r/ultralight_jerk

Dear Keen,

For 16 years, you have been my trusted companion. We have hiked hundreds miles, over mountains and deserts, on land and sea. We traversed continents. You fit like my other half, molding to my foot with utmost comfort. I never had to shrink for you- you never judged my width, allowing me to be relaxed. “Break in” had no meaning here- we never broke each other, just protected and cushioned from the harsh world of sharp stones and uneven ground.

So when I heard the rumors that you were coming apart- losing your sole so early, I disregarded them. After all, we had a decade and a half of building trust.

When it came time for one of my biggest trips yet, of course I brought you, my trusted companion. 10 miles down into the grand canyon when the unthinkable happened- you came unglued, you tried to hold on by the tips of your toes, flapping on stones before completely coming apart. Both of you at once- in synchronicity, separating, and leaving me vulnerable- with 3 more days and 16 more miles left to go.

I was left with a light foam with no tread as I scaled class 3 rock climbing, swam under waterfalls, and prayed over the stitching every night.

I depended on you, and you let me down. You have broken our pact of trust.

I regret that I will be moving on and trying new brands. It’s been a good 16 years, but I need a shoe I can rely on.

Sincerely,

bigfoot

Photo of my collection of Keens with the offending sandal in the bottom right hand corner. The backpacking trip where the alpine divorce happened was havasu falls. It literally came apart as I reached the first waterfall. I had read about this happening in recent eviews, but I never thought it would happen to me. :(

EDIT: adding a list of other brands recommended by commenters:

Oboz

Salomon

Chacos (also another commenter said they’ve gone downhill)

Merrels (moabs in wide)

Danner leafs (trail runners)

Lemas (barefoot/zero drop with wide toe box out of Colorado)

Zamberlans (need a significant break in period, resolable)

Hokas

Lowa Renegade is an incredible shoe. As are Scarpas and La Sportiva albeit pricey. Meindl are still extremely popular in Central Europe. Hanwag (ironically founded the brother of the Lowa guy) has old-school ass shoes, extremely good quality

I recently wanted to go backpacking, but didn't want to splurge on a tent that I might not use again, so I decided to build one from the stuff I could find in a hardware store. The pictured tent is made of:

A 8x6 heavy duty tarp

250 ish feet of paracord

2 2ft pvc pipes (with a coupler just in case)

10 tent stakes

And I think I did pretty well for a first try, however its time for improvement.

The main things I'm worried about the dip down the middle, the way the walls droop even though the ridgeline is taut (when I put the middle stakes in tight the middle dips even more), and the overall weatherproofing of it.

Does anyone have solutions to these problems, or advice to make it better (besides "buy a actual tent")? Thanks!

Edit: Sorry, forgot to add context. Ill be camping in New England in the summer/ early fall.

Edit: Thanks for all the advice! I will see what cheap tents I can find bc this is apparently the worst tent possible

I have never seen these inflatable tents until this last year. I’ve done a good deal of winter camping in ice houses and camping on the ice.

I have a few questions about these inflatable tents and the wood burning furnaces -

What is the benefit of an inflatable tent? Or is it for glamping?

How do the sections that vent the wood burning pipes not melt?

Benefit of wood burning vs my standard Mr Buddy propane heater that I use? PSA: I use and have proper ventilation when I use my propane heater and it’s always worked just fine. I do like the idea of the wood burning option so I’d like others feedback for those winter camping options.

How has this not been cross posted here yet? Amazing. Credit to @pudthruhikingnews.

According to a deeply unsettling new report, Dan Durston of @durstongear is watching you, and every thru-hiker, at all times.

Known for his innovative products and nearly supernatural involvement in online backpacking discussions, Dan Durston's influence on the ultra-light backpacking community and hold on his cult-like following has long been documented. But researchers say his surveillance extends well beyond social media groups and Reddit. In fact, the findings show Dan possesses omniscient awareness of all backpacking activity, regardless of location, internet access, or the known confines of the physical world.

"Every thru-hiker knows that he prowls social media comments and Reddit gear forums, patiently waiting to pounce on the next X-Mid setup question or trekking pole adjustment issue," researchers explained. "What nobody realized is that those were just the places he wanted us to know about."

Every switchback. Every cat hole. Every FarOut comment. Every campsite gear debate about Dyneema versus silnylon. Dan is there. He has reportedly been observed reading handwritten gear lists before they're written, correcting trekking pole heights in hikers' dreams, and materializing every time anyone claims a freestanding tent is just as good as a trekking pole shelter.

Some hikers report feeling an unexplained sensation guiding their stake placement in suboptimal soil. Others report a Canadian whisper on the wind when their lines aren't tied out enough. Detailed instructions have magically appeared on phones on airplane mode when there is bad strain on their poles.

"He's not judging you," one analyst clarified. "He's just quietly calculating the optimal guyline angle while observing from an unknown location beyond human comprehension."

Anyone else using an Electric bear fence while camping? Any encounters with bears?

John Tse from I Build Stuff upgraded his remote controlled flying umbrella into a fully handsfree, autonomous device that shields users from rain and sun. Designed like a regular umbrella, it hides a four-propeller quadcopter drone system beneath its surface.

To avoid a bulky design, he created 3D printed folding arms made of durable carbon-fiber nylon, which lock firmly into place using hinges and rubber bands to minimize shaking during flight.

To track users automatically, the device features a time of flight depth camera that maps the user's position in 3D, even in low light. A Raspberry Pi processes this data to locate the user's head, sending instant coordinates to the flight controller and GPS to keep the umbrella centered.

After a year of overcoming hardware and software failures, the final prototype successfully hovers, follows its user, and operates perfectly in heavy rain.

Source :

https://www.designboom.com/technology/autonomous-flying-umbrella-follows-users-rain-sunlight-i-build-stuff-01-13-2026/?utm\_source=

I've only used my tent maybe six nights, but I have yet to have a drop of rain on it. I don't usually wish for rain while camping, but a little precipitation would be interesting for a waterproofing test. And my pitch isn't great either.

Where do you guys keep your PO-TAY-TOES?

Everything i need including my tent all in one old army rucksack and 80% of it is surplus military gear **edit- i affixed the mess kit better so its not loose

Really wanna camp out at some spots ive seen off roading, but I'm also a creature comforts man so I bought the following and will go camping this weekend or next:

- truck bed Napier tent w/ canopy overhang (its only a 5.2ft bed but gain an extra foot on the tailgate

- truck-fit queen size airbed that goes over the wheel wells. It takes up the whole bed but thats fine lol

- 1200watt, 1190wh UDPower solar station. Don't have the solar panels yet but it'll do just fine for me for a day or two

-43qt BougeRV dual zone fridge. After 40 trips or so I'll be net positive on ice lol, and when I spring for the 240wh battery next year it'll free up my power station to do some cool stuff

- dual function Ignik propane camp stove and 10,000BTU heater

- 10x10 mosquito net canopy

- swinging camp chair

- double wide love seat camp chair

- 19in propane fire pit

- 1x 5gal water container, 2x collapsible 5gal containers and a good quality portable shower

- telescoping camp lantern

- 1 gal gravity water filter

And all the standard stuff that isnt over the top unnecessary borderline glamping lol. Fire extinguisher, other lighting, freeze dried meals, etc. Cant prepare for everything or buy the best version of every gadget, but I wanted to buy once cry once and have a great comfy time out the gate. I also have to haul around all my off road recovery gear around it

I own a pair of Decathlon Quechua leather hiking boots that I only use during winter hikes, usually just a handful of days each year. Looking at the outsole, there’s very little wear left on them—they’ve probably seen only a fraction of the use they’re designed for.

I’ve always tried to take good care of them:
- Cleaned them after every hiking season.
- Applied leather wax/conditioner every year.
- Stored them indoors in a dry room.
- Kept them inside the cardboard shoe box.
- Stuffed each boot with the shoe paper/tissue to help absorb moisture and maintain their shape.
- Used them only occasionally during winter hikes.

Despite all that, when I recently took them out, the black midsole had turned completely white and chalky in places, developed cracks everywhere, and the material literally started crumbling apart. Even some of the outsole lugs are beginning to crack.

The strange part is that the leather upper still looks almost new, while the sole is completely falling apart.

Since they were leather hiking boots, I made an effort to maintain them properly so they’d last for many years.

Has anyone else experienced this with their boots or is this just something that happens with polyurethane midsoles as they age?

Is there anything I could have done differently, or was this inevitable?

Attached photos showing:
- The excellent condition of the leather upper.
- The very light wear on the outsole.
- The severe cracking and crumbling of the midsole.

I am genuinely sad to see them end up like this. They were my favourite hiking boots, and I had hoped to use them on many more hikes over the years.

Edit: To clarify, I live in an extremely hot region where summer temperatures often exceed 45°C (113°F), so these were never meant for regular use. Knowing that shoes generally age better with occasional use than prolonged storage, I wore them whenever I had the chance—mainly on winter hikes in the Himalayas. The boots are around 8 years old.

Pretty new to backpacking and honestly my first legit hike as a 17M. I have a 4.6mi 2500ft hike infront of me. Let me know what I’m doing wrong lol

My Black Diamond Fineline Stretch gets completely soaked through after just a few minutes in moderate rain. Water beads up for only the first few seconds at most; after that, the material darkens because the water isn't beading off but is being absorbed directly by the jacket. It stays dry on the inside for the time being—though I haven't tested it enough yet. The jacket isn't exactly old... Can anyone help me? Or explain why this is happening? Surely that can't be right...