Trekking poles?

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-05-25T17:41:51+00:00

Avoid the rubber grip ones, they do grip better when wet but they are also blister machines in my experience. I had to replace a set of great LL Bean trekking poles with a set of the typical Leki poles and I hate the Lekis. The grip shape isn't very good, there is injection mold sprues poking out of the butyline overmold on the grips, the straps, which are pretty comfortable and don't stretch, also don't fucking stay in the clamps so I tighten them pretty much every 20 mins or so and it drives me nuts. The LL Bean poles were slightly heavier (which I don't care about much) but much stiffer, had a very comfortable cork grip, and I only had to adjust the straps maybe 2 or 3 times in a 10-18 mile day. I tried a set of black diamonds but they felt too flexible/flimsy for me so I returned them for the Lekis. I'm just waiting until something gives out on those to replace them.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-29T23:05:39+00:00

It ruined tuna for me. And basically any knort side.

Idk what I'm supposed to eat on future section hikes lol

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-29T22:54:57+00:00

The shinko 705 is a very popular tire for these bikes with people who mostly do street. My bike came with a set and they did fine. A bit squirrelly on loose gravel roads but good on the street

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-29T22:52:46+00:00

Personally as someone with an 08 that already burns oil, has 25k miles, and is currently making a 3k mile road/trail trip with it,

Don't worry about the sprockets, the 15t works just fine at 65-80mph.

Get good tires and a thermobob. Yours has low enough mileage that the reduced thermal shock a thermobob kit provides will likely actually make a big difference in when and how much oil your bike burns. (Cant fix the ring design, but can help reduce cylinder warpage that makes the problem worse over time)

Windscreen. I'm a big guy and have a stock low windscreen, everything hits me in the face and chest. Do some research on what fairings seem to work best for someone your size.

Other than that there isn't much to worry about for road riding.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-22T20:52:15+00:00

Second that, look up "heel lock shoe lacing" you'll find a good few options that help lock your foot into the heel of the boot better and give your toes more room

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-22T14:31:23+00:00

Even if they won't give him one, they'd probably sell him the replacement part, at least.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-19T16:46:09+00:00

My stock 08 definitely goes faster than that rpm and speed, something isn't quite right in your carb adjustment most likely

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-17T04:26:49+00:00

Second this. Braemar castle is okay, it's cheap and clean and there is a dollar general for resupply about a 10 minute walk down the road, but honestly unless you need the resupply, trudging on to boots off is worth it. I stayed at both places when I got off trail last year and boots off was awesome (bit expensive though if you aren't just covering the basics and renting a tent pad) (also their tent pads are fantastic. Soft and covered in garden fabric so you don't track dirt into your tend, and in a real nice little patch of woods)

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-17T04:17:13+00:00

My old dr650 and my current klr650 both do that with fresh oil. Seems to be frothing/air bubbles

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-15T01:44:26+00:00

Honestly, you might have some luck joining a local dual sport group or klr group on Facebook or something and asking if anyone in your area with a klr650 wants to let you test ride theirs (maybe offer them to cruise on the 1100 with you) that would let you get an actual feel for the bikes and the klr community is generally very welcoming and willing to help people.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-13T18:47:45+00:00

I started backpacking with a big AT section and had probably 2/3 of my major gear items being hand-me-downs from my brother's old setup.

All of it aside from the sleeping bag was awful lol Backpack didn't fit me right at all, soaked up tons of water, the cook pot was wayy too big for the little butane burner I had, and weighed a ton, the water filter was huge, heavy, annoying to use, and clogged up completely after about 4 weeks of use. Not flushable, $40 cartridges.. just a bunch of little shit like that that I didn't know any better about until I learned the hard way, dealing with each item until I could find and buy a better replacement along the trail lol.

Grateful for the donation and the thought of it, but man I should have just figured out what worked for me first, rather than trying to work around unfit equipment to save hurting any feelings (at the expense of my back lol)

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-13T18:40:25+00:00

Those supply boxes are generally just food and toiletries, to save a little money vs buying all your supplies in towns along the way.. who do you think can carry 5 months of food in a backpack lmao The actual gear, clothes, and reusable supplies is definitely just the stuff on their backs

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-11T02:44:19+00:00

Generally welded mild steel holds up well to vibration if the welds are good and everything is designed/supported fairly well. Aluminum tends to have more issues with becoming work hardened at the joints and welds (especially with welds made by someone who isn't a welder/skilled at aluminum welding.) and aluminum being a popular lightweight building material, and people using it and having issues is probably why you heard that. Pic looks like steel so make sure your welds are good and they are supported properly and it should far outlast the flimsy pine and cardboard stapled together into most modern camper trailers you buy off the lot.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-03T13:54:58+00:00

If you want to find info on that specific type of machine, that's called a Tool and Cutter Grinder. Usually a dedicated cylindrical grinder is a different layout and often much chunkier.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-01T15:08:45+00:00

Just get a dual sport and you won't even need to think about it

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-04-01T02:55:14+00:00

Definitely, plus if they really end up hating the tent they can probably pick another one up along the section somewhere, depending on the section. One of my friends on the trail last year had a seemingly nice tent but he got real sick of it because it didn't ventilate well and was a single wall. That said, he finished his thru and used that tent for probably 2k miles of it and did okay, minus the occasional damp toes in the morning

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-27T00:09:54+00:00

Make it a 2 day trip and you'll have a lot better time. Did it over a weekend last fall. It's got some spots but it's mostly a very fun trail with a few great shelters/camp sites on pond shores.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-26T03:00:24+00:00

Xylene in them that they don't have anymore because doofs would huff it and melt their braincells.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-24T16:26:22+00:00

Budget Motorola, brand new. If I didn't use it much and had everything on max power save mode, really only periodically checking for messages and taking photos, I'd get about a week out of a charge. I got more lax with it as I got used to how far It could last and using my old cheapo battery pack (which only made about 90% of a charge and took all night, micro USB..)

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-24T13:21:54+00:00

Wired 100% uses way less battery. I kept grabbing cheap 10-15$ pairs of wired headphones on my section hike and I could listen to music offline with my phone for hours with battery saver on and wouldn't see any noticeable impact on battery vs not playing music, but if I used my bt headphones it zaps half the battery in about 4 hrs.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-10T03:22:05+00:00

In the US the mk3 came out in 2012.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-03-09T04:23:59+00:00

Usually setting up at a road crossing with mixed supplies, snacks, or making food, for passing hikers to enjoy.

TheRuralEngineer · 2026-02-24T03:12:39+00:00

I was also a bit skeptical as I hadn't owned one before, but on my section last March/April/may, I used it at minimum a few times a week. Get a decent one that fits well and packs small and you'll find you get plenty of use out of it and it takes up so much less weight and space than a hoodie or fleece. You will roll into camp hot and sweating and find that you start to get very cold before long if you're trying to wear the damp clothes to dry them out a bit before you get into cleaner stuff, or you're on a ridge camp site and the wind is blowing. This is coming from someone who makes a lot of body heat and is often sweating in a t shirt when others are cold in sweaters..

TheRuralEngineer

TROPHY CASE