Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

I bought one of those this year for that exact reason. Very comfortable on my initial test, but I won't be hitting the woods until this fall when the temp drops.

 

Just got back from a 4 day trip in Hoover Wilderness. We did about 40 miles over 4 days with 8,000 ft of climbing, mostly above 9,000 ft elevation. Total butt kicker! It was also my first trip with my Jacks R Better 20F underquilt and holy crap did it make my hammock toasty! Total game changer for camping with a hammock. Side note - for anyone going into the Sierras now, go ahead and put up your rain fly just in case. We had two fire drills in the middle the night on this trip to throw up shelters when it started raining on us. We probably should have learned after the first one.



I've also started carrying a compressed cellulose sponge in my cooking kit from Dispongeables. It's about 1mm thick when compressed and expands to 8mm thick when you wet it. It weighs practically nothing and dries out very quickly so you aren't carrying a soggy sponge with you. I think a half sponge would actually be plenty for my setup but the full one is fine too. We carry a 30 pack of them, which is the size of a hockey puck, in the truck too. (Full disclosure - I have a vested interest in the company, but I also think they're perfect for camping and back packing.)



Finally, some gratuitous beauty shots. No fish were harmed on this trip unfortunately

 

I've tried shopping from them less and less in recent years. Interesting news. Seems about every company has been affected by the mismanagement of the "pandemic ".

REI won't move into new Bellevue headquarters and focus on remote working instead | king5.com
https://www.king5.com/mobile/articl...king/281-c5be0969-e027-4cb5-a123-3935939ead69

 

Snoop got a sleeping bag courtesy of the above. Full down too, little guy is going to be nice and warm

 

Selling my like-new spruce green Zpacks Duplex tent. Save $100 off of new. I'll ship for free to the continental 48 states. I'll be selling more high-end UL gear soon.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/spo/d/glendale-zpacks-duplex-tent-spruce-green/7189524824.html

 

Awesome deal, and tent! Sorry to hear about your injury!

 

oh man, im so sorry to hear about the injury. What happened?

GLWS too.

 

Stroke

 

Damn, sorry to hear about that Seabass. Good luck with your recovery!

 

Almost 2 years now. Rehab was good. I'll always have some lasting issues. Hoping to backpack again by summer 2022

Had to learn how to walk again and take care of myself alone. I think I'm doing pretty good. I went back to work quick, and was back driving after only 3 months

 

Kickass recovery mate, sad to hear about the sale but you know your own limits and it takes allot of courage to not only recognize them, but to work within them as well when you’ve spent so much time running and jumping outdoors.

 

I have 5 Zpacks tents. I'm just thinning the collection. I'm still keeping the best of everything and will be back eventually

 

Even better!

 

Well. My gear is going to be used a little more this fall with deer and elk opening up next month. Super stoked to do some back country elk trips this year.

 

@Seabass Best to you brother.
You give a lot to this thread. Thanks.

 

Thanks, dawg. I'll still be around and working my way back into the game hopefully in the next couple years.

 

Didn't get any hits on FB marketplace or on Craigslist for my Duplex, so now it's on eBay with no reserve, and getting bids fast.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zpacks-Duplex-spruce-green-used-2-nights/164373494877

Also listed my used Solplex, too. First bid within the first hour. I expect this and the Duplex to hit my desired prices.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zpacks-Solplex-1-person-DCF-Tent-Camo-print-used/164373716992

 

If anyone's looking for a tarp shelter, Amazon has the BD beta light for a good deal right now:

Black Diamond Beta Light Tent, Blue, 98" L x 80" W x 44" H

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamon...d=1&keywords=beta+light&qid=1599581753&sr=8-1

I picked one up and tried it out this past weekend on our smoky trip to Desolation Wilderness. I didn't actually use it, I slept out, but I wanted to set it up and try it out in case the weather soured. Setup is straightforward with all the normal downsides of using a tarp shelter instead of a tent. But it weighs 1 lb plus whatever your 6 or 7 stakes weigh so it's a pretty light option for an shelter.


I also recently scored a Thermarest NeoAir XLite on Geartrade and tried it out this trip. The inflation valve is great, it's super warm, holds its volume well, and comfortable on my back, front, or sides (yeah, I sleep in all those positions... weird I know). It's a little loud, but it didn't bother me. It's not the cheapest, but I'm generally a cold sleeper and it being 1lb with an R value of 4.2 makes it a big win for me.

Ironically, I wish I had brought my hammock on this trip since finding level ground that wasn't rocky proved to be a bit challenging, and there were trees everywhere. Oh well.

Overall it was a good but short trip. We bagged Pyramid on a 12 mile day hike (started at 3:30 PM, finished at 10:30 PM.... not sure I recommend that) and camped at the truck the first night because of permit limitations. Tacos and beer make everything better though. Then we did an overnight to Lois Lake via Rockbound Pass (8 miles) and back via Red Peak Pass (10 miles). The trails were rugged and hard, the lake was beautiful, but the fish were non-committal. Smoky and hot, but surprisingly the air wasn't too bad.






We also checked out the entrance to Barrett Lake Trail. This trail is the real deal. The night before we saw 4 purpose built rigs coming down the road. One was a 1st gen Taco that was literally pushing its driver side wheel down the road with, I assume, a bent tie-rod. But it was definitely the 85" wide gate at the entrance kept us out, not the prospect of panel damage and broken everything.


Lots of NF closures now in CA. Hope everyone getting out stays safe!

 

A new mod to my old Partner Steel stove. I added leveling feet so I can always get a flat stove no matter what table or tailgate it's on. I use a steel griddle alot, and I carry a small metal bubble level so I can get a perfectly level griddle so the cooking oil and juices don't run off to one side.

Just some pencil marks and drilling, then I used rivets for a more secure install instead of screws. The threaded legs have lots of room for adjustment. The extra gap underneath the stove allows me to cook on a plastic table or on my tailgate without melting them.

Here's a link to the leveling feet. There are 4 in the set:

HanKun Adjustable Furniture Leveling Feet Furniture Leveler Tee Nut Kit 3/8-16" Thread Size, Heavy Duty Furniture Legs for Cabinets or Tables to Adjust Height of Legs(Set of 4)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081PR4DDH

 

Damn, that sure beats stacking miscellaneous small rocks under the corners of my Partner Steel...