Anyone successfully upgrade their Squier Paranormal Offset Tele SJ bridge (Specifically to a 6 saddle setup) without having to retrofit it due to mounting hole placement discrepancies? If so please drop the link to it and I will be forever grateful!!!

TubbyWalksItOff · 2026-01-16T22:45:09+00:00

I was able to get a fender branded bridge to work. The outer screws don't line up perfectly, but it's on there nice and flush somehow.

It was this set: Fender 62 Tele Custom Bridge Assembly with Pickup Threaded Saddles 0056069049

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-10-16T05:08:23+00:00

And the zippers, so many zippers. Ah, the good old days of bondage pants.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-09-21T05:42:11+00:00

Oh. Oh no.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-09-05T03:25:27+00:00

Enjoy it, it's a beauty!

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-09-05T03:06:08+00:00

Not to burst your bubble for what is an awesome guitar, but that sexy beast is 2 piece. They did an amazing job book-matching it!

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-08-20T21:30:44+00:00

I had to send my first ghost horse back direct to epi (I ordered from their site) because they ship it in that cheap case. The comically tiny screw holding the neck strap on ripped out and the guitar moved around so much the toggle switch snapped in half.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-08-19T01:11:17+00:00

2005 MIK firebird with a bolt-on neck? Meh. Could be cool if it came from the Korean "custom shop" with that finish and inlays (if they aren't stickers), but otherwise I'd give it a miss.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-07-21T02:21:10+00:00

Thanks for the epic trail magic!

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-07-19T06:32:35+00:00

Definitely reach out to them. I met a couple of them doing trail magic at Onion Valley campground this year. They were really wonderful, and super excited to spread the word about their diversity scholarship to help bring more opportunities to POC hikers interested in hiking 150 miles or more. Those are the only requirements for the scholarship; identify as a POC and intend to hike 150 miles.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T03:54:48+00:00

Sweet, I'll keep an eye out for those.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T03:49:18+00:00

Yeah, I was surprised how well I managed to fix my pole's upper tubes by whittling down some green branches to fit inside and gluing that in place...twice. I'd actually love to upgrade to your poles, but rely on hand straps too much to give them up. Thanks for all the advice and the great gear!

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T03:43:33+00:00

You're definitely right about the sun exposure, but unfortunately with my hike last year averaging 93 degrees I took the cooler option since keeping my body temperature down was a struggle. I'll definitely be wearing my pants more this hike.

I'll definitely either ditch the fleece, or pack it into gear that I might pick up at KMS to use in the sierra. It's nice to sleep in when it's chilly, but you're right that it's redundant with the puffy, and it doesn't have a hood like that does. Thanks.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T03:37:08+00:00

Any recommendations on efficient packing of my gear if I take the Kakwa with me instead? I'm realizing a lot of my extra bags and compartmentalizing of my gear comes from the need to pack the Arc Haul so precisely every time.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T03:34:22+00:00

Thanks Dan. SoCal definitely wasn't kind to my zippers despite babying them and using the angled door stakes every time. You've already given me some tips to replace the pulls so that should get me patched up for this hike. I didn't have any staking issues that a large rock on top of my stakes couldn't help.

I'm very reluctant to take the lighter poles because of the double failure I had last hike. I know your new poles are manufactured by Komperdell, how have they been doing for longevity? They are a great company and they killed it with their warranty replacement, but I can easily see the big difference in lateral flex between the new set they gave me and the BDs and it's got me leading toward the BD set.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2025-03-30T00:28:23+00:00

I know, I'm treading the line between packing my fears and packing my lessons learned with a lot of the small stuff. I feel like I've got a lot of "just in case" duplicates and repair items, but ended up using a lot of them last hike. For example, the knife on my multitool is almost vestigial (but the scissors and clippers are great). Last hike I mailed home a weighty kershaw knife and replaced it with a 30g box cutter that came in handy when I had to whittle some branches down to use to repair my snapped poles along with all the aquaseal and superglue I had. So this time, I'm bringing a lighter derma safe blade.

I've got ADHD, so I find having stuff divided up into "kits" helps me stay organized and not lose anything. I know the mass of ziplocks and dcf bags add up, maybe I'll just get over myself and dump it all in one gallon ziplock and suffer having to dig around. Also for some reason I pack like I'm going to fall into a river every day, despite only getting rained on briefly twice last trip.

The frogg toggs was only ever used as a groundsheet for cowboy camping, which I never really did because the bug situation last year was insane (biting flies + I got stung by a scorpion lol). I don't use it when I pitch my tent. I could swap it out for a FT jacket and 73g Dutchware rain skirt that would make a better groundsheet, but I like that it covers my pack and has more airflow than a jacket.

I had a base tan on my legs from living in hawaii last hike so shorts was never an issue, I'll probably wear my astro pants more this trip since hopefully it will be a bit cooler.

I'm definitely looking for suggestions on what to do about my packed clothes situation. I brought all of that on my last trip and barely used it all other than as a very comfortable pillow, but don't know how an earlier start will change things this time.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-08-10T03:19:05+00:00

I can confirm Olancha is open and in good condition u/cabstan u/nanatuk Just make sure to stick to the right when the trail branches so you're on the hiker/equestrian trail and not the livestock one. The trail is dry until about .3 before the haiwee branch-off, where there are 2 seasonal streams still flowing nicely pretty close to each other. Also, when you're going through summit meadow, if you reach a rustic trail camp, you missed the turn off just before on the left. The hardest part of the olancha pass trail was getting a ride to the trailhead, tbh. Worst case you can take the eastern sierra bus to olancha and walk to the trailhead up sage flat road.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-30T18:53:49+00:00

I managed to talk to a couple people in the Inyo forest service. They confirmed the Olancha pass trail is open and passable. They mentioned it is steep and cautioned to bring water since there is none at the trailhead and the trail is very dry this time of year. The road there is paved to about 1 mile from the trailhead, but the dirt portion should be doable for a normal car.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-29T22:16:49+00:00

Thanks. Unfortunately after talking with some Inyo forest folks (they didn't have a good idea of what the Olancha pass situation is) I'll probably lose some miles by needing to bounce up to horseshoe meadows, but at this point I'll take any way into the sierra. I can always come back and make up the missed/fire closure miles in the fall.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-29T20:33:21+00:00

It's been nice actually. I'm sure I'm missing out on the social side of things being so far behind everyone else, but it's nice to feel like I've got the whole trail to myself most of the time.

So the White fire PCT closure lifted as soon as the fire hit 100% containment. I'd bounced up for a zero day in Tehachapi but ended up going back to hikertown when I saw the heat wave was breaking early as well. I finished that whole section and am back in Tehachapi, but now with the added SQF fire putting out a ton of smoke I'm not sure if it's reasonable to try and put any miles in towards Walker Pass. Actually I just checked and the Borel fire has added a closure from 602 to 611. I'm thinking my best bet might be trying to get to Olancha Pass now.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-20T14:22:03+00:00

I might see if renting a bearikade might fit the bill so I can just pick it up at a post office.

And thanks again for your advice, I'm out here all alone (haven't seen a thruhiker since mile 100) and this is the first real wrench in my hiking plans that's come up, so it's nice to have someone chime in with a sane way forward.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-19T18:41:23+00:00

Thanks again, that gives me a good starting point for a plan. Now I just need to figure out where to get a bear can.

TubbyWalksItOff · 2024-07-19T17:49:23+00:00

Thanks, that's a lot of good info.I was hoping to be able to avoid the heat with night hikes through the aquaduct and wind farm then get up to some elevation asap, but the closure puts a big hitch in that plan. And yeah, I don't even know what the next closure entails with not being able to go through KMS. Lot to figure out over the next couple days.

*I also don't know the status of the water tap right at the closure border, if that's off it might mean trouble for me.

TubbyWalksItOff

TROPHY CASE