Im heading out for some fall trips soon and honestly my electronics setup is driving me crazy rn. when its rainy or super foggy and damp, I usually put my phone, headlamp and power bank in a few ziplocks or a dry bag at the bottom of my backpack. but then when I suddenly need my phone for maps or need to charge something in the tent, I need to dig through everything lol.

i got the iniu outdoor rugged 10000 bank for this trip so im less worried about where to keep that since its waterproof. the phone and headlamp are my main concerns now, especially when i need them quickly and dont want to unpack half my bag just to find them.

but im still curious what everyone else does. do you use a chest pack, special poches, or just deal with the ziplock life? what actually works for you?

Bought from a store when i was in Park City.

Want to return but I live in Phx..

Now they tell me I can't return b/c the online system and store systems don't mesh so I have to return to a store..

Well, i'm in fucking phoenix.. I'm not driving 12 hours to make a return. Bullshit..

Never buying from them again.

So I bought a children's camp. Like, the whole thing with cabins, lake access, a dining hall, and a high ropes course that I honestly didn't think much about when we signed the papers. It looked cool. Like in my childhood and I’m sure that the kids would love it

Turns out the ropes course is a whole situation

The previous owner apparently hadn't had it inspected annually for several years. I found this out the hard way when our insurance company asked for the inspection document before the season opens. I went looking through the files and found nothing. Not a single recent certificate. Just some old paperwork from years ago with a signature I can't even read.

So now I'm stuck because the insurance company won't budge without a document from a certified inspector. And the local contractors I've called either won't touch someone else's structure or say something like we'll tear it down and build a new one. Which is not what I want. I don't have new course money and I have fix-what's-there money. There's a difference.

I started googling who even inspects other people's ropes courses. I didn't know this was a thing. I found Experiential Systems. Their site says they inspect and certify courses, not just the ones they build themselves. That sounds promising. But I don't know if they'll travel to our state. And I don't know if the inspection will cost as much as a brand-new course, which would defeat the whole point.

Our budget isn't huge because you know we just bought a camp. But I'm willing to pay for something that's actually worth it. I just don't want to pay a fortune for a piece of paper that says what I already suspect and that the course needs work

Went out to Hocking Hills with two buddies for a car camping weekend. One of them is from Vermont and basically never cold, the other and I were both wearing more layers than normal. Highs around 50 on Saturday but the wind off the ridges made it feel like 40, and overnight lows dropped into the mid 30s both nights.

I bought my Venustas classic back in September mostly for yardwork and dog walks, hadn’t given it a hard test until now. Where it mattered most was the fire pit the first night. We spent 45 minutes gathering wood and setting up before anyone lit the fire, and I had the vest on low under a rain shell the whole time while the other two were doing the arms-crossed stomp. Second big moment was breakfast at the picnic table Sunday, on medium while coffee was heating. The shoulder panel coverage made the biggest difference, those spots on my upper back and traps are usually what gets cold first and nothing in a normal vest covers them.

Three things I wouldn’t do. Can’t sleep in it (there’s a safety note from the manufacturer about this). Also kept it off once the fire was lit, flying sparks and heated fabric don’t mix. And multi-day trips need a power bank, the battery is solid on low for a full day but doesn’t push much past that.

Vermont buddy asked where I got it before we broke camp Sunday. That’s probably all I need to say.

I’m ready for a couple of new baselayer tops, and don’t know whether to replace old Patagonia (Capilene) ones with more of the same or try something different. I’ve tried pure merino before, and don’t like it, however I was looking at the Rab ‘Syncrino’ in-store and it seemed like a nice fabric (it is a merino & synthetic blend).

Main priorities for me are keeping me dry, or at least not wet and clammy if I swear, being the warmest is not a dealbreaker, although obviously it is for winter use really. The Rab stuff is a fair bit cheaper and I’ll probably get 2 or 3 but don’t want to get something poorer quality. Are there any other good merino-poly blends on the market people would recommend? I checked out smartwool and icebreaker but they seem to only really do 100% merino.

TLDR; like my Capilene baselayers, stick with them or try a Merino-synthetic blend?

Hi I have been looking for good winter boots to wear for my delivery job on a moped 25km/h for 5 to 6 hours shift in swedish winter. My concern is to avoid my feet being wet and cold in the boots but as my feet get tired quickly, I am also looking for boots which are not very heavy. I am considering to buy Merrell Thermo Chill 2, or Jack wolfskin Everquest Texapore Mid. I have never worked outdoor in winter before. So I have no idea what to wear. Any recommendations?

Hello hikers,

I like to do "mild" hikes in winter, not much ascension and not too intensive physically. I have been using a jack wolfskin jacket that I've had for a long time for the winter, but recently gave up on me. The quality was not excellent so I'm trying to look at other brands. Hence I need your suggestions.

I'd like something that is waterproof and insulated

So far two.models caughty attention:

\-Rab Valiance jacket

\-Schoffel wildkar jacket

Do you have any experience with these two models and brands? Also I'd be happy to hear your others suggestions:)

Cheers!

Hi,

I need some advice. I want a warm winter parka, but I am struggling to find one to fit! I’m a UK 4–6 and I currently have a Moose Knuckles kids medium coat, but I want something a little longer. I am considering either Canada Goose Trillium or Chelsea, but any other recommendations are welcome!

Not sure if people has both the r1 air and kyanite light to compare

Hi all. For a few years I've used a queen-sized Coleman airbed cot. It's worked great for the type of camping I tend to do.

This is the cot: https://www.coleman.com/outdoor-living/furniture-sports/camping-cots/airbed-cot---queen/SAP_2000020270.html

The mattress got punctured in a way that I could not patch up and I'd like to buy a replacement because the cot frame is perfectly fine, but it doesn't seem like coleman sells a replacement which is wild to me.

Does anybody know of an air mattress that fits this cot? I could obviously put pretty much any air mattress on top of it, but it was nice that the original air mattress fit into the sewn-in cover.