On a budget: Pack - Osprey or Gregory. Should be able to find one on sale. Bag -REI Magma. Will also go on sale Not on a budget: Pack - Hyperlite Bag - Western Mountaineering
I have the REI Magma 15 and love it. Slept at about 20 degrees this weekend and even removed a layer while I was sleeping.
Not much hiking this weekend, we stopped at a bar on the way out Saturday, got a little buzzed, so only hiked like 3-4 miles in and built a huge snowcave/igloo. It was awesome, snow was like 6-7 ft deep. Spoiler We brought some skis and splitboards and did some touring yesterday, but were pretty hungover on Sunday. Got down to about 20 degrees, but was fine. Lots of snow throughout the night was pretty cool. Spoiler
Heading to Oregon for 12 days in July. We’ll have our own car, staying in Bend for a few days then camping in Crater Lake for 2 nights and doing some day hiking. If we have 4-5 days to spare, do we utilize it checking out/camping on the Oregon coast and stopping in Corvallis, Eugene, Williamette Valley. Or do we bypass all that and head straight for Olympic NP?
ONP if there’s a decent chance you won’t get back up that way again. Oregon Coast Trail seems like a fun thing to do some time.
I've only been to the OR coast twice, but the OR coast and WA coast are much different (and the Olympic NP is my favorite park out here) -- WA is much more undeveloped than OR. If you want to stay in sleepy, small coastal towns with some amenities around, then go for OR. If you want very rural, with hardly a grocery store and very few restaurants in site, head to the WA coast. Their topography is mostly the same (although WA does have a temperate rainforest, no big deal or anything). If you're into camping, then I would absolutely recommend heading to the WA coast and staying at the NP. If you want to camp on the beach, look at Toleak Point and Strawberry Point (right next to each other, the rainforest abuts right to the Pacific Ocean, it's amazing) -- we just booked 3 nights over July 4 for Toleak. While there you could also do 1-2 nights in the Hoh Rainforest, which is less than an hour from those beaches above. Aim for the little town of Forks, WA. If you'd rather do airbnb, then OR is your best bet. edit: if you're going to camp, I'd strongly recommend getting reservations on Recreationg.gov right meow
Camping in Joshua Tree Fri and Sat night, then have a glamping-style yurt for Sunday night. Saturday night is perfectly clear and a new moon, hoping for some top tier stargazing.
BamaNug you swayed me. Booked a site at Toleak for mid-July. It looks incredible, coupled with another day at Hoh. Thank you, kind sir!
Nice man! The deeper you go into the Hoh, the less people and more diversity you see. The trail goes for like 12-14 miles before there is any gain, it's a great walk through the rainforest. Just be sure you go more than 3-4 miles in to get away from the crowds. Some good campsites in the Hoh are: Lewis Meadows (you can camp in a dry river basin where the Hoh River runs during winter) and Five Mile Island. If you're feeling real froggy, go all the way to Blue Glacier (38 miles roundtrip). When hiking to Toleak, you'll enter from the Third Beach trailhead. Pretty cool hike through the rainforest, then spits you out onto the beach for another 2-3 miles. Be sure to look at the tide charts and make sure you're hiking during low tide -- you cannot get to Toleak from Third Beach during high tide. And try to venture out into the tidepools when it's low tide during the day/while you're camping to see some awesome sealife. Last time we were there, we saw a huge dead whale washed up. RIP Wilzeak Spoiler
I'm getting a new pack for the summer. Would prefer 70-85L. Willing to spend some coin for ultralight. Recs por favor edit: my buddy who has ultralight everything recommended this: https://www.gossamergear.com/collec...0-lightweight-backpack?variant=32940881018934
Ultralight is great and all, but UL hardos are some of the most insufferable people. New hiker: I’m brand new to backpacking. I’d like to test it out for a night at the state park near my house. Just a 1/4 mile hike to the site. What’s a good beginner pack to try out? Hardo: You absolutely must spend $375 for this Gossamer Gear Mariposa. The new model shaved 1.3 oz off the hip string! No more clip, just tie it around your waist! Anything over 18 oz will 100% break your spine in two and render you an invalid.
Worried about the 35lb rating on the ultralight packs, can't haul much beer with that rating. My PCT pack was over 50 lbs. 2021 Granite Gear Blaze 60 is the updated version of what I have now -- it weights only 3 lbs, so only a bit heavier than ultralight. https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/revi...g/backpacks-backpacking/granite-gear-blaze-60 Conclusion If you are looking for the lightest-weight pack available that can comfortably carry a pretty substantial load, there is no better choice than the Blaze 60, earning it this year's Editors' Choice award. This pack is in a class all by itself. Not only is it a solid workhorse of a pack, but it also has a great set of functional features useful to all different types of users, from new backpackers to seasoned section and thru-hikers.
I don't carry beer anymore but I carry a lot of kid's shit. I swapped my Mystery Ranch for a Hyperlite and love it.
that's a helpful site, and I just noticed that the TravelPro spinner carryon I have used for the past several years is their photo for their carry on luggage article, so I feel personally validated by them
It's not ultralight, but I could not recommend this any higher. The fit and support far outweigh the weight. https://www.rei.com/product/123205/gregory-baltoro-75-pack-mens
I need some tent advice. Looking to get into family camping. It would be My wife, 7 and 4 year Olds and myself. Maybe would use it 3 to 4 times a year. Don't need top of the line but don't want some POS either. Any recommendations from the camping crew?
Car camping or hike-in? Do you want room to spread out, or packability? Something like these is going to be good quality and easy to put up and tear down. Also will be relatively small and basic. https://www.rei.com/product/128688/rei-co-op-grand-hut-6-tent https://www.rei.com/product/168529/big-agnes-dog-house-6-tent Your Coleman, Ozark Trail, etc are going to be heavier and a pain in the ass to set up/tear down, but usually more spacious or divided into spaces. These will hold up to a few times a year for a few years before you start getting tears or leaks, where the higher end tents will hold up better. I don’t have kids that old to make a good style recommendation, but I’d lean to the BA and REI style/price points.
You guys know anyone who has this? https://lunolife.com/products/luno-...uo4sbH1rJggIvDj5oDxZx_BZTsdodD3RoC-_oQAvD_BwE
I've had the REI Kingdom 8 for 4 or 5 years and love it. It's just 2 of us, and we have the garage as well, so it's a crazy amount of space for us. But it would probably be perfect for four if you all want to be under one space, and it has a divider which isn't going to do much for sound but does provide privacy between the two sides. The main room is big enough for two full air mattresses, with another couple of feet width wise. We've never laid on the smaller side, but it would comfortably sleep two more with room to left over. Not a backpacking tent (although it comes in a backpack that does make transporting easier if you can't park right at the site) but it's great for car camping trips.
We take some regular air mattresses with us for the tent and highly recommend it, and any cheap-o bed is going to feel luxurious compared to what you're used to. It feels pricy unless I'm missing something special, but definitely get your ass off the memory foam somehow. I'm not sure my body will forgive me the next time I'm backpacking with just a shitty inflatable pad.
Bought a 10 dollar air mattress after flying out to Wyoming last summer. Best purchase by far of that trip. My friends slept on inflatable pads and that seemed awful to me.
It's about as awful as it seems. Of course, compared to sleeping on the hard as ground, it's a welcomed improvement, but I've never felt like more of a chump than watching my friends blow up their air mattresses the first time we went car camping together.
Joshua Tree was pretty damn cool, actually exceeded my expectations. Did not expect the high desert area to be so mountainous/have incredible views. Camping in the area was badass. Took enough psychedelics to meet (and kill) god. Really accessible hikes for all levels, we didn't do anything too gnarly and still had an amazing time, amazing views, and were able to keep to ourselves. Spoiler Stumbled across the only rock bridge in the park: Spoiler
You really don't need both unless you're sleeping in like 15-20 degrees, but together they make a pretty nice sleeping experience.
Just did Aravaipa Canyon in AZ. Just a quick overnight. Will post pics later. Peak Refuel meals are legit. More calories and protein and most importantly especially in AZ, they need half as much water to rehydrate as MH. My Big Agnes AXL sleeping pad is one of the nicer and lightest ones. Cant sleep on egg crate anymore My Osprey Exos is still the most comfy backpack ive used. Its not as light as Gossamer, Waymark or Hyperlight tho.
Been using Next Mile Meals. Switched due to keto but I like them a lot better. Simpler ingredients. https://www.nextmilemeals.com/
Peak is awesome, use them a lot. There are some awesome brands doing dehydrated food right now, some real tasty stuff out there. After doing my research into ultralight backpacks, I don't really comprehend their weight rating system -- most everything says good for up to 30 lbs, or "base weight of 10-15 lbs." The Gossamer has the "heaviest" rating of up to 35 lbs. I feel like unless you go ultralight everything/super minimal, you'll never have a pack that light. What if you need to bring water for the whole trip? Or doing 5+ days and need to bring a ton of food? Probably going to get an upgraded Granite Gear like posted above. I love the ProBar meals, and their 12-packs are a deal: https://theprobar.com/collections/meal-bar/products/meal-variety-pack 350-400 calories in each bar is awesome.
Have a Hyperlite Porter 4400 and it's rated to 60lbs. I've carried 45ish and had no issues. Next weekend I'll test the 60 lbs limit.
Unproductive morning, spent last night and this AM finalizing my summer itinerary. Have never actually been to North Cascades NP, have three trips planned this year 05/29 - 06/04 - driving to Yellowstone, prolly break it up with a night in Idaho/Montana either way 07/02 - 07/05 - Olympic National Park, camping on the coast 07/15 - 07/18 - North Cascades NP, Sahale Glacier 08/05 - 08/08 - North Cascades NP, friend's bachelor party at Ross Lake -- huge alpine lake near Canada, goes across the border 08/20 - 08/22 - moderate hike, spending 2 nights somewhere for the GF's bday. Maybe back to Olympic NP 09/04 - 09/11 - North Cascades NP - Section K of the PCT to Stehekin. Approx. 75-80 miles, we're meeting this Sunday to go over logistics and finalize permits. Relaxing in Stehekin with a cold beer after 5-6 days on the trail. [late September] - Enchanted Valley in Olympic NP, about a 30 mile hike through the rainforest to an abandoned post: Spoiler [October] - One out-of-state NP. Glacier is the leader in the clubhouse. Maybe up to BC, if possible
boating We've done several 12-15 mile day hikes, but nothing overnight and I haven't been able to convince the wife yet...
That boat ride to Stehekin is awesome. One year we took a float plane up the lake and landed on Domke. From there up to Holden, Lyman Glacier, off trail to Bannock Lakes, and then over to Stehekin. My next is West trip is Capitol Reef but after that I gotta back up to the PNW.
Grabbed one of these today. Used one quite a bit a few years back but never bought one for myself. They’re great, nice change up from yeti, a little heavier but it has great features. Dry bin on the right is awesome. Can get a little cutting board attachment, cup holders, etc. they’re expensive but legit.
After my last resupply for 7 or so days on the JMT I was at 38lb on the scale at Muir Trail Ranch. My gear is lighter than most but not 'ultralight' so I think 35 makes sense for people going that route. Outside of some extreme dry areas it's not too often you'll need more than 2 liters of water at a time. But if you do need to haul gear that's what packs like the Baltoro mentioned in this thread are for, they'll have the frame and suspension to help carry that load.
Pics from Aravaipa Canyon. I know this isn't a big deal for a lot but it's def a nice change of pace for hiking in AZ. Spoiler
since there was some discussion of meals recently, I was on Sierra Trading Post and found they have a whole section. Prices seem good: https://www.sierra.com/food~d~11644/