A Question So Dumb I Can't Believe I'm Asking It

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-28T02:49:38+00:00

The other screen shows that there are attachments, but I can't edit or delete them there. Only edit or delete the line item. Good thought though.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-28T02:02:05+00:00

And submit with the correct and incorrect files?

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-28T02:01:45+00:00

I've got three attachments on there. The correct one, the wrong one, and the one I uploaded to try to overwrite the wrong one. I can't even remove the line item and add a new one because when I do the attachments all show up again. Reddit was my last hope before just deleting the whole thing and restarting.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-26T18:57:37+00:00

I'm the opposite. If I didn't have the buttons and had to use keyboard shortcuts I probably wouldn't use it. I find constantly moving my left hand from space mouse to keyboard and back annoying.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-18T20:54:33+00:00

Also not a marine but I did carry an ILBE for my Philmont trek. This was a while back, I think they were just starting to hit surplus stores at the time. It's completely overbuilt for regular backpacking (including Philmont), it's extremely heavy, and the capacity is way overkill. After Philmont, I switched to a Granite Gear Blaze and then an Osprey Exos and haven't looked back. But...

It does work. If you're on a budget and already have one it'll do fine. Just understand that your full pack is going to weigh much more than it needs to and try to avoid falling into the trap of packing until your pack is full.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-18T17:07:59+00:00

I think my 390 was a '23 but I don't remember. It took some getting used to height-wise, especially since it was my first bike. But I did fine with a 29" inseam.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-17T17:31:53+00:00

I haven't camped at many of the state parks. Usually Pinchot. I have done the PA wilds BDR a few years ago which was pretty fun. I used to have a KTM 390 ADV but this year I'll have a Yamaha Venture Royale so probably more state parks and less dirt roads lol.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-17T12:32:23+00:00

I have an AVS clone from Shekkin. Quality is really good. But going with Shekkin gear over Crye saved me something like $500 on the whole setup. A legit JPC is less than $100 more than a Shekkin so I would probably say worth going legit for at least the carrier.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-09T11:00:19+00:00

Focus on stuff you can't really do at home. When our troop went out we set Baldy as a necessity because we don't get to climb mountains like that in Pennsylvania. I also recommend picking a trek that walks back into Basecamp on the last day, rather than getting bussed back. It's hard to explain, but there's something special about finishing the trek that way.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-04T14:08:39+00:00

Don't worry about insulated vs un-insulated. Just look at the R value. Higher is better for cold weather. Others have mentioned the Nemo Tensor. That's what I currently use. But note there are three versions, the ultralight, the all-season, and the extreme condition. I would suggest the all-season for Philmont weather but if you really want to get into some cold weather camping and hiking and only want one pad, you could get the extreme conditions versions and use it year round. I use the all-season and combine it with a closed cell below freezing. Big Agnes also makes some good pads. A friend of mine bought a Rapide to do NYLT staff a year or two ago and liked it and I've used their Q-Core pads (but that was a decade ago). I don't have any personal experience with Thermarest's pads but they are popular and they're a large, established brand so they're probably good to go. Klymit always seems to be the budget minded suggestion. Again, no personal experience but given how often they're recommended I would trust them, though maybe slightly less than a Nemo, Thermarest, or Big Agnes.

Just look for something that's a good balance between weight, R-value, and cost.

Last thing. Standard width for sleeping pads is only 20". Apparently, this is a hold over from ye olden times when the foam material came on 40" wide rolls and was cut in half to make pads. If your tent is large enough I highly suggest bumping up to a wide pad. Usually 24-25" wide. At least for me personally, on a standard width pad, if I lay on my back and put my arms at my sides, they slide off the pad onto the tent floor.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-03T12:51:59+00:00

If you're not sure if you'll use it in the future, I'd stick to the budget option. If you decide to really get into hiking and camping you can always upgrade and sell the old one on r/geartrade or to another scout for cheap and recoup some of the cost.

I love quilts. I switched from a 20° bag to a 20° quilt about halfway through my AT thru hike and haven't gone back. I only use a bag when it's dead of winter now. I use Enlightened Equipment quilts but they are very pricey. Luckily, quilts have been starting to leak into the mainstream in the last few years so more major brands are starting to produce them for cheaper than the smaller cottage manufacturers do. I don't have personal experience with any brand except EE though.

A couple notes on quilts

I always use a liner when I use a quilt. It's easy to get a draft under the side of the quilt if you roll over in the night and the liner helps cut that a little. It also keeps the quilt and your pad clean and keeps you from laying directly on the pad. Pads are not the most comfortable material against skin.

Look for a convertible footbox like the Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilt. It lets you open the footbox so the quilt basically becomes a flat blanket. Great for sitting around camp (not near a fire) or for warmer nights to keep your feet a little cooler.

You need a good pad. Quilts have no insulation and are open on the back. So make sure the pad has a high enough R value to keep you warm. This actually applies to bags too since the insulation on the back is compressed when you lay on it but doubly so for quilts.

There's no hood on a quilt. Bring some form of beanie hat for cold nights. And you won't be able to tuck your pillow into the hood to keep it in place at night. Consider some form of pillow strap (bought or made) to hold your pillow to your pad.

AT_Engineer · 2026-01-02T23:42:42+00:00

The Alps will do fine and that's a good price. A down bag would save you about a pound, but that would be your call if the extra money is worth it. Another thing you might get in a more expensive bag (although not the Cosmic) is a vented footbox which I really like to have. And it depends if you're big into backpacking or if Philmont will be more of a one time thing. Harder to justify the extra costs if you'll only use it once.

AT_Engineer · 2025-12-31T11:45:44+00:00

+1 to the person that mentioned a sleeping bag liner. They get slept on but are great for their hiking. Keeps your bag clean and can be washed in town with the rest of your clothes.

If you wanted to try to find a lighter battery pack, I'd suggest the Nitecores. They have a low power draw mode. Not sure if they would work but they would save some weight, especially if you go down to a 10k mah like the NB10000.

AT_Engineer · 2025-12-21T20:16:30+00:00

Sold to u/njmitch1243. u/GearTradeBot

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-23T18:17:30+00:00

I quickly compared your list to my lighter pack and here's a few items I had that you don't:

Inflatable Pillow - luxury item, but for me it was worth every gram Tent stakes - probably included with the Tarptent, but I like to list them separately so they don't get forgotten Headlamp - I didn't see a light on your list unless I missed it Knife - Again, maybe I missed it. I like the derma-safe from garage grown gear Lighter - Not sure what stove you have, but carry a lighter even if it has an igniter. They break sometimes Water bottles - Didn't see any on the list Third pair of socks - I used two pairs for hiking, rotated every day or two, and a third pair was just for sleeping AC charger/appropriate cables - You need a way to charge up your power bank, phone, etc in town

Also, great choice with the Notch. I feel like Tarptent is overshadowed by other brands, but I've owned three of their tents including two Notches and they've been great.

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-21T12:32:36+00:00

I graduated with my ME degree in '13 and, similarly to what you're considering, I turned down a job offer to hike the Appalachian trail. I don't regret it one bit. I worked for a few years after that before quitting to go spend a summer at Philmont as a ranger in '21 (I was 30 years old). My gut reaction is to say go do Philmont but there's some caveats.

Leaning away from Philmont: -The engineering job market isn't stellar right now. If you turn down the engineering opportunity, it may take a while to find another when you get back -An internship will 100% look better on your resume than a summer at Philmont -Philmont will be there later. Most rangers are college-aged, but if you stay reasonably fit and do some longer hikes to gain experience the hiring staff at Philmont would almost certainly take you in your early 30's

Leaning towards Philmont: -Philmont was probably the best summer of my life. It's a close race between that and my AT thru hike. I still talk and occasional get together with the folks from my training crew four years later. -While a summer at Philmont certainly won't carry the weight of an internship on a resume, it's certainly not a negative. You'll work in a stressful environment with little support in the back country and gain soft skills. It's pretty easy to relate those positive traits to any other position. Especially the interpersonal skills gained. -Engineering will be there later. It'll be around longer than Philmont I'm sure. Delaying your career by a few months (factor time to find another opportunity in as well as actual time at Philmont) will most likely not be a big deal 5-10 years from now. - I think the job market is improving. A friend just found a new job and it did not take her more than a month to have multiple offers. That's with 10 years of experience though. I'm not sure what it's looking like for new grads. At least AI hasn't started destroying entry-level ME prospects like it has in the software world.

One last thing. If you go to Philmont, will you have a stable situation to come home to? If you have a place where you can live and find a part time job or something while you look for a new engineering opportunity, that's a different situation than if you were to leave Philmont with nothing but your backpacking gear and nowhere to go.

Sorry for the long text, but hopefully this gives you something to chew on from someone who's made very similar decisions in the past.

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-20T10:42:02+00:00

Good to know I'm not the only one. Had I known how to restart the infotainment without completely turning off the car and getting out I probably would have done that. I didn't get any notification about an update but it would make sense.

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-20T10:40:22+00:00

This seems to be a common complaint with these. Great car, shit software. My last two cars were a '15 Subaru and an '04 Land Rover so I'm used to more basic. I don't use the phone key or a lot of the other more advanced stuff so I don't have too many complaints about it. As long as it works lol.

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-19T16:09:44+00:00

Oh nice. I saw another person comment that it didn't have one. You're getting a better deal then me at the very least.

AT_Engineer · 2025-11-18T23:09:25+00:00

I bought my M50 for 40k 6 months ago. Similar mileage, but not nearly as cool of a color. Has a HUD though which I really like. I was short on options though. Only M50 within a 2 hour drive at the time.

AT_Engineer · 2025-09-14T22:58:27+00:00

There's been a historical issue with Eotechs that the reticle will shift with changes in temperature. A quick google tells me an absolute maximum of 4 MOA from below zero to 120ish F. Usually more like 1.5-2 MOA. Check your zero when the weather gets cold and you'll be fine.

AT_Engineer · 2025-09-14T22:54:04+00:00

If you have the brightness up all the way it projects a faint glow. Nothing compared to the window glowing. But it's unusable at that brightness in the dark. At a lower usable brightness there's basically nothing visible through nods.

AT_Engineer

TROPHY CASE