Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Looks like it is about the same design and price as an MSR pocket rocket, which is a bombproof stove.

 

What model Kelty packs, and in what condition? I already have a Rush 72, but could use a backup Kelty if it's the right model.

 

Was digging around in my desk this afternoon and found the SD card from our winter camping trip in February!
My buddy and I drove north for our annual camping/hunting trip in the middle of a snowstorm. Icy unplowed roads the entire way up with 45+ MPH wind gusts. Turned what is normally a 3 hour trip into a 4 hour trip, even with the Duratracs on the Tacoma.


We hiked in to the camp, which is about a mile down a dirt road into the woods. Since we didn't want to make two trips we loaded our packs and our sleds and did it all in one trip, which was an exhausting task because the snow was so deep and fluffy. Even with snowshoes and good sleds we were sinking in a foot or more with every step.



By the time we got to the camp neither one of us felt like doing any hunting, so instead we squared away the cabin, split and carried a bunch of firewood, etc. The next morning we got up early and headed out into the woods. We saw lots of sign right away.



Including where a grouse had spent the night. They dive bomb at the snow, tuck their wings in, and spend the night insulated under a foot or two of snow, usually a couple of feet away from where they land. Then in the morning they burst out of the surface and leave these marks.


Finally around noon we had a rabbit bolt across the trail in front of us. My buddy was in the lead and drew a bead on it while it tracked a wide loop around us, and just like that we had that night's supper.


By the time we got back to basecamp the sun had come out so I snapped a pic of the cabin. For a sense of scale on the snow depth, the cabin sits on a flood plain for a river so it's on 4-foot stilts. And this was the snow pack on the first weekend in February!


Hoar frost.



We were there for 4 days, but the batteries on my camera died after day 1 because of the cold (our average temps were in the single digits during the day and in the negative teens/twenties overnight.
Then on our way out we got caught in another snowstorm on our way back south!

 

I have and love the MSR Micro Rocket (even smaller/lighter than pocket rocket) and I believe Snow Peak has a stove out that is even lighter but they suggest you only use their fuel so I stick with the MSR.

 

If anyone is in Southern California and wants to buy some gear I'm selling some stuff.

Winter and Summer snug pack bags, bag liners, a brand new pack that ain't working out for me (Osprey Atmos AG 50 in Small), and a few other odds and ends.

 

Just saw this in USA Today: This year REI will close its stores on BLack Friday and is encouraging employees and customers to spend time outside instead.
I was looking forward to getting some deals, but IMHO this is a very cool thing they are doing.

 

I have a coyote brown Kelty Falcon 4000 and Kelty Redcloud 90 I'm looking to part ways with. Both in pretty good condition. The Redcloud's never been used and the falcon I've done some very light traveling with. I'm just looking to have some extra cash for a new tent and some sleep kit.

 

There havent been "deals" in the last 5 years of Black Friday's. Cheap Chinese crap being sold cheaply but deals on quality stuff not so much. Places have had sales yes, but generally those same sales have been the same ones you could get at labor day, fourth of july, by just watching for deals online, ect.

I know I am extremely happy with REI for the decision. The CEO's comments as to why the company decided to do it are impressive and show whats wrong with the retail these days. Basically along the lines of enough is enough, BF isnt healthy anymore so its better to be closed than to deal with it. WHich i agree with 100%!

 

Does anyone here use blankets instead of a sleeping bag when camping? I'm toying with the idea of trying some wool blankets for warmth.

 

I use an old army-surplus wool blanket inside my mummy bag when we're camping in really cold weather. Works well, but you definitely want to wear socks, shirt, and longjohns/pajama pants because it's itchy on bare skin.

 

I'm no physicist, but at comfortable temps you could easily substitute for wool blankets. At colder temps though, it's cost prohibitive. A suitable, quality wool blanket costs about as much as a a upper tier sleeping bag. And that's for one wool blanket, and depending on temps and your size you'll likely need a minimum of 2.

They're also extremely bulky and heavy.

 

PM sent. Very interested.

 

Outdoor and sporting goods retailer REI is making an unprecedented move by closing all of its stores on Black Friday, and instead urging its employees and customers to go outside as part of its #OptOutside campaign.

“For 76 years, our co-op has been dedicated to one thing and one thing only: a life outdoors. We believe that being outside makes our lives better. And Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this essential truth,” said CEO Jerry Stritzke in a statement.

None of the chain’s 143 stores will be open the day after Thanksgiving, November 27, a day that has become associated with doorbuster sales and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Some retailers have already announced they would not be open on Thanksgiving Day, but REI is the first to publicize it would not be open the day after.

REI employees will still be paid for the day.

 

It makes for a great marketing ploy, too. They're getting incredible visibility right now because of it. With their high margins (usually selling at full MSRP) and their higher-income demographic, they can afford it. Tons of people will still pour into their stores that same weekend and buy their holiday goodies. They'll still have Cyber Monday offers, and I'd bet they'll still have Black Friday deals but online only. It's great that they're giving their employees the day off, but I'll be they'll be fully staffed over the entire weekend.

 

Maybe I should work at REI instead of Bass Pro... I will officially hate my life come the dreaded Black Friday.

 

I hate shopping on BF even as a customer! I avoid it, except for online deals. I can't imagine being in retail and having to deal with it from the seller's side.

 

It's really not THAT bad for me because I am usually in the back doing receiving and customer pickups. But it still sucks ass nonetheless.

 

Look up a good Quilt, like Enlightened Equipment's products. Many of them don't just open at the top but all the way into a giant down blanket. If it gets colder you can wrap up in it like a bag at any point. Should be your most versatile option if you want a blanket.

 

Or Jack's R Better!

 

Oh man, the Shenandoah is perfect for what I need. Used an underquilt for my hammock. That added 40 degree protection, in conjunction with my sleeping bag, should do it for almost all of the hammock camping I do.