Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

It makes me want to go visit thats for sure!

On another noted Im glad the show is finally starting ot pick up the pace on the story

 

I've spent most of my adult life in Mountain Rescue and have used several iterations of Spot and InReach. I currently own the basic InReach and like it because of price options a little, but mostly beecause of the text feature. If you hit SOS on the Spot, in most Western recreation areas, a medical helicopter is going to show up when weather permits. Maybe you didn't need all of that, maybe a local Search and Rescue team could have provided what you needed. Maybe a smaller, lighter helicopter would be able to land where you are and a heavy med-dedicated model (heavy with O2, suction, de-frib, lots of stuff) can't. Maybe there's a road in from another direction and you can be accessed on land. The InReach pairs with your phone to send 2-way texts so you can have the conversation with local authorities.

 

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Doing some service plan comparisons, the extra price of the Delorme device would be offset by the savings of using the plan at 6+/- months a year. I could be confused but it looks like the Spot is 150$/yr plus/or?14.99/mo.
https://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=103
The Delorme plan I would want is called the freedom plan and it is $25/yr, and $35/mo.
http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/subscription-plans.php
I don't need the emergency services part during the winter generally, and could activate it for a month if needed. plus the features of the Delorme are so much more diverse than the Spot. Its in a different category except for the PLB feature. my mind is made up, I handled the devices at the local rei yesterday and I am going to return and buy the Delorme Explorer model. I will report back on my experiences. Thanks everyone above for the input and help

 

I *think* that those plan differences just give you the option to pay yearly or monthly. If you pay the year up front it's $160, and monthly it ends up being $192. You may be able to start and stop service as well, but I'm not sure.

 

Hey, have any of you ever backpacked in Zion National Park? If so, what did you think and what was it like? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I've done most of the Trans Zion (main valley to Lee Pass).
Absolutely loved it.

 

Makes me want to go to Utah too and take a rifle just in case.

 

What can you tell me about the trails, water availability, campsites, etc. I've got a book ordered, but I figured some of you would have had first hand expense.

 

Depends on time of year. I did thanksgiving. Cold. Snow. Miserable, fun and beautiful all at the same time.

 

I think it's the most amazing place on the planet, but then again, I'm pretty biased

Personally, this is my favorite part of the park.

Lee Pass is in the Kolob Canyons section, off of I-15 between St. George and Cedar City. From there, you can backpack all the way into the main canyon via Hop Valley (my favorite place in my favorite place), Wildcat Canyon, and the West Rim trail (past Scout Lookout and Angel's Landing).

To pull off a true "Trans Zion" trip, you could conceivably grab some grub in the main canyon and then hike out the East Rim trail to the east entrance, which takes you past Hidden Canyon.

The trails are usually your standard, well-maintained NPS trails. In some cases, specifically in the main canyon, the trails will be "paved" for the most part, while the backcountry trails are more primitive. Water availability is pretty fixed around the various creeks in the canyons (La Verkin Creek, etc.) and a few springs which are marked on the maps. Backcountry campsites have to be reserved and then obviously used (please don't create new ones!). Weather can be a wildcard in the spring and the fall. I backpacked from Lee Pass to Wildcat Canyon in March and started the trip with temps in the high eighties. The next day it rained steadily. The day after that, it snowed.

This.

But it's all worth it. Seeing Zion from the perspective of the backcountry is a truly peak life experience.

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. Given you have the right gear, experiencing Zion with snow on the ground, and especially WHEN it's snowing is pretty magical.

 

I hope to visit Zion's backcountry next year. Ive already experienced the frontcountry!

 

Thanks, Jason, that was kind of what I was wanting to hear. A couple of friends and I just got back from backpacking down into the Grand Canyon and spending 3 nights, so I have a little firsthand experience in obtaining the permits. Anyway, we're already trying to think of the next trip and the photos I've seen of Zion are spectacular.

I have to admit, camping in the canyon kind of spoils a person. Having running water and flushing toilets while we were camping at Bright Angel was pretty nice. But I'm up for a new challenge.

 

My Bearikade arrived yesterday Oh, and when I was in Indianapolis this weekend I picked up a Patagonia packable down jacket.

You still win with the highest single ticket item thus far though!

 

You win on miles per dollar! I too went to Indy for my trailer, but I spent some $$. Not sure I would have made that trip for a jacket.

 

LOL I was visiting my son for a 5 day weekend and stopped by their only REI to see what was on sale. 25% off!

 

Well, you can see the weight savings for yourself with the Bearikade. I thought the Lighter1 Big Daddy was the lightest for its size on the market, but they're sneaky and don't include the weight of the REQUIRED lid and the support brace, so they end up actually being the HEAVIEST. Bastards. I hauled that bastard around this year and sure did think it was a ton of bricks in my pack.

Here's the Bearikade Weekender side by side, showing the SIGNIFICANT 13.1oz weight savings with everything needed to be bearproof, and holding the same internal volume. I'm ashamed that I didn't pay closer attention to this before buying the Lighter1.

See further below the pictures for my write-up on both of these bear canisters.





Do your own comparison based on your budget and pack size needs. I like that the Bearikade is technically taking up less space in my pack because it's 2.5" shorter than the Big Daddy while only being .3" larger in diameter. They achieve the same internal volume for these 2 canisters because the carbon fiber an aluminum walls of the Bearikade are so thin yet so strong. Here's a list of my pros and cons for each canister:

Lighter1 Big Daddy

Pros

• Easy to open the 2 side knurled knobs without tools, and even while wearing some gloves
• It's taller so it makes a slightly higher stool to sit on
• The lid and inner support bar double as a nice big aluminum frying pan with handle or a container to boil in or use as a deep plate
• Clear polycarbonate means that it's easy to find your food items quickly
• Grooves around the sides to lash this to your pack's exterior if you so desire
• It's not the cheapest on the market, but it's priced well for its unique design and volume
• The lid pushes straight down, meaning you can really pack food in tight. Other screw-type lids make this tough to get those last few items in and still be able to turn the lid to lock it
• Smooth exterior walls mean you can add reflective tape to help find it at night, or add your own personal trail stickers
• I had the only one of these on the trail this year, so it was easy to find in the bear lockers
• Waterproof when stored lid-up due to the deep lid and tall neck, but very succeptible to getting food contents wet if stored on its side in wet conditions

Cons

• The knurled knobs are kept attached to the canister by thick plastic cordage which can separate from the knobs and make them easy to lose if they become separated
• It's taller, thus making it trickier to fit in some packs in the orientation that you want
• Heaviest bear canister on the market when you add up the polycarbonate tub, lid, and pot handle/support (all necessary for it to function). Even heavier if you carry the optional frying pan lid
• Narrower neck than the body means you have to pack a little more creatively as the canister fills up
• Neck support brace/pot handle is just another piece to lose, and it is necessary to get the lid knobs to screw back on. The brace/handle has tapped threads that catch the knurled knobs
• Rounded base edges make it a less stable stool

Bearikade Weekender

Pros

• It's light AF - lightest on the known market for its capacity
• Easy to open the 3 lid locking cams with a coin, back of a knife, a zipper pull handle, etc with ease
• Shorter than other canisters so it may fit in more ways inside of your pack. I could fit it sideways in my ZPacks Arc Haul if I really wanted to (would be a pain to get it back out)
• Takes up less pack space for the same internal capacity as other canisters, due to the thinner walls and foot/lid
• The lid pushes straight down, meaning you can really pack food in tight. Other screw-type lids make this tough to get those last few items in and still be able to turn the lid to lock it
• Vertical walls make it easier to pack food into
• Smooth exterior walls mean you can add reflective tape to help find it at night, or add your own personal trail stickers
  
• Flat base edges make it a more stable stool
• Lid is attached to canister via a steel cable so you won't lose it
• Locking lid cams are attached to the lid so you won't lose them
• It has gaskets on the locking cams to keep water and dirt out of your canister, and the lid seats very flush and snug

Cons

• Most expensive bear canister on the known market
• Smooth exterior walls means you can't easily lash it to your pack's exterior without rigging something up
• Shorter than other canisters means that it's a shorter stool to sit on
• Solid walls means you have to open the canister and dig around from the top to find food items instead of seeing them through the sides

 

Have these bear canisters been tested by real bears? Is there a rating system?

 

Head of R&D:



Chief tester:

https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/com...ar_promptly_eats_her/?st=ivjumror&sh=8d53e134

 

They are tested by real grizzly bears before becoming an approved canister for the national parks that require them. They throw the canisters into the pen with the bears and let them go to work. If a grizzly can't crush it or get into it, black bears sure won't have the strength to be able to.