I agree that those bear barrels are a pain but shortly before your trip some people had a bear steal all three of their hung bags at Lake Aloha! I have lived and hiked up here for over 50 years and never seen a bear on a hike but I am going with the lighter clear bear barrel from now on. I just pack all my stuff around it..plus it makes a good camp seat.
Yeah, I've seen several photos of similar situations. The bears are smart and I have decided that next time I will be using my canister rather than the ursack.
I will tell you one thing regarding the water bottle based on experience, not only from backpacking but cycling as well. If that water bottle isn't front and center you won't drink as much and depending on the environment that can be bad. So if you are going to be taking it off of your shoulder strap I would at least suggest getting a water bottle holder for your hip belt, like the one made by outdoor research. What I did to make the weight on my shoulder a little easier was swapped to carrying two bottles (I drink a lot). A 1-L bottle in the water bottle pocket, and a 700 milliliter bottle on the shoulder strap. On my winter trips I use a bottle on my hip belt, because then I'm carrying now jeans due to the risk of water freezing or storing water that's heated with my cook system
I’ve found gathered end hammocks beat ground camping by a long shot and bridge hammocks beat gathered end hammocks by a long shot. So for me, the bridge hammock is the absolute comfort winner for backpacking. I own three Warbonnet Ridgerunners. Would love to see a head to head comparison of the Banyon and the Ridgerunner. And if you get a single layer bridge hammock without a bug net, then add in carbon fiber poles, the set up can still be very ultralight and keep you below 10 pounds totally base weight - easily.
I wondered how that front pack might work out. I do use a waist/fanny pack up front for items I want close at hand. But I don't even put anything large or heavy into my strap pouches.
Drones should be banned on all trails. Nothing like getting out and enjoying an amazing lake view to be interrupted by the buzzing sound that most of us are trying to get away from.
LOL! I came to the conclusion BEFORE my last trip that my Sony and tripod needed to stay home after carrying my a6400 on my shoulder on the High Sierra Trail. There was no freakin way I was going to do that again. LOL!. I was thrilled with the quality of my Hero 7 (and I just bought the 9!) and my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I also had the GoPro Max 360 and wish I would have used it a lot more. Rather than using a pack on the front that hangs off my shoulders, I used a fanny pack. It worked really well and took the weight off my shoulders.
Guess I should have asked you before my trip! My full electronics kit was over 15 lbs with the spare batteries and everything. While I got some great shots on this one, and in my opinion put together the best video I ever have, man the GoPro is pretty darn close! GoPro for the UL win!
Mark, i have to tell you if you can talk the folks at UGQ to make one for you, the Renegade is THE BEST TQ Ive ever used. The pleated baffles and differential cut perform better than all of the other quilts I ever owned hands down. Most true to rating as well, dven better actually. Always enjoy your videos brother. 🤙
Comparing the ridge reaper to the incubator or other underquilt, how much better if at all is the bridge hammock specific quilt on the banyon. Supposedly you can use any underquilt but is that true even with cold conditions?
You can use any UQ, but this one is designed to fit the Banyan and Ridgerunner. What that does is makes it damn near dummy proof, I can attest to that! Using the Incubator, I had to run some shock cord up and over the hammock Ridgeline to snug it up so I didn't have any gaps. And you lose a lot of visibility, and end up carrying extra weight if you're using a standard UQ.
Just saw this, you asked about the camera - IMO leave it at home, unless you are looking for artistic shots for Instagram. I watch these videos on a nice 4k tv via a FireTV box and can't tell the diff between most video sources (except the ActionCam fisheye!). Darwin and Nemo showed off cameras in a video a while back, but when it got to me after all the compression - the vids all looked the same. The one advantage of a nice camera is a good mic with a dead cat to kill the wind noise.You can however make wonderful videos with just a cell phone - the best I've seen in quite a while is Hickory's AT vlogs ("They Call me Hickory" is the channel and these vids are amazing, good as Darwin's or Dixie's IMO and done with just a cell phone, planning, and editing). These are all worth watching if you have the time and show what can be done with just a phone! I'll be watching more of yours as well...
Yeah, I've seen quite a few amazing videos that were done solely on an iPhone, so I know you can do it. And I'm leaning more and more that way each time I go out with a big setup! The drone shots though, are awesome! You're absolutely correct, the difference from my file on my hard drive to what gets compressed by TH-cam are two entirely different animals. Thanks!
You are the first to confirm this foolishness of carrying anything on their shoulder straps. The human anatomy and physics always told me this a no-no. Ideally around the body’s center of gravity. Lower back and waist area! Thanks for the recap.
Right, it seems to be a growing trend. Fanny packs are good for an up front solution, and they keep the weight on the hips and off the shoulders. Thanks!
Howdy, from a fellow okie. Me and my best friend are getting into backpacking both of us are in our 30s. Tips or suggestions for a couple of newbies? I took him down to Robbers Cave this last week and we walked the rough canyon trail and stayed a couple of nights at Lost Lake. Thanks, for what you do. Keep up the awesome videos.
Do you think it was the backpack it self that hurt your shoulders, not transferring the weight off your shoulders , you look like a pretty built guy I would not think 8 pounds would bother you. I have that exact backpack and notices the same thing I moved the sternum strap up and that helped quite a bit love my pack.
While I don't believe it was the backpack, since this was my first trip with this specific pack, I can't answer that one for sure at this point. What I can tell you is that I have a Curve 35 frameless and it's the most comfortable pack I've ever worn, which led me to this one. Let me get some more trips without the front pack and I'll let you know!
@@SpiguyverBackpacking1 A set of natural fiber clothes in fire season can be worth the extra weight for synthetic clothes tend to melt so that even a minor burn can become a major problem.
I agree that those bear barrels are a pain but shortly before your trip some people had a bear steal all three of their hung bags at Lake Aloha! I have lived and hiked up here for over 50 years and never seen a bear on a hike but I am going with the lighter clear bear barrel from now on. I just pack all my stuff around it..plus it makes a good camp seat.
True, it's a trade off that makes a lot of sense, and you get a chair out of the deal!
Yeah, I've seen several photos of similar situations. The bears are smart and I have decided that next time I will be using my canister rather than the ursack.
Great info, thanks for sharing! That trail is on my bucket list of trails I want to complete.
Thanks!
I will tell you one thing regarding the water bottle based on experience, not only from backpacking but cycling as well. If that water bottle isn't front and center you won't drink as much and depending on the environment that can be bad. So if you are going to be taking it off of your shoulder strap I would at least suggest getting a water bottle holder for your hip belt, like the one made by outdoor research.
What I did to make the weight on my shoulder a little easier was swapped to carrying two bottles (I drink a lot). A 1-L bottle in the water bottle pocket, and a 700 milliliter bottle on the shoulder strap. On my winter trips I use a bottle on my hip belt, because then I'm carrying now jeans due to the risk of water freezing or storing water that's heated with my cook system
Good point! Thanks!
I’ve found gathered end hammocks beat ground camping by a long shot and bridge hammocks beat gathered end hammocks by a long shot. So for me, the bridge hammock is the absolute comfort winner for backpacking. I own three Warbonnet Ridgerunners. Would love to see a head to head comparison of the Banyon and the Ridgerunner. And if you get a single layer bridge hammock without a bug net, then add in carbon fiber poles, the set up can still be very ultralight and keep you below 10 pounds totally base weight - easily.
Yeah, for sure!
Glad to hear there is a fitting underquilt for the banyon
It's a great quilt!
Watched the whole series. Still a great trip even tho it was cut short.
Thank you! I appreciate you checking it out!
I wondered how that front pack might work out. I do use a waist/fanny pack up front for items I want close at hand. But I don't even put anything large or heavy into my strap pouches.
I have the larger fanny packs that LiteAF make, so I will likely go back to something like that. Thanks!
Drones should be banned on all trails. Nothing like getting out and enjoying an amazing lake view to be interrupted by the buzzing sound that most of us are trying to get away from.
I get that. Apologies.
Stopped listening when he said he flew a drone. Nope. Not cool. Drone peeps know the rules.
Thanks for sharing bud. That front pack sure looked heavy.
It wasn't light!
LOL! I came to the conclusion BEFORE my last trip that my Sony and tripod needed to stay home after carrying my a6400 on my shoulder on the High Sierra Trail. There was no freakin way I was going to do that again. LOL!. I was thrilled with the quality of my Hero 7 (and I just bought the 9!) and my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I also had the GoPro Max 360 and wish I would have used it a lot more. Rather than using a pack on the front that hangs off my shoulders, I used a fanny pack. It worked really well and took the weight off my shoulders.
Guess I should have asked you before my trip! My full electronics kit was over 15 lbs with the spare batteries and everything. While I got some great shots on this one, and in my opinion put together the best video I ever have, man the GoPro is pretty darn close! GoPro for the UL win!
Mark, i have to tell you if you can talk the folks at UGQ to make one for you, the Renegade is THE BEST TQ Ive ever used. The pleated baffles and differential cut perform better than all of the other quilts I ever owned hands down. Most true to rating as well, dven better actually.
Always enjoy your videos brother. 🤙
I love all my UGQ quilts, I can't complain at all about this Bandit!
@@SpiguyverBackpacking1 roger that, dont fix what aint broke. Enjoyed the trip man 👌
Thank you! Appreciate you watching!
Comparing the ridge reaper to the incubator or other underquilt, how much better if at all is the bridge hammock specific quilt on the banyon. Supposedly you can use any underquilt but is that true even with cold conditions?
You can use any UQ, but this one is designed to fit the Banyan and Ridgerunner. What that does is makes it damn near dummy proof, I can attest to that! Using the Incubator, I had to run some shock cord up and over the hammock Ridgeline to snug it up so I didn't have any gaps. And you lose a lot of visibility, and end up carrying extra weight if you're using a standard UQ.
Just saw this, you asked about the camera - IMO leave it at home, unless you are looking for artistic shots for Instagram. I watch these videos on a nice 4k tv via a FireTV box and can't tell the diff between most video sources (except the ActionCam fisheye!). Darwin and Nemo showed off cameras in a video a while back, but when it got to me after all the compression - the vids all looked the same. The one advantage of a nice camera is a good mic with a dead cat to kill the wind noise.You can however make wonderful videos with just a cell phone - the best I've seen in quite a while is Hickory's AT vlogs ("They Call me Hickory" is the channel and these vids are amazing, good as Darwin's or Dixie's IMO and done with just a cell phone, planning, and editing). These are all worth watching if you have the time and show what can be done with just a phone! I'll be watching more of yours as well...
Yeah, I've seen quite a few amazing videos that were done solely on an iPhone, so I know you can do it. And I'm leaning more and more that way each time I go out with a big setup! The drone shots though, are awesome! You're absolutely correct, the difference from my file on my hard drive to what gets compressed by TH-cam are two entirely different animals. Thanks!
You are the first to confirm this foolishness of carrying anything on their shoulder straps.
The human anatomy and physics always told me this a no-no.
Ideally around the body’s center of gravity. Lower back and waist area!
Thanks for the recap.
Right, it seems to be a growing trend. Fanny packs are good for an up front solution, and they keep the weight on the hips and off the shoulders. Thanks!
"maybe white wasn't the best choice for a shirt" LOL - It's so dusty out there!
But it was the right choice for sun! And the dirt matched the smell!
Howdy, from a fellow okie. Me and my best friend are getting into backpacking both of us are in our 30s. Tips or suggestions for a couple of newbies? I took him down to Robbers Cave this last week and we walked the rough canyon trail and stayed a couple of nights at Lost Lake. Thanks, for what you do. Keep up the awesome videos.
Sweet, thanks for checking the video out. My suggestion is to head out to Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas, one of the best multi-day trails in the region.
Thanks! I will check it out.
I do have a couple of videos on the Eagle Rock Loop.
I watched one of them and sent it forward. It was the one it was dark, and rain man started it. I'll see if I can find the other.
Do you think it was the backpack it self that hurt your shoulders, not transferring the weight off your shoulders , you look like a pretty built guy I would not think 8 pounds would bother you. I have that exact backpack and notices the same thing I moved the sternum strap up and that helped quite a bit love my pack.
While I don't believe it was the backpack, since this was my first trip with this specific pack, I can't answer that one for sure at this point. What I can tell you is that I have a Curve 35 frameless and it's the most comfortable pack I've ever worn, which led me to this one. Let me get some more trips without the front pack and I'll let you know!
@@SpiguyverBackpacking1 Thanks I am going to rethink the water bottle on the shoulder strap also.
Gonna try to get out for an overnighter this weekend. Might load it up to around 20-25 lbs just to check the comfort
Yep the smoke followed you home! Did you get any of the rain from Beta today? I'm getting over here from it!
A little bit today, not a lot though, more to the east of us. Thanks!
@@SpiguyverBackpacking1 yeah that's me!
Stay dry!
Drones - hell no!
Fires destroying everything - meh
LOL!
@@SpiguyverBackpacking1 A set of natural fiber clothes in fire season can be worth the extra weight for synthetic clothes tend to melt so that even a minor burn can become a major problem.
ive flown my drone in desolation also. whoops sry not sry haha karens everywhere.
Thanks Jacob.