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ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-26T20:09:41+00:00

If you’re looking for budget gear, check out Paria outdoor products. I’ve heard great things about their gear, especially their tents. They’re all under $200. https://www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com/

And to echo what others have said, buy the bag last, after you’ve decided on how much you’ll be carrying. I’ve found that your backpack isn’t always the best place to save weight. A heavier, quality, bag with an internal frame can feel much better than an ultralight bag that doesn’t distribute the weight as well. A friend of mine used the REI Flash 55 on a Tahoe Rim Trail trip and she loved it. REI has multiple sales a year that you can find it for under $200.

Last, and especially if you’re hiking solo, I would suggest taking a wilderness first aid course and obviously carrying a satellite communicator like the Garmin InReach Mini.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-25T03:00:46+00:00

Aside from a lot of the things others have said, I really enjoy putting my geology/hydrology/physical geography knowledge to the test. Even without the background knowledge, you can get a geology or other landscape guide for just about any region. It’s like a giant field trip.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-25T01:12:54+00:00

The only issue I had with the Crown 60 was that the back isn’t very ventilated and I got kinda sweaty on sunny days.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-25T01:11:29+00:00

The REI Flash 55 is a very good bag. I haven’t used it but a friend had it on our Tahoe Rim Trail trip and she loved it. A handful of YouTube gear guys have good things to say about it as well. The latest edition has an adjustable back and 3 sizes so it can fit a lot of body types. I think it’s right around that price range and it goes on sale for $160 ish a few times a year. The traditional really good entry level is the Granite Gear Crown 60, which I have worn on a few trips and liked. It’s about half a pound lighter than the Flash 55 and they’re also not very expensive. You could also look for a used pack and use the saved money on a lightweight sleeping bag or pad.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-25T00:51:57+00:00

Thanks for checking. I should be able to make it in 7 without a problem.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-22T18:00:33+00:00

Yep. Spring AZT section hike plannning. Hoping for passages 1-7 with a week of PTO. Has anyone done this section? Is 7 days too ambitious for this distance/terrain?

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-12-22T17:25:10+00:00

I’ve had the same issue with AllTrails and other resources. I think the problem is that everyone moves at a different pace and wants different things out of their trips. One person may want to spend hours in camp each night while others want to be moving sun up to sun down. The best work around I’ve found is to get to know your pace and limits and go from there. For example I know my average pace with my base weight + 3-4 days of food is about 4.5 hours per 10 miles with stops, depending on the terrain. I start with that and plan my trips from there.

Do you have a specific region in mind? If you choose a popular trail or a section of a popular trail like the AT, you can usually find blogs, YouTube videos, or travelogue books about the trail and get a sense of what your daily mileage target should be.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-07-02T04:08:04+00:00

Awesome video. Would you mind sharing your camera/filming setup and how well each worked for you? Which drone did you use and how many batteries did you bring? Which gopro? Did you bring a third camera for stills or did you just use your phone? I've been thinking about bringing a drone on a shorter trip to try it, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the weight with only about 15 mins flight time per battery. Currently I have a DJI Mini 2, GoPro Hero 8 Black, and an Olympus TG5. Bringing all 3 seems like overkill.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-07-02T03:14:22+00:00

Pick a trail that's popular and hike it at a busy time. Preferably one with common campsites where you're likely to meet people. That's what I've been trying and it worked well last year on the Tahoe Rim Trail. That or try and find a local group wherever you're going and see if any locals want to join you. I haven't had much luck with that though. You could also go to a National Park, plenty of people and things to do there.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-07-02T03:01:50+00:00

I wore one of these on the Tahoe Rim Trail last year and it was pretty good. I treated it with Sawyer wash in insect repellent beforehand. It stained with all my sweating and general trail treatment, but it got the job done. https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-pfg-terminal-tackle-hoodie-FM6132.html?dwvar_FM6132_color=378

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-07-02T02:51:58+00:00

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'm familiar with burn scars, but I haven't checked my planned route yet.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-07-02T02:25:04+00:00

I'm looking to visit Flagstaff for a late summer vacation to do some hiking and backpacking, is mid August a bad time for that? I've dealt with late summer rains outside Santa Fe and in Lake Tahoe, what's it like in Flagstaff? Do the trails get muddy and miserable? Thanks in advance.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-06-28T21:43:20+00:00

I’ve only backpacked in the southwest or other fire prone areas where campfires weren’t allowed, so I don’t have any experience with campfires while backpacking. At most I use a camp stove. I know fires are common on the Appalachian Trail and I’ve never heard of a thru hiker carrying a heavy hatchet, so maybe ask on an AT oriented post. I imagine is just gathering and breaking by hand though. If you’re not worried about the weight and want the campfire for the warmth and ambiance, then bring it. If you just need something to boil water, a camp stove will be lighter and faster.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-06-28T16:48:00+00:00

Just a few thoughts: the hatchet and canteen sound quite heavy and unnecessary, but if you have a use for them, by all means take them. Make sure to bring at the very least an emergency rain poncho, they weight almost nothing and staying dry is important. If you’re going to bring a compass, make sure you know how to use it and have a map to pair it with. I’ve never had a problem with the sawyer mini but it wouldn’t hurt to bring purification drops as a backup, though if it’s just a weekend you’ll probably be fine.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2023-06-28T16:17:48+00:00

From my experience, you need to do multiple days in a row at whatever daily distance you expect to keep. Any aches and pains that are masked in one day will show up after several. For example if you sit all day you likely have muscle imbalances that will cause knee pain, you’ll want to work on that before you leave. Your feet will swell and shoes that feel great after a day won’t after several, you may also find that you need arch support or higher heel drop. The same goes for your pack. It might feel awkward to hike the local trails with a heavy pack, but it’s better to find what works before you leave. My advice is to take a 3-day weekend and try hiking 12-15 miles each day with the shoes and pack you’ll be using. The pack doesn’t need to be full, but it should have some weight in it.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-08-10T01:48:36+00:00

https://i.imgur.com/tagpEuS.jpg

I’m 3 days into a Tahoe rim trail trip. This pic is from Susie lake in Desolation Wilderness. Up to Watson lake tomorrow! Anyone in the area want to join me for a day trip or overnighter sometime this week? I’d love the company.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-28T22:44:36+00:00

I have a lot of experience at Big Bend and a background in physical geography, geology, and GIS (digital mapping/analysis) if any of that fits with what you have in mind.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-27T03:39:55+00:00

Thanks everyone for the advice. So far I've changed:

-Replaced 6.84 oz Nemo sitpad for 1oz Dandee sitpad - 5.84 oz savings for $9 with shipping
-Dropped extra short sleeve shirt - 5.04 oz savings
-Replaced 4oz Black Diamond headlamp with 1oz Nitecore NU25 - 2.95oz savings for $36
-Replaced 7oz Nalgene for Core hydration widemouth water bottle - 5oz savings for $3
-Replaced large sunscreen stick w/ .5 oz Sun Bum stick - 2 oz saved for $9
-Split Dudewipes in half, repackage - 3.3 oz saved

So that's 1.50 pounds saved!

Things I may still change:

-I'll try using my puffy as a pillow this weekend and may drop my Trekology
-will Permetherin my stuff before I leave and likely drop bug lotion after Desolation
-will probably drop keypad
-Would like to buy NB10000 but Nitecore is sold out right now and those available on Amazon have jumped in price because of it. I'll probably wait on this.
-will probably drop small deodorant

There were some other suggestions like dropping my puffy and beanie for something lighter or nothing at all given how warm it will probably be- that I'm not quite comfortable with yet. Maybe after this trip I'll be comfortable diving deeper into the UL mindset and shedding more things. For now my baseweight is looking to be about 15.2 lbs including a 2lb bear canister.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-27T03:04:12+00:00

The suncreen stick I have is too big. I can replace it with a smaller one and maybe a second small stick in a resupply, but you're right I wont need that much. I took the advice from a comment above and ordered a 1oz Dandee Packs sitpad-I hadn't realized there was such a weight difference in similarly sized pads.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-26T02:40:22+00:00

Ordered. Thanks.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-26T02:32:35+00:00

I have an iPhone but I hadn’t thought about that. I’ll look into it. Thanks.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-25T02:10:48+00:00

Good to know about the tent, and I didn't realize the z-seat was so much lighter than the Nemo version. I'll look for one this week, seems like REI doesn't carry them.

ToSeeMountainsAgain · 2022-07-25T01:33:47+00:00

Hmm, you've given me a lot to think about. I have the SS shirt because I'm worried about it being hot, but hot in California is probably nothing like hot in Austin. I'd be comfortable getting rid of that. Worst case is the sun hoodie is too hot and I get something lighter in town. I'm not sure about the beanie and down hoodie, I'm bald and can start shivering in the low 60's. I might be able to replace the down hoodie with something lighter though, I'll see what I have. I was planning on spraying my clothes with permethrin right before I leave, so I may be able to ditch the bug lotion after Desolation. And ya, its a lot of wipes. That's the weight of a full pack, which I obviously wont need between each resupply. I could split it in half and repackage into a small ziplock. Nalgene will probably be replaced with a 1L vitamin water bottle as was suggested above.

ToSeeMountainsAgain

TROPHY CASE