trinity
Trail Wise!
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Post by trinity on Jul 24, 2024 9:12:48 GMT -8
I think it's safe to say the most commonly used battery banks among backpackers are 10,000 mah banks from Nitecore and Anker. You won't go wrong with either.
Most of my trips are solo, and to me a campfire is largely a communal activity. Once a year I take a trip with some friends, and we have campfires every night, where permitted. Otherwise, it's too much effort, I'd rather just sit and read a book.
Those quilts on etsy look fine, but they're designed for hammockers, and are not, IMHO, wide enough for ground use. You will want a quilt that is at least 55" wide to allow full coverage and to seal out cold air.
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swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
Posts: 655
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Post by swiftdream on Jul 24, 2024 9:22:56 GMT -8
After over 1500 pages of journal I’ve gone more to digital notes. If one wants to get it down fast I suggest simply dictating to notes app or any word processor of your choice. I use Pages for serious word processing.
One can also draw in Notes and this works well for the times I triangulate with a compass using two landmarks of 90° apart if possible so we can get through difficult terrain and back to a very specific point with a magnetic compass. I draw the landmarks and note the bearings. I haven’t had an issue with the iPhone yet but did have a complete failure with an older Garmin once that got me doing just a quick bit extra in canyon country or juniper/pinion woodlands where everything is hanging at eye level in a hall of mirrors. In unknown country I’ll triangulate several positions.
I checked and at the moment there are 130 books downloaded to my Kindle app so I’ll not be without a book. A good portion of them are references but many aren’t. They practically give many good books away every day for a couple or three bucks so getting up a good library is easy. Again, Alexa in the Alexa app can narrate the books in a very natural manner and now that more advanced AI is coming soon to iOS 18 it is said all the voices will sound much more natural and expressive where it should. Good for one of those ferocious storms that keep one tent bound at times.
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Post by va3pinner on Jul 24, 2024 9:30:52 GMT -8
Campfires - Food - Tech
Where I hike most in WV campfires are common. I hike alone, and stealth camp. So if I'm in an unused (or rarely used) area, no fires.
If I'm in a well used campsite, fire ring, plenty of downed wood, I might have one, weather dependent. Right now we're under severe to extreme drought conditions.I wouldn't even consider it for a moment.
Also can't tell you how many illegal or mis placed camp fire rings I've destroyed because they just don't belong there.
Food
I use a hang kit - 30' of cord designed for this ( not supposed to abrade branches) carried in a small Granite Gear zip sack just big enough to hold a perfect rock. Also have a small carabiner to clip to the food bag. In WV there are plenty of places to hang my bag. I pack my food in an odorless plastic bag to make it less tempting.
I also use an Ursack. Painless. Food and cooking/eating utensils (ANYTHING that would attract critters) in an odorless bag, in the Ursack and just tie it to a tree a good ways from camp. I've also plasterd reflective tape on it so I can find it by flashlight in the dark.
Don't ask....
Ursack is about twice the weight of the hang kit, but is my preferred method. So much easier than a hang kit.
Tech. I carry a camera, and a GPS/Sos device that isn't good with power. I carry a battery pack and USB micro and C cables. the weight makes me grumble every time I pack it.
Should have added - do not keep food in your tent. Check pockets on your pack and garments for any shreds of food, wrappers etc. Ask me what happened to a brand new UL Catalyst pack, and my tent floor when I left a bag of nuts in the pack pocket inside my tent, during the night. What?? you know?
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reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,445
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Post by reuben on Jul 24, 2024 9:45:29 GMT -8
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Post by marmotstew on Jul 24, 2024 11:20:20 GMT -8
I usually try to chop down everything in sight. I figure it will help prevent a forest fire.
No just kidding. I’ll make one occasionally in the right conditions and never close to or above timberline.
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Post by va3pinner on Jul 25, 2024 16:38:55 GMT -8
marmotstew - where do you hike? I'll follow you. It'll save me a lot of work at the campsite.
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Post by hikerjer on Jul 29, 2024 20:50:30 GMT -8
Welcome from the Big Sky Country (Montana). I think you’ll find the wealth of knowledge on this forum to surpass just about any other source on the topic. I’ve got to wonder how manny years of cumulative knowledge on backpacking are represented here. Anyway, if you have any questions about anything related to hiking/backpacking, ask away. You’lll surely get some sage advice. Probably more than you want or need.
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Travis
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WYOMING NATIVE
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Post by Travis on Jul 30, 2024 7:33:52 GMT -8
marmotstew - where do you hike? I'll follow you. It'll save me a lot of work at the campsite. lives in the Denver area and hikes all over Colorado, occasionally Wyoming, and wherever the fishing is good in Antarctica, er something like that. I've noticed you can never find a good forest around Antarctica where he's hiked. Pyromaniac's gone wild! |
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Post by marmotstew on Jul 30, 2024 8:33:34 GMT -8
Yes it true I hike in Colorado about 95.8% of the time. I wouldn’t hike in Antarctica because there’s no trees to chop down to start a fire. And the penguins.
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Post by Coolkat on Jul 30, 2024 9:44:36 GMT -8
Those pesky penguins!! You never know when they'll attack you for your food that you can't hang for the lack of trees due to the pyromaniacs. |
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reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,445
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Post by reuben on Jul 30, 2024 9:52:26 GMT -8
Penguin >> marmot. I mean, there's an Emperor penguin, but no such thing on the marmot side. |
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