Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Very cool! I have never done any mountaineering, (ironically I'm watching touching the void as i type this ) it doesn't really appeal to me either. I love climbing and canyoneering though.

Speaking of climbing I just got back from a couple days of awesome sport climbing in the devils canyon az. I was with an good sized group so i did a bunch of top roping but got a couple good leads in

I think its time for a new sleeping bag. I've been looking at the back country bed for a while but haven't pulled the trigger

 

Does anyone else here live and die by wool like I do? I absolutely swear by good old school wool. The best mid-layer thing I own is one of those stanfield's heavy wool shirts They are awesome.

I have the typical arcteryx 3L goretex jacket and the atom SV and both are great but I find myself more often than not grabbing a heavy 100% wool shit like this one from woolrich . Even in moderate rain the rain usually doesn't penetrate. You can, however, get absolutely soaked to the bone and still be warm, they dry in no time, and they're durable and quiet (good for hunting season).

I have down and goretex and primaloft and all the fancy stuff but I like my old school wool most. It's not compact but it breathes so well and is so versatile that you wind up bringing less clothes, and don't have to spend as much time layering up and layering down.

 

I'm a pretty big fan of wool. I prefer a raincoat for rainy days but I rock the hell out of it in the winter. I have a wool blanket from the army still that I use when camping in the summer.

 

Tnx Alex.

Fun weekend! We had two days of poring rain in Vancouver .

I personally enjoy wearing wool in a city, but as technical base layer, I do not feel that it dries that fast or fast at all. Maybe just me though

 

As fun as that sounds.. we were chasing the shade around on different climbs because it was ~85° F and sunny. Wasn't bad but it got really hot on the approach and on the climbs.

I want to more multipitch soon!

 

Whoops, looks as though I stand corrected. Thanks for steering me straight on that one.

Those are some excellent photos...thanks for sharing!
I don't think I'd have it in me to do something like that but, more power to those who do. That's pretty impressive!!

 

Both Annapurna and K2 are covered with blood, it is an easy mistake to make..

As for the Himalays - do not sell yourself short. There are tones of routes which you do not have to be an athlete at all to complete and be able to see things beyond any imagination. So rewarding - lifetime experiences indeed.

Cheers.

 

Sub. just barely started getting into backpacking so this would be a great way for me to figure out best gear. Right now I have a Dueter 40+10 pack. Seems to work great for me. Used it for Havauspai back in Nov and I was able to fit everything just fine. I'm headed back out to Havasupai again Thursday and then in 3 weeks I will be trekkin the Inka trail to Macchu Picchu. If anyone has done Macchu Picchu, please let me know what I would need. I know porters carry most of the gear, but would my 40+10 pack be too big for a day pack? I really dont want to purchase and carry an extra pack around Peru for 2.5 weeks. I did a lot of research so I know pretty much the basic of things to pack for the trek but just want to see if you guys had additional information.

 

I think 50 liters is on the bigger end of a daypack but for me I'd rather carry more just in case.

When I was guiding I had an 85l pack and a 30l daypack I carried (we were required to carry two packs, one on front one on back). Seemed silly but I could literally carry anything I wanted that way.

 

What were you guiding that they made you carry that way? Ive never seen a guide carry gear that way before.

A pack mule yes but not a guide

 

Lol it was a wilderness therapy program. We carried medication, Med kit, tools, propane etc in the day pack locked up.

 

I went to rei and tested out the Sierra Designs Backcountry bed for all of a minute and i was sold. i might have to sleep in it tonight just because

 

Awww you're making me jealous! I need to get out climbing more...
If you and your gear ever find your way out to San Diego, let me know.

 

Yes, I think that its on the bigger side also, but I dont want to carry 2 backpacks around peru. I think 30l is the perfect day pack size.

 

Ahhh makes sense then! I was jus like what kind of guide carries that much stuff!

I was soooo close to buying that last year. Went with a western mountaineering summerlite mummy instead though. But man the "bed" is a nice design!

 

Anyone big on foraging out in the wild? I have a book coming in the mail that shows edible plants I might find here and how best to cook them. I am pretty excited to try out the recipes even though I generally hate the taste of plants.

 

I'm not really at all. I know what is edible and what isn't, but honestly don't mess with it unless if I've had a local take me around and teach me.

One of those things that scares me so I just don't do it much.

 

For the longest time I didn't know what poison ivy looked like. Anytime I went through some unknown plant and came out slightly itchy, I would freak. Which is why I got the book . Hopefully it's pretty descriptive. I don't know many locals that know what things are. Most are like me and know what pokes you and what doesn't. I am taking some botany courses soon but I don't want to wait .

 

Not sure about Poison Ivy but, Poison Oak is a friggin nightmare!
I'm sure they are pretty similar...if not the same plant in different regions.
Nasty Business that stuff....

 

I've got this one for my area.

I've tried a few of the suggestions, but most of them were better left for survival mode, haha! They weren't bad, but they also generally weren't good.
An exception are the mushrooms. A couple of those have been excellent when I can find them.