Sorry if I've just insulted your favorite /out/ location but a few months ago I made a thread with mountains captioned as Appalachian locations and nobody could tell something is wrong, even though one of the pics was from Czechia, others were from Poland and none was actually from Appalachia. To make things even worse, I had to stop myself from using the highest parts of Carpathians cause they just look too stunning to be Appalachia. Basically Appalachia looks like one of these mountain locations I visit because they're cheaper than ones with more dramatic landscape and if I wanted to go on holyday by plane, I certainly wouldn't choose Georgia (Appalachia) over Yosemite or Georgia (Caucasus).But maybe I'm wrong and someone who actually visited Appalachia can tell me why are they truly special?
>>2871772you guys act so threatened by people enjoying appalachian hiking its not worth seriously engaging with you,
>>2871826I dont give a fuck where you recreate. In fact, I prefer you to stay back east. BUT I am threatened by falsehoods and lies. WHy do you have to make claims that are not true? WHy lie in order to make it seem like appalachians are superior somehow?
>>2871726It was the appalacian resident who posted about the rockies first
im texan. appalachiers pretty. im listening to banjo music and fantasizing rn
>>2871622You need to go back.
Just imagine - you’re walking around at night in the forest, and then suddenly you met a puma on your way - what will you do?
>>2874538>about to fucking neck meHow do you know it's exact intentions?
>>2874202>>2874209It's a baby cougar. Very cute.
I saw a mountain lion on a trail once but it was during the day. I saw what I thought was a long vine in a tree moving. I thought it was moving weird so I looked closer and realized it was a tail and saw his face staring down at me. I just walked backwards for like a 300ft and left lol
>>2874209I see what you did there....
>>2874569It appeared necksome in that particular moment, although I admit I didn't have time to clarify. Frankly it would have been nice to scritch the kitty and have a cuddle but that didn't happen :[
I wanted to start biking trails and being more active. What sort of bike should I be looking at? I live in a rural area and own a car so I won't ride in the city too much. Googling suggests gravel bikes, is that a good option? I'm pretty handy so I can do maintenance myself and even upgrade parts. Is there something that has a good frame + decent parts that I could upgrade down the line into a great bike? I'm willing to spend a bit for something good quality but I'm not looking for a $10k bike. Sorry if this isn't the right board for this question
>>2872420If you want to bike through hilly terrain get an e-bike. Many people will call me a pussy for suggesting that and I was on the same camp as them, but after biking with a normal bike upstream along the Emms river in austria I went for it. One of the best purchases of my life. Going uphill is no longer a problem and I can enjoy biking through the alps much more.
Aventon Ramblas. Electric hardtail mtn bike. 3k>and even upgrade partsyou will want to replace the front coil springs with an air suspension there's no other e-mtn bike with that big a battery for that cheap >but honestly it's 2026 if you're not buying an e bike it's because you're either stupid or recalcitrant.well they are heavy just know that when you load it on your car rack and all that
>>2874673What's it's range of that bike? I can easily do 120km with my e-bike
>>2874672Just drive a car at that point.
>>2872420Gravel bikes are a meme. Get an entry-level hardtail MTB from a respectable brand. Lots of options under/around 2k, or under 1k used. What really matters is that it's got decent geometry and that everything on it is a standard modern size so it can be upgraded, and then after that you want good name-brand components. (And don't be fooled, Shimano puts their name on some shit-tier stuff, so research what's actually decent.) My area is tough for used bikes, especially at this time of year, but I eventually found this 2018 Salsa Timberjack for $735 last month. It came with a decent dropper (critical upgrade if not stock) already installed and I've done some other small upgrades like stem and bars, pedals, seat, etc., and I've got a pretty solid bike for less than a grand.
I'm backpacking right nowits 30 degrees my feet, back and shoulders hurtthere's mosquitos everywhere I can't even rest for 10 secis this what people are hyping about?
Hi I've been doing day hikes for over 10 years. And have front country camped fewer times than I have fingers.I finally started getting into backpacking and have done a few multi night weekend trips, starting Friday evening and ending back home on Sunday evening for work the next day.So far I really like it but my main concern is I always go alone. I'm wanting to go on longer routes now. There's something about being alone in nature that I enjoy. I have planned a few back country routes in the Yukon and going this summer.Thank you
>>2870817are you backpacking alone?
>>2872705How tf are people not getting your joke lmao. Very clever, anon
>>2870817europeans are too poor to afford leaves on their trees
>>2872777After wearing one of these, let me tell you it’s surprisingly hot inside. It must be something with how air flows through the mesh.
I do a lot of it. It makes me feel more connected to nature, I get to work with my hands and literally eat the fruits of my labor, and it's a great way to supplement your diet and rely less on the grocery store.Everyone I know says it's gross to eat things that grow in the woods, and I'm weird for knowing so much about whats growing out here, I kinda get it, it's not a normal hobby, but I really enjoy it, and wish I could find more people out there who do it.Anyone here know about any online communities where I can hang out with other people into foraging?Pic related, it's a bundle of mustard garlic I found today while at work. I'm a happy man.
>>2873140You have absolutely no idea what peed on ir died by that plant, or if at any time anything was sprayed in the area. Wild plants also tend to have a lot of debris, and critters on them. So yeah you should be rinsing anything you bring back. Unless you enjoy eating dirt, piss, and bugs. If you enjoy eating dirt piss and bugs then eat away.Some foragers will eat parts of the plant on the spot or after washing it with water on hand. Mustard garlic flowers are actually a very popular field snack, but it depends on the plant and which part of it you're eating.Honestly, you should be rinsing what you buy in the produce aisle too because you don't know what conditions it grew in and if it still has any fertilizer or pesticides on it, and rinsing it is usually just a quick extra step to make sure you're not eating anything you don't want to, but it's a lot less important than washing anything you forage yourself.Pic unrelated. It's what my clover harvest looked like after processing for tea
>>2871384Buy a book of edible/medicinal plants specific to your area, with color photos.>>2873634Mouth watering.>>2867811I used to forage a lot back in Washington, but I've been less enthusiastic about it in the Sonora desert. Besides a few cacti fruits here and there. Most of the edibles here are legumes that have to be soaked and ground in to flour; which I have no interest in. I did used a skinned prickly pear pad to treat severe sunburn in the bush recently.
>>2873634Holy shit, nice find! My wine raspberries are starting to fruit. It's looking like it's going to be a very good berry explosion this year.
I tried Queen Anne's Lace tea for the first time. I found a nice little field of it. It tasted pretty good, kind of like a cinnamon carrot cake. I'm definitely going to start going for it more often.
What are the best easy hikes and things to see in the dark red area? Also open to the yellow area, and theoretically the YOUP, but it seems like the dunes west of Traverse City have the most nice stuff to see, and I recall /out/ years ago telling me to go to Sleeping Bear dunes, and it does look nice, found something called "pyramid point" that seems worth doing.
>>2873769What the fuck happens in Gaylord? lmao
>>2873769Tourists out of my hometown
>>2874368I was near Crystal Falls in August last yearDeer flies were swarming my car so badly when I parked to go for a hike that I didn't even care to open the door. I said fuck it and just drove around for a while before going to a pizza place.
>>2874650jeez I hope its not too bad I brought repellent hoping it won't be so bad near the coast
>>2874670Deer flies hunt by sight so smell-based repellents don't work on them Only effective way to stop them is blocking access to your skin
>JacketPatagonia.>HatArcterix.>BackpackCotopaxy.>StyleGorpcore.>StravaPosted.>ParkNational.>MusicNoah Kahan>Toilet paperComment too long. Click here to view the full text.
>>2874578got any more?
>>2874578Arcteryx is spelled wrong. Also gorpcore implies brands like arcteryx and patagonia so maybe drop that one. TP packed out is the strongest one for sure so put that one last
>"You're being a gearfag! If it's good enough for the trail, it's good enough for the trail!">"Okay, then I'll buy this milsurp that I think looks go-">"REEEEE YOU'RE A LARPER! TACTICOOL! TACTICOOL! THOSE PANTS WILL FALL APART IN A WEEK!"Shut the fuck up, you fucking fairy. Better to be tacticool than a gearfag who's in denial about being a gearfag.
>>2872680Depends what the gear is. US poncho liners, for example, are really good, imo.
>>2872960Useless meme garment
>>2872987It’s not a garment.
>>2872680Milsurp is designed to be indestructible by 80 IQ grunts. It's far more durable than civilian outdoor gear. (And correspondingly heavier.)
>>2872663>another neverserved obsessed with the image of something she will never be
How dangerous is solo backpacking? I live close to Appalachia and any time I talk to someone about going on a solo trip people talk schitzo-tier about how I'm going to die, disappear, or worse.Not even because of the nature specifically, but because of le paranormal, inbred mountain people, cannibals, accidentally stumbling upon illegal operations in the mountains (heard this one specifically a lot), etc. You get it, the list goes on.Anyways, is there any truth to the danger or is it just the average small-town tall tales and superstitions? Seems unlikely to me as I feel like if it was so dangerous you'd be seeing a lot more of it in the news.
>>2873628I guess my question is sort of more about the southern section (didn't realize it was so long)and if there are any views from the trail good enough to be worth not just taking the chairlift, I have somewhat limited mobility so it couldn't be too too far from a trailhead. >having to go around a lot of fallen trees and it was semi overgrown in the lush partsthe reviews I read indicated it wasn't in great shape it's too bad people as fit as you never get into the trails deeper into WV there's a lot of semi-interesting abandoned/former trails in eastern WV.
>>2873693I haven't gotten to that section yet but the trail holds the ridge pretty much the whole way so it gives stunning overlooks every 1/2 mile or so, hence all the pics. I say take the trail, always gives me a better sense of satisfaction
>>2873972I like the river, but the page mountain overlook or whatever it is called seems to be the best of those in angle but its a rocky 7 mi walk so I haven't. I don't have a ton of mobility so I can't hike tooo far. I just remember some reviews on alltrails saying the trail was in pretty awful shape.
>>2872583Several questions for you to answer, the more you answer "no", the more dangerous it would be for you:1-Are you naturally unlucky, or are you accident-prone?2-Have you spent at least several years in the outdoors backpacking? (Not consecutive, just have you been backpacking as your main hobby or favorite hobby for more than 1 trip per year the last several years)3-Are you ABSOLUTELY certain that if something terrible were to happen that (a) people would worry enough about you to send word that you are missing, and (b) that you have several methods to signal for help, i.e. Garmin Inreach, radio (with knowledge on how to signal for help) and a way to know EXACTY where you are (coordinates on a map, not "inbetween these two hills)If you answered "no" to at least one of these questions, please consider going with someone who can be useful in an emergency and has been at least familiarized with outdoor leadership and survival skills.I'm not saying you should not solo backpack, but as long as you are asking "How dangerous is solo backpacking?" I am assuming you haven't done so yet.Develop more survival skills or hone the ones you already have, gather ways to signal for help if shit hits the fan, and ALWAYS have someone at home or a close friend know EXACTLY where you are going, when you will be going, and when you will be back.Stay safe!
>>2872583i literally only go alone because everyone irl is a loser that doesnt want to do anything other than sit at home
I'm living in weird weather conditions. and I've seen a moth he size of a small bird. Is this normal? Eastern Colorado
Yeah.There's a species of moth that stays as a larva for almost a decade in America. They're big. Can't remember the name of them though.
>>2874516Luna moth?
>>2874528Nah. Luna moths have multiple generations per year with the last being an "overwinter" generation that remains dormant through the freezing months before emerging.
Black witch it appears
Hey pals. Currently roughing it outdoors (more out of poverty and homelessness than for recreation's sake) and getting over a mild case of trenchfoot. Being unable to walk much until I heal up, I was interested in your worst, scariest, funniest or most interesting health related issues you've encountered in the outdoors. Pic related
Worst out health related issue I had was when I was about 21 years old and took a job in my home town as a clean up person for flooded areas that had occurred after the remnants of a hurricane had come through. My job was an old folks home that had flooded and needed cleaned up and repainted before the residents could move back in. About the 3rd day of sweeping and painting I started getting sick. Whatever was in the dust that had dried from the floodwaters I had breathed, and I was now in bad shape. Started out as respiratory infection and later my stomach. I took anti-biotics but was down for a good two weeks with flu like symptoms.
I was hiking through a creek bed and there was a wire fence through the creek but it’d been bent over by time. Think nothing of it and hop over directly onto a board with a nail that proceeded to crucify my right foot. Had to hike out and drive myself to the hospital with my left. Sucked.Protect your feet you filthy homeless faggot. If you come on my property I’ll shoot you.
moved far away from the city and my nose is fully clear and not stuffed up even slightly for the first time in 20 years
>>2871325They are. They’re toxic politically and psychologically as well as environmentally too.
>>2871325It's made worse by all the 5G towers everywhere. They are trying to kill us.
>>2871325Placebo effect. Non industrial cities these days are less polluted than rural areas where agricultural and resource extraction industries can do whatever they want unchecked, and retard chud neighbour are burning trash in their backyards.
>>2873821nah all the auto pollution adds up fast in cities
I'll take the cities with pharmacies and medical facilities over rural country living. Much easier to get medical care in the city. Some areas I grew up in were miles from the nearest town that had an ambulance. Many tales of farmers rolling their tractors on uneven ground and dying in their fields waiting for help that never came.
Unless I'm planning on gutting an animal, why would I need more knife than this?
>>2870113>>2870507There are dozens of reasons to carry a fixed blade over a folder, but the way this conversation usually goes is you will then say you don't NEED any of that.
>>2869760Breaking down wood for a shelter or fireIf you're into foraging like me you'd want a good hori hori for deep taproots like chicory and dandelionBreaking down an animal like you said is a great reason to have one.Breaking down thicc vegetation like bambooIt really all depends on what you're out there to do. If you're just hiking or basic camping then yea, op image is a good choice. They're just good to have on you in general.
>>2873032I like the idea of the champ but I worry that its bulkiness makes it less practical. At that point, I'd more consider getting a standalone leatherman wave+ on my belt and a SAK compact in my pocket since they compliment each other well. The only big thing the two of them lack is a large blade, though a fixed blade might be what I'm looking for to fill that gap.
>>2871483>>2872470i ended up buying a wave, its nice but not as nice as the hype it gets online
>>2869861Your dad is right
I love this brand. I proudly display it on my clothes, water bottle, camping gear, shoes. Everything I have is Ozark Trail. I think the Walmart family sells it at a loss to get people into camping.
>>2874292Motor oil and filters is how they keep getting me back inThey are so much cheaper than at a parts storeSome of the ozark trail stuff is pretty good for the price and same day availability. I use their little backpacking stove and it has been fine the last year, also they have 20 and 30 dollar tents that are more than adequate for a campground tent site.
>>2874292It's the same shit retard.
$25. Best jacket I've ever owned
Think I've bought one or two things by them. Overall was satisfied.
Do y'all have any opinions on REI gear ? I've been seeing it a lot from other people camping.
In 2025 Tatra National Park in Poland had 5 266 672 visitors which means it's more popular than any national park in the US other than Great Smoky Mountains despite being as small as Mesa Verde and 40 times smaller than Yellowstone
>>2874019Plus you have a ton of Floridiots driving up to GSMNP for vacations since that's some of the closest mountains they'll find
>>2872096I went there 2 times a year in 90, beautiful place, but it was and is more and more exploited since then, to the point where Main cityhub is all turistrap (prices) and the national park itself is overcrowded to ridiculus levels.Its a shame how locals choose money over their land. Other thing is tatra mountains became popular with saudis and emirates to the point where theres arabic ads. Its cheaper switzerland for them.
>>2872096The population of Europe is more than twice the population of the USA and the average population density of USA states is similar to Sweden. The western USA has a lower average population density than anywhere in Europe, even lower than European Russia (Euro Russia has about 100 million people on 1.8 million sq miles/4.66 million sq km, or 55 ppl a sq mi which is 21 a sq km).The USA also has different classifications of public wildlands. National Parks are literally the smallest and most restrictive. National Wilderness Areas (usually inside of National Forests) are king.National Forests are the next best. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is next best. Then comes National Parks.USFWS corridors (usually aquatic habitats or special wildlife areas). The USA has 193,145,865 acres of national forest land = 301,790.41 sq miles or 781,633.57 sq kilometers.The USA also has 245 million acres of BLM land = 382,818 sq miles or 991,478.53 sq milometers. Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.
>>2872247If it's the road from the Eye of the Sea to the bottom, then I already warn that it's pretty awful or at best boring to go down. Said lake is the normiest part of the mountains, good luck getting to the toilet in peak hours.
>>2872096>my wife gets more traffic than anyone! that means I win!
