We met this hiking couple who are 84 & 76 on the CDT this year. He is named Fixit and she goes by Third Monte.
They’ve done the CDT, the PCT twice and half the AT. They got tired of the Appalachian Trail and just how rough it is.
They were on the CDT for a second time.
Also ran down some other bloggers we met on trail:
Mitten gloves (gloves with caps that fold over and become mittens but that you can fold back and let you use your fingers) seem so perfect.
I just can’t get them to work out for me.
As for beanies. I find that people who don’t sunburn and who prefer puffies without hoods really live in beanies. Many people get to where they sleep in them on and off trail.
I find myself using them off trail. Especially since my wife likes the way mine looks.
But I’ve carried them on trail and just never used them.
Got to thinking about this when I realized I was wearing the beanie a lot recently and then ran into the mitten gloves while going through gloves in the coat closet.
I have a pair of military wool glove liners that I’ve ended up wearing around town instead because they are warmer.
I’ve worn them in polyester too. 32 degree $1.99 gloves — and you can’t beat the price.
https://www.gerryoutdoors.com/
Ok. I’ve bought a lot of their clothing. I’ve liked it all. From time to time a Gerry item has been my favorite.
And the prices. $12 for shorts. Great top layers.
But … no guarantee that I’ll ever be able to find whatever the item was ever again. No guarantee I can recommend something and a reader will ever be able to find it.
I’m still regretting I did not buy a second quarter zip when I got one at Costco. They sold out and I see no more of them.
But when you can find them in stock they often have great gear. Sometimes they have something else.
Wish that website finally worked. (Been a couple years since I first found it. Still nothing works on it).
The IMUSA aluminum cup. In either size.
For a solo hiker they are light. Strong. Great heat transfer (aluminum transfers heat better than titanium). Built in handles.
The only downside is that they aren’t quite big enough for a couple to use/share.
But they are an incredibly good deal. I carried one for a few hundred miles as we determined if the Stanco greasepot was large enough. It was so the cup went home to save weight.
But I still recommend them over Toaks (I’ve also had some of those —free from a hiker box) that I passed on while I kept the aluminum.
Admission: I prefer a polished bowl titanium spoon over the slightly lighter aluminum one from Sea to Summit. But I don’t need the heat transfer with my spoon.
32 ounce capacity Stanco at 3.5 ounces.
Vs the IMUSA 40 fluid ounces for the large cup (which Walmart sold me tonight for $3.08 with shipping).
.7 quarts is only 22.4 ounces. And yes. I’m going to try it out in the larger size. IMUSA 1.25 quart cup — will confirm what it weighs.
This is just a grab bag of matters relating to my hiking but ones that I’m not sure will interest most people.
I got hearing aids about a year ago and they were a real improvement in my life. Prices had come down about six thousand dollars (don’t get me started on what caused prices to be so high) and I was glad to go to Costco and get excellent quality hearing aids.
The question was what to do while I hiked. The answer is that I hiked with them. I got the travel charger, which can recharge when hooked up to power and that carries “three days” of recharges (it reliably gave me at least four recharges).
I’m so pleased by that. It was nice to have my ears while hiking.
https://www.soundly.com/blog/airpods-as-hearing-aids — that is the next step — using airpods as hearing aids. Should work well, as lots of people hike with air pods. The technology gets better and the cost and weight keeps going down. The one thing airpods have going for them is that they allow ambient noise to override the blue tooth uses of the airpods so that the user hears the world around them rather than having it blocked out.
There are times it is nice to block out the outside world. But usually I’d prefer to be able to hear. As it is, when I hike I don’t listen to podcasts or other things because I want to be able to hear what is going on.
I developed a chocolate allergy that got bad enough twenty years or so ago that I quit eating chocolate altogether.
Eventually I ceased to be allergic to chocolate and was able to eat it while hiking, and I started eating chocolate off trail too.
Well, the allergy started to come back. As a result, I’m completely cutting chocolate out of my diet except while hiking since there are times chocolate touched calories are the only calories available.
Every tent after the Copper Spur has needed zipper repairs. The Triplex. The X-Mid Pro 2. The Off-Set Trio. Zpacks used to offer zipper repair.
When I finally decided to pay for it I discovered that now they just sell replacement sliders https://zpacks.com/products/silver-3-double-pull-zipper-slider and provide videos on how to use them.
https://zpacks.com/pages/zipper-slider-replacement. The difference is the repair was $50.00. The sliders are fifty cents each. That is a huge savings.
If the replacement silders work out as well as I expect, I’ll order more. If I had been thinking, I’d have ordered more when I ordered the ones I just bought.
So that is what is going on with the zippers on the Zpacks Off-Set Trio and getting them fixed.
As far as I can tell, every thousand miles or so, zippers will need some help from a pair of pliers or other repairs and sometimes the reparis just don’t take. Planning on replacement sliders is a great approach, and very lightweight.
We have a gear room (or actually a gear closet) now. Kind of neat. Next week I start sorting things more and revisting which item of gear are in my pack. I might as well make use of the opportunity while I have it.
As to gear, I don’t expect much of a change. I really expect to just organizing the “extra” gear and alternatives better and make sense of what I’ve accumulated. We can also consider gear to share with (give to) our kids.
This is my current list:
While we won’t need permits for the thousand miles of the CDT we have left, to do the 150 mile Sierra section we will need permits.
Here are the two links for all you need to know for local permits.
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/local-permits/
As of 2‐1‐21, Inyo NF permits beginning at Kennedy Meadows are Walk Up Permits. Regarding locations that show as “walk up”, i.e. Trail Pass, Cottonwood Pass, Kennedy Meadows, www.recreation.gov states: “Due to COVID‐19, until further notice there are no traditional walk‐up permits. The same allotment of traditional walk‐up permits (40%) will be posted on www.recreation.gov every Monday for the following Monday
etc. Read the complete material at https://www.triplecrownoutfitters.com/uploads/b/2556a720-51d7-11ea-8796-f5da57ab01a8/80de8db0-64b1-11eb-930d-7d34e300260e.pdf
through Sunday.”
The Black Rock Ranger Station is in the Kennedy Meadows area, 15 miles from Triple Crown Outfitters. It is a seasonal Ranger Station. When open, Black Rock issues permits to cover from Kennedy Meadows (mile 703.4) to Cottonwood Pass (mile 750.2).
This link is also useful for local permits and what you should know:
https://www.postholer.com/articles/PCT-Permits-Reality-Check
Note that if you are doing under 500 miles you have to use local permits, the long distance permit is not available to you.
From left to right
Not pictured: Jolly Gear sun hoody (https://jollygear.com) and Black Diamond Alpenglow Pro. I like the not so “colorful” designs.
In the following picture I have 32 degree base layers. I started hiking in an Underarmor base layer. It wicked sweat really well. I later switched to 32 degree for sleeping in before I switched to merino blends when pure merino developed holes too quickly.
I also tried hiking with a bandana, hat and base layer top (especially the new military designed Silkweight) but eventually moved to a sun hoodie and hat.
Started with 32 degree, moved to some Amazon baselayers, then moved to merino and then to merino & capilene until I lost the merino top this year (in 2024). I’d had it for years.
Now I’m probably going to stick with Silkweight base layers.
Though 32 degree baselayers are very inexpensive (under ten dollars) and excellent for daily wear.
This is my wife and I fixing our REI Half Dome while camping. Not bad for a $25 tent.
We have come a bit with the gear we use.
https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/backpacking-gear/best-thru-hiking-shoes/
These are Moabs. Quality control went south at the end of Moab 2’s run. The have been a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide since 1997.
They come as a low and a mid and in waterproof and regular versions.
They also have a “vent” version which is extra breathable.
They are not cushioned at all and require “hardening” your feet in order to hike long distances in them.
But they are very stable and have Vibram soles which have the uniform grip of Vibram on rock.
Counterpoint on Merrell decline in quality.
I don’t know how things will go for 2024 or 2025. I’m hopeful and I’m glad I am not currently depending on Merrell.
In August they are non-quota and easy to get.
Here are the details. Just log on two weeks before you start.
This originally was “CDT SOBO” with a link to a well written summary. The link disappeared.
So I changed the post.
Not sure what happened.
I’ve had updates and changes in my thoughts on hiking poles. Recently I was asked some questions and this post is a recap of my answers and the things to think about with poles.
One consistent thing is I have found myself preferring is cork handles.
There are other types, but cork is popular for good reason. Alternatives include foam, rubber, plastic and fake cork. None of them really work as well for me as cork.
The downside to cork is that some critters like to chew on it so you need to be careful of where your poles are at night.
Mine are always vertical now and inside the fly of my tent.
The second element that distinguishes handles is “ergo” handles. That means the handle has a tilt to it. Some handles have a gentle tilt, others have built brands on more of a tilt.
I used to prefer ergo handles but my grip on my pole and how I use them has changed and so ergo handles are no longer important to me.
Finally, some handles are smooth and some have indentations for each finger and there are variations from no indentation to a few to many.
This is something a hiker determines for themselves and a good reason to go to an REI and compare poles.
When I first started I preferred Aluminum poles. I had a number of times when I fell because my poles caught and then they bent instead of broke as I went down and I later bent them back.
You can’t bend back most other materials. Those snap.
However, I then sheared off an aluminum pole on the PCT, got what was available in town (carbon) and never had a bend/fall situation again.
Further, at one time carbon and aluminum poles were much too close in weight because of differences in the pole locks.
That is no longer the case. Carbon is lighter. You can save weight by getting carbon poles.
Fiberglass really has nothing to recommend it.
Poles generally are adjustable in length. The mechanism that holds them or locks them in place at that length is called a pole lock.
These days the choices are flip locks or twist locks. Flip locks have much less in trouble they cause and are preferred by everyone I’ve met or read.
I’m currently using the Carbon cork-handled Cascade Mountain Tech poles from Costco.
They come in aluminum or carbon. The carbon ones are two ounces lighter than the Black Diamond Alpine Cork.
There are some great reviews of these poles. https://andrewskurka.com/cascade-mountain-tech-quick-lock-trekking-poles-review/ is one of them.
They come in foam or cork handles. I really prefer cork. The Cascades used to have some problems with the cork that appear to be resolved now.
At Amazon ~$55. At Costco the price varies.
Two pack currently $74.99.
Finally, the flip locks they use are easy to use and adjust. With trekking pole tents that is important.
My wife uses Foxelli. She found her first Foxelli poles in a hiker box and bought another set. She really likes them. ~$60.
They really are nice.
There is a huge variety in poles and costs. The Alpine Carbon Cork poles cost me ~$200. I got lucky with the price on the Cascade Mountain Tech poles at $27.98.
There are prices at all points in between and you will find people who prefer just about every iteration and variety in pole type.
There are unisex poles and ones especially for women. There are ones that are fraudulently marketed and ones that seem to have no marketing at all.
Finally, while adjustable poles that telescope are standard there are one piece poles and foldable poles. I haven’t written about those because they are rarely used by backpackers on long trails and when used are usually replaced.
Luckily you can try all the options and types out, get a feel for what you like and try various poles out and change your mind as often as you wish.
I often palm my poles putting my weight on the top of the pole handle. I rotate that with other grips. As a resort I like a pole handle with a smooth top.
Some people always use the same grip.
Often you can use your straps as part of the grip. There are other uses for straps as well. The only time I went without straps I regretted it.
Others cut their straps off immediately.
On the AT I generally used pole caps (which go over the tips) which are also used for walking on hard surfaces like concrete. They grip rock better than carbide.
On other trails I’d never use caps. Superglue is the only way to avoid them coming off on trail.
Baskets (which fit just above the tips) can be useful in snow. I’ve always not used them even when I had them and was in snow.
Carbide tips are pretty standard now. That no longer needs to be written about.
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/trekking-poles-hiking-staffs.html —good advice from REI.
I recently got asked some more questions on tents on some forums and thought I would summarize what I said here.
For a one person tent you need to ask yourself some questions:
For most people this means that they will need a two person tent or a generous one person tent and that free-standing is optional. I’ve written before about being in line at REI behind two people, one of whom was buying the tent the other had returned. The buyer was a small person, the returnee was just too big for the tent.
The tent was perfect for the one and not-acceptable for the other.
I’ve hiked some distances with 2p tents. That includes a Durston Pro 2p (which is smaller than the regular Durston XMid) and a Big Agnes Copper Spur. Both were eventually too small for my wife and I.
Currently, the choices for one person seem to be:
My general assumption is that you are going to hike with two trekking poles and I’m not counting their weight when providing weights as you would have them anyway. There are other lightweight tents in the three pound range, some as inexpensive as $100.00.
You can see what others have used on the Continental Divide Trail (usually hiked by experienced hikers) and on the Appalachian Trail (usually someone’s first long hike).
I’ve written a fair amount on these sinced that is what I use. Generally, the Zpacks Off-set Trio is my choice. But going over budget ranges:
Tent Pegs/Tent Stakes
On the Appalachian Trail my preference was inexpensive titanium shepherds hook tent stakes. Very light. Inexpensive. Easily found on Amazon.
Once I got to the PCT with dryer, hard, rocky soil, I switched to MSR Groundhogs. They are made with DAC aluminum which withstands bending and breaking much better than alternatives. I had some neat looking alternative stakes that bent on me and became useless.
Tents I have used on long trails (in bold if they are around the gear room somewhere):
Footprints I have used:
Polycro/Window film. It is light and works well. Not suitable to sleeping on during siesta style breaks. It is waterproof, which important for wet ground and nylon tents. I would put shock cord (also called stretch or bungee cord) ties on the corners and put the tent poles through that to anchor it.
Tyvek. That is what we now use. My wife carries it and it is great for a ground cloth for a siesta. Lighter and less expensive than the footprints sold by gear companies. Some varients are water proof, others are water resistant. Fairly durable.
The Tyvek goes well with the Dyneema tent floors since they are inately waterproof.
On a long trail, the simplier and lighter, usually the better. Of course all of this advice is subject to change next year as improvements occur and technololgy moves on.
