"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
10/07/2019 at 19:36 • Filed to: None
2
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"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
10/07/2019 at 19:36 • Filed to: None | 2
| 19 |
I waffled about last night trying to figure out what I am doing next weekend. I was torn between backpacking in a few different locations and doing a track day. Its going to end up costing me just as much money as the track day but at least most of that cost is gear that I will get to keep for future trips. Where I ended up deciding to go was Duck Pass in the John Muir Wilderness of the Eastern Sierra. I have been to this area MANY times for sole purpose of skiing. However, I really wanted to check this area out in “warm” weather to do some backcountry exploration.
I say “warm” because looking at the weather, its going to get pretty darn cold at night! I have a 20 degree sleeping bag, a nice sleeping pad, hand warmers, and plenty of warm layers to bring. But that 20 degree rating is really just a surviv ability minimum assuming the pad and layers so that is what caused me to waffle about, not wanting to drop $2-300 on a nice 0 degree backpacking sleeping bag. However, I discovered sleeping bag liners and will be picking up this one from REI later today, along with some freeze dried meals:
Advertised to add up to 25F to a bag rating so I think I will do just fine. Still going to bring plenty of clothing and hand warmers but I will press the “i believe” button for at least a solid 10-15 F to bring me to a decent level of comfort. I have used my current setup mildly comfortable at ~30 degrees so I am confident I can achieve ~20 with this setup. There is no precip in the forecast and humidity in the teens so I shouldnt have to worry about moisture to further the hurt of cold either. Another factor that I have to contend with is mandatory bear canisters for food. I have no idea how these work but I figure I can get a rental someplace and figure it out.
I havent quite figured out my itinerary entirely for the three days but the general idea is to drive up Friday night and stay in the hostel I use for skiing, hike out to Barney Lake and camp there on Saturday (marked X on the map above), and then probably day hike to Duck Lake and Pika lake, leaving the camp setup at Barney Lake for Sunday night before hiking down and returning home Monday . I believe that should leave plenty of time to deal with altitude, lots of water to refill with infinitely, and lots of cool side trips I could do in the area.
This will of course be a Scoobaru trip since the below freezing weather will break my Miata considering I run it with water and water wetter only. I still have lots of prep work to do for food but I have all week to figure that out. I booked my backcountry permit ($11) and booked the hostel ($47) so its not the cheapest hiking trip but its still a relatively inexpensive weekend. Should definitely be a wonderful experience though assuming a bear doesnt eat my tent and I dont freeze to death. And if I get lucky, I might even see some fall leaves on the drive!
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/07/2019 at 20:09 |
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I’ve got a 20 degree bag and that same liner. 25 degrees is a big stretch I think. But I’ve used my setup down to about 20-25 wearing just a single base layer top and bottom. I was cool but slept well enough. Had I layered better I would’ve been perfect.
Looks like it should be a great trip!
Future Heap Owner
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/07/2019 at 20:11 |
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Looks fun! I hadn’t ever heard of sleeping bag liners before. Let us know how cold you get at night!
Bear canisters are super simple. They’re basically big, extremely durable tupperware. Fill them up with all your food, and leave them a couple hundred feet away from your tent at night.
CompactLuxuryFan
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/07/2019 at 20:13 |
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Bear canisters are pretty much just huge bear-proof pill bottles. Bears haven’t developed quite the finesse to push in the right spot to unscrew them, and I think they’re too slippery for them to break them without getting really clever. They’re really handy to have even besides bears (rodents, etc can’t get in either, they don’t weigh very much, can serve as a little stool to sit on) . You might as well just pick one up if you plan on doing much backpacking in the future!
Nick Has an Exocet
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/07/2019 at 21:18 |
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I sewed one of these into a vest, I bet you could sew these into a sleeping bag for a little pre-heating action. One of my major issues is how long it sometimes takes to warm up once you’re inside a sleeping bag if it’s cold. Though I stopped camping forever ago. Way too uncomfortable and spending money on discomfort became un-fun.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/07/2019 at 22:38 |
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We bought some of these for my wife’s back pain when she was pregnant. I was feeling a little twinge in my back as we were preparing for our first winter Cub Scout camp- out, so I stuffed four of them in my pack . Little did I know just how handy they would be! I didn’t use one during the day, but I wrapped one around me before I crawled into my bag for the night. I wrapped one around my son too. We were both nice and toasty throughout the night. I highly recommend giving them a try!
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> TheRealBicycleBuck
10/07/2019 at 22:59 |
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Hmm doesn't seem like a bad idea as a don't freeze to death backup plan in case my current plan is insufficient. I bet carrying some of those is lighter than packing a bunch of extra clothing otherwise. I generally find that only hands and feet get cold if I'm not warm enough while camping and the hand warmers are perfect there. But these seem like a much better core temp assistant. If anything the cold mornings would certainly be a good time to have them as I want to get up for some sunrises over the lakes.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> CompactLuxuryFan
10/07/2019 at 23:01 |
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I just reserved one from REI since the member rate is $5 total for up to 6 days of rental. Considering buying one would set me back $70 it will take quite a lot of trips to make purchasing one worthwhile for now.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Nick Has an Exocet
10/07/2019 at 23:04 |
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Hah I’ve never really been uncomfortable while camping. Maybe other than the one time I stayed in a leaky tent during a thunderstorm or some of the super windy nights where I was worried of death by tree branch. But on non windy nights, im as comfy as can be. The only other problem I ever have while camping is other campsites making too much damn noise. But going backpacking into wilderness is bound to solve that problem at least!
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/07/2019 at 23:07 |
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Sweet, glad to know you survived with a similar setup. My only concern for comfort is my loss of cold resistance being in socal. Considering I ran the heat on my commute today in 60 degree weather , I feel like a wimp (granted top down of course). But layered up and sufficiently warmed during the day of hiking I should be alright. I generally find its like a mind over matter thing when it comes to cold resistance.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Future Heap Owner
10/07/2019 at 23:08 |
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Leaving them far away is certainly going to be the annoying part but considering they only allow 30 person total backcountry permits per night in the entire area there should at least be plenty of space to just set up a giant camp like that.
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Nick Has an Exocet
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 00:05 |
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No shower, no toilet, no thanks. I seem to remember having a similar opinion to C larkson about the foam sleeping mats. I was a long-time Boyscout but had 0 interest in anything other than hanging out with friends, haha.
That said, I understand the desire to hang out in nature as I do that quite a bit as an adult with my day hikes and national park trips. Good on you for finding something you like to do for fun. Stay safe though!
His Stigness
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 00:31 |
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I think you should stop through Fresno and pay the Toby tax. I’m sure IM will oblige.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Nick Has an Exocet
10/08/2019 at 00:38 |
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Oh I definitely prefer day hikes for sure. And really camping is primarily because it can be done cheaply with minimal planning. This is why backpacking isn't particularly appealing to me but I'm willing to give it a chance sometimes. My favorite campgrounds have definitely been ones with showers, nice fire pits, and nearby grocery stores. But I also hate sharing a campground with other people so that's where I see the appeal of hiking to my camp spot. I'm sure when I stop being young I'll definitely get sick of it or at least be more willing to just spend the money on a place with a roof and running water.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> His Stigness
10/08/2019 at 00:40 |
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Wrong side of the Sierras!
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His Stigness
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 01:01 |
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Ah. I didn’t look hard enough to see you’d have to drive out of the way to get there.
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AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 01:04 |
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Lol and I've been riding still in the 30's! But yeah you'll totally be fine.
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Future Heap Owner
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 01:21 |
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W alking a bit and dropping the container somewhere where you’ll remember it is a lot less hassle than having to do the whole rope hoist thing IMO
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/08/2019 at 09:18 |
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B E A U tiful... Have a great time. I’m jealous.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Future Heap Owner
10/08/2019 at 11:18 |
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Oh agreed for sure. But hiking someplace where there arent bears at all is even easier lol. Like when I backpacked in Big Sur, there was zero bear threat. But yeah to get at the cool places in the Sierras its just a requirement for sure. I agree I would rather not deal with a tree hoist and crap.