BP Get Out More PDF prep

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ainfly that reaches all the way to the ground. 2. Bring Big Jim. Bring your gear and your hiking partner to the store to see if you all fit into your chosen tent. Borrowed gear and partners often have different dimensions. 3. Practice pitching. Set up the tent. If the tent is already pitched when you walk into the store, take it down and pitch it again to see how easy the setup is. Now imagine doing it in driving rain and wind. 4. Build your house. Lie down inside on sleeping pads. Figure out where your boots, pack, and wet gear would go. Is the weatherproofing, entry, ventilation, and living and gear-storage space acceptable Rehearse a midnight exit to answer nature’s call. Subtract points if your knee clobbers your partner’s jaw. 5. Say no to sagging. With the tent pitched, check the rainfly’s fit. A quality rainfly fits snugly on the tent’s pole structure, producing taut panels of fabric that won’t flap noisily or act like sails in windy weather. 6. Quality control. From inside the tent, look over the fabric and seams; the store’s ceiling lights provide good backlighting to find flaws. Check for loose threads, stitching glitches, fabric irregularities, and discoloration. 7. Look for leaks. Inspect all the tent’s stitching. Look for bits of fabric, thread, or wrinkles under the taped seams that will cause leaks. Scratch any seam or tape that appears loose to see if it separates. 8. Mimic the wind. Stress-test critical junctions that can cripple your hike if they fail in gusty conditions. Tug on guypoints, stake webbing, and pole-attachment points to see if seams begin to separate. Check that pole end grommets are secure. Inspect zippers for excess tension. 9. Check the coating. You should be able to see the shiny, waterproof coating on the inside of the rainfly and floor. If you can’t see and feel it on the fabric, it may not be thick enough to stand up to heavy use. 10. Pick the right color. Check how well the tent’s color transmits light to the interior. Some colors create a bright interior, while others make for a dreary, cavelike ambience. Light colors are cooler in the summer, while dark colors absorb solar energy, making them better for cold weather. Sleeping Bags The number of features in what used to be a simple rectangle of quilted fabric is forever increasing. You can choose from a staggering variety of insula- tions, shell materials, sizes, temperature ratings, and more. With so many options, you’re bound to find a sack that suits your very own physical and fiscal comfort zones. BAG NEEDS ■ What’s your price range ■ What’s the average temperature range during your typical trips ■ Do you most often camp in a wet climate or dry ■ How tall are you ■ What are your priorities in choosing a bag (for example, light weight, freedom of movement) ■ Are you a cold or a warm sleeper BUYING A BETTER BAG 1. Shop around. If this is your first bag, bone up on them, then visit as many stores as you can to compare models in your price range. 2. Demand expertise. Ask the salesperson questions about insulation, shell materials, women’s models, and anything else you’re interested in. If the answers are vague or seem biased without experience to back them up, find another salesperson or go to another store. 3. Choose synthetic or down. Decide which fill is right for you. 4. Hop in the sack. <strong>Get</strong> in, roll around, use the zipper, cinch down the hood, try to get out in a hurry. Check fit, comfort, and ease of use. Stuff every bag you’re considering into its stuff sack to compare packed size and weight. 5. Put your feet first. Consider only models that provide extra room at the foot of at least 3 inches (so the insulation isn’t compressed) but no more than 6 inches (so there isn’t extra space to heat). 6. Bring your pack. If you have an internal frame pack, take it to the store to make sure the bag fits. If it’s too big, try a compression stuff sack. 7. Know your sleeping style. Are you always freezing when everyone else is warm <strong>Get</strong> a bag rated 10°F lower than the lowest temperature you might encounter. Claustrophobic Consider a roomier cut. 8. Be realistic. Choose a bag based on the temperatures you’re most likely to encounter on the majority of your trips. Rent a deep-freeze bag to see if you actually like winter camping before shelling out the big bucks. 9. Be realistic, part 2. Most backpackers don’t need a water-resistant/ breathable shell, which is most useful for sleeping under the stars, in snow caves, and in severe condensation conditions (some bivy sacks can create this environment). If you have extra dough to spend, you’ll get more satisfaction out of upgrading to a high-fill-power down or buying a bag liner to 14 GET OUT MORE! WWW.BACKPACKER.COM 15
extend the life of your sack. 10. Build a system. If you already own a perfectly good three-season bag but want a lighter, cooler bag for hot summer nights and a warmer sack Some hikers sleep so soundly that if a herd of buffalo ran through camp, they’d keep right on snoring. For the rest of us, a good night’s sleep requires a comfy mattress and a quiet campsite. Knowing how to find the right bag and use it to your best advantage also helps. Here are a few trail-tested bits of advice: At the Store: Size it up Just as ill-fitting boots will make you miserable on the trail, a sleeping bag that isn’t your size will cause you many restless nights. Even the most high-tech, expensive bag won’t work properly if it doesn’t fit. Slumber Secrets HOW TO FIND A SLEEPING BAG THAT FITS, PLUS OTHER TIPS FOR SOUND SNOOZING. When shopping for a sleeping bag, it’s essential that you try on your choices. Take off your shoes, spread the bag out on the retailer’s floor, and get in and roll around. Pay attention mainly to length and girth. There should be enough room to wiggle, but not so much that you can bring your knees up to your chest inside the bag. Excess space means more dead air for your body to expend calories heating. Here are other fitting tips: ■ A snug-fitting mummy is easier to warm up than a roomy one, especially if you sleep cold or do a lot of winter camping. ■ Don’t give up on mummies if you like to toss and turn, just shop around. Bag makers are coming up with innovative ways to allow you to have more freedom of movement in their mummy bags, including trapezoidal footboxes, stretch panels, and expanding draft tubes. ■ Be sure to get the right size. A sack that’s too long won’t keep your feet warm because there’s too much air movement at the bottom of the bag. A bag that’s too short won’t keep your feet warm either, because your toes will press against the bottom and flatten the insulation. ■ Go with the longer bag if you’re on the fence between two different lengths. A little extra room at the bottom of the bag allows you to store items that you want to keep from freezing, like full water bottles. Check construction quality When you crawl inside a bag to make sure it fits, you should tug on the drawcords and cinch the hood to evaluate its comfort. Also examine the bag for flaws and weak links using this five-point inspection: 1. Check down bags for leaking feathers, a sign of poor construction or a shell that’s not densely woven. for late fall and mild winter outings, consider an overbag or liner. Both double as summer sleepers while stretching the comfort zone of your main bag for colder weather. 2. Work the zipper vigorously, checking for any catches other than the usual fabric snags. 3. Shake the bag from top to bottom, then from side to side. After each shaking, feel for loose or thin spots. Well-anchored synthetic fills won’t appear to shift, and adequately stuffed down baffles should feel fluffy all over. 4. Test the recovery of loft by doing a press test: Push down on the bag with your hand, then let go. The bag should spring back to full height within a few seconds. If it doesn’t, the bag is doomed to lose its lofting and insulating capabilities. 5. Grab the lining and shell materials of the sleeping bag and pull gently. Listen for tearing, and feel for too much give, which indicates that the baffles are loosely constructed and prone to rupturing. In Camp: Warm it up It’s 3 A.M. Your bag feels like an icebox, your teeth are chattering loudly enough to wake a hibernating bear, and your muscles are quivering in a last-ditch effort to generate heat. What can you do differently to get warm and stay warm through the night ■ Cinch tight your bag’s draft collar and hood to minimize heat loss. ■ A wet bag never feels warm, so avoid moisture at all costs. Put your sleeping bag in a waterproof stuff sack or garbage bag for carrying it in your backpack, and take off any wet clothes before you climb into the tent. ■ Keep extra clothes and a hat handy so you can slip them on for some added warmth when you get cold. ■ Fill a leak-proof bottle with hot water before you turn in, then place it in the foot of your bag or at your body’s core. ■ Eat hearty, high-calorie meals to give your body calories to burn for heat, and keep a snack handy in case you need to refill your fuel tank in the middle of the night. ■ Empty your bladder. Keeping that fluid warm inside your body wastes energy. ■ Do 20 jumping jacks, or 5 minutes of your own favorite calisthenics just before bed and anytime during the night when your engine needs a jump start. Go to bed warm. 16 GET OUT MORE! WWW.BACKPACKER.COM 17
Page 1: Backpacker.com Dream it. Find it. E
Page 4 and 5: you can’t cover all the bases wil
Page 6 and 7: 6. Consider your trails. If you pla
Page 10 and 11: EATING WELL EATING WELL ON THE TRAI
Page 12 and 13: A d v e r t o r i a l The 3-Day, Tw
Page 14 and 15: hips, thighs, and calves, plus your
Page 16 and 17: HIKING FARTHER LONGER YOUR BODY REL
Page 18 and 19: ■ Tell your altitude within 30 fe
Page 20 and 21: Stove: Field-repairable stoves, typ
Page 22 and 23: Ultimate Gear List - what to take f
Page 24: PRINCIPLESOF LEAVE NOTRACE 1. PLAN

BP Get Out More PDF prep

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?