I'm going to swiftly ignore your criticism of the Altra Lone Peak and go straight to the more important topic: your beard. Is it me or is it becoming more epic?
🤣🤣🤣 Fair enough! We won't talk any more about the LP. 🤣 The fact that you described my beard as 'epic' has truly made my day! 🧔🏻 I haven' trimmed it for 3 months now, so it's definitely getting longer! Let's keep it going! I think you should grow yours to wizardly lengths!
Thank you! Yes, others have recommended this one to me as well. I decided to get one with a really long battery life (and super bright) but i think I'd still like to pick up this Nitecore. Seems like. a fantastic choice! Thank you!
I've been trying to find some good fleece gloves too and CANNOT find them either! I end up just packing my fly fishing mitts...but still on the search and agree that some gloves I feel my hands get colder wearing them.
TIP: Take two BRS stoves, one in your emergency kit. I had one break just below the valve. They are fabulously light, but any little defect in the metallurgy with nothing to bolster it. I still use it, and TWO of them together weigh less than any other stove... Had a backup. Lost a chunk of fuel, but with a few tricks made it through the trip on the remaining fuel!
You're right that taking a second one could be a good idea! For longer trips I think I may have to start doing that. Like you said, they weight basically nothing! Thanks so much for watching!
You need to try the ozark trail rechargeable headlamp from Walmart. It is $23 for 300 lumen maximum. We live off grid and they are our go to headlamp. We tried the high priced name brand versions but the Walmart ones last longer and are a fraction of the price.
Thanks, Thor! I am definitely going to check that out! Sometimes a need a higher output but a lot of the time 300 lumens is plenty! I am going to pick one up! Thanks for the suggestion! One of these days I’d love to hear more about living off grid! Thanks for watching!
I find cooking in my pot and cleaning it is no big deal. After eating I use a hand full of pine needles from the ground to scrub the pot and get rid of the bulk out then a drop of soap and some water done. It probably uses less water than rinsing out a used bag. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Baron! Ya, maybe I'm just lazy? Or don't want to bring dish soap? 🤣 You're not the first to suggest that I just need to get over it and be willing to clean a pot occasionally. And you're probably not wrong about that. 😆 I will add that I drink the water I use to rinse out the bag, which does make for some interesting water flavors... 🤢
Cool tips, the first one re the ball is very true. The bin bag liner is a good too… need to re watch a lot of the vids when I start some new adventures!
Thanks, James! Ya, that cork ball is a game changer! My feet never felt better on the last half of a trail session than after I used that thing! Thanks for watching!
Weird, we use that same headlamp. Never had a failure with it, but I also usually carry a spare. I wonder if one of the buttons got hit while it was stored causing it to go on and kill the battery, but we've gotten north of 4 hours on a charge. Beef Stroganoff Blueberry Oatmeal sounds amazing by the way. Don't knock it till you try it, but yeah, totally with you on saving bread on adventuring meals. Love the rice idea. The pain on your face when you had to dog Altra... goodness, that looked like it hurt. That's been one of the things I've been hesitant about with trail runners. They're light, and have comfort down, but they don't seem as durable as a more traditional trail shoe. The trails up here in the whites are murder on shoes, but I've got these Merrell knock offs (Ascend Lisco Low) the wife picked up for our anniversary at Bass Pro Shops that have held up fairly well for the last 80 miles or so, hardly any wear at all... we'll see how they look at 200 miles, but so far, I've been impressed, especially at how dry they've kept my feet. Probably a bit too clunky for running, but they're great for scrambling. You also might just be hard on your shoes. Mike at Bear Trek is finishing up 273 miles of the VT long trail on a pair of Altra 5's. He busted 2 trekking poles and had a gaiter ripped out by a rock, but both shoes seem to be holding up. Hey, where do you go to get your used Osprey packs?
First I’m a little amazed that we ended up ordering the same headlamp out of the thousands on Amazon! 🤣 Maybe we can shorten the name of that dish to BSBO. 😆 Ya, there are a ton of dishes you can use instead of the freeze dried. The pasta sides and rice sides all seem to work well. Then you can add a tuna packet for some protein if you want. Works pretty well! I’m glad you could feel the pain on the Altras. Maybe my feet just weren’t meant for them. I don’t know! Because I know a lot of people love them. Even I love them! But I just can’t buy new shoes every 200 miles! Maybe the Lone Peak 5s are more durable (they look like they might be, so maybe I’ll give them one more chance). Thanks so much for watching!
As far as osprey packs, I’m lucky to live where there is a good classified section online. Check out KSL.com classifieds. But lately everyone wants way too much for their gear so haven’t picked any up for a few months. I also check REI any time I drive past for anything on garage sale (stuff that gets returned but can’t be sold as new anymore). But if you see anything you like on KSL I’m happy to take a look and ship it to you. Just let me know!
Good video. A couple suggestions: Food - I use a Tupperware dish with a lid and a insulated lunch bag from the dollar store. Pack one or two meals in the container in ziplock bags. Make the meal in the container and slip it into the insulated lunch bag to rehydrate/cook. Rinse/wash the container for your other meals for the trip. If you want cold granola, try a carnation vanilla instant breakfast mix and water for the milk substitute. Definitely not a substitute for real milk, but if you are a fan of those fake milks (skim, nut, soy, etc) I think it compares well to those. (Note: I usually do this when I camp near a cold water source and use freshly filtered cold water.) (Note #2: I've seen another YT backpacking pair recommend saving, washing, and reusing those dehydrated meal pouches on later trips. - I haven't done that, yet.) Plastic pack liner bag - use a white trash compactor bag. Pretty cheap, tough, and the white makes it easier to see your gear in the bag.
Solid tips right here! So do you out hot water in the Tupperware? I’d be afraid boiling water would melt it or at the very least deform it. Any issues with that? I like the vanilla instant breakfast idea for a milk sub. And probably nice for the extra calories and nutrition anyway. Cold mountain water makes any drink mix taste good! I haven’t tried reusing the freeze dried bags from trip to trip, but I guess if you wash and dry them out it should theoretically work! Maybe I’ll give it a shot! And solid point on the white bag. It is hard to see the gear in the black bag! Thanks man! Seriously love it when other people off their tips and information! I’m still learning as well. So love exchanging ideas! Thanks man!
@@DoseofDirt Never had an issue with the boiling water in Tupperware or Rubbermaid dishes. I use the ones that are microwave safe. I've also rehydrated DIY meals in ziplock freezer bags without any issue other than the bags being hot to hold. I do use the name brand freezer bags, I wouldn't trust the store brand ones. And to be honest, I don't think I would try saving and reusing the mountain house type pouches, I thought I would mention it as another YTber pair does it.
All makes sense. Yes, saving the pouches between trips sounds tedious and the way the pouches are made makes them hard to clean out and dry. But a Tupperware is pretty light and super easy to clean. I may have to try that on one of my next trips!
Hey Tim! Yes! I actually ordered two different pair and have tried them both our already. I ordered the Innov-8 G 270s and the Topo Mtn Racer 2. Both are trail runners so should still be light and comfortable (I enjoy trail running as well) but I talked to a lot of ultra runners and am very hopeful that these will last longer. So far I think the Topo Mtn Racer is my favorite (worn them hiking and running already) but want to our some more miles in them. Do you have some shoes or boots you really like??
@@DoseofDirt I am new to backpacking, I have only purchased 1 pair of shoes which is Altra Lone Peak 5 based on others reviews. If I was going to try another shoe I would try the Topo based on review from Homemade Wanderlust aka Dixie.
@@timdettmann4067 that’s awesome! I think you will love backpacking!! Would love to know how it’s all going! I think I may be rough on my shoes, or maybe it’s the trails I use, because I know a lot of people are happy with the Lone Peaks. I just haven’t had good luck (but the 5s look more durable). After these failed I remembered a video a while ago where Dixie (love her channel, by the way!) recommended something other than Altra and kept meaning to go back and find her video but never did. I’m glad it was Topo! 🤣 I’ll do a full video in the near future, but so far the Topos feel more like an Altra with the wide toe box. The Innov-8 isn’t as wide of a feel to me. The Topos also seem a lot more durable and gripper than my Lone Peak 4.5s were. I went for the Mtn Racer 2 even though it isn’t a zero drop and so far I am really happy with them! Depending on what size you wear you may be able to get the Mtn Racer (original, not 2) on sale for like $70 right now, so might be worth a look! To tell you how much I like them, I am doing Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day next week and I am planning to wear my new Topos. Happy to answer more questions about them here or on Instagram or email. Just let me know!
That soft tissue release is fantastic on the trail! I am a strength and conditioning coach and have been using foam rolling for soft tissue release for over a decade and it is definitely a game changer. The key is to relax your breathing as much as you can while your doing it to get the full benefits. I even took a foam roller on my honeymoon to Maui lol Thanks for another great video!
Thanks, Nat! Yes, the power of that little cork ball! 🤯 I will try to focus on my breathing next time as well. I can understand why you took a foam roller on your honeymoon (hilarious by the way! 🤣) because I will not be taking another backpacking trip without that cork ball! Sounds like you have a lot of experience in this area! You may cringe at my lack of stretching and foam rolling, but I have been focusing on it lately (after straining my calf a few months ago...) and it makes a MASSIVE difference (I'm sure you spend a lot of time trying to convince people of that! 🤣). I would be fascinated to know if you have a set routine you do before and/or after a trail session (hiking, trail running, backpacking--whatever you're into) if you don't mind sharing. Thanks so much for watching!
@@DoseofDirt The routine is always the same, work on the areas that pain me the most haha it really is as simple as that. As hikers I think it's important to focus on rolling the feet to avoid plantar fascitis and also to really focus on the calves as well (gastrocnemius, soleus, peroneals, and tibialis anterior) because those muscles take a large part of the impact during hiking. I would say also make sure you're getting into the lateral glutes and hitting the piriformis muscle, as well as hitting the hip flexors. I usually use a tennis ball for those! Another tool I use is something called a "peanut". Just take two tennis balls and tape them together with something like medical tape, then use them in between the shoulder blades and along the neck and spine, absolutely fantastic relief when you have been carrying around a pack all day! Hope this helps a bit! Appreciate your videos, I have some plans in the works of making a RU-vid channel dedicated to healthy hiking and how I train for hiking the Sierra Nevadas here in California! Let's just say it ain't easy haha not in the slightest
@@natlovell122 Love this! I am definitely going to try the "peanut". I've got tons of tennis balls sitting around from my huskies. 🤣 I'm finding I have to focus more on my stretching and warm up lately than I used to. I love the idea of creating a YT channel! If you get that going, please let me know! I'd love to talk more about it with you and also learn from your channel! Thanks again!
I might join team cork ball! I have about 10 miles on my Lone Peaks (fingers crossed)! I've reused my bags before too but never rinsed on trail, might have to try that!
Room for all on team cork ball! 🤣 You'll have to let me know how the Lone Peaks work out. Maybe I'm just too rough on them? I'm still considering orders some LP5s since they look more durable. I thought I noticed LPs in one of your recent vids. Thanks for always watching, man!
Thanks Darren! Ya, reusing the freeze dried bag is so great! I hate getting my pot dirty but get tired of the expense and aftermath of freeze dried meals. I will definitely check out that headlamp! I know you record your adventures too. Do you feel like the Nitecore gives you enough light to record at higher at least decently? I use a GoPro which makes that even harder (DSLRs are so much better in low light!) Ya, RIP Lone Peaks. 🪦🤣🤷🏻♂️
@@DoseofDirt Ya, night shots are hard to film, I sometime bring a small lantern ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Gd_UZ89QEj8.html and use the light on my phone. But hiking on the trail at night the Nitecore 25 has 360 lumens on it's highest settings is more than enough.
The nitecore is not cheap. I have one and it works really well. I’d say one well made lamp is less expensive than trying 2-3 cheap lamps and not being able to use them.
