I was at a group campsite near Asheville last fall when a guy who claimed to hike the AT twice said he never washes his down bag, just airs it out. Another woman jumped in saying she dry cleans hers every season and it's fine. So which method is actually ruining the loft faster, or am I overthinking this whole thing?
I was at the REI in Portland last weekend waiting for the register and this dude next to me was telling his friend he's owned the same down bag for 8 years and never once washed it. Said he just airs it out after trips. I have a 3 year old synthetic bag that I wash maybe once a year but now I'm wondering if I'm doing too much or too little. Anyone know how often you really need to clean a sleeping bag before the loft starts dying?
Camped at the Chisos Basin site last month and pulled out my tent at dusk only to find three stakes missing from the bag. Had to weigh down the corners with rocks, and the wind came up around 2 AM, nearly flipped the whole thing. Anyone else check their stakes and guylines before every trip now or am I just paranoid?
I was buying new insoles in Seattle last month and this older hiker just straight up told me my boots were too stiff. I had these heavy leather ones I thought were great for ankle support. He said if I'm doing 15+ miles I need something flexible that lets my foot bend naturally. Swapped to a lightweight trail runner style boot and my feet stopped hurting after mile 10. Anyone else get gear advice from a random stranger that actually worked out better than what you planned?
I was about 10 miles from the next shelter when my main tent pole snapped clean in two. Had to splint it using a spare trekking pole, some duct tape, and a cut piece of a foam pad. It actually stayed together through a thunderstorm that night. Anybody else had a field repair that worked way better than you expected?
I found a random comment on a forum last week about cleaning the jets on those old stoves with a piece of guitar string. I had my dad's old WhisperLite sitting around since 2019 after it clogged up on a trip to Yosemite. I grabbed a 0.010 inch string from my neighbor's kid and cleaned out the nozzle in about 10 minutes. Fired right up on the first try with no leaks or sputtering. Has anyone else had luck reviving an old stove with weird tricks like that?
I was cleaning out my basement last weekend and pulled out this old Kelty tent I bought back in high school. Inside the stuff sack was the original receipt and a handwritten list of every trip I took with it that summer, 13 campsites all marked down with dates and locations. The funny part is the receipt showed I paid $89.99 for it at a place that closed down like 15 years ago. Has anyone else ever found old trip logs or gear receipts stashed away like that?
I had this old Gregory backpack I bought off a guy on Craigslist back in 2017 for 40 bucks. Carried it through about 30 trips over the years, up and down the Appalachian Trail in Virginia and some weekenders in the Smokies. Last month I was hiking near Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah and a shoulder strap stitch snapped during a steady rain. Water got into the main compartment through the hole and soaked my sleeping bag. That pack saw me through college, moving apartments, and a bunch of campouts. I patched it with duct tape to finish the hike but it's done now. Anyone know a decent replacement under 100 bucks that holds up on rocky terrain?
Honestly, I spent $120 on a fancy branded footprint for my backpacking tent and it tore on the first trip in the Smokies last spring. My buddy Mark laughed and said his cheap Walmart one has lasted 4 years through rain and gravel. Anyone else find that budget gear sometimes holds up better than the expensive stuff?
I learned that you need to check for sap drips before setting up, not after, because that sticky mess took 20 minutes with rubbing alcohol to get off my rain fly, has anyone else had a campsite surprise like that?
Was up on Old Rag last May and a freak storm rolled in around 2am. Wind was so bad my tent poles started bending and water was seeping through the floor. I spent the rest of the night sitting up holding the pole. Next morning I walked past a guy with a simple tarp setup who looked dry and comfortable. Sold my tent on Craigslist that week and bought a 10x10 silnylon tarp for $50. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it? I'm worried about bugs.
I was setting up camp near the Springer Mountain shelter when my main pole just cracked in half. It was one of those cheap aluminum poles on a 4-season tent I bought used 3 years ago for $80. I ended up using a hiking stick and some duct tape to prop it up for the night. Has anyone else had luck fixing a broken pole with a repair sleeve or is that just temporary junk?
I bought this super cheap foam pad off Amazon for a weekend trip to Shenandoah. First night I woke up every two hours feeling the rocks right through it. By morning my back was shot. I borrowed a friend's inflatable pad the next night and actually slept. Never skimping on ground gear again - anyone else learn this the hard way?