almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
Posts: 696
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Post by almostthere on May 26, 2016 19:50:03 GMT -8
Whatever you plan to use, take it out and use it at home.
I used my first pad one time, and promptly sold it. My whole body shouted NOOOOOOOOOOOO MORE.
Slow is fast... cheap can be EXPENSIVE.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2016 6:27:02 GMT -8
Campmor, Sierra Trading Post, REI Outlet, and local consignment stores, are some good places to get resonably priced hiker gear. If you live near Kennedy Meadows, the hiker box should be filling up over the next few weeks and, in about a month, the hiker box at Tuolumne Meadows will have some good things; like bear canisters and traction devices.
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Post by hikingtiger on May 27, 2016 9:12:15 GMT -8
I have a pair of Prana Stretch Zion pants that I hike in most of the time. They are not "stretchy" pants like the name seems to indicate...just has a touch of give. I'm not sure what the women's equivalent is. Actually had to cut off material and re-hem the length due to their odd sizing back when I got them (waaay on sale, too). At the time, their XXL was a 38 waist and 37 inseam (!). I'm tall, but not that tall. lol
I'll agree with Tigger in that Target and Walmart can have good clothing options. Most all of my baselayers were found at Target. I wear a boonie hat (mil surplus) to keep the sun off head when it's warm. Synthetic or wool knit when cold.
Depending on where/when you hike, you might prefer a tarp instead of a tent. Kelty's Noah tarp can sometimes be found on sale. The 12'x12' model is a very versatile option.
I used a Sawyer Mini filter on a recent trip. Worked pretty well. One issue was that the Platypus collapsible bottle that I tried to use as a squeeze bag didn't seal to the Mini perfectly as there are apparently some differences in the threads (so the Sawyer squeeze bag is now on my list).
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684
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Post by rebeccad on May 27, 2016 9:22:49 GMT -8
Just skimmed through this, but I think there are a couple of things I can add. You don't need to filter/treat cooking water. Maybe through a bandana if it's chunky, but boiling is a very effective treatment, so I save effort and don't pre-treat as long as I'm going to boil. Check out the pants thread in the women's forum. It will depress you, but there are some suggestions there, too. When I was in my 20s, I could sleep on darn near anything. A closed-cell blue foam pad left from my childhood worked fine. By the end of the 20s, I was happy to buy a thermarest on sale. Now that I'm in my 50s, you don't even want to know what I'm willing to spend for a good night's sleep Sun hat and sunglasses are essential, as is a warm hat for after sundown. But those can all be cheap. I bought a few pairs of expensive sunglasses, but now just go to Big 5 or something and find some that fit well. Then I'm not upset when I drop them and they get scratched or lost.
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Post by honeybee on May 27, 2016 10:11:55 GMT -8
@idahowalker thanks for the links! I checked out STP last night and really liked it. I unfortunately don't live near EITHER of those places. Indiana is home base for the time being. hikingtiger I'm really going to have to suck it up and invest in a good pair of hiking pants. I have a 34" inseam and I usually need a size small, which means that every. single. pair. hit me several, several inches above my ankles. I have a really dumb question about the Sawyer filters. If you're getting water for food, and things like brushing your teeth/washing your hands, is it super tedious to have to continue to fill up the bag, filter it through, go back for more, etc.? rebeccad I will check out that pants thread, LOL. Thanks for the heads-up on the depressive content! And yeah, right now I can sleep on anything...I didn't understand why I had to bring a pad last time. I hope that by the time I'm in my 50s, I'll be able to afford something great! My hat is my favorite accessory. I definitely still need non-fashion sunglasses. I'll add them to my list!
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Post by johntpenca on May 27, 2016 17:37:23 GMT -8
I have an old thermarest in pretty good condition and a Henry Shires tarptent double rainbow (never used) you can have if you want. email me at johntpenca@gmail.com if you are interested.
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Post by hikingtiger on May 31, 2016 7:05:08 GMT -8
If you're getting water for food, and things like brushing your teeth/washing your hands, is it super tedious to have to continue to fill up the bag, filter it through, go back for more, etc.? I filtered 4 qts at a time (for myself and the oldest boy), so I had water for brushing, etc. The shortfall, to me, is if your water sources are shallow springs...you'd have to dip water with a cup or something to fill the bag. A pump would be better in that situation.
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