c/backpacking-routes

Swapped from a paper map to AllTrails on a 3-day loop in the Smokies and didn't take one wrong turn

I used to think paper maps were the only reliable way, but last month on the Gregory Bald trail I pulled out the app during a rainstorm and it saved me from missing a key junction - has anyone else found digital route tracking way better than they expected?

Pro tip: Met a guy on the JMT who carried a full cast iron pan

I was hiking the John Muir Trail near Muir Pass last August, and this dude named Steve had a 12-inch cast iron skillet strapped to his pack. He said he cooked a full breakfast every morning, eggs and bacon and all, and offered me some at 10,000 feet. I laughed my ass off but honestly that pancake he made was the best thing I ate the whole trip. Has anyone else run into someone hauling ridiculous gear out there?

Got caught in a thunderstorm on the Highline Trail and had to ditch my plan

I was about 8 miles into the Highline Trail in Glacier last June when the sky just opened up. Hail started pounding, lightning was hitting the ridges maybe half a mile away, and I was above treeline with nowhere to hide. I had always told myself I'd push through anything, but that moment I realized being stubborn could get me killed. I turned around and booked it back to the Swiftcurrent trailhead, soaked and shaking but alive. The route I had planned for two days got scrapped in about 20 minutes. Has anyone else had to bail on a route halfway through because of weather? What did you do instead?

Wasted $150 on a fancy GPS watch that barely worked on the trail

Picked up a Garmin Fenix 6 last month thinking it'd be great for tracking my routes in the Smokies, but the battery died after 6 hours on day two when I needed it most. Turns out the GPS mode drains way faster than the specs said, and I ended up using my phone anyway. Anyone else got burned by overpriced gear that didn't live up to the hype?

Just realized my buddy was right about the PCT resupply mistake

I was talking to my friend Mark last week after we both finished the John Muir Trail. He said I was dumb for mailing myself 3 big resupply boxes instead of just buying food in towns along the way. I argued back saying it saved me time but honestly he was right. I ended up hating half the dehydrated meals I packed and had way too much weight for the first 100 miles. Has anyone else switched to buying as you go and regretted it or loved it?

I thought old trail maps were useless until one saved me on the PCT

I always figured newer GPS data was all you needed, but last summer near the Sierra section I hit a spot where my phone battery died and the app kept glitching. I had bought a paper map from 2016 at a ranger station just for backup and laughed about it. Three days in, a stream crossing was totally different than what my digital route showed because of a washout. That old map had a faint dotted line around a ridge that turned out to be a safe bypass a local had marked by hand. It got me through a 4 mile detour that saved me from hiking into a closed area. Now I always carry at least one paper map no matter how good my phone is. Has anyone else found weird shortcuts on older trail guides that newer routes miss?

Chat with a thru-hiker outside Flagstaff completely changed how I pack my bag

I was fixing a strap on my old Gregory pack at a gas station and this guy who just finished the Arizona Trail stopped to help. He told me he ditched his cook system after the first week and just ate cold food to save weight. Made me wonder how many other 'essentials' I'm carrying that I actually never use. How do you figure out what's really worth the weight on a longer route?

Finally finished the Pacific Crest Trail section from Donner Pass to Highway 5 after three failed attempts over the years...

The difference this time was swapping my 60L pack for a 45L and cutting my base weight from 28 pounds to 19, and I actually had energy for the last 10 miles instead of limping in after dark.

Tried taking the Blue Ridge Parkway section between Asheville and Roanoke in early March for the solitude, but ended up stuck in a surprise snowstorm at 4,000 feet for 3 days instead.

What happened is my water filter froze solid on night two and I had to melt snow in my cook pot over a tiny camp stove for 8 hours just to stay hydrated, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has a trick for keeping gear from freezing when you're caught off guard by weather that wasn't in the forecast?

The zipper on my old REI backpack finally gave out after 15 years

I was three days into a week-long loop on the Uinta Highline Trail last August when the main compartment zipper on my old REI pack just split apart near the top. Had to rig it with paracord and carabiners to keep everything inside for the rest of the trip, which worked but was a pain every time I needed something. Anyone else had a favorite piece of gear fail on them mid-route and have to jury-rig it on the fly?

PSA: I wasted $400 on a GPS device for the Appalachian Trail

I bought a Garmin inReach Mini 2 for a 10-day hike on the AT last spring, thinking I needed the satellite texting and SOS. Turns out I barely used it - my phone with offline maps worked fine for navigation, and I only sent two check-in messages the whole trip. The subscription fees added up too, costing me $15 a month for a service I didn't need. Has anyone else regretted spending big on gear that just sat in their pack?

Hit 500 miles on the PCT this year and it totally changed my mind about section hiking

Wasted $180 on a portable water filter that clogged on day two of the PCT

I finally saved up for that fancy squeeze filter everyone raves about. First stream I used it on in the Sierras, it clogged so bad I couldn't even get a liter out before the flow dropped to a trickle. Backflushing did nothing, the sediment was too fine. I ended up using iodine tablets the rest of that trip and they tasted awful. Has anyone else had a high-end filter fail on them right when it mattered?

That $60 water filter I bought for the JMT in 2017 is still going strong

I dropped cash on a Katadyn BeFree right before the John Muir Trail trip and honestly thought it was overkill. Filtered 200+ gallons from that trip alone and it never clogged once. Meanwhile my buddy's cheap Sawyer mini froze on day 3 and cracked. Anyone else have gear that just refuses to die after years of abuse?

Just found a creek crossing shortcut on the Appalachian Trail near Roanoke that saved me 4 miles

Last month I was hiking through Virginia and a local pointed out this unmarked bypass around a big ridge, and I swear it cut out more than an hour of climbing, has anyone else stumbled onto a route like that that actually worked out?

Got roasted by a thru-hiker for my bear bag hang and now I do it different

Last summer on the John Muir Trail a guy in his 60s watched me toss a line over a branch and just laughed. He said my bag was way too close to the trunk and any bear could just climb up and grab it. He showed me the PCT method with a longer stick to get the rope further out on the branch. Has anyone else had their setup totally picked apart by someone with more experience on the trail?

Used to just eyeball water crossings like an idiot till a river in Colorado swept my pack downstream last June.

Now I actually take 5 minutes to scout for a safe spot and keep my dry bag sealed tight, anyone else learn that lesson the hard way?

Debate: paper maps vs GPS for the John Muir Trail

I used to swear by paper maps for 10 years until I got caught in a storm last summer on the JMT and my phone GPS saved me 3 hours of guesswork, but my buddy still says phones die and paper never fails, which side makes more sense for a 10 day route like that?

Why nobody talks about switching from a framed pack to a frameless one on the AT

I carried a 65 liter Osprey for my first 300 miles on the Appalachian Trail and my hips were bruised for weeks. Finally swapped to a 40 liter frameless pack near Harper's Ferry after a guy at a shelter showed me how to pack it right. Now I'm only carrying about 18 pounds total and my shoulders feel way better. Has anyone else made that switch and just can't go back to a frame?

Just stumbled on a stat about the Pacific Crest Trail that blew my mind

I was reading some old trail logs from the PCT last night and found out that less than 1 in 4 people who start a thru-hike actually finish the whole thing. That's a 23% completion rate for the full 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. It makes starting a 3 day section hike in the Sierras feel a lot more doable. Anyone else get surprised by stats like this when planning routes?

Almost got stranded on the Rae Lakes Loop after a storm washed out the creek crossing

I was at the first big crossing below Glen Pass and the water was already over my waist at 7am, and if I hadn't turned back right then I would have been stuck on the wrong side for days, has anyone else dealt with sudden creek swell on the Sierra high routes?

Spent 4 hours on trail in Olympic National Park before realizing my trekking pole locks were loose the whole time

I was adjusting my pace every mile thinking the terrain was just weird, but after finally stopping to check, tightening those twist locks took 30 seconds and totally fixed my stride, has anyone else wasted a whole day hiking with a stupid fixable issue like that?

Heads up on the Rae Lakes Loop vs the JMT stretch through Sequoia

I did both last summer and the Rae Lakes Loop kicked my butt way worse because of those back-to-back passes above 11,000 feet with no gradual climb. Has anyone else found the shorter routes are actually harder than the long ones?

Found a shortcut on the Pacific Crest Trail near Seiad Valley that saved me 4 miles

Last summer I was hiking the PCT and got to Seiad Valley, which is this tiny spot in California. I had been following the official route on my map, but a local guy at the general store told me about a old fire road that cuts off a big loop. He said it takes you straight up to the ridge and meets back up with the main trail after about 2 miles. I was skeptical because I usually stick to the marked path, but my feet were killing me so I tried it. Turns out he was right the road was overgrown but easy to follow and I saved maybe 4 miles of switchbacks. The views were actually better too because you come out above the tree line faster. Has anyone else found good unofficial shortcuts on long trails that are worth taking?

Met a thru-hiker on the Lone Star Trail who changed my gear list

I was hiking a section near Conroe last spring and ran into this guy who had been on the trail for 3 months straight. He told me he ditched his tent for a simple tarp and bivvy setup after the first week, saving like 2 pounds. We sat on a log for 20 minutes while he showed me how he rigs it with just trekking poles. Has anyone else tried a minimalist shelter like that for longer routes?