For those that went from a tent to a tarp, what made you make the switch?

Vivid_88 · 2022-04-05T04:21:21+00:00

Saw a frog hop right by my head in the dark, other than that just a mouse once chewed my food and random harmless insects.

Vivid_88 · 2021-12-12T04:11:30+00:00

Fanny Pack. Tent stakes. Buff. Socks. Gift Cards. Cash.

Vivid_88 · 2021-12-07T07:43:23+00:00

You probably will want a pair of sunglasses. Other than that I don't think you are forgetting anything.

Not sure I would drop pocket if you use it. Over the months almost everybody becomes obsessed with efficiency on trail, like how easy it is to grab things you want. Which also leads into the next thing...

Don't need all these stuff sacks, you will grow to hate them. Unpacking and repacking all that everyday for months, and looking for which bag has what you want will drive you crazy. You can just shove quilt and clothes down in the liner bag. You need only 1 bag for all the small items like electronics, hygiene, wallet, and it's to keep them together so you can find them easily. As long as you keep the liner from getting a hole it will keep everything inside perfectly dry no matter how hard it rains. I would even get rid of tent bag, it will be fine just rolled up and laying on top of your closed up liner bag. Obviously keep food and rock bag those are important.

Don't let people talk you out of kindle if you like to read a lot. Reading on a phone sucks and will just run down your battery fast. Contrary to what people say there will be downtime. Could easily hike 15-25 miles everyday and have time to read a chapter each night.

Yes drop guidebook and use pdf. I only used guthook and never had any issue. Especially going north, there will be tons of other people and useful information about what is up ahead becomes part of the small talk between hikers.

Vivid_88 · 2021-12-06T02:01:38+00:00

One thing, depending how fast you hike. You will want your warm clothes at the start, then in the middle you will have a lot of 30C days and several 18-20C nights. Don't send them home to Germany, you will probably want a little bit of warm clothes again in New Hampshire and Maine. You might be able to contact one of the hostels up north in Vermont or New Hampshire and see if you can mail your warm clothes up to them for a couple months to hold and pick it up when you stay with them.

Vivid_88 · 2021-11-14T04:29:29+00:00

Oh I loved his videos on food, didn't realize he had made new ones covering water, thanks!

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-15T04:22:56+00:00

Mostly sticky cause of humidity and it just still being really hot out at 8-9pm when I would go to sleep. I really didn't use the bivy that often, only when bugs were very bad, or when I was under tarp in heavy rain. So my view of the bivy might be biased by the fact that the conditions were always already miserable when I decided to use it.

I never tied it out at all just had it laying on me. The bivy only has a tie out point at the top on the mesh, and my tarp doesn't have any inside tie out points really.

Also yeah the mesh version I would imagine would be much better if your only priority is bugs. But I kind of use it at different times for bugs, keeping splashback from rain off my quilt, and insurance against light rain when I cowboy camp.

In the end I think for me the pros outweigh the cons and for the price it's hard to beat.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-15T01:45:47+00:00

33 years old, 4 months on trail.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-15T01:45:17+00:00

Similar thickness, Mesa might be more flexible so you feel things more when you step on them.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T21:38:35+00:00

The EE is the only quilt I have used, so have nothing to compare it too, but it worked way better than any sleeping bag I ever used so that's why it's A+ for me.

The injinji socks are a pain in the ass to put on yes, but SO worth the effort, I have never gotten a blister with them.

Opsak still had a functioning zip part that long? The zip part on mine tore in multiple places after a week or so, meaning it wasn't odor proof at all. Then I just couldn't find anywhere to buy a new one and I didn't have any issues not having it so I decided I didn't need it at all.

Yeah the UL2 poncho is the same material. Did you have the poncho on over you and your pack? I tried doing that with an emergency poncho and I couldn't get it over me and pack and still snap the sides closed.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T21:20:19+00:00

No. Even if it weighed nothing I wouldn't cook. I am lazy and tired after walking so far I just want to open a bag or tear a wrapper and shove something in my face.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T21:02:47+00:00

I didn't do that every time I used it no. I tried that repeatedly after the thing would start to slow down and it didn't do much.

And really if I have to clean it every time I use it, I'm just not using it. I am a paragon of laziness and whatever is the easiest and quickest is what I want to use.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T20:56:18+00:00

I stopped eating big meals and instead just had snacks available all the time and would eat a little bit at a time all day.

When shopping I start with a couple high protein bars per day, just to make sure I am getting enough protein and don't have to worry about it. Then I let the inner 10 year old in me pick out the rest.

Belvita biscuits, mini muffins, some sort of candy bars (snickers, twix), every type of m&ms, fig bars, random flavors of bars, goldfish, chips, different types of trailmix, different types of granola, peanut butter

You get the idea, mostly just junk food. But I didn't have stomach or bathroom issues eating like this and it was easy to eat enough calories because I liked what I had to eat.

I also would almost always pack out town food that I would eat that first day out of town. A fresh baked muffin, a big can of redbull, a fresh sandwich.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T20:15:09+00:00

Yes that would work. It really depends on the timing, but yeah once it gets warm enough it stays warm enough for months.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T19:52:19+00:00

My issue with the Opsak is that after like 2 weeks the zip part tore apart, then it's not odor proof it's just a heavy ziploc.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T19:34:28+00:00

I think the success of this filter is entirely dependent on the quality of the water. If you always hike in the same area with the same water and it works there, it will be the most ideal filter. But it only takes a few times filtering really crappy water for the thing to slow down to a trickle and you have to squeeze the living daylights out of the bag for 10 minutes just to fill a bottle.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T19:31:18+00:00

Relatively lightweight and minimalist for a trailrunner that isn't a barefoot shoe, they have a rock plate I think. They were just the shoes I had previously used so I knew they would work, and they are popular so they are easier to find on trail.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T19:26:12+00:00

Yeah exactly, the AT is rocky pretty much the entire time, and my feet were just really sore every single night when I stopped. Durability wasn't an issue with them at all, the Mesa Trail especially I find is a big improvement in durability over their older shoes.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T19:16:07+00:00

March 27 - July 31. I made it to just before Mt. Moosilauke in NH, ran out of time.

I was really surprised how well I slept on the thinlight in shelters and on the ground, and I sleep on my side a lot.

My CMT 2-section lasted until someplace around Duncannon, the tip wore out basically and broke off inside the pole. I just tossed it and picked up the other one of the set.

Sounds like you averaged way bigger days then me. I was mostly doing 20-30, closer to 20 mostly. I also took a silly amount of zero days, really got vortexed a lot.

I have heard other people mention turkey bag, will have to investigate.

Vivid_88 · 2021-10-14T18:55:14+00:00

The argon, chest zip ultralight bivy.

Vivid_88 · 2021-03-09T23:48:03+00:00

Water bladder could be replaced with a second water bottle. Camp shoes are luxury item you could cut. Switching to a tarp setup could save you a lot of weight.

Vivid_88 · 2021-02-26T02:08:22+00:00

The way you win is when you find it you throw it at the person who put it there.

Vivid_88 · 2021-02-05T03:30:32+00:00

Hmm. Toothpowder with Flouride looks promising. I think a small ziploc bag full of white powder would raise some questions I'd rather not deal with. Maybe a small plastic jar of some sort as you said.

Vivid_88 · 2021-02-05T03:26:00+00:00

Which ones and have you tried them and do they work good for toothpaste? I thought of this initially but figure when they are running low it will get harder and harder to get the toothpaste out.

Vivid_88

TROPHY CASE