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Surly official camping and backpacking thread

Chuychanga

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45,753

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1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Did you not try to do some dispersed camping in the Ozark National Forest nearby? Of course they dknt have the resources to enforce all that. If they had those kinds of resources they probably would have camp sites with full amenities.

After trying every regular site and getting shut down, we were just fucking done.  We drove around in those mountains for 4 straight hours.  We also avoided some huge storms that came through later in the day.  Tried Eureka Springs, but they were sold out of every room too.

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Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen

First day was fucking rough. Had an anxiety attack and almost had heat exhaustion. BUT, today was fucking fantastic. I’m camping on a ridge with cell signal and got to bathe under a waterfall before d

Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen

A few more  

Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen

So I'm a month out from the PCT.  I put in my two weeks at work.  This is fucking happening.  I'm kinda freaking out.  Kinda loving it.  I don't quite know how to react.  Posting on this degenerate we

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NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4,979

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Not sure what area you were in, but Horseshoe Cnayon Ranch just outside of Jasper will let you camp for like $5 a night per person. They don't have sites, so you might have to check out who is there before setting up. They are also pretty much the undisputed rock climbing mecca of the region. Not too far away is Sam's throne, which has some pretty decent primitive sites all for free. Also a big rock climbing area for Arkansas.

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HookEm

HookEm 2,468

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Took my son backpacking up to Trampas Lakes in the Pecos Wilderness northwest of Santa Fe. The hike was an elevation gain of about 2,600 ft to 11,400 ft over 6 miles.

It was so crowded that we went an extra mile to Hidden lake and had the whole place to ourselves.

Here are some pics. Hit me up if you have questions.

0a8ebfd3c7c6306efdf7cfe8b33ea493.jpg7dd70b4b7760e4d033c6dbe8bdf31680.jpgd456a02d406e54e2190b61142290268d.jpg0526f0b11eddb1fe8f3f01eabd0b6040.jpg

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Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh 3,320

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Hmm. Have never used a good pair of poles, but have never had an issue with twisted ankles either.

Is a good pole markedly different than a nice smooth stick picked up from beside the trail?


Absolutely. They’re ergonomic and adjust to the exact height you need them to be. They really save your knees more than your ankles.
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davidg

davidg 4,040

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All of the above regarding poles.  Set them up heightwise so your arm is at a 90 degree angle for flat land, a little shorter going uphill (I usually just choke up a bit) and a little longer on downhills.  You will definitely notice a definitely notice a difference in the shock load on your knees going down a stair stepped trail with a heavy pack when using poles.  

Edited by davidg
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Longhorn Al

Longhorn Al 440

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I'm really interested in getting into some hiking & camping.  I'm looking to do it for a couple of reasons:

1) Exercise - I'm fat and need to get active. I hate treadmills and tracks.

2) I love nature and taking photos of wildlife/plants.

I have one main obstacle - I use CPAP. I have to use it. Can't sleep without it.  Anyone else bring it with them on camping trips? I have an older machine, so it's not all that small.  

Could I buy one of those portable generator/inverters like this: https://www.amazon.com/Webetop-42000mAh-Portable-Generator-Emergency/dp/B073J61T3Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527744684&sr=8-3&keywords=portable+power+for+camping&dpID=51GgsXNwHLL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

What are some good places in Central Texas/Hill Country for a fat beginner?

Any suggestions on essential gear? Personal tent suggestions? A particular backpack? I see hiking poles mentioned.

I'll be going back and reading the previous 5 pages now.

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utee94

utee94 15,877

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Posted (edited)

Yeah, since you're truly a beginner, I'd suggest starting off with camping at places that have power.

Most state parks have campsites with water and electric.  The majority of them are designed for RVs but you can rent them for tent camping as well.  Places close to Austin that would help you get your feet wet, are McKinney Falls State Park, Pedernales Falls State Park.  Austin's City Park (Emma Long) also has a loop of I think 13 "utility" camping sites with water and electric.  Lots of these places book up fast in the summer, but they also tend to have some last-minute cancellations.

There are also a couple of LCRA parks on Lake Bastrop that are pretty nice, if small.  Sadly, both Bastrop State Park and Buescher State Park which I LOVED, have both suffered greatly from the Central Texas fires in recent years.  The campsites are still intact, but so much of the forest is gone that it's not the same.

If you did purchase a portable power solution, that obviously opens up even more places for you.  But at first, I don't think you'd need to.

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Yall probably dont want to hear about how i dont feel like getting poles for colorado trail then....never have used poles on any hike
But yall make it sound nice
Leave next in about a week
Plan on doing some acclimating hikes around nederland and leadville then start around june 13/15

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davidg

davidg 4,040

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I wouldn't buy that battery power pack with the intention of power a CPAP off of the 120v outlet.   If you do some searching there are a couple of companies that make battery packs specifically for cpap's.  Post up your CPAP model and we can tell you how long that would run it or make a suggestion for a different power pack setup. 

 

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davidg

davidg 4,040

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1 hour ago, Bone3421 said:

Yall probably dont want to hear about how i dont feel like getting poles for colorado trail then....never have used poles on any hike
But yall make it sound nice
Leave next in about a week
Plan on doing some acclimating hikes around nederland and leadville then start around june 13/15
 

I would love to hear why you don't use poles.  I've converted several hikers that said they never felt they needed them.  My suggestion is to buy a set of Black Diamond Trail or Trail Pro (I like the flicklocks on the Trail Pros) poles from REI and use them on 2-3 short hikes. Even better if you use do a hill climb/descent under a full pack.  If you don't like them after that, take them back to REI.

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Yeah no real reason ...probably just like you said feel like i dont need them

Guess i could grab some when i get to a resupply if im struggling a bit

I started the narrows in zion with a pole from now ex and ended up just carrying it

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Longhorn Al

Longhorn Al 440

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On 6/1/2018 at 10:35 AM, davidg said:

I wouldn't buy that battery power pack with the intention of power a CPAP off of the 120v outlet.   If you do some searching there are a couple of companies that make battery packs specifically for cpap's.  Post up your CPAP model and we can tell you how long that would run it or make a suggestion for a different power pack setup. 

 

Fisher & Paykel SleepStyle 200

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Saint Tacky

Saint Tacky 1,622

Posted
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On 3/28/2018 at 2:25 PM, Saint Tacky said:

Signed up yesterday for our Philmont Trek this summer.  The new format made it much easier and we were able to nail down our first choice.  

Philmont1_zpswnekah1f.jpgPhilmont2_zpsd6ouuoa5.jpg

 

For grins here is the link to the 2018 Philmont Trek Book

Welp.  Bad news.  Email from Philmont today says our trek this summer is cancelled due to the wildfire that is currently raging unchecked.  We are beyond disappointed, but the safety of the firefighters and staff is our utmost concern.

SO, I NEED YOUR HELP. 

We are looking for a week-long trek (7/7 - 7/15) to substitute for the two-weeks we lost at Philmont.  It must be within driving distance of the Metroplex (8-12 hours, after all we were driving to Philmont).  Somewhere challenging and memorable, that the kids will enjoy.

Any suggestions? Thanks. 

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Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh 3,320

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You could put something together in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Put in for a permit ASAP though.

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/recarea/?recid=80803

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd502324.pdf

 

Also, Weminuche Wilderness.

 

https://www.mountainphotography.com/gallery/weminuche-high-loop/

 

This one is badass. No permit fees, but you do pay for the train ride both ways. What a cool way to enter and leave, though.

 

http://seekinglost.com/backpacking-weminuche-wilderness-elk-park-needleton-loop/

 

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Saint Tacky

Saint Tacky 1,622

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Cedar Mesa looks amazing.  It's been on my bucket list since I first starting seeing pictures and hearing about it. But, 14-15 hours in a van may be too much though.  Plus, I'd prefer to spend more than just a few days running about in between van rides.  Someday!

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utee94

utee94 15,877

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Looking for a recommendation on a good campground within ~2 hours of Austin for some winter camping (week between Christmas and New Year's).  We go every year with a group of friends, all of us have RV travel trailers, and places we've typically gone are Ped Falls, Bastrop SP, Buescher SP, LRCA North and South shore parks on Lake Bastrop, a couple of the Lake Georgetown Army Corps parks, Krauze Springs, and last year we trekked a little further to Guadalupe River State Park which worked pretty well.  Sadly Bastrop and Busecher were so badly damaged by the fires that they just aren't the same and they're off the rotation for the time being.

We tend to stay close because of varying work schedules, it's just easier if it's not more than 2 hours away.  So if anybody has a rec for a relatively close, RV-friendly park/campground for 4-5 families, I'd appreciate it.

 

 

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Anton and not a longhorn seem to have you covered....but yeah like biff said you could also do a bit of the colorado trail...the collegiate loop is 160 miles so probably a little long for one week....leaving leadville and taking west collegiate trail over hope pass is supposedly one of the highlights

And indian peaks wilderness that anton mentioned is good...hike the short trail to hidden lake and camp there then can hike devils thumb trail for a longer hike 15 miles and jasper lake is a 10 mile round trip...and nederland nearby is a cool little town

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