Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Is it pretty heavy duty? Have you "abused" it at all?

 

We didn't either until we found ourselves in areas that allowed fires, but ground holes and scorches were banned.

We beat on it pretty hard and it just works. It looks a bit complicated in pictures but when you lay hands on it you realize how simple it really is. Snow Peak stuff isn't the least expensive, but it's built to last.

 

I was thinking of getting something like this for car camping https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-campfire/ or if you want a really big one https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-bonfire

 

I have a Solo, Bush Buddy, BioLite (A Waste) and a couple I made.
That Solo Bonfire looks cool.

 

Agree on the BioLite, wife gave me one as a gift and it left us both less than impressed.

 

Yeah, I watched the video and it seems pretty simple, I was just wondering about the durability. It looks a little lightweight to me, just based on the sheet metal for the bowl so I was curious about the longevity. Thanks for the input, it's probably going to migrate to my gear list.

 

I cannot imagine cooking dinner for the time it takes, hours, to charge my phone or anything else for that matter. Solar is so much better. And there are way too many better stoves, too.

 

We have the medium which is fine for us but the large has all the bling options like a pizza oven attachment.

Thing is hungry like a forest fire, constantly needs fuel and someone to nurse it. Camp above the tree line and it's useless if you didn't constantly collect fuel during your hike up. I wanted it to work as I got to see first hand the prototype for the "basecamp" model at an African health initiative event where they demonstrated that it could drive LED lights and charge mobile phones all while producing less smoke and soot which would reduce respiratory issues for those using it.

 

I have a question about cleaning the drinking tube on my SmarTube, which I assume is about the same thing as the tube on a hydration bladder. I'm getting what looks to be mildew inside the tube. I've only used it a couple of times and tried to blow all the residual moisture out. It's not been used for a couple of months.

 

Are you putting anything other than water in it? (Gatorade Type)

Anything with added sugar will funk up a hose. The only thing I've ever had guaranteed not to funk up a drink hose is Nuun.

If just water, I don't know the cause. I leave my stuff out way too long just to be sure it's dry.

 

No, nothing but water. Should have mentioned that. Guess I'll get me a cleaning kit give the hose a good cleaning.

 

Shallow bucket, dish pan, or such, fill with just enough water to cover and drop in a denture cleaning tablet.

 

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Well, I'm headed out tomorrow morning to Humphrey's Peak, our tallest spot in AZ at 12,600'. It's a good 10 mile trek with 3300' elevation gain. I've only been up there in the summers when there's no snow left, but there's still about 50% snow coverage on the trail this week below treeline so I'm going to take advantage of it not only for some altitude training but also to test out my K10 crampons, microspikes, and whippet. I want to get a better feel for my traction devices on snowpack before I hit the JMT this August since I've never used them before. It also gives me a chance to test out the new Zpacks Vertice jacket in the wind to see how well it acts as a shell. Practice makes perfect, right? I'm a desert rat, what can I say...

 

Kids are still hiking to ski here. We can now drive to 12,000' thanks to the plows.

 

I think that's what happened. I didn't get it totally dry before I put it up on the shelf. Thanks.

 

That is a fun hike. I did it about 6 years ago. The only thing that sucks is all the bugs at the summit. I was trying to get them off my gear and clothes back at the hotel. Maybe the snow pack will keep them away.

 

Yeah those little black gnats are brutal at the very summit. 50' below the summit, they're gone. Windy days keep them away, and for the 3 times I've been up there, I've only had them be bad one time. I luckily had a shemagh with me and was able to wrap my face to touch the summit and get back down. Full gear shake-out back at the trailhead though. I'm hoping it's still a bit too cold for them yet.

 

Holy shit, Alex Honnold free solo'd El Cap this morning in under 4 hours. I have a friend out there now and she took a photo of El Cap but it was likely after he was done (not that you'd be able to really see him anyway).