Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Fortunately I have no allergy (this far in life) to poison ivy, oak, or sumac. I can roll around in it and not have a single bump.

 

Anyone have any big hikes planned for the warmer months?

Personally, I have been moderating a walk/jog through the local state trails 3-4 evenings a week to get my endurance back up for the season. Too many pizzas and beers this winter really threw off my game. No way could I try and tackle any of the mountains in the Whites in this shape lol.

Planning on hitting the Franconia Ridge Loop in late May but beyond that, nothing too good.
Also planning on climbing Mt. Washington later in the season after I get a few 4,000+ footers under my belt.

 

Right now my big hike plan is the Wonderland Trail. Circumnavigates Mt. Rainier for ~93 miles. But I am waiting on the permit....which today is the start of the NFS processing so could be 6 weeks before I know if I got it or not.

The other hike which im not totally sure on right now is doing part of the PCT from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass. ~70 miles but the nice thing is there are no roads or anything to cross.

Depending on if I get the Wonderland Trail permit or not will determine which I do. I might try to squeeze in the PCT hike too. I tried it last year at the end of July and it was to snowy. but with out crappy snow year this year it might be doable earlier

 

Not really anything big. If I stay in my current town over the summer I will plan a back country lake trip. There is a large amount of alpine lakes and I want to see them all

 

I'm originally from WY, what town are you in?

 

Laramie for college. I am talking about Snowy Range . The other possibility is staying with my parents up in Sheridan.

Where did you move from?

 

Be careful what you choose to eat... or....

 

Definately I really want to go climb at jtree after this summer

 

Rawlins, I left there in the mid 90's though. I wouldn't pass up the chance to go wheeling or camping out there again though!

 

The wife and I are planning on going back to the mountains next month. Getting the cabin up there again for a week and going exploring. That's something we enjoy doing when it's warmer. We recently picked up a little A-Frame pop up so we shall be going up there more often now hopefully.

We have a couple of backpacks and maps of the Smokies. We park the truck at a trail head and start going for it. Pretty fun times and the views are great.

 

Sounds like a good time! Wish I could get my wife into backwoods camping more, but it always turns into more of a production than it needs to be when she comes along. She is more of a 'glamper' and enjoys getting to a campground and setting up shop with local day hikes.

 

Yea mine too.. Where in more into and used to humping 10 miles with 70lbs on my back.

But in brighter news I'm taking my daughter car camping this weekend for the first time. I hope that by the time she is 6-7 she can start taking longer trips with me and not hate it.

 

Yea Poison oak is a nightmare! Fell in some while mountain biking. Worst experience ever. Went to fast for a turn missed it, went over the cliff arm caught a tree and pulled back and it dislocated my shoulder and I ended up on a bush on poison oak. luckily I was fully clothed, but my shirt pulled up and my back was exposed. My back was insane after that. I still have scars from the poison oak.

 

Anyone have recommendations on good water shoes? Im looking for something thats light and has toe protection. I really dont want to wear my hking boots right into the streem. Afraid they may not dry that fast.

 

Do you guys even still have streams? I would have thought they'd all be dry beds by now...

 

Jeez, that sounds like a rough experience!
I first discovered Poison Oak when I was helping a buddy clear some "brush" on a local hillside. We were cutting head high & over brush down with a chainsaw, hauling it up the hillside and putting it in a pile for a controlled burn. The next day I went surfing and when I took off my wetsuit I noticed I had huge patches of oak on my quad area of my legs and all over my forearms. It was so bad that I had to put a special steroid cream on it and then cover the affected areas with surrandwrap. My son was around 2 at the time and I wasn't able to bathe him, hold him in my arms, or put him on my lap it was so bad. It lasted for almost a month.
Once it finally cleared up, I was able to go surfing again was fortunate enough to catch it on a good day surfed my guts out. A couple days later, I had poison oak on my forearms again and a couple spots on my legs. Fast forward a couple weeks, I put in my hiking shoes(yes, the ones I used to do the original brush clearing with), and I ended up getting it again!
That's how I learned about poison oak. I had to throw away my wetsuit & hiking shoes. That little side job of brush clearing paid me like $80.00 but cost me SO much more. I hate that stuff!!

 

I would just buy some super cheap running shoes that have the most mesh you can find if all they're going to be used for is crossing streams. That or some chaco's bit they don't have any toe protection

Ouch! That happened to a guy I know getting our of a canyon. It wrecked his harness, shoes and clothes. I think he was able to wash it out some but never completely

 

Get some original Teva sandals (with foot and ankle adjustable straps, not the flip flops). If you hunt around, you can get them as cheap as $19.99. They'll stay on your feet during water crossings and protect your soles from rocks and debris. They weigh nothing, and you can clip them on your pack to dry, and for easy access at the next water crossing. If that's all you're using them for, there's really no need for toe protection. They make easy camp shoes after a long day in boots, too. Keep them tentside for those middle of the night pee runs, too.

If you're still set on toe protection, I'll let others chime in.

 

Uh, streams aren't that big to cross. Why not just take your boots and socks off to cross?

 

When I was 14, I was at a summer camp and we had some free time to explore the mountains one afternoon. Myself and 3 friends went hiking up a lush canyon, and took a break in the shade on some "foliage". We laid there for about a half hour, then hiked back to camp. Well, later that night the 3 other guys were all broken out with poison oak rash like they had been in a fire. I had nothing. I had a second direct exposure to poison ivy a few years later, and again nothing while others broke out. So, either I have that less than common immunity, or the next exposure is going to be a whopper. Regardless, I'm not going to tempt fate now that I know what to look for. I've seen people walk through it with boots, then take their boots off later with their bare hands and get the oil on their hands and break out. Gotta watch out for that, too. Don't lay your pack down on greenery on the ground unless you know what's there. I had a friend put his pack down on some "grass" and wear it only to get a poison oak rash right across his shoulder where is pack strap rested. Nasty stuff.