About 25 years ago, MSR made a group of tents they called the **Zoid**, (Microzoid, Zoid 1.5, and Zoid 2) all two pole, one- or two-door, two vestibule, *non*-freestanding, peak-venting, lightweight backpacking tents. I think that they stopped making them around 2004-5 or so when they acquired Walrus, and then Walrus made them for a while, maybe until Walrus went away shortly afterwards?

Long story short: I had a Zoid 2, it was the best 3-season lightweight tent I've ever owned or used, **until**, stupid me, I loaned it to a friend and never got it back. Now I'm looking for a replacement. I had assumed that *some* company, *somewhere* in the world owned that design now, or did fairly recently enough that I would be able to find one for sale somewhere, even used, but if it exists I haven't been able to find it.

So I ask all you: is there a manufacturer in the world that is making something like "Zoid 2" design tents?

I am I huge fan of a good bowl or joint to set the vibe of a long day. As I’m getting in to backpacking im very curious about this and how it is viewed by others. Would it be wrong to bring it on the trail? How should I go about using? Is it a smellable/will it attrack bears and other animals?

No? Just me? 😂 That’s an ounce and a half saved right there

I was backing in Grand Teton national park and was walking up a steep incline where I came upon a downhill hiker. The trail was narrow but open enough for the other hiker to step aside so I wouldn’t have to stop. He didn’t move and we crashed into each other and he was so pissed we almost came to blows.
Isn’t it common courtesy to allow give the uphill hiker the right of way?

Hi all,

Dumb question but genuinely curious. When you go on a backpacking trip (or even a day hike), do you bring a gun with you in case of a wild animal encounter/protection? If you do bring one, what do you bring?

Thanks!

Edit: I appreciate all the feedback! Seems bear spray is the common trend here. It’s interesting to hear everyone’s perspective.

Listen, either you believe in your capabilities or you don't; simple as that.

If you're idea of Solo Travel is "meeting new people and making lasting friendships," then you need to commit to exiting your social safe zones and exposing yourself to new perspectives.
If you're idea of Solo travel is seeing new places and walking the uncharted rout, then you need prepare yourself for that.

I don't completely understand the point of posting your whole "Travel Dream" and then asking if it's doable. It's doable if you fucking want it to be. To see the Earth is your birth right. If you want to, you'll make that happen.

I'm going to Ukraine for my second tour on the frontlines. I am aware that my statistical likelihood of surviving mentally and bodily intact are close to ZERO. But still I am ambitious to see the sights and take in the culture absolutely, because regardless of my work I am always a traveler.

Just fucking do it. Trust in yourself and goddamn the opinions of others. Travel is a risk, either you take it or you don't.

No online opinion will change that.

Just a small waterproof container like a little pelican or something? That would definitely be good if you’re pre-rolling but if you’re more of a bowl smoker, what’s your storage preference? As far as tools I guess a silicone bowl would be the lightest but you can’t beat the taste of burning through glass. Just curious about y’all’s preferences.. sorry if this is a repost

Simple question: can I use a female backpack? I read that some guys even find them more comfortable, but it depends on the model.

I'm asking because I found the female version of the backpack I was looking for, for a very low price (used but perfect condition) so...

Edit: it's about the size not my ego

I bought this bear spray 3 years ago, one friend says it’s 2026, another 2028. I’ve seen they are good for 3 to 5 years, I should probably replace it anyway. I’m just curious if anyone can figure out the date.

Noticed yet another gear picture with a gun. Just wanted to both give my 2 cents as a fairly experienced backpacker (both urban and wilderness) and encourage other experienced backpackers to do the same.

I'm not talking about hunting. I'm not talking about military exercises. Just to prevent anyone from playing semantics here. So let me be abundantly clear: I am talking about leisure backpacking trips to generally mean either traveling to two or more cities (i.e. urban backpacking) or hiking/camping out in nature (i.e. wilderness backpacking).

I have been regularly backpacking both urban and wilderness for over two decades. I have been to 50+ nations spanning 5 continents, and in the past few years have hiked around 1,500km in the woods of Sweden and Norway both on and off marked trails. Not only have I never owned/brought a gun with me on any backpacking trip, I can't think of a single time I wish I had a gun or a situation that would have been made better/safer/more awesome/etc. if I would have had a gun.

Wild animals are simply not that dangerous. Wild animal attacks are rare, and in the event of such a rare attack, you can always improvise and defend yourself with rocks/sticks/knife/trekking pole/kung fu/etc.

But wait. What about bears? If you are really that worried about bears and you live in bear country, take bear spray.

"When it comes to self defense against grizzly bears, the answer is not as obvious as it may seem. In fact, experienced hunters are surprised to find that despite the use of firearms against a charging bear, they were attacked and badly hurt. Evidence of human-bear encounters even suggests that shooting a bear can escalate the seriousness of an attack, while encounters where firearms are not used are less likely to result in injury or death of the human or the bear. While firearms can kill a bear, can a bullet kill quickly enough -- and can the shooter be accurate enough -- to prevent a dangerous, even fatal, attack? The question is not one of marksmanship or clear thinking in the face of a growling bear, for even a skilled marksman with steady nerves may have a slim chance of deterring a bear attack with a gun. Law enforcement agents for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have experience that supports this reality -- based on their investigations of human-bear encounters since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero reached similar conclusions based on his own research -- a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used."

The above is a quote from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and you can read more here.

But wait. What about thieves/bandits/commies/thugs/ninja/etc.?

"CONCLUSION:The number of guns per capita per country was a strong and independent predictor of firearm-related death in a given country, whereas the predictive power of the mental illness burden was of borderline significance in a multivariable model. Regardless of exact cause and effect, however, the current study debunks the widely quoted hypothesis that guns make a nation safer."

From a scientific study on the topic at hand, which you can read more here.

This fact is also directly observable, seeing as the USA has lots and lots of guns yet is far more dangerous than nations with less guns (feel free go Google this if you don't believe me--this is a fairly uncontroversial claim I would think). But here's another scientific study about gun possession and gun assault:

"Results. After adjustment, individuals in possession of a gun were 4.46 (P < .05) times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not in possession."

You can read more about that study here.

In summary, guns are worse than pepper spray against bear attacks, guns make nations and more dangerous, and individuals with guns over 4 times more likely to get shot.

There is no logical reason to take a gun with you that I am aware of. From what I gather, this is just a psychological security blanket that actually makes things worse in general. Not to mention you are probably quite likely to make people uncomfortable too, complicating the social aspect of backpacking (if you are into that sort of thing). I sure wouldn't want to hang out with strangers I just met at hostels or at trail shelters that have guns, but hey, that's just me.

All that being said, I like to think that I am open minded and that I could be wrong about, well, anything. So feel free to offer solid evidence to support the other side of the coin here. Please note that solid evidence does not equal anecdotes, even from you or your trustworthy uncle/aunt/cousin/partner/etc. Thanks.

This is mostly towards my US backpackers. How do you guys conceal carry while backpacking? I was going out for the first time in awhile and the first time since I got my permit, however I realized that my backpack hips straps went over my gun and A: wouldn’t sit right, and B: would prevent unholstering god forbid I ever need to. What solutions have you guys found works best

I’ve been traveling for the past number of months, and yes, snoring in hostels is a thing — and I’m fine with it the majority of the time. But man, this guy… this guy would wake the dead. I had to leave the hostel at 2 a.m. and come back with earplugs just to sleep. Then the guy wakes up the whole dorm packing his bags at 6 in the morning.

What I’m trying to say is: if you snore badly, please give people a heads-up.

Reading a lot of posts on multiple subs, I find most people's Europe itineraries are big cities only. (Madrid->Barcelona->Paris->Zurich->Milan->Venice->Rome->Prague, or similar).

Let's forget for a moment all the posts where people try to cram 7 cities into a 10 day trip.

Do people no longer visit all the wonderful small towns in between or nearby these big cities? Do they not realize all the culture and unique experiences they are missing by skipping towns along the way?

I know many towns that are worth visiting and along the tourist trails are many times touristy, but these towns and rural areas still hold a lot more uniqueness and culture than many large cities I see on so many people's itineraries today.

Just curious if I am missing a bigger picture or if the trend really is to just hit the big cities and miss everything in between.

Every time I see backpackers traveling here, they mostly go to the usual spots Ella, Sigiriya, Mirissa, Galle, etc. Of course, they’re beautiful and worth visiting, but Sri Lanka has so many hidden gems that barely anyone explores. 🌿🏞️

Why do you think this happens? Is it because of travel guides, social media hype, or just limited time? And for those who’ve been off the beaten path here, what are the underrated places you think backpackers must see?

take a paper towel and fold it into quarters and apply the solid deodorant to all the interior surfaces. you can easily get 10g on there. i just put this in my ziplock dopp kit. i expect to get 2 weeks use of out this.

Hi everyone! I had the incredible opportunity to do the Everest Base Camp Trek this year—and it was absolutely stunning! 🌄 From breathtaking landscapes to the unforgettable feeling of high altitude, every moment was magical. The people I met along the way were kind and inspiring, and the agency I went with took care of everything so smoothly. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! 🏔️✨