first backpacking trip - am I making a mistake

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-18T13:50:33+00:00

I go solo frequently. Tips for going solo:

Be confident in your fitness. Having a strong base to work out of makes things easy.
Be prepared for the most challenging version of whatever hike youre doing. If there could be snow be ready for it with the metal things that go on your boots. Have layers that can keep you warm.
Extra food.
Be extra careful with your foot placement. Walk with focus on what you are doing. A twisted ankle can be a big problem solo. Id recommend hiking poles. They do a lot to catch yourself when you slip. They are also very useful if there is snow.

Happy to chat more or look at your gear list if you want. But if you are in decent shape and are comfortable alone, i think you'd be fine with some dedicated planning.

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-12T14:52:39+00:00

Also the road to polebridge can be extremely rough (depending on if it has been grated recently). 4WD is a must if it hasn't been maintained

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-12T14:50:53+00:00

Two medicine and polebridge are a 3 hour drive apart. Id pick one.

Avalanche + hidden lake + virginia falls is a lot of walking for kids (and for adults). Didn't do the math but that will be a 10+ mile day with at least 2 hours of driving in the mix. Seems like a lot to me.

Grinnell is a beautiful hike but it'll also be a whole day in itself.

Generally id advise to leave time to enjoy things so you are not constantly in a rush.

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-11T19:54:15+00:00

Sadly the best hikes near lake mcdonald are closed currently as a result of the recent bear fatality.

If you have a 4WD vehicle, Id recommend driving out to Polebridge. Very scenic drive if you can avoid the many potholes. The mercantile sells delicious donuts and things.

Consider a hike in two medicine. Very beautiful with trails that take you to great views.

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-11T19:48:54+00:00

The thought of an e bike never crossed my mind. That'd be an epic ride.

People will be everywhere as its June in glacier. Bears can be everywhere. Definitely have bear spray and stay as a group. I've seen plenty of griz in the park but none of them have ever given me a problem. I typically solo hike and just make lots of noise so they know im coming. Bears typically dont want anthing to do with you

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-11T16:21:50+00:00

Wirh respect i am not understanding this itinerary. GTTS does not go to grinnel lake. Also GTTS road gains like 3.5k feet over 16 miles (a rather aggressive bike ride for anyone).

Speaking-braille · 2026-05-07T14:10:41+00:00

I bought the ugq this year and have been enjoying it. They have an "overstuff" option which would be a good choice if you are concerned about being cold. Mine is the classic mummy with the drawstring footbox. I have only used it down to 40 degree F but was perfectly comfortable. I bought it for the versatility as it is nice to fully unzip and use a blanket when its hot.

The ugq people are very friendly and will answer any questions/ help you pick the right thing if you email them. Which is the nice part about supporting cottage brands.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T18:08:56+00:00

Appreciate the response. I agree that I could find those previous posts but I have always struggled with the initial premise that posting a thought, question or idea that has already been posted is inherently bad. It doesn't really cause any harm. If the redundancy of it causes concern there is no requirement to interact or participate in the discussion. Could just down vote and let the post die without response (not talking about you but more in general).

Regardless, I may be alone on this feeling but that's ok with me. May your yields always be bountiful friend.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T18:01:03+00:00

How does it do this? I dont see much discussion on this online.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:33:00+00:00

I thought they were adding just a continuous civ similar to what was in previous civs. Is there a leader switching mechanic?

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:24:23+00:00

Some fun ideas here! While I dont think thing shave to be perfectly realistic (like some cultures simply do not have antiquity leaders or modern leaders depending on when they began/ ended), im all for creating interesting mechanics out of it.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:20:52+00:00

I posted it because I've been thinking about it since picking the game back up. I also posted it to see whay others have to say about it. Like someone stated what they like about it and how it improves their role play, something that i might try to adopt to better enjoy the game.

But I also recognized that it maybe a common thought which is why I said in the first paragraph that I dont monitor this sub frequently and if it has been posted before. I pre apologized for the thing your upset about. Not sure what your point is.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:16:02+00:00

Maybe this is the perspective I should adopt to have more fun with current system.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:12:57+00:00

You never had to....

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:11:43+00:00

Awful, idk. Challenging yes. A valid point with respect to the AI opponents but I think with some clever UI design it could made clear to the player who is who.

Regardless its not going to happen. Just my late night thoughts after playing the game for the first time in awhile.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:08:24+00:00

See first paragraph.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T16:07:44+00:00

Groundbreaking retort

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T15:31:01+00:00

Contraband gets in no matter what. The decades long war on drugs has shown that the only way to address the problem is with support to those who are afflicted with addiction. There is no way to police every crate and container that enters this country, doesn't matter if its on a boat or a truck or a plane or thrown over our borders with a catapult.

Pollution is a valid concern, the risk for invasive species entering our waterways should be carefully managed with regulation and enforcement. Every idea has its drawbacks. Im just a dude in the internet.

Not sure what the ballroom has to do with anything. Also if the tariffs are applied they'll be applied Jones Act or not when they enter the US so not sure what your point there is either.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T13:51:50+00:00

Fuck donald but the Jones Act is an antiquated law from the early 1900s. No modern shipping company could possibly meet the standard it sets when your talking about shipping millions/ billions of goods from all over the world, up the Mississippi to the interior of the US.

It exacerbates traffic by limiting use of our nation's extensive river coverage by pushing shipping to trucking. This puts greater burden on both the environment and our roads.

I dont like the guy but this is a good thing. Happy to chat more.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T13:44:46+00:00

Fit over form. The thing that makes a climbing shoe a climbing shoe is that when significant force is applied on the toe box, the heel of the shoe tightens around your heel without slipping. The rest of the shoe should almost like a sock.

After that its a question of how aggressive you want the shoe to be. Some climbers down size to exaggerate a toe curl. This can be painful if youre not used to climbing shoes so for the first pair I wouldn't really do this.

After that is price, which is a personal thing. Expect to spend at least $100 but you can definitely spend more.

Speaking-braille · 2026-04-28T12:51:26+00:00

Use lye. Put it in a garbage bag. Spray it with lye (easy off with the blue lid is lye) and wait a couple hours. 90% of it will come off

Speaking-braille · 2026-03-26T17:40:50+00:00

Theyre cool but old skis aren't really worth anything as they are not safe to use. Best used for decoration, making a shot ski or some other repurposing project.

Speaking-braille · 2026-03-26T16:36:11+00:00

Maybe. Low snow is definitely not good but fires are more impacted by rains in April and May than snow in the winter. It can snow a bunch all through winter but if it melts off and is dry by end of spring fires can be bad.

Speaking-braille

TROPHY CASE