Hiking Thread

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  • #26
You doing the pct?
 
In Tasmania the iconic hike is the Overland Track through Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair seven days approx. Followed by the Three Capes. One day....
There are plenty of day hikes from easy to pretty extreme. Done plenty of the little ones while off in the caravan, usually ending at a beautiful waterfall.
You'd never run out of hikes here, from the coast to the mountains, from suburbia to world heritage wilderness.
Yeah, bragging a wee bit :)
 
Sometimes the mission can be, go as fast as you can.
FKT is fastest known time for all kinds of routes.
I’m looking forward to Volcano National Park.

John you went out there a while back? Bit of redemption?
 
What a ridiculous concept. I have known of it for years, but it still rankles...just strikes me a fundamentally wrong. I know, that's my perception, not fair to some others, but there it is :).

Volcano NP is truly awe inspiring, Deva. You'll love it.
 
I understand the concept, I just don't get the appeal of racing through beautiful backcountry. If not to experience that beauty, why go? And there is no way seeking FKT allows for sightseeing and rumination on the details of a place.

Just my way of seeing things, I know it's not everyone's.
 
I'm with Burnham. I'm fairly pleased to go almost nowhere. Inspect things at minute detail, and take my time. I guess I sort of get speedrunning things, but maybe after the second or third trip, just for the lulz. I wouldn't be interested in doing it my first time.
 
Sounds like it'll be a fun time. Maybe a bit hectic with all the grandkids.
 
I just ordered some cheap hiking boots today. Not going far, but the 1200grams of thinsulate Danners are not a ideal this time of year. Thinking I'll hack a trail through the woods behind the house for a daily hiking path. I might try some local short trails if that works. The AT crosses many of the roads I travel. It might be fun to do a couple short stretches just to say I did it. A few atv/motorcycle injuries, so I'm not sure what my range is, yet.
 
I have the smaller bottles, too. Not MSR though...mine are elderly Sigg brand. I have 4 of them. That size is sufficient for 3 to 4 days backpacking. So the four can supply fuel for about half a month. I just pack whatever needed for the length trip planned.

Smaller bottles are easier to pack in a balanced way, and dividing your fuel into smaller portions minimizes risk of large loss to any reason.
 
Lighter is always better :). 25% is a good top end goal.

I have packed long distances at over 35%, but it's not much fun. Short distances under special circumstances, weighing about 145 lbs, I have managed a bit over 100 lbs. But that's stupid :D.

These days, I shoot for 40 lbs. as a max. I still weigh about 145, maybe 148.
 
For backpacking our current set up is a single Caribou Warm Front 20 degree semi-rectangular, mated to a Therma-Coupler fitted with a pair of Thermarest 20"x72"x1.5" pads. Makes a double bag.

For car camping, we have a Big Agnes Dream Island 15 degree bag that is fitted with a pair of Thermarest 25"x77"X2.5" pads. This bag is designed to insert the pads into the lower sleeve. Again, this is a double bag, though a roomier version than our backpacking unit.

The backpacking bag and pads weigh about 8 pounds. The car camping bag and pads weight is about 12 pounds.
 
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I hiked through the Sinai desert in 75.
120 pds/60 kilos.
Had to pack enough water to reach the first oasis 3 days in.
Toughest thing I've ever done.
Spent 2 months training for it by hiking up Mount Gilboa every day, adding a rock to the load.
 
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  • #46
Was it Type 2 fun- no fun while you're doing it but awesome in reflection?
 
I wouldn't call it fun.
But it sure was an experience for a Danish boy.
Installed a life long love of deserts in me.
That 3rd night, when we were running out of water, we came around a bend and saw green stuff growing and knew we had hit the oasis, that will always stay with me.
We timed the trip with a full moon, so we could hike at night and "sleep" under an awning in the day.
I was with an American biologist from Utah, who was a desert rat.
If I had tried that stunt on my own, I'd have died.
I had a friend in the Israely special forces. He fixed us up with a map of the land mine fields.
Swallow it if captured kinda thing.
 
Got a link to that first bag setup you mentioned?
Not getting hits for either the coupler or Caribou. Caribou must be out of business, and it appears Thermarest no longer makes the Therma-coupler. Sorry.

Imagine an envelope made of cotton/poly blend that fits two Thermarest pads side by side, with a half zipper that runs down each side and around to meet in the middle of the bottom. With a rectangular or semi-rectangular sleeping bag that has a zipper that runs down one side and around the bottom that can be opened up flat, with zipper that matches the Therma-coupler, you have a double bag with pads and built-in sheet on the bottom.

You get light weight comfort for two from only one sleeping bag. No need for a bottom section of sleeping bag...that provides little to no insulation, as it's fully compressed under your weight. The pads are what keeps you warm underneath, while the sleeping bag acts as a comforter over your bodies. If it gets warm, you can unzip some or all of either side and poke a knee or leg out to moderate your temp.
 
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  • #49
Stig, that sounds awesome. Well yeah, after it was over ;) .

I"ve never been to a desert but I'd like to.
 
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