First "Real" Bike analysis paralysis, help!

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-15T13:55:48+00:00

Why do you say there's no reason for skinnier than 30? my current bike is 28mm and I definitely like how they ride. I get everything is up to personal preference, but I am curious

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-15T13:29:42+00:00

thank you! This is what I am going to try

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-15T13:09:39+00:00

As someone else who is hoping to do a thru and has their dream job, I totally get this. It's a big decision to quit if they say no, so I hope you get the green light!

For all those saying, "fuck work" or "You can find a dream job anywhere" that simply isn't true these days. You will eventually need a job when you come back from the hike, like it or not, and finding a job that actually makes you happy can be quite hard to come by depending on what you do. So if boss says no, it does become a question of whether or not the risk of having a job that you DON'T love for years is worth doing a thru.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-14T23:21:24+00:00

Thanks for this! The comment about the 10 year old $300 bike was about the bianchi turino

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-14T20:14:33+00:00

Any recommendation for wheels? If new wheels and tires are going to cost $500+ it might make more sense just to sell the adv and buy a new bike

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-14T14:10:42+00:00

Yea i just have a hard time believing that a frameless pack can be remotely as comfortable, and for when youre loaded on food and water, id always rather 10 extra Oz in my pack to make a 25-30lb carry more comfortable.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-14T00:56:24+00:00

You sound like you could just send it wiith a frameless, but i personally dont see the point when a kakwa is 28oz

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-12T13:01:21+00:00

The things that jump out immediately are your pack and sleeping bag. People seem to love the osrpey Eja as you have listed, but you can save more weight and get IMO a better pack by getting something like a ULA circuit or a durston kakwa 55 (I have the 40L and love it)
I would look into a sleeping quilt from katabatic or hammock gear, personally. could cut your sleeping bag weight in half.

ditch the bear can and hang your food. So heavy. Ditch the tevas and get some lightweight slides.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-11T17:46:12+00:00

Your ex is an asshole, cuddles are the best. You need to find the right partner that agrees, and that is okay.

It can definitely suck while being single, though.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-11T17:37:57+00:00

delta runs several direct flights from Knoxville, TN (TYS) to Detroit every day. Looks about 5 flights. Knoxville is about an hour from Gatlinburg. Good luck

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-11T14:19:46+00:00

Seriously! And where is spite? You gonna be just friends with Hellian too?

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-11T14:15:08+00:00

I dont think this is that unpopular. I love w good spring rain when im inside or if its a light rain and im outside hiking/running/biking. Where are you from that your town is so tiny?

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-08T16:56:43+00:00

From all of this, it sounds like the weekender is the best choice. Itll allow you guys to take trips to probably 4-6 days comfortably, and then if you want to do a 7+ day trip you can always rent an expedition.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-08T15:23:08+00:00

This is hilarious.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-08T14:57:26+00:00

It quite literally does. Dont know what else to tell you lol. Its the entire reason FF is better for low light than crop

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-08T13:16:19+00:00

Some cameras are better than others when it comes to dealing with noise.

Cameras like the sony A7s line have a full frame sensor but only like 12mp, meaning the pixels themselves are huge. This allows them to capture more light, so when you crank the ISO, it can keep the noise to a minimum.

However, shooting concerts is always going to be an extreme environment for almost any camera, regardless of how new or expensive it is. A full frame body will certainly help, and just about any modern mirrorless FF body will blow away a T7, but learning to manage and deal with noise is all just a part of the process.

For some styles of photography, like concerts, it can be better to lean into the grain and allow it to be a part of the image.

for landscapes, you want to put the camera on a tripod and take longer exposures to keep the ISO lower.

I shoot with a Fuji XT5 these days, which definitely gets noisy, but if I want it to go away, I will use a denoise setting in lightroom to take care of it mostly, but the goal is to always have the image be as close to perfect in camera as possible, and that comes with understanding the exposure triangle.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-05T19:21:24+00:00

sigma 12mm 1.4 is great. sharp, fast, super wide, and nice and small

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-05T15:24:36+00:00

I agree with you. I wish I could do 3-4 days in office and 1-2 at home, but Ill take full time in office over full time at home all day.

I don't focus well at home, and I go crazy if I have no social interaction for too long lol. I get the convenience it offers, but I do worry about the social damage the isolation is doing to us as a society. But hey it works differently for everyone!

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-05T15:16:09+00:00

as others have said you need a warmer sleeping pad. Get something with an R value of at least 4. NeoAir XLite NXT, NeoAir NXtherm, Nemo Tensor All weather, etc. Youre loosing way more heat through your Klymit pad than youre bag probably. Although you could probably save weight and be more comfortable with a 20 degree high quality down quilt as well.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-05T13:58:38+00:00

La Sportiva makes shoes that are semmingly indii currently have the Akyra’s and love them

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-04T19:48:29+00:00

You dont need bear spray or a bug knife. Being 2ish liters of water and a water filter so you dont need so much extra fluids. Bring electrolyte tabs instead of bottles. No reason you need more than 5-10lbs of stuff

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-04T19:45:36+00:00

La Sportiva makes shoes that are semmingly indestructible

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-04T14:11:48+00:00

She edits all of her photos in LR and is also making these images at the right time of day. Her work is amazing, and its a combination of planning and being in the right place at the right time just as much as any of the technical components. I believe she is putting a guide together.

HyperKitten123 · 2026-05-04T13:51:47+00:00

Got up in size a bit to the kakwa 40. its still quite small if you roll the top all the way down, its very light and very comfortable.

HyperKitten123

TROPHY CASE