High Sierra Topix

I happen to like a little splash of color.

Wandering Daisy wrote:I happen to like a little splash of color.

Same here. Windshirt/rain jacket are both gecko green, synthetic puffy is yellow, down jacket is red, old tent/pack was orange. Tent is now grey and pack is black/green. Switching down jackets and now it's black.

Panamint City smoke stack in the background.


On top of White Mountain.

spiffy..

There's a reason to be in dark clothing when you fish til the rod guides freeze.. you need all the heat absorption you can get.

Sort of on the fence on this.
As a solo maven, do not really care what gear looks like as the only one who sees me - mostly. Thus will take advantage of any $$ savings on gear, (usually steep and cheap stuff/ leftovers come in these loud colors), especially on any premium equipment offered.
However, given a choice, will always gravitate toward the muted hues.
FYI, my gear is mostly black, tent is a TT Rainbow, Backpack is blue.
On smaller gear though, the stuff easily lost when put down, (stuff sacks, cameras, etc), do prefer the louder colors.

if I can, I get gear in visible colors - red, organge, yellow. But I don't get too excited about it. I like my orange tents, as they all looks very happy inside, even when it's very ugly outside.

Red and orange rain jackets and a red backpack make me easy to spot should I need to be spotted. Dirt over the years takes the edge off all these colors. None of my hiking gear neon colored, but on my bicycle, I do wear a vest that is neon green with relectors. Not needed in the mountains, just around ignorant texting motorized morons.

fishmonger wrote:ignorant texting motorized morons.

lol

HJ

how much do you really feel you'd need to be found?

There are many reasons I like to be visible. If injured, being easy to find by SAR is good, particularly since I do not carry a cell phone or GPS. When I go out with someone else, and I go off in the afternoon on a exploration hike, they are comforted to see me coming back to camp. When my husband goes fishing (he always gets distracted to the point of not coming back to the tent until dark) I like to see him so I can go fetch him for dinner! And when I climb, being seen on the rock is a safety factor. Example- on East Face of Whitney, you do not want to be climbing below someone. If I am visible, others then know that they could get rocks kicked on them if they choose to climb below me. On snow climbs, in foggy or white-out conditions, you need to stick together and being able to see the other is good. I also like to be seen when I camp because I do not want others to inadvertently camp next to me. And honestly, there have been many times when I was mighty glad to have a bright colored tent so I could find camp after a day's climb. Same with pack- if I drop my pack to do a side trip, a bright colored pack is a lot eaiser to find again. I am not sure if bears see color, but I prefer bears to see me and not be startled. And I am always cheered up when I meet another backpacker in bright colors. I usually take a photo! When you are solo, it is hard to get many photos with people in the foreground. I like creative backpack clothing. Running into a PCT hiker in a bright pink tutu, purple leggings and pyscodelic scarf in her dreadlocks really made my day!

i agree with climbing as an excuse to be seen.. even loved ones.. still.. I know where I drop my pack and there I am. as for foggy/crappy conditions, you do what you think you need to do. color means nothing after 50' in a bad fog..

I know of a local SAR operation that found their intended missing person when someone saw something blue among the boulders. Had he been wearing gray that day...

HJ