July 10th, 2019 Distance: 9 miles Start: Lyell Fork, mile 33 Camp: Island Pass We knew we had a good climb ahead of us today, but we had NO idea what we were in for. Everything we’d read about conditions before the trip said heavy snow. When we first got the start date of July …
HMG 3400 southwest review Ah, the beloved Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Southwest. Fed up with my old pack, (an old REI Flash) I bought this baby for the JMT in 2019 (at REI, ironically enough) and haven’t looked back. It’s one of my favorite gear purchases to date. One of a large series (including the …
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The 5 Best Wool Socks For Hiking And Running When it comes to hiking (or really any activity for that matter) we all know choosing the right socks is important. The right socks need to be comfortable, reduce blisters, and wick away sweat, and these days merino wool is the way to go. Wool used …
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July 9, 2019 Distance: 9 miles Start: Tuolomne Meadows Camp: Lyell Fork, Mile 33 We woke up at the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Campground this morning late and in no rush. Starting from Lyell Canyon trailhead, we knew we only had to make 8 or 9 miles that day to get close to the approach of …
When I first started hiking and backpacking I didn’t have a good mentor, so I made TONS of mistakes. Horrible, painful, dangerous mistakes. I’m a firm believer that making mistakes is the best way to learn, but there were some times where it would have been better if someone had just told me what to …
The 11 Biggest Mistakes New Backpackers Make and How To Avoid Them Read More »
My Ultimate John Muir Trail Gear List Dialing in your gear is one of the most important parts of any long distance trip, and the John Muir Trail is no exception. With its 211 miles of steep, high elevation terrain, you’ll feel every ounce on your back and scratch in your clothes. Setting up the …
How The New Wilderness Travel Rules Affect JMT Hikers in 2020 **As of March 2020, this post is outdated. INF ‘reclarified’ that there will still be an exception for JMT and PCT hikers to exit to resupply. All is well again!** As of December 2019, Inyo National Forest has some new rules. Or, rather, a …
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Tips For Snagging a Permit for The John Muir Trail It’s that time of year folks: it’s time to get your hiking permits for this summer. And with the John Muir Trail being one of the (if not the) premier long distance trails in the United States, permits are understandably tough to get. The process …
A Practical Guide to Backpacking Nutrition Let’s talk about everybody’s favorite and least favorite part of a backpacking trip; food. Favorite, because at the end of a long day of hiking (and especially after multiple long days of hiking) you enjoy food like at no other time in your life. Least favorite, because for a …
Basics of Backpacking Nutrition: A Practical Guide Read More »
My Favorite Backcountry Hydration System There’s no doubt about it, your water treatment system is one of the most important pieces of your gear set-up. Good treatment means good hydration which means good backpacking experiences. I can say from first-hand experience that when your system sucks you inevitably lean towards dehydration, and that can ruin …
How to Treat Water In The Backcountry: My Favorite System Read More »
