Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

They’re slowly making a comeback. Plastic bags are banned in many Colorado towns and elsewhere in the country/world.

 

Lol... no real reason and it’s not really cooked!

 

That's so weird and unnecessary

 

Cooler question?

I have fairly new Coleman metal clad cooler.

Unfortunately, the lid was not latched while traveling in the back of my fishing boat for over 100 miles. Lid popped open and the inner plastic cover of the Styrofoam insulation was lost.

Any one have a suggestion on what I can coat the foam with to make it easy to wash and somewhat water resistant?

I like the cooler and it has a lot of stickers (memories) that I want to keep.

Coleman will sell me a complete lid for $100 or so.

 

What about making it into a Frankencooler and get some bad ass boat epoxy and mix it up and just coat over the styrofoam and make your own liner. I recoated my old steelie Coleman with some great semi flexible boat epoxy because the inner plastic was brittle and had some cracks that JB Weld wasn't even holding and it worked awesome. Totally water sealed. Just mask where you don't want epoxy to get near seals and whatnot but make sure to remove the masking tape while the epoxy is somewhat pliable so it tears off a clean line of epoxy, then let it cure for like 48 hours. That thing will be a tank.

If you do this, just really clean and light sand any hard surfaces so the epoxy really bonds. I wouldn't mess with the styrofoam insulation, just coat right over it. If you worry about the look of clear yellow epoxy over styrofoam, put a coat of paint over the styrofoam first and let it really dry/cure before doing the boat epoxy so it looks cleaner. I overhauled my entire steelie that my dad had in his garage when he died and that thing has all new steel handles, rivited-on metal piano hinge, a new metal latch system, and it's ugly and maroon but I love it. Hell, if you don't like the styrofoam, carve it out and get a can of that expanding foam and then use a knife and carve it smooth to be super beefy insulation and then epoxy it.

If you want to keep it looking new, just order a new lid from Coleman or watch Craigslist for a cheaper used one and just swap lids. I like old beat up recycled gear that looks ghetto but works better than new stuff. I can slam that old cooler around and it's tough as nails now. It's my dedicated food cooler for long camping weekends. 2 blocks of ice and I can keep groceries cold for days if I pre-chill the cooler.

 

Good info. Thanks. I no issue with coating the foam or with it looking bad. I just want the coating to stick to the foam and be permanent.

I like the idea of just finding one on CL and swapping lids. I don't even care if its a different color.

 

Time for a new cooler! Cooler memories?

 

Seriously? It was a gift from the wife. Why would I get new one if I can fix this one?

 

Great idea.
I like the idea of keeping something and fixing it instead of throwing it away at first problem.
Too much 'throw away' in our society for me.

Ken in NC

 

Okay, last year, flush with several REI gift cards, in my search for the perfect hiking shoe, I bought four new pairs of hiking shoes...Salomon, Altra, and two pair of Oboz. The Oboz are both great shoes, but they’re just a bit narrower in the toe box than I like, and as a result get tiresome after a couple of hours of hiking. It’s taken me a while to get used to the zero drop of the Altras, and even though the soft soles let me feel every Little Rock, they’re pretty comfortable. The Salomons have been my go-to shoes, but I’ve just flat worn them out.

So, today I felt a need to use my REI dividend and find a replacement shoe for my worn out Salomons. I tried on shoes from The North Face, Brooks, and La Sportiva. I’ve never had much luck with Merrill’s..I always feel hotspots when I try them on. I also excluded Vasque because they run so blasted narrow. And then, on a whim, I tried on a pair of Keene Targhee vents. Now I should mention that I have two different pairs of Targhee mid height boots, but this was my first time to look at the low top shoes. My goodness, they felt great! I don’t know why I even looked at the others.

 

I was a longtime Keen user. I think their quality control changed at some point. My last couple pairs of boots had sole separation. I've also known this to happen for a friend who was a die hard Keen wearer. Hopefully they have changed but I wasn't willing to try them again. They feel great though. The big toe box is something that's either love it or hate it.

 

Truly one of the biggest dilemmas and debate points of all hikers and backpackers. I myself settled on Altra Lone Peaks and have worn through 3 pairs and on my 4th in the past couple years but they work so well for me that I don't mind just getting a fresh pair after about 300-500 miles. I've tried and eventually retired nearly everything else on the market. Unfortunately we all have different types of feet and gaits so all of these shoe companies can stay in business.

 

Yeah that's usually why I don't do footwear recommendations. La Sportivas seem to fit my foot perfect. TNF Salomon Merrill not so much either

 

Altra Lone Peaks are my daily drivers (Birkenstocks for dress) as well as my hiking shoes.

 

You’re exactly right about the different knds of feet and the need for different kinds of shoes. Even though we go in and try on different shoes, there’s really no way to know how they they’ll do until we’ve worn them awhile. As I mentioned I bought a pair of Altra Lone Peaks last year, and at first I thought I’d made a big mistake. But, I think I had to let my foot get used to them. I’m 66 years old and don’t wear flip-flops often or walk around barefooted much, so the zero drop sole took some getting used to. I’ve been watching some videos of these youngsters doing the PCT or AT, and the Altras seem to be the shoe of choice, but as you’ve mentioned, they’re replacing them every 500 miles or so.

 

what do you guys carry for a knife on a weekend backpacking trip?

 

Smallest pocket knife I can find up to a maximum of a standard Swiss Army Knife. Only use it for working up a little fire tinder or cutting the odd piece of webbing or paracord.

 

How do you like that ARQ4WD awning? Ive been eyeing it for a while but hadnt seen any myself in person. Would you recommend it?

 

I love the LighterBro Micro. Puts my Mini Bic lighter on a keychain multitool and gives this tiny blade a bit of a handle. Also a thin metal punch/pick tool on the other side.



They make a bigger one if that's your style and if you'd like a scissors and pick along with a blade and to have a full size Bic

 

Funny thing. Its still sitting in my garage, I still have not installed it lol, I totally forgot about it actually. Thanks for reminding me. Might throw it on this weekend and let you know!