c/backpacking-routes

Spoke with a thru-hiker who ditched their water filter halfway through the PCT

Ran into this guy at a gear shop in Portland last month who said he stopped carrying a water filter after 200 miles and just drank straight from springs. He claimed he never got sick and the weight savings made his knees feel way better. Makes me wonder if we are all just carrying extra gear out of fear or if he was just lucky.

TIL the PCT only has about 60 miles of actual paved road crossings

I was reading the Pacific Crest Trail Association's annual report last night and got hit with this stat. Out of 2,650 miles, only about 60 miles involve crossing a paved road. That surprised me because I always pictured hikers constantly dodging traffic. I guess most of the route sticks to national forest dirt roads and wilderness areas. Has anyone else run into a stat about a trail that totally changed how you imagined it?

Went up the High Sierra Trail last month and noticed half the people were using those ultra-light titanium stoves while the other half stuck with cheap alcohol-burner setups

I mean, the titanium crowd saved weight but the alcohol guys could boil water way faster, has anyone else seen this split on long routes and which side do you lean toward?

Pro tip: Ditch the big frame pack for a 35L on short trips

Used to haul my 65L osprey on weekenders. Switched to a smaller pack after a trip in Shenandoah last spring. Anyone else downsize their gear and notice a big difference?

The day the White Mountains kicked my butt in 4 hours flat

Everyone talks about how amazing the Presidential Traverse is, but nobody warned me about how bad the weather can turn in September. I hiked the northern section last fall and got hit with 50 mph winds and sleet before I even reached Mount Madison. Had to bail at the first hut after slipping on wet rocks three times and losing feeling in my fingers. Was this just a bad day or is that section actually overrated compared to the southern peaks?

Found a short cut on the Appalachian Trail near Shenandoah

I was hiking the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park last month. Got tired of the switchbacks up Hawksbill Mountain. Found a faint side trail that cut off 0.8 miles. It was steep as hell but saved me 20 minutes. Has anyone else found unofficial shortcuts that actually work?

Took me 4 years to figure out I was packing my bear canister wrong

Was on a trip in Yosemite last summer and a ranger walked over to check my permit. He glanced at my bear canister sitting next to my pack and said 'you know you're supposed to pack it on its side, not upright, right?' I had been cramming stuff in vertically for years thinking that was the only way. He showed me how you can fit way more food and gear if you lay it flat and roll your stuff sacks. I tried it on the next resupply and got almost an extra day's worth of food in there. Has anyone else had a random stranger totally change how you do a basic thing on trail?

That $700 backpacking route in the Sierras I did last year is now basically a gravel road

I hiked the High Sierra Trail in 2023 and it was pristine single track but I went back this August and whole sections are washed out and turned into ATV tracks after those heavy storms. Has anyone else seen a route change THIS fast in just one season?

That week in the Sierras where it rained for 7 days straight

I was on the JMT near Muir Pass and my tent leaked through the floor on day 3, soaked sleeping bag and all. Has anyone else had a trip where the weather just totally ruined your gear?

Fork in the trail in the Smokies: took the 'scenic overlook' route up Chimney Tops, ended up crawling on my hands and knees through poison ivy for 2 miles. Totally worth it for the view but NEVER again.

Back when I used a paper map on the JMT versus now with Gaia GPS

I hiked the John Muir Trail back in 2017 with nothing but a folded paper map and a tiny compass. Every night I'd sit there with a headlamp trying to figure out where I camped and how far I'd go the next day. It worked fine but I made a few wrong turns, especially around Evolution Valley where the trail splits. Last summer I did it again with Gaia GPS on my phone in airplane mode with the whole route downloaded ahead of time. I could see my exact location anytime I wanted and it made navigating those confusing lake basins way easier. The downside is my phone battery died on day 5 near Muir Pass and I had to dig that old paper map out of my pack anyway. Anyone else find themselves relying too much on apps and then getting caught out when the tech fails?

I think the AT is way overhyped compared to the PCT

I did the Appalachian Trail back in 2018 and everyone acts like it's the ultimate challenge. But honestly, I found it way more crowded and muddy than what I deal with now on the Pacific Crest Trail. The shelters were packed with mice and the trail was like a slippery trench in Vermont. Has anyone else found the PCT easier on their knees and sanity?

TIL a 5-minute pack weight audit saved me 4 miles of misery

I was carrying 38 pounds on a 3-day loop in the Smokies last week and thought I was fine. Turns out I had two extra water bottles and a camp chair I never used, dropping me to 29 pounds after ditching them. Anybody else found a quick trick that cut serious weight without buying new gear?

That guy on the PCT forum told me to skip the Sierra snow gear and I almost died

Some dude named 'trailwise42' swore the snow was gone by June 5th last year so I left my spikes at home. I hit Forester Pass and spent 4 hours postholing through waist-deep slush with nothing but hiking poles. Has anyone else had someone's confident advice nearly ruin their trip on a major route?

PSA: The Pacific Crest Trail is not a race, but people keep treating it like one

I hiked the PCT last year and I kept seeing hikers skip the Sierra Nevada section in June just to save time. They missed the best alpine lakes and wildflower blooms of the whole route. Everyone talks about doing 30 mile days and getting a fast time, but they forget the point is to see the mountains, not just cover miles. I stopped at a creek near Muir Pass for 20 minutes to watch a moose drink, and four people passed me without even glancing up from their feet. Why are we so focused on speed when the whole reason we go out there is the experience? Has anyone else noticed this rush ruining the trail culture?

Wasted $60 on a fancy water filter that clogged on day 2 of the John Muir Trail

Bought a top-rated Katadyn BeFree system thinking it'd save weight but the flow dropped to a trickle after filtering from one murky creek near Thousand Island Lake, had to switch to my backup tablets - anyone else had this issue with those squeeze filters?

Just did the Desolation Wilderness loop clockwise instead of counter-clockwise

Made the mistake of going clockwise last June and hit Aloha Lake with a full pack in the afternoon sun, completely exposed. If you value your sanity (and water supply) go counter-clockwise so you hit the tree cover on Echo Lake first, trust me on this one - has anyone else noticed the trail markers near that junction are completely faded?

Debate: Should you tough it out or turn back when rain hits? Got caught in a storm on the Rae Lakes Loop last June.

I was 8 miles in on the Rae Lakes Loop when a sudden thunderstorm rolled in around 2pm. My first instinct was to push through to the next shelter point, but the trail turned into a muddy creek and lightning was getting close. I decided to hunker down under a rock overhang for 45 minutes until it passed, but my gear got soaked anyway. My buddy says I should have turned back the second I heard thunder, and that saving time wasn't worth the risk. Another friend says you commit to the route and deal with wet gear later, since turning back wastes a whole day. What do you do when weather hits mid-trail and you're already far in? Has anyone else been stuck in a similar spot and had to make that call?

My best day on the John Muir Trail was also my worst planning move

I hit evolution basin around noon with perfect weather and barely anyone around, best scenery I've ever seen. But I had to push 18 miles that day because I skipped a resupply stop and ran out of food. Has anyone else had a killer day on trail ruined by bad logistics?

Can we talk about how long permit lotteries actually take?

I applied for the Rae Lakes Loop permit in Kings Canyon back in February and got waitlisted for 4 months before I finally got a spot. Is it worth spending all that time in the lottery or should people just gamble on walk-up permits instead?

Dropped $250 on a water filter that failed 10 miles in

Bought one of those top-rated squeeze filters for a solo trip on the Sierra High Route last month. It clogged solid after two days and I spent a night boiling creek water with a tiny titanium pot. Anybody found a filter that actually lasts past the first three days?

Appreciation post: hitting 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail this October

I started section hiking the AT about 4 years ago, just doing small weekend trips. Last month I finally crossed the 500 mile mark near Daleville, Virginia. I honestly didn't think I'd ever get that far since I only hike a few times a year. What convinced me to keep going was meeting a older guy named Bob at a shelter who told me he started at 62 and hit 1,000 miles after 8 years. That just stuck with me. Now I look at my map book differently, seeing how those short trips add up. Has anyone else been surprised by a milestone when you weren't really chasing one?

Hiked the Rim Trail at Grand Canyon last month and the crowd situation was insane

I went in what I thought was off-season (early November) and there were still like 200 people at Mather Point at sunrise. Had to wait 15 minutes just to get a spot on the edge for a photo. Has anyone found a quieter stretch of that trail where you can actually feel alone?

Got caught in a surprise storm on the Rae Lakes Loop last summer

Was about 8 miles past Arrowhead Lake when the sky just opened up. No warning from the weather report I checked that morning. Had to hunker down under a tarp for 3 hours while lightning hit ridges all around me. Made me rethink how I plan for afternoon thunderheads in the Sierra. How do you guys check weather on multi day trips where cell service is gone?

Chat with a thru-hiker made me rethink my whole approach to gear weight

I was at REI in Phoenix last week, grabbing some snacks for a weekend trip, and I started talking to this guy who just finished the Arizona Trail. He told me his base weight was under 8 pounds, and I laughed thinking he was exaggerating. Then he pulled out his pack and let me handle it - I swear it felt lighter than my lunch bag. My base weight is pushing 18 pounds after three years of tweaking. I realized I've been hauling all this extra crap like a heavy tent and extra cookware that I never even use. He said the trick was leaving behind the "what if" items and just trusting your gear to do one thing well. Has anyone else here cut their base weight down hard and actually felt safer on trail?