The Hiking / Backpacking Thread

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Is that a predecessor of the Hubba Hubba?

Not that I'm aware of. They're on the Hubba NX series now. My buddy has a Hubba (prior to the NX series) from about 20 years ago so I'd be surprised if the Nook was the predecessor to that. It's also a slightly different style by the looks of it.

The Elixer is a solid tent too. For near the same weight and within ~$50 of the MEC it'd be worth considering.

EDIT:
Campers village has the Hubba Hubba for $100 off right now. Heck of a deal actually.
https://www.campers-village.co/hubba...-msr02750.html

[GGG]

Are you planning to use them with two people in each tent? If go to mec grab pads a pack set up the tent and get inside and see if you fit. Do you use 20” or 25” pads. Two big guys using 25” pads don’t really fit in a regular two man tent

I use trekking pole supported tents which save significant weight if you already are carrying poles. They aren’t for everyone and you can’t try them out before you buy but they are light and spacious relative to a hubba hubba.

For the tarp tent stratosphere which has significantly more space than a hubba hubba it only weighs 1.3kg. With the dollar the way it is they aren’t that attractive cost wise

Www.tarptent.com

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by GGG

Are you planning to use them with two people in each tent? If go to mec grab pads a pack set up the tent and get inside and see if you fit. Do you use 20” or 25” pads. Two big guys using 25” pads don’t really fit in a regular two man tent

I use trekking pole supported tents which save significant weight if you already are carrying poles. They aren’t for everyone and you can’t try them out before you buy but they are light and spacious relative to a hubba hubba.

For the tarp tent stratosphere which has significantly more space than a hubba hubba it only weighs 1.3kg. With the dollar the way it is they aren’t that attractive cost wise

Www.tarptent.com

We were probably going to split the sleeping arrangements up as one adult+kid in each tent, or else me+wife in one and the kids in the another. None of us are very tall, but the boy seems to continue to grow.



The other concern, I guess, is whether two 2-person tents can be set up on a single campsite. I have never paid attention if anybody had set up two tents before.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

The other concern, I guess, is whether two 2-person tents can be set up on a single campsite. I have never paid attention if anybody had set up two tents before.

If you're actually booking B/C sites, it's 1 tent per lot.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

We were probably going to split the sleeping arrangements up as one adult+kid in each tent, or else me+wife in one and the kids in the another. None of us are very tall, but the boy seems to continue to grow.

You might consider a 3P then. Split the load with your wife? Depends how big the kids are but might be a better option.

Unless the separation from the kids is the point, in which case ignore me.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

You might consider a 3P then. Split the load with your wife? Depends how big the kids are but might be a better option.

Unless the separation from the kids is the point, in which case ignore me.

No, it's not really that - though the it would be nice to partner with the person who snores or smells the least. More the case of if my wife doesn't want to go out, I can just take my son and we can just take a 2 person tent, rather than trying to haul a 4-person tent around for all occasions. The only thing is when the 4 of us go, then we'd need to bring both out, which I think would still be less ungainly than splitting up a 4 person tent between multiple people? Maybe I am wrong on that though. I haven't had any experiene with "good" tents - only the cheap Canadian Tire ones up until now.



Alternatively - thoughts on just a bivies for each person? Less social, I suppose but are there any downsides if everybody carries their own?

[Flames0910]

The Hubba Hubba is an amazing tent. I spent 29 consecutive days in mine last year doing a thru-hike (plus the training trips earlier in the season). The tent is ~8 years old and still going strong. If you're coming from a Canadian Tire tent you're in a for a treat!

That said it only sleeps two, so if you go with the wife and kids you'll need another tent, and you'll have to book a site for each. Better for flexibility though, like you said. Personally, I wouldn't want to carry a 4 person tent on a 2 person backpacking trip (especially if you start getting into bigger trips or longer distances).

[GGG]

Bivies suck and with kids tent time is part of the fun. Cost wise I don’t think you do much better and weight wise you won’t be much further ahead either. Also in the rain it becomes difficult to change clothes and stay dry. If you Want people to go on more than one trip it would need to be their choice to use a bivy.

I would take a close look at the tarp tent Hogback. I’m a total shill for them. My brother has the hogback and we used it for a bike packing trip. 4 people it was walk to wall pads with 2 6ft 200lb males, a 5’3 women and a 10 yr old.

The nice thing it is only 1.87kg so only 100g more than the 2 person hubba hubba so when used as a two or three person tent it’s a back country palace for marginally more weight.

Cost wise it would be similar to two tents and marginally more weight than just one tent.

If in the mountain park you will need two tent pads however you pay per person per night not per pad per night so there is no cost impact to that part of the decision.

[DownhillGoat]

Yeah, I wouldn't do bivies if you're travelling with kiddos. Or anyone for that matter. If the bugs are bad. or it's raining, or it's dark at least you can play cards and such in the tent.

[AltaGuy]

Sad to see those three mountaineers killed on Howse Peak by an avalanche. I’ve always been interested in Mount Chephren next door, and could picture what that front face of Howse looks like. I had heard their names before, they were some of the world’s best. Pretty dangerous activity!

https://nationalpost.com/news/cp-new...-presumed-dead

[Torture]

@Wormius - Might want to consider who's going to be going out in the backcountry most often and make your decision that way as right now you're compromising both ways (weight or two tents).

If it's going to be all 4 most of the time, get the 4-man tent and rent a smaller one when only a couple are going out. Or vice versa.

[OMG!WTF!]

Are you allowed to keep antler sheds on public land? Asking for a friend. #fullmoonhike...

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Torture

@Wormius - Might want to consider who's going to be going out in the backcountry most often and make your decision that way as right now you're compromising both ways (weight or two tents).

If it's going to be all 4 most of the time, get the 4-man tent and rent a smaller one when only a couple are going out. Or vice versa.

Thanks. I think for the majority of the time it would be 4 people, so it seems like the best course is to look at the lightweight 4 person tents.

I had narrowed it down to a few at this point - MEC Volt LT4, Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4, and the MSR Papa Hubba.

I haven't seen any terrible reviews for any of those, except for the random outlier. Pending some good Kijiji bargains on the BA or MSR, I am kind of leaning towards the MEC for the room inside and its a bit less expensive. Would there be any reason to go with BA or MSR instead?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Would there be any reason to go with BA or MSR instead?

The fit/finish on the MSR is tough to beat.

If you’re interested I can get you 10% off the Pappa Hubba. Would take it down to almost the same price as the Volt.

PM me if you’re interested.

[Wormius]

I decided to go with the Papa Hubba. Looking forward to trying it out over the next long weekend.

So onto the topic of sleeping bags. I was doing a little reading about it and people seem all over the place on the topic. For the temperature / season ratings - is it a better idea to get one intended for warmer temperatures and wear some base layers to sleep in if it gets too cold, or actually get a sleeping bag suited for the cold weather?

[JJolg]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Are you allowed to keep antler sheds on public land? Asking for a friend. #fullmoonhike...

Great pic! Makes me wish my pup was young again so we could get back out shed hunting

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

So onto the topic of sleeping bags. I was doing a little reading about it and people seem all over the place on the topic. For the temperature / season ratings - is it a better idea to get one intended for warmer temperatures and wear some base layers to sleep in if it gets too cold, or actually get a sleeping bag suited for the cold weather?

Keep in mind all the temperature ratings using the EN standard assume you're wearing a base layer and using a sleeping pad (I'm unsure what they use for an R rating of the pad though my best guess would be about 1.8). They also use a comfort/limit rating. For example a +5 MEC bag is rated for comfort at +8, and it's low limit is +4.

For around here I use a -7 bag for 3 season camping. It's compressible enough and you always want a few degrees lower than what you assume the lowest temps you'll be in. I've been stuck near Stanley Mitchell in the snow in -5 (ish) and wasn't at risk of hypothermia but I sure wasn't warm.

If you're strictly summer camping you could maybe go with a 0 and pack a light puffy or something but I find the 0s are a little light for around here once you get into the mountains, and I generally run pretty hot.

I also have a +7 for hut trips or camping down south, and a -30 for winter, but I ran with just the -7 for probably 5-10 years before buying more.

Whichever you buy, get a good compression sack for it. Worth the $30 to take up half the volume that the stock bag gets you, although some brands already come with a decent one but it's rare.

[JJolg]

If you do 3 season backpacking and want to save on the weight go with a quilt, i know of a few guys i hunt with that run them during our November hunts as well.

x2 on the stuff sack expecially if your going with a down bag as most are waterproof and keep your bag dry incase a bladder or something goes bad in your pack.

I cant underestimate the value of a good ground mat, exped or neoair... without them you can have a great bag but loose all the heat under you and you'll be wondering why your cold in a couple hundred dollar bag.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

Keep in mind all the temperature ratings using the EN standard assume you're wearing a base layer and using a sleeping pad (I'm unsure what they use for an R rating of the pad though my best guess would be about 1.8). They also use a comfort/limit rating. For example a +5 MEC bag is rated for comfort at +8, and it's low limit is +4.

For around here I use a -7 bag for 3 season camping. It's compressible enough and you always want a few degrees lower than what you assume the lowest temps you'll be in. I've been stuck near Stanley Mitchell in the snow in -5 (ish) and wasn't at risk of hypothermia but I sure wasn't warm.

If you're strictly summer camping you could maybe go with a 0 and pack a light puffy or something but I find the 0s are a little light for around here once you get into the mountains, and I generally run pretty hot.

I also have a +7 for hut trips or camping down south, and a -30 for winter, but I ran with just the -7 for probably 5-10 years before buying more.

Whichever you buy, get a good compression sack for it. Worth the $30 to take up half the volume that the stock bag gets you, although some brands already come with a decent one but it's rare.

I have some -7C sleeping bags currently, but they're more of a car camping weight and and size. They don't compress much for backpacking. I remember using them in mid-June during a trip to Yellowstone when there was still snow on the ground and it was tolerable, but not what I would call comfortable. Kind of wondering what would be worthwhile to invest in. Definitely not doing any intentional camping in winter or in sustained sub-freezing temperatures.



Trying to outfit a whole family is expensive.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Trying to outfit a whole family is expensive.

Yeah not cheap once you start looking for light and compressible.