Surly official camping and backpacking thread

[Updawg 2261]

I thought we had a big bend thread but I couldn't find it.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Historic-area-of-Big-Bend-National-Park-destroyed-13881863.php

An historic area of Big Bend National Park was destroyed Wednesday by a wildfire, according to park officials.

Smoke from the wildfire was first spotted on Tuesday on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River, but by 6 p.m. Wednesday park staff saw embers crossing over and causing flare ups in the park
The fire rapidly spread, and embers landed on the barracks building at the Castolon Historic Area, which housed the La Harmonia Store and Castolon Visitor Center.

According to park officials, the fire destroyed the building and the nearby Officer's Quarters suffered slight damage. No one was injured in the blaze

It is heartbreaking to have lost La Harmonia, a major icon of Big Bend's history," said Acting Superintendent Tom VandenBerg. "High temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and strong winds have made this fire particularly challenging. The entire staff extends our deep appreciation to all of the fire crews who are working hard to contain this fire."

According to a statement from Big Bend officials, the Castolon Historic Area was built about 100 years ago and housed units of the U.S. Cavalry during the Mexican Revolution.

The wildfire has yet to be fully contained, but firefighters from Terlingua and Fort Stockton, as well as park crews, are working to extinguish the blaze.

Due to the ongoing fire, certain areas of the park have been closed, including the Santa Elena Canyon and Cottonwood Campground areas, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Old Maverick Road and River Road West from Buenos Aires to Castolon.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Damn.  Thanks for posting.

[UnivTex34 1763]

4 hours ago, Updawg said:

I thought we had a big bend thread but I couldn't find it.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Historic-area-of-Big-Bend-National-Park-destroyed-13881863.php

An historic area of Big Bend National Park was destroyed Wednesday by a wildfire, according to park officials.

Smoke from the wildfire was first spotted on Tuesday on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River, but by 6 p.m. Wednesday park staff saw embers crossing over and causing flare ups in the park
The fire rapidly spread, and embers landed on the barracks building at the Castolon Historic Area, which housed the La Harmonia Store and Castolon Visitor Center.

According to park officials, the fire destroyed the building and the nearby Officer's Quarters suffered slight damage. No one was injured in the blaze

It is heartbreaking to have lost La Harmonia, a major icon of Big Bend's history," said Acting Superintendent Tom VandenBerg. "High temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and strong winds have made this fire particularly challenging. The entire staff extends our deep appreciation to all of the fire crews who are working hard to contain this fire."

According to a statement from Big Bend officials, the Castolon Historic Area was built about 100 years ago and housed units of the U.S. Cavalry during the Mexican Revolution.

The wildfire has yet to be fully contained, but firefighters from Terlingua and Fort Stockton, as well as park crews, are working to extinguish the blaze.

Due to the ongoing fire, certain areas of the park have been closed, including the Santa Elena Canyon and Cottonwood Campground areas, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Old Maverick Road and River Road West from Buenos Aires to Castolon.

 

 

On 1/9/2019 at 9:32 AM, UnivTex34 said:

 

 

 

[Kennythetiger 9343]

I don't know shit about footprints, only camp half a dozen times a year or so, and always within easy walking distance of my pickup.  However, I picked up just a cheap tarp from the hardware store and use it underneath my tent.  Has worked very well, and I suppose when I get too many stake holes in it I'll probably just throw it away and buy another one.

[Saint Tacky 1610]

1 hour ago, Kennythetiger said:

I don't know shit about footprints, only camp half a dozen times a year or so, and always within easy walking distance of my pickup.  However, I picked up just a cheap tarp from the hardware store and use it underneath my tent.  Has worked very well, and I suppose when I get too many stake holes in it I'll probably just throw it away and buy another one.

My experience with tarps is that they are very stiff and don't pack as easily; however, I do use them when car camping and don't have to tote them around in a pack. I cut them to size and installed grommets on the corners. Though, the first time I did it my stakes were too big for the grommets and I didn't discover it until it was pitch black and pouring rain. duh

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Just now, Saint Tacky said:

My experience with tarps is that they are very stiff and don't pack as easily; however, I do use them when car camping and don't have to tote them around in a pack. I cut them to size and installed grommets on the corners. Though, the first time I did it my stakes were too big for the grommets and I didn't discover it until it was pitch black and pouring rain. duh

How does one install grommets?  I could google I suppose.

[utee94 15746]

40 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

How does one install grommets?  I could google I suppose.

Grommet tools.  Basically cuts a circular hole in the fabric, and then clamps the rings on either side of the hole. They snap-lock in together, holding the fabric in-between.  But yeah, a quick google search and video demonstrates it clearly.

 

[Kennythetiger 9343]

1 hour ago, Saint Tacky said:

My experience with tarps is that they are very stiff and don't pack as easily; however, I do use them when car camping and don't have to tote them around in a pack. I cut them to size and installed grommets on the corners. Though, the first time I did it my stakes were too big for the grommets and I didn't discover it until it was pitch black and pouring rain. duh

You're right- I suppose they'd be awkward as hell if packing.

[Saint Tacky 1610]

2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

How does one install grommets?  I could google I suppose.

You can buy a kit at Home Depot or Lowes.  Purchase extra grommets because it takes practice to avoid leaving sharp edges or edges that may snag your tent.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

1 minute ago, Saint Tacky said:

You can buy a kit at Home Depot or Lowes.  Purchase extra grommets because it takes practice to avoid leaving sharp edges or edges that may snag your tent.

Yeah, I'll prob just drop the $60 on the Big Agnes footprint.  The frustration on my part is worth avoiding.

[Zepol87 9172]

Been about 11 years since I camped. Buddy has a spot on the river with electric but said we need to bring our own tents. I'm big, 6'4" 240 gf is 5' 10" I'm a city boy but we also have a texoma trip planned later in the summer and I am new as fuck to this. What should I buy without a lot of money?

[TwiceHorn 31321]

11 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

Been about 11 years since I camped. Buddy has a spot on the river with electric but said we need to bring our own tents. I'm big, 6'4" 240 gf is 5' 10" I'm a city boy but we also have a texoma trip planned later in the summer and I am new as fuck to this. What should I buy without a lot of money?

Because weight/carrying it isn't a factor, you could just get something at Academy.  If you intend to use it more than a couple of times, the zippers will probably break. so you might not want to go super-cheap.  This would probably do ya.https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/coleman-willow-pass-4-person-dome-tent  Sleep diagonal to get the necessary room and if you don't use a pack and pack light, most of the rest of the space will be taken up by your shit.

[tx 3 putt 76487]

borrow something from someone 

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Been about 11 years since I camped. Buddy has a spot on the river with electric but said we need to bring our own tents. I'm big, 6'4" 240 gf is 5' 10" I'm a city boy but we also have a texoma trip planned later in the summer and I am new as fuck to this. What should I buy without a lot of money?

 

I agree that something super cheap is a good bet to see if you do like it first. A cheap Coleman or even some of the Ozark Trail Walmart tents are okay. Later on you can upgrade if you’d like, but if not you don’t have much invested. You can get something like TwiceHorn posted, or something huge that you can stand and walk around in, it will just be that much more to pack up and put together.

[BillyBadAss 189]

14 hours ago, Zepol87 said:

Been about 11 years since I camped. Buddy has a spot on the river with electric but said we need to bring our own tents. I'm big, 6'4" 240 gf is 5' 10" I'm a city boy but we also have a texoma trip planned later in the summer and I am new as fuck to this. What should I buy without a lot of money?

Since you have electric I'd recommend bringing a fan for the tent - It's starting to get warm.. In some tents you can rig a box fan at the top with bungies like a ceiling fan. As mentioned a cheap tent will work just fine for your purposes, but pay attention to the ventilation for Texas camping. You want cross ventilation and preferably low to the ground for warm camping in Texas, IMO. 

[BillyBadAss 189]

Zion NP Trip Report - May 2019 - 6 days - ~56 miles covered. 

We did somewhat of a modified Trans-Zion Trek. The connection to the East Rim trail from the main canyon was closed, so we didn't do the full East Rim trail, but we lucked out and got Subway permits so I'll call that a win. 

We almost couldn't have gotten luckier with our permits and timing. We were able to spread the mileage out pretty evenly, and the weather stayed really nice during the days while we hiked. 
We were also coming in after one of the wettest winter/springs there in a while. Rangers told us there were flowers blooming they haven't seen in a decade, and all the seasonal water sources were flowing strong. 
I was surprised how much variation there as in the terrain and foliage. It seemed like over every hill it would change - Sandy creeks, grassy meadows, pine forests, scrub brush, and of course all sorts of rock formations. One thing I did not expect was how sandy many of the trails were. Several long sections felt like walking on the beach. 

Day 1 (~9 miles): Zion Subway (Bottom up approach) - This was an awesome, but fairly tough, hike. Tons of rock scrambling, back and forth creek crossings, climbing, etc. It took us almost 9 hours to do the 9 mile hike and we were pretty exhausted by the end. Totally worth it though. 
We rented water boots and neoprene socks from an outfitter (Zion Guru) for this one. The boots were great for this hike- highly recommended. 

Day 2 (9.9 miles) - Start of Trek: Parked our car at the Zion Visitors Center in the Zion Canyon and got a ride to Lee Pass Trailhead on the NW side. Hiked the La Verkin Creek trail to the Kolob Arch, then on to Hop Valley Horse Camp B campsite for the night. 
This whole section was nice. The area around Kolob Arch in particular was really pleasant. 
We were advised not to drink any water from the Hop Valley area (day 3) due to cattle grazing, so stocked up on 4L water at Beatty Spring at the end of La Verkon. The climb over the ridge that connects La Verkin to Hop Valley was brutal with the extra weight and after 2 hard days of hiking. 

Day 3 (10.6 miles): Continued on the Hop Valley Trail To the Connector Trail, then on to Wildcat Canyon where we camped for the night. 
The Connector Trail is written up as pretty blah and not a destination hike, but I really enjoyed it. It goes through a nice pine forest and then up into some cool rocky formations. One of my favorite sections actually.

Day 4 (9.8 miles): Wildcat Canyon to West Rim Trail site 7. This was a great section. Awesome views almost the entire way. 
A storm kicked up right was we arrived at our camp, so were confined to shelter for the evening. Winds up to probably 30mph, and heavy rain on and off all evening/night. Temps dropped below freezing overnight. Tents held up well though and it warmed up quickly the next day. 

Day 5 (10.9 miles): West Rim trail to the Grotto by way of Angels Landing. Angels Landing was crowded and our legs were pretty spent, so we skipped on ascending it. Continued the descent into the Zion canyon and got back to our car. 
From there we stopped for a meal in Springdale, then drove around to the east side of the park. Parked at the Stave Spring Trailhead, and hiked a short way in to make camp for the night. 
The descent into Zion Canyon is pretty long and hard just because it's all downhill. My knees were feeling it. 

Day 6 (6.4 miles): Woke up with frost on the tent - temps est around 28. Hiked to the Cable Mountain overlook, then back out to car. 
Cable Mountain offers an awesome view of the main canyon and Angels landing. Totally worth it for a 7 mile round trip hike. 

This was a great experience all in all. It's just like nowhere else on Earth. And hiking it lets you really take in some areas few people get to see. The main canyon is extremely crowded, but we saw very few people outside of that area. 

-----------------

Gear Review:
I had mostly all new gear for this one. I did quite a bit of research and everything worked pretty well. 
I found this site the most helpful for gear reviews : https://www.cleverhiker.com/

This was my loadout: 
https://lighterpack.com/r/a3i9r0

Comments: 

- Tartent Bowfin 1 - This tent worked, and was light at 2.3 lbs. It held up to strong wind and rain and did it's job. But if I had to do it again I'd go with something else. Probably something like the new REI Quarter Dome SL2 or a Big Agnes Tigerwall in order to get a bit more interior space a usable vestibules. The Bowfin vestibules would fit my shoes, but not much else. I was able to fit my pack inside with me (barely) the one night it rained. 

- Sleeping pad - Sea to Summit UL insulated - This pad is so freakin noisy. And sleeping on my side I woke up every few hours with sore shoulders and would have to switch sides - which is weird because I don't bottom out in it. 
Also, I think 30 degrees is probably about the lower comfort limit for this one. 
I'm at a loss for a better option here though. Most of the competitors in this weight class are also noisy, according to reviews. 
Perhaps worth it to add a bit of weight for something else to try for a better night sleep, or maybe it just is what it is. 

- Pack - Osprey Exos 58. I oscillated a lot on this decision. But ultimately the price (sale), back ventilation, and ability to try this one on won out. This pack carried very well for me, and after dialing it in I found good ways to pack it. NOTE: I have the new version without hip belt pockets. 
- Fanny pack - Gossamer Gear Hipster - lacking hipbelt pockets I picked up this small-ish fanny pack which is meant to be worn with a pack. It worked great and I didn't miss the hip belt pockets. It was nice that it stayed on too after taking off the pack, and works with a day pack just as well.. It held everything I wanted quick access to. 

Shoes - Altra Lone Peak 4.0 trail runners. These were great. Wide toe box, cushy, breathable, dried super fast. They are not great on technical, rocky sections that require a lot of scrambling - particularly downhill. They just aren't stiff enough laterally. But I'd absolutely use them again on anything that is not predominantly technical. 

- I used Dirty Girl gaiters and was glad I did given how much sand we hiked through. Good buy - and the Altras have velcro build in to the heel for them to hook onto. The mesh on the Altras did let some dirt/sand work in, but these kept it to a minimum. 

Shirt - Columbia Silver Ridge long sleeve button down- basic fishing shirt with rollable sleeves and back ventilation. This is the perfect hiking shirt. Breathes well, versatile, comfortable, good sun protection. 

Pants/Shorts - Prana Stretch Zion - Loved both the pants and shorts. Would probably not bother taking both next time. Depending on weather I'd take just the shorts, or the pants with lighter running shorts to save a few ounces.

Trekking Poles - BD Trail Ergo Cork - I'm a convert. I'm not sure I would have finished the week without trekking poles. They take so much load off your legs when climbing, add a ton of balance, and save your knees going down. Seriously - this was the most important piece of gear I brought. 

Seat - Thermarest Zpad - This was a good pickup. At 2oz gives a comfy/dry place to sit anywhere. 

Cook System - Jetboil Minimo - this thing boils water in flash. Very convenient. Since I was only boiling water (cooking food in bags), and not actually cooking in the pot - I could have likely saved a few ounces with a different setup. That said, this thing is super efficient so fuel goes a long way. 

Water filter - MSR Trail Shot - this was great and convenient for filtering up to about 1L of water at a time. It was a pain if you needed more than that (slow and tiring). My hiking partner had a BeFree 3L gravity system that worked very well, and much easier for doing several liters at at time. It was bulkier, heavier, and slower to get set up though. 

--------------
Food notes: 
- instant oatmeal was a great breakfast option. I learned you can pour water directly into the oatmeal bags and eat out of them - no mess. Two instant oatmeal packets and a single pop tart packs about 520 calories for a convenient trail breakfast. 

Similarly, I ate Knor Pasta meals for dinners. I used the same method for these, adding some olive oil. I used about half the water, poured into the bag, folded it over and let it sit for ~15 minutes (in the insulated pot to retain heat). The pasta came out a bit al dente, but it beat washing the pot, and saved a lot of fuel over simmering for ~8 minutes. These pack about 600 calories and are cheap, light, and pretty tasty. 

Everything else I ate were snacks mostly. Trail mix, jerky, clif bars, banana chips, nuts, roasted sunflower/pumpkin etc.
I tried for around 3k calories per day, and came in at about 1.7 pounds of food per day (117 calories per ounce). 
I could have probably dropped that by a few hundred calories and been ok for a trip this of this length. 

 

[Upgrayedd 5806]

That’s how you TR.  Well done

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Great post man. Where are the pics?!?!

The Bowfin is kind of a funky design. It’s like a Rainbow mixed with a Moment DW. It’s pretty skinny at the ends.


Sleeping pad wise, I like my 2019 version of the Nemo Tensor insulated. I have the long wide version and it’s still only like 23 or so ounces. It’s also cushy at 3” thick and not really noisy. It’s expensive though.

And yep, Zion is quite the incredible place. It’s always crowded, but there’s lots of stuff to explore without crowds.

[BillyBadAss 189]

And some pics.. 

imgur

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[BillyBadAss 189]

imgur

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[utee94 15746]

22 hours ago, Anton Chigurh said:

 

I agree that something super cheap is a good bet to see if you do like it first. A cheap Coleman or even some of the Ozark Trail Walmart tents are okay. Later on you can upgrade if you’d like, but if not you don’t have much invested. You can get something like TwiceHorn posted, or something huge that you can stand and walk around in, it will just be that much more to pack up and put together.

I go big for this kind of thing, my 9yo son and I use an inexpensive Coleman tent for Cub Scout trips (car camping) but I got the 8-person version (which sleeps 4 comfortably in air mattresses).  It's big, but with the modern shock cord tent poles it goes up about 100x faster than the old aluminum pole tents I grew up with, the setup doesn't bother me at all.  I can set up by myself in under 15, and strike in about half that.  Between Cub Scout campouts, and setting it up as the kid fun zone next to the RV, I've used it multiples times per year for three years now, no issues on broken zippers or any other problems.  It's big and relatively heavy but not a problem for car camping.  

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Great TR.  I'm going to try out the Columbia shirt.  I'm trying to find a good shirt for the desert in California. 

[BillyBadAss 189]

3 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Great TR.  I'm going to try out the Columbia shirt.  I'm trying to find a good shirt for the desert in California. 

If you can try it on first as they run kind of big.  I wore that shirt 5 days in a row and loved it. I think it would be great for the desert - it's UPF 50, will cover your arms mostly, and vents/breathes really well. 

I see a lot of people are using umbrellas for desert hiking now, are you going to carry one?  Fingerless sun gloves were something else I considered to protect my hands when using trekking poles. 

[Biff Tannen 45512]

3 hours ago, BillyBadAss said:

If you can try it on first as they run kind of big.  I wore that shirt 5 days in a row and loved it. I think it would be great for the desert - it's UPF 50, will cover your arms mostly, and vents/breathes really well. 

I see a lot of people are using umbrellas for desert hiking now, are you going to carry one?  Fingerless sun gloves were something else I considered to protect my hands when using trekking poles. 

Yep, got both the umbrella and the sun gloves.  I have a short sleeve synthetic that I absolutely love, but everyone seems to swear by the long sleeves.  And I'm not a huge fan of sunscreen.

[stc 1452]

did 3 nights in davis mountains state park last weekend. surprisingly it wasn't very crowded. did the 9 mile sheep pen canyon loop that's on the other side of the highway, really pretty hike. there's some primitive camping over there but it didn't look too great, very open and no shade. jumped in the pool at the indian lodge after my hike and my god that was refreshing (you're not really supposed to do that but nobody was using it and it's there so fuck it). sunsets from skyline drive were very nice. also highly recommend driving the davis mountains scenic loop. forgot how nice it is out there, had been about 12 years since i'd been to that park. 

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Very nice.  I've been meaning to get out there.

[davidg 4032]

On 5/26/2019 at 12:31 PM, BillyBadAss said:

If you can try it on first as they run kind of big.  I wore that shirt 5 days in a row and loved it. I think it would be great for the desert - it's UPF 50, will cover your arms mostly, and vents/breathes really well. 

I see a lot of people are using umbrellas for desert hiking now, are you going to carry one?  Fingerless sun gloves were something else I considered to protect my hands when using trekking poles. 

+1 on the Columbia Silver Ridge shirts.  I've got 3 or 4 SS and LS and love them for hiking.  They have a fitter cut than the ubiquitous  Bahama II fishing shirts so a smaller size might even work.

I bought a Gossamer Gear Liteflex umbrella and used it on our second Philmont hike.  It was great during a few really rainy days early in the trip and when we where in the  old burned out section of the North Zone where it was very sunny and dry.   I used a couple of velcro cable wraps to hold it to my pack strap for hands free.  Here's a pic from a day hike at the NRA Whittington center where we stayed before our trek.

 

 

[BillyBadAss 189]

..Speaking of Gossamer Gear - I didn't realize they are HQ'ed in Austin until the other day.  I can't find any kind of store-front or anything though - anyone know if such a thing exists?  I'd love to check out some of their packs in person. 

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Just got my Columbia Silver Ridge in today and am taking it to Grand Teton and Yellowstone tomorrow.  I did go with a size smaller than normal and it's a tiny bit small, but it should work I think.  I have a Mountain Hardwear Canyon shirt also that I'm testing.  At first blush I think I like the Silver Ridge better, but we'll see which one wins out.

Love the GG umbrella.  Haven't gotten a chance to use it on trail yet and haven't figured out how I'm going to attach it to the pack, but going to test it this summer.  I feel like it's an absolutely essential piece of gear for the sun even more than the rain, especially for thru-hiking. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by Biff Tannen

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Just now, BillyBadAss said:

..Speaking of Gossamer Gear - I didn't realize they are HQ'ed in Austin until the other day.  I can't find any kind of store-front or anything though - anyone know if such a thing exists?  I'd love to check out some of their packs in person. 

There is no store front.  Their warehouse is off of Burleson, but you can't even pick up there, I've tried.  They did waive shipping for me when I asked nicely.

[davidg 4032]

2 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Just got my Columbia Silver Ridge in today and am taking it to Grand Teton and Yellowstone tomorrow.  I did go with a size smaller than normal and it's a tiny small, but it should work I think.  I have a Mountain Hardwear Canyon shirt also that I'm testing.  At first blush I think I like the Silver Ridge better, but we'll see which one wins out.

Love the GG umbrella.  Haven't gotten a chance to use it on trail yet and haven't figured out how I'm going to attach it to the pack, but going to test it this summer.  I feel like it's an absolutely essential piece of gear for the sun even more than the rain, especially for thru-hiking. 

I used  these velcro cable straps to connect to the shoulder strap.    Worked really well and was adjustable.   Here's a shitty crop of the setup on my pack

 

 

 

[Bone3421 716]

Not sure if its every wal-mart but one by my place was selling those swiss tech pants on clearance for 11$ ...i bought 2 , they seem like decent outdoor pants with a spf of 30

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

On 5/19/2019 at 9:54 AM, HookEm said:

Planning to do the Eagle Rock loop in Arkansas with my son this coming weekend. High of 85. Low of 69. Is that too hot? Should I bail and go to Ruidoso?

So did you end up doing this or not?

[HookEm 2448]

Yeah, it was great. Temp was hot, but cooled down enough in the evenings. Total trip distance per GPS was 31 miles.

Started at the East 106 Trailhead and went counter-clockwise. Did 12.5 first day, camping about 1.5 miles before the trail turns right on the Athens Big Fork trail.

The 2nd day we cranked through the "mountains" and put in 14.5 miles. We could have finished the whole trail, but decided to camp another night and enjoy the scenery.

The final day was only about 4.5 miles and was absolutely gorgeous. The winding stairs area is one of the prettiest areas I have ever hiked. Some of the camp sites were fantastic. In the future I would like to just base camp at one of them and spend a long weekend fishing the Little Missouri River and drinking whiskey.

Thanks all for the recs.

[HookEm 2448]

Also, we saw plenty of ticks, but the permithrin saved us. Never had a single one on us.

I ended up with a little poison ivy on my ankle. Itching like a mofo.

On the 2nd night we saw a big water moccasin floating down the creek. Made our nightly bath a little more interesting.

There are a TON of water crossings, which I really enjoyed. Probably 60+. Most are relatively easy and don't require water shoes. We put on water shoes for 4 of them. In the future we will probably bring Crocs as they are lighter and also nice around the camp.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Awesome, dude.

[GottaB 591]

Beuscher today. Already caught some perch. That’s more than I’ve caught in 5 years of not fishing.







It’s hot. The park is small but some good basic features. And it’s an hour from home.

[PatrickMcHorn 376]

Beuscher today. Already caught some perch. That’s more than I’ve caught in 5 years of not fishing.







It’s hot. The park is small but some good basic features. And it’s an hour from home.

I remember going there as a kid and catching giant perch, the size of a frying pan. That what tou caught?

[GottaB 591]

We caught 4 inch perch. There is a lot of plants along the shore making it hard to fish from without getting caught up. Small ones. Really small.

[BillyBadAss 189]

PSA: Gossamer Gear is having a 35% off sale the next few days:

https://www.gossamergear.com/

I'm really temped by the Mariposa pack - anyone have one?

My main concern (besides fit) is that it would be hot on the back compared to the suspended panel on my Osprey. 

[davidg 4032]

15 hours ago, BillyBadAss said:

PSA: Gossamer Gear is having a 35% off sale the next few days:

https://www.gossamergear.com/

I'm really temped by the Mariposa pack - anyone have one?

My main concern (besides fit) is that it would be hot on the back compared to the suspended panel on my Osprey. 

My son has a 2014 model Mariposa and the hot back is the only thing he doesn't like on the pack, but it hasn't bothered him enough to want a different pack.  Especially since is weighs less than two pounds

 

[txhorns 2408]

I'm trying to plan my summer family camping trip now.  Am looking into where to go and a good campground to stay in.  Any recs would be much appreciated.  Taking my family and will be car camping in Colorado.  I have little kids so need to be kind of close to a town.  Also a good amount of short hike but good hikes for the 6 and 3 year old.  We are trying to hit up different towns in Colorado.  Favorite so far is Crested Butte.  Below are the places we have camped so far.

RMNP - Long's Peak Campground & Moraine Park

Crested Butte - Oh Be Joyful Campground

Creede, Co

Red River, NM

Taos, NM

I was thinking of hitting up Mesa Verde this year but the wife is afraid it would be too hot.  Will probably head back to RMNP if I don't find something else.  Anyone have a good recommendation for campgrounds around Telluride, Aspen, or Breckinridge?

[UnivTex34 1763]

1 minute ago, txhorns said:

I'm trying to plan my summer family camping trip now.  Am looking into where to go and a good campground to stay in.  Any recs would be much appreciated.  Taking my family and will be car camping in Colorado.  I have little kids so need to be kind of close to a town.  Also a good amount of short hike but good hikes for the 6 and 3 year old.  We are trying to hit up different towns in Colorado.  Favorite so far is Crested Butte.  Below are the places we have camped so far.

RMNP - Long's Peak Campground & Moraine Park

Crested Butte - Oh Be Joyful Campground

Creede, Co

Red River, NM

Taos, NM

I was thinking of hitting up Mesa Verde this year but the wife is afraid it would be too hot.  Will probably head back to RMNP if I don't find something else.  Anyone have a good recommendation for campgrounds around Telluride, Aspen, or Breckinridge?

Wife and I loved Ouray/Telluride, but we did not stay in any campground, we just primitive camped in the NF.

[txhorns 2408]

1 minute ago, UnivTex34 said:

Wife and I loved Ouray/Telluride, but we did not stay in any campground, we just primitive camped in the NF.

I would absolutely primitive camp if not for the little kids.

[UnivTex34 1763]

2 minutes ago, txhorns said:

I would absolutely primitive camp if not for the little kids.

Yeah, wife is not the biggest fan. Toilets or some shit. 

[Saint Tacky 1610]

 

 

 

2

17 hours ago, BillyBadAss said:

PSA: Gossamer Gear is having a 35% off sale the next few days:

https://www.gossamergear.com/

I'm really temped by the Mariposa pack - anyone have one?

My main concern (besides fit) is that it would be hot on the back compared to the suspended panel on my Osprey. 

Damnit.  I've been trying to talk myself out of the Silverback for months now.  Been training for Philmont with my Gregory Baltoro all year and with less than two weeks to go, I am again tempted to switch because the gossamer gear packs are so highly regarded.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

If I were to upgrade it would be to a Mariposa or a ULA Circuit. The Circuit is heavier but is supposed to be ridiculously comfortable.

I like the features the GG packs have.

If you’re eyeing it now, I’d buy it.

[davidg 4032]

2 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

Damnit.  I've been trying to talk myself out of the Silverback for months now.  Been training for Philmont with my Gregory Baltoro all year and with less than two weeks to go, I am again tempted to switch because the gossamer gear packs are so highly regarded.

What trek are you doing?    Now would be a good time to buy, but I would change out any of my main gear this close unless you get some shakedown hikes before stepping off.

[Saint Tacky 1610]

1 hour ago, davidg said:

What trek are you doing?    Now would be a good time to buy, but I would change out any of my main gear this close unless you get some shakedown hikes before stepping off.

28

I think I'm just going to hold off. Mariposa and the hip belt are $253.38, with is a significant discount; however, no time for shake-outs and my current pack is broken in

[BillyBadAss 189]

58 minutes ago, davidg said:

What trek are you doing?    Now would be a good time to buy, but I would change out any of my main gear this close unless you get some shakedown hikes before stepping off.

Yeah, but the Baltoro 65 is 5 pounds, the Mariposa is 2. I guess it would depend on how much weight you're carrying in it, as I assume the Baltoro would carry a heavier load, but 3 pounds off your back is pretty significant.