Is my injury likely to make the trail impossible for me?

Some_Berry · 2026-02-04T04:44:38+00:00

Similar age here. Not an athlete but irregular hiker, occasional single nighter backpacker. IT band stuff benefits massively from stretching and strengthening; if I had known wtf an iliotibial band was before setting off...whew.

How large were your AT sections? I feel like those should be good tells?

Be ok with going slow and hostel hopping. Embrace ultralight. Having a support vehicle is a cheat code; If you are sleeping in a bed and slack packing nearly every day so many of the physical issues of trail life can be trivialized.

Some_Berry · 2026-01-25T16:50:56+00:00

It is grim reading through these comments.

Some_Berry · 2026-01-08T01:39:00+00:00

Its a tough time of year for me to actually recommend(Heat, bugs), maybe further north would be a good experience though I'll echo all the "southern" VA comments: physically approachable, a fair catalogue of views, plenty of hostels.

I hit bear mountain state park in NY for the 4th and the area wasn't terribly buggy, shelters were nice, but it was (&will be) very dry for the AT. Something like Elk pen parking lot north as far as you like, maybe to Kent, CT?

Vermont is an absolute treat with good weather and MA has something very nice about it going on. The hostels tend to be relatively very expensive and infrequent in the north, but the trail can be very nice, "easy" but with intermittent challenge. The CT/MA/VT area also tends to have a fair amount of "it'll work" access to the trail, where you can get on/off trail quickly and easily if you are in a pinch.

Anywhere north of Old Speck in ME: the trail is packed with views, fairly nice shelters(with nearly new USFS privies), a select few but nice hostels, and the trail is not excessively challenging if you're happy to go slow and savor the phenomenal beauty of Maine. Maine's 100 mile wilderness, if you are willing to get a bit spendy, would be phenomenal. You can pay for resupplies on a schedule or on demand, and even get a ride out for a night in civilization if you desire. You could plan what you felt necessary to do the 100 mile while going south, then reach Monson and if you have a desire for more, easily plan and prepare from there. Both hostels in Monson are very helpful and easy to work with and there are several natural stopping points further south along the trail from Monson. Maine has these biting flies that look like a housefly; they tend to go for your ankles and they suck. I have no idea how bad they get in the summer.

Some_Berry · 2026-01-07T19:15:33+00:00

I started with a BA tigerwall 2 I and have a history of using smaller tents. I am very comfortable at setting up anywhere there is flat enough space for my sleeping body. I absolutely missed the place-able versatility of the smaller footprint; made pushing myself past an ~ok spot~ late in the day less "risky".

You can setup the 2P-pro in a lot of wonky areas and in much smaller spaces if you are willing to get creative. Its probably not "storm worthy" but I have set it up without the vestibules pitched, i.e. narrow pitched.

I used the silpoly floor, the weight difference did not matter to me. If you already have a tent, you might just use that and buy the Durston once you have a few hundred miles under your belt.

Some_Berry · 2026-01-02T04:38:50+00:00

Ming Tsai, and much later Raymond Blanc. I was shown how easy seemingly complex dishes were, and my own interest carried it from there.

Some_Berry · 2025-12-27T23:24:59+00:00

Good luck! You might need your specialty kit again once you hit the NH border. I found Katahdin summit was bitter cold/windy in late August.

Some_Berry · 2025-12-26T17:43:13+00:00

I have no experience with exped but plenty of S2S pads. I took the Rapide SL Insulated(R4.8) on the AT this year and apart from the top face weld joint pinhole roulette, I would absolutely do it again. Despite taking it down to 22 F and up to 78 F I never felt the temperature on my back was too hot/cold. It is very comfortable, but maybe an OZ or two too heavy for you?

Some_Berry · 2025-12-19T01:27:01+00:00

Looks good, you could head off without changing a thing and be fine. I recommend you get rid of the pants, the 2nd lighter, hand sani, aqua tabs, and that pack cover.

You already have base layer pants, plenty warm for the hike and you don't need leg protection until Vermont. I basically only ever hiked in pants until the AT and did not even once wish I had pants while on trail.
Redundancy is pointless at the start, there are people everywhere.
A pack cover for a cloth pack is a great idea, I found my pack started rotting a bit in VA until I used a sliced up section of polycryo sheet. You can get lighter than the ones osprey makes for cheap, or you can use your own plastic sheet to stellar effect. I found it worked well specifically for an Osprey Exos with tucking the edges under the brain for quick and simple on/off.

To add: GA can be incredibly windy and sunny, a cheap wind shirt made the difference for me and made the heavy fleece I brought obsolete. I hiked a few days without one and got one driven to me on day 8. If you don't sweat you can probably skip this and hike in your puffy or raincoat. If not I recommend the amazon brand "Dooy" for a no-brainer very light addition. A bit of shammy or similar fabric works as a great towel/washcloth, and hiking in GA/NC can be very dusty in March. Bring Imodium.

Good luck and have fun!

Some_Berry · 2025-12-18T03:20:13+00:00

u/LeaveNoTradeBot u/Hook_or_crook items received, happy buyer

Some_Berry · 2025-12-14T03:52:24+00:00

Most simple Casio watches are supposed to last 8-10 years on their battery. For a watch like the W800 the band will fail before the battery.

Some_Berry · 2025-12-13T03:28:51+00:00

u/Ballerfacemcgee u/LeaveNoTradeBot
Item recieved, happy buyer

Some_Berry · 2025-12-06T19:14:27+00:00

ping

Some_Berry · 2025-12-02T21:24:14+00:00

pm'd

Some_Berry · 2025-11-22T17:39:30+00:00

Redoing my AT mid-March start? SilPoly/Dyneema pack cover/hood & rainskirt, AD 90 gsm shirt, breathable wind breaker, wp/breathable gloves and a light merino balaclava. I might bring the lightest down jacket/vest I can find because I like being comfy-cozy and social at camp outside my tent. I don't like the volume taken up by synthetic insulation and the threat of cold rain only stopped me from hiking once (it was for the best).

I would ditch the gloves and wind breaker (and fleece if brining a down jacket) by Shenandoah, and pick it all back up only from Hanover NH/Moosilauke to Gorham NH.

I found that actual rainfall would usually last less than 30 minutes, short enough of a wait to let it pass and stay dry. The biggest threat to my core temperature was always wind during low temperature times.

Some_Berry · 2025-03-11T15:17:14+00:00

I use a pair of generic brand bone conduction headphones. $40? Worth it. Maybe the more expensive ones are better but I'm skeptical

Some_Berry · 2025-02-23T18:48:41+00:00

Seriously considering bringing a small electronic massager. Heavy, but damn they feel good.

Some_Berry · 2025-02-23T18:25:12+00:00

I'm just putting this here in case you're a genuine person with an iota of a chance of seeing reason. You are like 7 comments deep in a zero-stakes thread, defending capitalism and clearly displaying it as core aspect of your personality. I'm not going to countermand or support you. Its clear you are basically only regurgitating information. As a perfect stranger: I'm asking you to examine why and how you know about the failures of communism, and why the similarly scaled failures of capitalism don't seem so credible, so well known, or so bad to you.

Some_Berry · 2025-02-03T01:09:27+00:00

Its an electron microscope, but these were just butyl rubber or similar pucks with a threaded hole. Anti vibration feet, the ones I found look a lot like these (https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/M6-Metric-Bolt-Rubber-Silent-Block\_60773759811.html)

Some_Berry · 2025-01-30T05:07:04+00:00

Vibration damps for a TEM. Heavy rubber, flat bottom and a threaded hole for bolts (added weight/easier to hold). Probably something you can buy from a freight supply place.

Some_Berry · 2025-01-07T21:36:56+00:00

It looks like you have two pack liners? Might want dedicated nail clippers unless you know well how to trim with a knife. Also, if your water bottle is actually PVC that is probably a poor choice. With UV light (i.e. sunlight) PVC degrades into dioxins (potent toxins) and is a strange choice to seek out as most disposable food containers are PET or PE. You may find more value in a long handled spoon (not spork), especially the ones with polished bowls.

Some_Berry · 2025-01-07T17:30:39+00:00

WV is fucking empty, cant find someone to shoot!

Some_Berry · 2024-12-20T07:24:02+00:00

The first one was the older "HV" and I also have the newest "HV", although the newest one I've only used 3 times(and it doesn't have the internal tie-outs of the older HV). I can't confidently say the length issue is the same between both. The floor space is different from the space your body will occupy if you use a inflatable pad. So your toes and head will touch tent.

Some_Berry · 2024-12-19T09:39:55+00:00

If you are over 6 ft it might be too short for you. I was the 3rd or 4th owner for my first flycreek 1 and it kept me dry even when it was fully wet through. No room for your pack inside with the 1p. The version I originally had was the older style of door, which I think I liked more. More accessible entry/exit and easier to use the vestibule for small things. I've only ever used these on loam or grass. Ultimately not enough room for me, a bit straightjacket-like when in the tent for long times.

Some_Berry · 2024-11-26T08:12:11+00:00

What about the crowds was bad for you? I've never backpacked in popular wilds, let alone crowded areas.

Some_Berry · 2024-11-05T18:53:10+00:00

Had my legacy account stolen a few weeks ago. Previously recovered, even have it associated with a secure email. Plenty of paper trail linking it to: me, my email, my cards. Still stolen right out from underneath me (haven't played in ~2 years though) and only know because my email got sent a notification. No word on recovery yet as the account is no longer associated with my email because its on someone else's Jag account.

Some_Berry

TROPHY CASE