hiking/backpacking - Page 24

I've seen that tent in person, and while it's a little small for me (I'm over 6') it's a well made ultralight tent.

I don't care for the hammock setup as it's never been comfortable for me. I prefer tent and air pad. It's a little more weight, I'm sure, but a lot more comfortable.

If I ever do any overnights. At the moment, I'm taking to Japan as my day pack on hikes where I want to bring photo gear, hydration, layers, netbook, and other gear.

I use a Eureka Solitaire when camping, by the way. Light, big enough for me. (6'2" 235lbs), fairly well weatherproofed. Small aerodynamic cross-section in high wind areas. Downside: Not free standing. No room for a large pack http://www.survivalboards.com/2010-0...eka-solitaire/

Osprey makes a giant lightweight backpack traveling cover, that approximates a big duffle at about 1/10th the weight. I usually toss my backpack in that and then check it. Has worked fine for me. The only thing I typically mail places is canister fuel if it's a trip where I'm taking a canister stove and I am unsure about fuel availability at the location.

I would be pretty aprehensive about allowing someone who doesnt know anything about backpacking handle gear that will be my lifeline in the backcountry. There are plenty of thru-hikers who mail food and gear to locations they will be passing so they can get what they need at a specific point in their journey. The postal service offers flat-rate shipping for around $8. If it fits in their flat rate box, it ships for the flat rate price, so it's possible that you might save yourself some hassle by going this route.

How long are you going to Alaska for and what are you packing?

A week, overnight in Chugach National Forest. I'll be bringing a tent, sleeping bag and clothing. I'm not sure which overnight pack I'll take yet. I won't be taking cooking equipment. I'm attracted to the idea of the Post Office ship method, and I've done that before like bigbjorn has with smaller items. But I imagine it would get pretty costly to ship 50+ pounds of clothing and gear. On the plus side, with my miles I think I might be able to swing first class on this trip, which will be very nice considering the length of the trip. http://www.rei.com/product/728446 That does look pretty good.

Six days in the Grand Tetons in August, seven days in Costa Rica in September. So pumped up!

TS, nice score. FLMM, I'm not jealous (I need a hot shower!) but I hope you get some great pics.

just did a quick back country overnight in Joshua tree. Amazing January weather, full moon hikes, and the best sunset ive ever witnessed.

Just got this in the mail today. Very nice overall. Pros: Hydration chamber is waterproofed and self draining, storage is adequate, armored expandable Zoom Cell camera compartment is functional, though the opening is on the small side. My T2i/50mm Canon f1.8 fits snugly in the compartment and it looks like it can expand to accommodate a fairly big zoom. Pack itself is lightweight, yet seems pretty durable. Is comfortable to wear even fully loaded with gear. Good strap system, lots of adjustments, and well ventilated against your back. Dedicated interior pockets for SD cards and etc. easy to access. "Marsupial pouch" for lenses and equipment is easy to access, and adjustable for different sized gear. Ability to purchase additional camera pouch which will attach to chest area so you can look like a huge nerd. Cons: Camera door is small. Won't fit a camera much larger than my T2i. Won't fit my T2i with the battery grip on it. Pack has no internal frame. It has a semi-rigid corrugated plastic backpiece designed to give a little rigidity while remaining lightweight, but if you set it down on the ground, it may not stand up depending on how it's packed. Armored camera compartment is sufficient, but not impervious. Do not mistake this backpack for a Pelican case. Doesn't appear to be particularly waterproof. Some packs I've seen have a hidden rain-fly you can pull out and over your pack. This does not have that feature. Hydration compartment doesn't have the little straps my daypack does that holds the hydration bladder in place, so if you don't have one that fills the entire compartment it may shift around. Still... looks like it's well worth the price. We'll see how it goes in a few weeks... So far I'm pretty happy with it though.

Yesterday, about 1.5 miles (one way) - but almost 1000ft elevation gain in that distance. Plus seven flights of stairs at the top.

Very nice, TS.

beautiful... you're using a fisheye lens right?

T2i body with:

Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
Rokinon (Samyang/pro-optic/Bower/etc it's sold re-branded by a bunch of companies) 8mm fisheye f3.5
Canon 50mm f1.8

Great pics Slim.

Yesterday got some bad news. After experiencing severe knee pain last November in the Catskills and every hike I've been on afterwards, I finally got an MRI and saw an orthopedist. Looks like my meniscus is torn in a place that is very difficult to repair and there is no guarantee the surgery will work. My hiking career may be over.