Backpack acquired! http://www.rei.com/product/699831 Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack

I am on the verge of picking up my winter sleeping bag, hiking poles and cook stove (controversy to ensue!). I already have my sleeping pad (http://www.rei.com/product/780992) and once Hennessy get's off their butts and gets more hammocks in stock then I will get that ordered. I'd like to get the thoughts from some of the hiking veteran folks on my sleeping bag, trekking poles and stove choices before I make the expenditure. Thanks!

Marmot Helium +15 Sleeping Bag - Regular http://www.rei.com/product/762528

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles http://www.rei.com/product/782129

MSR WhisperLite Internationale Backpacking Stove http://www.rei.com/product/709000

Oh yeah! A few more things I got for Christmas:
Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo Cookset http://www.rei.com/product/668926
Snow Peak Titanium Spork http://www.rei.com/product/660002

1/4/2011 8:39:29 AM

My gf bought me a Hennessy Explorer Ultralite A-sym hammock (http://hennessyhammock.com/specs-explorerUL.html) for christmas, and they're having a sale where you get a free kids Scout hammock with your order. She placed the order, and they sent her an email saying they were sold out of Scouts because of the demand, so they were upgrading her to a Expedition A-sym zip for free. So we got a Explorer Ultralite classic, Expedition zip, and 2 sets of snakeskins for the price of one hammock.

1/4/2011 8:56:44 AM

^^Im likin that pack

Quote :

"anyone know of any good climbing places in Georgia/Alabama? "

Horse Pens 40 is in Alabama, Northeast of Birmingham I think. And I think there is a popular bouldering spot really close to Atlanta, but thats all I got.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 8:57 AM. Reason : ar rows]

1/4/2011 8:56:51 AM

^^ I am looking at the Ultralite Backpacker A-sym. The guy at REI was talking about that under quilt thing for hammocks. It was the first I had heard of such a creature. If a sleeping pad and down bag aren't going to be enough, where might I find one what would work with the hammock system that I have in mind?

1/4/2011 9:09:20 AM

that sleeping bag is baller....i wish i could afford it

1/4/2011 9:26:41 AM

Quote :

"If a sleeping pad and down bag aren't going to be enough, where might I find one what would work with the hammock system that I have in mind?"

in cold weather, the major disadvantage of hammocks is that they allow cold air underneath of you, so now you have to deal with cold air all around you (as opposed to just the top and sides when you're sleeping on the ground)...i know that some sleeping bags are actually designed to put most of the fill on the top and sides with the idea that you'll be on the ground with a pad

you should be able to find an underquilt that will work with any type of hammock you have...they're not really that specialized...that said, finding a LIGHTWEIGHT one that also provides significant warmth will require cash monies...cheaper underquilts are either heavy or provide little warmth, at which point using a hammock in cold weather becomes silly (in my opinion, of course...i LOVE using a hammock when it's warmer)

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 9:35 AM. Reason : not]

1/4/2011 9:35:02 AM

Quote :

"My gf bought me a Hennessy Explorer Ultralite A-sym hammock (http://hennessyhammock.com/specs-explorerUL.html) for christmas, and they're having a sale where you get a free kids Scout hammock with your order. She placed the order, and they sent her an email saying they were sold out of Scouts because of the demand, so they were upgrading her to a Expedition A-sym zip for free. So we got a Explorer Ultralite classic, Expedition zip, and 2 sets of snakeskins for the price of one hammock."

I just ordered a Hennessy Hyperlite A-Sym hammock. Supposed to get a free Scout hammock as well. I'm hoping they upgrade me to a free Expedition A-sym though...we'll see!

1/4/2011 1:57:09 PM

which is better? disregard cost in this case. i tried on the REI halo in the regular size in the store, meant for up to 5'6" & it was wayyyy to short. i'm 5'5", so i'm sticking to women's long for that one. here they are:

Mountain Hardwear ultralamina 15 (reg 5'10")
info: synthetic, dual half zipper things on top, 2lbs 15oz
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/UltraLamina%E2%84%A2-15-Women%27s-%28Regular%29/OU8393_R,default,pd.html

or

REI halo 25+ (long 6')
info: down, one really long zipper that sticks & is kinda on the bottom of the right side (so your arm rubs it), zipper snags easily, 2lbs 4oz
http://www.rei.com/product/778165

considerations: i'm going backpacking for just a few days in glacier national park in the summer, then regular car camping. lows can be around 30 something then. i'll be in a waterproof tent w/ a groundcover. i've read that down lasts for forever, handles more compression cycles. it's definitely more comfy in terms of loft...but the water thing kinda worries me & i like the zippers on the MH one much much more.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 2:30 PM. Reason : ]

1/4/2011 2:28:37 PM

I'd be more inclined to go for the REI bag. It's much lighter (36oz vs. 47oz), and likely packs much smaller since it's actual down insulation rather than the synthetic stuff.

But if you dont care about weight or compressed size, go for whichever is more comfortable.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 2:38 PM. Reason : .]

1/4/2011 2:37:09 PM

i just thought of the weight difference in terms of a can of soda. that is a lot heavier.

hmm...okay. any other suggestions on a down bag <$250? the zipper thing w/ the rei one is kinda eating at me.

1/4/2011 2:44:22 PM

down >>> synthetic

it's lighter, warmer, and packs smaller...the biggest disadvantage is, of course, the fact that if it gets wet, it loses its ability to keep you warm...it's also a pain to clean if you need to do that...second biggest disadvantage is the cost compared to synthetic, but it's well worth the premium (IMO)

i picked up the +20°F REI downtime bag on clearance for right at $100...it's a 600-fill, which is okay, but as the quality of the fill goes down, so does my trust in the bag's rating

i've used the downtime in ~25°F weather and while it kept me alive, i wasn't exactly toasty warm...don't get me wrong, i slept okay, but i can tolerate cold sleeping pretty well (i think men in general have a higher tolerance for cold than women...i read that somewhere )

i'd say the comfort level of the synthetic bag will be right around 25-30, while i'd probably trust the down bag to be at the advertised 25

1/4/2011 2:50:35 PM

^agreed.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 2:56 PM. Reason : .]

1/4/2011 2:54:20 PM

thanks. i actually sleep really hot & wake up sweating a lot. my husband is freezing on the other side of the bed. it sucks. a lot. the doctors keep checking my thyroid levels bc that's such a typical sign of thyroid disorders (which i had when i was a kid, levels nowadays are normal though). boo

anyway...i'm gonna keep looking at other down bags. i could possibly be talked into spending up to $300 if it's really super awesome. what are your opinions on brands like mont-bell, stoic, marmot...?

i already have a sleep system for >45* or so...so i'm not concerned w/ summer use. this will be my glacier summer backpacking & local winter use bag. i don't plan on camping anywhere when it's <10.


[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 3:01 PM. Reason : ]

1/4/2011 2:55:52 PM

Marmot makes great stuff. Dont have any personal experience with the others.

1/4/2011 3:01:40 PM

as a general rule, i'd say that the quality of the bags will be about the same (but that's just because i trust REI and know i can return something if it ends up being crap)...obviously some will be better than others (with marmot, in my experience, being near the top), but i'd say that they're all pretty much equal

what i'd look for are two things:

1.) fill power (higher is better, with 750-800 being pretty darn good and everything higher being awesome)
2.) features (i, for one, like the bags that distribute fill so that there is more on the top and sides and less on the bottom, since it FEELS more efficient...double baffles, etc)

the downtime i have supposedly suffers from the easily snagging zipper problem, too, but i've never had an issue

1/4/2011 3:02:15 PM

i'm not going to buy one from anywhere that doesn't have a return policy like rei, fo sho. good to know about the fill. any thoughts on the spiral ones?

1/4/2011 3:07:25 PM

Quote :

"I am looking at the Ultralite Backpacker A-sym. The guy at REI was talking about that under quilt thing for hammocks. It was the first I had heard of such a creature. If a sleeping pad and down bag aren't going to be enough, where might I find one what would work with the hammock system that I have in mind?"

this? http://hennessyhammock.com/specs_undercoverandunerpad_big.html

I've only ever seen it on their site.

1/4/2011 9:21:32 PM

and only $130-140!

what am i missing? how is a hammock system in the winter anything but expensive and inefficient?

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 9:39 PM. Reason : .]

1/4/2011 9:38:17 PM

Quote :

"what am i missing?"

Comfort. I sleep ~134 times better in a hammock than on even a 2.5 inch air mattress. Its just more comfortable.

Is it heavier? Yeah, but if I'm hiking less than 15 miles in a day, I'll take the extra 18-24 ounces over my ground typical ground set up.

That being said, I pretty much alternate between hammock and tarp-tents just to try new things.

I dig my Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo.

1/4/2011 10:32:26 PM

Quote :

"Comfort. I sleep ~134 times better in a hammock than on even a 2.5 inch air mattress. Its just more comfortable. Is it heavier? Yeah, but if I'm hiking less than 15 miles in a day, I'll take the extra 18-24 ounces over my ground typical ground set up."

ah, okay...so there isn't actually any advantage to hammock sleeping in the winter, just personal preference

i'm not being sarcastic, either...i, for one, sleep just fine in both situations and don't feel that sleeping on the ground is any more or less comfortable than a hammock, so what it comes down to is that packing a tent is technically better (lighter, cheaper, better weather protection) unless you find it to be comparatively uncomfortable

i wasn't sure if i was missing something about hammocks in the winter that was universally advantageous

Quote :

"MSR WhisperLite Internationale Backpacking Stove http://www.rei.com/product/709000"

great stove...i used mine for several years before selling it and picking up a primus gravity MF for $40...i prefer the primus, though the lesser weight and greater flexibility (it can use isobutane in addition to liquid fuels) comes with the marginally more complex design (more pieces, of some of which are small) so that cleaning is more of a nuisance than with the whisperlite

not sure what sort of fuel you were planning on using, but i would recommend against gasoline

[Edited on January 5, 2011 at 8:28 AM. Reason : .]

1/5/2011 8:20:43 AM

I was leaning more towards jet fuel.

1/5/2011 10:45:31 AM

Welp, guess Hennessy Hammocks made more Scout hammocks haha. I recieved a free Scout w/ Snake Skins with my order.

Planning on selling this Scout and snakeskins set if anyone's interested. I'll take $15 off retail, and I'll give you the snakeskins too.

1/12/2011 6:03:46 PM

So I've had my Sundowners going on 12 years. Had them resoled about 5 years ago. Probably close to 100+ hiking trips with them, 20+ backpacking trips, some over 50+ miles. Anyhow, time for a new boot...

Pictures for reference:

The classic Vasque Sundowners:


My new boots...

The Asolo Power Matic 200 GV:


[Edited on January 12, 2011 at 6:16 PM. Reason : ,]

1/12/2011 6:15:54 PM

I have this bag and LOVE IT!

REI Sub Kilo +20 Sleeping Bag
http://www.rei.com/product/780903

1/12/2011 8:27:16 PM

i ended up getting the rei halo 25. it feels reallllyyyy good

1/12/2011 8:47:08 PM

^ just bought the same sleeping back. I'm already running around my apartment in it. Also picked up a new headlamp, Henessay Hammock, and looking at the REI Quarter Dome Tent. 100 mile wilderness here I come!!


[Edited on January 15, 2011 at 9:02 PM. Reason : .]

1/15/2011 9:01:50 PM

ahahahahahahhahahahaha

how tall are you & did you get the regular or long? the regular says it fits up to 5'6" but it was way too small for me & i'm 5'5". i got the long & it fits perfectly.

1/15/2011 9:11:37 PM

Tried to hit up the REI Garage Sale today at Southpoint. They did a number system where they gave out numbers and then called like 1-30. I was #249 and didn't have three hours to wait to pick over scraps Trying again next week at the one in Raleigh.

1/15/2011 10:21:16 PM

I'm 5'3", so the regular bag is pretty comfy.

[Edited on January 16, 2011 at 12:04 AM. Reason : ..]

1/16/2011 12:04:18 AM

"as a general rule, i'd say that the quality of the bags will be about the same (but that's just because i trust REI and know i can return something if it ends up being crap)...obviously some will be better than others (with marmot, in my experience, being near the top), but i'd say that they're all pretty much equal"

Marmot has a decent sleeping bags, I have a 0 degree Marmot bag and a 0 degree North Face and prefer the marmot. If you can afford it Western Mountaineering are probably the best I've used.

1/16/2011 1:43:33 AM

Hammock Ordered. HYPERLITE A-SYM 1lb. 10oz. with the side zip entrance. I wanted to capitalize on the free Scout hammock deal so I'd have something for a chica to use when we went out hiking/camping.

1/16/2011 7:40:06 PM

Quote :

"Tried to hit up the REI Garage Sale today at Southpoint. They did a number system where they gave out numbers and then called like 1-30. I was #249 and didn't have three hours to wait to pick over scraps Trying again next week at the one in Raleigh."

That's how it's always done. We went to the Cary REI garage sale again today. We showed up at 5:20AM thinking we'd be in line next to the overnight campers like we have in the past, but there were at least 50 people in front of us by then. They handed out about 420-430 ticket between 8:50AM and 11AM when they opened the doors.

1/16/2011 10:11:00 PM

So for folks who have managed to get in early on one of these before, is it worth it? By worth it I mean potentially having to camp out over night (in the cold) just to get someone's returned items.

1/16/2011 10:19:21 PM

I hope one of you got the size 13 Merrell Chameleon XCRs that I returned.

1/16/2011 10:35:15 PM

Your second-hand clodhoppers are too large for my purposes, sir.

1/16/2011 10:42:51 PM

lol...I hated those things. They're the only shoe I've ever returned.

1/17/2011 10:51:10 AM

Quote :

"So for folks who have managed to get in early on one of these before, is it worth it? By worth it I mean potentially having to camp out over night (in the cold) just to get someone's returned items."

It can be worth it if you're in the first group to go in. Here are a few deals we've gotten in the past:

Big Agnes Lost Ranger regular in almost new condition for $80 ($199 new at the time)
REI Venus 75 pack new with a ~3mm tear in small web material for $40 (+$200 new, iirc)
GT Traffic 3.0 bike in perfect condition for $200 ($420 new)

Being that their return policy is almost as bad as walmart's, some items are very used, but some items are completely brand new and the reason for return is something like, "didn't like color."

1/17/2011 2:47:32 PM

I went to the tent sale at the Durham store a few years ago. Ended up getting in with the first or second group. Picked up a REI Taj 3 tent for about $70 or $80. Retail at that time was about 3x what I paid. The reason for returning was "Bought for Boy Scout camp out...too difficult to set up; never used." I set it up in 5 minutes without looking at the instructions. Stupid Boy Scouts.

1/17/2011 7:32:18 PM

My hammock is here!!! So after attending the backpacking basics class last week I am becoming more inclined to go with a tent for at least the first part of Spring and then switch out to my hammock. The problem is that I haven't done any research on good/very light solo tents so I am not sure where to begin.

Also, where might one acquire those sand bag pillow things they use when fitting your pack? I want to start doing ~3mi walks frequently with my pack weight to help with conditioning and to make sure this pack is 100% what I want/need. I thought about just loading it up with clothes but I want to get the weight distribution decent.

1/24/2011 12:44:51 PM

Quote :

"Also, where might one acquire those sand bag pillow things they use when fitting your pack? I want to start doing ~3mi walks frequently with my pack weight to help with conditioning and to make sure this pack is 100% what I want/need. I thought about just loading it up with clothes but I want to get the weight distribution decent."

buy bags of dried beans

1/24/2011 1:17:03 PM

Why not just pack your gear in your pack and walk around with that?

1/24/2011 1:24:14 PM

I don't have all my stuff yet. Primarily clothes which I am just now starting to do research on. But I like your thinking! Oh yeah, and I still need to pick up my sleeping bag even though I am pretty confident as to the one I want.

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 1:33 PM. Reason : .]

1/24/2011 1:31:55 PM

Haha, I figured there was a reason, but I just thought i'd state the obvious

1/24/2011 1:38:32 PM

I think that's why I posted for ideas because with as much thought and planning as I am putting into this it's sometimes easy to overlook the obvious. Durp! Your, and everyone else's, help is much appreciated.

1/24/2011 1:46:46 PM

HockeyRoman, have you considered a tarp or tarp tent if you want super light? Me and TheBullDoza stayed dry in the Ray-Way tarp in some of the most torrential downpours I've ever had the misfortune to experience. We also used the bug netting insert that is separate from the tarp itself. The tarp plus netting weighed just over a pound.

In fact you can try or borrow the tarp if you want. Talk to Erik, I think I have it with me in Charleston but I can bring it up next time I'm in Raleigh. I don't mind showing you how to set it up. Contrary to popular belief it barely takes longer than setting up a tent. Are you leaving this spring??

pros: very lightweight, dryer than a tent if set up properly (better ventilation prevents condensation soaking your stuff), more variety of set up options

cons: requires more thought when choosing a location, not good in snow, you have to learn how to tie knots, can be hard to get in if it's pitched low, might be scary if you're a pussy

They are home made from a kit, (requires a sewing machine) but similar tarps can be bought for about $100.

1/24/2011 11:56:37 PM

That looks cozy. :p I don't have an aversion to something like that actually. It's primary function will be for the beginning-ish and end-ish of the hike when it gets too cold for the hammock. And nope, thanks to my braces I won't be leaving until March of 2013. But it's never too early to prepare.

1/25/2011 12:47:13 AM

Just got back from a weekend camping trip to Hanging Rock, it was frigid to say the least

1/25/2011 10:20:13 AM

we did 20 miles in uwharrie two weekends ago...it got down to about 25°F at night, but it was in the upper 40s during the day













and here's the elevation profile:



[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 10:45 AM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 10:43:02 AM

Trail names: Maybe I asked this before but I am having a heated debate with folks about how these are derived. My research indicates that one has the option of conjuring their own prior to hiking or they can wait and have one assigned to them on the trail. I've had three people tell me just today that the choice isn't mine to make at all. I am totally not a fan of incidental nomenclature as you often end up with something either derogatory or just plain silly. My understanding is that your trail name is supposed to be thoughtful and unique since you carry it throughout your hiking endeavors.

1/28/2011 12:48:46 AM

snowshoeing about 6 miles to a US forest service cabin (approx 30mi from Cascade, Idaho) this weekend. not camping, per se, but it should be tons of fun w/ lots of cross country skiing trails & hot springs nearby. this will be my first time using a forest service cabin, so it will be interesting...

1/28/2011 1:13:02 AM