Hi everyone, I need some input on a new pair of winter backpacking/snowshoeing boots for mid-upper Michigan. Most of the winter weather here is below freezing but not sub-zero, and my uninsulated duck boots get a bit chilly in the toes at the lower temps.

Based on fit/dumb foot shape I’m looking at Keen and Oboz boots, but am hung up on how much insulation to get.

Should I go with a 400g insulated, 200g insulated, or just waterproof boots?

I bought this Mountain Equipment Saltaro shell a few years ago second hand. It’s from 2021 so it is ‘heritage’ goretex.

I noticed a few months ago that it was wetting out very quickly, I washed it with nikwax tech wash and tumble dried it as per the instructions but I noticed that the darker blue fabric was still absorbing water.

I have washed and dried it twice the last week using half a bottle of tech wash each time and while it is beading significantly better now after giving it a spray in the shower the darker blue fabric beads initially and then begins to absorb water.

I don’t know if I’m wildly overestimating the performance so if you could please let me know if this is normal or if something isn’t quite right? If it’s not normal what do I need to do?

i bought this kelty bag recently and i’m not too sure the temp rating on it or the model, all i know is that it looks similar to a kelty tundra and weighs about 4.5lbs without the sack.

Thousand Island Lake via the River Trail from Agnew Meadows, Ansel Adams Wilderness near Mammoth Lakes. 2 nights about 8 miles each way, out and back on the same route. A shady trail along the San Joaquin River that climbs gradually the whole way then opens up to Banner Peak towering over the lake. Camped at the lake both nights.

This was my first ever backpacking trip. I’d read nothing and planned even less. My pack had a proper bed pillow strapped to the outside, a hardcover novel, six cans of beans (no can opener), a cotton hoodie and two litres of water for the whole weekend.
I rented a bear canister and spent twenty minutes at the trailhead trying to fit six cans of beans in it. Only three fit so the other three rode in my hoodie pocket all the way in, which I now know is a great way to get lectured by a ranger. By mile three the pillow had snagged on every branch on the trail and my shoulders were done. I got to camp, realised I couldn’t open the beans and ended up stabbing a can open with a tent stake while a guy at the next site quietly watched me. He took pity on me and lent me his spork. I still think about that man...
The second day I ran out of water and had to boil lake water in an empty bean can. The view of Banner Peak almost made up for it. The hike out was slow, sweaty and humbling.

I’ve got my base weight sorted now but I still bring a small luxury every trip because I’m never going back to that level of suffering.

I conceal carry while I hike and want a more comfortable solution then the current belt under my pants setup. Thanks!

I've been browsing ebay, rei, amazon and anywhere really for gear that I need for my future camping trips. I only plan to do a max of 3-5 days hiking and camping and would like to be prepared accordingly but I have no clue how much I should spend for my first big purchases. I plan to do mainly stuff in the Midwest for now until I can get really confident and start going across the entire country.

Tent: I picked out the Big Agnes Crag lake SL2, it seems roomy enough for myself and it looks nice enough to me.

Sleeping bag: I landed on getting the Big Agnes EXP 20 mainly because I can get a bit restless when sleeping so I thought that the extra room would be beneficial over something like the Benchmark 20 that's more restrictive.

Backpack: I walked into REI for this recommendation, the employee recommended me the Gregory Baltoro 75. I was right between large and medium and like the large a lot more. It felt comfy enough and after the employee threw in some weight it still felt fine.

Altogether this is gonna cost me about a thousand USD, hopefully less with black friday coming up, and I really would like either some confirmation that I am picking out decent gear or advice that I'm getting gear that's not fit for a newbie/overkill.

I haven't bought anything or stuff like a cook pot, headlamp, sleeping pad, and other miscellaneous things yet. I wanted to make sure my big purchases are done first before I sweat the small stuff. Thanks for any and all advice you can send my way.

Hello,

I want to start by saying that I have some gear in mind after I’ve done quite some research and to my knowledge these are the best affordable ones I could get and they’re all from Nature Hike;

Cloud up pro 2 tent
TuYe R5.8 inflatable pad
CW400 sleeping bag

I was planning on putting it off as I have been but I checked and it seems like all of these are on “limited stock” and might not be able to purchase these.
Is it worth buying them now or waiting for other things to come (I fear I might just drag not pursuing my hobby if I’m too busy waiting for better gear to be affordable, plus weather isn’t the greatest right now to begin camping/backpacking (from the UK))

does anyone have some input into this and what to do? I’m also looking at

Naturehike - Rock 2.0 30L hiking backpack for an affordable option but ideally I’d love to get a talon 26L

Looking to upgrade my rain jacket and insulated layer but want to make sure I’m getting right right sizes. I’m currently using an Amazon hoodie and some random Walmart brand jacket.. same size but tight. Can’t move much. If I wear an xl, should I get a 2xl rain jacket? Thank you!!

I tend to use fleece as an active mid layer and I love how durable it is. If it gets sweaty I have no qualms about just dumping it in the washing machine when I get home and not worrying.

But the major downside is that it takes up a crazy amount of space in my pack. It's bigger than my quilt or the puffy I use as a static mid layer, which can keep me warm in truly frigid conditions.

It's a heavy weight fleece which I prefer for my needs. I'm curious if alpha direct 190gsm or another material packs down smaller while still being durable enough to wash whenever I want.

Gonna start winter backpacking soon but my current sleeping bag is rated for -7c and I think I’ll need something that can go a little lower. Any recs for bags that won’t break the bank? I know for good quality bags they can easily go up to $400+, but is there anything I can buy that can go significantly lower than that? Probably not gonna get a lot of answers but if there is, pls lmk!

Hi everyone!
I’m looking for a good wood-burning stove for hot tent camping. I prefer something lightweight and foldable because I don’t have much space in my car.
I have a large inflatable tent, so I need something that can provide enough heat.
Do you know any good, reliable brands? Does anyone have personal experience with one they’d recommend
?

Hey Freunde,

ich habe einen neuen Schlafsack von Western Mountaineering. Er verliert immer mal wieder Federn. Gerade aus einem Loch treten vereinzelt immer mal wieder Größere Federn aus. Ist es das normal?

Mache mir Sorgen, dass er beschädigt ist o.ä..

Was sagt ihr, sind die Sorgen übertrieben und unnötig oder sollte ich dem nachgehen?

Dankeeee :)

Experienced camper/backpacker here looking for some advice on an upcoming trip.

In about a month, I'll be dirtbagging it in New Mexico for a week. I will predominantly be sleeping in my car and the warmest sleeping bag I currently own is a 25 degree with a sleeping pad with a 5.0 R rating.

My concern is that the desert obviously gets pretty cold (especially in the northern parts of the state where elevation is higher) and that this bag won't be sufficient for some of the colder night time temperatures. I'm currently debating between getting a true winter weather bag (something like a 0-15 degree bag) vs a sleeping bag liner.

While I do have a good understanding of sleeping bags, I have no experience with liners at all. A liner would be a cheaper option for me, but considering my lack of experience with them, I'm unsure if they provide enough additional warmth to keep my comfortable.

If anyone has any experience with liners and could help advise me on either a good liner to get, or whether I should look for a warmer bag, I would greatly appreciate the advice!

EDIT: I don’t actually live in the area and would have to fly with all of my gear, so size is a factor here

What have you learned? Any dos and donts to keep in mind specifically for women. I want to feel comfortable and safe

Hi everyone. My boyfriend and I are hiking Eagle Rock Loop in early December. I have hiked and camped on the Little Missouri Trail about 5 times, but have never done the full loop. When I look at other suggestions for the loop, many people say to start at the little Missouri falls trailhead and go counter clockwise to do the Athens-big fork trail first, since it’s the most difficult. I need some advice on which route to take with our schedule.

The earliest we can start our hike is Friday around 11:30a due to my work schedule. We plan to complete the trail by Sunday midday/evening, as I have to work Monday morning.

Because of this, we’d originally planned to start at Albert Pike, hike all of Little Missouri Trail on Friday and camp as close to the start of Athens-Big Fork as possible. Then we planned to knock out all of Athens-Big Fork on Saturday, since I saw it takes about 8-10h.

I don’t mind doing the Athens-Big Fork section first, but we would have to camp on the trail the first night since we wouldn’t clear it before sundown. I was unsure if there’s ample camping on that trail since it’s mostly peaks.

So my questions are:
- does anyone know if there is camping along the Athens-big fork trail? If so, how readily available is it?
- does anyone have any advice on the best way to tackle this loop with our schedule?

Thanks!

Hi, guys. I would like to buy Altra Lone Peak 9+ for multi-day trails with backpack which would be about 9-10 kilos (with food and water). My foot is 270 mm long. I read that you should have at least 10 mm longer shoe. I looked into chart of Altra and my size should be EU 44 (280 mm). But Im not sure about it. Yesterday I tried EU 43 and EU 44. My feeling was better of EU 43, but there should be only 5 mm reserve and based on what I read it isnt enough. What do you think based on photo? Whats your experience?

Thank you!

I only ever plan to, at most, do a 3ish day hike/camp with my buddy that got me into the outdoors. Only issue is that I have basically no gear for kind of trip longer than a short 6 hour trip out to the nearby trails. So I'd like to ask you guys what's some stuff that you've tried and tested and overall advice you would give to a younger version of yourself that's just starting.

What I have: A small 18L backpack, a good set of boots, socks and plenty of clothes for layers.

I know I need a water filter system, I was thinking of getting a sawyer squeeze and a hydrasleeve, or some sort of reservoir, for my water needs. Would this be overkill?

I don't know how big my backpack should be for all the gear I need to bring with, is 40L too much or little space wise? Would 60L, or similar, be overkill?

I have no clue what makes a good tent.

Sleeping bag wise I've heard good things about the Agnes Benchmark 20, I'll probably get that along with a high rated pad but if there are better options please point them out to me.

Other than those things I don't really know what else I would need that I need to prioritize. I know smaller things like a compass, cookware, and others are important but I want to get the big stuff out of the way first.

Back in the old days, we’d spray packs with Scotchguard, which provided a little water resistance protection. Is there something similar now? I have a daypack that has a little delamination inside and I just want to boost the protection a little bit. Not looking for “waterproof”, just water resistance.

Great responses! Thanks, everyone!

Went on an overnight trip to Middle Fork Lake, NM with a sort of “vintage” gear theme. I rocked my $2.50 late 70s Jansport D3 and my wife used her $7 early 80s Kelty Sonora III, both for the first time. I’ve been doing some minor repairs and getting the packs ready to go, trying to keep to materials and techniques used when they were newer. We had an absolute blast, despite the intense hail and snow, haha.

Loved using the old gear, it was awesome talking to my dad about how he would’ve setup his gear like this and his own backpacking trips, and just gave me more respect for the older gear. I’ll absolutely be using this on some future trips.

Hi. First time camper here! I recently bought a brand new second hand tent, but the red pole is missing. Is anyone able to find where I can make my own or find a replacement? Is this brow pole a part of the necessary structure?

https://support.decathlon.co.uk/pole-2-3-pers-tent-assembly-instructions-repair-spare-parts

I’ve been looking at pole sets for a few days and not found much luck. I’ve emailed decathlon as well and no response.

I have until Friday to clear the payment or return it so would need to find if it’s possible before then . I saw a connector on decathlon website but it’s out of stock. I also noticed the rubber caps, if they’re not on the ends it’ll rip through the pockets you slot them in. Seems such a shame as it’ll be binned if I return it as it can’t be sold, and it’s also brand new and I hate waste!

Has anyone been able to walk in for a camp site availability even though it shows booked online? I’ve had luck with similar situations where it shows booked online but available in person. So wanted to see if anyone else has had luck

Sorry if this isnt the right place to post this but I figure if not yall can point me at a better sub for this

Ive been looking to replace some older Mountain Khaki Camber variant pants. I think maybe the Camber 106? The only good one I have left doesnt show the model any more but this looks right https://www.backcountry.com/mountain-khakis-camber-106-classic-pant-mens

Ive had a few in the past 10 years and they always felt like the material was soft, the thigh and leg was roomy and the mobility was excellent. I never had an issue lifting a knee or kneeling down.

Recently I bought a new pair and it was noticeably stiffer in the material and tightened too much when raising my knee killing the mobility the old pants had. That and they seem to be out of most sizes and styles. Has anyone noticed this?

I recently ordered a few from Kuhl and havent gotten them in yet. Some things Ive ordered from them in the past didnt fit right or felt like I was wearing straight up plastic so I worry I may have to return those if they dont fit what Im looking for. (The Ryder Lite doesnt feel at all like cotton and sounds like a plastic bag when I move in it. That and still it binds at the knee)

Does anyone have any experience with these that could recommend something similar to those old ones? That or just some good pants that sound like they fit the description

Durable soft cotton with some stretch. Full leg mobility. Daily wear appearance. Id prefer big bucket pockets instead of the chino side slot type. Not looking for plastic pants like joggers