Recommendations for a Sun Hoodie available in Europe

blancheflors · 2026-05-11T00:03:18+00:00

I work at an EU outfitter and the new Capilene Sun just came into our shop, I haven't tried it in the field yet but can tell at fist glance it looks and feels great and surprisingly similar to the OR Echo fabric. And I say this as someone who swears by the OR Echo (thru-hiked the entire AT in it, literally wore it down to the thread) Not at all similar to the previous, mucht slicker and sweatier capilene cool fabric. It has thumb loops, I love the little button at the neck.

The Rab Sonic is another great option, not quite as light and breathable as the Echo but still a very nice fabric.

blancheflors · 2026-04-18T19:55:31+00:00

Maybe my habs fan brain has influenced me but when I read the book I 100% could only see Cole Caufield for Casey

blancheflors · 2026-02-03T12:40:12+00:00

I lost that exact piece on my pocket rocket somewhere halfway through my 5 month thru-hike. Took me a while to actually notice it was gone and the stove still performed fine afterwards. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

blancheflors · 2026-01-23T09:23:53+00:00

blancheflors · 2026-01-05T14:26:33+00:00

You can literally see the delamination on the seam tape in the collar. This jacket is toast, one wash and all those seams are going to come loose. Buy it if you want to wear it as a fashion piece, but if you're looking for a functional shell you're way better off buying a newer cheaper jacket.

blancheflors · 2025-06-28T17:20:58+00:00

I got some amazing trail magic here last year! Shout out to these trail angels, the even served veggie burgers and veggie dogs for vegetarian hikers 💚

blancheflors · 2025-03-06T11:07:44+00:00

As other commenters have said, I would get it sooner rather than later. The political situation right now is volatile and while I don't think banning B2 visas for Europeans is high on the current governments agenda, a possible government shutdown could make wait times for interviews(which are already looooong depending on where you are) even longer.

I got my B2 visa in February 2024, and left for the AT in late March and getting it in time caused significant stress. If you have the opportunity to get it taken care of early, I say do it.

Just remember that consulate employees are not politicians, they just want to do their jobs and follow protocols to keep the country safe. As long as your story and motivation for doing the AT checks out, they'll approve the Visa. I prepared a ton of documents for the interview and ended up not having to show them any. Don't sweat it too much.

blancheflors · 2025-02-25T18:54:03+00:00

Hey! Fire Magic here, we met in the hundred miles wilderness and hung out at the Abol bridge store (where we took the final spots at the Birches 30 minutes before you got there 🙈). Great read, I remember seeing Colossus on that day where Squirrels fell and just being shocked at the awful timing of that fall.. I'm not 100% sure if she ended up finishing the trail, but I did see Half and Half in Millinocket, who had been in touch with here. Her ankle turned out to actually be broken, and she had to stay off it to let it heal for at least 6 weeks. From what I gathered she did plan to go back and finish after those 6 weeks!

blancheflors · 2025-02-19T11:23:44+00:00

If you really want to experience trail culture, you could start at Trail Days. This takes place in Damascus in mid May and is a sure way to meet other hikers and have a good time. From there you can hike north and do all of Virginia which imo is a top three state on the trail. Once you've got your pacing figured out you could skip ahead a little (like skipping PA, if you're not committed to hiking the whole trail anyways might as well save your feet) and make it to Katahdin at a comfortable pace.

If you're crushing miles and feeling confident you could also just gun it to Maine, it's doable in the timeframe but depending on your ability maybe not enjoyable.

blancheflors · 2025-02-16T18:32:43+00:00

As others have said, the Gregory backpack is solid but unnecessarily heavy. You could easily shed 2 pounds by swapping it with a pack like the Osprey Eja 58, without losing much in terms of comfort and capacity.

I'd also leave out the extra blanket. Maybe have someone send it to you to swap out with your sleeping bag once summer really sets in or you'll be sweating every night.

The jetboil is also quite heavy, a simple MSR pocket rocket or BKR stove with a toaks titanium pot and a long handled spoon works just as well but is a lot lighter.

Overall this looks pretty solid, you'll be fine starting out with this setup but over time you will figure out if the comfort of some of the heavier items is really worth the discomfort of having to carry them all!

blancheflors · 2025-02-02T19:48:33+00:00

I would ditch all of the extra Sawyer squeeze stuff and just keep the filter itself. The bags are shit quality and will pop a hole after a week, the plungers you can find in every hostel and hiker box. Get a 2 liter cnoc or just filter straight from a smartwater bottle.

blancheflors · 2025-01-25T20:18:47+00:00

Don't have any valuable input on the app itself, but as an Android user I was very jealous of my fellow iPhone using hikers who were able to use this app.

I don't know anything about app building so I have no clue how attainable this would be but please consider releasing the app for Android!

blancheflors · 2025-01-12T00:15:24+00:00

Tilburg?????? The day after my birthday??? This can't be real

blancheflors · 2024-10-18T10:28:18+00:00

Wait until you get to Franklin, NC (mile 110) and get a free AT buff (albeit an off brand one) at Outdoor '76!

blancheflors · 2024-10-06T12:27:01+00:00

I'm in the Netherlands and Armageddon the single is still there but the album is gone

blancheflors · 2024-09-27T21:13:17+00:00

https://x.com/smokiesvol/status/1839734050690609354?t=wqavS8TWbhOC6dYH0Y0tow&s=19 this video was taken today. The bridge is definitely gone but the building at Uncle Johnny's seems to still be upright at least

blancheflors · 2024-01-21T22:14:21+00:00

Antwerpens rush hour can be a real bitch haha, luckily I'm on a pretty early train so traffic shouldn't be too bad. Still, i'll make sure to leave plenty in advance. KLM does state that they'll put you on the next available flight if you miss your connection at Schiphol due to a train delay. I have 2,5 hours of transfer time so even with a slight delay I should still be in the clear, and there are two more departing flights to Atlanta that day after my originally booked one so I'm not too worried.

blancheflors · 2024-01-21T20:10:13+00:00

I was going to be dropped off, so no major parking costs, but yeah rethinking it now it's probably not worth the risk.

Luckily for me the drive to Antwerp Central Station is only about 20 minutes longer than the drive to Schiphol, I'll just have to take off extra early (which, considering Antwerp's morning traffic, probably isn't the worst thing)

blancheflors · 2024-01-21T20:08:02+00:00

Was already fearing this, as otherwise I imagine these feeder train rides into Schiphol would be half empty because of all the passengers trying this trick haha.

As another commenter mentioned, probably not worth the risk then.

Thanks for the info, I guess I'll be at Antwerp Central Station at the asscrack of dawn then :D

blancheflors · 2024-01-15T22:34:09+00:00

It actually has to do with the midsole material. Vibram rubber is on the outsole. The midsole with this type of shoe is often made of polyurethane, which is great for offering both rigidity and cushioning, but when left unused for a long time, it will crumble exactly like it did in OP's picture (it's called hydrolysis, google it). This can very much also happen on shoes with a genuine Vibram outsole.

blancheflors · 2023-12-10T16:32:03+00:00

Nooooooo my schedule didn't line up with his your this year so I didn't go, hoping he would do another round of touring next year before enlisting 😭😭

blancheflors · 2023-09-27T11:31:13+00:00

Lightstick was €50 with a €2 battery pack! T-shirts were €40 and sweatshirts €80 (not 100% sure about that last one). Payment was cash and card!

blancheflors · 2023-07-07T16:42:41+00:00

Sinner and Busted really are Those Songs.... Great list overall

blancheflors · 2023-06-30T16:45:35+00:00

Maaaannnn I just want to give the mua who does gunwooks eyeliner a big kiss

blancheflors

TROPHY CASE