probably not...the chances of finding cookware is small....usually clothes, shoes, and accessories make up the bulk of the items. Probably not worth making someone wait in line for a couple of hours.

3/5/2010 12:33:00 PM

OH... shoes... i need hiking bots as well... thanks for the heads up on the cook set.

Do you know if the duralite stuff is actually more durable than the blacklite stuff? I went ahead and ordered the blacklite gourmet. I called the REI folks and they said there wasn't a huge difference in durability and the 3rd piece really comes in handy.


[Edited on March 5, 2010 at 12:58 PM. Reason : yep]

3/5/2010 12:36:09 PM

return the cooking stuff and save yourself fifty bucks!!! go for the INFAMOUS K-Mark grease pot. weighs 3.9 oz and costs about $7. durability?? TheBullDoza's Grease Pot lasted over 2,000 miles and still going strong!

http://www.thebackpacker.com/pictures/album/koq95sn3.php

3/6/2010 11:39:05 PM

Make sure to get the Kmart one, not the one from Walmart. The lip on the Kmart on rolls outward and keeps the funk out. The one you're looking for is made by Stanco.

Here's another source
https://end2endtrailsupply.com/Stanco_Greasepot.html

3/7/2010 1:33:22 AM

Quote :

"probably not...the chances of finding cookware is small....usually clothes, shoes, and accessories make up the bulk of the items. Probably not worth making someone wait in line for a couple of hours."

I picked up a GSI cookware set at the Raleigh garage sale last weekend. I already have the GSI dualist (and I love it), but I couldn't resist picking up a cheap frying pan.

3/7/2010 8:25:41 AM

is there any need for bear-resistant stuff on the AT?

3/7/2010 9:16:31 AM

No there isn't - but you should be hanging your food, not only as a precaution against bears but mice as well. I use a cheap, lightweight dry bag picked up from Campmor.

Some stretches of the trail, like Shenandoah or the Smokies, seem to have higher concentrations of black bears than others.

3/7/2010 10:26:19 AM

a bear bell could be helpful if youre alone....but generally just talking once in a while is good enough to alert a bear that you are nearby. Just dont surprise the bear...and watch out for momma and cubs.

+1 on the mice and rats...it can be pretty bad at some of the shelters

[Edited on March 7, 2010 at 10:35 AM. Reason : a]

3/7/2010 10:35:05 AM

+2 on mice in shelters. We rarely use shelters, and haven't have any problems just sleeping with the food if we're way off trail in stealth campsites.

Most of the time, we eat in the afternoon, chilling by a creek. We'll then keep on hiking and set up a dry camp somewhere. We almost never have a campfire in camp, and just throw down the bags if the weather's nice.

3/7/2010 11:11:50 AM

I must have terrible luck - twice this winter mice have attacked not only my food bag (it was snowing out and I got too lazy to hang it) but my boots as well when tenting away from shelters. The snow may have had them in panic mode.

3/7/2010 12:19:09 PM

We won't be using shelters. We have some bear spray from our trip to glacier national park. Worth bringing?

I'll be with 4 other people a least.

Any suggestions on dealing w the mice?

[Edited on March 7, 2010 at 1:14 PM. Reason : ]

3/7/2010 1:13:46 PM

you should bring at least 2 of those plastic toilet seats, in case one breaks

3/7/2010 5:56:18 PM

Wouldn't bother w/bear spray.


FWIW - I'm doing a slideshow on my AT Thru-hike at Great Outdoor Provision Company (Cameron Village), Mar 23, 7pm.

Facebook invite at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=370522482456&ref=mf

More info at:

http://sourcetosea.net/upcoming-appalachian-trail-slideshows-2/

3/7/2010 6:03:23 PM

^^oh, so you take them with you? seems like a lot of extra weight.

nyuck nyuck

i don't give a fuck what you think about the toilet seat thing. it was awesome and i'll definitely take it next time we go car camping in the middle of nowhere. i'm not out to prove anything to anybody.

^sucks that that's during the week. i don't live in raleigh

[Edited on March 7, 2010 at 8:33 PM. Reason : ]

3/7/2010 8:19:08 PM

Quote :

"^sucks that that's during the week. i don't live in raleigh "

Where are you at? I'm doing AT slideshows in other cities in NC on the following dates. (for driving directions, etc -
http://sourcetosea.net/upcoming-appalachian-trail-slideshows-2/ )

Greensboro - Mar 09
Raleigh - Mar 23
Wilmington - Mar 25
Charlotter - April 6

3/8/2010 9:49:07 AM

Quote :

"you should be hanging your food, not only as a precaution against bears but mice as well"

amen...they will destroy your food/gear

ASK ME HOW I KNOW

3/8/2010 9:55:15 AM

^^rocky mount

3/8/2010 10:02:20 AM

This weather is giving me the itch

3/8/2010 10:31:49 AM

Quote :

"probably not...the chances of finding cookware is small"

i picked up the REI TiWare set (can't remember which one...two pots and two pans/tops) for $16 about 6 months ago...they were dirty and discolored (as titanium is wont to do), but for the money, i was quite happy (once i cleaned them up, of course)

Quote :

"This weather is giving me the itch "

ditto...i think we're doing linville gorge in a couple of weeks

[Edited on March 8, 2010 at 10:33 AM. Reason : .]

3/8/2010 10:32:44 AM

if anybody wants to ride all the way out here (about 1 hr east of raleigh), there's a camp store that closed down and the local bike shop bought all their inventory. there's not a lot, but it's all 50-75% off and there's several different sets of MSR cookware. some SnowPeak stuff too. several compasses, nat geo maps, lots of other coleman things.

we bought the MSR windpro stove for $15 and a snowpeak titanium cup for $10ish a couple of weeks ago.

Steve's Bicycle Shop
401 South Wesleyan Boulevard
Rocky Mount, NC 27803

3/8/2010 10:48:59 AM

Quote :

"This weather is giving me the itch "

me too. need to figure out where to go.

3/10/2010 4:33:47 PM

random question... if I'm buying a sleeping bag liner, does it matter if I get the silk one or the MTS polyester one? The MTS is in store and i can buy it for use this weekend (camping at a friends house in their back yard for a party) and the silk one would take a week and a half to get here. Only really worth it if someone says the silk one is nice and the REI MTS one blows.

3/10/2010 11:34:29 PM

You may want to reconsider the liner thing. I had a silk one (which was cozy as hell), but the damn thing always, always got wrapped up around my in the sleeping bag. I'd rather just wear a clean set of thermals instead.

MTS is cheaper, but I'm guessing will likely be more of a pain in the bag than silk because it's not as smooth.

3/11/2010 6:38:27 AM

alrighty, need some advice! picking up a new internal frame pack, and, to be honest, i have very little experience with internal frames (i'm primarily an external frame kind of guy)...obviously, the best idea is to try them all on, but i suspect i won't be able to tell a difference until i actually take them out for a spin...i purchased 3 different bags, but i was hoping that maybe one of y'all may have used any of these before and had opinions:

osprey aether 70: http://www.rei.com/product/803566
REI mars 85: http://www.rei.com/product/797929
kelty beam 82: http://www.rei.com/product/801437

the osprey is the most expensive, but also the smallest...then again, i did 25 miles with a 50L internal frame in sweden a couple of years ago (without food, though, since we had to carry field equipment and the food was helicoptered to our research site), so it may be that 70L is plenty...i like that REI swaps out the belt and shoulder straps for you as part of your osprey purchase

also, while i'm posting, anyone have any experience with the REI mojave (600-fill, +15 at 2lbs/9oz) or the REI downtime (600-fill, +20 at 2lbs/14oz) down sleeping bags? i ordered both...the mojave is lighter with a better rating, which is suspect...

3/11/2010 8:43:33 AM

i have the women's version (ariel 65L) of the osprey aether 70L and love it. rei will heat mold the hip belt for you for free, which i highly highly recommend you do. Fumbler and our friend are going to buy the aether after spending hours on multiple trips to rei trying on and testing different ones. it has great reviews. one thing though: get the new 2009/2010 version, not the 2008. the padding is different and i read that the 2008 can be uncomfortable.

i tried a couple of rei packs, including the venus (women's version of the mars) and they hurt my shoulders, like digging in. they also cut into my neck.

all of this said, none of us has taken them backpacking yet. i'm the only one who's purchased one yet, and i've loaded it up a few times and walked around. i was going to go hiking in it last weekend but apparently i have an extra bone in my foot (accessory navicular bone, not a bone spur) and it decided to aggravate some ligaments. i've been on crutches all week.

[Edited on March 11, 2010 at 8:59 AM. Reason : ]

3/11/2010 8:58:36 AM

I have the osprey aether 70L, and I love it. I've been using it for about 2 years now. As was already mentioned, they'll mold the hip belt for you free (they heat it up, and then make you wear it around the store until it cools.) I've always found it very comfortable, and I really like the large opening at the bottom.

Anybody have/has tried the Big Agnes Lone Ranger sleeping bag? It's a down bag rated for 15+ that you have to insert a sleeping pad into the bottom of because it has no insulation/padding there (which makes it lighter, cheaper, and packs smaller.) I'm thinking about picking one up, but I've heard of issues with it for side sleepers because you can't roll over.

3/11/2010 9:08:15 AM

I have a +15 Big Agnes bag with an inflatable insulated pad. I like the pocket thing for the pad. It is a little constricted feeling, but after an active day I sleep fine in it. You don't have to use the pocket, so you have some flexibility with it. If you ever camp on uneven surfaces it is really good. It is far better than waking up four times a night with your feet bunched up in the corner of the tent after sliding off the pad.

3/11/2010 2:42:56 PM

Starting to plan a canoe/camping trip on Perquimans River for mid-April. http://www.pathsofperquimans.org/paddletrails.html

Anyone ever done any river camping? How about specifically in this area?

Going to be renting canoes so if anyone has any good info/tips/tricks, that'd be uber-awesome.

3/15/2010 12:53:17 PM

depending on your paddling experience you may already know this but

my best advice is to go ahead and assume that you are going to turn your canoe over at some point.

That means have your stuff that cant get wet, or you dont want wet in dry bags (or zip-lock bags if you cant swing a dry bag). Then make sure its attached to the canoe somehow, so you dont have to chase it down river.


and if you dont turn your canoe over, more power to ya.

[Edited on March 15, 2010 at 1:15 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2010 1:14:54 PM

^

3/15/2010 1:18:03 PM

Oh I figured I'm gonna turn the canoe over at some point and get soaked along with most of my gear. I don't have a dry bag yet, but plan to get one before the trip.

Any advice for platform camping?

3/15/2010 1:42:03 PM

i haven't been but i've talked to people who have, and the first thing they mention is BUG SPRAY, or some other way to keep them off of you. some platforms have screened areas for sleeping.

different area, but similar concept. you may have seen this already, but check out this site
http://www.roanokeriverpartners.org/RiverCamping.htm

[Edited on March 15, 2010 at 1:51 PM. Reason : ]

3/15/2010 1:50:14 PM

I really want to do the Roanoke River canoe trail this summer. Has anyone ever done it?

3/15/2010 2:02:54 PM

Roanoke was the other trail that we considered, but it seems easier to plan a trip on the Perquimans.

3/15/2010 2:07:09 PM

I've done a little river camping.
http://www.sourcetosea.net

As far as platforms, sleeping pads are your friends. Those wooden floors get hard quick.

You'll want a real drybag for at least your clothes and sleeping bag. If you had too, you could make do with a putting some of your other stuff in compactor trash bags, then putting those in a duffle bag. I wouldn't worry so much about tipping over as getting soaked in the rain. Bring a couple big sponges and a bailer (cut down milk jug will work fine.

Looks like a fun paddle trail. Have a great time, and feel free to hit me up with any questions.

[Edited on March 15, 2010 at 2:35 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2010 2:35:09 PM

any suggestions regarding decent (moderate difficulty with rewarding scenery of some kind) 2-day/1-night trips that are good for beginners within 3-4 hours of raleigh? we're still debating linville gorge, but some of the people going would be more comfortable with something a bit less strenuous since they don't have the experience that the rest of us do (which makes sense, and is cool...sometimes i get carried away and forget i'm not the only one going )

3/15/2010 3:38:55 PM

hanging rock ?

3/15/2010 3:44:20 PM

hanging rock is a great suggestion...beginner to moderate climbs and the trails are well kept.

FYI REI at Crossroads is offering a backpacking class Wed March 17th from 7-8:30. Basically an introduction to backpacking, necessary gear, and useful tips to have fun and be safe. The leader is an AT thru hiker. You have to register online.

3/15/2010 4:10:08 PM

I'll suggest the Uwharries, located pretty close, Lost of easy trails and places for camping, not the most memorable place though

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwharrie_Mountains


And possibly The Wilson Creek Area. Its maybe a little bit of a longer drive than Linville Gorge but most of the trails should be pretty flat and easy since they are all down in the river bottom (but its been a while since I've been)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Creek_(North_Carolina)

3/15/2010 5:40:57 PM

Quote :

"hanging rock ?"

i've been there probably a dozen times in as many years (i love hanging rock!), but i've never done backpacking there...how far away is the backpacking camping area? water near there? picturesque?

3/15/2010 8:24:50 PM

oh, you didn't mention backpacking. it's a state park so you have to camp in the campgrounds. iirc there's only one area for camping. the ncdpr website has detailed info on all state parks. check there.

3/16/2010 9:37:56 AM

Quote :

"And possibly The Wilson Creek Area. Its maybe a little bit of a longer drive than Linville Gorge but most of the trails should be pretty flat and easy since they are all down in the river bottom (but its been a while since I've been) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Creek_(North_Carolina)"

I love the Wilson Creek area. We take Huntfish Trail down into the valley.

http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGD181-070

3/16/2010 12:23:46 PM

Quote :

"the osprey is the most expensive, but also the smallest...then again, i did 25 miles with a 50L internal frame in sweden a couple of years ago (without food, though, since we had to carry field equipment and the food was helicoptered to our research site), so it may be that 70L is plenty...i like that REI swaps out the belt and shoulder straps for you as part of your osprey purchase"

in my opinion, 70L is plenty, if not too big. A big pack just encourages you to fill it up with stuff! It depends how much gear you bring. Why not take all your stuff to the store and pack up the backpacks for real, that way you can tell what size you really need.

3/16/2010 8:12:20 PM

anyone have some favorite dehydrated recipes they'd like to share? it's been a while since i've broken out the dehydrator, but in addition to doing my usual bananas and apples, i was thinking of dehydrating some chili, making my own instant rice/barley/pasta (since the dehyrator will be on, anyway), and trying some cinnamon sugar sweet potato chips

3/22/2010 10:23:55 AM

I'm not eating anything you make on this trip. I don't trust it.

3/22/2010 3:22:39 PM

^ YOU CAN STARVE, THEN, CAN'T YOU?

3/22/2010 3:37:32 PM

I've always wanted to try "vegetable leather." tomato leather can be re-hydrated to make a great sauce for pasta. you can use any vegetables though like pumpkin, etc

http://www.christopherspenn.com/2009/07/13/tomato-leather/

3/22/2010 4:36:41 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=497638&page=5
Summary: this summer's road trip destination is colorado. We'll get to the Denver area late 4/18, and have to be in Raleigh by late 4/25.
Right now I'm poking around on recreation.gov trying to find the federal campgrounds first; anyone have any particular recommendations? We'll be car camping, then doing day hikes and maybe visiting museums or other touristy stops. II don't want to be too far west into the state: we've planned a decently torturous asshaul back home and I don't want to add even more distance

Other than staying in the eastern part of the state, I'm open to travel within the state. I definitely want to at least visit pike's peak.

3/22/2010 4:54:32 PM

Nerdchick - I've done a bunch of dried salsas, spagetti sauces, and that kind of thing in the past. They all worked great, and are some of the few things I'd actually go through the trouble to dry and include in a maildrop.

Hate to bump this too much, but I'm giving a slideshow on my AT thru-hike tomorrow (Mar 23) at 7pm: Great Outdoor Provision Company in Cameron Village. Details at http://sourcetosea.net/upcoming-appalachian-trail-slideshows-2/

3/22/2010 5:44:48 PM

I will try my best to attend...ill even introduce myself

3/22/2010 5:55:54 PM