Hiking / Trekking / Mountaineering - Touching grass to the extreme

[KneeGrow]

I suspect if I tried actual rock climbing I’d injure myself pretty quickly.

Depends on the type of climbing and more importantly, whom you were climbing with. Climbing gyms are a decent enough intro but real climbing it helps significantly to have someone more knowledgeable give you a hand.

The typical approaches I do (with family in tow, wife is a runner/avid hiker) aren’t too wild. Maybe a couple hundred feet of elevation gain over a few miles. There’s a place in northern Georgia I’ve been meaning to go to called Yonah, but I hear the hike is a pretty sketchy scramble. Not advisable with toddlers

 

[oreganonce]

You can also carry a firearm but you'll catch a nasty fine if it's not hunting season and you're found with it.

What faggot anti-2A states have laws like that? Where I'm from you can pack whatever gun you want whenever you want. 9mm, .44mag, an elephant gun, registered machine gun- all are fair game. Fish & Game is only going to give a shit if you actually kill something, or if you're packing heat in a National Park (do not do this).

Unpopular shoe opinion here. I think hiking shoes are way overblown outside cold climates. Light running shoes will serve in the great majority of conditions. I would rather have 2 pairs of light shoes than 1 pair of heavy boots.

I may be a bit biased, but I'd rather rock high cuts with thick ass leather socks than running shoes any day of the week. Putting on a pair of heavy shit kickers just gets me in the mood for a good time. Plus its good insurance against shit weather or unforeseen issues on the ground. Certainly wouldn't have wanted shoes on picrel. Had to ford a stream half a dozen times and take mud slip n slide switchbacks for about 150m on the descent.

 

[Dreamland]

A midsummer night beach hike made me discover that high-tide and loose sand will destroy your ankles and knees like it's nobody's business.

Crazy how light and bright the world can be between 11:30PM and 1:00AM

last one is on 0:30.

I will do this again, probably making it an 80-100km march next time.
Also want to walk more hilly terrain, would be a good distraction from marathons.

 

[dick brain]

 

[Chemex]

I didn't know we have a thread about this.
Cheers. I don't want to TMI too much so here's a random photo of mine. It's an old photo but I don't want to risk any chance of TMI. I just picked a random folder and a random photo, tbh.

 

[Chemex]

Sorry for doubleposting. I kinda missed it when I was writing my last post.

Unpopular shoe opinion here. I think hiking shoes are way overblown outside cold climates. Light running shoes will serve in the great majority of conditions. I would rather have 2 pairs of light shoes than 1 pair of heavy boots.

Keep your skin covered during daylight hours. Don't care how hot it is. I use old lightweight dress shirts in warm weather.

I disagree about the shoes. I know it depends on the terrain, but regardless, please get a proper pair.
This is my personal story:
Back when I first got into this whole thing, I also thought the same. "Running shoes should be fine", was what I thought.
Until mine couldn't take it anymore. The soles came off. There's still the inner part, but I decided to not risk it and immediately went down the mountain.
It wasn't very high altitude-wise, but the path was just so steep and rough back then. I had to grab tree branches and stuffs, as otherwise it would be hard.
It was very fortunate that nothing else happened.

If from your personal experience so far, you see no problem with using running shoes, then that's great! However, please just get a proper pair instead of regretting it later.
There's no need to act tough, it's always better than risking an incident.

 

[DustBuns]

From last autumn, didn't get out much this fall unfortunately. I hope to get out on a few snowy treks soon though.

 

[Lady Bizness]

On the GPS debate, there are so many stories of my husband's buddies getting lost and then magically appearing at the trailhead just about when everyone else was going to give up and strand them there and let the rangers find them. I don't know how these people are still friends. But they wouldn't have these miserable but harrowing stories to tell over beers if they had GPS back then. Just topographic maps and maybe an altimeter if their one richy rich buddy came with them.

My husband's nephew has GPS and it's allowed them to bag peaks that he wasn't able to figure out before. But even then nephew appreciates uncle's route finding skills because GPS can't do everything. I'd be scared to rely on it alone, so I worry some of these dildos out there get in above their head because they've got their GPS.

 

[Angry Shoes]

Unpopular shoe opinion here. I think hiking shoes are way overblown outside cold climates. Light running shoes will serve in the great majority of conditions. I would rather have 2 pairs of light shoes than 1 pair of heavy boots.

I am evangelical for trail runners. They're very light, breathe well, and dry quickly like running shoes. But they also have insane grip for digging into dirt and rocks. Even for longer day hikes up to 20ish miles I've been really happy with them over heavy leather boots.

 

[FedPostalService]

I am evangelical for trail runners. They're very light, breathe well, and dry quickly like running shoes. But they also have insane grip for digging into dirt and rocks. Even for longer day hikes up to 20ish miles I've been really happy with them over heavy leather boots.

I’m in a cold and boggy country and whilst I like trail runners there’s a lot of hikes, even in summer, that it would destroy my feet wearing them.

 

[Will Mackenzie]

I would like to write my piece here. Ill respond to some things

Regarding bears, I hike in the southeast US which I think is highly different from where you're at. We have black bears here.

So, important distinction, you can play dead vs. grizzly bears and brown bears (put your hands behind your neck, prone on the ground, spread your legs since the bear will probably try to turn you over by trying to roll you up by your legs and that'll make it more difficult)

Don't play dead with black bears. Carry bear spray and be ready to deploy it. Talk to them in a low voice, don't run, move sideways, don't look them in the eyes.

If you hike in a group you'll probably never see a bear if you're talking with your hiking partners. Most bear attacks seem to happen to wildlife photographers who tried to sneak up on a bear and caught some paws.

You can also carry a firearm but you'll catch a nasty fine if it's not hunting season and you're found with it.

I hike in grizzly territory. It can be hard to spot the difference between black bears and grizzly bears (black bears may have brown coats), but black bears have large pointed ears and no hump while grizzlies have round fluffy ears with a noticeable back hump. Speak calmly to grizzly bears and give them space do their thing if they are confrontational, otherwise they are hard to deter without using bear spray or a gun/banger. Make yourself large and yell at black bears if they are confrontational or refuse to move. If a grizzly attacks you, play dead. If a black bear attacks, fight as hard as possible, go for the eyes!

Bear spray always works (works 98% of the time), I can't say much about the effectiveness of guns. As Froggy Fresh says, its best to hike in groups to deter them, even speaking at a normal voice drives them away. They do not want to interact with humans. Bear bells and music does nothing from what I've read, it might even attract them to you. I hike alone most of the time and I have never had issues with bears, I am more concerned about cougars.

Lots of bears will only do bluff charges, but it's hard to predict their behaviour, bear spray is always the best way to deal with an aggressive charging bear bluffing or not.

Your sweat doesn’t wick and it dries slowly. You massively risk the chances of hypothermia wearing it. Since I live somewhere cold and damp it’s something I’m very careful about.

This is good advice, wear synthetics if possible. Avoid cotton.

I have never tried trail runners but I am fine with hiking boots, it all depends on what kind of terrain you're on most of the time. When I hike I usually end up scrambling at many points, so I would imagine trail runners would get destroyed much faster than boots on that rocky type of terrain. If you're hiking on groomed or grassy trails only then boots are probably unnecessary. I only use a 45L bag for every trip I do, I should invest it a smaller 20-25L one because I really did not need all of that space, I end up taking like 3 bottles of water, lunch, and my small survival/necessities kit almost every time I go which is about all of it, the bag is overkill and I regret buying it.

Can't post any of my photos due to TMI but I love getting out there and summiting peaks regardless of size, everyone should try it at least once if they have access. I would like to get into more alpinism/glacier climbs but it's hard/expensive to start and I can't find any groups for it online, no idea how these alpinist guys meet each other.

 

[Muskie]

Bear spray always works (works 98% of the time), I can't say much about the effectiveness of guns.

The effectiveness of firearms against bears is very hard to quantify as unlike bear spay (which is more or less consistent) the specific firearm, ammunition, and shooter can all radicly change the outcome. Also factoring that bear attacks are rare (so the sample size is low) I wouldn't put too much faith in the studies that exist.

I carry a firearm when hiking because I do that pretty much every where else as well. Two legged predators are probably more likely in my neck of the woods anyway. For defense against animals (bears in particular) with handguns larger (>.38/9mm) calibers with heavy non expanding projectiles are recommended to provide adequate penetration. Against Grizzlies you need to go for a headshot. Warning shots are also generally effective against most animals and should be used if possible. A firearm should be used in addition to and not as a replacement of other counter measures.

You can also carry a firearm but you'll catch a nasty fine if it's not hunting season and you're found with it.

I cannot stress the importance enough to check your local laws regarding carry in the woods because it changes a lot depending where you are. GENERALLY concealed handguns are ok anywhere you can carry leagaly. Long guns may be an issue with fish and game depending on where you are.

 

[Muskie]

Anyone have experience with winter hiking/snowshoeing?

I've lived in a cold climate all my life so I'm used to lots of snow but I've never tried walking any trails during the winter. Seems like a good way to get some much needed sunshine during the winter.

 

[Bloitzhole]

Anyone have experience with winter hiking/snowshoeing?

I've lived in a cold climate all my life so I'm used to lots of snow but I've never tried walking any trails during the winter. Seems like a good way to get some much needed sunshine during the winter.

All snowshoes from reputable brands these days are adequate - what matters is that you pick the right tool for the right job. Deep snow and a heavy bloke requires a much larger deck than shallower snow and a dainty lady. Snowshoe manufacturers specify which size is intended for which weight (don't forget to factor your pack into the weight). Size up if you are usually going into high, uncompacted, loose snow, but don't size up just for the sake of it as every step will be harder.

If you intend to hike into steep terrain and higher altitude, you need snowshoes with stronger traction (more and more aggressive crampons on them) and a heel lift function. The tubbs flex series has a wide model selection and is generally considered good value for money. Check 2nd hand listings in your area as lightly used snowshoes can usually be had for very little money. If you only intend to hike frequented trails that don't go into steep terrain, a basic model like the popular tubbs flex trk is perfectly adequate. For mountaineering, the atlas range mtn or msr lightning ascent would be good.

If you are not tackling deeper snow where you need the deck for flotation and are only trying to avoid slipping on ice and shallow snow, basic 15$ crampons you attach to your hiking boots via rubbers are completely sufficient and super popular in fx. Norway.
For high mountain terrain where a slip can mean death, I like Petzl Vasak on a boot designed to take semiautomatic crampons.

If you are hiking into mountains in snowy conditions, please familiarize yourself with everything related to avalanches, let people know where you're going and carry an avalanche beacon - they're no joke.

 

[Will Mackenzie]

The effectiveness of firearms against bears is very hard to quantify as unlike bear spay (which is more or less consistent) the specific firearm, ammunition, and shooter can all radicly change the outcome. Also factoring that bear attacks are rare (so the sample size is low) I wouldn't put too much faith in the studies that exist.

I carry a firearm when hiking because I do that pretty much every where else as well. Two legged predators are probably more likely in my neck of the woods anyway. For defense against animals (bears in particular) with handguns larger (>.38/9mm) calibers with heavy non expanding projectiles are recommended to provide adequate penetration. Against Grizzlies you need to go for a headshot. Warning shots are also generally effective against most animals and should be used if possible. A firearm should be used in addition to and not as a replacement of other counter measures.


I cannot stress the importance enough to check your local laws regarding carry in the woods because it changes a lot depending where you are. GENERALLY concealed handguns are ok anywhere you can carry leagaly. Long guns may be an issue with fish and game depending on where you are.

Fair enough, I believe this has been the only scientific study done, and it has a very small sample size. I have nothing against gun users at all and I would totally bring one myself (if I had one), but carrying guns in provincial parks and national parks (the only places with trails really) in Canada is illegal. You could have the firearms taken away, face heavy fines, or even an arrest. There are not really any interesting places to go hike in wildland parks etc. where carrying guns/hunting is legal.

I remember as a kid, park rangers would come to shoot blanks from a shotgun at bears when they entered campgrounds. Very loud noises will absolutely scare them away, sometimes our yelling isn't enough. A warning shot would very likely work if they are in the way or being a nuisance, but shooting them directly may enrage them. If a bear does charge, I think bear spray is better at this point, I would imagine shooting a moving target in the head in that small amount of time is very hard.

All snowshoes from reputable brands these days are adequate - what matters is that you pick the right tool for the right job. Deep snow and a heavy bloke requires a much larger deck than shallower snow and a dainty lady. Snowshoe manufacturers specify which size is intended for which weight (don't forget to factor your pack into the weight). Size up if you are usually going into high, uncompacted, loose snow, but don't size up just for the sake of it as every step will be harder.

If you intend to hike into steep terrain and higher altitude, you need snowshoes with stronger traction (more and more aggressive crampons on them) and a heel lift function. The tubbs flex series has a wide model selection and is generally considered good value for money. Check 2nd hand listings in your area as lightly used snowshoes can usually be had for very little money. If you only intend to hike frequented trails that don't go into steep terrain, a basic model like the popular tubbs flex trk is perfectly adequate. For mountaineering, the atlas range mtn or msr lightning ascent would be good.

If you are not tackling deeper snow where you need the deck for flotation and are only trying to avoid slipping on ice and shallow snow, basic 15$ crampons you attach to your hiking boots via rubbers are completely sufficient and super popular in fx. Norway.
For high mountain terrain where a slip can mean death, I like Petzl Vasak on a boot designed to take semiautomatic crampons.

If you are hiking into mountains in snowy conditions, please familiarize yourself with everything related to avalanches, let people know where you're going and carry an avalanche beacon - they're no joke.

Everything said here is correct and is very good advice. Just make sure you get a snowshoe length that properly accommodates your weight, otherwise snowshoes are one size fits all unless you have freakishly large/small feet. There are always snowshoe listings on facebook marketplace and I bought my MSR Evo Ascents from there at a 1/3rd of the price.

 

[Muskie]

Fair enough, I believe this has been the only scientific study done, and it has a very small sample size. I have nothing against gun users at all and I would totally bring one myself (if I had one), but carrying guns in provincial parks and national parks (the only places with trails really) in Canada is illegal. You could have the firearms taken away, face heavy fines, or even an arrest. There are not really any interesting places to go hike in wildland parks etc. where carrying guns/hunting is legal.

I remember as a kid, park rangers would come to shoot blanks from a shotgun at bears when they entered campgrounds. Very loud noises will absolutely scare them away, sometimes our yelling isn't enough. A warning shot would very likely work if they are in the way or being a nuisance, but shooting them directly may enrage them. If a bear does charge, I think bear spray is better at this point, I would imagine shooting a moving target in the head in that small amount of time is very hard.

Final note on bears and guns. Species and circumstance play a huge role. The black bears by me I have seen scared off by house cats and it would not take much to deter them. Outside of "bear in house" situations I can't recall anyone getting attacked in the woods. Brown bears and Grizzlies are a different story, especially if your hunting. Being around an animal carcass can dramatically change the bear's behavior as you are now getting between the bear and "its" food. Most Alaskan hunting guides carry shotguns with slugs because of this. At at the end of the day wild animals are unpredictable; exercising good judgment is the most important.

As for carrying firearms in the US while hiking it depends on the kind of land your on but is generally pretty lenient. Even in national parks caring firearms is generally governed by the laws on the state that the park is in. Discharging a firearm is always illegal in a national park but a $5,000 fine is better than being dead. National forests on the other hand as long as you are not shooting the trees or wildlife you can go there and shoot machineguns. State parks and forests are usually somewhere in between the two. The national parks will always have the postcard views but I love wandering through the national forests as well, especially grouse hunting in fall.

 

[Froggy Fresh Sextape]

As for carrying firearms in the US while hiking it depends on the kind of land your on but is generally pretty lenient. Even in national parks caring firearms is generally governed by the laws on the state that the park is in.

Yeah this shit is all very confusing if you're off-trail hiking. There are national parks within national forests and then there's state land and federal land and also you might wind up on private property. Florida's designations are a fucking mess.

tbh I'm more worried about humans than animals hiking in FL

 

[Hinttitroniikka]

Let me get in on this boot vs. shoe question, because if anyone has any insight into my ankle problem, it'll change everything for me. I find I need very low-cut shoes because anything that touches the middle of my achilles rubs it raw within 2km. I can't understand how it happens regardless of how I pad it with socks, or tighten or loosen the laces in different patterns, nothing makes a difference. So 99% of the time, I wear some really low Merrel barefoot trailrunners, and I've never had any pain, but they've no grip nor protection from elements. But I just don't know how to buy shoes anymore because of course I'm not going to walk 2km around a store or in something I bought online and need to return. What gives?

 

[Cancer ♥]

My friend and I went for a hike+drive at a national park yesterday, taking a day trip to the mountains today to do some geocaching and visit a cave or two. I wish spelunking was an option but I'll take what I can get and found one with a waterfall. I don't think the geocaching scene around here is going to be great, probably just film cannisters with a visitors logs. I've seen some really awesome ones before though. The best was a 30 minute puzzle you had to solve to open a prize room in what I think was the owner's summer home but sometimes it's something super creative like a hollow fake hornet's nest hoisted way up in a tree.
Regardless, more hoofin it today. I'll take pictures and post them here once I've moved locations again

 

[Froggy Fresh Sextape]

I can't understand how it happens regardless of how I pad it with socks, or tighten or loosen the laces in different patterns, nothing makes a difference.

I use ENGO patches. Have you tried those? Not sure why people complain they fall off. You do have to blow dry them carefully at low heat so they stick better.

Unless the boots you are talking about are BOOT boots in which case you wouldn't really be able to get them in there.