Hi all,

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Weekend warrior here looking to take the next step and prepare for my first thru-hike next summer (likely the Northville Placid Trail in NY). I am looking for suggestions for a tent and FRAMED UL or lightweight 50-60L backpack. Willing to spend up to $550 for both. Here is my current setup: https://lighterpack.com/r/4dqhfd. And here are my proposed upgrades: https://lighterpack.com/r/ukq1or (starred means I already own).I am mostly looking for a setup that will situate me well for 3 season trips in New England (the Adirondacks, White Mountains, etc…).

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Packwise, I think I have it narrowed down to either the Durston Kakwa 55 or the Outdoor Vitals Shadowlight. I like the extra load capacity that these have.For the tent, I am thinking of the Tarptent Protrail, which is the lightest option within my budget that I’ve found, but I have listed a few other options I have been considering.

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My priorities are space and weather-proof. Never having owned a single-wall tent, the idea of condensation does concern me, but I am open to learning how to use one. Also wondering if I I would be happier with a 2 person for the extra space.I welcome your suggestions, as well as just a general shakedown of my gear!

My partner and I have been travelling Europe for the past 3 months and discovered we like hiking.

Our first tour was 2 nights in the Dolomites in June and I loved it. We don't have mountains where we're from in Perth, Australia. We got the trip done but I was too cold to leave the refuges when the sun went down because I only had shorts and a light jumper. I was disappointed because I wanted to watch the stars.

We decided to make the Peaks of the Balkans our second tour. I learnt a lot in our first tour and I knew 7 nights in September was going to require more preparation and gear, especially if I wanted to look at the stars.

At the same time, we don't have room for lots of hiking gear. We're primarily travelling and only hiking some of the time. I'm calling this Travel Hiking. We're onebagging with 40L Osprey Farpoint bags and space is limited even without hiking gear.

Budget is also important because I don't know exactly what I need (I'm from Perth) and I'm not sure how many hiking tours we're going to do.

Decathlon to the rescue. After researching this sub, probably excessively, I bought what I needed for the second tour.

Here's what I learned

1. The FH500 Helium Wind Jacket is the MVP. It's $35 euros and 120g and I wore it more than any other item. It kept me warm enough at night with 2 short-sleeve polyester shirts on, no jumper, down to sub 10°C. I saw stars! It kept me warm enough in 40kph winds on the ridge between Montenegro and Kosovo after the Tri-Country Summit and cool enough hiking in the valley below. Wing gear is the real deal. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-fast-hiking-windbreaker-jacket-fh500-helium-wind/_/R-p-307221
2. NH500 Rain Pants and Running Tights are a versatile combo. $18 euros, 200g and $16 euros, <100g, respectively. I was warm on sub 10°C nights, so much so that I was able to go a bit lighter on my top half. I wear shorts during the day then tights after I shower. Then I add rain pants when it gets colder. On the windy day I wore them over my shorts and they warm enough on the ridge and cool enough in the valley. Then I took them off when it was warmer. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-waterproof-hiking-over-trousers-nh500/_/R-p-345947 and https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/run-dry-men-s-running-tights-black/_/R-p-164591?mc=8381942&c=black
3. My Running Shoes survived. I hiked the whole trail in Atreyu running shoes and they were comfortable, stable and grippy enough for me. I only ankle tested myself and slipped a few times. I run far more than I hike and hiking shoes wouldn't fit in my bag. https://atreyu.com/collections/products/products/the-base-model-v2-0?variant=40371485474974
4. My 26L Deuter daypack was just enough. I couldn't fit a jumper or jacket and thankfully didn't need it. Any colder and I would have.
5. Hike 900 synthetic and wool socks were comfortable. Not too sweaty and they dry quickly. I didn't get a chance to get them wet on the trail. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hiking-socks-hike-900-mid-2-pack/_/R-p-330158?mc=8616554&c=grey

Ideas for next time

1. More compact pants. I imagine wind pants are more compact than rain pants and rain proof isn't important to me on my bottom half. Unfortunately, I can't find any at Decathlon.
2. FH500 Rain Jacket for to replace the FH500 Helium Wind Jacket and NH100 Raincut half-zip. I didn't use the Raincut much on this trip and I regret choosing the half-zip to save 75g. A fullzip is more versatile for breathability and casual use in european winter. I could get the FH500 Rain Jacket and ditch the FH500 Helium Wind Jacket too. On the other hand, I really liked the FH500 Helium and the FH500 Rain Jacket is more expensive at $81 euros. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-ultra-light-waterproof-rapid-hiking-jacket-fh-500-yellow/_/R-p-325302
3. Hike 500 Synthetic socks. I'm skeptical the small amount of wool in the Hike 900 does anything besides increase the drying time and price. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hiking-socks-hike-500-mid-black-x2-pairs/_/R-p-330181
4. Osprey Exos 48 and small daypack to replace my Farpoint 40L and 26L Deuter daypack. A bigger daypack will take more space in my main pack but I could use my main pack for hiking. I could take the Farpoint 40L but it doesn't have any organisation. I also have a dream where I travel with a comfortable hiking pack and a packed daypack inside, maybe packed with a cool camera. Then when I'm at the airport I take the daypack out for a personal item and put the hiking pack in carry on. https://www.ospreyeurope.com/shop/eu_en/osprey-exos-48-s22
5. MT500 Down Jacket. I could use it casually too because it looks awesome. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-mountain-trekking-down-jacket-mt500-10-c/_/R-p-12077?mc=8611349

Thanks for reading.

Hi all, I'm kinda new to the UL world. A proper newbie actually. I'm looking for a fanny pack which can be attached to the torso or hip strap like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear one but, seriously, I don't really see why it should cost that much. Also, I live in Europe so HMG stuff cost 50% more compared to the US.

Sadly I'm not a good sewer and I couldn't make one by myself even in a lifetime.

So... Any suggestion? Any brands?

Sorry if this sounded a little dumb but I'm really new to this world.

Thank you :)

My current load out

Hiked the PCT in '21 with a Hyperlite and was fine with it. Felt that it carried waterloads well and by the time I learned to pack my food lighter/got stronger it felt great.

Grabbed a pa'lante V2 for a '22 CT hike because I wanted to see how light I could go. While it had some very cool features overall I felt that I missed the support of a framed pack. On shorter carries the frameless felt fine but on longer carries + water it just felt uncomfortable so I can't really picture myself with it on a long thru hiker with bigger water carries.

So begins my search for the lightest UL framed packs, of which there seems to actually not be very many but it seems I've narrowed it down to a few. Looking for something I can do the CDT with with long carries comfortably but still as UL as possible with bottom pocket and shoulder pockets. Maybe 25 oz? Or at least lighter than the HMG. Willing to shave off a few oz to maybe make it just 35L capacity, or have it not be seam sealed (since I have a DCF dry bag anyways)

Essentially I'd like something framed but light as possible. Strappy shoulder pockets, because I hated the add ons for the HMG and loved the built in ones on the pa'lante. Potential to add on hip belt pockets because I hate using a fanny pack. Bottom pocket, but most packs include that nowadays.

Option 1 (Lite AF 40l Full Suspension)

Pros:

-softest shoulder pads, tried on a curve and it felt so damn comfy

-known quality

-lots of great features, customizable

Cons:

-potentially pretty heavy but info is unclear depending on size, could weigh just as much as the HMG

Option 2 (Red Paw Packs)

Pros:

-highly customizable

-great looking shoulder pockets and bottom pocket

Cons:

-unsure of what total weight would be for a framed 40L pack

-website is a little funky to use

-unknown quality, not too much info on these

Option 3 (Pilgrum Gear)

Pros:

-highline pack is basically advertised as an UL framed pack

-on paper has most of the features I want (framed, UL, hip belt with potential for hip pockets)

Cons:

-hate the lack of strappy shoulder pockets

-less customizable

-unknown quality, not much info on these

-not a fan of the velcro closure, definitely prefer the simplicity of pa'lantes roll top + single hook closure

-it's kind of ugly... superficial but it bothers me

Option 4 (others, misc, etc)

-HMG Unbound: I was honestly fine with my HMG on the PCT but the Elvate rings in at 30 oz and I think I can do better (and I hate the lack of strappy shoulder pockets)

-SWD Movement 35: seems to fit the bill a lot but I hate the lack of strappy shoulder pockets, and the one person I met who used the framed SWD didn't seem too enthused about it. Superficial but the lack of white Ultra fabric bothers me.

-Bonfus Framus 48L: weight seems about right, around 25 oz but the lack of strappy shoulder pockets again is somewhat of a killer to me. Also less of a known quality, don't have much info on these.

I've been really interested in LiteAF packs for a while and they have a lot of great features but it's hard to tell how much the final product will weigh. Red Paw Packs seems also very willing to do some customizable things so it might be worth a shot too. Honestly I really enjoyed the pa'lante pack and it's design, if I could just copy that and stick a frame system in it that'd pretty much do it for me. Or if LiteAF could do a 35L framed pack (not sure how much weight that actually saves).

TLDR: Looking for lightest framed packet with strappy shoulder pockets. Willing to do 35L and no seam sealing to save weight. 25oz ish? For a potential CDT thru hike.

So I only currently use the poles mostly for holding up my tent (if base camping, I am moving towards lighter proper through hiking where I take the tent with me but my gear is still so heavy cos poor), as I have a Lanshan 2 it now takes two of them, with my Lanshan 1 I use to take one with me.

I have some good yet heavy alu Trekbuddy poles, so decided to treat myself to some lighter Craghoppers Treklite Carbon poles which get good reviews, like in the Independent newspaper.

Big mistake - on the 5th day putting my tent back up I pulled one pole out from the pack side pocket to find the pole wasn't glued in properly to the joint - I'll post a pic in the comments - which was really disappointing on their first trip. Spoken to Craghoppers (owned by Regatta) doing the usual refund thing, but won't refund the p&p for a manufacturing defect, which I think is pretty low. Not impressed since they are a few weeks old, and it's an obvious defect rather than misuse (yes I sent the photo).

So looking to spend the refund money (if I get any?) on something else.

Now I know some will say 'get Lekis' or something, but if I had a Leki-sized budget I'd not be called 'Hard Up Hiker' on YouTube; UL is so f**king expensive. And given they are mostly going to hold up tents for now, and given the pricier ones (Craghoppers are £88 RRP currently £61, got them cheaper via coupon) let me down I want to go with something cheap and cheerful for now cos I reckon all poles under £100 are probably a bit cack.

BUT I've heard good reviews about the Karrimor Carbon poles (Sports Direct tho, customer service is even worse, they tried to sell me a pair once that were missing equipment full price hence going for he Craghoppers), and the TheFitLife poles. Anyone used those or got good recommendations that don't cost a lot of money, cos plunking £100-200 on poles is not an option?

P.S. be aware I am in the UK, so all the REI/Backcountry/Walmart love means nothing here as after all the steep delivery, customs and VAT your total bargain become the same as an expensive option (Cascade Designs Carbon poles is one of those, look great, yet they are £80-100+ here)! So many of the hiking channels and reviews are US centric on local gear (hence starting my own)....

Maybe some UK hikers are here using cheap carbon poles? I know Paul Messner swears by the Karrimors.

Hey everyone, I could use some help figuring out what to get here. New to the lightweight game, I just got a new pack that I am going to outfit as my hammock pack and keep my bigger pack as my tent setup.

I’ve been looking through the thread and the more I dig the more confused I get on the sleeping bag vs. quilt for hammocks.

I see posts saying that hammock sleeping with a quilt is best for lightweight but in colder temps you need an insulator under the hammock which basically just brings you to the same space requirements as a UL sleeping bag. (Hammock Gear and Loco Libre came up and they look nice but it doesn’t seem “space saving” when combined)

I also looked at the Sea to Summit mummy bag and don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to just put a pad in my hammock and sleep in that as that is traditionally what I have done with an older mummy sleeping bag I have.

I have also seen other people use mummy bags that go around your hammock and act as a quilt + bag in one, but I am having trouble actually finding one online that is reputable - I think this is what I would prefer if possible so if anyone has a suggestion for a quality one I would love to hear it

Thanks for the help and guidance

Hi everyone, I'm just starting to get into backpacking and would like to know your suggestions for sleep systems. I have no idea wether to go sleeping bag, quilt, zenbivy, or anything else I may not know about.

Current Setup:

• Nemo Tensor Insulated Wide Sleeping Pad (R Value 4.2)
• Old Synthetic Kelty 35ºF Bag (this thing is super un-packable and I freeze every time I use it, this is what I need to replace)

Some extra details:

• I mainly sleep on my stomach, so if anyone else is a stomach sleeper and has any specific recommendations that would be amazing!
• I sleep relatively cold, I think?
• I mostly aim to use this bag when lows are 35º and above, but I do need it to work for the Sierras in the shoulder season, so maybe 25º lows are more accurate.
• I would like the system to be light and packable, but I'm willing to sacrifice some weight and space if it means getting a good night of sleep.

I appreciate the help and advice :)

I bought some replacement gear recently so I can keep whittling down my pack weight over time. Last year was a new pack. This year was a new tent, quilt, cook setup, and some froggtogg gear (poncho and rain jacket to swap out depending on weather).

My biggest items are my tent and my quilt. I can put the poles outside the pack, not a huge deal. I don't carry a ursack or a bear vault because in my area, I'm not required to, but I think it would be a good idea to start using one anyway. I do dehydrated food, so my daily food weight is closer to 1.5 lbs with snacks per day. I generally carry 3L of water at a time, but I have just lowered this to 2.5L in bottles and not using a bladder anymore. If there is more water on my route, I will camel up and carry closer to 2L. I drink around 2L per 5 miles.

Goal Baseweight (BPW): 12lbs

Budget: Don't have one will buy gear over time

Non-negotiable Items: Any starred item on lighterpack I would prefer to keep. Specifically tent and quilt.

Solo or with another person: Solo

Additional Information: I carry this gear on day hikes as well, so I'd like to reduce volume where reasonably possible.

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/zisveb

Note: Some of the gear replacements I have been eyeing are a lighter battery (NB10000), carbon fiber trek poles, and a smaller and lighter backpack like the mariposa 60. This would reduce my weight by approx 20oz and cost me $565. I am not sure if I am forgetting to bring anything major. This would get me down to 13.71 lbs or so. I am a wide side/stomach sleeper, so not sure if I can find a similar spec air pad but the one I've got works great for me

EDIT: I am ordering some water purification tablets and dropping the extra sawyer mini. I bought the NB10000 because 2 gram savings per $1 was my best suggestion after the water tablets. I dropped one of the Bic lighters only because I am confident I could use Paracord for a bow drill friction fire. I also properly marked my consumables. I dropped about 150g off my medkit, but I am buying an ace wrap for it and will have some prescription meds to add so it might equal out to be close to what it was before. I forgot I used my old ace wrap on a rib injury and never added another one to my kit. Slipped descending muddy embankment and landed on ribs, bruised badly, had to hike 3 miles back out (was a "shortcut" to save 3 extra miles not doing that again).

I am down to approx 12.5lbs baseweight (will do final weigh-in once amazon orders show up). I can get another .5 to .7lbs from a new backpack (this will likely be the last thing i replace once i have everything else dialed in), and if my poles ever break, I'll swap to carbon fiber to save 2-5oz. Next year, I might buy an extra tent that is a true one person tent that could trim another 1lbs. I am keeping the solar panel for now because it's 50g less weight than another NB10000, we have great sun here in Florida.

If anyone has suggestions on lighter base layers to wear, then I can wear to sleep in as my clean set of clothes that will dry quickly. I am all ears. I am a fan of merino wool but also polyster blends.

Still torn between the BV450 and BV500 or going with an Ursack. Kinda sick of hanging a bag, but I want to make sure my choice doesn't stop me from going to a much smaller back in the future. I don't want to strap one of those to the outside of my pack.

TLDR: A torso length, wide xlite is ~3-4 oz heavier than a torso length, wide uberlite but is warmer and more durable. Which can you make a better 3 season system with?

I'm looking for a three-season sleeping pad solution and trying to balance warmth, weight, durability, and comfort. Cost is also maybe a factor especially since I'm probably going to void any warranty.

I just finished a weekend trip with 8 panels of CCF. God bless you if you can sleep like this but it's not worth the weight savings to me. Testing using a cheapo inflatable pad that I cut down I've found that I would rather "spend" my weight on a wide, torso length pad than a regular width/length pad.

I'm mostly looking at the thermarest xlite and uberlite for weight reasons and because horizontal baffling doesn't bother me. I won't be comparing comfort because they should all be similar.

Here seem to be my options (assume the inflatables are wide and cut down to ~45 in):

Uberlite (~7oz): Lightest, r=2.3, major durability concerns

Uberlite (~7oz) + gg thinlite (2.7 oz) = ~10 oz, Combined r=~2.8, puncture protection, still not super warm

Uberlite (~7 oz) + CCF (~1 oz per panel) = ~13 or 15oz (19 oz if I want full leg coverage), Combined r=4.3, puncture protection and warmth are better, one of the heavier options

Xlite (~10-11 oz): r=4.5, no puncture protection, warm and relatively light.

Xlite (~10-11 oz) + gg thinlite (2.7 oz) = ~13 oz, r=~5, good puncture protection, warm, on the heavier side

Xlite (~10-11 oz) + CCF (~1 oz per panel) = ~22oz, r=6.5 (r=2 for legs), warmest/heaviest option

Questions and Comments:

Would you use either of these pads without a layer of foam beneath them? Are they generally durable and how much more durable is the xlite than the uberlite?

The uberlite would give me a more modular system, allowing me to cut a few ounces for 2.5 season trips while still having puncture protection.

The xlite is a lot warmer, but I'm still practically limited by minimal leg insulation. How cold have people gone with torso length pads? I'm sure I would still need a true full-length winter pad if I'm going below freezing.

Which would you pick? Am I missing some other options here? Has anyone had success cutting down inflatable pads with different baffles?

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As in the title; I've been on many hiking trips with an entry level Osprey Rook that I purchased for a mere £20 in a charity shop many years ago (In which I later discovered another £60 of sea to summit drybags!). With a lot of my core kit upgraded to lighter and smaller variants it's now time for the bag to go, and I'm looking for a suitable replacement under a kilo to chop off a bunch of weight from my setup.

One of the features I'm reluctant to let go of is the mesh back panel on the rook, it's so comfy over long distances and feeling a breeze on my back is incredibly refreshing. I hate getting a super sweaty back and that back panel is perfect for me.

Is there any other bag manufacturer with a similar system? Or is the Exos Pro my only option in the ultralight arena? It's a little heavier than I'd like so I'm trying to find an alternative.

I am looking for the most breathable hardshell/rain jacket on the market, with hood and pit-zips.

Use will be mostly bikepacking or other hig-output activities, so durability is a major bonus.

To me, GORETEX Active was the obvious choice...but I can find just ONE jacket that fit the bill! namely it's the Norrona Senja...it costs billions and seems overly complicated design wise.

Once there were plenty of options in GORETEX Active in the market... ...where they all ended up?

...are you aware of other viable options, equally breathable & durable?

Thanks for the help!!

Having gone through a drama with my Therm-a-rest Trail Pro not liking being stabbed with a penknife while camping (oops, I have learned my lesson, do not cut things while sitting on a pad) and then finding that a) Therm-a-rest's field repair kit is total b*ll*cks (it still went down every 1-2 hours), so: which light-ish sleeping pad is easily fixed in the field/trail?

I found NOTHING will stick to my Trail Pro, not even Gorilla Tape, sil tape, those pool repair patches, only a Highlander glue patch sort of worked after a 12 hour cure, taking the 1-2 hours up to 5 hours, but it still went down. Is the thing made of PTFE?

So be warned the Trail series and older Therm-a-rests pre 2015 have a film coating apparently which means only their flimsy proprietary patches (don't) work!

I have done a perm fix on the pad now, and testing it to see if that fixes it, but I have lost a lot of trust in Therm-a-rest's ability to be easily repaired.

Has anyone had experience fixing the Nemo Tensor, Sea to Summit Ether Light XT or the Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite / NXT in the field? Was it easy? Also those are mega pricey for my range - paid about £80 for my Trail Pro - ex-stock as mine wasn't with the wing valve or pump bag, but found it was mostly comfortable but I slid off a lot and it's not 100% great for a side sleeper as you can bottom out as it naturally deflates due to cooling of the warm air.

So any recommends would be great (need R value of 4-ish for 3 season being in the less warm UK, also means US-only providers like REI with high shipping/customs charges are likely out of my reach)

Oddly all the pad review round-ups I've seen, none actually cover this issue.

Hey all, I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong... So I picked up a new befree mostly for day hikes near water sources. I filled it with clean tap water and let it sit for about 30 minutes to make sure the filter got really wet and then i squeezed a whole liter through, I then filled it again about half way and then did the blow back test - and i can clearly see water bubbles rising.

I assumed that I just got unlucky and ordered a replacement, but to my surprise, the replacement is doing the same thing.

I sometimes bring my kids along so we might share the water or I might refill our canteens on a long day hike so that adds an extra layer of paranoia.

Am I just doing the test wrong? ... I reached out to Katadyn but havent heard back yet...

EDIT:

I heard back from Katadyn -

"A small amount of air is normal. Can you fully inflate your bottle like a balloon?"

Filter Integrity Test:

• The Filter must be well saturated - Soak it for 30 minutes
• Then, put it into the flask and blow into it.
• If the flask inflates like a balloon, then it no longer safe for use
• If you can't inflate it, then it is good.

- So with these specific instructions, my filter is good!

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Hi ultralighters!

Current base weight: 9.25lb

Location/temp range/specific trip description:

- Camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago

- Camino Finisterre from Santiago to Fisterra

- Camino Muxiana extension from Fisterra to Muxia

- Sept 2024 (depart Canada Sept 1, start walking Sept 4)

- 12C to 27C (50-80F)

Budget: $500 CAD

Non-negotiable Items:

- at least 1.5L of water storage

- scallop shell (symbol of the pilgrim)

- shower shoes

Solo or with another person?: probably solo, 50% chance a friend comes along

Additional Information:

- I think the clothesline is very light (lighter than the same number of clothes pegs) and will be needed to hang laundry in albergues that have run out of lines/pegs

- Not sure if I'm going to be warm enough around town in the evenings. Do I need to add a puffy?

- Intending to stay in albergues/hostels along the way. I understand some of these only turn on the heat when pilgrims arrive.

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/i2xcxk

I'm planning on walking the Camino Portugues (Litoral Way out of Porto, then Coastal Route once I hit Vila do Conde/Povoa de Varzim) in Sept 2024. After I reach Santiago, I will then walk to Finisterre and Muxia as well. Total trip length 22 days (gentle walking, 12-25 km per day, one rest day in Santiago). There will be a few days at the beginning and end of the trip that are "town" days used to travel to and from Canada.

I have never done more than a week's worth of backpacking/long hiking. I am typically a lightweight backpacker, not an ultralighter. However, for the Camino a pack weight of 10% of one's body weight is suggested. (Some of these suggestions say to include water in that 10%, some don't).

Wondering if y'all might take a look at my lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/i2xcxk

I think I've identified the fears I've packed:

1. Sleep system. Worried about being hot OR cold when sleeping. I tend to sleep hot but I understand some albergues are unheated (or they only turn on the heat when peregrinos get there), and some albergues don't have blankets. Hence the sleeping bag liner AND the quilt. Both will be treated with permethrin before the trip, because I also fear bedbugs. It's also cooler in September (12C/50F lows is my understanding), so I think I'll need the quilt. Will I need the quilt? I haven't actually bought the quilt yet, so this particular item on the list is a theoretical weight, taken from the EE website.
2. Dehydration. I'm a sweaty girl. I have the option to carry up to 2L of water with the Hydrapak Flux 1L and the HDPE Nalgene 1L, but I expect I'll typically only carry 1.5L. I could instead get two 1L plastic water bottles on arrival for a total bottle weight of approx 60g instead, which would save me 128g. I also believe most water in fonts on the Camino is treated, so maybe I don't need the Katadyn BeFree. But... I'm scairt of bad water and I want to guarantee myself a hard-sided backup water carrying method as well.
3. Clothing sets. I could have only two sets of clothing instead of three (except socks and jocks, three pairs of undies and socks is not negotiable). But if I only took two T-shirts, two sports bras, and the two pairs of long pants (no shorts), I'd save about 287g. Clothes will get washed every day basically. I'm a little worried with only two sets of clothes that they won't dry in time for the next day. I understand September can have days of rain that would prevent me from hanging damp clothes to dry on my pack. Also wondering if I need to add a puffy jacket for around town in the evenings. Dun wanna add a puffy.
4. Boredom. I have the notebook and pen to journal. It's spiritually meaningful for me. But do I need it? I could be using my phone. Entirely different experience though. Saves 100g if I remove the notebook and pen.
5. Peeing. I have a kula cloth already. I might as well bring it? In case I need to pee by the side of the road. Better than having to buy TP along the way? Plus then I don't have to pack out dirty used TP. The kula cloth can be washed nightly and hung to dry. I'll be using my shampoo bar to do all my washing.
6. Pack liner. I've got the poncho. Do I need the pack liner? It would protect my clothes/quilt for peace of mind.... 60g saved without it.

Base weight + consumable weight (water): 12.56lbs/5.7kg.

Total weight (base + worn + consumable): 15.68lbs/7.11kg.

My body's ideal weight is approx 125lbs. My actual weight is 150lbs.

If I took out ALL of the things listed above, I'd save 884g, which is significant... but I think I've got a pretty light pack with the base weight at 9.25lb/4.2kg.

Do I need to pare it down more, or is this the happy medium of comfort/lightness?

I saw in one chat how a hiker brews food in a cut-off bag from Platypus. Now I have one Sawyer bag that leaks at the top after 2 years of use. It would be a good replacement for a plate on a hike. But I'm worried about the plastic and the temperature. What do you think about this?

Hey!

So I got a STS Ultralight hammock XL for Christmas last year and I've never really felt that I clicked with it. I bought the XL version as I thought I might sleep in it (turns out I probably won't) but my problem is a combination of the big size (3m x 1.5m) and the fabric itself, which feels like you "sink" down in it, causing the sides to tension and "go up" and kind of block your vision (the fabric is nearly see thought but still a bit annoying).

Also if I lay diagonally or sit in it like a comfy chair after a while the fabric "cuts" into the skin in a fairly irritating way.

So last weekend I was kayaking and camping with an old friend and he had the STS Pro Single Hammock, which is the same size but to me feels way more comfortable. Mainly because the fabric doesn't "sink".

So I ordered one, and thought I'd sell my ultralight. The thing I hadn't thought of is that with the ultralight you also get ultralight suspension straps, which are a little bit shorter but also weight significantly less (35g vs 105g for the regular suspension straps).

Then I remembered there is also the ultralight normal sized hammock, which is smaller size and also weighs less...

So now I'm contemplating:

a. Selling my ultralight with ultralight suspensions and accept that my hammock setup is going to ballon from 292g to 572g

b. Keeping both and use the ultralight suspension straps with the regular pro hammock, 437g. And potentially try to sell the ultralight without any straps!? A side question here is.. the pro hammock supports 180 kg and the ultralight 135 kg, how much do the straps have to do with this? Could the ultralight straps and the pro hammock still do 180kg together?

c. Return the regular pro hammock, try to sell my ultralight one second hand and instead get the Ultralight single (not XL) version.

Or is there anything else I'm missing? Tips and tricks for the ultralight XL to make it more comfortable? Or does anyone have the Ultralight normal sized (not XL) and can comment on it?

SORRY for my rambling, just trying to vent I guess.

GearSkeptic just posted a new video, it's part one of a new series where he plans to investigate anecdata-based "truths" about backpacking that are widely accepted on the internet in order to see if they can stand up to scrutiny.

• Episode 1: Shoe Weight

Hello,

I am going hiking on a trail which will require swimming across a river. I’ve been online and have heard simple trash contractor bags work in keeping things dry. Is this true if you’re wanting to only swim across something? Does only one do the trick or two? Does it keep things dry if the backpack happens to sink and needs to be pulled through the river?

EDIT: Thanks so much for the replies! It helps not to go in blind so I really appreciate the feedback!

Have something you want to discuss but don't think it warrants a whole post? Please use this thread to discuss recent purchases or quick questions for the community at large. Shakedowns and lengthy/involved questions likely warrant their own post.

This is going to be more of a "where did I go wrong?" trip report.

Where: Superior Hiking Trail 270 Overlook to Sugarloaf Road Trailhead

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When: September 11-17 2023

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Distance: 112 miles planned (60 actual)

Conditions: Sunny to cloudy expected. Overnight lows in upper 40's, daytime highs in mid 60's. Chance of rain on days 5&6.

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Lighterpack: sub 12lb bw temps down to 40F

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Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview: Shuttle service is Superior Hiking Shuttle, Harriete's, and Arrowhead Transit. Att (and t-mobile) cell service is okay even on trail, Verizon is crap except in Grand Marais both are good, but we found that the bandwidth is crap. Tons of water on this trail, no need to carry too much at any given time.

There are latrines at every campsite so plan your movements accordingly and have TP. If you are a bidet user, don't drop it in the latrine (I saw one). The latrines are packed in to the ground with clay, hovering or bidet use becomes a slippery situation when the clay is wet. I would suggest bringing TP and planning a full landing.

The Report:

On sept 11, a friend and I attempted a hike from 270 to sugarloaf TH. Both of us are Michigan natives have years of backpacking and hiking experience. I will admit that Michigan is fairly flat and we have a lot of sandy trails. We also have a fair amount of roots and rough terrain to navigate. I have racked up almost 500 miles of trail running and backpacking this year ranging from 10-20 mile days in preparation for this hike. My friend has lived in Denver the past year and had also trained in his area too. Going in to this hike we both felt confident we could tackle this section. I did my research, read the books, and studied others’ hike videos online.

​

We created a pretty good game plan in our opinion;

Days: Sept 11-17

Mileage: 15,15,15,5 (Grand Marais nero + resupply), 25,25,12

Expected weather: overnight lows in upper 40’s and daytime highs in the mid 60’s. Precipitation possible on the 15th and 16th between Grand Marais and Schroeder (Sugarloaf) area.

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Sept 11- Parked vehicle at Sugarloaf trailhead, met superior hiking shuttle at 8 am, dropped off at 270 and started hike at 9:30am. Hiked up to 270, back down and headed out. Ended the day at North Carlson Pond. SHT databook- 15 miles. Gaia recorded 17.45 miles in 8:56 hrs at 2 mph with 1 hr worth of breaks. Elevation gain 2,068 feet, decent 2,161 feet. Some precipitation during hike. It did rain as soon as we got in our shelters (around 8-9pm) and all night (un-forcasted). Did not hang food, could not find good tree in the dark.

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Sept 12- Wake up at 6:30 to rain, good thing we slept with our food as we both had breakfast in our respective tents. Started hike at 8:30am ended at NW Little Brule River Campsite around 5:30-6pm. SHT databook- 31.6 miles total, 16.6 miles for the day. Gaia records: 18.30 miles in 8:49 hrs at 2.1mph with 1:15 hrs stopped time. Elevation gain 1,388 feet, decent 1,799 feet. Slight rain in morning and a couple times during day. Temps were in the low 40’s overnight and mid 50’s during day. Downloaded weather from my inreach and overnight lows were expected to be 38 with a feels like of 36 and a frost advisory for the area.

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Sept 13- woke up cold. Wore everything I had to bed. Breakfast in the tent again, but hung up food the night prior. Got packed up and moving by 8:30 again. Camped at West Devil Track Campsite. SHT Databook 47.8 miles, 16.2 for the day. Gaia records: 17.82 miles in 8.33 hrs at 2.1mph with 1:04 hr in breaks. Elevation gain 1,948 feet, decent 1,819 feet. Mostly cloudy and temps in mid 60’s. Expected overnight temps in low 40’s.

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Sept 14- woke up feeling damp. Sleeping so close to the river and waterfall made it feel colder and damper than it was. Left camp at 8:45am for Grand Marais. Gaia records: 5.84 miles in 2:41hrs at 2.2mph with 30 mins in breaks. Elevation gain 393 feet, decent 711 feet.

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On the hike to Grand Marais we decided to call it quits. We arrived in GM on Thursday and the weather for Friday and Saturday was going to be rain. Also both those days we had 25 mile days planned. We decided that after 9 hours of hiking and being completely pooped we could top 15 map miles in a day. So looking at two big days and adding in rain we came to the conclusion that making it to the car on time wasn’t possible and being late wasn’t an option.

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Another contributing factor was the terrain. I knew this trail was going to be hard and that mud, mosquitoes, and mountains were on the books. I had no idea how hard this actually was going to be. I’ve hike plenty on ankle tweaking root trails before, but the section of SHT that we did was beyond anything I’ve hiked. I have never hiked mountainous terrain before, so all the rocks we had to walk on were foot destroying. The sheer combination of rocky terrain, roots, wet boardwalks, muddy/clay ascents and descents, stairs, etc. this was by far the hardest hike my friend and I have ever done. I am aware that in the late spring and early summer the water, mosquitoes, and mud are a lot worse too. I read a few blog posts, watched some YouTube, and read the books. Nothing in any of those media could have prepared me for what I encountered. I don’t think there was a single easy mile in our sub 60 mile hike. Also, how hardcore do you have to be to FKT this and not break an ankle...So I am wondering where I went wrong in preparation because I’m bummed we bailed. I had Altra Lone Peaks, so was I just not protecting my feet enough? Did I not train on rough enough trail? Did I plan too big of days? This was supposed to be a "could I handle an AT thru-hike" hike and I feel like I failed that test.

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Gear Notes: I used the Salty Britches every night and morning and it worked out amazing well. I had no blisters or hot spots and my feet didn't get too nasty from wet and sweat. Shoes... Did I need more cushion.

Hi, UL noob here. I'd appreciate your input on what three pieces of gear would you first address in my pack with a $500 budget.

I'm currently a 3-season backpacker with a ~24 lbs. BW. I most frequently backpack in the US Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas. My trips are typically 3-5 days. I typically backpack with one other person, and so a couple of things in my pack cover two people (i.e. cups for cook system). I'd like to have UL setup for my most frequent conditions.

For example: I think that the following three pieces of gear are my priorities because they will have the most impact with decreasing my BW and are within the allotted budget:

1.) Footwear - seek trail running shoes instead of hiking boots because of both the weight improvement and enhanced weight distribution

2.) Cook system - seek titanium pot that because it's lighter than SS, and ditch serving cups.

3.) Sleeping system - replace bag with UL quilt

https://lighterpack.com/r/wrg2hn

Where: Appalachian Trail from Sherburne Pass (Rutland, Vermont) to Franconia Notch New Hampshire.

When: 09/02-2023 thru 09/09/2023

Distance: 107 miles, 31,286 foot of total climb, 31,417 foot of total descent.

Conditions: Temperatures in Rutland and Hanover exceeded what was measured under the canopy.
Predicted temperatures from 80-92 for highs, and 65-70 for lows. Actual highs observed on my Thermodrop were 80-82 under the canopy, but 85-86 in exposed sunlight. The big issue on this trip, however, was the humidity. Predicted dewpoints ahead of time were in the high 60s to low 70s, but it regularly exceeded that. I observed fog at 76 degrees! The humidity on this trip was a killer, and caused ALL SORTS of issues. See the writeup for all the sordid details.

Lighterpack lists: My packing list changed throughout the trip. By design I changed gear when Tina and I parted ways (cook kit, shelter) on day 2. I also made some gear adjustments on day 4. See full writeup for details.

• Starting lighter pack list: https://www.lighterpack.com/r/m2deu0
• Ending lighter pack list: https://www.lighterpack.com/r/8sgvvl

The Report: I did a really good writeup with pictures and everything that I posted on my personal blog. r/Ultralight doesn't allow pictures and stuff here, and I'm not going to redo all that stuff with Igmur just because the moderators are uptight about linking to a personal website. So, if you want to read the detailed write up, see the pics, and hear about the trials, tribulations, gross and harrowing stuff - you can do that here: https://genxbackpacker.com/the-hardest-day/ Otherwise, if you're the sort that thinks that I'm somehow trying to promote myself for some sort of personal gain (not sure what that would be), you can skip the writeup.

For summary purposes, this was a trip where I pushed myself and found my limits. The trip report contains a BUNCH of lessons learned. In summary here are the days mileages and elevations:

• Day 1 - Sherburne Pass to Stony Brook Shelter, 9.25 miles, 2700' climb, 2800' descent.
• Day 2 - Stony brook shelter to tentsite, 14.1 miles, 3825' climb, 4551' descent.
• Day 3 - tentsite to Happy Hill Shelter, 15.3 miles, 4300' climb, 4000' descent.
• Day 4 - Happy Hill Shelter to Hanover to Moose Mountain Shelter, 16.2 miles, 3500' climb, 2800' descent.
• Day 5 - Moose Mountain Shelter to Huxacuba Shelter, 16.4 miles, 5200' climb, 5000' descent.
• Day 6 - Hexacuba Shelter to Hiker's Welcome hostel, 14 miles, 3200' climb, 4300' descent.
• Day 7: Hikers's Welcome hostel to Eliza Brook Shelter, 15.5 miles, 6300' climb, 4800' descent.
• Day 8: Eliza Brook Shelter to Franconia Notch, 6.5 miles, 2400' climb, 3000' descent.

Gear Notes / Winners and Losers:

• Winner - MYOG carbon fiber rod tent stakes, made following the materials list and instructions at https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/e5j4l8/myog_carbon_tent_stakes_lightest_in_world_version/ In the soft soils of New England, these worked great! Since I planned on staying at shelters every night but 1, I brought my tarp and bivy setup on this trip. These stakes worked great for that application.
• Loser - RovyVon Aurora flashlight. This thing saved me half an ounce over my trusted Nitecore NU25 UL. That half an ounce was not worth it. The micro-USB charging port was a PITA, and the stupid thing kept turning on automatically in my ditty bag. The hat brim attachment wasn't nearly as nifty as I thought it would be. When Tina and I parted ways on day 2, I ditched this POS and borrowed her NU25.
• Winner - BRS3000. When Tina and I parted ways, I swapped the Soto Windmaster for the lighter BRS. my meals when solo were boil-only, so I didn't need the simmer capability of the Soto. I also never really had any wind that would hamper the BRS's performance.
• Loser - running short liners instead of underwear. This was the dumbest thing I've ever done, and I paid dearly for it. See the full writeup to learn why.
• Winner - 35L Dandee Custom pack. If anything, this was too big for my needs on this trip. Perhaps if the temps were cooler and I needed to add some of the things I ended up ditching I would have needed the volume. It carried like a charm. Day 2, after Tina and I parted ways and I was carrying more food than originally planned, the pack weight probably tipped the scales at 20#. My shoulders were a bit sore that night, but the rest of the trip it was awesome. The back pocket on this version - made out of pleated DCF vs the stretchy material on my other Dandee - is HUGE!
• Loser - Outdoor Vitals NuYarn Tern T-shirt. This was my mistake for bringing on this trip - I should not have done it. Read the full trip report to learn the fate of what happened to this POS.
• Winner - MYOG pillow stuff sack and real pillow. This is the first time I have ever taken an actual pillow. I usually just stuff clothes into a tent stuff sack, but for this trip I wasn't going to have many extra clothes, and the tarp stuff sack was too small to serve double-duty as a pillow. So I MYOG'd myself an 11 gram stuff sack out of 0.7 OSY, very soft Nylon. I also bought a 230-gram "kids" pillow to put inside it. This was a real luxury for me, but it made a big difference.
• Loser - I should have packed more snack calories for days 5-8. (I supplemented that when I got the chance.)
• Winner - Quart size Ziploc bags for reconstituting freeze dried meals in, with a MYOG reflectix coozie bag. Repackaging the various FD meals into quart-sized Ziploc freezer bags saved me 210 grams. These bags could then be folded back and placed on the rim of my Ziploc bowl so that I could comfortably eat out of the bag without it flopping over, without burning my hands, and without dirtying my bowl. Score!
• Loser - the MYOG replacement lid for my Toaks 550 was kind of a joke. I never used it, and it seems too chinsy to use. I think I could have just brought a folded up bit of aluminum foil and accomplished the same thing.
• Winner - I think the MYOG mouse cone made out of a cake pan worked great - but I don't really know. No mice got into anything, but I don't actually know if I had any mouse pressure.
• Loser - Body Glide. See writeup for explanation. I'll bring it in the future, but I won't use it the way I did this trip! (Hopefully I won't have to.)
• Winner - Beandryl dual-purpose as a sleep aid. Helped me get to sleep! Nuff said!

Gear things I would change next time (other than the loser items listed above):

• Unused items: Rain tunic, rain kilt, umbrella, rain mittens, 3rd pair of socks, Copperfield wind shirt. I got really lucky on the weather. I'm not sure I would cut these, but the fact remains that I did not use any of them.
• The one night I used the tarp/bivy I faced high bug loading. The bivy was very stuffy to be inside of. I ended up sleeping on top of the bivy (using it as a ground cloth), wearing my Copperfield wind pants and long sleeve hoodie, and a bug net. Given the limited usefulness of the bivy, if I were going to do this again, I'd swap it out for a bit of tyvek, an MYOG groundcloth, or bit of polycro.
• Through a pre-trip shakedown on this sub, I got talked into bringing the full-length Uberlite as it was overall lighter than the Uberlite Short plus the 4 sections of Nemo Switchback. (218grams vs 118 + 160 = 278 grams.) I ended up bringing the 4 sections of Switchback anyways because it served 2 other purposes - my sit pad and the back pad/pseudo frame for my pack. If I were going to do things again, I'd go back to my original choice of the Uberlite short and thereby save what ended up being redundant weight. (Savings would be 60 grams)
• The UL line I have for bearbag hanging is a PITA to use. I would "spend" a few more grams to get some dyneema line.

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Hey guys, im trying to buy a new sleeping bag since my cosmic down 20 ripped. I was planning on just getting the same sleeping bag again but stumbled across an awesome deal for the mountain hardware lamina 30. However i havent had any experience with mountain hardware products. Seeking some advice on which bag to get. The mountain hardware lamina retails for $110 over the kelty and even after research, im not sure what justifies this $100 difference. The deal i found puts both sleeping bags around the same price.

Hi, all - I'm looking for a puffer for a hiking trip in Patagonia (Torres del Paine) and Ushuaia (Argentina). I need something for temperatures around 25-50F and would like to stay under $250 if possible.

I'll be using it mostly for day hikes or short overnights (1-2 nights). I will also be bringing simple poly base layers, a mid layer (similar to Patagonia R1 air), and waterproof shell for colder days.

I've been seeing a lot of good things about:

• Enlightened Equipment Torrid
• Montbell EX Light Anorack
• Montbell Ignis
• Montbell Plasma 1000 (too warm??)
• Cumulus Inverse
• Cumulus Primelite

I'm also wondering if full zip would be better for venting, but keeping my options open will pullovers.

What do y'all think makes more sense? Or any that are better than the above? I also prefer a "regular" / slightly boxy fit vs something slim fit, bonus points if it's not too long (I'm 5'2")

Where: GR20, integral, south to north

When: 23/08/2023 to 6/09/2023

Distance: somewhere between 180km and 190km I guess (didn't take most shorter variants), around 12000m elevation

Conditions: everything from 37c when arriving at Paliri to 0c when leaving Manganu one morning. 1 big thunderstorm overnight (Col de Verde) followed by 2 days of rain including an afternoon of torrential rain.

Lighterpack

Pictures

I(39M) did that trip with my mother (67F). I had the tent, both mats and the food, while I left her the FAK, charger, and main soap + TP.

Gear focused timeline :

I started day one with only a 500ml and a 1.5l bottle of water (drink from 500 and refill with 1.5). It ended being very little for the 1000m climb in the 37c heat with no shade. I got another 1.5l that night. My mother was wearing long compression leggings because she thought the temperature would be way lower. And all she had was leggings, so she stole my Brooks 5" for the rest of the trip, -120g.

Day 2 I half joked that we should take the alpine variant (aiguilles de Bavella), so we did. Awesome, but still way too hot temperatures. I ended up using the whole 3.5l and then filtering from a stream once down. Some kind young guys from Belgium gave us their map that night, +76g.

Not much for the next 2 days, we stayed at Basseta (where I lost a pair of underwear, -60g) instead of Matalza and went through the first crest section to Osciolu (where I lost the battery pack, -161g). That's the first time I had to use rocks to anchor the tent, as there was no room for the 4 stakes. That was probably the worst job i've done setting the tent during that trip, but the spot was amazing (1st pic).

Day 5 With the coming thunderstorm, we're advised to go past Prati, to Col de Verde in the valley. I did from Osciolu to Prati wearing the Z-Trail sandals and had a blast.

Day 6 Light rain until the afternoon. Used the poncho initially, switched to the Tamiami with Houdini underneath, as rain would mostly evaporate. We arrived early in Capannelle so we left around 12 to do a double. We hit pouring rain with 90 km/h guts of wind at one point in the next section. I really missed my 204g Salomon rain coat on that day. We arrived in Vizzavona 100% drenched.

Day 7 Nice slippery way up from Vizzavona in the light rain, still wearing the Tamiami with Houdini underneath.

Not much gear wise until we arrived at Manganu on day 9, where it eventually froze the next morning. It was a bit cold for the sleeping bags and my mother said she would have liked a extra liner. Grass was crunchy as we left, it's the only morning I could actually wear the Senchi after breaking camp.

Day 12 Tight fit again for the tent at Tighjettu, good thing we were there early.

Day 14 I wore the Z-Trail again, got lots of weird looks. My mother 20m back heard some say "putain t'as vu le mec en claquettes"

Day 15 Long way down, with no sunscreen I finally burned the top of my ears.

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Extra random gear notes:

• The fanny pack was awesome to keep snacks.
• I did it without poles, used my mother's ones for the tent.
• Poncho is insufficient for Corsica's worst weather.
• Houdini and Senchi combined successfully replaced a puffy for camp.
• Huge tent is huge, can be hard to find room for it. Some close calls, once or twice we took the last spot big enough.
• I didn't like the gaiters with low ankle socks, they stayed in the bag.
• Solar did work slowly, but saved me a couple times. Going south to north with sun always on my back helped charging while hiking.
• People told me my shoes wouldn't last a week, they did just fine.
• 8" tent stakes are required, also bring extra line.
• Most of the time I wore the Tamiami on the back of my neck to block the sun.
• Flexible cap was nice since I could always stuff it in my back pocket.
• The Lone Peak dried really fast, especially compared to my mother's boots.
• 3rd pair of socks was used only twice, but were so worth it.
• The Photon on the cap was perfect for the use case, just enough to go pee at night and break camp right before sunrise.
• The pack liner broke on day 5, at the bottom, I just tied a knot and it lasted for the rest of the trip.
• The polycryo sheet teared at 2 places around day 13-14 but mostly stayed together until the end.
• Pot ended up being 95% for coffee, could have went with smaller / lighter, also could have skipped the spork.
• I used headphones on / off, probably did 3 days per charge. Similar runtime for phone, airplane mode, battery saver extreme, off at night, would go for 3 days. Didn't really miss the battery after losing it.
• Filter wouldn't have been absolutely required but was a nice safety.
• At times the bag was too big. I kept one of the 1.5l bottle in the bag as filler (usually empty or half filled as backup) when I was low on food.

My CNOC seem to not last well at all and they are pretty pricey to boot. Have had 2 fail in the past 2 week long Sierra trips. I am aware I am not the only person with such an issue. Are folks using an alternative they are happy with?

Current base weight: 5.9kg

Location/specific trip description: TMB counter-clockwise, camping, last week of September

Solo or with another person?: Solo
Goal: check if I selected gear is good enough and if something is missing

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/7uq3a2

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Since the weather varies a lot and most of my clothing gear is on the budget side, I'd like some advice if it's good enough or if I should invest in some higher quality gear, such as better rain gear. I didn't put budget above since my goal is not as much to lose base weight, but to assure that the gear I bring is good enough. Of course feel free to let me know if there's excessive weight in any department.
I don't plan on bringing sleeping bottom base layer since I'm a very warm sleeper and my quilt is hot enough for the expected temperatures.
Also should I bring microspikes for snow?

If you see anything that is missing let me know!

Trip report for the Northville Placid Trail (NPT) from 9/1/23-9/11/23

What: The NPT is a trail that goes from Northville to Lake placid through some of the most remote sections of the Adirondack Mountains (ADK). The ADK are known for mud, rain, mosquitos, and beautiful lakes, many of which have canoes you can use.

When: 9/3/2023-9/11/2023

Images: https://imgur.com/a/HrLYJBx

Lighter pack: https://lighterpack.com/r/mlp79g

Mileage: 145 miles total (including walk into Lake Placid). Average of 12.7 miles per day on trail. Longest day was 22.5, shortest 4.7 (resupply day).

Overview: I moved to New York recently and did some day hikes to get to know the area. I happened to hike a small section of the NPT and learned about it when I looked up the trail marker. Having done the PCT a few years back, I wanted to do another thru hike and this seemed like the perfect length. I could take time off work and still complete it.

The trail mainly sticks to the lowland. This is nice for someone out of hiking shape since I won’t have a bunch of steep climbs every day. The only major climb on the hike is over Blue Ridge, which is about 1000’ gain over five miles. Most of the gain is near the top, which is steep, muddy, and rocky. Because the trail sticks to the lowlands, it gets very muddy, and several sections are prone to flooding due to beavers. This was only a major problem near west Canada lakes, which I was able to bushwhack around to avoid the hip deep water.

I took my dog with me, a 1.5 year old German shepherd rescue. She did great on the trip, ready to hike every morning and sticking with me the whole time. She would occasionally run off trail to chase a squirrel, but was too slow to get them. She loved getting chirped at by them though. I carried her food, and had a pack on her for a food bowl, leash, and any trash I picked up along the way.

The weather was warm and humid the first 8 days, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 50s. The last few days we had two thunderstorms, which didn’t really start until we were in camp. I am very appreciative of the lean tos that are found all over the ADK. Without them, we would have had some wet nights. They are very well maintained by volunteers that adopt them.

I learned that when hiking in wet, warm weather, it is easiest to just get wet. I used a rain skirt to keep my shorts dry and just let my shirt get wet. Then I would hang it up at camp and change into a dry fleece. I brought a rain jacket that I didn’t use because it would have been too hot to hike it. This is a big difference from hiking in the PNW where I am from. Rain is usually paired with cold weather and getting wet can be miserable if not dangerous.

The best sections of trail were the west Canada lakes and cold river area. They both have amazing lakes and rivers, are remote, and seem to have decent fishing. The rest of the trail is, honestly, kind of boring. I felt like I was walking the same section of hardwood forest trail over and over. All of the lakes were beautiful, but the sections between somewhat dull.

At long lake I met a couple of guys who boated in and were camping at Kelly point. They were cool and shared sausage, beer, whisky, and shelter with us. They also had a dog which them that got along great with mine. In. The morning they shared bacon and eggs with us and we watched the 90 mile canoe race go by. Definitely a high lite of the trip.

The bugs were mostly gone this time of year. The mosquitos can be notoriously bad in the ADK and I have had weekends where no amount of bug spray will save you. Thankfully, there were barely and bugs to bite us. No ticks either.

Overall, this is a great trip for someone interested in thru hiking but not ready to quit their job and become hiker trash for 6 months. It is long enough to require a resupply, but short enough to do with personal time. You also get into the hiking mindset by the end and the trail starts to feel like home.

All of my gear worked well. The frames pack carried the bear can well for the last section. I even went hipbeltless the last few days. Any further trips I make to lean tos I will bring an air pad. The foam pads are just not comfortable on the hard surfaces. I cold soaked for the first time off this trip as well. It was fine for warm weather, but I would not do it if it was cold. The simplicity was nice though. I found that ramen will rehydrate in about 20 minutes.

All in all. Good trip. I plan to go back to some sections. Others I have no interest in hiking again.

I'm leaving for the airport right now and just realized my bv500 (I think? Maybe it's the 450) doesn't fit sideways in my Mariposa. It's short like 1/4 of an inch. Very annoying. Does anyone have a bear can they use w this pack or know how to make this one fit?

Thanks!

Hi,

My girlfriend and I are in the market for a new tent. I think ive narrowed it down to the hubba hubba and the hornet 2p.

I was also looking at the sea to sky telos, but I heard in some bad conditions that tent can leak.

From what I can tell these are the benefits of the hubba hubba

-Freestanding

-Bigger floorspace, vestibule and headspace

-Better doors

-More durable?(not actually sure about this one)

Benefits of the Neemo Hornet 2p:

-Lighter

-Can pitch fly first

-Lifetime warranty vs 3 year warranty

Our first trip will be the O trek in patagonia that we will be doing in 6 days so well be carrying quite a bit of food weight. We will also be doing the huemel circuit during the trip to patagonia. Ive heard theres some pretty intense winds on the huemel circuit which makes me nervous about the neemo hornet. We live In BC so most use of the tent will be within BC. Mix of wet, dewy, sunny and snowy conditions. Im looking for a tent that will serve us on many many backpacking trips for a long time to come.

This tent will be used by my girlfriend and I 90% of the time so being close isnt an issue.

Ive seen a few of the big agnes tents but they seem to be extremely thin and it makes me worried about durability. Is this true? Unfortunately due to where we live we don't have great access to checking out all these tents in person first.

Currently we are using a marmot catalyst 3P which packs over 6Lbs so we are looking for something significantly smaller and lighter.

Ive looked at many many reviews but its always hard to get a good read from reviews. Too many reviews of people who buy the tent and havent even properly used it. Looking for people who have some real world experience with the tents and seeing what you would reccomend :)

Any benefits im missing? Anything else you would recommend instead?

Thank you!