Month: February 2025

Gear: Wallets

I replaced my wallet with the new 3.5” x 4.5” one from https://www.etsy.com/shop/KAMOutdoors

My first trail wallet was a zip lock. Then, around 2017 I bought a nylon wallet. Much more durable

I then went to a waterproof white Dyneema wallet that was also slightly larger. That was an improvement

It was/is waterproof and it fits everything better. You can see it is a little worn in the picture but it has years of life left in it.

Now many sources offer 3” x 4” wallets in Dyneema, which is what my white one is. However, it is just a little tight.

For comparison to everyone else, KAMO has gone a half inch larger. They also offer a variety of modern fabrics including Ecopak, Ultra, and X-PAC. The extra room fits everything better.

I carry:

Driver’s license
TSA Precheck ID
Passport Card
Insurance Card
Credit Card
Debit Card
Cash
House key (when on trail. That way I can get back in my house).

The new wallet makes that just a little less crowded. Definite improvement for every day use. Suddenly I don’t carry my credit card outside the wallet in case I need to use it.

For ten dollars it is a great quality of life upgrade.

Spam Abatement

I’ve turned off comments on two posts. Those posts generated almost a hundred spam posts a day. Things like “Готово! Собрали 3 коммерческих ”

The notices of comments to moderate were turning into a DNS attack on my email account.

None of the comments were ever live, but that did not stop the spammers.

My apologies to anyone who commented and whose comments were lost in the flood of spam.

With any luck, things will be manageable now.

New pack 

So I ordered the updated Kakwa and also more side straps.

https://durstongear.com/products/kakwa-55

(I tried ultra grid this time too) 30 ounces.

Side straps with the Alto buckles.

Now I’m waiting for this dyneema wallet to come back in stock. My current one is ok, but I’m thinking of updating it with a new one. https://www.etsy.com/listing/729834253/dyneema-trail-wallet?ref=shop_home_active_6&crt=1&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHdDcib1uezAT6QhlyrpDpNeTuLAekjNynjjzCjr6pzen81udFb_T1R9moQ_aem_FyZJ4HSqQMosTKIDoRhnDA

The 3.5” x 4.5” size is superior to the 3” x 4” size others sell.

So I’m waiting for them to come back in stock though I may try the alternative fabric (though not the ecopack — I’ve not had good luck with it).

CDT: The 2024 Survey results are here

Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey (2024)

Big takeaways:

  • Durston Products are now big on the CDT. That follows as the CDT hikers tend to come from other trails, so trends on the CDT seem to lag a year a so behind other trails.
  • Some alternative routes remain much more popular than the “main” route (like the Gila “Gila River Alternate: 90.1%” — for all intents and purposes, it is the main trail now. I know in 2024 it got maintenance while the Red Line was left with blowdowns and in a mess. “Ghost Ranch Alternate: 71.4%” — with the fire closure I’m surprised it wasn’t higher.
  • “52.2% – Pacific Crest Trail” had hiked the PCT. Only 47.4 % had hiked the  Appalachian Trail.
  • 21% never camped alone on the CDT. Another 19% was alone 10% of the time or less. Happy6 & I were alone a little more than that (though we had each other), but not much. Without the Great Basin Divide section we would have been alone less.
  • Idaho/Southern Montana was the least favorite part of the trail. Not surprisingly, it is also the part cut off by the Big Sky Alternative route.
  • Biggest changes people would have made are training more and getting lighter equipment pre-hike and “More pictures of people (61.2%)” while hiking.
  • 20% did not see antelope. How they failed to see a “fluffy but” is beyond me. They are like rabbits, especially in the Great Basin Divide area.

More to come in the future.