ppl on easily
That’s dope I gotta get out there. The Hoh rainforest is gonna happen this summer too. I hiked Pilchuck Friday, had the summit firehouse all to ourselves before the crowds got up there.
The Olympic Peninsula is incredible, it was my 3rd time out there. So much different than the Cascades. Still haven’t done Pilchuck, add it to the list.
Anybody here have experience camping in Banff? Looking at 3 nights in late July. Wondering about campgrounds and locations.