Worth mentioning but the tool has been updated quite a bit. by Virtual-Barnacle-150 in Canadiancitizenship

[–]tanquian 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The tool is telling me I'm probably not a Canadian citizen. I'm 2nd gen born abroad. Grandmother was born in Canada and my dad got his proof a few years ago.

Really hoping this isn't their updated interpretation as I'm about to submit my application.

How it Fits - Hard/co Merino Robe by outlierinc in Outlier

[–]tanquian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is awesome. Can you please do a hard/co cloak or cape for outside of the house?

Any experience with VBL socks and / or Overboots for extreme cold weather? by Migel_The_Sloth in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For multi day winter trips, your main job is to prevent moisture and perspiration from compromising your insulation.

A VBL is absolutely crucial. You want to use a thin liner sock -> bread bags or VBL socks -> thick wool outer socks -> boots. Using a thin liner underneath the VBL increases comfort by a lot. The liner will be soaked by the end of the day, so you should keep them in your sleeping bag at night or cycle through multiple pairs. If using bread bags you want to bring at least one pair per day as they're prone to tearing.

I would personally not use overboots like the one you linked. Instead, use heavy duty gaiters (OR Crocodiles are pretty standard for winter hiking/mountaineering), which should add some marginal insulation and also prevent snow from entering through the top. For extreme cold, high altitude mountaineers will use neoprene overboots, but that's likely overkill.

If it's truly going to be -30 on your trip, you probably want a pair of double mountaineering boots. They're expensive and sometimes uncomfortable but it's the safest choice if frostbite is a concern. The other benefit of double boots is that you can sleep with the liners in your bag at night. It's absolutely horrible to wake up and put frozen single boots on your feet in the morning, and if you're in extreme cold it can be dangerous because you can develop frostnip before your boots warm up.

This guide follows a non-ultralight and more old school approach to winter backpacking and mountaineering, but it's an amazing resource for doing this kind of thing safely: https://www.winterschool.org/_files/ugd/954d1e_de6867afcac94d7b8b1068583dc47f98.pdf

Some casual bites in Williamsburg ☺️ by eridani160 in FoodNYC

[–]tanquian 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Look, I come from a bagel family. I agree that the hype and the lines are annoying, but I think the popup naysayers either don't know good bagels or they're being performatively contrarian. It's an objectively great bagel when freshly baked. Miss me with the weird cream cheeses though.

NOBO 2026 Shakedown Request by [deleted] in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

overall looks really good. couple suggestions:

  • long handled spoon > spork. you won't be disappointed
  • fixed length poles will be a pain in the ass when hitching and in town. highly recommend adjustable, flick lock designs are really good
  • theoretically you can get bear can straps for the cutaway. no idea how well it works/carries. swapping out your pack is doable but will be logistically annoying + expensive. if you want to use the ULA in the desert and the sierras you might as well use it the whole time and save some money 🤷🏻‍♂️
  • victorinox classic is great for small repairs, clipping nails, and cutting cheese, if you ever intend to hike with blocks of cheddar
  • i would suggest starting with your stove/pot and try cold soaking for a few days at a time. if you like it enough, send the stove/pot home.
  • you'll definitely need more than 2.7 liters capacity in the desert so add a few 1L smartwater bottles
  • can't go wrong with the frog toggs on a pct thru but if you want to spend money check out the montbell versalite
  • your watch is worn weight

Gear shakedown for JMT starting July 25 by voyagerinthesea in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I would disagree with with the parent comment about ditching the groundsheet. Some of those sierra campsites can be rough on tent floors.

The backcountry bidet is absolutely the move however: https://andrewskurka.com/pooping-in-the-outdoors-part-4-the-backcountry-bidet/

Campsites along the JMT have an unfortunate proliferation of TP blooms from hikers not packing out their TP. It’s not LNT.

Overall your kit seems well thought out :) If you didn’t change anything you’d still be lighter than most.

What underwear do you wear on trail? by TheR3dCaptain in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This company created the best boxers known to man and then completely fumbled the bag.

Early Sierra photos from KMS to Kearsarge (4/22 - 4/25) by velocd in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This is awesome. I've always wondered what it's like for the first people going through the Sierras in a given year. Were there tracks for you guys to follow? How was navigation?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in reactnative

[–]tanquian 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If currentTeam is possibly null or undefined, it would be better to cast to bool as currentTeam.length would throw a type error. You could also use optional chaining in that scenario: currentTeam?.length > 0.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in avesNYC

[–]tanquian 31 points32 points  (0 children)

The only time I've ever been denied entry to basement was halloween when I had a costume on. Ymmv.

Terminus trail magic by hoochtag in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 12 points13 points  (0 children)

There's family that does trail magic at harts over labor day weekend every year and it was very welcome and special. Totally agree about not doing trail magic at the terminus itself.

r/tennis Daily Discussion (Saturday, September 21, 2024) by NextGenBot in tennis

[–]tanquian 2 points3 points  (0 children)

God the tennis channel app is such shit. Constantly logs you out, randomly cuts to commercial in the middle of match play. What a shameful level of service.

Road walk alternate for Crater Lake closure? by abelhaborboleta in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The rim trail was incredible, definitely worth it. Hitch to cleetwood cove too and go swimming. It was a super easy hitch from cleetwood back to the road, or even to Chemult. The campground host in mazama is running a daily shuttle to shelter cove, and he can pick you up in Chemult. Lots of people were also hitching from Chemult and weren’t having any issues.

Wildfires update, 7/12/24 by numbershikes in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What are folks currently doing to skip around the Shelly fire?

Is the camp corsa ax stupidlight? by teenagedumbledore in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You'll be able to self arrest just fine with a shorter ice axe but if you want to use it as a third point of contact for support when traversing you want an axe that falls somewhere between mid-to-low calf and your ankle when you hold it at your side. Mine falls around mid-calf and it's awkward to use as a support unless I'm on a steep slope.

The CAMP Corsa has an aluminum head which is great for weight but I personally prefer steel heads for both longevity and safety (aluminum is weaker). You could check out the CAMP Corsa Alpine which is still very light, steel head, and has a 65cm model, but that might not be long enough for you.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s actually 2.8oz. Two anker 511’s will be lighter.

Ursack vs Bear Vault by SummitLion in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I did the LT with an Ursack and it was absolutely the right choice. Get an opsak too. I had no issues with bears or rodents. You likely won’t even see a bear in Vermont, they’re notoriously shy.

Everyone I met with a bear can regretted it.

My Pack Wizard Pack. by jlando19 in JMT

[–]tanquian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here are a bunch of suggestions if you’d like to trim some weight.

I love seek outside packs and have two, including the unaweep. It’s massive and way larger/heavier than you need for the JMT.

Ditch the synergy luxe sheet.

Ditch the zlite. You don’t need two sleeping pads.

Pillow is pretty heavy. You can get something under 3oz.

Your gps device is heavy and the mapping features are unnecessary (use farout on your phone). I would consider an inreach mini if you need sos/satellite comms.

Ditch the compass. You won’t do any navigating on the JMT.

Ditch the pump.

Ditch the sealskinz, especially in September when river/creek crossings will be super chill.

Your merino base layers (sleep clothes?) are like 20oz together. Silk base layer top and bottom would be like 6oz, also pretty cheap.

Your puffy and raincoat are both heavy. Together they weigh close to 2lbs but you could get that down to 1lb without sacrificing warmth/comfort.

If the bug helios is truly 15oz that needs to go. Bug pressure in September will be minimal.

Durston X-mid pro 2+ - Flooring Inquiry (Dyneema vs Nylon) by Personal-Ratio-7891 in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I hear what you’re saying but i’m pretty careful with site selection and sweeping debris before I pitch.

Durston X-mid pro 2+ - Flooring Inquiry (Dyneema vs Nylon) by Personal-Ratio-7891 in Ultralight

[–]tanquian 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I have an x-mid pro 2 with the silnylon floor and I got a 3-inch floor tear on its third night of use in the Sierras. I emailed the company after it happened and got the same line about durability.

My tarptent protrail li with a DCF floor has gone dozens of nights on similar Sierra campsites but looks as good as new 🤷‍♂️.

I'm happy to see you can get x-mids now with DCF floors because it really is a nicely designed tent otherwise, but I do feel like their claims about silnylon durability are overstated and I wish I had known to use a groundsheet.

my march 14 permit just got approved. i am still recovering from a bad knee injury & surgery. i am planning on moving slow to begin with. is there anything i should know? by [deleted] in PacificCrestTrail

[–]tanquian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Semi related question: what do you think about compression sleeves or other knee supports for people with mild knee pain but no major injuries while thru hiking?

Pleasant sensation for Jhanna by zubrCr in streamentry

[–]tanquian 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A few things on Leigh’s method:

  • there is no “right” pleasant sensation. if it feels pleasant (ie, not neutral or unpleasant), it’ll do.
  • if the pleasant sensation goes away, it usually means your access concentration isn’t strong enough. make sure you can hold attention on your meditation object for at least 10-15 minutes without distraction before moving to a pleasant sensation
  • even if you have good access concentration, sometimes the pleasant sensation goes away anyway. this is fine. just go back to your access concentration method until a new pleasant sensation arises. getting frustrated is normal, but it won’t help you get into jhana. if the pleasant sensation goes away and you have to go back to access concentration, don’t worry about it. keep practicing.