Pretty much any backpacker you ask for advice will tell you about "The Big 3": backpack, sleeping bag, and tent. These are the three biggest weight and space sucks on your trip. For most people, if they want to save weight, they'll get the biggest bang for their buck by spending some money and upgrading these. Your sleeping bag and tent also take up the most space out of everything, so getting ones that pack down smaller will allow you to have a smaller backpack, so you'll be able to save even more weight (and maybe some money on the backpack, as bigger ones cost more).
Working at REI, I talk to people about the 3 places you want to spend as much time, effort, and (if you need to) money to get the right thing for you: backpack, footwear, and sleep system. These are more about comfort and enjoyment of the endeavor.
If your backpack is not fitting you right and/or not carrying the weight correctly, its going to throw off your balance, rub raw spots, and possibly torque your back out.
If your footwear (and by that I mean, shoes/boots and socks combo) is not right for you, your feet are going to be miserable. You'll get blisters, jam your toes going downhill, etc. In short, your trip is going to suck.
Lastly, if you can't get a good night's sleep, days two through whatever are not going to be as enjoyable. Get a sleeping bag that has enough room and is warm enough for you. Get a sleeping pad that is comfortable for you. Get a tent that is well rated to keep out the rain and not flap in the wind.
-I used "...for you." a lot. That's because pretty much every day I see customers come into my work saying "My friend has [brand] and loves them, so I thought I'd try them on." Take anyone's recommendation with a grain of salt. Everyone's body is different. Unless you have an identical twin that's had the same injuries and workout regimen as you, any item is going to fit you differently than the person that recommended it to you. Its also going to perform differently for you than them.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
First up: the Pacific Crest Trail
So, at the time that my girlfriend told me she wanted to hike the PCT and eventually Triple-Crown, I had not even considered doing any of the three trails. I've been hiking since I was very little, and I love it, but that sort of endeavor hadn't even crossed my mind. I'd heard of the PCT and the AT, just hadn't given any thought to doing them. Now, though, it seems like an amazing, life-changing experience, and just the time to do it. I mean, I'm currently working retail and going to school. I don't have kids. Don't own a house. I have no hard-set responsibilities.
After a bit of consideration, we decided to tackle the PCT first. The AT is shorter, easier, and more forgiving of mistakes, which makes it more attractive to many, but that's also a reason to put it off til last. If we end up finishing the PCT and CDT and then have to put doing the AT on hold for whatever reason, we can do it in our 50's or 60's without too much problem. The CDT, being the hardest, we figure shouldn't be done first. Get a long trip under our belt before that one.
Which leaves us with the PCT. We know people all up and down the West Coast, so that makes resupplies and emergency management a little easier. We also have a large chunk of it right in our backyard, living in Washington, so if winter comes early or something, we can more easily finish any sections we had to skip at another time. Also, we are planning to hike a couple/few of the Washington sections of the trail this summer, so if we have to just haul through some of those sections to make up time, we won't feel like we've really missed anything.
After a bit of consideration, we decided to tackle the PCT first. The AT is shorter, easier, and more forgiving of mistakes, which makes it more attractive to many, but that's also a reason to put it off til last. If we end up finishing the PCT and CDT and then have to put doing the AT on hold for whatever reason, we can do it in our 50's or 60's without too much problem. The CDT, being the hardest, we figure shouldn't be done first. Get a long trip under our belt before that one.
Which leaves us with the PCT. We know people all up and down the West Coast, so that makes resupplies and emergency management a little easier. We also have a large chunk of it right in our backyard, living in Washington, so if winter comes early or something, we can more easily finish any sections we had to skip at another time. Also, we are planning to hike a couple/few of the Washington sections of the trail this summer, so if we have to just haul through some of those sections to make up time, we won't feel like we've really missed anything.
Monday, May 18, 2015
PCT vs CDT vs AT - A quick and dirty guide
So, we have 3 very long distance hiking trails in the US: the PCT, the AT, and the CDT.
The PCT is likely the most well-known of the three, currently, due to the movie Wild. Running along the west coast, it follows a 2650 mile path that starts at about the middle of the Mexico-California border, skirts the edges of the Mojave desert, runs through the High Sierras, and then up through the Cascade Mountains in northern California, Oregon, and Washington. (If you're really hardcore, the trail does technically extend down into Baja, but that part isn't maintained by the US National Forest Service and you can't legally cross the border along the trail northward) Also, many people consider the true end of the trail to be in Canada, as there is another 8 miles of official trail that extends across the border. In terms of both age and length, the PCT comes in second among the three.
map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Pacific_crest_trail_route_overview.png
For more information: http://www.pcta.org
Moving east, we have the CDT. The newest and the longest of the trails, it runs 3100 miles, starting at the New Mexico - Mexico border, up through Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, ending at the Canadian Border in Glacier National Park. This trail is actually so new that currently many of the sections are still in planning phases, necessitating bushwacking through or road-hiking around incomplete stretches. It is also the highest and most remote (According to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition) of the three trails. Due to length, difficulty, and remoteness, it is definitely the hardest of the three.
map: http://www.unconventionallife.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/cdt_map_large.jpg
For more information: http://www.continentaldividetrail.org/
The AT is the oldest of the three, as well as the shortest at just 2180 miles. On the east coast, it runs from Georgia up to Maine. It is also the most developed. Many times the official trail runs through towns, and there are more than 250 three-sided shelters that have been built along the trail. It is the easiest of the three, and the most traveled: 1800 - 2000 hikers attempt a thru-hike (start to finish in one go) each year, as opposed to 700 - 800 for the PCT, and even less for the CDT.
map: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/images/maps/appalachian-trail-map.jpg
More info at: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/
The PCT is likely the most well-known of the three, currently, due to the movie Wild. Running along the west coast, it follows a 2650 mile path that starts at about the middle of the Mexico-California border, skirts the edges of the Mojave desert, runs through the High Sierras, and then up through the Cascade Mountains in northern California, Oregon, and Washington. (If you're really hardcore, the trail does technically extend down into Baja, but that part isn't maintained by the US National Forest Service and you can't legally cross the border along the trail northward) Also, many people consider the true end of the trail to be in Canada, as there is another 8 miles of official trail that extends across the border. In terms of both age and length, the PCT comes in second among the three.
map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Pacific_crest_trail_route_overview.png
For more information: http://www.pcta.org
Moving east, we have the CDT. The newest and the longest of the trails, it runs 3100 miles, starting at the New Mexico - Mexico border, up through Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, ending at the Canadian Border in Glacier National Park. This trail is actually so new that currently many of the sections are still in planning phases, necessitating bushwacking through or road-hiking around incomplete stretches. It is also the highest and most remote (According to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition) of the three trails. Due to length, difficulty, and remoteness, it is definitely the hardest of the three.
map: http://www.unconventionallife.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/cdt_map_large.jpg
For more information: http://www.continentaldividetrail.org/
The AT is the oldest of the three, as well as the shortest at just 2180 miles. On the east coast, it runs from Georgia up to Maine. It is also the most developed. Many times the official trail runs through towns, and there are more than 250 three-sided shelters that have been built along the trail. It is the easiest of the three, and the most traveled: 1800 - 2000 hikers attempt a thru-hike (start to finish in one go) each year, as opposed to 700 - 800 for the PCT, and even less for the CDT.
map: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/images/maps/appalachian-trail-map.jpg
More info at: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/
What is the Triple Crown?
Awhile back, my girlfriend told me about her life goal of completing the Triple Crown of hiking. I've been hiking since I was little, but had never done any long-distance hiking, so I had no clue what that was. I had heard of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and the AT (Appalachian Trail), but hadn't had any real desire to try and hike them. These are both trails that extend from the southern border of the U.S. to the northern border. Turns out there's a third one that I hadn't heard of: the CDT (Continental Divide Trail).
If you complete all three of them, whether section by section or each one all at once, you can contact the American Long Distance Hiking Association - West ( http://aldhawest.org/ ) and apply to be recognized for accomplishing this feat. Doing so will get you honored at the ALDHA-West Gathering and awarded a plaque to commemorate your accomplishment.
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Hiking
If you complete all three of them, whether section by section or each one all at once, you can contact the American Long Distance Hiking Association - West ( http://aldhawest.org/ ) and apply to be recognized for accomplishing this feat. Doing so will get you honored at the ALDHA-West Gathering and awarded a plaque to commemorate your accomplishment.
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Hiking
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