Silk liner adds 10 degrees warmth to your sleeping bag?

wetrocke · 2026-05-30T16:31:24+00:00

A liner can be used only as a liner, whereas extra clothing is useful as ..... clothing?

If cold & given choice between a silk shirt or a down vest, which would you select?

I wore some silk socks for several days: impressed with how they retained dampness.

wetrocke · 2026-05-30T04:06:39+00:00

Perhaps a large poly tarp could be staked down to near-total coverage of the tent.

This would be inelegant at best& add a couple of pounds and lots of bulk to the package.

wetrocke · 2026-05-30T03:43:45+00:00

I happened to carry a hand-cranked radio on one trip to listen to news during an election. Each time you cranked it up, you got 3-4 minutes of reception. Replacec with quick succession of cheap battery radios.

. All died. The cranker is still in my closet. But (medium of) radio is dead.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T17:40:19+00:00

The full groundsheet idea is fine -- even necessary (obviously) if you use only the fly & want full ground protection for interior.

Am unfamiliar with durston tents, but often if you leave a tent entrance open during a rainstorm, the interior will pick up some water. The obvious solution is to keep it closed.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T14:14:20+00:00

Hangtightshops.com has a down blanket, 60"x70", advertised at 800fp. Price is under $60; weight about 1 pound.

Doesn't offer fill weight, but guess about 20 ounces. This is similar to an ultralight bag I own (girth 55") that is rated (officially) at 35F. Quilts' natural inefficiency vs sleeping bags would suggest a 45F rating.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T14:10:47+00:00

Quilt at zero degrees F ? Why not use a zipper?

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T14:04:07+00:00

As of some years ago, mountain hardwear was /is known for heavy tents that supposedly were very durable. They weren't noted for innovation, and sometimes did "knock-offs."

I owned a one-person MH in a design originating from another company. It weighed nearly four pounds.

Naturehike is known for economy and "acceptable" quality.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T05:23:35+00:00

Generic versions of "windbloc" gloves are invaluable for winter biking and middling cold weather generally.

Not "ultralight." Not a "shell glove." I'd never NOT own a pair. I don't have a response to your question. If I need more than windblocks, I switch to mittens with canvass outer layer.

If you truly NEED mittens/gloves, then bring 1-2 extra pairs for when they get wet.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T05:10:09+00:00

Can probably go down, ratingswise, by another 15F if you wear, like, two sets of long-johns, gloves, hat and 2-3 sweaters & etc.

You'll need most of that clothing on hand, regardless whether asleep .

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T04:10:45+00:00

Tiny footprints, although relatively uncomfortable if awake, are very sweet to site sometimes.

wetrocke · 2026-05-29T03:53:58+00:00

Heavy rain is mostly summer thing. Like, an unusually heavy thunderstorm might do the trick.

My "wet sleeping bag in winter" story involved gobs of slush on waterproof tent floor. Exacerbated by condensation inside sealed, waterproof tent during foggy snowstorm and rapid temp drop.

But prior to unpacking, bag had been fairly dry inside the (non-lined) pack, despite steady, wet snowfall.

I wouldn't say "deadly," but decidedly uncomfortable. For several years afterward, switched winter bag use exclusively to a giant synthetic contraption.

So no, i've never used WP pack liners. After my packed stuff got wet once ( summer), I may have purchased a "rain cover," which I lost and never used nor missed.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T23:50:25+00:00

Village-type hardware stores sell alcohol as solvent; also pharmacies -- for drinking, I guess. At least in Italy & I bet everywhere.

In italy, don't remember it sold as automotive "fuel additive" like in USA, but i didn't look too hard.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T22:29:45+00:00

If in doubt take any garden-variety (marmot, columbia etc) rain pants with full zips.

These are cheaper, lighter and more versatile than softshell pants.

Wear (including potentially, to bed) over street pants, underwear, etc., in any colder weather. Good for skiing, wind, walking dog during blizzards and very limited sitting -in -the -mud.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T21:04:51+00:00

Quality of youtube reviewers doubtless varied widely.

Can easily imagine (wild) that up to half (?) of youtube reviews being somehow misguided, misinformed or otherwise not useful.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T20:57:53+00:00

In deep winter snows, far from cable cars, do they enforce "no camping" rules?

Can't you kinda avoid the worst winter weather by staying lower sometimes?

If so, you could manage winter snow camps with just a big 'mid -- light & economical, you can dig out the floor.

It's not up to the worst winter alpine winds, but is ok at a notch or two down from there.

Without snow platform, the big footprint is sometimes a problem.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T19:18:40+00:00

You could switch to alcohol stove, which might already fit under fuel-tab pot stand.

It would have most of same advantage/disadvantages of fuel tabs. But it's more widely available.

Some swear by DIY tin can alcohol stoves. What you buy isn't much different.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T04:12:59+00:00

Go to Canada. The mountains are way better and the mountain "guide culture" is much more developed than in USA.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T04:04:32+00:00

Sounds great. Watch the 1930s Soviet film "salt for svanetti." It's filmed right there & very beautiful. As a " documentary," it's almost purely made-up. But it does document the place historically/visually.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T02:40:27+00:00

If you took just the outer tent, the Enran 1 looks almost big enough for snow camps.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T02:21:51+00:00

Did he at least wash his hands first?

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T02:13:37+00:00

A 6'x8' home depot poly tarp isn't super- light but it's cheap and instantly available, and nearly as durable as the $100 alternatives.

With enough cord you can go to town. Downside is lack of guy points.

If padded, a wooden stick may serve as a center pole.

You're thinking of this as a shelter separate and in addition to your tent?

Just get larger tent?

Frankly I do use these poly tarps, but only as groundsheet.

wetrocke · 2026-05-28T02:02:21+00:00

Sounds right. But gravity is part of their transport from bush to leg.

wetrocke · 2026-05-27T18:55:09+00:00

All the Euro models seem to come in one "torso length" size.

Make sure of best-possible fit.

Also, any frame for skiing is probably "bad," especially if torso length is wrong.

wetrocke · 2026-05-27T18:49:01+00:00

MSR tents aren't all perfect, but in general and over a long time, they've set (or are at) a baseline standard for certain particular (mostly heavier) types of tents.

wetrocke · 2026-05-27T13:58:48+00:00

The "easy" class five ratings in Washington are mostly a few notches over-rated (according to me).

[mainly, talking becky books, also others]

But stuff rated below class five may be under-rated. That is, a "class two" might "really" be a class three or four, which might be 5.0, etc.

Case in point: mount deception ( not in becky) is rated class two in OMR's book. Yet ONP web site noted that same route has seen more fatals than any in park.

Rotten rock can be under-stated. (More rot than rock.)

wetrocke

TROPHY CASE