2014 Staff Picks

[Steve Meier]

Amen, sister!

[Ryan Smith]

Personally, I would love to see a handful of motivated individuals try to create a new site. BPL is really only a gathering place(forum) and gear swap right now since the article topics are so soft. So, no different than Whiteblaze, Hammockforums, etc. If some folks put one together, most everyone would either migrate over or the drop in traffic would make some changes happen around BPL.

Ryan

[Dave T]

"Personally, I would love to see a handful of motivated individuals try to create a new site."

But, as we know from BPL telling us, forum software and bandwidth is soooo expensive, and soooo complicated, that we'd never be able to do it.

Oh wait… it's not.

[Greg Mihalik]

"So, no different than Whiteblaze, Hammockforums, etc."

For some reason I don't understand, BPL is far more civil than Whiteblaze. And there is a lot more "experience based" discussion versus "Well, if it were me …", or "I don't really know, but …" I hate to see that change. When I think of WB, draconian, rude, arrogant come to mind.

"Personally, I would love to see a handful of motivated individuals try to create a new site."

So, everything is in place, right here.
Recruit. Write a proposal.

[Roger Caffin]

> the pros/cons of going to a canister stove for melting snow and I think I've
> narrowed it down to the Kovea Spider or the MSR reactor.

Highly biased Roger opinion: I would always go for the remote canister stove as long as it has a pre-heat system of some sort. Just for a start, it's so much more flexible in how you use it.

Cheers

[Jeremy and Angela]

"Personally, I would love to see a handful of motivated individuals try to create a new site."

Wouldn't be too hard to do. The only downside is that these forums contain useful lore, and most of that would be lost. Posters who are still around would be able to re-post their content to a new site, but otherwise there are IP issues. Short of buying the site from RJ, there would need to be an organized effort to reach out to old posters and get their content.

Personally I think this site has one of the cleaner layouts around; PHP-BB forums are a nightmare to navigate or search through.

-J

[Kevin Schneringer]

The Kovea is quite a good stove for the money. I have never melted snow with mine but it performs all other cooking tasks excellently.

I mostly use for small group and family camping. When paired with a good windscreen it handles well. IMO you can"t find a better $60 remote canister stove.
I pair it with a Snow Peak 900 ml pot. I can store stove, canister and windscreen in pot.

[David Chenault]

Billy, Eric, et al; you realize the reason ya'll hang around so frequently is that BPL is the place for expert, beyond-spec information, right? If by-the-book info is what you seek, Backpacker, GearJunkie, and many others are patiently waiting.

Ian, get the Kovea. The Reactor requires a lot of hands-on help (literally) below 0.

[Billy Ray]

"Billy, Eric, et al; you realize the reason ya'll hang around so frequently is that BPL is the place for expert, beyond-spec information, right?"

David,
you never cease to amaze me… from promoting Mt. Bike use on the JMT to now telling me just why it is that I frequent BPL…

the answer to your rhetorical question: Wrong.

billy

[Ian]

Thanks David. Kovea looks like the way to go. Time to swipe the card at Flat Cat Gear.

As far as expert beyond spec information goes, yes agreed, +1, etc. Gear reviews here are (can only think of one exception) quite informative unlike other periodicals who publish thinly veiled infomercials.

[Ryan Smith]

"For some reason I don't understand, BPL is far more civil than Whiteblaze. And there is a lot more "experience based" discussion versus "Well, if it were me …", or "I don't really know, but …" I hate to see that change. When I think of WB, draconian, rude, arrogant come to mind."

I meant not any different than WB/HF from a type of website perspective, not from a type of user perspective. Those websites dont offer articles really, only a forum and gear swap. WB by its very nature will have a lot of inexperienced users – people seek out information as they start their AT thru hike. Mostly young people. With that said, HammockForums is the nicest group of folks you could ask for and their knowledge base isn't far behind BPL all things being equal.

IMO, BPL is not very civil. There are tons of things that go on here that would not be allowed on other sites. That's both good and bad.

I say all of this not to be harsh, obviously I like the folks here and BPL.

Ryan

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Ryan

> There are tons of things that go on here that would not be allowed on other sites.
If you see something which you think is not appropriate – use the Report button. I don't guarantee to solve every problem – many of them I simply cannot do anything about, but I will try where I can.
Where two people are having a minor cat fight, I usually let them display their bad manners as an object lesson for others to consider.
If it escalates to a flame war I may ask them to tone it down a bit. Hey – I'm kinda lazy, you know?

Cheers

[Ryan Smith]

"If you see something which you think is not appropriate – use the Report button. I don't guarantee to solve every problem – many of them I simply cannot do anything about, but I will try where I can"

Ahh, you see, but I am quite lazy too. lol. On other websites, we don't have to hit the report button. They have multiple moderators and everyone knows that some things simply aren't allowed. Personally, I don't care if two people want to duke it out, but that does cause people to leave.

Ryan

[BlackHatGuy]

Ian, I can bring my spider if you'd like to see if before buying.

[Ian]

Oscar Pappa Sierra Echo Charlie;)

I've been flirting with the flat cat bobcat paired with the Evernew 1.3, baking pan, and kovea / epicurean stove long enough! I think it's time to stop windowshopping.

I hope to order it later this week.

Thanks for the offer though.

[James holden]

Well if "by the spec" means re-iterating that the manufacturer themselves dont recommend using their own product where life or limb is at stake …

Ill point that out when BPL fails to … Anytime, anywhere

I would hope that folks point out the risk of doing so regardless of how "hardcore" the site is

Folks use what they want, however the readers should understand the risks

;)

[Billy Ray]

"Well if "by the spec" means re-iterating that the manufacturer themselves dont recommend using their own product where life or limb is at stake …
Ill point that out when BPL fails to … Anytime, anywhere
I would hope that folks point out the risk of doing so regardless of how "hardcore" the site is
Folks use what they want, however the readers should understand the risks"

++++ many for Eric…

THIS (and Eric's other posts on this thread) is the kind of self-correcting post that I love about this site…
Balances the oft misleading ego-bloated, self-declared 'experts' opinions pro-offered as technical …. such as David C refers to …

billy

[Ian]

Git 'er done Billy. Git 'er done.

[Billy Ray]

Sorry if I am/was a bit over the top…
Dad is headed to the hospital so I'm not at my best right now..

billy

[Monty Montana]

"Luckily I am in prime desert hiking season, so I have no complaints."

Nick, I wish I could be in the desert hiking right now instead of in below zero Montana, but snowshoeing in fresh pow with full-on sun is such an indescribable, ineluctable joy. I also have no complaints!

As for complaints, I try to get them all out of the way before breakfast.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Billy

Best wishes for your father.

cheers

[Ian]

Sorry to hear that Billy. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

[Anonymous]

"I wish I could be in the desert hiking right now instead of in below zero Montana, but snowshoeing in fresh pow with full-on sun is such an indescribable, ineluctable joy. I also have no complaints!"

Any day an old fart can be up in the mountains is a good day, no matter what the weather is doing. It's all good.

[Steven Evans]

Doug,
Thanks for the shout out. Nice to see your ice tool is still going strong. It was fun working with everyone to develop it. I do see you drummed up some controversy, which is not unheard of when discussing the TICA – check out some other forums that discuss it if you don't believe me!

Something worth mentioning is that after the intial batch was released, I designed a much stronger carbon shaft by implementing semi-tapered internal geometry. Of course, if the carbon shaft still makes you nervous, I can make it with a full titanium shaft….

And on the top of my favorites list:

1) Buff – it has been on every trip with me, no matter the weather, for many many years so I can see why Kevin likes it too.

2) Forty below Light Energy Overboots – These literally changed my life in terms of winter hiking, I use trail runners all year around with warm and dry feet.

3) Six Moons Designs Refuge X – just under 1 lb, 2 person fully enclosed shelter. Its starting to really show its age but I absolutely love it.

Thanks everyone!

[Anonymous]

"Of course, if the carbon shaft still makes you nervous, I can make it with a full titanium shaft…."

Oh no, the potential price of the full titanium shaft makes me far, far more nervous than the carbon fiber…

More seriously, having experimented with and used bamboo for hiking poles and finding them to have an excellent weight to strength and durability ratio at a very low cost, i wonder if some kind of bamboo/aluminum or bamboo/carbon fiber composite might offer a strong enough, but relatively light and lower cost alternative?

It is easy enough to ram out the inner culm of bamboo rods, maybe insert an expoxied carbon fiber rod into same?

[Author]

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