High Sierra Topix

Yes--I recently heard a staff member at REI telling someone that it was "always warmer" to sleep nude in a down bag, as opposed to putting on clothes and then sleeping in the bag.

Makes you wonder.

I, personally found that to be absolute true. Not so for the other bags I had. The problem to sleeping in the nude is when you have to take a pee, WOW - how uncomfortable was that? - VERY.
Nude in down bags is how we slept on this long trip. We had (of course) sleeping bags that zipped together. Two people sleeping like that is very warm -- hallelujah!

I heard decades ago that the idea of nude sleeping was to avoid being in clothes that get damp and clammy in your bag. I tried it and it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Except that I developed a preference for sleeping in the buff. Go figure.

As for the midnight pee, you have to go fast before you get too cold.

Well, all set, all equipment bought and staged. Food for 5 days is 13 lbs. Breakfast lunch and dinner, with snacks. We ran our packs on a test run 20lbs in each for five miles and they worked awesome.

Packs yet to be filled and weighed but going to keep wifes under 25 and hopefully mine under 35.

The weather forecast is now saying possible thunderstorms. Is that a concern for lightening? If so, best location to camp it out? Deep in a forest? Thoughts? I am bringing some really thin tarping so i can put a shelter up over the tent, no biggie, but the lightening is concerning....

markskor wrote:
And in regard to REI people and their opinions - Just got back from my local REI and overheard one "expert" telling a gentleman there that Leki poles (twist locks) are far preferred over Black Diamond (flick locks) because he was tall and heavy - told him Leki's are better for that type.

Perhaps he was basing that on the Backpacker magazine article that stated twist locks hold up under more weight/force than the flick locks.

At least that shows he did some sort of research.

I love my twist lock poles - but they are not Big Name Brand poles and do not have the same twist lock apparatus. Gossamer Gear rocks my socks off.

robnsuzyq wrote: The weather forecast is now saying possible thunderstorms. Is that a concern for lightening? If so, best location to camp it out? Deep in a forest? Thoughts? I am bringing some really thin tarping so i can put a shelter up over the tent, no biggie, but the lightening is concerning....

If your tent doesn't have a rain fly, and you are going to tarp over it, it sounds like you'll be in the trees anyway. I don't think you have to worry too much about the lightning, as long as you don't pitch your tent up on a bare granite knoll. Just don't be the highest thing around.

rlown wrote:

Just don't be the highest thing around.

or under the highest thing around or under an overhanging rock. (why the overhanging rock? Because you have a good chance of becoming the chosen path of the lightening if lightening were to strike the rock!)

Mike

robnsuzyq wrote:Well, if I read the requirement right, its not a high bear area, and not required to can it. Also, after talking to the REI people (customers and staff) they recommended the odor bags, so i bought a bunch of those, and am going to double bag the food and hang it? Along with all the fun stuff like tolietries and meds and such.

Just an FYI--when you get your permit, they will ask you, point blank, if you have a bear canister or if you are going to double hang your food. There is no option C.

Have a link to proper hanging tech or ?

I must be a "bear magnet" because over tha last 10 years in the Sierra I have seen and actually encounterd (standing face-to-face) with as much as 8 bears a day! Perhaps I see more bear because I have encountered more bear, therefore, I really keep an eye out for bears. Anywhere in or around Yosemite, I see bear almost daily. I would recommend a Ursack or bear cannister. "Simple" hanging food counter balance method is really a pain to do- not very "simple" at all and it has to be really perfect to work. If you just hang food, you tend to choose campsites based on hanging trees- sometimes missing better campsites with better views. If you can rent a Bear-i-kade, it is almost a pound lighter than the others. I think it is a good idea to rent bear cans before buying- this way you get to try out each kind. Sequoia-Kings Canyon rents Bear-i-kades- am not sure if Yosemite does. At any rate, hanging food may suffice for this trip, but if you continue, at some point you will be in areas that require the cannister.