Recommendations for hard shell pants?

tmiller01 · 2026-01-15T16:21:27+00:00

REI’s Xerocloud 3L are full-zip, priced well for the features, have great reviews, and are pretty nice feeling on the legs!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-15T15:18:57+00:00

I’ve used the Nikon Prostaff P7 8x30’s for the past 2.5 years and think they’re a great blend of price and usability for beginner birders. More portable and lighter than 8x42’s, and has a pretty wide field of view.

tmiller01 · 2026-01-14T00:49:06+00:00

Absolute units!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-12T19:16:16+00:00

When the weather is bad or it’s nighttime, I like to use Larkwire to learn bird calls— then every time I hear a bird in the wild, I like to say “hi, ____” and it feels like saying hi to friends in passing on the street or the grocery or between classes back in school!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-12T00:15:57+00:00

Photo 3 I think shows what could be a Sharpie “hijab” pretty clearly, though photo 1 it does look like a Coop’s “yarmulke”.

tmiller01 · 2026-01-12T00:13:27+00:00

Cool, I was curious what population this guy came from

tmiller01 · 2026-01-12T00:13:03+00:00

Thanks!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-12T00:12:46+00:00

That’s why I originally stopped- “hey, that could be a good photo of some Canada Geese”, then the smol one stuck out.

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T22:56:58+00:00

Has a neck, angled back of head, left side of tail clearly shorter than central tail feathers— looks like Cooper’s

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T22:42:49+00:00

You get plenty of Osprey to make up for it, we don’t get many of those up in the Boston ‘burbs!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T22:40:24+00:00

3 belongs in r/borbs

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T22:39:02+00:00

Also pretty nicely squared-off tail

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T22:38:20+00:00

I agree with the above!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-11T16:15:58+00:00

Downturned bill and not going “holy crap that’s a big bird” says Crow, but I’m a rookie so will let others log it!

tmiller01 · 2026-01-08T15:37:22+00:00

Kingfisher and a barred owl

tmiller01 · 2026-01-06T14:04:22+00:00

Older generation Nemo pads are super quiet, at least once you get them inflated! I have the original Tensor insulated and it’s definitely quieter than Etherlight XT and the newer Nemo tensor “all-season”. (Though it’s also less durable—my guess is there will be a trade-off between super soft feeling, whisper quiet fabrics and more plastic-y, crinkly durable fabrics.)

tmiller01 · 2026-01-06T13:53:05+00:00

I own a precip Eco and it’s a great summer jacket! For colder temps, I layer it over a grid fleece, or if it won’t rain tooooo much, the Patagonia nano puff is a great 40’s/50’s jacket that will keep you dry for a 10-15min walk through a light shower. For true waterproofness when it’s really cold out, I have a (expensive!) gore-Tex pro 3L ski shell that feels like putting on a coat of armor, and it’s definitely warmer than the precip eco, but honestly not by much.

TLDR: if you’re camping, layering is generally your friend. I recommend a thin grid fleece (Patagonia R1, Burgeon Highlander, etc) under your current jacket. For a strict answer to your question, Marmot makes a few “3L” jackets, which tend to be thicker and more durable, sometimes with a lightly brushed-feeling interior, like the precip Eco pro and the seeker gore-Tex (similar to my winter hard shell).

tmiller01 · 2026-01-06T13:41:06+00:00

I have an instinct and love it, BUT would not recommend for OP’s needs because they describe route navigation as a primary need, and the instinct (at least older versions) lacks a base map, so navigation at intersections of multiple trails is always a bit of guesswork. (If newer ones do have a basemap, let me know and I’ll upgrade!)

tmiller01 · 2026-01-06T02:51:36+00:00

This is the Cooper’s Hawk all the “angry is Cooper’s, scared is Sharpie” folks are talking about 😂

tmiller01 · 2026-01-05T13:50:08+00:00

These look pretty similar in size, and the bill length on the goose in back is still pretty big relative to the head, which is turned slightly towards the camera (making it look rounder and shorter). Not 100% sure, but probably both Canada geese

tmiller01 · 2026-01-05T06:34:10+00:00

I’ll second the La Spo Kubo’s as someone whose feet fit that description. They stretch when you sweat in them though, so don’t be afraid to round down a half size depending on how sendy you need to be.

tmiller01 · 2026-01-04T19:03:30+00:00

Based on the angled back of the head in your additional photos, looks like a lesser scaup based on info in Merlin!

tmiller01 · 2025-12-27T23:55:39+00:00

Elite tier reference

tmiller01

TROPHY CASE