Hiking uphill on a halfway decent trail in a heel that chunky (as shown in the picture) would not really be all that difficult, assuming whoever is wearing them is used to heels. Her calves were probably more sore than her feet. Stilettos would be more difficult, and hiking downhill in any heel woul...

Horton Creek is a great overnighter for kids, my kids enjoyed it when they were younger. There are some good campsites about 2 miles in. The best spot is easy to see—it has a teepee looking thing built out of tree branches, about 6-7’ tall. Easy to cross the creek without getting your feet wet. Doub...

@Mountain_Rat Sounds like you already got your answer on attaching to pack straps. I’m not creative at all when it comes to stuff like that, but I think even I could figure out a way to attach it to a pack. I’ll text you some pictures of everything that came with the light.

@Mountain_Rat I think 400 was pretty good for most conditions. 800 was very bright, but I could see everything very well, so that was pretty nice. That brand also has a 600 lumen for about $20 cheaper. I think the settings were 600-400-200, but I don’t remember for sure.

I tried out the new waist lamp while hiking Pyramid this morning. Used it for about 4 miles, and was happy with the results. The belt is comfortable, and I couldn’t feel it while I was wearing it, even tightened enough to keep the light snug enough to not bounce while hiking. The buckle is smooth on...

@DmN I think the price is similar, but this is the brand I use. Never had any issues with them.

https://www.packitgourmet.com/Storage.html

@wildwesthikes Either you have a giant cranium or you must be incredibly small to get a headlamp strap around your waist. Even loosened, there’s no way any of the straps from my headlamps would fit past my chest or hips. I’d think that the elastic in the strap would allow for too much bounce of the...

@nonot I’ll hike sans headlamp in the winter, but not when it’s warm. Considering I usually see at least one rattler per night hike between March—October, there’s no way I’ll hike without something bright. I want to see what’s trying to kill me from as far away as possible.

Has anyone tried a waist lamp as an alternative to a headlamp? Headlamps tend to give me a headache--not from the strap, but from the refocusing around the beam of light. I found a waist lamp with good reviews (UltrAspire 800 lumen) and ordered one, but was curious if anyone else on here has used on...

If you’re talking about navigating to trailheads, forest roads, etc, you can just create a track in Route Editor to follow for the drive in RouteScout. That’s what I do, typically from the time I leave a major road all the way to where I want to park. Obviously, you have to know where you’re going a...

@nonot Lol, I don’t think I’ve ever paid much attention to what anyone has put in as their signature. Didn’t notice the link in yours at all.

@LosDosSloFolks It doesn’t look like the base 64 nor the 700 comes preloaded with maps. If you search Free Maps for Garmin online, you can find lots of free topo maps that can be downloaded. A few websites had concise directions of how to do that. I recall there were some free Garmin maps on HAZ on...

If the 700 comes with preloaded maps, then that might make the choice a whole lot easier!

@chumley I couldn’t remember. I knew I had put RS on one of my son’s apple devices and it worked, but it must have been an old iphone and not the touch.

Also, I’m not 100% certain, but for some reason (Joe can confirm) I think RouteScout can run on an iPod Touch. If so, that would be your smallest and lightest option. You’d just have to be on wifi to upload your routes to/from HAZ. And you can blast some music while you’re hiking ;-)

@LosDosSloFolks I’ve never used the 700, so I don’t know much about it. I’m guessing the functionality is quite similar to the 64, so looking at maps, recording, etc will probably be similar. That larger screen is a plus. I have heard anecdotal comments about the accuracy of the 700 not being as go...

@LosDosSloFolks If you’re just wanting to record your tracks and have some preloaded maps, the 64 is awesome. It’ll last you forever too. I had a 64st and loved it, I sold it to Lee when I got the 66st, but honestly, I liked my 64 better. I can’t remember to technical differences, I think the st ha...

@AZClaimjumper Mine definitely cannot be turned inside out—it’s the one that has the hard plastic backplate, which I do like because it’s easier to get into the pack when full, and doesn’t shift around when empty. Yes, it was manufactured by Hydrapak.

I’ve used Osprey bladders for the last few years now, but I don’t have any real preference for one brand over another. The only time I clean a bladder is if it carried water from a questionable source—then I’ll rinse it with hot water and bleach. Otherwise, I just change the water every time I hike,...

@AZLumberjack As entertaining as that might be, I think I’ll save First Water Rd for the 4Runner or the Tundra.