You want to go with the lightest pack that holds all your gear AND FITS YOU. That last bit is important. If the heavier pack works best for your body, the heavier pack is what you should use. ...
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You want to go with the lightest pack that holds all your gear AND FITS YOU. That last bit is important. If the heavier pack works best for your body, the heavier pack is what you should use. ...
Something has changed, but it may not be the food, but rather our overall environment. There's some evidence that we've (inadvertently) made things a bit too clean in our modern world - and with not...
I've ordered from Bottlestoves.com as well, and also had a good experience.
I think Olympus has discontinued it, but I love my Olympus XZ-1 as a travel camera. It's wonderful to have a truly fast lens (f1.8) at the wide end of zoom range. And when shooting outdoors, 90% of...
I can't help you much with that, as my poles are adjustable in length and I didn't really measure just how much I extended them when I set the tent up. I'd suggest emailing Ron Moak at Six Moon...
I'll second the suggestion to look at the Tarptent Rainbow; it's a fantastic tent. I'd also suggest seeing of you could pick up a Lightheart SoLong 6...
The problem, of course, is that a well-maintained trail can literally turn into an unmaintained trail overnight, courtesy of severe storms, rockslides or mudslides, wildfires, etc. Today in the...
Thanks for posting this info. Sounds like a real mess! Given the size of the blowdown, I hope an exception can be made to allow horsepackers to bring in chainsaws to get the trail cleared in a more...
Yep, my money - and I expect the tent to be worth every penny of it.
FYI, John Abela recently posted a very detailed and informative review of the Skyscape X on his website. Here's the link to his review: http://hikelighter.com/2012/04/03/six-moon-designs-skyscape-x/
What potential are we talking about here? Backpacking's just walking through a natural area while carrying enough stuff to set up an evening campsite; I don't see much potential there to accomplish,...
I can't speak for the Spitfire, having never owned one, but you can read my comments on the SMD Skyscape X (the cuben fiber version of that tent) in the Shelters subforum on this site. Here's the...
That's what it's going to take - no camping away from designated camp sites allowed, and hikers required to store all food in the supplied steel bear boxes at each site. Bears can learn to defeat...
Yep. Some bulls are just plain mean (dairy bulls especially are notorious for this), and the really mean ones will sometimes go after a person for what seems to be no reason at all. If bulls are...
All too often, though, the outfitter or the friend gives bad advice (without even knowing it's bad advice), so unless the newbie finds their way onto a good backpacking site like this one, they...
I have to also put in a good word for the ULA packs; I have a Catalyst and really like it. But if you'd like to upgrade without spending a ton of money, REI currently has their old model Flash 50 on...
The only problem I see with that approach is that some of them unnecessarily conclude "Backpacking's not for me!" because they don't know it's possible to hike safely carrying less weight. It's one...
As far as I know, the only way to deal with a bull is just what you did: stay calm and quiet, and give the animal a very wide berth. If a bull decides he wants to flatten you, nothing you're...
Your selections sound good. Just make sure the Flash 50 fits you well; don't be afraid to return it to REI if it doesn't. It can take a bit of time to find the right pack (comfy, not too large, not...
That REI Flash 50 pack on sale in the REI outlet is a bargain. Looks like a nice pack too. I'd definitely recommend checking it out.
As I said, the Big Agnes fly Creek UL1 and the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 are both good tents. You'd be fine with either of them.
Osprey makes many other smaller packs besides the Kestrel: the...
Frankly, I'd skip it; that tent is too heavy even if it is cheap. Why buy a used 3 lb 11 oz tent for $100 when you can get a 2 lb 2 oz tent (brand new, with a warranty) for $125?
Oh, and as for...
In my opinion, that's too heavy for a 1 person tent. You want to stay below 3 pounds maximum (and 2 pounds is better).
Of those models, my choice would be either the Fly Creek UL1, or the...
Several other companies making excellent quilts you might want to consider:
EnLightened Equipment: http://enlightenedequipment.com/quilts.html (probably the best cost to quality ratio on the...
ScottP's list is a good one. With any piece of gear, always ask what benefits you're really getting if you go with a larger/heavier/pricier option over the lightest/cheapest/most basic model. For...