Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

In my experience, no pack is more bomber than Deuter. The worst quality pack I had was a Black Diamond...just complete junk. I really liked the design, features, and looks, but the quality was subpar and was returned after one trip with busted seams and holes through the main body. This was in 2011 and a new product line, so maybe things have improved since then. I have had other BD soft goods that were also poor quality though, so I suspect that still holds true. Their climbing hardware is great though, can't speak to their skiing gear.

First person to tell me where this picture was taken wins a virtual high five. Junky BD pack can be seen here, filled to the brim!

 

My kid pack is a Deuter. Great pack. Have put many miles on it.

^^ Pic: Eastern part of the country? Whites maybe?

 

Our kid pack was bought second hand at a garage sale, an older REI one. It has done well by us, but I would love to have a newer one, Deuter or Osprey. It doesn't really meet all of our needs, but it's comfortable for the little tyke so it gets the job done. We haven't really done anything with him much longer than 10 miles, but he does a good job of walking until he gets tired, then we load him up and he tends to fall asleep pretty quickly, as seen in the second picture. Definitely slows the pace when he's walking...every single pine needle in a bed of pine needles must be explored, each rock holds the potential to become his favorite rock and must be inspected, each flower must be sniffed, and every water crossing is cause for swimming. It's great to see him appreciate nature on a scale that as adults we tend to overlook. Every single thing on the trail is amazing to him, which I love to see. Sure does slow the pace though.





The picture is from the Central US. The area is known for it's unusually high treelines...

These two are from Oklahoma. The first is one of my favorite places on Earth. The second is the largest pine in Oklahoma. My son's name is Cedar...so he wasn't impressed.

 

Deuter is great, but heavy.

 

Awesome! Great story. Being out with kids is great, isn't it?

@PeeRunner I haven't found the Deuter to be too bad, but I really haven't tried others. It was between the Osprey and this one.

 

My Deuter pack is definitely smaller but heavier than my Osprey pack.

If someone was going to choose to do one trail/visit one area that you've done before...which one would you recommend and why?

 

Based on the terrain and vegetation, that could be lots of places. Alaska, Scotland, Colorado, Iceland, New Zealand...

 

Not Colorado, but it is in a subrange of the Rockies with an unusually high treeline...

 

The PNW - Olympic peninsula. Because it is unlike anyplace on this earth. The place is magically badass. Went there only a handful of times and never got tired of it and was in something new every time. Miss it. Hope to get back some day again.

 

You gotta check out the North Cascades if you loved the Olympics. They are my two favorite areas

 

On the list.

 

Wonderland Trail. JMT.

 

I watched another movie on Amazon Prime last night about some kids that did the JMT in 2011 totally unprepared. Makes me wish I was spending more than 5 days on it

 

Remember the name of it?

 

High Sierra: A Journey on the John Muir Trail

High Sierra: A Journey On The John Muir Trail

http://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Journey-John-Trail/dp/B00DOQG1GO

My other favorite is called "Mile... Mile and 1/2"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FJVD4AS/

 

Thanks bud

 

The first one has better cinematography, but the kids are inexperienced and at least they outline the things "not" to do when on the JMT. They planned their food horribly, they hung food in the highest density of bear activity, didn't break in boots, etc. It's a good watch though.

The other one is a group of more experienced hikers but they are also hauling a ton of camera and audio equipment. They did things right though, with proper resupplies, gear, etc.

 

I'm always amazed at how many people don't break in boots before going on a hike. We (my gf and I) hiked with a guy a few years ago who had a brand new pair of hiking boots. By the end of mile 8 his feet were covered in blisters, even with my taping his friction points to help cut down on the chafing. He's a regular hiker, but it never occurred to him that he had to break in his boots.

 

Amazing.

Some of these kids had brand new heavy leather mountaineering boots on, and one kid had never backpacked/hiked EVER BEFORE. A few of them had some pretty good heel hamburger.

 

Well to be fair, it isn't 1970 anymore. Boot technology and advances in materials have created a market where not every boot needs a break in, or as much of a break in as boots did before.