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Surly official camping and backpacking thread


Chuychanga

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18 minutes ago, JohnnyRage said:

I know next to nothing about Oregon except lots of beaches, lots of waterfalls, loose drug therapy laws, also Goonies vs. Stand By Me cage match. Disappointed to learn that the train bridge scene in SBM was actually in California.

Lots of good info and links here if you want to know more. 
 

https://www.oregonhikers.org

 

And AllTrails is really good now. 
 

https://www.alltrails.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got back from car camping a couple nights in the White Mountains.  Dark sky was great -- the stars really popped at night.  This shot is looking west at the start of the 4x4 trail heading down Silver Canyon to the Owens River valley and the town of Bishop.  The mountains in the distance are the Sierra Nevada.

 

20230916_130630.jpg

Edited by Carl Spackler
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Girl’s do it better…

 


 

Viewrecentphotos.thumb.jpeg.0413a530f1710a91ade669e1620abff8.jpeg
 

The guy on the far right was a random traveler that we met last year in Glacier. He was on a sort of sabbatical after rehabbing from being hit on his motorcycle. Was in a coma for a month. Metal femur, screws in his shoulder, some kind of permanent spine stimulator that has to be recharged. He did not have confidence to do overnighters at the time. He did 4 nights with us a year later.

 

The guy on the right in the below is just a regard.

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7 hours ago, JohnnyRage said:

Girl’s do it better…

 

C3B6725C-8ACD-4501-996C-5462AFB87F32.mov 1.68 MB · 0 downloads  


 

Viewrecentphotos.thumb.jpeg.0413a530f1710a91ade669e1620abff8.jpeg
 

The guy on the far right was a random traveler that we met last year in Glacier. He was on a sort of sabbatical after rehabbing from being hit on his motorcycle. Was in a coma for a month. Metal femur, screws in his shoulder, some kind of permanent spine stimulator that has to be recharged. He did not have confidence to do overnighters at the time. He did 4 nights with us a year later.

 

The guy on the right in the below is just a regard.

Wow, kudos to that dude for coming back from such a horrendous accident.

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  • 2 weeks later...
6 minutes ago, Walser said:

hey everybody whattaya guys up to

Heading to Tahoe beginning of November to get a couple of PCT miles in.  


Davis Mtns beginning of December.

Thinking about maybe thru hiking the Lone Star Trail in Dec or Jan.

Then northern Sierras on the PCT next July for a couple of weeks. 
 

You?

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Looking for recs on a backpacking tent, sleeping pad and chair.

I’m set on the sleeping bag (REI Magma 30) but need everything else.

 

My daughter and I have “graduated” from the Adventure Princess program and are now doing “older” girl stuff. We didn’t make the recent backpacking trip (San Jacinto near Palm Springs) but will likely do as many trips as possible from here on out.p

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8 hours ago, Superhero said:

Looking for recs on a backpacking tent, sleeping pad and chair.

I’m set on the sleeping bag (REI Magma 30) but need everything else.

 

My daughter and I have “graduated” from the Adventure Princess program and are now doing “older” girl stuff. We didn’t make the recent backpacking trip (San Jacinto near Palm Springs) but will likely do as many trips as possible from here on out.p

A lot of this depends on budget and weight preference.

 

Tent

If it's going to be the two of you sharing, I'd actually recommend a 3 person tent.  Generally, unless you are solo, the rule is to go one person larger than your actual group size.  I have a Marmot Limelight 3 for backpacking with my wife.  It also fits the dogs, albeit a bit snugly.  It's a tad heavier than I'd like for backpacking, but does the job for overnights and shorter (>15 mile) daily mileage trips.  

The lighter you go, the more expensive it will be.  Big Agnes will be the most common top of the line backpacking tents, but they get pricey.

 

Sleeping pad:

Closed cell vs inflatable

I actually double up on both, but that decision was made after a lot of trial and error and figuring out how I sleep best in the backcountry.  

 

Inflatable:

If budget isn't an issue, I'd go straight for the Thermarest Neoair Xlite.  This is the gold standard in backpacking and is quite comfy, as far as inflatables go.

https://www.rei.com/product/217082/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt-sleeping-pad

 

Closed cell:

These will be much cheaper and again, I'd point you to thermarest.

https://www.rei.com/product/829826/therm-a-rest-z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad

 

Like I said, I actually use both when I camp.  Z lite Sol on the bottom, Xlite on top of that.

 

Finally, I'll again shamelessly plug a great site that my buddy created.  Tons of gear reviews, trip guides, and basic backpacking skill videos:

https://www.cleverhiker.com/

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11 hours ago, Walser said:

hey everybody whattaya guys up to

I stumbled across this Scottish Backpacking Challenge the other day, and I am seriously contemplating this for May 2025. It's short notice and my knee won't be ready in time to prepare for 2024.  I'd need to talk my kids into it. We did Philmont together, albeit two years apart. I'd like to get them both out on the trail with me at the same time. 

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1 hour ago, Saint Tacky said:

I stumbled across this Scottish Backpacking Challenge the other day, and I am seriously contemplating this for May 2025. It's short notice and my knee won't be ready in time to prepare for 2024.  I'd need to talk my kids into it. We did Philmont together, albeit two years apart. I'd like to get them both out on the trail with me at the same time. 

One of my friends hiked in Scotland this year and she loved it.

You might check out "knees over toes guy" for your knee. He's got lots of free videos out there on YouTube, insta, etc. I've found his stuff to be really good for rehabbing and strengthening my legs.

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Scotland is great, make sure you have good great rain gear.  I have a Northface jacket I use for skiing, it's supposed to be their brand of Goretex, but under heavy rain and wind, it wetted out in about 4hrs.  Goretex only, and test it all before you go.

I know this thread is probably just as much about camping as hiking, but for Scotland I'd home base at a BNB and day hike it.  Then have a wee dram by a peat fire after hot shower and a warm meal.  The highlands are isolated enough, if you pick something off the beaten path, first of all there won't be a path, and if there is, you won't run into anyone else...

This was a beautiful day, but the apocalypse is coming up the sound just on the other side of the Ben HiantIMG_2059-Copy.thumb.jpg.5fb1ccfaddd52a2c530990d060bc5da7.jpg

 

The Black Cullins of Skye

IMG_2020-Copy.thumb.jpg.1b1b9b998be0bfba29631731bf44d136.jpg

 

Best resource I've found for Scotland 

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/

Edited by locodos
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  • 1 month later...

Around this time every year I start planning trips for next year.  PCT long distance permits are released in November and it just gets my hiking brain going.  

Right now, I'm hoping to get out for a weekend backpack at Davis Mountains weekend after next, if it doesn't get too cold.  Anything in the upper 30s or so I can handle, but anything below that gets too cold, especially with the wife and dogs in tow.  For now it's looking like 70s/40s, which would be quite lovely.

Next summer, I'm heading back to the PCT for a section.  Meeting my PCT buddy Stix.  He got all the way to Canada on the PCT after skipping the Sierra, so he's going back this summer to finish it all.  I'm going to meet him at Lake Tahoe and go southbound on the PCT to Yosemite Valley.  Should take around 2 weeks.

Then maybe thinking a Big Bend trip in the fall?

 

Anyone else planning this far ahead?

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5 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Right now, I'm hoping to get out for a weekend backpack at Davis Mountains weekend after next, if it doesn't get too cold. 

You may not be able to get onsite, but you never know unless you ask. I recommend the boundary trail at Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch. Call Buffalo Trail Council and see if they'll let you on site. There's no one there right now except a Ranger that lives onsite and won't be until Winter Camp between Xmas and New Year's Eve.

Buffalo Trail

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7 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Around this time every year I start planning trips for next year.  PCT long distance permits are released in November and it just gets my hiking brain going.  

Right now, I'm hoping to get out for a weekend backpack at Davis Mountains weekend after next, if it doesn't get too cold.  Anything in the upper 30s or so I can handle, but anything below that gets too cold, especially with the wife and dogs in tow.  For now it's looking like 70s/40s, which would be quite lovely.

Next summer, I'm heading back to the PCT for a section.  Meeting my PCT buddy Stix.  He got all the way to Canada on the PCT after skipping the Sierra, so he's going back this summer to finish it all.  I'm going to meet him at Lake Tahoe and go southbound on the PCT to Yosemite Valley.  Should take around 2 weeks.

Then maybe thinking a Big Bend trip in the fall?

 

Anyone else planning this far ahead?

Thinking about the Camino Norte and Kungsleden next year. Hopefully I'll be able to make it happen.

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  • 2 months later...
3 hours ago, tomahawk dunk said:

I've been watching lots of CDT thru hike videos on YouTube lately. Strongly considering giving it a go in 2025.

Hell yeah brother.  I got my PCT long distance permit for July.  South Lake Tahoe to Mammoth Lakes, sobo.  Wish I could just keep going to Mexico at the end.

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On 2/15/2024 at 9:03 AM, JohnnyRage said:

It is the Idaho Wilderness in the Sawtooth Mountains again. It has been spoken, so it shall be written. Let it be so.

 

 

Sunrise_Day_2.jpg

Sunrise_Lower_Hanson.jpg

Sawtooth_National_Recreation_Area.jpg

I am hoping to make it up that way and also to Craters of the Moon sometime between now and the end of June.  Just trying to carve out some time to do so.  If not then, I may have to push it to October.

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Man, I really hope my son is into this stuff when he grows up a little bit more. And to @NotActuallyALonghorn and others who go kid camping, ain't no way I'm convincing my wife to join me, and lugging a finicky toddler into the unfamiliar wilderness overnight without additional hands sounds like a bad time. He loves being outside though and doesn't mind being toted around in a backpack, so there's hope for the future.

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Just pulled out my Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka that is pretty much responsible for why I became a backpacker. I bought my edition in 2013 and the tent section that compares double wall vs single wall vs tarps is fascinating. 
 

Back then, the biggest knock against double wall was weight at “3-4 pounds” for a single person tent. In ten years, the tech has gotten so good that my double wall I took on the PCT weighs barely more than than 2 pounds at its heaviest. Half the weight in 10 years. Pretty amazing. And only getting better. 

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50 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Cuben fiber?

Nope. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 is mine. The cuben fiber tarps/tents, which is now called something else entirely and even more lightweight, are like 9 oz.  It’s wild. 
 

I feel the free standing tents (like mine) are light enough now to be the thru hiking standard. Used to be a tarp or single wall was the standard, but the weight combined with ease and versatility of set up lean towards double wall now. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course, and they will. The world of backpacking gear is a fickle beast!

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  • 3 weeks later...

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