Gear

This is the place to post information about hiking gear

Reviews, techniques, swap/sale (non-commercial), etc. are appropriate.


 

alexpicanyol's picture

Waiting for my membership card to go shopping all gear I would need for the long path thru-hike next July. Tent or hammock? Any advicde? Thank you
srtmaintainer's picture

We had a tent when we backpackpacked the Long Path. Shelters are in Harriman / Bear Mountain - Catskills - a few on the Long path North. So the answer is you will need shelter. If you are doing the backpacker route you can use the sheters while on the AT. We have no shelters on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail but camping is plentiful on the SRT We did the LP in trips but did thru hike the Vermont Long trail. I sent you a message with my email. Please contact me as I have information that you will need for a thru hike.
LindaC's picture

We've been doing the Long Path in sections for a little bit now.  It's an interesting trail.  There are some parts in Rockland County that are very suburban.  For the first 30 miles or so, at the most you'll be a couple of miles from stores and restaurants.  Once you get in Harriman there are some shelters.  In July it will probably be very hot and if there were reliable shelters all the way up, which I am not sure about, you might not need a tent.  But you certainly don't want to risk getting you and all your gear soaking wet.  How many miles per day are you hoping to do?   The membership discount is a great benefit especially when you are buying more expensive items.  We bought new boots, crampons and snowshoes this winter and the savings really added up.
alexpicanyol's picture

I think that and average of 15 miles a day would be fine, however this would depend on how I could feel and the day and path conditions I'd find. I have a good guide in the Jacob Aronson's blog to get an idea. http://www.longbrownpath.com/ On the other hands, I hope I will save some money , since I have to buy all gear, including the expensive one, I will need; Tent, backpack, boots, gaiter, tracking poles..etc. Thank you
neil's picture

I am looking to get a GPS for hiking - I don't need top of the line but I want it to work, be reliable, and have good battery life - It seems the most popular brand at this time is Garmin - I have a Garmin car GPS and have been happy with it - I was looking at something from the eTrex series in the $110-$200 range.   I had a few questions about recommendations on the device itself and even more so on the topo map I load on it - there is a good deal of information out there and it can get confusing - Garmin and other retailers sell a northeast topo for the device but as far as I can tell that is not the USGS topo - is the Garmin map just as good or do I really want the USGS topo?  Can I load the official USGS topo for NJ or NY on the device?   Any insight would be appreciated.  Thanks.
Jeremy Apgar's picture

Hi Neil! Some of your questions may be answered by a page we have devoted to choosing a GPS unit, and this can be found by clicking here: http://www.nynjtc.org/content/gps-trail At the bottom of the page are some specific GPS device recommendations by other users as well. Lastly, I'd suggest visiting an outdoor retailer with various GPS units in stock to try out different units and ask knowledgeable staff any additional questions. ~Jeremy, TC cartographer
neil's picture

thanks a lot - I saw your article right after I wrote my post - I was reading through the article and I saw a particular unit that comes pretty highly recommended and I have found it in a bundle with the Garmin US Topo and an SD card for a very reasonable price - the Garmin gmaps 60csx - most of the reviews of that unit seem very good...but it is a little older - it was released in 2006 or so - but most current reviews as of 2010 or so are still very good   do you see any downside to a unit that is a bit older like this one?
BrianSnat's picture

The 60CSX is still a great unit and the one that most newer units are measured by.  Because there is a newer model in the line (62S) it is a very good value. You will not be disappointed.
neil's picture

thanks all for the input - concerning gps in general i have been doing a lot of reading etc and wanted to ask...for hiking what will a GPS do for me and possibly more importantly what will it NOT do for me?  do the topos (garmin, nat geo, usgs, etc) have trails on them?  from what I have seen the answer is no - so if i am going to a park in ny or nj...or wherever i still need a trail map - i realize a gps is not a replacment for a map and compass and should never be relied on as such as it can break, lose signal, get lost etc - i am just trying to understand what it will do for me and what it won't so my expectations are in line - i know it will enable me to retrace my steps back if i get lost - but what if i am not lost per say but i reach a junction and i have doubt over which way to go and the map is not entirely clear?  how does a gps help there?  i am just trying to understand how it is used as a real navigation and safety tool as opposed to a gadget/toy - i am a tech dweeb so i am all for gadgets - i just want to understand this from someone's personal experience
neil's picture

fyi - I bought a GPS device and  I completely understand its value and purpose now - definitely a good thing to have - not essential if you are in an area with clear trails and good weather...but if you get lost and you are not a map/compass expert or clear landmarks are not available to determine your location - seems like a GPS is a great use of technolgy ;)
Brian W's picture

Hi, I'm looking for snowshoe purchasing advise;and in spending under $165 for men's size 25-26 for hiking in Harriman. Thanks much
snacker's picture

I have northern lites 8x25 I use mine for running but they hike great also, they cost abit more though ,but are diffently worth looking into.I have the elite model. Yellow
Brian W's picture

how long have you been using your northern elites ? I see they have aluminum crampons, which although lighter are considered to be less durable. My concern is related to Harriman's unavoidable rock.
Michael K7's picture

I have two pairs of barely used (never used for hiking) hemp boots made by Wicked Hemp- the Pathfinder model. One pair in natural, the other black, both men's size 13.
The black ones have only been worn a couple of times (to the store and back, etc), and are in mint condition. The natural ones have been worn once or twice and could easily pass for new.
The boots are not made to be waterproof, but have been coated with Nikwax waterproofing- i cannot guarantee that they will be waterproof however.
$25 each pair + $10 shipping if i have to mail them to you. Contact me through this site for more info and pictures. Thanks.
egoodell's picture

Looking to buy size 9, 3-pin ski boots for light backcountry use.
Paul_A's picture

Later this year I hope to do a long, solo hike. I'm looking for a pot to cook in. I'd like something that is large enough to cook up the Lipton/Knorrs meals but not much bigger. Now here's the kicker, I'm looking for a pot that's noticeably wider than it is high, because wider pots seem to heat faster on my stove. Any suggestions?
PVPatrick's picture

Try a small frying pan or small saute pan with a lid.
Paul_A's picture

Thanks for the suggestion. I found something at K-mart that should work well. It's a small, aluminum pot, with a lid, that holds 4 cups. Lid and pot together weigh about 4.5 ounces.
Paul_A's picture

I know this is a long shot, but here goes. Back on Martin Luther King weekend I lost 1 Stabilicer of my pair. It would have been at the Wildcat Shelter, the parking area on route 17A, or someplace in between. If you found it I'd like to get it back, Please.
daveg76's picture

Hello to all. My name is David Goodfellow and I live only a few miles from Harriman State Park. I hike there about two times a week and I'm fairly familiar with most of the trails there. This past weekend I had an experience that for me, raised concern and thought I should share that with the other members of the club so that they might pass it on. I was parked near Little Long Pond and hiked up past the old boyscout / girlscout camp that used to be there. I take this route often as a shortcut to the intersection of Dunning Trail and the Long Path. On the way out my tracks were the only ones in the new snow that had fallen earlier in the week. On my way home as I cut onto the old woods road I call a shortcut I noticed a set of fairly small prints headed towards the intersection of Dunning Trail and the Long Path. At first I didn't think much of it but as it was getting dark I started to question it in my mind. As I came upon a stream I saw that the person had not followed my tracks from earlier in the day. I had crossed where I know the water slows down a bit, knowing the ice would be thicker. This other person crossed in a different spot because of convenience and clearly fell through with one foot. I just had a gut feeling that this person was lost. When I returned to my truck I started it and began taking off my layers. As I was standing there A park police car pulled up and asked if I had seen an Asian woman hiking alone. He said she was part of a group but had gotten lost. I said no but told him about what I had seen. He took note and moved on as there was probably only ten minutes of light left. I can't be certain it was her prints but you know how minds work. The "what if" factor starts play games with you. Now that I've rambled too much and probably lost most readers I'll finally get to the point. Harriman is infamous for the large "group hikes" that are usually organized in NYC and it's great to see soo many people using the parks services. Hiking in winter is very beautiful to say the very least but can be much more dangerous than other times of the year. Especially when the sun goes down. If someone got lost and wasn't properly prepared or a little inexperienced they could find themselves in a lot of trouble. Last night was 13 degrees (F) and that's without the windchill factor. I'm an Architect and in school they taught us to design or expect the worst and you'll always be safe. The same theory applies here. I'm no self proclaimed expert in survival by any means but I always carry a few basic things that I feel everyone should carry in their pack this time of year. I carry a cell phone, map, compasss, matches & flint, a headlamp, an extra t-shirt ( if you break a sweat you should change your base layer) All of these things are small, light and cheap and can literally save your life if something went wrong. I would have loved to have helped that woman had I seen her but I'm sure they found her. Happy trails Dave Goodfellow