Surly official camping and backpacking thread

[Biff Tannen 46061]

Great pics.  I'm headed to Telluride in a couple of weeks.  Going to get some hikes in there and also hit Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

[Ebeye 117]

10 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

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

Thankfully it wasn’t my big toe, but yeah coming down was less than enjoyable. 
 

[Ebeye 117]

29 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Great pics.  I'm headed to Telluride in a couple of weeks.  Going to get some hikes in there and also hit Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

I’ve heard really good things about Black Canyon. I just haven’t made it over there yet. I had a buddy over there this last week car camping with his family. 
 

Black Canyon

[Biff Tannen 46061]

4 minutes ago, Ebeye said:

I’ve heard really good things about Black Canyon. I just haven’t made it over there yet. I had a buddy over there this last week car camping with his family. 
 

Black Canyon

I've heard it's one of the most underrated national parks.  I'll have dogs with me, so won't get to do much hiking because they aren't allowed on most trails, but the views from the overlooks should be spectacular.

[Anton Chigurh 3332]

I haven’t been there and would like to go, as well.

Currently the top spot in my underrated rankings is Capitol Reef.

[davidg 4057]

21 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

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?

I did two treks wearing NB 1210 trailrunners and Dirty Girl gaiters.  No foot problems whatsoever on either trek other than wet feet on the first trek as it rained continuously for the first 4 days.  Most of the crew had wet feet during the first portion even with high top Goretex boots and I know mine dried out a lot faster.   My suggestion would be trail runners and work on reducing your pack weight.  I might have broke 30#s on food pickup days and full water.  I'm a packrat and worked real hard at eliminating and lightened my pack and  my personal gear was just under 18lbs and that included a big leatherman as my contribution to crew gear and a Philmont Field Guide book.

These are the shoes I wore and my lunch on the top of Mt Baldy.   It sucked walking my fatass up it but the views at the top were nice.  That's Eagle Nest Lake in the background.

 

[Biff Tannen 46061]

6 minutes ago, davidg said:

I did two treks wearing NB 1210 trailrunners and Dirty Girl gaiters.  No foot problems whatsoever on either trek other than wet feet on the first trek as it rained continuously for the first 4 days.  Most of the crew had wet feet during the first portion even with high top Goretex boots and I know mine dried out a lot faster.   My suggestion would be trail runners and work on reducing your pack weight.  I might have broke 30#s on food pickup days and full water.  I'm a packrat and worked real hard at eliminating and lightened my pack and  my personal gear was just under 18lbs and that included a big leatherman as my contribution to crew gear and a Philmont Field Guide book.

These are the shoes I wore and my lunch on the top of Mt Baldy.   It sucked walking my fatass up it but the views at the top were nice.  That's Eagle Nest Lake in the background.

 

Love me some Dirty Girls.  Is that a GG umbrella too?

[davidg 4057]

3 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Love me some Dirty Girls.  Is that a GG umbrella too?

Yep used it alot in open areas on the treks.  I used some velcro cable wraps to hold it to my shoulder strap for hands free.  Worked pretty well and keeps your head a lot cooler that just a hat.   This pic is from a training hike we did on the way to Philmont.  We stayed two nights in cabins at the NRA Whittington Center and did hikes during the day up into their back country.  I think we had full packs, water and two meals worth of food and did about 9 miles.  Good way to acclimate if your are coming from flat land like us Texans.

 

[stc 1496]

On 7/6/2020 at 12:41 PM, Biff Tannen said:

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.

Latest email said reservations are recommended but not required. I've enjoyed the shit out of the limited capacity at parks, they've been almost completely empty. Not too often you get an entire park to yourself. Never thought I would be the only person at Pedernales Falls or Enchanted Rock. Check reservations day before or day of, lots of people cancel. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

Operation Rooftop tent complete.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

Side note, setting up a rooftop tent in July in Texas sucks. And now I have to do the yard because the house is showing this afternoon.

Edited July 9, 2020 by NotActuallyALonghorn

[Biff Tannen 46061]

17 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Operation Rooftop tent complete.

I've always wondered how that works.  Are there bracing arms that fold out to support the part not on the roof or what?

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

The ladder is the support for the floor. There is the overhang where the entrance is that has a few poles to support it. Once you open it up you have to insert the little arms that hold out the overhangs over the windows and stuff. Other than that, the rest of the tent unfolds its self by using the ladder to pull it out.

[Native Horn 3569]

On 7/8/2020 at 12:33 PM, Saint Tacky said:

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?

My son and I both wore trail runners (mine were New Balance) for Philmont.  We were poo-pood by our ranger as well as the other adults in our trek.  Who came out of the trek with just a minor blister on the last day?  Me and the boy.  The double-sock, heavy boot wearing had blisters almost the whole trek.  YMMV.

[Biff Tannen 46061]

20 minutes ago, Native Horn said:

My son and I both wore trail runners (mine were New Balance) for Philmont.  We were poo-pood by our ranger as well as the other adults in our trek.  Who came out of the trek with just a minor blister on the last day?  Me and the boy.  The double-sock, heavy boot wearing had blisters almost the whole trek.  YMMV.

It's really interesting to see the two schools of thought.  

[Biff Tannen 46061]

Prescient considering the earlier discussion.

https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/hiking-boots-vs-hiking-shoes-vs-trail-runners

 

Edited July 12, 2020 by Biff Tannen

[Chewbacca 7827]

I haven’t been there and would like to go, as well.

Currently the top spot in my underrated rankings is Capitol Reef.

Really? I thought it was not really NP material. Easily the worst of the Utah parks.

[Anton Chigurh 3332]

Really? I thought it was not really NP material. Easily the worst of the Utah parks.

Wow. I love it. It’s kind of a light mix of the other parks, but still unique on its own. Kinda similar Zion because of large amounts of similar strata layers, especially Navajo and Kayenta. There’s so many other layers there though, it’s crazy. The stuff in Cathedral Valley is Entrada, similar to Arches NP.

You do really have do some unpaved driving or hiking to get to the best stuff, though.

I was supposed to go back again in April and was going to do the Cathedral Valley loop, but of course that was canceled.

Tapa was having issues uploading full res for all of these, but here:

[Biff Tannen 46061]

Great pics. Land of the Sleeping Rainbow. 

[Chewbacca 7827]

16 hours ago, Anton Chigurh said:

 

 

Wow. I love it. It’s kind of a light mix of the other parks, but still unique on its own. Kinda similar Zion because of large amounts of similar strata layers, especially Navajo and Kayenta. There’s so many other layers there though, it’s crazy. The stuff in Cathedral Valley is Entrada, similar to Arches NP.

You do really have do some unpaved driving or hiking to get to the best stuff, though.

I was supposed to go back again in April and was going to do the Cathedral Valley loop, but of course that was canceled.

Tapa was having issues uploading full res for all of these, but here:

 

 

Great pics.  I thought the best thing about Capitol Reef was the cherry pie I bought at the little store there by the Visitor's Center.  We did not do any hiking there, though.  Weather was shitty.  We drove down into that box canyon but chickened out after a bit since it looked like rain was coming and I didn't want to experience a flash flood in person.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

Grand Canyon, King's Canyon, and Giant Sequoias down since Friday. On our way to Yosemite right now. Haven't paid for camping yet.

[davidg 4057]

1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Grand Canyon, King's Canyon, and Giant Sequoias down since Friday. On our way to Yosemite right now. Haven't paid for camping yet.

Gonna be able to get on any rock in Yose.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

Hopefully will get on some rock. We forgot that you have to make reservations for day use, so we ended up heading to the beach by Santa Cruz until we can get reservations. We did get our camping locations scouted out, so we don't have to worry about figuring that out at least.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

We both forgot that you have to make reservations to get into Yosemite, and we weren't able to to get any last minute, so we are now staying at the Lakeview Campground in the Mendocino National Forest. Our spot last night.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

So, I sprung for some Salomon X Crest, which seems to be a laced version of the Ultra X 3.  I buy "trail runners" as my sort of daily shoes, but they are for the most part very light ones.

I do enough outdoor stuff that isn't hiking/backpacking to make use of the "sturdier" shoes, but in anticipation of no football and with more work at home free time of late, we are planning more camping/light packing trips this fall when the weather moderates, so I am looking forward to trying them out.  One advantage I can see obviously is that I always pack some light/low quarter shoes and I can probably do away with that.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

On 7/9/2020 at 3:24 PM, Native Horn said:

My son and I both wore trail runners (mine were New Balance) for Philmont.  We were poo-pood by our ranger as well as the other adults in our trek.  Who came out of the trek with just a minor blister on the last day?  Me and the boy.  The double-sock, heavy boot wearing had blisters almost the whole trek.  YMMV.

Kind of curious what type of boots they were wearing.

Back in my day, the mountaineering type boots were the thing.  People spent a lot of time breaking them in, at least the smart ones did.

[davidg 4057]

I bet 75% of the hikers at Philmont are wearing Vasque Breeze GTX bought from REI.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

1 hour ago, davidg said:

I bet 75% of the hikers at Philmont are wearing Vasque Breeze GTX bought from REI.

Back in my day, the Sundowner was considered a light boot.  I don't think they even make the alpine-type boot that was pretty popular anymore.

Edited July 20, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Your Mom 4956]

On our Philmont trek last year we had a mix of boots, mid tops, and trail runners.  The ones who had hiked the most leading up to the trip had the fewest blisters (none) and the ones who had hiked the least had the most blisters.  Shoe choice wasn't a factor.  Feet are weird, they're all shaped a little different.  The best shoe for me might be the worst for you.  Nailing the perfect size of whatever shoe you choose, sock choice, weight carried, how much you sweat, and definitely the miles hiked to condition your feet are all probably are bigger factors for blisters than low vs mid vs high top.  For me the choice isn't about blisters or ankle support, it's about a sturdy footbed to support the weight and not feel every rock under my soles.  

[TwiceHorn 31987]

2 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

On our Philmont trek last year we had a mix of boots, mid tops, and trail runners.  The ones who had hiked the most leading up to the trip had the fewest blisters (none) and the ones who had hiked the least had the most blisters.  Shoe choice wasn't a factor.  Feet are weird, they're all shaped a little different.  The best shoe for me might be the worst for you.  Nailing the perfect size of whatever shoe you choose, sock choice, weight carried, how much you sweat, and definitely the miles hiked to condition your feet are all probably are bigger factors for blisters than low vs mid vs high top.  For me the choice isn't about blisters or ankle support, it's about a sturdy footbed to support the weight and not feel every rock under my soles.  

Yep, I'd consider blisters a matter of preparation.  I'd think the liner sock with a heavier sock would work well with trail runners or light shoes/boots, too.

I haven't hiked as extensively with synthetic socks as I have wool, but took a flyer on some quality "coolmax" socks not too long ago and have been impressed.

[Your Mom 4956]

I hike with the same socks I mountain bike in.  Defeet Aireators in 3" or taller.  Run, hike, road bike, mountain bike... I do it all in those socks.  They're thin and that works for me, but some folks like a thicker sock.  I used to have some tall plain black ones I wore to work with dress shoes, but I've become a little more civilized since then.  

[Your Mom 4956]

Just got back from Colorado. Buena Vista area, Arkansas River and the Collegiate Peaks. Right about now, unpacking all my gear in this hot garage, I’m wondering why we came back.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[davidg 4057]

30 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yep, I'd consider blisters a matter of preparation.  I'd think the liner sock with a heavier sock would work well with trail runners or light shoes/boots, too.

I haven't hiked as extensively with synthetic socks as I have wool, but took a flyer on some quality "coolmax" socks not too long ago and have been impressed.

I found these low cut Thorlos to be my favorite hiking socks.   Bought a bunch at a buy 2-get-1-free sale at my local scout shop.  One of the best pieces of gear that I bought there.  I worn them by themselves and they were pretty warm, even soaking wet and dried pretty quick.    https://www.scoutshop.org/boy-scout-thorlos-lt-hiking-low-cut-sock-606164.html

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by davidg

[davidg 4057]

11 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Just got back from Colorado. Buena Vista area, Arkansas River and the Collegiate Peaks. Right about now, unpacking all my gear in this hot garage, I’m wondering why we came back.
 

This is a great pic.  I've rafted the Arkansas by Canon City 3 times and had a blast on every one.   Did you try a hot springs anywhere?  We've been to Mt Princeton a few times and have enjoyed it there.  

[TwiceHorn 31987]

1 hour ago, davidg said:

I found these low cut Thorlos to be my favorite hiking socks.   Bought a bunch at a buy 2-get-1-free sale at my local scout shop.  One of the best pieces of gear that I bought there.  I worn them by themselves and they were pretty warm, even soaking wet and dried pretty quick.    https://www.scoutshop.org/boy-scout-thorlos-lt-hiking-low-cut-sock-606164.html

 

 

 

I think my "coolmax" ones are wigwam.  But they're kind of like thorlos in that they are thick on the bottom, less so on top.  And they literally say "Coolmax" on them.  So whatever polysynthetic shit that is.

When I first wore Thorlos, like 20-30 years ago, in athletic shoes, they got kind of swampy feeling.  My feet and hands do sweat pretty profusely, though.  I think those were "acrylic."  Great cushion, but nasty feeling.

Whatever this coolmax stuff is, they're cool in the heat and warm in the cold. How do they know?

[Anton Chigurh 3332]

Injinji + Darn Tough = GOAT

[tomahawk dunk 364]

Plus 1 on Darn Toughs. I also wear Balega for exercise and casual, really great socks as well.

REI always has a buy 3 regular price and save 10%. Good way to check out some different brands.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Quick question on "hiking shoe" fit.  Pertaining to Salomon-type shoes.  Specifically the X Crest, which is similar to the X Ultra.

If these were regular sports shoes, I'd say they fit fine.  If they were hiking boots, I might want a tad more length in the toe box. Big toe is just under the rubber bumper so it's also hard to feel.  Not hitting the end, bur seems like it might on a descent.

Being that they are stouter than most "tennis shoes," I can't quite envision how they will "break in."  Currently, they seem to have a pretty good "grip" on the rest of my foot so it isn't sliding forward, but can't tell what will happen over time. Also, the toe box is generally pretty roomy, so maybe that's affecting my perception.

@Anton Chigurh or @Your Mom or anyone else that has an opinion.

Edited July 22, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Welp, after wearing them in the house most of yesterday afternoon, I decided they were ok.

I went to a local trail (Piedmont Ridge) that I had read about but never hiked.  Had a surprising amount of ascent and descent and they seem to fit fine.  Pretty good experience.  I can see that I would need to be a little cautious with the ankles and a pack.

[Anton Chigurh 3332]

Yeah, if they aren’t impacting on descents, you should be okay.

Sorry, was doing a hike myself yesterday.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

I don't know if any of y'all do "urban" hiking.  I'm a pretty religious mountain biker and have been struck by the amount of little wildernesses smack dab in the middle of Dallas' suburban hellscape.

Some are bounded by highways and big roads, so you still get some traffic noise, but it's still pretty nice.

The entrance to yesterday's trail, in Pleasant Grove.  Not the greatest hood.

The foliage and shade was dense, and immediate ascent and quite a number of scrambles over limestone.  Should have taken more pics but I was sweatin like a whore in church.

[Biff Tannen 46061]

18 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I don't know if any of y'all do "urban" hiking.  I'm a pretty religious mountain biker and have been struck by the amount of little wildernesses smack dab in the middle of Dallas' suburban hellscape.

Some are bounded by highways and big roads, so you still get some traffic noise, but it's still pretty nice.

The entrance to yesterday's trail, in Pleasant Grove.  Not the greatest hood.

The foliage and shade was dense, and immediate ascent and quite a number of scrambles over limestone.  Should have taken more pics but I was sweatin like a whore in church.

I was surprised at the amount of trails in Dallas when I lived there.  There are some great hikes out by Lake Lewisville and then Cedar Breaks down south also.  

 

I'm headed to Colorado tomorrow.  Camping outside Durango Sunday night (hoping the rain holds off) and then Telluride for the week.  Will try to remember to post hiking pics when I get back.

For the Colorado folks on here, is the rain forecast just your regular mountain afternoon rain storms or is this actually a system where the rain will be more widespread and long lasting?

[Chewbacca 7827]

I was surprised at the amount of trails in Dallas when I lived there.  There are some great hikes out by Lake Lewisville and then Cedar Breaks down south also.  
 
I'm headed to Colorado tomorrow.  Camping outside Durango Sunday night (hoping the rain holds off) and then Telluride for the week.  Will try to remember to post hiking pics when I get back.
For the Colorado folks on here, is the rain forecast just your regular mountain afternoon rain storms or is this actually a system where the rain will be more widespread and long lasting?

Typically our rain rolls in, dumps on you and rolls out. Sometimes you'll get longer storms, or multiple storms in a day. But they aren't all day affairs.

[Anton Chigurh 3332]

I was surprised at the amount of trails in Dallas when I lived there.  There are some great hikes out by Lake Lewisville and then Cedar Breaks down south also.  
 
I'm headed to Colorado tomorrow.  Camping outside Durango Sunday night (hoping the rain holds off) and then Telluride for the week.  Will try to remember to post hiking pics when I get back.
For the Colorado folks on here, is the rain forecast just your regular mountain afternoon rain storms or is this actually a system where the rain will be more widespread and long lasting?

Where outside of Durango? I was just at Vallecito.

[Biff Tannen 46061]

1 minute ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Where outside of Durango? I was just at Vallecito.

Junction Creek Campground at the southern terminus of the Colorado Trail.

[Carl Spackler 3611]

On 7/1/2020 at 10:45 AM, 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.

My backpacking days are done, so I'm not wearing the heavier stuff.  I have a pair of Oboz Sawtooths that were comfortable out of the box and  IMO strike a good balance between support and weight. 

[Chewbacca 7827]

On 7/24/2020 at 11:49 AM, Carl Spackler said:

My backpacking days are done, so I'm not wearing the heavier stuff.  I have a pair of Oboz Sawtooths that were comfortable out of the box and  IMO strike a good balance between support and weight. 

I just got some Topo Ultraventures at REI.  They are fantastic.  

[Carl Spackler 3611]

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

I just got some Topo Ultraventures at REI.  They are fantastic.  

I've been thinking of branching out and getting a pair of trailrunners for my day hiking needs.  I know the Altra Lone Peaks are really popular on the PCT, but I hear they aren't particularly durable.  I'll be interested in hearing how your Topos hold up. 

[UnivTex34 1765]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler said:

I've been thinking of branching out and getting a pair of trailrunners for my day hiking needs.  I know the Altra Lone Peaks are really popular on the PCT, but I hear they aren't particularly durable.  I'll be interested in hearing how your Topos hold up. 

I have some Lone Peaks. Unfortunately I cannot talk to the durability as I’ve really only used them on a few hikes. Bought them last year for hiking in Hawaii and then used them for lots of urban hiking here in Austin before I knocked up the wife and the COVID thing happened. They are amazingly comfy, love the huge footbed. I wasn’t sure about zero drop, but I quickly got used to it. 

[Chewbacca 7827]

I've been thinking of branching out and getting a pair of trailrunners for my day hiking needs.  I know the Altra Lone Peaks are really popular on the PCT, but I hear they aren't particularly durable.  I'll be interested in hearing how your Topos hold up. 

Only had them a couple weeks, but very comfortable on the first couple hikes I've done with them.