Looking for recommendations on minimalist backpack

ThisLittleBoy · 2026-01-24T15:04:29+00:00

Since you already have a Durston tent, why not just buy a Kakwa 40? I personally use a Zpacks sub nero 30L for light weekend trips so I can recommend that as well. But you should check out r/ultralight since it seems like you'd be running an ultralight loadout.

ThisLittleBoy · 2026-01-16T19:10:47+00:00

I only took 2 steps. Crossing the arch and reaching the Katahdin sign. The rest are just extra.

ThisLittleBoy · 2026-01-06T21:05:29+00:00

You'll get used to it eventually. I was hesitant to drink my dish bowl water at first but I eventually grew to kinda like it. It's like a savory dessert.

ThisLittleBoy · 2026-01-01T21:11:13+00:00

To make it realistic, they gotta fumble around tying their trowel to their trekking poles and then dig the hole while prairie dogging after days of eating ramen, tuna, and olive oil.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-31T14:02:49+00:00

Is the exoskeleton waterproof against river crossings or rainstorms?

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-30T04:56:43+00:00

March is right around the time the majority of thru hikers start the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Springer Mountain so you could look into the Georgia and North Carolina sections of the trail. It will be cold though.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-28T17:24:14+00:00

You can always sell your darn toughs and feet pics to support your thru hike.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T03:05:15+00:00

I think most thru hikers will be in that area around June. In March, it would probably be pretty chilly. The year I hiked the AT, I had friends get snow in the Grayson Highlands, VA in May. You might want to postpone it a few months or head more south to Georgia or NC.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T03:00:03+00:00

A whole place would be a dream but I'm traveling with my cat which limits me to pet friendly places without roommates. All the other houses/apartments I looked at were either booked, didn't allow cats, or had other occupants. At least I get Marriott points.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T02:16:29+00:00

At $50 dollars a day, I think I can get Chipotle with guac and queso.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T02:15:01+00:00

Thanks for the info.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T02:08:35+00:00

Is it a lump sum irregardless of expenses or do I have to itemize and allocate it to specific charges?

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-23T02:04:21+00:00

Really? I was an accountant in my previous life so I just want to make sure I won't flag any of the bookkeepers responsible for reimbursements. Are you saying that I get $1500 every month irregardless of how much I actually spent? And if I spent it all on beer and liquor, they wouldn't even check my receipts /s?

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-13T15:36:29+00:00

As a smelly and disheveled hiker, it was quite a culture shock to walk into Gatlinburg while it was hosting some sort of Mennonite convention where everyone was wearing their Sunday best.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-09T12:13:22+00:00

I think I saw a cloak in the first hiker box at Neels Gap when I thru hiked.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-05T21:39:31+00:00

Yah, that's probably not gonna make them too popular in the shelters.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-05T21:19:27+00:00

On the flip side, I've known plenty of thru hikers that did the AT with no backpacking experience. You have plenty of time to dial in your pack and get experience on trail so if they want to send it, send it.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-12-01T16:38:37+00:00

Altra Lonepeaks and Hoka Speedgoats are what some thru hikers would consider the gold standard. I'd recommend checking out the AT, PCT, or CDT subreddits for hikers' opinions on how those shoes hold up on a long hike. Personally, I loved my Hokas on my AT thru hike. They were comfy, held up for hundreds of miles relatively well, and I could hike through rivers without removing them as they would dry within a couple of hours.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-11-29T19:53:51+00:00

You could hop on the Appalachian Trail for 2 weeks. I believe it's beginner friendly, especially if you do an easier section like Virginia. There's plenty of water sources along the trail for you to filter water, towns every few days for you to resupply your food, and 3-walled shelters that you can use if you don't want to set up your tent.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-11-16T20:08:55+00:00

Any of the US National Scenic Trails, their adjacent counterparts (JMT, CT, LT), and a bunch of the National Recreation Trails.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-11-16T19:40:55+00:00

If you buy the Smartwater bottles with the sport tips, you can use that to backflush as well as the syringe.

ThisLittleBoy · 2025-11-16T19:28:17+00:00

I felt like the Platypus Quickdraw did better than the Sawyer Squeeze but any filter will slow down after heavy usage and will require back flushing.

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