Surly official camping and backpacking thread

[Chewbacca 7730]

Dispersed camping in Colorado... near good fishing, not too far from a town where we can get a 1-2 day whitewater rafting trip in, and some mountain biking wouldn't hurt either.... Go. 
Would prefer to avoid state and national parks in favor of something a little more out there.  
 

Just make sure you check local fire regs for wherever you go. Lots of fire bans in place right now.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Don't you just pretty much drive through some Forest Service roads or BLM roads until you find a spot you like? That's what I've always done, but I guess it could be tougher with roads in the mountains.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Been working on our van set up. Will be able to fit a full size bed in the back that converts to a table and couches when we are done. I still have to cover the plywood with formica and paint the rest. Also have to cut up the mattress and make covers for the pieces, but it is coming together. The benches/bed platform are just the right height to use milk crates for storage underneath them. We have a roof rack on the way and will be getting a tent to go up top as well. The plan is to just go west and wander around for about a month.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Kick ass.  

[davidg 4032]

I assume the benches will be covered in hand tooled leather, dyed to complement the vans interior color.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Lol, they will be covered in pieces of a memory foam mattress that will be covered with outdoor furniture fabric. The sheer number of hours it takes me to complete a small leather project pretty much rules out doing fancy leatherwork, especially since I only stitch my work by hand. But speaking of of leather, here is a pouch I completed today for a rivet gun. 

It will probably be the fanciest tool pouch on the job site. The guy just wanted a pouch to hold his rivet gun and rivets because he couldn't find a commercial one to meet his needs, but I couldn't resist the urge to fancy it up a bit.

[hookem2010 2600]

It seems pretty pointless to definitively plan anything at this point, but I gave myself a 4-day weekend the first weekend in October with the intention of taking what will then be my 7-month old dog on a little backpacking trip. I know the canine companion pretty much eliminates big bend and other west Texas highlights, but any drivable recs from DFW that time of year? I've mostly been looking west, but dog-friendly areas like Davis Mountains SP seem a bit small for a 3-4 night trip. I've also looked at some longer hikes in the Lincoln NF, but any other ideas would be appreciated.
I also need a backpacking tent. North Face has a 50% off deal for healthcare workers I can take advantage of, if anyone feels one way or the other about any of their tents.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

I highly recommend Tarptent products. They have freestanding, semi, and non-freestanding options. They have a wide range of designs, as well. If you’re going to use trekking poles, you can get a design that will utilize those and save quite a bit of weight.

I have a 2019 model (they updated it) Double Rainbow. It can be freestanding by using trekking poles, but is normally not. It’s a cavern inside. Here’s a few photos at the top of Conundrum Creek near Aspen last year.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Yeah TarpTent was on my short list too.  I ended up with a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1.  Tent tech is getting so good these days, you can get some really light single or double wall tents that are extremely light.  Of course, with low weight and strength comes high price.

On a separate note, I got a Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 pack a couple of weeks ago and after one test hike, fully loaded, I'm pretty impressed.  The hip belt seems much more supportive than my Osprey Exos 58, as much as that pains me to say, because I love that pack.  The only downside was not having the suspended back mesh for some airflow.

Gossamer Gear is an Austin company too.

Edited June 26, 2020 by Biff Tannen
hyperbole

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Oh yeah, the Gossamer Gear The One and The Two tents are supposed to be awesome as well.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

On 6/26/2020 at 12:02 PM, hookem2010 said:

It seems pretty pointless to definitively plan anything at this point, but I gave myself a 4-day weekend the first weekend in October with the intention of taking what will then be my 7-month old dog on a little backpacking trip. I know the canine companion pretty much eliminates big bend and other west Texas highlights, but any drivable recs from DFW that time of year? I've mostly been looking west, but dog-friendly areas like Davis Mountains SP seem a bit small for a 3-4 night trip. I've also looked at some longer hikes in the Lincoln NF, but any other ideas would be appreciated.
I also need a backpacking tent. North Face has a 50% off deal for healthcare workers I can take advantage of, if anyone feels one way or the other about any of their tents.

Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas should be easily driveable, but it may be cold that time of year and there are several river crossings.

[HookEm 2448]

We just moved houses and it looks like the only loss is a bag with all our backpacking jackets. Looks like it got accidentally given to Goodwill. Probably close to $2K in gear. Oof.

The biggest loss is my Arc'teryx Beta SV and Mountain HW Ghost Whisperer jackets. The kids had some Marmot and North Face gear as well.

Hopefully one of you are enjoying it. Took me years to collect it all.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Ouch, man.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Damn.  Maybe you can get some decent replacements at the next REI garage sale or something.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Garage Sale, Patagonia Worn Wear, and vendor sales can help some at least.

[Saint Tacky 1610]

DP

Edited June 29, 2020 by Saint Tacky
Added below

[Saint Tacky 1610]

On 6/26/2020 at 12:59 PM, Biff Tannen said:

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1.

I have the copper spur hv ul2.  Love it. Good choice.

On 6/28/2020 at 12:01 AM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas should be easily driveable, but it may be cold that time of year and there are several river crossings.

6-hours from Dallas. I was there May 2019 and it was already hot and "ticky". As forewarned, there are plenty of river crossings.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

On 6/29/2020 at 7:20 AM, Biff Tannen said:

Damn.  Maybe you can get some decent replacements at the next REI garage sale or something.

Has REI put anything out about doing garage sales again?  

They do have their used gear website.   

[Biff Tannen 45512]

9 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Has REI put anything out about doing garage sales again?  

They do have their used gear website.   

Ah good call.  I don't think they are yet.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

I wouldn't be surprised if the garage sales are phased out now that they are selling used gear on their website.

Edited July 1, 2020 by NotActuallyALonghorn

[Saint Tacky 1610]

1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the garage sales are phased out now that they are selling used gear on their website.

That would be disappointing 

[Chewbacca 7730]

What are everyone's favorite hiking shoes?  I need a new pair and am tired of wearing heavy Keens even though they've been great.  Looking for something with good arch support, good heel cushioning and lighter weight.  Don't care about waterproof.

[Updawg 2261]

I’d go with salomon. My old merrells finally fell apart and I bought some north face ones off of steep and cheap because they were really cheap. Seem ok but I don’t expect them to last very long

[Biff Tannen 45512]

36 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

What are everyone's favorite hiking shoes?  I need a new pair and am tired of wearing heavy Keens even though they've been great.  Looking for something with good arch support, good heel cushioning and lighter weight.  Don't care about waterproof.

I love my La Sportiva Ultra Raptors, though I think they are being phased out by La Sportiva for a different model.  It all depends on how your foot is shaped of course, but La Sportiva is my favorite.  I have fairly narrow feet.

Lots of thru hikers love the Lone Peak Altras, but they have a very wide toe box, so they don't work for me.  

This guy has tested a TON of hiking shoes and I go to him a lot for advice.

https://trailtopeak.com/gear-reviews/

 

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

I have Salomon XA Pro 3D that I like for that purpose. They do have a bit of a narrow toe box though, which is weird since my Salomon X Ultras are pretty wide.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Picked up a Smittybilt 2883 Overlander Xl rooftop tent today. We pretty much have all the pieces we need for our month long excursion west now, we just have to put them all together. If anybody is looking for a rooftop tent, PM me. The guy I got ours from was substantially cheaper than anything we could find online.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Picked up this yesterday.

Still have to paint the roof rack with bedliner material (you can see the end of it in the background with white primer) and mount it to the van before I can put the tent on.

[tomahawk dunk 321]

On 7/1/2020 at 12:45 PM, Chewbacca said:

What are everyone's favorite hiking shoes?  I need a new pair and am tired of wearing heavy Keens even though they've been great.  Looking for something with good arch support, good heel cushioning and lighter weight.  Don't care about waterproof.

I like trail runners and have been wearing Altras lately. You might check out Oboz and Vasque. I think you can get both in regular and wide sizes.

[TwiceHorn 31316]

Is the surl of a hive mind of low- or mid-cut hiking shoes for all but the gnarliest of trails?

I can certainly get the appeal, but all these years of boots have me kind of psyched out into wanting ankle support/protection.

[tomahawk dunk 321]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Is the surl of a hive mind of low- or mid-cut hiking shoes for all but the gnarliest of trails?

I can certainly get the appeal, but all these years of boots have me kind of psyched out into wanting ankle support/protection.

Wear what you want/are comfortable with. That said, I think more people wear trail runners now on the PCT, AT, etc.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

42 minutes ago, tomahawk dunk said:

Wear what you want/are comfortable with. That said, I think more people wear trail runners now on the PCT, AT, etc.

Correct. With the lightweight backpacking movement really in high gear right now, trail runners are the go to over boots due to weight and breatheability. 

[davidg 4032]

Lightweight packs, Trailrunners and ankle gaiters for the win on existing trail.

Would only wear heavy boots in overland hiking in an area like Big Bend where cacti protection might be needed or in a mountaineering situation.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

If you tend to roll your ankle without ankle support, get high boots. Personally, I've rolled my ankle or almost rolled it more with high boots, so I wear low hiking shoes. Do whatever works best for you. 

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

As a good middle ground, I really like the Salomon X Ultra Mids. I have the GTX ones and use them when I go backpacking. They are not as stiff as a real boot, but offer good ankle support and are pretty lightweight for what they are. Very comfortable, too. For day hikes and stuff I typically wear the XA Pro 3D.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

Does it appear that the state parks are finally not requiring reservations for day use any longer?  The language on the websites are vague, probably intentionally so.  I'm really fucking tired of having to share limited permits with people who just want to picnic and not get more than 10 feet from their cars while I'm wanting to do the most socially distant thing possible: hike the fucking trails.

[NWBuck 8548]

2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

I'm really fucking tired of having to share limited permits with people who just want to picnic and not get more than 10 feet from their cars while I'm wanting to do the most socially distant thing possible: hike the fucking trails.

I'm totally with you, and thankful that we've got a lot of options out in the PNW for trail solitude.

But there are also a TON of trails that turn into freaking conga lines when parents bring their kids or all of the teens who have been cooped up for months decide "let's go get some outdoor shots for our Insta-Tok.  Just gotta choose carefully....

(So, what boots are best for shaking my fist and saying "Get off my trails!"? Probably something in beige, with Velcro)

[Biff Tannen 45512]

1 minute ago, NWBuck said:

I'm totally with you, and thankful that we've got a lot of options out in the PNW for trail solitude.

But there are also a TON of trails that turn into freaking conga lines when parents bring their kids or all of the teens who have been cooped up for months decide "let's go get some outdoor shots for our Insta-Tok.  Just gotta choose carefully....

(So, what boots are best for shaking my fist and saying "Get off my trails!"? Probably something in beige, with Velcro)

I don't know if you're in the Gorge area, but have they re-opened Eagle Creek since the fire?

[NWBuck 8548]

2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

I don't know if you're in the Gorge area, but have they re-opened Eagle Creek since the fire?

I'm much farther north- Just a bit north of Seattle, so I'm in the Cascades/Olympics (after the ferry).

According to my BIL in Salem, that area is still closed for recovery (although people may sneak in because they're selfish)

[Your Mom 4798]

20 hours ago, Anton Chigurh said:

As a good middle ground, I really like the Salomon X Ultra Mids. I have the GTX ones and use them when I go backpacking. They are not as stiff as a real boot, but offer good ankle support and are pretty lightweight for what they are. Very comfortable, too. For day hikes and stuff I typically wear the XA Pro 3D.

Another vote for the Salomon X Ultra mids.  I have the low and the mid and I find the mid much more comfortable whether I'm carrying a pack or not.  I see the majority of hikers moving to trail runners but I just can't do it, especially with a pack on.  For me it's not so much the ankle support, it's the foot bed.  My feet are killing me at the end of the day if I hike in anything without a stiff thick sole to better support all the weight.  I guess there are some trail runners with that sturdy sole but a lot seem to be normal running shoes but in an earthy color and with knobbier soles and that doesn't work for me at all.  The Salomon X ulta low-top is good and supportive but something about it isn't as comfortable for me as the mid.  

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

I've gone away from big bulky boots too.  I have two pairs that haven't seen the light of day in years.  I liked the Solomon trail runners I had, and some Merrell chameleons.

In reality I  will roll my ankle more often in shoes with thick soles, so even classic trail runners are too much. I did emory peak in a pair of Merrell bare access, which only have 4 mm of cushion.  Those and my chacos are all I really use.

 

 

[Saint Tacky 1610]

I'm tempted to switch to trail runners, but I still have at least two trips to Philmont left in me and Philmont is not synonymous with ultra-light.

Should I switch to trail runners if I am going be doing shake-outs and backpacking with 45+ pounds on my back?

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

I'm tempted to switch to trail runners, but I still have at least two trips to Philmont left in me and Philmont is not synonymous with ultra-light.
Should I switch to trail runners if I am going be doing shake-outs and backpacking with 45+ pounds on my back?

Probably not.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Something like the Merrell Moab low hiking shoes to me is the perfect balance between trail runners and hiking boots. Lighter weight than boots without restrictive ankle support, and a thick enough footbed to protect against fatigue from hiking on rocks with weight on your back. You've gotta be pretty sure footed and have strong ankles to hike with a lot of weight like that, however.

[Biff Tannen 45512]

1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Something like the Merrell Moab low hiking shoes to me is the perfect balance between trail runners and hiking boots. Lighter weight than boots without restrictive ankle support, and a thick enough footbed to protect against fatigue from hiking on rocks with weight on your back. You've gotta be pretty sure footed and have strong ankles to hike with a lot of weight like that, however.

These are my every day shoes.  Love em.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Biff Tannen
specifically the NON-WATERPROOF version. that's important.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Yeah, I'm a fan of non waterproof hiking shoes, at least if you live in a warmer climate. Get good wool socks and you won't even care if your feet get a bit wet. But not all wool socks are created equal.

[tomahawk dunk 321]

31 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Yeah, I'm a fan of non waterproof hiking shoes, at least if you live in a warmer climate. Get good wool socks and you won't even care if your feet get a bit wet. But not all wool socks are created equal.

I love the Darn Toughs.

[Ebeye 116]

Took my son up to Ptarmigan Lake outside of Buena Vista, CO last Thur/Fri.  Ended up having amazing weather.  It was a short hike (3m / 1,500 vertical).  We camped just under treeline at about 11,800.  The actual Ptarmigan Lake was around 12,200.  

Ptarmigan Lake

 

Campsite

 

Heading back down to camp from the main lake. Mt. Yale (14,196 in the distance)

 

The small lake we camped next to.

 

Woke up to this...

[Ebeye 116]

This one was a few weeks ago.  I took my wife on her first overnight backpacking trip.  We ended up getting hailed on just after we pitched the tent.  We had crazy winds all night, and I feel in the damned lake chasing a floating away beer, breaking a toe and bruising an elbow in the process.  Not sure if she is going to head out with me again this summer.  

Lakes of the Clouds outside Westcliffe, CO.  There are three lakes total, but we ended up only hitting the bottom one due to weather and the aforementioned falling in the lake.  We took the  long way up which was about 6.25mi with 2,500 vertical gain.  Coming down, we took the shorter, steeper route which cut off a couple of miles.  Super rocky, so our feet were less than pleased.  This was the second time I have done this hike.  The weather this time was less than ideal, but it is worth the hike up still.

 

[TwiceHorn 31316]

Busting a toe couldn't have made that steep descent any fun at all.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

45 minutes ago, tomahawk dunk said:

I love the Darn Toughs.

Back in 2015 (according to my order history at REI) I bought some REI Co-op lightweight merino wool hiking quarter socks on closeout. While they were listed as lightweight, they are pretty thick and are the best socks I own. You can get them wet, and they are still good to go for another day without feeling nasty. I can't stress enough how much good wool socks make a difference for backpacking.