Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

The shuttle lines were too long. We got on the 6am shuttle each morning. Avoided the crowds most trip. If you happened to see a group with some hikers taking pics in onesies PJs those were my friends. lol

 

ewww... people.

 

And soooooo many!

 

Anymore gear to discuss?

 

Yeah, I bought a set of Cascade Mountain Tech carbon fiber trekking poles that I'm anxious to try out. I had about settled on the aluminum ones, but at the last minutes I went with the carbon fiber. Anyone have any experience with them?

 

REI has men's Arc'teryx Beta hardshells heavily discounted.

 

My GF has been using these since last fall. We hike a lot and they're holding up great so far. Definitely worth it for the money. I installed the hardware upgrade that this article explains: https://andrewskurka.com/2015/long-term-review-cascade-mountain-tech-quick-lock-poles/

 

I've changed a couple things in my weekend backpacking kit:

1. Changed from by Black Diamond headlamp to the Fenix FLD02 flashlight with hat clip. That saved me over 2 full ounces and gives me sufficient battery for 1-2 nights use and still gives me hands-free use when I clip it to the brim of my hat. The FLD02 weighs in at only .99oz which includes the single AAA battery that it uses. 3 power settings for battery saving, and it was only $17 on Amazon. I still carry a spare AAA battery in my ditty bag just in case I need to night hike for extended time.
2. Changed from a 10,000mAh Anker battery pack to their 3350mAh battery pack. That saved me almost 5 full ounces. On a single overnighter, I can fully recharge my Samsung S8 with it. Normally I'm in airplane mode when I backpack, and even with GPS and camera use, I use about 50% of my battery. So, theoretically I can get almost 4 full days with this smaller battery pack. But, I like to lay in my tent and play games on my phone before I go to sleep, and being able to top it off every night so I have a full charge the next day is key.
3. Went from using my 25.2oz 62L Zpacks Arc Haul to using my 9.9oz 38L Zpacks Nero frameless pack. I replaced the 1oz foam backing pad with a 2 segment piece of the Z-Lite Sol pad for a total pack weight of 12.05 ounces but it gives me a more rigid back pad with better ventilation and a larger and more cushioned sit pad.

 

Thanks for sharing the link. I may do the upgrades before I go to the Grand Canyon in a couple of weeks.

 

I recently bought a Bonefire Whisper hammock. Hand made in SC. It has an UQ built on.
I had the deluxe suspension added to fit my WB Superfly & Edge tarps.
I get to try it out this weekend.

 

I really like the idea of that built-in underquilt. Stays in place no matter how you move, and the weight on those looks pretty good.

 

Had to come to the valley today... gah. Watched as two folks nearly came to blows over a parking space. Then watched as a car pushed it's way into a space... that an older woman was standing in, saving it for whomever was driving her car.

 

Were you in your uniform or could you turn your back on the idiots? How do retain any sense of sanity?

Anyway, hope you could put your hands over your ears, close your eyes.. LA LA LA LA...

 

Not necessarily gear related, but I made it out to Maroon Bells yesterday to check out the leafs. Definitely near the top of the list for most beautiful things I have seen.

 

I had a friend go out there this summer and send back some amazing pictures. Definitely an area I'd love to go hike through.

 

if i organized a group buy on Garmin Inreach, would anyone be interested?

 

Might be in for that. Wish I had bought the Delorme when the price dropped almost to half last year on Amazon. It was 267.

 

What's the normal price? And what's the price of monthly service? If service isn't factored it's hard to see the benefit.

 

Service at that time was subscription and never factored into the cost nor included with purchase price. There was competition with a sale REI was having vs. Amazon. The price dropped to 267.

Subscription is still required right?