The Hiking Thread

[JTA]

psilocybin mushrooms

Asking for scientific purposes only for a friend, but exactly how prevalent are these in the wild, and how easy are they to distinguish between poisonous cousins, and where can one typically find these?

much harder to find due to the fungicides used in cow feed these days. We used to pick them by the bushel after heavy summer rains. this summer was the first time I have looked in about 10 years. I found a very few, but they were there.

there are many types, but the only one I know of that grows in the US grows in the SE. This mushroom spores do their thing only in a cow's stomach and the mycelium - the spidery looking plant that produces the mushroom grows the cow's shit. 2 or 3 days after a heavy summer rain the shrooms buttons start popping out of the older cow pies. Size can vary from dime size to half dollar for the buttons and quarter to 4 or 5 inched across for the fully opened mushroom due to rain amount and the age of the mycelium.

Wiki indicates more varieties than my 1970 research, but the 2nd picture in wiki is pretty similar to the type we have in the SE. The center can be gold to almost brown and lightening to a pale tan or almost white at the edges. The gills and spores are very dark purple and look black.

The 2 primary identifying keys are:
1) They grow in cow shit and
2) when broken or crushed the area immediately turns a dark purple.

Early on we didn’t know that they also contain strychnine and we would often get moderate stomach cramps. After that we started drinking lots of liquids (beer) to flush out the strychnine and never had cramps after.

We ate a bunch of them (Buddy ate over a hundred one time) and I don’t know of anyone who got sick, but Vrede may offer different advice.

Great high and lasts about 4 hours.

I find it humorous that you can legally buy magic mushroom spores online. The mushroom itself isn't illegal, only the psychedelic substance, which the spores Don't contain.

[billy.pilgrim]

psilocybin mushrooms

Asking for scientific purposes only for a friend, but exactly how prevalent are these in the wild, and how easy are they to distinguish between poisonous cousins, and where can one typically find these?

much harder to find due to the fungicides used in cow feed these days. We used to pick them by the bushel after heavy summer rains. this summer was the first time I have looked in about 10 years. I found a very few, but they were there.

there are many types, but the only one I know of that grows in the US grows in the SE. This mushroom spores do their thing only in a cow's stomach and the mycelium - the spidery looking plant that produces the mushroom grows the cow's shit. 2 or 3 days after a heavy summer rain the shrooms buttons start popping out of the older cow pies. Size can vary from dime size to half dollar for the buttons and quarter to 4 or 5 inched across for the fully opened mushroom due to rain amount and the age of the mycelium.

Wiki indicates more varieties than my 1970 research, but the 2nd picture in wiki is pretty similar to the type we have in the SE. The center can be gold to almost brown and lightening to a pale tan or almost white at the edges. The gills and spores are very dark purple and look black.

The 2 primary identifying keys are:
1) They grow in cow shit and
2) when broken or crushed the area immediately turns a dark purple.

Early on we didn’t know that they also contain strychnine and we would often get moderate stomach cramps. After that we started drinking lots of liquids (beer) to flush out the strychnine and never had cramps after.

We ate a bunch of them (Buddy ate over a hundred one time) and I don’t know of anyone who got sick, but Vrede may offer different advice.

Great high and lasts about 4 hours.

I find it humorous that you can legally buy magic mushroom spores online. The mushroom itself isn't illegal, only the psychedelic substance, which the spores Don't contain.

But you would still need a cow

[Mr.B]

.

[O Really]

A ramp is an onion-type thing. With it's own religion.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/2 ... 28438.html

[JTA]

NJ ain't all that bad:



 

 

[Vrede too]

Primitive Technology: Bed Shed

[JTA]

I'm going on a week long camping excusion (car camping) thursday and came down with a nasty sinus cold turning me into a snot goblin. Figures.

[JTA]

Vrede, when you go on backpacking/camping trips, what kind of sleeping pad do you use, if any?

[Vrede too]

Thermarest for backpacking, egg crate for car camping if there's room. I have a full length Thermarest because of past winter backpacking, but a 3/4 length is sufficient for most uses,

[JTA]

Thermarest for backpacking, egg crate for car camping if there's room. I have a full length Thermarest because of past winter backpacking, but a 3/4 length is sufficient for most uses,

Yeah I just bought a Therma-rest scout, regular size. I used to use an alp-mountaneering pad that weighs a bit more than the thermarest and doesnt pack down as much, but it served me well. I've got a full sized alps-mountaneering pad for car camping.

[Vrede too]

At about your age or a bit older I decided that I was too delicate for roughing it with Ensolite or other foam pads. Be sure to use a protective sack for your Thermarest. They can be punctured, though repair with inner tube or similar glue ain't that hard.

[JTA]

At about your age or a bit older I decided that I was too delicate for roughing it with Ensolite or other foam pads. Be sure to use a protective sack for your Thermarest. They can be punctured, though repair with inner tube or similar glue ain't that hard.

Yeah, some people are gung-ho about being ultra light. Literally sawing off the handle from their toothbrush to save a few ounces.

Shit man. No thanks. I don't mind an extra few pounds for creature comforts.

[Vrede too]

I don't remember if Thermarests are heavier than foam - expense was an issue when I was a poor hippie - but I am able to carry more weight if I've had a decent night's sleep.

[JTA]

They're a bit heavier. The Alps pad I had weighed about 2.3 lbs. The thermarest scout weighs about 1.9 pounds.

[Vrede too]

I once camped on deep Spring snow in a cheap tube tent beneath Montana's Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall Wilderness using a cheap foam pad.



It did not go well.

[JTA]

Shit I bet. Coldest I camped in was on my way up to the Jerz I stopped and camped in natural bridge va in Dec. It was cold as shit and my gear was not sufficient. Supposedly you're supposed to eat something fatty like butter before going to sleep because it raises your body temp since it takes extra work to digest or something

Ay, what about hiking clothes?Been thinking about getting a Merino wool t shirt, heard they were worth it since they're better than cotton, and don't stank after wearing them a bunch of times without washing them. They're just expensive as hell.

[Vrede too]

When it sucks I look for a motel.

Wool can be nice, but I think the range of person-made fabrics are superior. You don't notice stank when backpacking, can wash next to streams, and can do laundry when you come out. Maybe save the expensive merino for http://www.blueridgedebate.com/viewtopi ... rsy#p72832.

[JTA]

When it sucks I look for a motel.

Wool can be nice, but I think the range of person-made fabrics are superior. You don't notice stank when backpacking, can wash next to streams, and can do laundry when you come out. Maybe save the expensive merino for http://www.blueridgedebate.com/viewtopi ... rsy#p72832.

That man is dressed as if he's spent the last ten years working in the North Dakota oil fields, not a seasoned thru-hiker.

[Vrede too]

Donald J. Trump, Jr. is dressed as if he's never done any real work or hiking.

[JTA]

I thought that was a pic of a grizzled frontiersman from the late 1800s.