The tent sticks from my MSR Carbon Reflex 3 should be able to fit into each other, like "male-female" because of a silver smaller cillinder inside the black cilinder. Somehow that silver cilinder is gone now (while at other places it seems to be very tight and not movable), making it "de male-female". I have no idea what the part is called or how I should look for some kind of replacement. Can anybody help me with this?

What type of weather/temps and activities do you find yourself reaching for your softshell?

Does it tend to replace your midlayer or windbreaker?

Can it be worn under a hardshell or would it be swapped when the skies open?

I'm unsure when carrying this extra layer (with midlayer, windbreaker and waterproof jacket) would be ideally utilised.

It seems they would be too warm on milder days to replace a lw windbreaker, and apparently most are too non insulating for colder days.

Any help much appreciated understanding its correct usage!

TLDR Is getting 60% iPhone charge out of a new 5000mAh Nitecore battery bank to be expected? iPhone battery is 4400mAh, so roughly less than 50% efficiency. Thats a lot of transfer loss.

So I just purchased the NL2150RX in my search for the lightest 5K battery for 2-3 day trips. Initially I charged it up and tested it out on my iPhone 15 Pro Max with battery at 20%. I noticed after about 5 minutes of charging my iPhone was constantly reconnecting itself to the charger, about every minute or so. It continues to charge over the long term, but it seems a bit odd performance to constantly reconnect itself (this is similar to when I have my solar panel plugged into a battery bank while hiking).

I was only able to get about 60% additional charge on my iPhone before battery ran out, which was a bit surprising given iPhone battery is 4400mAh, I know there is a lot of efficiency loss happening but thats a lot more than expected.

Wanting some clarification, I wrote to Nitecore about the reconnecting problem, made them a video demo, and without giving much of any answer or explanation they just sent me a replacement unit. Well that came yesterday, today I charged, tested, and same exact performance :-/

The Nitecore power output reads as 5V 2A. I know iPhone 15 can accept a 20W fast charger input, though i've absolutely used low power output batteries before without seeing this reconnecting issue (I have the Nitecore NC10000 bank I've used with good results).

Are others getting the same sort of performance & total charge? Granted I still think this will be great on 2-3 day trips as I really just want to recharge my Garmin inReach, my phone should last for 3 days only using it as a camera & occasional GPS.

Currently on the PCT (well probably about to end it) and I’ve been dealing with pretty severe pain in my upper back while hiking since day 1. I spoke with Blaze Physio yesterday and she mentioned T4 Syndrome. Has anyone dealt with this and found manageable solutions?

I have the Atompacks Mo and have spoken with numerous people, including the company about the fit which seems fine but without fail I keep getting pain that starts around my C7 and spreads to my traps within the first mile of everyday. I’ve tried every manner of adjustments to the pack, feel most of the weight on my hips, tried no hiking poles (which actually seems to mitigate it) but by mile 5 everyday I’m miserable and just pushing through tremendous pain.

I thought maybe it was growing pains but it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Admittedly, I did not have time for a proper shakedown hike and at this point I’m ready to call it, seek out a more supportive pack, train better and really dial in gear for a NOBO attempt again next year or 2026.

I know everyone deals with pain the first couple hundred miles but I seem to be the minority with something like this. Just wanted to reach out to all resources and see what people think.

Not looking for medical advice just wanting to see opinions. Thanks.

I got the recommended height for the distance FLZ, but after fully putting them together, they seem really tall. Anyone familiar with the poles knows about the silver button that locks it when you pull them together. Is it necessary to go that far? Or can I assemble the pole by putting the different pieces together and hiking without extending it to the silver button? Thanks!

Trying to decide between a 30 or 20 degree UL hybrid quilt.

A few data points:

• Use will be 3 season in the Western US
• With lots of Summer use with occasional 7-8k’ and above elevations.
• For shoulder seasons, likely will stay in lower elevations for this quilt.
• Will be using with a Big Agnes Rapide SL pad (R = 4.8)

I really am struggling with relying on the fuss of straps for quilts, but really want the versatility of quilts and don’t need a hood (nor like hoods unless it’s Winter).

I’ve narrowed it down to EE Convert or Feathered Friends Flicker UL (Wide). Please feel free to share your experience with use of 20 and 30 degree quilts, especially if using hybrid ones that have a full zip.

https://enlightenedequipment.com/convert-sleeping-quilt/

https://featheredfriends.com/products/feathered-friends-flicker-ul-wide-down-quilt-sleeping-bag

Thanks!

Has anyone had luck with finding a lightweight sport bottle cap (fitting 28mm bottles) that is tethered to the bottle (like this one: CNOC Cap) AND is easy to drink from (like the SmartWater Cap, this design: Sport Cap). I have a bad track record with losing caps when I take them off to filter water. A lightweight cap that is easy to drink from AND is tethered to the bottle would be awesome.

I found a cap with this design: Silicone Cap, but it appears to be a little heavy.

Thanks in advance!

CMT poles definitely seem to be the consensus budget pick, but one thing I've commonly seen regarding them is that they're noisy and vibrate/rattle. I'm hoping to find some in a similar price range with similar specs that aren't noisy.

Here's a few I've found (which all might actually be the exact same as each other):

Pike Trail

Hiker Hunger

Foxelli

Specs I'm looking for:

• Cork handle

• Collapsible, flip lock

• Lightweight but still durable (which probably puts me in the realm of 7-8oz per pole)

• Foam handle extension (not a must-have though)

• Removable wrist straps

Does anyone have experience with any that I linked above or have other recommendations?

Edit :

Thanks for all your answers & testimonies ! The consensus seems to be to inflate it less and to not put a lot of weight in a small area. Like sitting or stepping on it.

Hi guys,

So I was preparing for the night in my tent, and as I was sitting on my thermarest mattress I heard a lot 'POP' and I realized the cells of the feet completely lost their shape. You can see a picture here : https://postimg.cc/1f1km3zh

The mattress now has a huge blob at the feet, as you can imagine it's very uncomfortable to use now.

Anyone had the same issue ? I'm wondering why it happened, is it because I sat on it with only the weight of my butt ? (I'm 70kg so not so heavy) Or is it just old ? I bought it in 2021 and used it maybe 10-15 times...

Any thought or advice is welcome!

Cheers !

Planning a 2-3 night trip with my 11 and 13 year old sons later in the summer. I'm seeing a couple lightly used tents at good prices on Facebook Marketplace (200$ for the Nemo Dagger OSMO and 250$ for the Mountain Hardwear Aspect 2) but wanted to see what you opinion was on these.

I defiantly hear about the Nemo Dagger OSMO more than the Mountain Hardwear Aspect 2. The Aspect 2 is maybe .75 lbs less, but feature-wise may not be as good? Again, no experience with either. Any thoughts?

https://www.rei.com/product/200550/nemo-dagger-osmo-2p-tent VS https://www.rei.com/product/164698/mountain-hardwear-aspect-2-tent

I am preparing for a backpacking trip in Alaska this summer with a friend. However, my friend does not own an inReach (or similar device), but I own the inReach Mini 2. Since it appears that the device can only be linked to 1 phone at a time, I was curious about what steps (specifically related to the inReach) others have taken in this scenario (obv. other than buying another inReach) to maximize safety.

I planned to do the following:

1. Training my friend on using the inReach (including taking videos they can store on their phone to reference while in the backcountry if required).
2. Turn off/remove the lock screen passcode on my iPhone while in the backcountry so my friend can use the Garmin app without my assistance if necessary.
3. Ensuring my friend knows where the device is located on my pack at all times.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Hi there, Im about to book a trip and would like to do this one until end of May, N to S. From what I found so far the huts will be mostly unmaned. Saw in videos that those contain sleeping quarters and cooking gear, BUT also that some are just closed/locked. So the main question is

What can I afford NOT to bring?

My aim is to do it rather fast and willing to go into serious caloric deficit or longer into the night. With the stages connecting on the fly depending on pace. Optimistic estimate 30k/day. So ideally sleeping bag/mat, food, water and wearables. Is it reasonable to go without tent/tarp and gas thingys?

Is the Vizzanova shop hiker focused and well supplied?

Arriving in there to find just some fruit shop might be an issue. Also some holidays etc regarding opening days /hours

Is water in May rather abundant?

My water consumption is rather on the very higher end. While pacing fast and being warm I can go 4-8 liters. If its clear and are no cows around, Im drinking it.

My only multiday hiking experience is GR221 N to S that I did 1,5 year ago in 4 days, refueling in the villages on road. I have extensive climbing experience(multipitch/multiday/winter,...), I prefer up/down, to flat and have endurance background, ran some ultras in the past. Id like to take this trip as an "getting back in the game" as my aerobic fitness saw decline in a past year and gained weight.

Thanks for any info!

So, I have a 20 degree quilt, but even completely open it is way to hot to use when it gets hot and humid out here in the US NE in the hot and humid summer. What do you all use when it gets hot out at night (60 degrees plus)? At home I just sleep under a sheet or two but even though they are thin sheets are still pretty heavy to carry. Thanks!

I am going on a 8 day section hike starting at Telico Gap on the AT. I will be wearing a sun hoodie, so fart to this point I’ve only really had to pull out my hat for blood mountain. The difference in weight is 40grams.

Baseball cap (trail running hat) or

Tilley full brim hat.

I left my botany stuff in a bucket outside and forgot about it on accident. The bucket has been out in the sun for about 2-3 days and it's been in the high 80s and low 90s.

Should I get a new bottle? Or am I ok to still use this bottle.

Decided to try leukotape for blister prevention after multiple recommendations and some research. I had a clean, dry foot, rounded the edges of the tape, smoothed it out, and covered the area on the inside of my heel where I always get blisters. I wore midweight merino ski socks and went for a tour. Felt hot spots starting after about an hour, but it was too cold and windy to get the feet bare and reassess. Five hours later at the end of the tour, the leukotape hadn't moved at all, still fully stuck, so I don't think reapplication would have had much of an impact. Underneath the tape, I had the same blisters I always get.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any solutions? And if not any solutions with leukotape, any other suggestions for blister prevention? I've tried powders, body glide, liner socks, wool socks, silk socks, all flavors of tape... Nothing puts a dent in the blisters I get in any footwear used for uphill travel, mainly fire boots and ski boots. Fire boots break in eventually and stop blistering, ski boots never seem to. Any magic bullets would be much appreciated!

After years of doing a lot of cooking while camping I’ve been transitioning to simpler, backpacking friendly foods like freeze dried and dehydrated meals. In warmer months here in Florida I’ve even started cold soaking meals because heating the water/having a warm meal just didn’t feel necessary and saved a lot of time and effort.

This made me curious, with all the mass gainers, protein powders, and supplement shakes out there, would it be possible to make a relatively caloric and nutritionally rounded powder that could outright replace a meal? I could see how one wouldn’t want to be on this sort of diet indefinitely but over a few days it seems like the benefits outweigh the cons. It would be nice carrying just a bag of powder, a Nalgene bottle, and a sawyer filter as a complete food and cook system. Any thoughts?

I'm looking for a wind jacket for thru-hiking the JMT in June/July. I'm open to any suggestions, but here's my debate between two jackets. Which should I pick?

UPDATE: I ordered the Katabatic Wind Jacket. It's got 2.5" longer sleeves, which is longer than even the size tall in Enlightened Equipment's Copperfield jacket. Thank you SO MUCH for anyone contributing to wind jacket research for those of us thru-hikers with a massive 4+ ape index!!

I've also decided to get the Katabatic Alsek 22 after researching quilts. It seems like it's hands down worth better money than the EE Enigma, although I'm certainly not bashing EE.

Either the one that has under arm vents, but the sleeves are 3" too short (Montbell Tachyon), (unless you upsize and have a baggier torso and still 2" short).
or the one that has long enough sleeves, but no under arm vents (Katabatic)

EDIT: Fixed the error. The Montbell has arm vents, not pit zips.

Anyone want to tell me which feature they value more in a wind jacket? Or if you magically know of a better Wind Jacket feature?

EDIT: I have very lanky dimensions:
40" chest
31" Waist
Very long 37" Sleeves.

Looking at titanium water bottles, any good or waste of money? I prefer metal to plastic bottles, just a personal preference of mine.

Deciding between:

Klean Kanteen Reflect 800ml Bottle - 240g NZD$70 Silverant 800ml Ti Bottle - 150g NZD$130

130 dollars seems a lot of money, is the weight saving worth the extra cost or no?

Edit: thank you to everyone who has offered their opinion, I will hold fire on the titanium bottle option for now, it seems too expensive for what its worth. May end up looking into cheaper titanium options or aluminium!

I decided to replace my old, rugged, frameless backpack with a new, more structured one. My pack of choice is the Durston Gear Kakwa, and I’m leaning strongly towards the 40L version.

As I understand it, a bit of fabric above the frame line sets the two versions apart. This means the 55 has the same functionality with greater capacity for a minor weight penalty, which I could not care less about.

Nevertheless, I still want the 40 version; the fact that it is small and restrictive attracts me. To a large extent, I went into UL because of minimalism. I feel better when there are fewer things and when packing and unpacking are more straightforward (in camp and at home).

Still, I wonder if I’m being stupid about this. My regular setup will fit into the 40L version since it fits my current smaller pack. But I worry that when circumstances of a specific trip require additional capacity, I would feel dumb for going for the smaller version.

What do you think? And does anyone sympathize with the attraction to size restriction?

I’m a huge Tarptent fan and returning to backpacking after a long long reprieve. I have experience with the silnylon Stratospire 1.

Now I’m seriously eyeing the Double Rainbow. Part of me really wants the double wall version, but the weight saving of the Double Rainbow Li is quite substantial, even compared to the new “TNT” double wall version.

Aside from not having a double wall tent (just seems nice to have more stargazing opps and condensation prevention), my biggest hesitation with getting the Double Rainbow Li is simply due to the DCF material. It seems like it does not age well and quite abrasion prone.

However, I’m not as young as I used to be and thought of being as light as possible, well reasonably so, seems really nice. I’ll have to do heavy water carries as well from time to time.

TL;DR - Can anyone share their experience with long term use of DCF for their tent?

Let's say I'm out for a multi day backpacking trip and a few days into my journey there happens to be a severe thunderstorm/tornadostorm rolling in. (Out here in the midwest, storms like this can last up to an hour or more, and happen quite frequently during spring and summer.) I am way out from civilization, and the only shelter I have with me is my tent (durston xmid) or tarp, or potentially anything i can find naturally in my environment. What's the best way about protecting myself from high winds, rain, lightning, etc?

Do I pitch my tent? Do I pitch a tarp really low to the ground? If it is really windy/rainy, won't my shelter get damaged, so maybe its best to throw on a rain jacket/pants and walk to find natural shelter to wait it out? But then that runs the risk of me getting wet and eventually cold.

So what I'm asking is what is the safe way to go about protecting yourself when an unforeseen storm comes in. Or even if you are hiking in the winter and a blizzard comes in.

I'm looking for a way to keep my legs warm while sleeping. I was on a trip this weekend and the overnight temp unexpectedly dipped to about -5°c (~23f) on both nights. I have a 30° burrow and while my torso, head and feet were fine, my legs were freezing. We woke up in a cloud both mornings which definitely didn't help, everything was moist and my quilt lost a bit of loft. I've been using Polartec Powergrid leggings but they obviously weren't enough and are heavy for the warmth they provide. Should I be looking into Alpha to wear under my wind pants, Apex, down? I'm happy with the rest of my clothing setup and this seems to be the last piece that isn't functioning how I want it to.

Lighterpack from this trip for reference: https://lighterpack.com/r/b9yqj0

Thanks

So I was watching PBS Nature on Evolution. They were showing some chimpanzees who were living in a very hot weather and they went looking for water. Soon they came upon a pond of water which looked dark and dirty with dead stuff, with various mosquitoes etc swarming around the water. The chimpanzee examined it and decided not to drink it. Instead it proceeded to dig a 3 to 4 inch wide hole and probably a 5 to 6 inch deep one close to the pond. Pretty soon clean beautiful water starts forming in the hole it had dug - pretty much filtered by the sand. It then proceeded to drink it along with its kids. I thought this was a neat idea to try in the wild. I mean we have all come up with questionable water and usually decide not to take the water because of the quality - I have done this many times in some sections of CT and AZT. I am going to try this next time I come across a questionable pond/lake!!

I started backpacking like 2 years ago and I'm looking to upgrade my setup. very new to UL gear so I need some recommendations. I would like a pack that holds around 50-55L and is compatible with a hydration bladder. This is a pretty important detail to me because I definitely don't drink enough water without one. a pocket on the hip belt is also a pretty important feature to me so that I can easily access a snack and make sure I'm eating enough on trail. As budget friendly as I can manage all things considered. usually I stalk Facebook marketplace for deals on used gear but UL packs are harder to come by second hand. I think I'm pretty flexible apart from these details but I'm just a little overwhelmed and don't know where to start. fyi I'm 5'4 with a torso length of 18.25". thanks in advanced!

Seems like I'm using a lot of plastic bags for food. Splitting the food into smaller bags for each day, then each day's food goes into a slightly larger bag. I do all of this at home and have everything ready. It's helpful for me to count the calories and keep everything organized so I don't overeat the ration. I also like putting the food into smaller bags as I can put it in my hip belt pockets in the morning. Should I just rinse out the bags at home and reuse?

I know some people would split the food in the field. Maybe using just bag the food comes in and eating directly from there.

Any other methods or items to consider? To be clear I'm talking about food organization, not so much protection like ursak or bearcan.

Where: Death Hollow via Boulder Mail Trail - Escalante River Trailhead

https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.2/-111.5593/37.7900&pubLink=wDlOdyhZqZa1Y8GB64el1CEK&trackId=13390ce3-ec9e-4de5-be7c-f6e2d8a9a73c

(Disclaimer: ascent shown is not accurate as the gpx is not accurate enough to avoid climbing vertical canyon walls)

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/1UvKH20

When: May 3 to 5, 2024

Distance: 22mi

Conditions: Choice! High 75° Low 40°. Mostly sun. Some clouds.

Best time to go: Mile for mile and especially within a 22mi loop, you’d be hard pressed to find a better trail in the springtime. Fall you may be more challenged for water availability. This loop provides continuously gorgeous and adventurous terrain that is never boring. Do it when it’s warmer vs colder. Being in the water when it’s cold sucks. Last time I was here was at the end of March and it snowed and I didn’t appreciate the water sections like I did this time. When hiking in Day 1 you can avoid the heat by hiking in the evening, you avoid the heat on Day 2 in the morning and descend into Death Hollow well before mid-day, and on Day 3 you beat the heat in the morning on the hike out. Best do this on a clear weekend in early May and anytime through May and even into the beginning of June? Warmer temps allow you to swim and enjoy all the water walking more IMO.

LiarPack: https://lighterpack.com/r/aj9say

A note on footwear and clothing: I saw quite a few people in sandals. Not recommended. This is a rocky trail. The slickrock demands good support as it is steep and angled many times. The water sections are better with trail runners as they protect your feet from larger rocks and at the occasional section with boulders. You’re dry day 1 in Mamie Creek, and will be continuously wet as soon as you get into Death Hollow and stay wet with water walking throughout the day until the last mile or so of the loop. Embrace it. The water was colder in the morning but warms up later in the day. Neoprene socks are not necessary but if you are sensitive to cold water you may want some. None of us had them and it was fine. I’d wear pants! Lots of overgrown that is scratchy on the legs. I loved the shorts while hiking in the water but many many times you exit the water for a sandy trail with lots of scratchy overgrowth.

Overview: This was a Utah UL meet-up I organized. We had about 8 or 10 people interested but what it came down to was 5 people. u/tomj1404, u/TropicalAT, and a couple other folks. Plan was to meet up in camp Friday night, eat some grub and learn names and get to know one another, then hike the rest of the remaining trail together. Main goal for me was to provide motivation and a plan for people to get out and maybe show some folks a new area. Everyone except for me had not been to Death Hollow so I was very excited to show them around this beautiful place. We did it in 2 nights but this could easily be done as an overnighter. A few good spots for camping in Death Hollow. One obvious spot around Mile 10 of this loop IIRC. I’ve stayed here before and this would be the best for your one-night trip IMO but I think this loop is better done in two nights. The reason is because you hit the slickrock at the beginning at sunset past the heat of the day, you hit the waterfalls and swimming holes midday on day 2 which is lovely, and you get out early on day 3 to hit up Magnolia’s for breakfast in Escalante or Kiva Coffee for breakfast if you want to go back that way. 2-nights just feels right in many ways but if time is limited you’ll still have fun with the overnighter.

A note on LNT (leave no trace):

First, no fires. Second, this area does not have many places you can correctly dig a cathole so it is important that you bring a wag bag for the Death Hollow canyon section and the Escalante River canyon section. For the areas you can get 300’ from a water source and dig a cathole, this sandy landscape does not promote very good decomposition given the lack of rain and soil microbes. You should really be shitting in WAG bags the whole time but technically are not required to. If you can get 300’ from a water source and in better soils, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get with the times and do not bury toilet paper. Pack it the fuck out please. This stuff does not break down out there and this area is getting more popular. This is why I bring baby wipes. Since I am packing it out anyway… might as well make it luxurious. One wipe goes a long way. I do this for ALL my trips regardless if I’m in the desert. If you have more availability to water, consider the bidet water bottle method if you don’t want to pack out wipes. Lastly, don’t step on crypto! If you do not know what cryptobiotic soil is, do a google search, figure out what it looks like, take 5 minutes to learn about why it is important, and don’t break the crust. https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/nature/soils.htm#:\~:text=Biological%20soil%20crusts%2C%20sometimes%20called,hidden%2C%20while%20biota%20means%20life.

It is important you inform yourself of Utah’s unique standards for LNT before backpacking here or anywhere for that matter. It might be a good idea for this sub to add a LNT section to the trip reports to inform as many people as possible. Make it aware right at the beginning of these trip reports how an area deals with human waste, any information like not touching dwellings or pictographs/petroglyphs or artifacts, unique flora or fauna to not disturb, etc. etc. Mods? ;)

Day 1 - 6.5mi, 1,000ft of climbing plus a lot of small ups and downs into camp:

Drive down from SLC on Hwy 12 from Boulder to Escalante is always a treat. Hogsback highway section is legendary and a really fun section to drive. We missed Kiva Koffeehouse by about 30min from closing but I’ve been here a handful of times and I highly recommend you stop here before heading out on your adventures. We rolled up to the trailhead around 4:45pm and started hiking after we filled out our backcountry permits at the trailhead. There are no reserved permits required for this hike. The BLM just asks that you fill out the trail log and fill out the permit before you go to help them log the annual hiking pressure and to help them find you in a pickle. From here we hiked down to the Escalante River where the trail forks West and North to the slickrock section. The climb up to the slickrock section is steep and guided by cairns. One area in particular was tricky but in a fun way to find your way. I love this type of cairn to cairn hiking. There are some slow sand sections but not for more than a mile. Most of it is on beautiful slickrock and hitting this at sunset before getting to camp is a beautiful time to experience this area. You will encounter a wire strung tree to tree or post to post at times. This is a telecommunication wire that was put in long ago to connect Escalante and Boulder. Good info online to look up more about it. We met some other folks in our party just about a mile from camp and walked into camp at Mamie Creek with them. I thought this day was going to be mostly throwaway miles since I had not entered from this direction before but boy was I wrong! Views and terrain are terrific. Took us about 3hrs to do this section. I’d give yourself 4 hours depending on how fast you hike. Mamie Creek was NOT flowing, but very reliable big pools of water exist. There’s fish here and the water should be filtered. It has a green tinge to it but tastes great out of the filter. I don’t recommend aquamira for this but you’d be fine. Plenty of camping here as a group of 8 or so people were also camped just up the way. Great spot. Beautiful views around you.

Day 2 - 13.0mi, 500ft of climbing, lots of slower miles in Death Hollow Creek:

After coffee and breakfast we were on the trail around 8am. A steep climb up to a sea of slick rock starts your day. Some amazing views here before descending into Death Hollow. They call it Death Hollow because at one time there was a herd of livestock that plummeted to their death off the cliff tops to the bottom of this canyon. This trail you are on is called the Boulder Mail Trail that connects Escalante and Boulder. Appreciate the mules that would make this trip down into Death Hollow and back out again to deliver the mail. There’s some spots that are quite exposed and fun. Once you’re at the bottom, the creek will be flowing in the spring. The Boulder Mail Trail goes north to another impressive carved out trail in the rock. Highly recommend you hike this section at some point but normally people just continue south downstream. A good break spot at mile 4 (mile 10 overall). Views always change as you round a different bend. Occasional poison ivy this time of year so beware. Another reason to wear pants over shorts. There’s an obvious double waterfall at mile 6ish (12 overall) with a great swimming hole for lunch. Great views here as the sandstone walls tower over you. About a mile or two down from here is the crux. A really fun section that demands balance and awkward movements to not fall into the shallow pool of water. It is not dangerous if you fall in unless it is cold, but fun to navigate. You can’t go above it. More beautiful hiking all the way down to the confluence of the Escalante river. Good opportunity to get water one last time at Death Hollow/Mamie Creek because the Escalante River is silty/muddy. Death Hollow runs clear and cold and tastes great. Last time I was here I didn’t notice I was at the confluence. I thought it was just another creek feeding in. I went left as it kind of funnels you that way. Don’t miss this and make sure you turn right. The miles here are more on land than in the water. They are faster than being in Death Hollow but not by too much. A few campsites along the way and I’d say the last place you’d want to camp is near the amphitheater with the pictographs (no camping under the amphitheater) which is 2mi from the finish.

Day 3 - 3.0mi:

Easy miles. Maybe 10 more wet crossings. Don’t miss the pictographs in the amphitheater. We decided to not have coffee or breakfast and beeline it to Magnolia’s in Escalante for breakfast. Small place. They seemed overwhelmed when we got there, but it’s adorable and good food. Apparently SLC had epic winds as a storm front was rolling through. We had lots of snow on the way home about an hour out from SLC. So… time to ski!

Closing Remarks: I'd rate this hike as moderate+. For an experienced hiker who's fit, it's pretty easy, but with some challenging terrain and slow miles, lots of water walking, very little defined trail and when there is it is just sand, I could see someone easily getting in over their heads here. Generally I think, "could my dad do this?" He's 67yo, fit for his age, not the lightest pack but sub 25lbs for something like this. And yeah, he could do it and have fun doing it. It would be hard for him especially navigating on his own if he had to with his experience so I'll give it a moderate+.

We had one guy say this was his second ever backpacking trip, we had another guy who was a triple crowner, and other people fell in between. Everyone had a great time and appreciated this amazing trail.

I recently ordered a quilt from overseas to my home in Spain. I accidentally deleted the overstuff add-on in the shopping cart somehow for the quilt. The quilt was shipped minutes before I got the quilt company on the phone to tell them about my incomplete order. Massive facepalm. Post company won't redirect my package back to the seller. Rejecting the package so it gets returned will be a huge delay in getting a replacement. Selling it on my own appears will require a massive discount from buyers who just treat it as 2nd hand since they aren't buying it from the company's website, even if I don't open the package. So I figured I should just find a service who will overstuff for me in Europe

Anyway, I'm looking to add 50-75g of overstuff to my quilt. I'm having a hard time finding names of places in Spain that can do it. I live in Spain so if anyone knows of a specific service I can send this quilt to after I get it to do this or maybe some place else in EU. For another bummer, my quilt uses 950FP down which has been hard for me to find a service that has that supply as well. Thanks

I want to get a hoodie and pants for sleeping as well as for layering. I hike in Europe (Balkans and TMB this July) but looking at the PCT as well. Usually I wear running shorts and a button up shirt. I use a windshell, dance pants and I bring a puffy for camp. For those colder days or mornings, what would make more sense, Alpha 90 or 60? What are your experiences?

I've got a great 35' western mountaineering highlite. While its a great bag I toss and turn a lot, and i never seem to get a good nights sleep. I've been reading about the zen bivy and i'm almost sold. I would probably get one of their warmer kits too as sometimes I need a liner for my bag. Has anyone gone from a mummy to a zen bivy or similar quilt? Do you feel like it improved your sleep on the trail?