121–130 of 172 posts
I see no content on the linked page. Am I missing something?
You need to have Javascript enabled because the content is faded in by a script, apparently. Here's a pastebin of the text, but the post includes videos too: https://pastebin.com/8UwWUyTE
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It depends on your needs. I still have some big plastics for step-in crampons so my single-layer winter boots are just some mild duty Merrell's (in maybe wide?--which is what I need in some circumstances). Just go to an REI or another more specialty store and try some on with winter-type socks. Honestly not sure of the best recommendations these days. And depends if you go above treeline and/or do winter backpacks.
Cheers. What I’d like to find is something that’s zero-lift, warm enough for zero-degree weather, and handles ice well (your mention of silicone-based nubbies is what caught my eye). Kind of a niche (maybe impossible?) product, but my sandals don’t do me so well in the snow :)
For zero C (32 F), there are a lot of boots that are fine for day hikes. The main limitation of something like microspikes vs. full crampons is that they only work well up to a certain angle at which point they don't really work for hard ice.
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Seconded. I'm working up to a 50 mile trip and I'd love some recommendations.
I'm guessing it's a Zpacks Duplex, it's basically the favorite tent of any through-hiker for the last couple years: https://zpacks.com/products/duplex-tent They are very well designed and built--100% DCF so they're strong and light, yet great resistance to weather. Unlike most other UL shelters it makes almost no sacrifices and has all the niceties of heavier shelters, like a full floor and interior mesh, big vestibu…
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Cheers. What I’d like to find is something that’s zero-lift, warm enough for zero-degree weather, and handles ice well (your mention of silicone-based nubbies is what caught my eye). Kind of a niche (maybe impossible?) product, but my sandals don’t do me so well in the snow :)
It depends which zero scale. For zero F I'd want a double-layer boot whether Sorrel-type, plastics, or high-end single layer boot. For zero C (32 F), there are a lot of boots that are fine for day hikes. The main limitation of something like microspikes vs. full crampons is that they only work well up to a certain angle at which point they don't really work for hard ice.
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Hilleberg tents do seem nice in terms of the fabrics they use and the design. However, as the long-haul cyclist community has found, the zippers give out appallingly early for such an expensive, artisanal product. (By the end of the Carretera Austral there seemed to be more Hilleberg owners with broken zippers than with working zippers.) I owned a Hilleberg Nallo GT-class tent that did seem like the five-star hotel o…
I wonder how much of the zipper failures are due to lack of maintenance. I use a tooth brush to clean them after each long trip and lubricate them with a little silicone grease. I bought my Jannu in 2007 and haven't had a problem with any of its zippers, ever. I've only had my Keron for 5 years so I can't attest to its longevity yet :)
If your zipper needs maintenance every time you use it, you need a different zipper.
At the top of my wishlist for a tent is some level of animal protection. I get unreasonably afraid of bears especially when I’m half asleep.
I wouldn't call that unreasonable, but it's not physically possible for a tent to even slow a bear down if it wants to get in. In my town, bears have gotten into houses and garages by tearing the front doors off their hinges, and by tearing through a house's siding and sheathing. I recommend car camping in bear country.
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It depends which zero scale. For zero F I'd want a double-layer boot whether Sorrel-type, plastics, or high-end single layer boot. For zero C (32 F), there are a lot of boots that are fine for day hikes. The main limitation of something like microspikes vs. full crampons is that they only work well up to a certain angle at which point they don't really work for hard ice.
Oh, duh, Fahrenheit (my bad). Yeah, I’ve got a pair of Sorel’s now. (My goodness, the number of styles have exploded since I was a lad!) Angle isn’t really much of an issue, the terrain is pretty flat where I’m at. Thanks for the advice! Appreciated.
You can't really go wrong with Sorels especially for non-high angle hiking. I've actually been an instructor in winter hiking programs.
What I've done is put the tarp down, put my stuff in the middle, and a blanket for myself on one side, then fold it over in a way that water flows off. Then I take a nice long rest until the rain is over.
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I'm not a physicist but wouldn't this reflective effect be tiny compared to the prevention of convective heat loss?
I spent a night in the woods (on purpose, not a real emergency) sleeping with an emergency blanket. It was not at all comfortable, but the blanket seriously worked. I would wake up whenever it moved to stop covering me because it would instantly become cold, then feel much warmer as soon as the blanket is back in place. The reflective action is impressive. They also act as a wind break and turn whatever clothes you a…
At the top of my wishlist for a tent is some level of animal protection. I get unreasonably afraid of bears especially when I’m half asleep.
In case readers here are unaware, bear attacks are very rare in North America [1]. You might be more likely to die in a car accident involving a deer on the way to/from your outing, than to be killed by a bear during your outing. Most knowledgeable folk believe that the best preventative care for bears is educated avoidance, and educating oneself on how to safely handle an encounter [3]. The takeaway from these stati…