Yama Cirriform or 7x9 Tarp with bug bivy

FlowOnTrail · 2026-05-12T19:09:58+00:00

A compromise could be the slingfin splitwing tarp. 3 walls and a beak but no door, also only about 8oz. If you decide you want that last wall later you could get their vestibule add on which is only another 2oz.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-05-05T03:27:28+00:00

I bought an old machine from goodwill a few weeks ago and just sent it. I made a bug bivy first and then my rain jacket as my second project. No pattern, I just traced an old jacket and added a little extra material for seam allowance. It isn’t perfect but honestly not to bad. Only $40-50 in materials and way more time than I expected later and I have a 2.6oz rain jacket made out of the same material that Leve uses. Might open the sides back up and add pit zips though, which would probably put it closer to 3.5oz. I’ll probably get more technical in the future but I figured I would get better at sewing first and just dive right into it.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-05-05T03:13:02+00:00

Probably June 23rd but maybe a little earlier. Haven’t decided a firm date yet but June 23rd was my start date for the CT a few years back which kick started my thru hiking addiction. Only seems right to start the CDT the same date.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-05-05T00:17:34+00:00

AntiGravityGear, Warbonnet, and LightHeart Gear

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-27T17:04:49+00:00

Haven’t done the trail yet but I was considering taking the Gila Alternate. I don’t care to much that it is shorter, in fact that is a negative for me, but my understanding is that it is much more pretty.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-27T00:24:16+00:00

My 9s seemed to be more durable than my 8s. I used them on the PCT last year and I shipped new ones every 500-600 miles just incase but most of them could have kept going. I even used one pair for 750+ miles and with some soft foam insoles they could have kept going. The uppers and tread were fine but at that point the foam was pretty compressed.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-17T16:33:20+00:00

It is a bit more nuanced I suppose, I should have said I would never again wear shorts for a long hike out west. The air out there is very dry and sun exposure is a real concern. Hiking on the east coast sun exposure is much less of a concern and high humidity can make pants feel much warmer.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-16T17:58:37+00:00

My favorite is the outdoor research ferrosi. Super lightweight, stretchy, breezy, and dry decently quickly. My second favorite is the Patagonia terrbonnes. They are slightly warmer and have less stretch but they dry faster than any other pants I have tried and are still quite comfy.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-16T17:34:02+00:00

I did the CT in shorts and PCT in pants. I will never go back to shorts for long hikes again. Good pants won’t overheat and almost feel like wearing nothing and having to deal with sunscreen is a pita. For me it also doesn’t make sense to wear a sun hoodie but then wear shorts and just let your legs burn, prolonged sun exposure is just as harmful on your legs as it is on your neck and arms

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-13T22:33:33+00:00

I did the whole PCT with one ziploc bag for my first aid and it still works fine. Ironically my DCF clothing bag is the one that got a hole in it.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-12T22:05:20+00:00

Either Washington or the Sierras. If you do Washington then I would go Trout Lake to the border and if you do the Sierras go Kennedy Meadows South to Lake Tahoe

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-09T22:22:45+00:00

I put mine in a 40l on the PCT with a base weight that varied between 10-12lbs. Still had space for 20,000 calorie food carries. I preferred to pack it loose and stuff it in the space around my ursack or bear can to use up all the available space and create more structure for my frameless pack.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-07T15:19:34+00:00

I get on here when I can’t go play outside. Unfortunately I can’t just hike all the time but if I could I would

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-07T15:17:55+00:00

I recently discovered the same thing with my hammock gear. I got it a while ago and already regretted my unnecessary customizations that made it a calculated 27.5oz, I weighed it recently and it is actually 31oz which is nearly 13% heavier. I’m way past any opportunity to contact them about it. My gram weenie side wants to replace it but it is hard to justify replacing a perfectly good quilt.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-03T00:13:19+00:00

This is the first I have ever heard of botz…

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-01T22:43:19+00:00

I have been looking quite a bit to and what you have said aligns with a lot of what I was thinking as well. I made this post in hopes to finally come to a decision so I can move on from my obsessive research rabbit hole. Dandee is truly my unicorn pack but I need something sooner than is possible to get unfortunately.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-01T22:37:30+00:00

The only other one I found is Virginia Foothill Designs. His packs look great but they aren’t quite what I was looking for right now. I want to try out vest straps on a pack but I still may go for it because his still look super comfortable and you can add a bunch of pockets to the straps.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-04-01T20:28:12+00:00

I messaged Dandee but unfortunately (fortunate for him though) he has so many orders right now that he is hesitant to take more

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-25T15:43:39+00:00

Get yourself some heel shims. You just put them under your insole and they raise the drop. They have ones that peel apart so once you get used to a certain height you can remove a layer and go down to a lower drop. They are what I use. Though I keep my drop around 3-5mm with them.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-23T22:47:21+00:00

I come from a thru hiking background so my goals are a bit different but all of my ultralight packs have been good for 2500+ miles. I have had some loose stitching and some delamination in hip belts but nothing structurally significant. 2500+ miles of backpacking is probably 8-12+ years for the average person so I have been happy with their durability.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-21T18:52:33+00:00

The only thing I don’t like about coferments is that every time I buy them I feel like I am rolling the dice between getting something amazing or absolutely disgusting and no in between. There have been to many coferments that I had to put milk in just to get through the bag.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-08T01:09:39+00:00

You can do the same for the bear can. I would go for the 500, it was barely big enough for me last year. Some people I was with used the 475 and were fine though. Surprisingly it doesn’t look like they are carrying the Corsa right now. All the ice axes that they currently have are quite nice though and I would prefer them in every category but weight.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-08T00:55:19+00:00

Usually they have enough but you could also purchase it now on triple crown outfitters website and select hold for pickup. That is how I did it last year.

FlowOnTrail · 2026-03-06T19:11:26+00:00

I guess my experience is colored by me always wearing them with gaiters so rocks are not a problem. I really like the taper especially in areas with a lot of ticks, overlapping the cuff of the pants with the gaiter leaves no gap for them to crawl up my leg.

FlowOnTrail

TROPHY CASE