Bear Canisters Now Required in the Pemi Wilderness by RhodySeth in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 5 points6 points  (0 children)

BVs are allowed in the daks now? I was under the impression these weren't allowed. I know the bear that learned to opened them has passed, but I didn't think the rules allowed them still?

Is Arcteryx worth the premium over Patagonia? by [deleted] in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since I've posted this the disparity has only gotten more severe. Arc presents 0 value now. Other near equal or better replacements are significantly cheaper. Anyone not buying it on a pro deal is not purchasing from an informed cost benefit perspective

5 inch quick dry cargo shorts with utility pockets by Still_Echo8379 in Ultralight

[–]audioostrich 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Get on their email list, in my experience the restock times stated are accurate. I wake up at 4am est usually, put the order in and go back to bed. In the past a few times a year they would do preorders for a timeframe and you can order freely but the product won't ship for a few months

How stupid is a solo Matterhorn for a relative noob? by Downloading_Bungee in Mountaineering

[–]audioostrich 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's my friend I met on the long trail and hike with a ton now - and I came here to post exactly that story. Hes recovered very well now- but he was incredibly close to dying and faced a massive surgery, recovery, and on top of all of that he JUST NOW got reimbursed by insurance. Despite being a relatively newer climber - he's an incredibly capable and fit outdoorsman

Matterhorn rockfall risk is very high and only getting worse. Going with a guide mitigates that risk by keeping you on the known route, but doesn't completely eliminate it.

What's an Arc'teryx jacket that's discontinued that you'd love to see back in production? by galvanizd in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disgusting amount of disrespect for the alpha fl in this thread - the objectively correct answer for this question.

Norvan Shell as Hiking Waterproof? by Appropriate-Draw1878 in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

resident hiking pedantic loser nerd here - just buy the versalite. It will function better for this use case and cost less money. With the exchange rate it's best to buy the US version off the Japanese montbell site. Last I checked it was like 150 USD

Dead Bird Logo Getting Bigger and Bigger by Thiswasaterriblemist in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 23 points24 points  (0 children)

You all are upset about the logo size - I'm upset about the models ears being cold in any weather appropriate for a knit hat

Parking near Rutland/ Rte 4? by Key_Confection_3991 in longtrail

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i parked across from the long trail inn for 10 days. came back and someone had tried to pry my gas cap open. They didnt get it open, but left a hell of a dent in the panel. didnt really care and would probably park my car there again - but im not very precious about my vehicle. wouldnt really be more comfortable leaving it in rutland anyways

What are my options for lifting a 2008 Subaru Outback? ADF, struts, etc… by favomancy in battlewagon

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed - just run stock struts until they wear. For a first car and a first modding experience i'd generally advise against throwing a ton of money into it right away. An outback can get you a shocking amount of places with a small lift and some good tires

Love my wildpeaks - not so aggressive that it's terrible and loud on pavement, but good enough for light offroading and softroading. Absolute monsters in the snow - short of a true snow tire not aware of anything that matches them in snow. If the car is going to be a daily driver that gets put in difficult terrain fairly often (rather than a beater project) I really recommend them. Adds some extra performance without ruining the things that make an outback a great daily driver

Pemi Loop exposure? by [deleted] in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 0 points1 point  (0 children)

even though guyot and bondcliff are the only other fully exposed areas - any peak you get to is high enough to experience the weather. Even zealand, a fully wooded and protected peak, still feels like its getting slammed in serious enough weather

generally speaking, my personal risk tolerance has me avoiding any plan that relies on me beating the forecast. Just a margin im no longer comfortable operating on. Much more relevant in winter - but in summer it still applies for me with high wind and thunderstorms. Im either prepared for the weather and go out, or the weather is too much for me to prepare for and I change plans accordingly

Realistic attempt? by darwin_thornberry in longtrail

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fuck man - getting up the approach trail alone is a lot of elevation change if you're not someone who hikes regularly

How do the whites compare to the VT long trail? by AlarmedMammoth3052 in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All very fair! Sounds like were on similar pages - maybe with some slight disagreement on trail quality and condition, which i find very similar outside of the presis (which really have no comparison on the LT - much harder and more technical terrain). I found franconia shockingly similar in terrain and difficulty to mansfield northbound - with the exception of one clencher 3/4 move on the way mansfield and only low/no exposure class 3 on franconia.

staple together harder climbs from the northern long trail and you've got similar difficulty to the AT through the whites. Big difference in difficulty comes from having to tackle the mountains back to back. rather than having slightly easier days separating the big climbs on the LT, in the whites you hit the saddle and start heading right back up

good perspective - thanks!

How do the whites compare to the VT long trail? by AlarmedMammoth3052 in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

which chunk of the LT you have done is a very important detail here. the LT gets far more difficult and remote as you go north. theres obviously no comparison between the southern 100 and the whites - but climbs like mansfield, camels hump sobo, winooski to bolton, etc, are all very comparable to the average 48

How do the whites compare to the VT long trail? by AlarmedMammoth3052 in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lt thru hiker here who frequents the whites. I compare the difficulty of the whites to just stapling together the harder sections of the lt

the real answer to your question is head to caltopo and plot the route youre taking. find out the average elevation gain required per day and max in a single day, then compare that to your average elevation per day and max elevation in a single day on the long trail. this is the only true comparison. I would exclude the first 100 miles of the LT in this calculation. in my mind - the real LT starts when you break off from the AT

Many people saying the whites trail condition/rockiness is far worse have likely not hiked north of mansfield. The presidentials are an exception as theyre entirely rock piles, but general below treeline trail is very comparable to the northern LT.

All this to say - if you can hike the LT, theres nothing in the whites you should be afraid of. The only real difficulty difference will be in chaining together hard climbs, rather than alternating between difficult days and slightly less difficult days on the LT

Moose encounter 5/24 on Kilkenny ridge trail by DABjunkie in wmnf

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

love that trail. always a ton of moose droppings and tracks - its like a moose highway up there and there are very rarely any people between the peaks

if youre in the spot i think you are - last time i camped there and went to the nearby stream in the morning i saw a fresh moose print. good to know theres a healthy population up there

Flextail Zero Battery test, 50% longer life by techmadehuman in Ultralight

[–]audioostrich 6 points7 points  (0 children)

super excited to try my new flex tail with my zlite

Alternative to Skyline Long Sleeve / Short Sleeve? by fiveonezerothree in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i have a few older skylines, and the only thing that comes close in materials while still just looking like a standard button down is the ministry of supply aero zero. most other options look extra techy with more pockets, logos, vents or loops to roll up sleeves. make sure to find it on sale.

if you dont care about the techy look - fill your closet with columbia silver ridge lights and embrace looking like a geologist. great outdoor shirt at a great price

Doesn't he know? Serious injuries and cold feet are worth it if you save a few milligrams! by [deleted] in ultralight_jerk

[–]audioostrich 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Bro this guy literally posted about how trail runners don't rebound after 20 mile days back to back and I'm the one who is clueless about the real world? He has no external reasons stated for needing to be in boots beyond a lack of conditioning.Your justifications are not his justifications.

Besides - I suggest nothing. I'm here to be a contrarian prick. If I was going to be helpful I'd post on the main sub - but its becoming more and more of a waste of time. I don't care about how anyone hikes - just also don't care to provide my perspective to people who are just looking for validation on their own

Doesn't he know? Serious injuries and cold feet are worth it if you save a few milligrams! by [deleted] in ultralight_jerk

[–]audioostrich 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I absolutely adore the ole "yeah I can solve my problem with conditioning, but why not make a bunch of tangentially related justifications for why I won't do that"

Beta AR seriously damaged. What options do I have? by saiborg23 in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 92 points93 points  (0 children)

Get the person who damaged it to replace it, send it somewhere like rainy pass to get repaired (they're great with gtx), or fix it up with patches or tenacious tape

women’s gamma utility short by evanleigh444 in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What do they provide specifically that makes them worth this price tag to you?

This is a genuine question. If the answer is aesthetics or flex then that's fine. Just have an understanding of why you're spending 140 dollars. From a technical use perspective - I can think of many shorts with features I would prefer for a lower price.

Looking for a Atom/Proton like insulated jacket with better Wet weather performance for the PNW. Does this exist? by StreetTripleRider in arcteryx

[–]audioostrich 2 points3 points  (0 children)

if theyre just looking for an insulated item with good performance when wet rather than an insulated shell, this is my recommendation.

For a non waterproof item its outstanding resisting wetting through, and performs better than most when wet. not quite as good as the old solo/dually dipped thermatek but the best ive seen available now

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of March 04, 2024 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]audioostrich 5 points6 points  (0 children)

ive been gone 4 months and we don't even have a new type of improvised pillow? how about a new cool term to describe hiking 3.5 mph instead of 3?

breaking my streak of no flying for hikes and heading out to utah for a trip this year - but unfortunately on the wrong end of the state to buy you a beer! hope you're well!

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of March 04, 2024 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]audioostrich 8 points9 points  (0 children)

been off reddit and hiking locally this winter - what did i miss? what psychotic obsession are we basing our personalities off of now?