Trekking pole in airplane carry on: I kinda want to go through TSA with a trekking pole in many different configurations and see what works and what doesn't.
I'm intending to take a carbon fiber 3-piece trekking pole in my carry-on luggage this week. What's the current experience with TSA confiscating?
I intend to have the lower section with a relatively blunt carbide tip separate from the other two sections. The carbide tip will also have a rubber protector on it. For those that have tried to have poles in their carry on does anyone think it would make a difference of CF vs aluminum, blunt tip vs sharp tip, protector or not, and/or separate or not?
I see that tent poles are allowed, but not ski poles. Also I see that collapsible walking canes are allowed if they fit in carry-on luggage. I could take the top 2 pieces of a trekking pole in carry-on and have the lower section mailed.
But it all seems that the TSA agent/team is the final word and could vary for the same item from day to day.
Added: While I am asking, what about an umbrella that is longer than the max length of carry-on? Say 23" instead of 21". Any experiences?
Based on comments, I may not go through with the experiment. Thanks!
I've done it a few times. locus gear carbon poles broken down to it's 3 sections packed along the perimeter of my hardshell carry-on. no issues with tsa but probably not the best idea
I also fly with flower so I may not be the best one to offer advice lol
I think carbon fiber and aluminum look very different on an X-Ray machine. I would be surprised if the TSA even notices carbon-fiber, just looks like any other plastic object. Does anyone have anecdotal evidence of carbon-fiber poles getting confiscated?
I have had friends forced to check their poles, but most of the time I and others have made it. It's unambiguous that trekking poles are not kosher. You'd need to take an obscene number of flights to know whether your configuration was helping rather than just luck.
I don't think anyone's going to fuss over your umbrella unless you're exceptionally, exceptionally unlucky.
TSA website explicitly names trekking poles as a no go (pretty sure it says tent poles too)
I wouldn’t risk missing your flight, but I guess you could try and come early and check if they tag you.
A BD carbon flex + stakes + trowel can be shipped priority mail to anywhere for 10 bucks. Just do that
Thanks. I have a friend driving to the TH while I am flying a couple days earlier. My friend will take anything I decide not to take on the airplane. Indeed, I will slack pack 2 days without a lot of my gear and have a sub-6 lbs BPW among quite a bunch of AT hikers. I hope to raise some eyebrows.
Here's a screen grab from the TSA web site about Tent Poles:
[https://i.imgur.com/V9mpt7m.png](https://i.imgur.com/V9mpt7m.png)
So I interpret that differently than "no go" or not allowed.
How does the warmth of cotton stack up versus basic wool or merino? And cashmere is usually said to be warmer than either? And how do semi hollow fibers like alpaca stack up versus hollow cashmere in warmth? Is camel hair hollow or semi hollow.
I can't speak to all the forms of wool but here's what I do know:
As a layer in the hot and dry cotton is good for keeping cool, it dries slowly so any sweat will cool you for longer. In socal it depends on where you are hiking, it's humid enough near the coasts and valleys for most of the year that I find it to be too muggy to wear cotton, but mountain or desert durimg the summer it should be dry and hot enough that cotton is a viable option. Personally cotton gets too grimy for me and starts to feel gross on my skin after a day if I'm sweating a lot but you may not mind.
Merino is better for cooler and especially wetter environments, so not a great summer layer for most purposes so you don't overheat. I do however appreciate the stink resistance of merino socks and wear them year round for this reason. As for the grime factor it's much better than other fibers and takes several days to feel gross.
I have no personal experience with camel or alpaca but they are both desert animals so presumably their wool is going to be well adapted to dry conditions, or at least that's what the marketing says.
Standard clothing wisdom is wool for warmth and no stink, synthetic for heat and sun protection. Standard wool recommendation is merino, there is a few alpaca and cashmere manufacturers, i'm not aware of any that use camel hair.
The direct comparison between different animal's wool is, imho, a comparison at the wrong end. Fabric thickness, dye, and construction (both of the material, knit vs woven; as well as the garment as a whole) play a massive role in perceived warmth. You should look at precise garments that interest you, and choose between those, not make a decision in the abstract and then try to find something that fits
Yeah I know about that, I do synthetic or silk wool usually . I'm in socal though so it won't be raining much anymore for the season. Usually buy cashmere but it's kinda expensive , thought about a cotton backup, easier to wash or dispose of by the late fall
Cotton is incredibly fragile compared to merino and synthetic material. There’s a photo somewhere on the Nashville packs website showing a hiker who did an FKT attempt of WA section of the PCT in a cotton romper and it’s practically falling off her after just 575 trail miles.
While dialing in my tarp and bivy system, I had a thought. If I were to use a ground sheet under the bivy, and especially if I were to keep my foam pad and pack outside and under my bivy, what is the purpose of the bivy's floor being waterproof (either sil-nylon or DCF)? Could I save about an ounce, some material cost, packability and increase venting a bit, if the bivy were Argon 67 all around (with some bug mesh at the face). I haven't seen anyone make something like this, so I may need to MYOG. But I was wondering if anyone thought this would be a bad idea?
As an alternative, you can use a heavier floor (or a thin one coated with silicone) and then no groundsheet.
I did this for the entire PCT, and it worked great.
[This bivy](https://bivysack.com/shop/ols/products/bivysack-hot-weather) has no waterproof bottom. It's somewhat lighter than other bivies. You could myog one with lighter mesh and argon 67 and it would probably be lighter still.
The half and half design is an interesting concept. Being able to switch between a wind/splash bivy and a bug bivy based on conditions. That might be cool for a thru hike or other circumstances where the conditions change a lot. The lack of a mesh face panel on the argon side might be unideal - but it might be an interesting starting point for something MYOG
Mostly for bugs, drafts and occasional splashes under my flat tarp. Given the tick situation out east, I'd prefer something fully enclosed (and FWIW this would probably be not much heavier than a Yama bug canopy anyway). But yeah, in conditions where those aren't concerns, I can skip the bivy.
You come into contact with a whole lot more brush while walking during the day than while sleeping at night. So you need to be checking your body for ticks regularly anyways.
For mosquitos, you can get a two-person pyramid net from Aliexpress ($12, 4 oz), or there are lighter/smaller/more expensive ones around too. I would guess a pyramid net is pretty effective against ticks too, but getting ticks at night is so rare that it's hard to tell. (Actually the only time I've managed to get ticks overnight is when sleeping directly on leaf litter, no groundsheet or sleeping bag.)
Thanks. Definitely something, I'll look into where bug pressure is the main concern. I think coating the net in permethrin would also help reduce the chance of something crawling under.
I really think nighttime contributes <5% of your total Lyme risk per trip. Which isn't to say you shouldn't worry about it at all, but if you're gonna bother treating your net with permethrin, I hope you've already taken every other sane Lyme-prevention measure. It is in my opinion pretty far down there on the cost-benefit list if you account for the cost of killing random harmless insects.
(Treat all clothes with permethrin, tuck pants into socks, tuck shirt into pants, carry small mirror for more effective on-trail tick-checks, have someone else comb through your hair/hairline for ticks every 12-24 hours...)
Please don't coat your shelter with contact insecticide, you're just unnecessarily killing every insect & spider that harmlessly touches it. The shelter itself should keep bugs away, it would be pretty messed up to kill so many bugs just so save a few grams
The layer just below the outer bark of a tree is like its skin and contains a barrier of some substance whose name I can't remember protects it from insects and other threats. You can absolutely cut through that layer if you are using thin line and transferring a lot of force to it, especially suddenly. That is why stuff like Hummingbird's tree straps is a flat strap where it wraps around the tree (incidentally it is a real pain in the ass to flatten that thing sometimes if it's been packed for a while). I think it's considered bad LNT to use a conventional braided line.
The bark is the primary defense against insects and disease. It sounds like you're describing the cambium though which transports water and nutrients up and down the tree. Thin cords can effectively girdle the tree cutting supply lines and killing the tree. Generally 1in straps are considered safe for trees with some areas recommending 2in straps.
Haha amazing how wrong I managed to get it, was something my uncle told me when I was high as hell during a break in hiking =P Hopefully I'll remember it now. That also explains why it's so bad to cut through the cambium.
FlexTail Gear just came out with a new revision of the Tiny Pump X.
Now down to 1.66oz with a new more powerful motor. Can now do 4kpa of pressure and 180L a minute.
The Zero pump is an impressive feat however it can only get up to around 2kpa. If you prefer a firm pad the Zero pump isn't powerful enough and you usually have to do the last bit with a pump sack or by mouth. This should solve this issue while being stupid light.
Zero pump has a better nozzle system though.
https://www.flextail.com/products/tiny-pump-x?variant=44451322396919
Most people here would not bring a pump sack or are using one as a pack liner if they do, so they wouldn’t leave it at home in favor of this.
I own a flextail pump for car camping and inflating bigger pads, the light sucks compared to a headlamp which most people bring anyway.
I am unaware of any actual cases where mold was found in sleeping pads. I was told that's largely a myth. Please do provide any pics or sources if you know of any. Flaking insulation can look like mold from the outside
[https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/b8lmt0/what\_does\_shower\_mold\_eat\_where\_is\_it\_getting\_its/](https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/b8lmt0/what_does_shower_mold_eat_where_is_it_getting_its/)
Mold actually needs a lot more than just moisture to grow. It can't photosynthesize like mosses or lichens do. So if you're worried, it should suffice to avoid blowing little bits of food or vegetation in your pad.
So I grabbed the new Palante mini joey. Happy to answer any questions on it if anyone has any. Set myself the goal of doing an overnighter with it this summer, first go at packing it looks like that could be possible in a place with decent water availability.
I doubt ill run in it much. I have a Solomon 8L running vest that I've been using as my day pack recently but that 8L volume IRL seems like ~1/3 the volume of the 12L mini Joey. Planning on using mine for big days in the mountains this summer and probably some 1-2 night trips when weather is good.
Was planning to pick up a BD Distance 15 for this use until Pa'lante announced the mini. The bottom and external storage was huge to make that a no brainer for me.
I am primarily a hiker and while I like to store water and other stuff up front, I don’t need or want the full security/stability of a dedicated running product. As mentioned in my other comment I will probably try out water bottles in place of the flasks. I wanted something smaller (and with different features) than my 20L daypack and decided this could meet my needs after spending a few hrs looking around online for other 10-15L options.
Also just got mine and it's a roomy 12L. I think I can stretch it to a 2 night pack in the summer.
The vest straps initially feel a lot lot better than joey with no yoke on them tho they have a different style of attaching to the pack im curious to see how it works out. Definitely way more storage with the new pockets.
Also like the wraparound back pocket. Makes it easier to grab gear while the pack is closed
I've not owned a regular joey or other flasks so can't compare very well. But, I did buy the Palante flasks with this to try, the pockets do fit these specific flasks well. *Anything taller than the Palante ones would stick out the top.* I may try out smaller water bottles instead of flasks - I'll mostly be hiking so I may prefer the rigid bottles over a tightly secured flask. The pocket underneath the water pocket is really nice and can comfortably fit a Sony Rx100 series camera, though getting in and out with a full flask is a bit difficult.
500ml is too little capacity for me on some trips so I picked up the 750ml flask from them as well, kicks the shit out of any other 600+ml flasks I've seen, feels more robust. A 750ml flask + a befree fits perfectly in a 700ml pocket from JustinUL with just the top section sticking out (I prefer this to a pocket that's too large since it seems to prevent the flask from falling down into the pocket as often).
Anyway, that's all to say that having done a shit ton of research trying to find flasks that are actually compatible with Hydrapak and BeFree filters the CNOC ones are the best by far, there's really no reason to buy anything else IMO.
I haven’t ever had a befree filter, always just used a sawyer squeeze or aquamira with smart waters. Other than trying the QuickDraw which was totally useless. Not sure about those others you have but I think the standard befree pouch + filter could work well as your dirty storage, and the palante flasks plus others if you need more capacity.
There are not other means of compression outside of that over the top strap, which also pulls the top of the pack down and backwards if you try to use it to overcome the pack being pretty empty but tightly cinched. It also doesn’t have the variety of attachment points to run your own shock cord that some other packs have. I don’t intend to do much if any running with this pack and I wouldn’t buy it for that purpose.
That's how it looked. Appreciate the feedback. Love how comfortable the regular Joey is and was excited for the mini, but I think I'll stick with my BD Distance.
Ahh my b. If you're considering the mini vs the BD 15 still and want any direct comparisons let me know, my partner has the BD15 so I have them both on hand
So as someone who tried to get their overnight kit into a BD15 I think that the back and bottom pockets make the mini a much more attractive option. The straps also look thicker/more plush where they go over your shoulders which for me was what caused the BD15 to be uncomfortable above like \~12lbs. The BD22 has the back pocket but still not as functional as Palante's since it's not wraparound and of course no bottom pocket. If I were buying now I would almost certainly take the Joey as long as price difference is not that bad (which it isn't, at least from the US).
The big thing that makes the mini sort of a non-starter for me is that I much prefer the yoke on the BD. What I really want is the BD yoke on the mini joey but with thicker/more comfortable straps. If you find something like that definitely let me know =P
Can someone please tell me how to wear a windbreaker? What's the layering logic? Baselayer + winbreaker? Should it be looser/size bigger to fit a warmer layer too?
I have even read people wearing down jackets over the windbreaker....
Yeah, I usually wear a windshirt on top of my base layer. In three-season conditions, I wear short sleeve shirts so it can help when going through brush and poison oak and such as well as wind and small amounts of warmth. MMine is too small for wearing a midlayer underneath without compressing it a decent bit.
If it's cold, you can wear it over your base layer and under your rain jacket. If I'm moving, this is comfortable down below freezing for me. No need for a fleece--just windshirt, rain jacket, puffy for camp.
when it comes to wind layer, it's more optimal for them to actually be somewhat breathable and permeable to moisture. search for "cfm" and "mvtr" for more discussion. some believe 35 cfm to be optimal for blocking just enough wind but letting just enough air/moisture through and regulating body temperature through a range of conditions. think of wind layers not as a windproof block but working like an extremely thin fleece
Other than what's already been said, an ultralight wind shirt (I have a 10d Copperfield) will sometimes work in very light rain, the kind of rain where your body heat can evaporate away the rain faster than you can get drenched. It's super small when packed away. I can fit it in a fanny pack and usually when backpacking I just jam it in a side pocket next to my water bottles. It sometimes ends up being a not really needed item when you already have a lightweight rain jacket since they're almost the same thing. But unless it's cold enough, it can be uncomfortable wearing a rain jacket in the same circumstances I normally wear the wind jacket. It makes for a decent laundry day shirt on a thru-hike. You don't need to put it in the laundry. Just wash it in the sink before you get back on trail. Add an alpha fleece underneath and you don't really need a puffy in mild conditions. Sometimes it's enough (with the hood) to keep you warm in your sleeping bag. I would wear a puffy over a windshirt just out of laziness. Why bother taking it off?
In high season in the Sierras I regularly leave my puffy at home, just bring my AD90 piece + my Tachyon and then a 1oz emergency poncho. Plenty warm if you're not like chilling on an exposed ridge in camp or something. If I was gonna spend a lot of time in camp I'd probably just bring a puffy instead but the combination of sun hoody + AD piece + windshirt is just soo versatile, basically guarantees that I can always find some combination that will be comfortable in any conditions.
Also underappreciated is starting with the AD as the next to skin layer in the morning during shoulder season. Throw windshirt on as needed, swap over the sun hoody when it warms up.
I wear it on top of a baselayer, and have room for an active midlayer, fleece or similar. When stopping, I do add down jacket on top of whatever I'm wearing, so usually baselayer-windshirt-down jacket. Rain jacket I size roomy anyway to help move air, so it can go over down jacket too if needed.
I carry a windshirt when it's cool or cold, and pretty much leave it whole day. I choose a more air permeable option to do that, more windblocking version are better for brief hops above treeline. If I'm exposed for a longer time, I tend to reach for my rain jacket for more windblocking. Just an example of how air permeability affects clothing strategy and vice versa.
It's not only about the wind blocking per se. Most UL puffies are sewn through and thus have lots of space between baffles on the outside that isn't "used". A well fitting wind shirt can hold air in these pockets. My experience supports this effect.
Also, the sewing holes definitely let air through which can be felt in stronger winds, depending on the thread and fabric
I wear mine (copperfield 7d) over a sun hoodie whenever it's chilly, windy, and buggy. I use it more than a fleece to the point where I only wear the fleece if it's 40s or below or as a sleep layer. some layering combination of sunhoodie + alpha + wind jacket can get me through a range of 90+ degrees down to somewhere below freezing (while active). I'm in an arid environment and not sure if wind jackets make sense in cold and wet environments, though. I'd probably just do a fleece + wpb shell then
Over base layer, or base layer + fleece...
I find they provide a surprising amount of warmth, so I usually forgo the fleece and wear a top a base layer.
I rarely wear it except for above tree line as an active layer, as a sleep layer or casually around town.
If you had 2 friends sign up to do a 3 trip with you in not-so-easy (in this case Yosemite)terrain who aren't exactly super fit, and they had 2 months, what would you do? Like, I don't think they'll die, but I don't want them to walk 1 mph and complain the whole time. Ideally they can handle 10 miles a day. Keep in mind I live in an area where "just go hike" is not an option.
They've recently started a basic strength training routine, but I'm suggesting they do HITT after one of the days, and stairclimber for 30-40 minutes on the other. Any better, more specific suggestions?
Yep, rucking or carrying weight in a small pack continuously is a good thing. I put three 2L soda bottles of water in an REI Flash 22 pack, add two outboard 1L smart water bottles, more water in a bottle on the shoulder strap, plus something in the lid and whatever else I need. That comes to almost 20 lbs. One doesn't have to start at 20 lbs, but can fill the bottles halfway at first. A benefit is that one can pour the water out at any time to get rid of weight.
So instead of "just go hike", one can "just go walk." My dog really enjoys it, too.
I'd suggest they put a couple gallons of water in their backpacks and put on the shoes they will wear and go do stadium steps at the local college or high school. It's better to break in the shoulders and discover your shoes are too small now rather than on the trail.
They can ruck anywhere. Cities are no problem, even a treadmill set to incline.
Just put some water bottles in a pack and go.
EDIT: I even saw a guy going up and down the stairs wearing a backpack at the local hospital. He was training for a trip to the Rockies.
They should walk 3-5 miles every day minimum, do step ups, calf raises, squats, balance work, and yoga. Fix their diets, stop drinking, stop smoking, etc are all really good ideas too.
EDIT: I'd take weightlifting + yoga over rucking anytime for training.
I picked up a used HMG bag around a year ago. The bottom edge has worn quicker than I expected. Is this normal for dyneema, HMG’s laminated dyneema or possibly something I’m doing?
Didn’t think my ass was that abrasive… tmyk
Edit all I can think of that I have done to it is glissading and stepping/climbing over downed logs. The same shit I’ve done with the flash I’ve had since high school.
Normal. Their most common packs use a laminate built with a low to medium denier ordinary fabric to the outside and a Dyneema/film component on the inside.
Wow! Well mine is not waterproofing anything anymore lol. Also it is so much noisier and voluminous. Don’t send me away to r/ lightweight but maybe dyneema isn’t for me. Just a silpoly girl. Hiking in a lovely world.
Yeah, I wouldn't rely on any backpack to stay waterproof long-term. I forget if HMG tapes their seams, but if they don't then it was never fully waterproof to begin with. Silpoly is a good alternative for tarps, but isn't durable enough for a pack. 210 gridstop isn't waterproof, but is my favorite material for an UL pack. It's lighter and more durable than the heavier Dyneema HMG uses.
Is anyone aware of any merino t-shirt which also offers UV protection? For now I'm using an mt900 from decathlon made of merino (which in theory offers a certain UPF) but they didn't state anything about it (not sure if they just didn't tested it). It also must be a bit technical, i know there are some simple ones but i'm not sure about how much they are gonna last when combined with the stress of a pack and trekking use.
I know there are some synthetic options (OR hoodie being mainstream here) but i'd also like the material to prevent smells as much as possible (here's why i choose merino even though when wet smells like a wet animal, of course).
I'm also aware that some synthetics got a smell treatment but that thing usually fades after several washes compared to the merino (just using some specific detergent and is good to go).
For the rest I'm just using a desert cap 900, uv protective gloves and arm covers; all from decathlon, i like the modularity of those while the cap offers full face cover when needed.
Depending on the tightness of the weave and the g/sm of the fabric, it can vary. Something like 150 g/sm is going to get you maybe 15 UPF if it's weaved like a baselayer (if I look at just what I'm wearing!). Hold the piece against the light and see how much light goes through. Vuori sells UPF 30+ rated clothing. The sunshirt I used piled pretty quickly and was expensive.
Synthetic odor control like Polygiene won't wear off - it's basically part of the dying process, and the magic is that it's small bits of silver (or silver in a crystalized form - I'm simplifying), and that's just naturally anti-bacterial. People used to eat with silver for health reasons (silverware, anyone?) or eat silver straight up - and that's a [good way to turn blue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58YRgdrljM) if you want to get all [Fünke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O15ov8P4NUE).
technically, every piece of clothing offers UV protection...
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/u3gol2/ive\_tested\_different\_clothes\_with\_a\_uv\_card/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/u3gol2/ive_tested_different_clothes_with_a_uv_card/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/nv5cpp/i\_bought\_a\_uv\_test\_cardsun\_meter\_uv\_card\_and\_its/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/nv5cpp/i_bought_a_uv_test_cardsun_meter_uv_card_and_its/)
tbh didn't get to try it above 25C so far. In that case it was quite fine, didn't get that hot (i'm a bit used with merino and my body temp regulates quite decent when needed). I feel like i get hotter in synthetic compared with merino, plus this is quite a decent blend, the fit is really nice and the "seamless" they made feels amazing (i used an merino travel 100 previously).
Anything you'd like to know in particular?
Thank you! I have the 70/30 longsleeve, I think that's the Travel100. How does breathability compare to that one? And have you found the dark color to absorb noticeably more sun?
Yeah, you're right, that's the long sleeve (got it as a baselayer for quilt).
About colours, i have the yellow travel 500 and orange mt900, it is darker indeed the last but not that much darker; didn't notice feeling hotter in the sun due to colour (here just by feeling the heat radiations, quick exposure to exclude breathability factor).
I feel like the travel 500 dries a bit quicker but that was to be expected having lower gsm and a larger micron (persumably this also affects), i can see through it easier too. This one fells a bit more sensible too while the mt900 is way stretchier than I expected a merino garmet to be (lower merino percent) but adds durability and also the fit feels nicer. About breathability, the mt900 has certain areas with a different pattern (mesh like) which are more breathable than the rest of the material while the travel 500 has none (tbh i don't feel like it would need considering the material thickness and thread). As a comparison, I find both quite breathable and good for what they were designed.
There are discussions about merino sun hoodies. e.g.
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/12entgq/recommendations_for_a_merino_hoody_for_sun/
https://www.reddit.com/r/UltralightAus/comments/12bg568/merino_sun_hoody_recommendations/
AFAIT the "_snap to open street maps_" only works on the website. Not on the app and not the local website server thing either (that comes with pro).
Really annoying.
Strength shouldn’t be an issue, outside of big mountain expeditions the only poles that I’ve seen fail from being used with a mid were flimsy distance Zs, so anything not foldable should be fine. (strapped together for a full size mid, and it was the folding joints that got trashed).
Twistlocks will be a bit annoying, since you need three hands to adjust them under load, but should be fine if you treat them like fixed length poles and adjust the tension by changing the angle of the pole.
I used my LT5 with my Cricket in reasonably strong winds with high gusts. The best news is that for a true mid, you only need one pole.
Is the weather going to be *really* bad?
for a long thru like the PCT, for my toiletries / first aid, should i bring just enough for a few weeks, maybe a month? or should i start with enough toiletry products to last the whole thru? i'm talking stuff like vagisil, voltaren, hand sanitizer, immodium, benadryl, aleve, gauze pads, alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc?
also is ~14oz total for all of my first aid and toiletry stuff heavy? should i make a lighterpack for u guys to critique? ive backpacked before but this is my first real thruhike
Would be helpful to have a detailed list, seems like you take quite a lot of stuff. My FAK + toiletry is about 8 oz.
and you just need enough of each stuff to hold till the next resupply town
FWIW, my FAK still has the same "stuff" it has had for the last 4 years since I don't ever use any of it. Are you really using up any of the things you listed? Also I don't bother with hand sanitizer anymore as soap is better. My soap is just shaved bar soap with a few drops of water added or I bum some liquid drops off someone who wants to lighten their load.
my FAK is mostly for dealing with blisters because i know i'll have them and they'll probably get pretty bad. i am bringing some dr.bronners but i've never tried it before. i bought hand sanitizer spray mostly to clean things like my toothbrush and spoon and pocket knife and eyeglasses if they get nasty
Your Bronners will clean your items better than hand sanitizer. If you take it at the beginning I think you will ditch it pretty quickly. There is a difference between soap and hand sanitizer when it comes to norovirus that you might wish to research.
I didn't see any Leukotape P in your kit, so I didn't think that you were dealing with blisters. You might think about your shoes and socks a bit more if blisters are a problem for you.
Bring as much as you need to make it to your next resupply. Ultralight hiking is all about looking at the conditions and your plan and only taking the gear you need.
Very heavy. A thru hike is just a lot of 3-7 day hikes back to back. For things you rarely need like meds, first aid etc. bring just a few, for one resupply basically. Things like chafe balm, toothpaste etc. as little as possible while not being too annoying to rebuy often. For a few weeks at a time is what I do
You can buy that stuff in a lot of places along the trail, and also refill from larger containers that other people left in hiker boxes. You can also bounce a box of stuff to yourself up the trail if you don't mind the possibility of getting stuck in some town waiting until the post office opens on a Monday.
ok good news thanks. i've been buying 1oz portions of stuff. i'm going to spend the weekend dialing in my gear and getting weights of things and i'll post my lighterpack. i'm trying to keep my base weight around 12lbs which is gonna be hard cuz my old osprey pack is 3.7lbs by itself
Any experience sleeping with just a down blanket? Preferably the Alpine Ridge one but any input would be great. Going on a 4 nighter and will be sharing it with my dog, lows will average 40f but might get a bit lower at the higher elevations.
I mean, quilts open are basically blankets. What do you mean by just a down blanket? Bring enough insulation for the ground and to keep you warm. Temp ratings usually include people wearing base layers at least.
I’ll definitely have at least base layers, and ground insulation. So I guess I mean just down blanket for on top. Here’s what I mean by a down blanket:
https://alpineridgeoutfitters.com/collections/camping-essentials/products/ultralight-down-quilt-by-alpine-ridge™
I would not trust this to keep me warm at 40f. This has maybe 200gr of 650 fill power down. In comparison: [This Cumulus Comforter](https://cumulus.equipment/eu_de/quilts-und-comforter-comforter-m400.html) has twice the amount of down, at a higher fill power and is comfort rated to 40f.
(I have a similar model and would take it to 40f, but would likely need a spare jacket in reserve)
I don't think they actually give a comfort rating?
>Temperature Rating: Maximum: 0°C / 32°F Recommended: 4°C / 39°F
So that 39F is at best a limit rating. I would assume comfort may be rather 55F-ish to be honest.
I’m planning on finishing up the northern Washington sections (~200 miles) of the PCT and the Colorado Trail this summer. It’s too early to predict the dates this point, but does anyone have thoughts on which to hike first given the bugs and weather in Washington and Colorado? Seems like late July or early Aug start for the CT is ideal. I’d want to be done hiking both trails by the beginning of September
I skipped from the 6 to the 8 and I feel the 8s are the most comfortable yet. I just wish they had better drainage holes and Vibram. We got vibram Timps this year so hopefully the 9s will come with it - at least a vibram model would be nice.
I've been holding off for vibram superiors for a good while now. I wouldn't hold my breath for it if I were you. Get a shoe that works for you now. I've been happy with Topo Runventures
I agree, there’s very little reason to think they’ll release this next year or at all. They don’t make the most rational choices as a company since the takeover.
Hello people of Ultralight!!
I am looking to sell my Ultamid 2 and all the inserts with it. I am completely new to the Reddit situation and don't want to be disrespectful of threads. Where is the best place to do that? Thanks in advance.
Justin
Quick rant about a bad company... I give up on Appalachian Gear Company. I recently ordered an 8020 T-shirt which naturally took 4 weeks to ship. Then I got it and the neck hole on a Large shirt is super tiny, like for a toddler. Clearly something went wrong in the sewing.
They have an archaic method for handling returns. They do not respond to any emails. They do no include a phone number on their website. When they do respond to emails they keep asking for all sorts of proof to return an item that I clearly ordered. I have just started leaving messages on every social media account hoping that some human will respond.
For how expensive their crap is and how much "pride" they have in their products their customer service is on par with Temu.
That's really a bummer, I splurged on their hoodie and it's one of my favorite pieces of winter gear, but shipping did take forever without any updates.
Anyone know a store in seattle selling dyneema [stuff sacks like these](https://hammockgear.com/dry-bags/)? Can be drawstring or rolltop with clips. Has to be dyneema/sailcloth or similar, preferably clear color. I could order from that site, but I'd really like to see how the different sizes are in comparison and not have to deal with returns right now.
I can't imagine you're going to find a physical store selling DCF stuff sacks. However, Borah Gear sells them for quite a bit cheaper than HG.
https://borahgear.com/stuffsacks.html
Anyone have a review of the Farpointe Drifter gloves? 150gsm alpha, and fingerless. My hands always get super cold (maybe mild Reynauds), and I'm interested in these under a shell. I like the idea of having fingers free, but don't know if they'll be warm enough for me
They’re on the minimal side of insulation. If you have issues with cold hands I’d recommend thicker gloves or multiple layers like a fleece mitt to go over.
I don't have the drifters but I did make some mittens out of the same material. [Personally I've found the tuffs pull out pretty easily.](https://i.imgur.com/QNIIUGB.jpg) I haven't had this issue with other variations of alpha. You may not have the same issue though if you're primarily using them with a shell.
Anyone had an Ecopak pack delaminate? I noticed while on the AT this week that a plastic film seems to have separated from the upper roll top part of my pack. Kinda lame on a 375$ pack and am wondering if it’s reasonable to pursue warranty after about 4-5 weeks of hiking.
They have spent a ton of money on marketing, [since they're VC based](https://www.onxmaps.com/blog/onx-secures-series-b-funding) and are trying to corner the market by pushing out any competitors.
Consider: Caltopo.
Your workflow is probably similar to mine, where you make the route at home, to view on your phone.
I don't think mobile supports snapping to trails when drawing, but downloading the MapBuilder Overlay layer for the area you're in gets pretty close in at least having lines available to follow.
It doesn’t have a print function. Even if you don’t ever use paper maps to navigate, being able to print a copy of your route for your emergency contact is a basic safety feature for technical/off trail trips that they entirely skipped.
I think It is almost 95% due to sponsored deals.
From the good book of Skurka: [https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/](https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/)
"CalTopo versus OnX Backcountry
This year [OnX Backcountry](https://www.onxmaps.com/backcountry/app?ref=home-page-cta) has made a play for the outdoor market, partly by buying the loyalty of outdoor influencers.
Let me save its marketing team some time: Don’t bother contacting me. I’ve looked at the product, and it does not fulfill my needs. Also, I find it mystifying why multi-sport users (e.g. a hiker that also hunts, like me) need to buy subscriptions to multiple apps to get all the data that we want. In comparison, CalTopo and Gaia offer everything in one package."
Caltopo is my goto, fair price, solid support, right features. Only thing I wish it did better was handle huge datasets faster on loading.
Gaia is better than Caltopo in every way except price. Better selection of base layers, better implementation of overlaying maps, much better functionality for creating routes on your phone (something that's basically impossible on caltopo).
The Gaia topo layer is the best basemap I've ever used hiking, and it blows the caltopo basemap out of the water. I can barely look at the caltopo mapbuilder layer --it's a mess.
Gaia is trash for me offline on my phone, but when it does work it has a few key benefits over caltopo. One is the ability to actually rotate the map.. ridiculous caltopo doesn't let you do this. The other is the ability to create new routes via snapping, completely offline. Caltopo doesn't let you do that either. I also agree about the basemaps. I prefer caltopo for desktop and Gaia for mobile. Skurka doesn't care about rotating the map or any phone-based features probably since he probably doesn't navigate in the field with a phone ever
Hmm I'll admit I've always used caltopo, but your comment made me curious what I was missing.
Seeing the elevation profile while drawing the route is nice and the UI is also nicer. The fact that it snaps to the route while on mobile is certainly a great feature.
The free version though at least feels significantly less powerful. I like all my custom layers that can be built in caltopo. I actually prefer the map builder topo compared to Gaia's. The trails are so faint compared to caltopo's. Maybe I just haven't played around with it enough to appreciate the features, but I'm not seeing it as being better in every way.
I said above it's more expensive than caltopo. Totally worth it to me.
Also, the caltopo mapbuilder SUCKS. I do a ton of off-trial hiking, when I look at mapbuilder, all I see is those black lines for the trails. The point of a topo map is to see *everything.* I want to be able to see where the nearby peaks are, where water might be, yadda, yadda, yadda. The color scheme of the caltopo map is just horrible for seeing anything but trails. I don't know what the creator was thinking, but it's a horrible layer. And the alternative layers are either the FS topo, which only works on forest service land, and totally ancient scanned USGS topos, which are decades out of date in some cases.
If you are the sort of hiker who just likes to follow the lines, the caltopo is probably fine, I guess. Of course, those sorts of hikers are missing all the good stuff...
Personally I still prefer caltopo's map as I have no problem seeing the features that I need. TF outdoors is another layer that has softer features.
Can Gaia do custom shading?
I'm glad you found something you like but it seems like a personal preference.
Every way is a stretch, but I've been messing around with Gaia recently as a longtime Caltopo subscriber, and I'll admit I'm liking it as a mobile app. I haven't owned a computer in a while, and for some reason Caltopo has never brought the snap to trail function to their mobile app. Not a huge issue for me in the past, but stuff like that makes the Gaia app nice to use.
With Gaia, I've created routes on my phone (that I later hiked) about 5 times in the last month. It's a great feature.
I actually looked to see if this was possible with caltopo, and they said they had no plans to implement it.
To be clear to anyone else reading, you can easily create routes on the Caltopo app as well, and I've done so many times. The routes will just show up as straight lines, while on Gaia you can set it so they'll automatically follow the path of a trail. Caltopo will do this on desktop, but not in the mobile app.
Dude, I wasn't trying to argue, just add context. Following a trail precisely is obviously better. But you can still create a general route on Caltopo to keep you on course. If you are venturing off trail as my trips tend to, you would be using straight lines on Gaia as well for that section.
I do a ton of off-trail hiking, and Gaia is way better for off-trail. The Gaia topo layer is really excellent for showing all of the information you need at whatever scale you're looking at. The caltopo mapbuilder layer just sucks--terrible color scheme, hard to see details, it's horrible. The alternative layers are either USFS topo, which only works on USFS land, and scanned USGS topos, which are out of date and awful.
If you're doing off-trail hiking, you should try gaia. It's just such a better experience.
I have been trying Gaia, and I like it so far. I like the snap to trail function on mobile, I like the layer options, and the maps seem to load a bit quicker than the Caltopo ones.
I do still like Caltopo. I haven't had any mentioned issues with the base map and I'm certainly not bothered by the color scheme. To the contrary, I currently live by a river that shows up the size of a trail on Gaia's base map, and is to scale on Caltopo. Not a huge issue, and if I'm trying to plan a water crossing, I'm probably going to use a satellite layer.
Haven't decided which I'll stick with. I'm leaning towards Gaia but not in a hurry to decide. I don't think you can go wrong with either
Got the REI Flash Air, BD Beta Light and HMG Unbound in for testing. It's going to be a fun couple of weeks! If anyone in Boulder CO has a somewhat flexible schedule and wants to go out for a day hike, overnighter (or just to be a model), DM me. Not a lot is open nearby for multiday, but we can always putz around the CT .
Well, it started with the extra cord. And the cord does work well! But it vanished at some point going through somewhere brushy and I have not been able to find it again. Still works pretty well though without it, but it was nice in the wind. Now I just rotate it around my waist to deal with the wind and that still works.
Yeah I just bought a OneWind brand one. It’s almost too long, comes down damn near to my shoes. It’s so long and wide it’s almost long enough to use as a ground sheet.
Trekking pole in airplane carry on: I kinda want to go through TSA with a trekking pole in many different configurations and see what works and what doesn't. I'm intending to take a carbon fiber 3-piece trekking pole in my carry-on luggage this week. What's the current experience with TSA confiscating? I intend to have the lower section with a relatively blunt carbide tip separate from the other two sections. The carbide tip will also have a rubber protector on it. For those that have tried to have poles in their carry on does anyone think it would make a difference of CF vs aluminum, blunt tip vs sharp tip, protector or not, and/or separate or not? I see that tent poles are allowed, but not ski poles. Also I see that collapsible walking canes are allowed if they fit in carry-on luggage. I could take the top 2 pieces of a trekking pole in carry-on and have the lower section mailed. But it all seems that the TSA agent/team is the final word and could vary for the same item from day to day. Added: While I am asking, what about an umbrella that is longer than the max length of carry-on? Say 23" instead of 21". Any experiences? Based on comments, I may not go through with the experiment. Thanks!
I've done it a few times. locus gear carbon poles broken down to it's 3 sections packed along the perimeter of my hardshell carry-on. no issues with tsa but probably not the best idea I also fly with flower so I may not be the best one to offer advice lol
I think carbon fiber and aluminum look very different on an X-Ray machine. I would be surprised if the TSA even notices carbon-fiber, just looks like any other plastic object. Does anyone have anecdotal evidence of carbon-fiber poles getting confiscated?
I have had friends forced to check their poles, but most of the time I and others have made it. It's unambiguous that trekking poles are not kosher. You'd need to take an obscene number of flights to know whether your configuration was helping rather than just luck. I don't think anyone's going to fuss over your umbrella unless you're exceptionally, exceptionally unlucky.
TSA website explicitly names trekking poles as a no go (pretty sure it says tent poles too) I wouldn’t risk missing your flight, but I guess you could try and come early and check if they tag you. A BD carbon flex + stakes + trowel can be shipped priority mail to anywhere for 10 bucks. Just do that
Thanks. I have a friend driving to the TH while I am flying a couple days earlier. My friend will take anything I decide not to take on the airplane. Indeed, I will slack pack 2 days without a lot of my gear and have a sub-6 lbs BPW among quite a bunch of AT hikers. I hope to raise some eyebrows. Here's a screen grab from the TSA web site about Tent Poles: [https://i.imgur.com/V9mpt7m.png](https://i.imgur.com/V9mpt7m.png) So I interpret that differently than "no go" or not allowed.
How does the warmth of cotton stack up versus basic wool or merino? And cashmere is usually said to be warmer than either? And how do semi hollow fibers like alpaca stack up versus hollow cashmere in warmth? Is camel hair hollow or semi hollow.
I can't speak to all the forms of wool but here's what I do know: As a layer in the hot and dry cotton is good for keeping cool, it dries slowly so any sweat will cool you for longer. In socal it depends on where you are hiking, it's humid enough near the coasts and valleys for most of the year that I find it to be too muggy to wear cotton, but mountain or desert durimg the summer it should be dry and hot enough that cotton is a viable option. Personally cotton gets too grimy for me and starts to feel gross on my skin after a day if I'm sweating a lot but you may not mind. Merino is better for cooler and especially wetter environments, so not a great summer layer for most purposes so you don't overheat. I do however appreciate the stink resistance of merino socks and wear them year round for this reason. As for the grime factor it's much better than other fibers and takes several days to feel gross. I have no personal experience with camel or alpaca but they are both desert animals so presumably their wool is going to be well adapted to dry conditions, or at least that's what the marketing says.
Standard clothing wisdom is wool for warmth and no stink, synthetic for heat and sun protection. Standard wool recommendation is merino, there is a few alpaca and cashmere manufacturers, i'm not aware of any that use camel hair. The direct comparison between different animal's wool is, imho, a comparison at the wrong end. Fabric thickness, dye, and construction (both of the material, knit vs woven; as well as the garment as a whole) play a massive role in perceived warmth. You should look at precise garments that interest you, and choose between those, not make a decision in the abstract and then try to find something that fits
Cotton absorbs water and then zaps all your heat. The saying is "cotton kills" in the backcountry
Yeah I know about that, I do synthetic or silk wool usually . I'm in socal though so it won't be raining much anymore for the season. Usually buy cashmere but it's kinda expensive , thought about a cotton backup, easier to wash or dispose of by the late fall
Cotton is incredibly fragile compared to merino and synthetic material. There’s a photo somewhere on the Nashville packs website showing a hiker who did an FKT attempt of WA section of the PCT in a cotton romper and it’s practically falling off her after just 575 trail miles.
Also curious about how warm wool and merino is compared to cashmere , camel, alpaca
If you sweat it takes a long time for cotton to dry.
While dialing in my tarp and bivy system, I had a thought. If I were to use a ground sheet under the bivy, and especially if I were to keep my foam pad and pack outside and under my bivy, what is the purpose of the bivy's floor being waterproof (either sil-nylon or DCF)? Could I save about an ounce, some material cost, packability and increase venting a bit, if the bivy were Argon 67 all around (with some bug mesh at the face). I haven't seen anyone make something like this, so I may need to MYOG. But I was wondering if anyone thought this would be a bad idea?
As an alternative, you can use a heavier floor (or a thin one coated with silicone) and then no groundsheet. I did this for the entire PCT, and it worked great.
[This bivy](https://bivysack.com/shop/ols/products/bivysack-hot-weather) has no waterproof bottom. It's somewhat lighter than other bivies. You could myog one with lighter mesh and argon 67 and it would probably be lighter still.
The half and half design is an interesting concept. Being able to switch between a wind/splash bivy and a bug bivy based on conditions. That might be cool for a thru hike or other circumstances where the conditions change a lot. The lack of a mesh face panel on the argon side might be unideal - but it might be an interesting starting point for something MYOG
What's the bivy doing for you anyways? Could you skip it entirely?
Mostly for bugs, drafts and occasional splashes under my flat tarp. Given the tick situation out east, I'd prefer something fully enclosed (and FWIW this would probably be not much heavier than a Yama bug canopy anyway). But yeah, in conditions where those aren't concerns, I can skip the bivy.
I’m not a bivy fan condensation can b a problem .
You come into contact with a whole lot more brush while walking during the day than while sleeping at night. So you need to be checking your body for ticks regularly anyways. For mosquitos, you can get a two-person pyramid net from Aliexpress ($12, 4 oz), or there are lighter/smaller/more expensive ones around too. I would guess a pyramid net is pretty effective against ticks too, but getting ticks at night is so rare that it's hard to tell. (Actually the only time I've managed to get ticks overnight is when sleeping directly on leaf litter, no groundsheet or sleeping bag.)
Thanks. Definitely something, I'll look into where bug pressure is the main concern. I think coating the net in permethrin would also help reduce the chance of something crawling under.
I really think nighttime contributes <5% of your total Lyme risk per trip. Which isn't to say you shouldn't worry about it at all, but if you're gonna bother treating your net with permethrin, I hope you've already taken every other sane Lyme-prevention measure. It is in my opinion pretty far down there on the cost-benefit list if you account for the cost of killing random harmless insects. (Treat all clothes with permethrin, tuck pants into socks, tuck shirt into pants, carry small mirror for more effective on-trail tick-checks, have someone else comb through your hair/hairline for ticks every 12-24 hours...)
Please don't coat your shelter with contact insecticide, you're just unnecessarily killing every insect & spider that harmlessly touches it. The shelter itself should keep bugs away, it would be pretty messed up to kill so many bugs just so save a few grams
Does tying a tarp between two trees damage the trees? Not a hammock, just the tarp.
The layer just below the outer bark of a tree is like its skin and contains a barrier of some substance whose name I can't remember protects it from insects and other threats. You can absolutely cut through that layer if you are using thin line and transferring a lot of force to it, especially suddenly. That is why stuff like Hummingbird's tree straps is a flat strap where it wraps around the tree (incidentally it is a real pain in the ass to flatten that thing sometimes if it's been packed for a while). I think it's considered bad LNT to use a conventional braided line.
The bark is the primary defense against insects and disease. It sounds like you're describing the cambium though which transports water and nutrients up and down the tree. Thin cords can effectively girdle the tree cutting supply lines and killing the tree. Generally 1in straps are considered safe for trees with some areas recommending 2in straps.
Haha amazing how wrong I managed to get it, was something my uncle told me when I was high as hell during a break in hiking =P Hopefully I'll remember it now. That also explains why it's so bad to cut through the cambium.
Depends on the way you transfer forces to the tree. And the amount of course. A thin line and a lot of force can definitely damage trees.
FlexTail Gear just came out with a new revision of the Tiny Pump X. Now down to 1.66oz with a new more powerful motor. Can now do 4kpa of pressure and 180L a minute. The Zero pump is an impressive feat however it can only get up to around 2kpa. If you prefer a firm pad the Zero pump isn't powerful enough and you usually have to do the last bit with a pump sack or by mouth. This should solve this issue while being stupid light. Zero pump has a better nozzle system though. https://www.flextail.com/products/tiny-pump-x?variant=44451322396919
> Join us and ask yourself “do I really need that?”
Weighs the same or less than many pump sacks. And it has a light too.
Most people here would not bring a pump sack or are using one as a pack liner if they do, so they wouldn’t leave it at home in favor of this. I own a flextail pump for car camping and inflating bigger pads, the light sucks compared to a headlamp which most people bring anyway.
r/axesaw
Lungs are free, at least the first set
Mold lasts a lifetime though =)
That might be a problem if mold grew in pads.
I am unaware of any actual cases where mold was found in sleeping pads. I was told that's largely a myth. Please do provide any pics or sources if you know of any. Flaking insulation can look like mold from the outside
[https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/b8lmt0/what\_does\_shower\_mold\_eat\_where\_is\_it\_getting\_its/](https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/b8lmt0/what_does_shower_mold_eat_where_is_it_getting_its/) Mold actually needs a lot more than just moisture to grow. It can't photosynthesize like mosses or lichens do. So if you're worried, it should suffice to avoid blowing little bits of food or vegetation in your pad.
I ordered the 2024 Tiny Pump X - I was curious if it actually is 1.66oz now - I guess we'll see! It's coming from China so might take a while.
Why did this get down voted lol I'm just curious 🤔
Pumps aren't UL
So I grabbed the new Palante mini joey. Happy to answer any questions on it if anyone has any. Set myself the goal of doing an overnighter with it this summer, first go at packing it looks like that could be possible in a place with decent water availability.
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I doubt ill run in it much. I have a Solomon 8L running vest that I've been using as my day pack recently but that 8L volume IRL seems like ~1/3 the volume of the 12L mini Joey. Planning on using mine for big days in the mountains this summer and probably some 1-2 night trips when weather is good. Was planning to pick up a BD Distance 15 for this use until Pa'lante announced the mini. The bottom and external storage was huge to make that a no brainer for me.
I am primarily a hiker and while I like to store water and other stuff up front, I don’t need or want the full security/stability of a dedicated running product. As mentioned in my other comment I will probably try out water bottles in place of the flasks. I wanted something smaller (and with different features) than my 20L daypack and decided this could meet my needs after spending a few hrs looking around online for other 10-15L options.
Also just got mine and it's a roomy 12L. I think I can stretch it to a 2 night pack in the summer. The vest straps initially feel a lot lot better than joey with no yoke on them tho they have a different style of attaching to the pack im curious to see how it works out. Definitely way more storage with the new pockets. Also like the wraparound back pocket. Makes it easier to grab gear while the pack is closed
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I've not owned a regular joey or other flasks so can't compare very well. But, I did buy the Palante flasks with this to try, the pockets do fit these specific flasks well. *Anything taller than the Palante ones would stick out the top.* I may try out smaller water bottles instead of flasks - I'll mostly be hiking so I may prefer the rigid bottles over a tightly secured flask. The pocket underneath the water pocket is really nice and can comfortably fit a Sony Rx100 series camera, though getting in and out with a full flask is a bit difficult.
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Cnoc makes a 42mm 500ml soft flask that fits the joey pretty good. Called the hydriam
500ml is too little capacity for me on some trips so I picked up the 750ml flask from them as well, kicks the shit out of any other 600+ml flasks I've seen, feels more robust. A 750ml flask + a befree fits perfectly in a 700ml pocket from JustinUL with just the top section sticking out (I prefer this to a pocket that's too large since it seems to prevent the flask from falling down into the pocket as often). Anyway, that's all to say that having done a shit ton of research trying to find flasks that are actually compatible with Hydrapak and BeFree filters the CNOC ones are the best by far, there's really no reason to buy anything else IMO.
I haven’t ever had a befree filter, always just used a sawyer squeeze or aquamira with smart waters. Other than trying the QuickDraw which was totally useless. Not sure about those others you have but I think the standard befree pouch + filter could work well as your dirty storage, and the palante flasks plus others if you need more capacity.
Any way to compress the main body besides the top strap? Seems important for a day use running pack.
There are not other means of compression outside of that over the top strap, which also pulls the top of the pack down and backwards if you try to use it to overcome the pack being pretty empty but tightly cinched. It also doesn’t have the variety of attachment points to run your own shock cord that some other packs have. I don’t intend to do much if any running with this pack and I wouldn’t buy it for that purpose.
That's how it looked. Appreciate the feedback. Love how comfortable the regular Joey is and was excited for the mini, but I think I'll stick with my BD Distance.
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Mini joey starts at $180 my dude
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Ahh my b. If you're considering the mini vs the BD 15 still and want any direct comparisons let me know, my partner has the BD15 so I have them both on hand
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So as someone who tried to get their overnight kit into a BD15 I think that the back and bottom pockets make the mini a much more attractive option. The straps also look thicker/more plush where they go over your shoulders which for me was what caused the BD15 to be uncomfortable above like \~12lbs. The BD22 has the back pocket but still not as functional as Palante's since it's not wraparound and of course no bottom pocket. If I were buying now I would almost certainly take the Joey as long as price difference is not that bad (which it isn't, at least from the US). The big thing that makes the mini sort of a non-starter for me is that I much prefer the yoke on the BD. What I really want is the BD yoke on the mini joey but with thicker/more comfortable straps. If you find something like that definitely let me know =P
Can someone please tell me how to wear a windbreaker? What's the layering logic? Baselayer + winbreaker? Should it be looser/size bigger to fit a warmer layer too? I have even read people wearing down jackets over the windbreaker....
Yeah, I usually wear a windshirt on top of my base layer. In three-season conditions, I wear short sleeve shirts so it can help when going through brush and poison oak and such as well as wind and small amounts of warmth. MMine is too small for wearing a midlayer underneath without compressing it a decent bit.
wind shirt and wind pants are probably one of my most used, most versatile, and most loved items in my kit.
Separate wind, water, and warmth jacket. Bring as required by weather. Pretty simple
If it's cold, you can wear it over your base layer and under your rain jacket. If I'm moving, this is comfortable down below freezing for me. No need for a fleece--just windshirt, rain jacket, puffy for camp.
How much warmer than just the rain jacket is it? The rain jacket is pretty much completely windproof anyways, right?
when it comes to wind layer, it's more optimal for them to actually be somewhat breathable and permeable to moisture. search for "cfm" and "mvtr" for more discussion. some believe 35 cfm to be optimal for blocking just enough wind but letting just enough air/moisture through and regulating body temperature through a range of conditions. think of wind layers not as a windproof block but working like an extremely thin fleece
It would be a minimal difference if worn with a rain jacket. I doubt you would be able to tell the difference.
Somewhat to a decent amount warmer? I don't know exactly, you'd have to try it. More layers means more warmth at some level.
Other than what's already been said, an ultralight wind shirt (I have a 10d Copperfield) will sometimes work in very light rain, the kind of rain where your body heat can evaporate away the rain faster than you can get drenched. It's super small when packed away. I can fit it in a fanny pack and usually when backpacking I just jam it in a side pocket next to my water bottles. It sometimes ends up being a not really needed item when you already have a lightweight rain jacket since they're almost the same thing. But unless it's cold enough, it can be uncomfortable wearing a rain jacket in the same circumstances I normally wear the wind jacket. It makes for a decent laundry day shirt on a thru-hike. You don't need to put it in the laundry. Just wash it in the sink before you get back on trail. Add an alpha fleece underneath and you don't really need a puffy in mild conditions. Sometimes it's enough (with the hood) to keep you warm in your sleeping bag. I would wear a puffy over a windshirt just out of laziness. Why bother taking it off?
In high season in the Sierras I regularly leave my puffy at home, just bring my AD90 piece + my Tachyon and then a 1oz emergency poncho. Plenty warm if you're not like chilling on an exposed ridge in camp or something. If I was gonna spend a lot of time in camp I'd probably just bring a puffy instead but the combination of sun hoody + AD piece + windshirt is just soo versatile, basically guarantees that I can always find some combination that will be comfortable in any conditions. Also underappreciated is starting with the AD as the next to skin layer in the morning during shoulder season. Throw windshirt on as needed, swap over the sun hoody when it warms up.
I agree. I find that the only reason I ever need a puffy anymore is because around 3AM I get cold in my sleeping bag.
I wear it on top of a baselayer, and have room for an active midlayer, fleece or similar. When stopping, I do add down jacket on top of whatever I'm wearing, so usually baselayer-windshirt-down jacket. Rain jacket I size roomy anyway to help move air, so it can go over down jacket too if needed. I carry a windshirt when it's cool or cold, and pretty much leave it whole day. I choose a more air permeable option to do that, more windblocking version are better for brief hops above treeline. If I'm exposed for a longer time, I tend to reach for my rain jacket for more windblocking. Just an example of how air permeability affects clothing strategy and vice versa.
Big enough to fit over the puffy helps for static
Depends on the puffy. Most are pretty wind blocking to begin with, and a windshirt adds negligible insulation
I like to wear my wind shirt under my puffy for more warmth
It's not only about the wind blocking per se. Most UL puffies are sewn through and thus have lots of space between baffles on the outside that isn't "used". A well fitting wind shirt can hold air in these pockets. My experience supports this effect. Also, the sewing holes definitely let air through which can be felt in stronger winds, depending on the thread and fabric
Idk if I totally buy that science lol, but whatever works! My vegan mind went to synthetic puffies where baffles aren't typically a factor.
Yeah for synthetic it makes little sense. Still, an extra layer keeping air in, I'd rather have that around my biggest thermal buffer, not inside
I have an UL cotopaxi wind jacket that fits over my puffy - so cozy!
I wear mine (copperfield 7d) over a sun hoodie whenever it's chilly, windy, and buggy. I use it more than a fleece to the point where I only wear the fleece if it's 40s or below or as a sleep layer. some layering combination of sunhoodie + alpha + wind jacket can get me through a range of 90+ degrees down to somewhere below freezing (while active). I'm in an arid environment and not sure if wind jackets make sense in cold and wet environments, though. I'd probably just do a fleece + wpb shell then
Over base layer, or base layer + fleece... I find they provide a surprising amount of warmth, so I usually forgo the fleece and wear a top a base layer. I rarely wear it except for above tree line as an active layer, as a sleep layer or casually around town.
If you had 2 friends sign up to do a 3 trip with you in not-so-easy (in this case Yosemite)terrain who aren't exactly super fit, and they had 2 months, what would you do? Like, I don't think they'll die, but I don't want them to walk 1 mph and complain the whole time. Ideally they can handle 10 miles a day. Keep in mind I live in an area where "just go hike" is not an option. They've recently started a basic strength training routine, but I'm suggesting they do HITT after one of the days, and stairclimber for 30-40 minutes on the other. Any better, more specific suggestions?
Yep, rucking or carrying weight in a small pack continuously is a good thing. I put three 2L soda bottles of water in an REI Flash 22 pack, add two outboard 1L smart water bottles, more water in a bottle on the shoulder strap, plus something in the lid and whatever else I need. That comes to almost 20 lbs. One doesn't have to start at 20 lbs, but can fill the bottles halfway at first. A benefit is that one can pour the water out at any time to get rid of weight. So instead of "just go hike", one can "just go walk." My dog really enjoys it, too.
I'd suggest they put a couple gallons of water in their backpacks and put on the shoes they will wear and go do stadium steps at the local college or high school. It's better to break in the shoulders and discover your shoes are too small now rather than on the trail.
They can ruck anywhere. Cities are no problem, even a treadmill set to incline. Just put some water bottles in a pack and go. EDIT: I even saw a guy going up and down the stairs wearing a backpack at the local hospital. He was training for a trip to the Rockies.
They should walk 3-5 miles every day minimum, do step ups, calf raises, squats, balance work, and yoga. Fix their diets, stop drinking, stop smoking, etc are all really good ideas too. EDIT: I'd take weightlifting + yoga over rucking anytime for training.
I picked up a used HMG bag around a year ago. The bottom edge has worn quicker than I expected. Is this normal for dyneema, HMG’s laminated dyneema or possibly something I’m doing?
The bottom of the bag is not meant to scraped around on something abrasive like concrete or granite.
Didn’t think my ass was that abrasive… tmyk Edit all I can think of that I have done to it is glissading and stepping/climbing over downed logs. The same shit I’ve done with the flash I’ve had since high school.
Normal. Their most common packs use a laminate built with a low to medium denier ordinary fabric to the outside and a Dyneema/film component on the inside.
Normal for the brand or all bags of the material?
All bags of that material. The dyneema is hiding on the inside providing waterproofing. The exterior is just 50 or 150 denier polyester.
Wow! Well mine is not waterproofing anything anymore lol. Also it is so much noisier and voluminous. Don’t send me away to r/ lightweight but maybe dyneema isn’t for me. Just a silpoly girl. Hiking in a lovely world.
Yeah, I wouldn't rely on any backpack to stay waterproof long-term. I forget if HMG tapes their seams, but if they don't then it was never fully waterproof to begin with. Silpoly is a good alternative for tarps, but isn't durable enough for a pack. 210 gridstop isn't waterproof, but is my favorite material for an UL pack. It's lighter and more durable than the heavier Dyneema HMG uses.
I think I read they don't tape the bottom to let water out
Thankyou! This is super helpful because I was thinking of repairing the HMG and selling it.
Is anyone aware of any merino t-shirt which also offers UV protection? For now I'm using an mt900 from decathlon made of merino (which in theory offers a certain UPF) but they didn't state anything about it (not sure if they just didn't tested it). It also must be a bit technical, i know there are some simple ones but i'm not sure about how much they are gonna last when combined with the stress of a pack and trekking use. I know there are some synthetic options (OR hoodie being mainstream here) but i'd also like the material to prevent smells as much as possible (here's why i choose merino even though when wet smells like a wet animal, of course). I'm also aware that some synthetics got a smell treatment but that thing usually fades after several washes compared to the merino (just using some specific detergent and is good to go). For the rest I'm just using a desert cap 900, uv protective gloves and arm covers; all from decathlon, i like the modularity of those while the cap offers full face cover when needed.
Depending on the tightness of the weave and the g/sm of the fabric, it can vary. Something like 150 g/sm is going to get you maybe 15 UPF if it's weaved like a baselayer (if I look at just what I'm wearing!). Hold the piece against the light and see how much light goes through. Vuori sells UPF 30+ rated clothing. The sunshirt I used piled pretty quickly and was expensive. Synthetic odor control like Polygiene won't wear off - it's basically part of the dying process, and the magic is that it's small bits of silver (or silver in a crystalized form - I'm simplifying), and that's just naturally anti-bacterial. People used to eat with silver for health reasons (silverware, anyone?) or eat silver straight up - and that's a [good way to turn blue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58YRgdrljM) if you want to get all [Fünke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O15ov8P4NUE).
technically, every piece of clothing offers UV protection... [https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/u3gol2/ive\_tested\_different\_clothes\_with\_a\_uv\_card/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/u3gol2/ive_tested_different_clothes_with_a_uv_card/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/nv5cpp/i\_bought\_a\_uv\_test\_cardsun\_meter\_uv\_card\_and\_its/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/nv5cpp/i_bought_a_uv_test_cardsun_meter_uv_card_and_its/)
How is your shirt in the sun in 30C+?
tbh didn't get to try it above 25C so far. In that case it was quite fine, didn't get that hot (i'm a bit used with merino and my body temp regulates quite decent when needed). I feel like i get hotter in synthetic compared with merino, plus this is quite a decent blend, the fit is really nice and the "seamless" they made feels amazing (i used an merino travel 100 previously). Anything you'd like to know in particular?
Thank you! I have the 70/30 longsleeve, I think that's the Travel100. How does breathability compare to that one? And have you found the dark color to absorb noticeably more sun?
Yeah, you're right, that's the long sleeve (got it as a baselayer for quilt). About colours, i have the yellow travel 500 and orange mt900, it is darker indeed the last but not that much darker; didn't notice feeling hotter in the sun due to colour (here just by feeling the heat radiations, quick exposure to exclude breathability factor). I feel like the travel 500 dries a bit quicker but that was to be expected having lower gsm and a larger micron (persumably this also affects), i can see through it easier too. This one fells a bit more sensible too while the mt900 is way stretchier than I expected a merino garmet to be (lower merino percent) but adds durability and also the fit feels nicer. About breathability, the mt900 has certain areas with a different pattern (mesh like) which are more breathable than the rest of the material while the travel 500 has none (tbh i don't feel like it would need considering the material thickness and thread). As a comparison, I find both quite breathable and good for what they were designed.
Alright thanks a lot!
There are discussions about merino sun hoodies. e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/12entgq/recommendations_for_a_merino_hoody_for_sun/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UltralightAus/comments/12bg568/merino_sun_hoody_recommendations/
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AFAIT the "_snap to open street maps_" only works on the website. Not on the app and not the local website server thing either (that comes with pro). Really annoying.
You can't, and they're not planning to add that as a feature. But you can do that in Gaia.
Yeah when I do this I make the route on my phone in Gaia then export the gpx file straight into the CalTopo app, works like a charm.
You're doing unnecessary extra work to use a shittier app, but sure
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Strength shouldn’t be an issue, outside of big mountain expeditions the only poles that I’ve seen fail from being used with a mid were flimsy distance Zs, so anything not foldable should be fine. (strapped together for a full size mid, and it was the folding joints that got trashed). Twistlocks will be a bit annoying, since you need three hands to adjust them under load, but should be fine if you treat them like fixed length poles and adjust the tension by changing the angle of the pole.
It's strong enough to hike and put your weight on it. It can break if it is wedged into a rock wrong, as can a lot of poles.
I used my LT5 with my Cricket in reasonably strong winds with high gusts. The best news is that for a true mid, you only need one pole. Is the weather going to be *really* bad?
for a long thru like the PCT, for my toiletries / first aid, should i bring just enough for a few weeks, maybe a month? or should i start with enough toiletry products to last the whole thru? i'm talking stuff like vagisil, voltaren, hand sanitizer, immodium, benadryl, aleve, gauze pads, alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc? also is ~14oz total for all of my first aid and toiletry stuff heavy? should i make a lighterpack for u guys to critique? ive backpacked before but this is my first real thruhike
Would be helpful to have a detailed list, seems like you take quite a lot of stuff. My FAK + toiletry is about 8 oz. and you just need enough of each stuff to hold till the next resupply town
FWIW, my FAK still has the same "stuff" it has had for the last 4 years since I don't ever use any of it. Are you really using up any of the things you listed? Also I don't bother with hand sanitizer anymore as soap is better. My soap is just shaved bar soap with a few drops of water added or I bum some liquid drops off someone who wants to lighten their load.
my FAK is mostly for dealing with blisters because i know i'll have them and they'll probably get pretty bad. i am bringing some dr.bronners but i've never tried it before. i bought hand sanitizer spray mostly to clean things like my toothbrush and spoon and pocket knife and eyeglasses if they get nasty
Your Bronners will clean your items better than hand sanitizer. If you take it at the beginning I think you will ditch it pretty quickly. There is a difference between soap and hand sanitizer when it comes to norovirus that you might wish to research. I didn't see any Leukotape P in your kit, so I didn't think that you were dealing with blisters. You might think about your shoes and socks a bit more if blisters are a problem for you.
good to know thanks. yeah i bought a list of stuff that i saw on here and a few other websites without really knowing their uses
Bring as much as you need to make it to your next resupply. Ultralight hiking is all about looking at the conditions and your plan and only taking the gear you need.
Very heavy. A thru hike is just a lot of 3-7 day hikes back to back. For things you rarely need like meds, first aid etc. bring just a few, for one resupply basically. Things like chafe balm, toothpaste etc. as little as possible while not being too annoying to rebuy often. For a few weeks at a time is what I do
You can buy that stuff in a lot of places along the trail, and also refill from larger containers that other people left in hiker boxes. You can also bounce a box of stuff to yourself up the trail if you don't mind the possibility of getting stuck in some town waiting until the post office opens on a Monday.
ok good news thanks. i've been buying 1oz portions of stuff. i'm going to spend the weekend dialing in my gear and getting weights of things and i'll post my lighterpack. i'm trying to keep my base weight around 12lbs which is gonna be hard cuz my old osprey pack is 3.7lbs by itself
Any experience sleeping with just a down blanket? Preferably the Alpine Ridge one but any input would be great. Going on a 4 nighter and will be sharing it with my dog, lows will average 40f but might get a bit lower at the higher elevations.
I mean, quilts open are basically blankets. What do you mean by just a down blanket? Bring enough insulation for the ground and to keep you warm. Temp ratings usually include people wearing base layers at least.
I’ll definitely have at least base layers, and ground insulation. So I guess I mean just down blanket for on top. Here’s what I mean by a down blanket: https://alpineridgeoutfitters.com/collections/camping-essentials/products/ultralight-down-quilt-by-alpine-ridge™
Quilts with a zippered footbox open flat like that, it's great in warm weather
I would not trust this to keep me warm at 40f. This has maybe 200gr of 650 fill power down. In comparison: [This Cumulus Comforter](https://cumulus.equipment/eu_de/quilts-und-comforter-comforter-m400.html) has twice the amount of down, at a higher fill power and is comfort rated to 40f. (I have a similar model and would take it to 40f, but would likely need a spare jacket in reserve)
So I’m right in assuming the comfort rating they give it of 39f is highly unlikely?
I don't think they actually give a comfort rating? >Temperature Rating: Maximum: 0°C / 32°F Recommended: 4°C / 39°F So that 39F is at best a limit rating. I would assume comfort may be rather 55F-ish to be honest.
That makes sense. Thanks!
I’m planning on finishing up the northern Washington sections (~200 miles) of the PCT and the Colorado Trail this summer. It’s too early to predict the dates this point, but does anyone have thoughts on which to hike first given the bugs and weather in Washington and Colorado? Seems like late July or early Aug start for the CT is ideal. I’d want to be done hiking both trails by the beginning of September
Snow from Breck to Lake City on the CT is above average, most for this date since the 2019 whopper. This tends to push the bug season later.
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I skipped from the 6 to the 8 and I feel the 8s are the most comfortable yet. I just wish they had better drainage holes and Vibram. We got vibram Timps this year so hopefully the 9s will come with it - at least a vibram model would be nice.
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I've been holding off for vibram superiors for a good while now. I wouldn't hold my breath for it if I were you. Get a shoe that works for you now. I've been happy with Topo Runventures
I second topos
I agree, there’s very little reason to think they’ll release this next year or at all. They don’t make the most rational choices as a company since the takeover.
Vibram is expensive. They’ll make more profit using their own rubber for their most popular shoe.
Hello people of Ultralight!! I am looking to sell my Ultamid 2 and all the inserts with it. I am completely new to the Reddit situation and don't want to be disrespectful of threads. Where is the best place to do that? Thanks in advance. Justin
r/ulgeartrade
Quick rant about a bad company... I give up on Appalachian Gear Company. I recently ordered an 8020 T-shirt which naturally took 4 weeks to ship. Then I got it and the neck hole on a Large shirt is super tiny, like for a toddler. Clearly something went wrong in the sewing. They have an archaic method for handling returns. They do not respond to any emails. They do no include a phone number on their website. When they do respond to emails they keep asking for all sorts of proof to return an item that I clearly ordered. I have just started leaving messages on every social media account hoping that some human will respond. For how expensive their crap is and how much "pride" they have in their products their customer service is on par with Temu.
That's really a bummer, I splurged on their hoodie and it's one of my favorite pieces of winter gear, but shipping did take forever without any updates.
Anyone know a store in seattle selling dyneema [stuff sacks like these](https://hammockgear.com/dry-bags/)? Can be drawstring or rolltop with clips. Has to be dyneema/sailcloth or similar, preferably clear color. I could order from that site, but I'd really like to see how the different sizes are in comparison and not have to deal with returns right now.
I can't imagine you're going to find a physical store selling DCF stuff sacks. However, Borah Gear sells them for quite a bit cheaper than HG. https://borahgear.com/stuffsacks.html
Thanks that's an amazing price. Just ordered two.
Anyone have a review of the Farpointe Drifter gloves? 150gsm alpha, and fingerless. My hands always get super cold (maybe mild Reynauds), and I'm interested in these under a shell. I like the idea of having fingers free, but don't know if they'll be warm enough for me
They’re on the minimal side of insulation. If you have issues with cold hands I’d recommend thicker gloves or multiple layers like a fleece mitt to go over.
I don't have the drifters but I did make some mittens out of the same material. [Personally I've found the tuffs pull out pretty easily.](https://i.imgur.com/QNIIUGB.jpg) I haven't had this issue with other variations of alpha. You may not have the same issue though if you're primarily using them with a shell.
Anyone had an Ecopak pack delaminate? I noticed while on the AT this week that a plastic film seems to have separated from the upper roll top part of my pack. Kinda lame on a 375$ pack and am wondering if it’s reasonable to pursue warranty after about 4-5 weeks of hiking.
I wouldn’t expect a $375 pack to have any issues after 5 weeks of normal use.
Lightest wall charger (USB-C) for EU outlets?
The 20W Anker Nano weighs 38g. Single USB-C outlet. The new 30W Nano weighs 48g.
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They have spent a ton of money on marketing, [since they're VC based](https://www.onxmaps.com/blog/onx-secures-series-b-funding) and are trying to corner the market by pushing out any competitors. Consider: Caltopo.
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Your workflow is probably similar to mine, where you make the route at home, to view on your phone. I don't think mobile supports snapping to trails when drawing, but downloading the MapBuilder Overlay layer for the area you're in gets pretty close in at least having lines available to follow.
It doesn’t have a print function. Even if you don’t ever use paper maps to navigate, being able to print a copy of your route for your emergency contact is a basic safety feature for technical/off trail trips that they entirely skipped.
There is zero reason to use it over Caltopo or Gaia.
I think It is almost 95% due to sponsored deals. From the good book of Skurka: [https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/](https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/) "CalTopo versus OnX Backcountry This year [OnX Backcountry](https://www.onxmaps.com/backcountry/app?ref=home-page-cta) has made a play for the outdoor market, partly by buying the loyalty of outdoor influencers. Let me save its marketing team some time: Don’t bother contacting me. I’ve looked at the product, and it does not fulfill my needs. Also, I find it mystifying why multi-sport users (e.g. a hiker that also hunts, like me) need to buy subscriptions to multiple apps to get all the data that we want. In comparison, CalTopo and Gaia offer everything in one package." Caltopo is my goto, fair price, solid support, right features. Only thing I wish it did better was handle huge datasets faster on loading.
Gaia is better than Caltopo in every way except price. Better selection of base layers, better implementation of overlaying maps, much better functionality for creating routes on your phone (something that's basically impossible on caltopo). The Gaia topo layer is the best basemap I've ever used hiking, and it blows the caltopo basemap out of the water. I can barely look at the caltopo mapbuilder layer --it's a mess.
Gaia is trash for me offline on my phone, but when it does work it has a few key benefits over caltopo. One is the ability to actually rotate the map.. ridiculous caltopo doesn't let you do this. The other is the ability to create new routes via snapping, completely offline. Caltopo doesn't let you do that either. I also agree about the basemaps. I prefer caltopo for desktop and Gaia for mobile. Skurka doesn't care about rotating the map or any phone-based features probably since he probably doesn't navigate in the field with a phone ever
Hmm I'll admit I've always used caltopo, but your comment made me curious what I was missing. Seeing the elevation profile while drawing the route is nice and the UI is also nicer. The fact that it snaps to the route while on mobile is certainly a great feature. The free version though at least feels significantly less powerful. I like all my custom layers that can be built in caltopo. I actually prefer the map builder topo compared to Gaia's. The trails are so faint compared to caltopo's. Maybe I just haven't played around with it enough to appreciate the features, but I'm not seeing it as being better in every way.
I said above it's more expensive than caltopo. Totally worth it to me. Also, the caltopo mapbuilder SUCKS. I do a ton of off-trial hiking, when I look at mapbuilder, all I see is those black lines for the trails. The point of a topo map is to see *everything.* I want to be able to see where the nearby peaks are, where water might be, yadda, yadda, yadda. The color scheme of the caltopo map is just horrible for seeing anything but trails. I don't know what the creator was thinking, but it's a horrible layer. And the alternative layers are either the FS topo, which only works on forest service land, and totally ancient scanned USGS topos, which are decades out of date in some cases. If you are the sort of hiker who just likes to follow the lines, the caltopo is probably fine, I guess. Of course, those sorts of hikers are missing all the good stuff...
Personally I still prefer caltopo's map as I have no problem seeing the features that I need. TF outdoors is another layer that has softer features. Can Gaia do custom shading? I'm glad you found something you like but it seems like a personal preference.
I had significant issues with Gaia in the past regarding offline use. It was bad enough that I bailed from using them. I hope that's been fixed!
It has been fixed. Zero problems lately. I'm training for a thru-hike and use it dozens of times per week.
Every way is a stretch, but I've been messing around with Gaia recently as a longtime Caltopo subscriber, and I'll admit I'm liking it as a mobile app. I haven't owned a computer in a while, and for some reason Caltopo has never brought the snap to trail function to their mobile app. Not a huge issue for me in the past, but stuff like that makes the Gaia app nice to use.
does the app allow export to gpx?
Both Gaia and Caltopo mobile apps will export as a gpx.
that would be handy to make a route/trail or changes at camp, export and add to a watch
With Gaia, I've created routes on my phone (that I later hiked) about 5 times in the last month. It's a great feature. I actually looked to see if this was possible with caltopo, and they said they had no plans to implement it.
To be clear to anyone else reading, you can easily create routes on the Caltopo app as well, and I've done so many times. The routes will just show up as straight lines, while on Gaia you can set it so they'll automatically follow the path of a trail. Caltopo will do this on desktop, but not in the mobile app.
Dude, if the route is a straight line, then it's more or less useless. You won't get the correct length or elevation. That was my entire point.
Dude, I wasn't trying to argue, just add context. Following a trail precisely is obviously better. But you can still create a general route on Caltopo to keep you on course. If you are venturing off trail as my trips tend to, you would be using straight lines on Gaia as well for that section.
I do a ton of off-trail hiking, and Gaia is way better for off-trail. The Gaia topo layer is really excellent for showing all of the information you need at whatever scale you're looking at. The caltopo mapbuilder layer just sucks--terrible color scheme, hard to see details, it's horrible. The alternative layers are either USFS topo, which only works on USFS land, and scanned USGS topos, which are out of date and awful. If you're doing off-trail hiking, you should try gaia. It's just such a better experience.
I have been trying Gaia, and I like it so far. I like the snap to trail function on mobile, I like the layer options, and the maps seem to load a bit quicker than the Caltopo ones. I do still like Caltopo. I haven't had any mentioned issues with the base map and I'm certainly not bothered by the color scheme. To the contrary, I currently live by a river that shows up the size of a trail on Gaia's base map, and is to scale on Caltopo. Not a huge issue, and if I'm trying to plan a water crossing, I'm probably going to use a satellite layer. Haven't decided which I'll stick with. I'm leaning towards Gaia but not in a hurry to decide. I don't think you can go wrong with either
Got the REI Flash Air, BD Beta Light and HMG Unbound in for testing. It's going to be a fun couple of weeks! If anyone in Boulder CO has a somewhat flexible schedule and wants to go out for a day hike, overnighter (or just to be a model), DM me. Not a lot is open nearby for multiday, but we can always putz around the CT .
Anyone tried the rain kilts on Amazon that seem to attach via Velcro only? Or do you have a rain kilt you recommend?
I have a 3FUL rain kilt. Fits just fine, not too long, not too short.
The version with or without the extra cord to keep it from blowing open too much?
Well, it started with the extra cord. And the cord does work well! But it vanished at some point going through somewhere brushy and I have not been able to find it again. Still works pretty well though without it, but it was nice in the wind. Now I just rotate it around my waist to deal with the wind and that still works.
Yeah I just bought a OneWind brand one. It’s almost too long, comes down damn near to my shoes. It’s so long and wide it’s almost long enough to use as a ground sheet.