Mail Drops: accepted 2416 Wilder Ave. 59602 Helena, MT 59602
Contact Information Email: mtbcity406@gmail.com Website: http://www.mtbcity.net/
And
Benchmark Wilderness Ranch at 2763
Resupply: Box size: 12″ X 12″ X 12″ Send $30 check for handling fee separately from box Send box 2-3 weeks before you plan to arrive Address: Benchmark Wilderness Ranch Darwin and Shellie Heckman 422 County Line Road Fairfield, MT 59436
Butte is 2540.3
Hoping the snow stays around average and that “the Bob” is easy to do. Last year things were so good looking until we were on the trail and then the San Juans got swamped in May as we hiked.
I made it into cuba Tuesday night. Water was good at 565.3 ojo de dado. 577.6 potentially a pool left by Cliff view after gate follow trail to the left to cliff edge. Red line goes right It was deep enough to fill from water bottle when I passed it Monday evening
584.3 reports spring/trough with water.
597 has a cache
599 reports the water pump is working.
613 reports water in the trough.
622 reports the windmill is pumping.
627 is Cuba.
Unfortunately the spring at 572 last reported dry. The nearby ravine reported “dry and hopeless.”
So the first 20 some miles are dry.
Then there is water every 14-15 miles until town.
This looks like at least a carry four liter situation.
The idea is you look at your feet all day to avoid tripping on rocks or stepping on snakes. This is something you can do quickly every morning and every evening to balance that out.
Rotate your neck to its end of range. Place the palm of your hand on the side of your head, and gently push your neck into slightly more rotation. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds, and relax. Repeat three times. This is an excellent exercise to improve rotation and mobility in your neck.
Stand or sit up tall. Focus on an object at eye level while slowly moving your head back over your shoulders and tuck your chin in. Gently guide the movement with your hand on your chin. Hold for 3 seconds then relax and return to the initial position. Repeat 5-10 times, 3 times per day.
Saturday, October 6, 2018Hawk Mountain Shelter Friday, October 5, 2018 Sunday, October 1, 2017 SpringerFriday, September 23, 2016Tuesday, May 17, 2016Sunday, May 15, 2016Tuesday, May 17, 2016Friday, September 23, 2016
The Half Dome 2 is great for short overnight trips and would be perfect for car camping.
That captures my thoughts too.
However, this review also illustrates the weaknesses or limits of reviews. The tent at issue is great for many purposes—just not for long hikes or much beyond short trips.
(Which is how most tents are used).
I can say that about its use because I own one. I’ve used it on section hikes. But it went into the gear closet until I set it aside for my car camping daughter.
For example, I’m pretty unconstrained by budgets. I even own an Arc’tryx. So does my wife. We even sometimes wear them around town and have worn them on trail. Would I use one for backpacking now—no. They are too heavy.
Not surprisingly, none of the jackets in the review are ones I would recommend to a thru-hiker.
The most popular rain jacket purchased by the backpackers we surveyed is the Marmot Precip Jacket, perhaps the best known waterproof/breathable outdoor recreation jacket ever made. An astonishing 28.8% of our survey respondents own this rain jacket, far more than any other, as shown in the table below. Rain Jacket
Second, none of the top 10 rain jackets are made with a Gore-tex or eVent waterproof/breathable membrane. It would seem that having a Gore-tex or eVent membrane is unimportant to most backpackers when purchasing a rain jacket. That’s an eye opener.
Third, the backpackers who own these jackets are fairly satisfied with them (on a scale of 1-5, where 5 is the highest level of satisfaction,) but most of the ratings fall between 3 and 4, not approaching a 5. If you were reading customer reviews on an online retailer’s web site, I doubt these ratings would have a big impact on your decision-making for or against a product. This tells me that cost is probably the most important criteria behind the purchase decision to buy one of these jackets, not performance or features. We see further evidence of this below.
You go to that link now and all the satisfaction and such data is gone. Just recommendations and links to buy.
Or backpacks
As for backpacks, you can Google reviews.
Then go to Halfway Anywhere.
What CDT thru-hikers use
CDT hikers tend to have a lot of experience. While they lag a little behind on trends (since they are often using gear they bought a year or two ago for other hikes) they reflect knowledgeable and experienced hikers.
Not surprisingly, their choices somehow do not match reviewers.
So many packs in the reviews aren’t even used by a single backpacker.
Bottom line
Hikers, especially on the Appalachian Trail, may not always be the best source of reviews and suggestions.
That is because sse often reflects popularity, especially for people on their first long trail.
However, what people are using will tell you if gear is sufficient, since the statistics are mostly for finishers. It will also tell you how real hikers responded to reviews.
Then you get to trails that are generally hiked by people who have completed more than one prior trail. Their use will also give you an idea of what successful and repeat hikers as a group have decided on and use.
The wisdom of crowds is not always right, but it is definitely worth considering. You can also use the surveys to reality check reviewers.
Camp shoes are most important for hostels that don’t allow shoes and for (often public) hiker showers which can be quite gross.
The ones on top were super light. I hiked up to 9-10 miles in them once at Front Royal. Lost them on the PCT, recovered one but hiker boxed it when the other stayed lost.
The ones at the bottom of the picture work well for water crossings but I find they take too much time to put on and off and I just use my shoes and walk until they are dry.
These days I just carry flip flops for the rare times I need them.
Others just use their trail runners and go barefoot where they aren’t allowed.
Sun Hoodies
On the Appalachian Trail sun hoodies were not what I needed. I burn easily but the green tunnel protected me.
That changed for the PCT. It has so much exposed sun. I started with a Black Diamond Alpenglow Pro. Highly rated, etc. It wore out.
I had a Rab replacement I hiker boxed instead of sending home because I didn’t like the snarls. Someone grabbed it immediately.
I tried a long sleeve shirt and a hat with a bandana instead of a sun hoodie for a while. It was not great for me with the wind. Others make it work so I gave it a try.
I tried and liked the Mountain Hardware hoodies much better than Black Diamond or some off brand ones.
Mine got chewed up by thorn bushes so I tried TYR as a replacement. Pretty but the fabric is too heavy for the trail. Great for around town.
Currently I’m using Jolly Gear’s Sun hoodie which is just neat. Seems everyone sells a sun hoodie now. Happy6 got one first and then I followed.
Of course I had to get a different look since she is adamant about not being twins.
I was turned off by the super bright styles but like the more subdued ones.
I’ll admit I’ve tried a lot of different ones. Some I really like, just not on trail. Funny how that has worked out.
Socks
I started with Smartwool. Moved to Darn Tough for the lifetime warranty. Moved Writesock for the blister protection. They really didn’t handle dirt well for me. Went to Kirkland for the cushion.
I also have worn the Kirkland ones for daily use. Still do.
I am currently using REI on trail because they don’t have compression. I’m still thinking. Merino Tech are similar (I got a pair for free with my baselayer top).I like them too.
Kirkland, Wright Sock, Merino Tech, Farm to Feet, Weatherproof.
Socks currently in day to day rotation for my wife and I.
I like the heavier cushion. I just need to decide about compression. Do I love it or want to avoid it or both?!?
Obviously I’m still thinking. I’ll probably go through everything that has InsectShield protection and decide.
Bottom line
Some gear is situational. I’d use it for one trail but not another.
Some gear is pretty optional.
Some gear is great off trail (that TYR hoodie) and some looks a lot like trail gear (heavier rain jackets). Some is an almost (Patagonia’s sun hoodie).
So over the years my choices have migrated and changed. Many times there is not one right answer. Other times “it just depends.”
I’m of course looking at that again while making plans for New Mexico next month.
We have reservations at https://lavaflowhostel.com/ and a shuttle to where we got off at 563 for my pneumonia.
May 3, 2024 on the CDT v
We go from there to Cuba at 627.9. About 65 miles. That means about five pre-trail legs days going NOBO.
The notes aren’t always updated from last year, but many are. It was just fun to realize there had not been a note at that point since May of last year.
Morning of May 3, 2024.
It also was a good benchmark since we were in the same area last year.
I’m also watching the snow levels. So far they look manageable but last year had some unfortunate weather late in the year so I’m nervous.
May 2, 2024 on the CDT
Otherwise it is just a matter of mailing out a resupply for the Bob, already have arrangements for our car in the Gila and we have permits for the last PCT section.
Arc’tryx. My wife and I both have them. Currently in the closet. Too heavy but great to wear. Would use if hypothermia was a risk.
Probably paid too much.
Packa. We both wore them on the AT. Started to wet out about the time we finished and they were worn out.
Happy6 & I in our Packas
Lightheart Gear. Silpoly rather than silnylon. Light. Wore it on the PCT as both a wind shirt and a rain jacket. Wore out. Rain gear used as a wind shirt wears out faster.
OR Helium. Mine was defective. Wetted out in five minutes or less.
OR Apollo. Picked up near Harts Pass when my Lightheart Gear wore out. I currently wear it around town. Currently still does not wet out.
EE Visp. Used it last year and will again this year to finish the CDT. I use it only as a rain jacket and it does well. We both now have separate 1.7 ounce wind shirts.
My wife used a Montbell that was great but also wore out around Hart’s Pass on the PCT due to also being worn a lot as a wind shirt.
She now wears a Marmot goretex rain jacket she got at the same outfitter I got the Apollo from. It was expensive. Marmot has kept the name, reduced the price dramatically and, well, the new one is fit only for use around town.
A review explaining everything that went wrong. Of course it used to cost over $300 and now it can be found for sale around $50. But it went from excellent and I’d recommend it to a complete failure for trail use.
She also got one from Costco. Both work well in the rain. Prior Costco/SAMS Club jackets were really only suitable to wear from your car to a store.
For rain pants…
Rain pants and rain skirts
I’ve used a DIY (do it yourself) long rain skirt. Worked great but was much too heavy.
Happy6 in DIY rain skirt
I’ve used a cottage industry rain skirt with rain gaiters.
I then switched to EMS rain pants. Those are full zip and on the AT that was really useful. Lighter than the skirt + gaiters. Took abuse from the undergrowth. Zipping down from the top would vent (the Packa overlapped) and at the bottom let me take them off while keeping my shoes on.
Looking for lighter pants we switched to Montbell Versalite pants for the PCT. My wife got a second pair for the CDT. Mine wore out last year on the CDT. So I just got a replacement.
For the final thousand miles on the CDT she is using her “new” rain pants and I finally bought replacement rain pants. This time I’m using https://dutchwaregear.com/product/xenon-rain-pants/. They are great for occasional use.
Which is a great point. On the AT you sometimes live in rain pants. On both the PCT and CDT rain pants are more for emergencies and short periods of time.
If the weather is warmer many people do without and for scattered rain some even just use pants with DWR treatment (REI’s store brand hiking pants come that way some years).
The Xenon pants are limited in size. luckily they fit me.
Weight wise this is the progression from heaviest to lightest:
Skirt/knee length rain gaiters>EMS>Montbell.
The AT I’d still hike with the EMS as they really took some abuse and were still great and I was usually hiking in cold weather.
On the other hand I met people who hiked full time in compression shorts + rain kilt/skirt. They just let their lower legs get wet. Others just got wet from the waist down —especially in warm or hot weather.
Other Considerations
Other than the temperature, the big thing is wind. Packas and ponchos work much better on the AT where the trees moderate the wind.
Where you don’t have as many trees and some stiff wind, a rain jacket works better.
With traditional packs you want a rain cover. Your pack can be a pound heavier or more from rain.
However, Dyneema and Uktra Backpacks don’t really need a rain cover, just a liner.
When my wife and I switched to Hyperlite packs the fabric is waterproof and the typical liner works very well without a cover. Very little rain gets in (though enough you should have a liner for insurance).
But with those we abandoned covers.
Earlier, we always used pack covers.
While thePacka.com is the most well known there are both ponchos and packas that replace a pack cover—and they make for dry pack straps.
They also vent well. While it is a downside in wind without trees breaking it, that feature is great for the Appalachian Trail.
The down side of ponchos is wet arms—significant in cold weather.
Reflecting, I’ve hiked a lot in cold weather. It affects my attitudes about all sorts of gear. I’ve also hiked a lot where the threat of ticks (the AT) or sunburn (the CDT) kept me in long pants.
That also has really affected my approach to gear.
Afterwords: what about umbrellas and hats?
I’ve really wanted to like umbrellas. I just haven’t been able to make them work with brush and with wind.
Others can. Happy6 finally left hers in a hiker box. I’ve a friend who mailed his home on every long trail. Others swear by them. All I can say is experiment.
And hats?
Just saw a Tilley hat used for $40 and new for $99. You get a free cult membership with the hat but they are heavy and I could never get them to be waterproof.
One of many looks
Frogg Toggs hats are $14 if you shop around. Waterproof. Breathe as well as Tilley. Lighter.
I moved from Tilley to Frogg Toggs on the AT.
Since then I’ve moved to ball caps paired with a sun hoody. Currently I’m using BuiltCool hats which are washable and use evaporative cooling. $14 to $17 (search google for the best price).
I’m using them for sun protection and light rain. Under a rain jacket and hood in the rain so only the brim is exposed. On the AT I did not need sun protection very much and it was all rain protection.
Now I’m hiking where it is 95% sun protection and occasionally having a better brim for rain.
Afterword: waterproof shoes
This is very much a YMMV (your mileage may vary) sort of thing. I used to walk a five mile loop in the Dallas summers, at times at 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). My feet did not sweat that much after I adjusted to Texas.
When I finally started just wearing my shoes to ford on the 100 Mile Wilderness my waterproof shoes dried out by nightfall.
I appreciated waterproof shoes in shallow water/mud and wet morning grass and rain.
Others do not have the same experience. But for me, they are great when a lot of rain is expected or for shallow water on the trail.
You have to experiment for yourself. But the story isn’t one sided.
Afterword: waterproof gloves and mitten shells.
Just be aware that there are many alternatives. My favorite mitten shells (wear them over your wool glove liners) are no longer sold. Otherwise, it is a long topic but one to be aware of.
The AT (Appalachian Trail) is very social. It has shelters. More than 250 shelters averaging about eight miles apart.
The shelters cause hikers to cluster (even if they only camp near them). Shelters usually have a nearby water source and a privy. They also usually have a bear box or cables for safe storage of food at night.
Bear box
The trail follows ridge lines and the tread (the footpath) is really often very rugged with roots and rocks and a lot of vertical per mile. Trail erosion is a real factor in places.
On the AT
People avoid alternative routes which have blue blazes. The main trail is white blazed (has white vertical rectangles painted on trees).
Finally, resupply is easy, often only 30 or 40 miles down trail and often can be done at low cost at a Dollar General or similar store. There is a well developed culture around hikers, well developed support services and hostels.
It is possible to slack pack the entire trail or to spend virtually every night off trail in a bed. Books have been written about how to do both.
Both the northern and southern trail terminus points are close to roads and are fairly easy to access. Both terminus points have day hikers hiking them.
A ”green tunnel” section.
The AT is a temperate rain forest and it does rain a lot. “No Rain, No Pain, No Maine” is the catch phrase. On the other hand, micro spikes, ice axes and crampons are not generally used on trail.
The Pacific Crest Trail
The PCT is longer than the AT and people usually take a month less time than it took them to hike the AT to hike it. Most of the social aspect is at town stops.
The trail is really sweeping with great views. It has very few alternatives, but people do not have any qualms about hiking them. For safety there are times the alternative routes are preferable.
While the southern terminus is easy to drive to, the northern terminus is a hike in and hike out over several days.
There are large sections with extensive fire damage on the PCT and there are usually closed sections and temporary reroutes due to fire.
There are a few long water carries and a few places water caches are landmarks. I never dry camped on the AT. I did on the PCT.
There are also some high chaparral stretches.
Resupply is often further than the AT. The average is 74ish miles. Often resupply occurs in a resort town and can be pricey.
There are maybe two or three shelters, none of which are really ones you would want to camp at. At times the trail runs through abandoned camp grounds.
The trail is graded. The PCT is also shared with pack animals which are banned from the AT. It has switchbacks but you are much more likely to cross snow fields and will need microspikes or crampons and an ice axe.
Blazes use the PCT logo and they are intended to be unobtrusive. While the trail on the AT was obvious (except once or twice due to heavy leaf fall) it isn’t always quite as clear on the PCT if there is snow.
You are also going to ford deeper water. The AT has all of its fording in the 100 mile wilderness. The PCT has fording more scattered out.
Both have trail families as a common feature.
Happy6 and I encountered a lot of blowdowns on the PCT. Pretty much no road walking unless there was a fire bypass. The PCT needs a lot of maintenance but it is generally clear where the trail is.
For both the AT and the PCT, FarOut (the app) on your phone is really enough.
The Continental Divide Trail
The CDT has most of its social features on the shuttle to the south terminus. There are occasionally other social spots, but often socializing is sparse or random.
Services are often significantly less.
There are a lot of long water carries and places where all the water comes from caches. In fact, your first four days on trail will probably all be using water caches.
Not to mention the cow water tanks and troughs.
Resupply is often a hundred or more miles from one to another.
The CDT has a lot more large wildlife. Wild horses, herds of them. Many Antelope. Elk. Grizzly bears. Moose. (Ok. Other trails have some of those but the CDT is where I saw them).
The CDT is a trail for carrying bear spray in places.
The CDT’s trail is winding and has a lot of walking on dirt roads. It also is “nothing” but alternative routes. Sometimes the official route has no tread, maintenance or blazes while an alternative is blazed, cut and maintained.
Much of it is also not blazed.
It has places where there is no trail tread —where there is literally no footpath. It has places where the trail is a bushwhack and everyone seems use dirt ranch roads that are in the same area.
As for fording, especially with the Gila you can expect to ford over a hundred times.
While it crosses some true deserts it also has monsoon season in Colorado with some real thunderstorms and hikers do hit snow and ice. Happy6 and I got “lucky” because of the way the weather bounced us around so that we missed a lot of snow, ice, and storms.
Avenza, COTREX (a free app for Colorado trails), Garmin, FarOut and CalTopo all came in handy and at least once were all wrong. Happy6 also used OnX Maps. Avenza ha the Ley Maps available for free through the CDTC.
