hiking/backpacking

[suited]



This seems an appropriate place to put this - is anyone watching Alone on History?


lefty

Yes. I watched the first season as it aired, watching season 2 now. Season 1 was the real opportunity to grab $500K. It will be much harder to win this time around, or at least it should be. Participants have the luxury of seeing the mistakes/strategies during season 1, and there's more experience among them. Each season should, in theory, be more difficult to win - assuming skill levels remain the same and it stays on Vancouver Island.

I'd like to see a change of scenery but I imagine picking a location is difficult. The environment needs to be harsh enough to prevent the show from lasting too long (even with heavy editing), but sustainable enough to allow participants to survive for a reasonable amount of time. You almost certainly need the threat of wild animals to drive ratings. Rattle snakes won't cut it, but brown bear country is probably out of the question.

Looks like they're carrying Kelty Red Cloud 110s (could also be the 90 liter pack).

 

[lefty]

I believe this is a Canadian production so they were limited to Canada. The weather is a real killer, but had they shot in a more hospitable area they still be there as you say. The other area that comes to mind is Labrador. The black files there would drive them screaming from the bush.

There's talk of them going to Patagonia next season.

Certainly does help having seen S1 - gill net, axe, saw, ferrio, cordage and extra food. That leaves 4 items for fun.

Side note - I'm up at my camp and just saw a Fisher. Rare sighting and my first.

lefty

 

[Piobaire]

Went for a little hike this weekend, just an eight mile or so loop. Loaded up my day pack (Greggory Z30) with some baguette, cheese, meats, and an ice cold bottle of rose (Lie Dets) using my roll up ground blanket to keep the bottle cold. Hung my Kelty Noah's 12 tarp off the bottom of the pack. We found a nice place a ways off the marked trail and it took me all of 10 minutes to have us nicely protected from the sun, sitting comfy on the ground blanket, and could enjoy a nice snack out in the boonies.

Very pleasant.

 

[suited]

Here are a bunch of pictures from two hikes in CO, in no particular order. The first hike was a little more challenging than we expected - the terrain was fairly rough and steep. Most of the people we passed had camped at the top for the night. It was doable as a day hike but you had to move quickly. I decided it was best to turn back before finishing because I wanted to make sure we made it to the car before the sun went down. My wife is only 5'1 and has never hiked before, so she moved about 1/2 or 1/3 of my pace. I had a 2-person bivvy for emergency use and fire equipment, but no tent or gear that would make camping anything but a last resort.

Besides the obvious equipment like my pack and boots, the most useful item was the shemagh, shown here on top of my Mystery Ranch pack. It's widely used in the survival and military communities, but I always considered it a bit tacticool. I'd never hike without one again. Its uses are limited only by your imagination. It came into its own when I soaked it in the crisp water of the creeks, wrung it out and hung it around my neck. It provided the perfect amount of relief even though it was not terribly hot. In July it would have been a godsend. A bandana can suffice but this is much better.

I was surprised by how many people were willing to hike in without any medical equipment or basic supplies. Of course they were favoring less weight as a tradeoff, but some people had nothing but water. I suppose I'm looking at this through the eyes of someone who is usually overly prepared. I brought a LifeStraw and just before trying it out in a creek I saw someone fill their water bottle and drink it. I guess they thought water must be free of pathogens as long as it looks clean. I suppose the risk is relatively low, but I can't think of a better way to ruin a vacation than giardia. The LifeStraw proved useful even in a non-emergency situation. It allowed me to rehydrate from the creek (with water much colder than what was left in my 2L bladder) without depleting the water we were carrying. There was no plastic taste at all.

The second hike on the following day was much more pleasant. We were a little beat up from the day before, but managed to complete it with no problem. We saw some moose to boot.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[VaderDave]

Beautiful. Thanks for posting!

 

[Fueco]

Pictures of the views near the high points of our hikes the past two days. First one is from Upper Dewey Lake (above Skagway, AK). Second is from the Sheep Creek Trail in Kluane National Park (Yukon Territory).

 

[norcaltransplant]

From my last major vacation... I'm more of a photographer than hiker. From the summit of Dalsnuten, near Sandnes/Stavanger, Norway River and waterfall between Myrdal and Flam, Norway

 

[Piobaire]

******* gorgeous.

 

[Fueco]

Plain Of Six Glaciers, above Lake Louise (Banff National Park, Alberta).

 

[Fueco]

Near Aviemore, in the Cairngorms on Saturday, lunchtime:

This makes me want to throw on a kilt, pack a flask of whisky, and go for a nice walk. Thanks for sharing!

 

[suited]

We are headed to Utah in March. Just purchased sleeping bags for my wife and I and I'm about to pick up the sleeping pads. It's been a long time since I've camped and I miss it very much. I forgot how expensive quality lightweight gear is. We might be moving out west so I'm sure we are going to get a lot of use out of it.

 

[Piobaire]



Near Aviemore, in the Cairngorms on Saturday, lunchtime:

Some hikers were lost there overnight in a snow storm recently and the rescuers felt what saved them was they were carrying an emergency bivvy sack with them.

 

[suited]



Some hikers were lost there overnight in a snow storm recently and the rescuers felt what saved them was they were carrying an emergency bivvy sack with them.

On day hikes I always take a two person SOL bivvy and one or two contractor bags. I've come across people miles into fairly challenging hikes who appeared to be carrying nothing but a water bottle.

 

[suited]

Utah. Beautiful weather during the day, nighttime temperatures were in the mid 20's. This was my wife's first time camping and I was worried the cold night would deter her, but she did well.

Helinox Camp Chair. Worth every bit of 2.5 pounds.

Emberlit titanium stove.

These pants are from KUIU and are incredibly comfortable. Their base layers are awesome - with full zip leg, you can add or remove them without taking off your boots.

 

[otc]

Off to Iceland this weekend. Will be sleeping on real beds but plan to get a lot of hiking in.

Unfortunately that means I have to miss out on some camping and climbing in the Shawnee national forest this weekend (my flight leaves early sunday evening)...I had some new gear I wanted to try out!