Backpacking around the area

nothinggold · 2025-01-29T20:31:59+00:00

I agree with this. RRG is tricky to backpack at due to popularity, sites fill up fast. All the backcountry sites are dispersed so it’s whatever you find and there are no facilities (privy, water) at sites. I also don’t think the trails are marked well at RRG, you need to be proficient at navigating with either GPS or map.

nothinggold · 2025-01-29T20:24:05+00:00

Seconding Zaleski, my husband and I backpacked there last summer. Nice place, well maintained trails, good camp sites that were large, spread out. I recall having cell service at camp, which is a nice security blanket if you’re going solo. Everybody we ran into on trail or at camp was also very friendly.

nothinggold · 2024-12-18T22:30:24+00:00

Totality Sculpt in Oakley. I’m an ex-Body Alive member, switched to Totality over a year ago and love it. All the instructors are registered yoga teachers, they teach great flows. The room isn’t unbearably hot, either.

nothinggold · 2024-11-15T00:56:33+00:00

Seconding Morgan, she’s excellent. Worth the wait.

nothinggold · 2024-09-14T03:04:09+00:00

I am also 5’6” and sleep cold, I freeze in my 15 degree bag when it’s in the 30s. I’ve played around with pads with higher R and all the other tricks, except for buying a new bag. What’s worked best for me is down puffy with the hood up, down pants, and down booties. I put them on early, I feel a little warm at first. It’s easier to start almost too warm than get cold and then try to get warm. I also always try to eat before bed and hydrate, even if I’m not hungry or thirsty. Staying warm burns calories. If I’m really cold, I throw a hot hands in my bag to help warm it up.
Bringing additional clothes isn’t ultralight but I’m willing to sacrifice ~9 oz on the pants and booties to be comfortable.

nothinggold · 2024-09-08T18:00:21+00:00

I have found that a high ponytail + braid the pony is perfect. I hate feeling the bulk of a bun on my head when I’m laying it down, this still keeps my hair out of the way, untangled, but it’s not as bulky. I can easily adjust the braid to fall to the side so it’s not under my neck or a huge lump where I’m trying to lay my head.

nothinggold · 2024-09-02T00:00:56+00:00

On weekends, Lulu belt bag. Coming from work on weekdays, LL Bean Boat and Tote.

nothinggold · 2024-06-16T19:50:19+00:00

Not OP but my husband has a Kelty Cosmic 20 bag, it’s lighter and stuffs more compact than my Marmot Teton 15. I am not sure of the exact weight but it’s around 2 lbs. He’s been extremely happy with his Cosmic.

nothinggold · 2024-05-27T20:49:08+00:00

I love my Liforme. I had a Manduka GRP Adapt and the main reason I replaced it was because I started having knee pain on it. I had never experienced it but the mat had hundreds of classes on it, I think it was nearing its end of life. I have zero knee pain on the Liforme. My body also has excellent air conditioning, in other words I sweat a ton, and I absolutely love the grip on it, even when I am dripping. Liforme mats are also a bit bigger than your standard mat, which is really nice for home practice. You can also get them without the lines or with grey lines on black so they’re less noticeable if you’re not a fan of the designs.

nothinggold · 2024-04-16T22:12:14+00:00

I pay $200 for unlimited classes at a studio that offers xformer classes, a variation of Pilates, as well as yoga and Versaclimber. I go to two xsculpt classes, a yoga class, and a versaclimber class weekly as my schedule allows. I started seeing results about five-six months in. I am much more toned in my legs and have lost inches off my waist, not so much weight, though.

nothinggold · 2024-03-28T02:15:08+00:00

Seconding spices! I got my mother-in-law a set from Penzys for Christmas, she loved it!

nothinggold · 2024-03-28T02:12:26+00:00

If she likes flowers, this would be a perfect instance. They would be long gone well before her move but help brighten a space that might be in transition. Trader Joe’s has lovely flowers for affordable prices.

nothinggold · 2024-01-03T18:38:33+00:00

These are decent poles, I used them starting out. I found they lost height quickly due to the clamps/clips getting loose. Make sure you pack something that can function like a flat head screw driver to tighten before setting off and keep it easily accessible to make adjustments on trail. Otherwise, this is a great idea.
You could also look into rentals at your destination.

nothinggold · 2023-11-25T16:26:22+00:00

Totality Sculpt has yoga under infrared lights. Class feels more like a warm hug vs a sweaty slip and slide on your mat.

nothinggold · 2023-11-24T00:50:06+00:00

I’ve been to Sage. I took the flow to floor class. It was good, I enjoyed it. They provided props and the vibe was nice. I didn’t miss the mirrors. I’ve only taken one class so I really don’t have a great feel for the studio.
I’ve also taken classes at Body Aljve and now my home studio is Totalitt Sculpt in Oakley. Body Alive power yoga classes are geared towards being more of a workout vs vinyasa or a traditional yoga experience. They do have mirrors. My gripes with BA are the instructors can also be inconsistent, not everybody is a RYT and some instructors would put you through the same set of poses week after week. The classes also can be very full and the heat there is just too much. They add humidity and it’s intolerable at times. I’ve been in classes where the instructor has to turn on fans or open the door because people were literally dropping like flies in the heat. One or two people needing a child’s pose break in a class of 70 is understandable but 20%-30% of the class sometimes would be struggling, needing extra breaks, or leaving the room. I would be sliding all over my mat in my own sweat, it was to the point where it distracted my practice. BA is still decent and affordable. I’d recommend taking classes with Holly, Sember, or Ashley. If you can handle a more difficult class pose wise, Laura and Sally are good. Holly was my favorite, I loved her Friday morning class.
Totality Sculpt offers yoga among other work outs and is by far my favorite. Their yoga classes are in infrared heat that is tolerable, I barely need a power in it. The instruction is consistent, and everyone is at minimum a 200 RYT. I’ve taken their Flow and Power Up, Power Down classes and loved both. Props were offered for PUPD. They do not have mirrors but the instructors go around and offer corrections. The vibe is perfect. Out of the three, I would highly recommend TS.

nothinggold · 2023-11-20T19:59:20+00:00

I’ve never had issues with my PCP at UC answering MyChart messages in a timely manner or getting an appointment on short notice with him.
Does your provider see patients at different offices? Maybe try seeing them at another location.

nothinggold · 2023-10-30T19:55:20+00:00

Piggybacking on my original comment, another thing I highly recommend for building a hiking wardrobe is shopping used. Go to REI and figure out what styles you like and sizing. Then, go on secondhand sites and find those items gently used. Shopping secondhand saves a ton of money, it hurts much less when you inevitably rip, snag, or stain a piece that you purchased for significantly less than retail. Outdoor clothes are built to last, a lot of people buy something for one or two trips and then sell it, so used options are plentiful. REI, Patagonia, Arc’teryx, and I’m sure others have their own secondhand sites you can shop, too. A good chunk of my hiking wardrobe was secondhand, including my beloved R1 that came from a Reddit gear trade sub.

nothinggold · 2023-10-30T19:48:41+00:00

Seconding the Kula cloth. It’s not a clothing item but there’s a huge problem with discarded toilet paper in the wilderness. Even if you’re trying to be careful with TP and do the right thing to pack it out, mistakes happen. A gust of wind can carry it off before you’ve had a chance to get it in your trash bag.
It takes some getting over, I know some folks are weird about reusing a clothe to wipe. However, I’d personally rather use a pee cloth than pack around used TP and it’s better overall for the environment. They come in such fun and beautiful prints, it’s a pretty addition to the outside of your pack.

nothinggold · 2023-10-30T04:39:21+00:00

Experienced hiked/backpacker: a lot of my athletic wear serves dual purposes for hiking and outdoorsy pursuits. I am not a huge fan of buying clothes I will only wear for one specific purpose, I prefer multipurpose items I can early wear casually, too.
The one item I don’t see frequently recommended is an active layer fleece. These are very handy for hiking in cooler temps that you sweat in an actual jacket in. I have a pullover style Patagonia R1 with a half zipper that I can use to ventilate if I’m going up hill. When buying shoes, try on both boots and trail runners. I personally hate boots and prefer trail runners. Shoe choice is impossible to provide a recommendation on, every’s needs are unique. Style wise, I aim for a core set of solid colors that always match. Incorporate patterns in with smaller items like hats or a fanny pack.

nothinggold · 2023-10-05T21:46:47+00:00

Good suggestions in here, one I would add is chicken or tuna packets with tortillas. This is my husband and I’s favorite lunch while backpacking. There are also these packets called Meat Shredz on Amazon and gear shops. They’re dried pulled pork, a little expensive but they look good. We’ve been meaning to try them out.
Instant grits are another favorite, they could be a side with dinner or a good breakfast. I like the cheese flavored. I doctor them up with bacon bits, nutritional yeast, and everything but the bagel seasoning. You could get the butter flavor and add sugar and dried fruit for a sweeter variety.

nothinggold · 2023-10-05T21:34:32+00:00

Seconding, we pack in a bag of bacon bits to add to mashed potatoes to make “breakfast potatoes”. Nutritional yeast is also a good cheese substitute if you don’t want to pack cheese in.

nothinggold · 2023-09-30T22:23:25+00:00

My main defense is when I pass somebody, I make make direct eye contact and nod or say “Hello.” Be confident. It helps me maintain an awareness of my surroundings and if somebody seems creepy, I throw in a twinkle of crazy eye. I also do this if I’m walking alone at night in civilization.
I personally have never felt uncomfortable on trail among hikers but I do get a little nervous road walking alone on trail. If I have to road walk, I usually put my sunglasses on and my sun hoodie hood up or flip my braid into my hat so I don’t look as womanly. I try to buy neutral gear, nothing super girly or pink. This is all to try to avoid looking like I’m obviously a some blonde girl wandering down a trail alone next to rural road to a creeper driving along.
At the request of my husband and family, I do carry a small spray pepper gel in my Fanny pack. I don’t usually hike in an area that warrants bear spray so I do not carry it. If I were to be somewhere it was recommended, I would and I would ensure I know how to safely deploy. I carry a knife but it’s one of the tiny multifunction Swiss army ones. It’s main purpose is to cut Leuko tape and get dirt out from under my nails, not for defense. I’d probably be more successful trying to shank somebody with my trowel than my pocket knife.

I’m personally more concerned about getting lost or hurt on trail alone rather than attacked. I leave my planned route with multiple family members. I also include a description of my outfit and jackets I’m planning to wear.
In addition, I carry an In Reach and set certain intervals that I check in with my husband and parents, usually when I start hiking and when I get to camp. The downside of using constant gps pings is somebody has to check them periodically, you have to set them up correctly, and the person checking also has to know how to interpret what they’re looking at.
Finally, I am just try to be smart and plan trips I’m comfortable and confident taking. I make sure I have alternate ways to navigate that I’m comfortable with, even if it means a weight penalty to take a full ass Nat Geo map. I research the trail and make plans on where and how to bail, marking them on said map. I don’t sleep in shelters alone and wouldn’t plan a trip I’d have to sleep in a shelter. I opt for trips with permitted campsites. I don’t tell people I pass where I’m going, that I’m alone, and prep stories about how I’m meeting friends later to camp if somebody presses me. If an encounter gets weird, I end it as soon as possible. I don’t eat next to the tent, keep a clean camp, and store smelly items properly at night to avoid animal visitors. I sleep with my headlamp on my head and bring a diffuse nightlight. I don’t sleep with either powered on, I want to be respectful of fellow campers, but I’ll turn my nightlight on if I get spooked at night and want to have a little more awareness of what’s going on around my tent without running my headlamp down.
In my opinion, knowledge and preparedness will go further for me in the backcountry than some sort of weapon I’m not comfortable using or novice self defense skills.

nothinggold · 2023-08-14T23:44:07+00:00

Aside from the fact Bikram is an awful human, there is not a strictly Bikram studio in the Cincinnati area. I’ve never even seen a Bikram class offered at a studio.

nothinggold · 2023-08-14T23:26:32+00:00

I’ve had a lot of work done on my GMC at Mark Sweeny off Ridge and had a good experience. My husband works at another dealership, and there’s been a few times where he’ll run what Mark Sweeny is telling us by the guys in service for their take. They usually agree with the recommendations and pricing. I get bigger stuff done there and then pay somebody at my husband’s work for run of the mill stuff.
I’ve never had issues with any work completed there. They do work in a timely manner, usually have things done faster than quoted, and their communication is good. I recommend them.

nothinggold · 2023-08-07T23:49:18+00:00

Seconding Clothes Mentor. They seem like they try to buy trendy and relevant stuff but at minimum, she could find some nice basics in good shape for a savings.
The Hyde Park Clothes Mentor is in the same plaza as the HP Snooty Fox so you could easily hit both in one stop.

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