c/backpacking-routes

I used to plan every mile of a trip down to the campsite. Then I spent 4 days on the Long Trail in Vermont last October.

I always had every night mapped out before I left home. But that trip I got caught behind a slow group going up Killington and lost half a day. I just started walking without a plan the next morning and ended up at a shelter with a perfect view I would have missed otherwise. It was just 4 days but it changed how I see route planning now. Has anyone else found that loose plans actually make for better days on the trail?

Took me 6 trips to realize my pack was riding 3 inches too low

My lower back was killing me after every hike, then a guy at a shelter in the Smokies just pointed at my hip belt and said 'that's supposed to sit on your hips, not your waist.' Has anyone else had that 'oh' moment with something you thought you had dialed in?

The day the rain hit during week three on the JMT

Honestly, I thought I had it dialed in after two weeks of perfect weather on the John Muir Trail near Tuolumne Meadows. Then last July, a storm rolled in around 2 PM and didn't stop for 36 hours straight. Everything I owned got soaked including my sleeping bag inside two dry bags cause I packed wrong. How do you guys handle unexpected multi day downpours without just hiding in a tent?

Bumped into an old guy on the Pacific Crest Trail who showed me a faster way to filter water

Last month I was hiking a stretch near Crater Lake and ran out of water way before the next creek. An older hiker saw me struggling with my pump filter and just handed me a Sawyer squeeze bag. He said screw the pump, just fill the bag and hang it from a tree branch overnight. Gravity does the work and you don't have to stand there cranking for 20 minutes. Anyone else switch to a gravity setup and never look back?

Hit 500 miles on the AT last weekend and I’m still sore

I finally hit 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail near Roanoke, VA, and it took me about 8 weeks of weekend trips. Didn’t expect my knees to feel this wrecked after just half a year of hiking. Anyone else deal with joint pain slowing them down around that mileage?

TIL the hardest part of the Appalachian Trail isnt the elevation its the mental game

I was always skeptical about people saying the mental part is worse than the physical. Like come on Ive done long hikes before. But after 3 weeks on the AT near the Smokies I hit this stretch where it rained for 5 days straight and I just sat in my tent questioning everything. No views no progress just wet socks. That was the real struggle. Has anyone else hit that wall where your body is fine but your brain just checks out?

Tried a lightweight tarp shelter on the Pacific Crest Trail, ended up hating it after 3 days

Everyone raves about going ultralight with just a tarp and groundsheet, but I gave it a shot near Mount Hood last August and it was a disaster. After two nights of waking up soaked from condensation and fighting with stakes in rocky soil, I bailed and hitched into Portland to buy a proper tent. I get the weight savings, like maybe 2 pounds versus my old tent, but the hassle of finding good campsites and dealing with bugs just wasn't worth it for me. Maybe I was doing it wrong with my setup, but I learned that not every popular route hack works for everyone. Has anyone else tried a tarp and actually stuck with it for a full trip?

I was dead set against using a water filter on trail, but that giardia scare in Yosemite changed my mind

I always thought boiling water was good enough and filters were just extra weight. Then a ranger at Tuolumne Meadows told me about a group that got sick from a stream that looked crystal clear. After that I picked up a Sawyer Squeeze for 35 bucks and honestly I sleep way better now. Has anyone else had a close call that made them switch their water setup?

Tried the Sierra High Route after doing the JMT last year. Way better for solitude.

I did the John Muir Trail last August and it was packed, like 50+ people at some campsites. This summer I gave the Sierra High Route a shot, starting from the same spot near Bishop. It was just me and maybe 10 other hikers over 10 days. No crowds, just raw cross-country travel with a map and compass. Has anyone else found a route that splits the difference between a classic trail and total bushwhacking?

Thought those ultralight backpacking chairs were a gimmick until I carried a heavy camp chair 8 miles into the Sierras

Last summer I lugged my old steel framed camp chair up to Rae Lakes in Kings Canyon. 8 miles in, 4,000 feet of gain. My back was killing me. A guy at the campsite had one of those little 1 pound folding chairs. I laughed at first. Then he let me sit in it. Honestly it was comfortable enough for a 5 minute rest. I ordered one the next week and now I take it everywhere. Has anyone else been converted on something you thought was dumb?

Noticed something odd on the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake last week

I was hiking a section of the PCT just south of Crater Lake about ten days ago, and I could not believe how many people were out there without proper water filters. I counted at least six groups in one afternoon just dipping bottles straight into streams. I get that filters are heavy and slow, but with the giardia risk in that area it feels like playing roulette. Has anyone else seen this on popular sections lately, or was it just a weird weekend crowd?

A thru-hiker in his 70s told me I was carrying too much weight on the PCT

He said my 45 pound pack was basically a rental payment for pain and after I ditched half my gear at the Warner Springs swap box, I actually started enjoying the views instead of just staring at my feet, has anyone else had a random stranger completely change how you pack?

I finally hiked the Wonderland Trail last month and nobody warned me about the creek crossings

I did the full 93 miles around Mount Rainier in August and figured the biggest issue would be snow or bears. Turns out the real nightmare was the loose log bridges across creeks that were running super fast from the melt. Halfway through day 3 I hit a spot near Indian Bar where the log was wet and tilted and I had to crawl across on my hands and knees with my pack scraping the water. There's no official warnings about this stuff on the park website, just that they exist. I talked to three other hikers who bailed early after one bad crossing near Summerland. Bring trekking poles with carbide tips if you're going, and seriously consider water shoes so you can just walk through the shallow ones instead of risking a fall. Has anyone else had a close call on those crossings?

Took a wrong turn on the Superior Hiking Trail, ended up 3 miles off course

Was near Split Rock Lighthouse last Saturday. Missed a cairn marker in the fog. Walked an extra hour before I realized. Had to backtrack through a muddy section. Made it to camp right at sunset. Anyone else have navigation fails on that section?

Shoutout to the hiker I met near Philmont who made me rethink my whole water plan

He was a no-nonsense guy who'd done the Colorado Trail three times. He straight up said, 'Two liters isn't enough for dry stretches, you'll end up sick.' He was right too, my stomach was wrecked after ignoring him on a 15 mile dry camp in New Mexico last summer. Anyone else had a stranger's advice save their trip?

My water filter froze solid on the JMT last week and I had to melt snow for 2 days straight

Got caught in a thunderstorm on the Pemi Loop and finally ditched my paper map

Last fall I was hiking the Pemi Loop in NH when a storm rolled in around Garfield Ridge. My paper map got soaked and started falling apart in my hands. I had the GPS on my phone but no backup battery, so I was nervous the whole way down. After that trip, I bought a Garmin InReach Mini 2 and an Anker 10k mah battery pack. The weight difference is maybe 4 ounces more, but not having soggy paper is worth it. Anyone else switch to digital nav after a bad weather trip?

Drove 6 hours to hike the Eagles Nest Loop and the trail markers were completely gone

Got to the trailhead near Boone last Saturday and the first sign was already faded to nothing. By mile 3 I was guessing which way to go at every fork because the wooden posts had rotted out or fallen over. Had to pull up my phone maps three times just to stay on track. Anyone else run into abandoned trail systems that need serious maintenance?

Heard two guys at an REI arguing about whether paper maps are obsolete or essential on trails like the JMT, which side are you on?

One guy was saying GPS apps save weight and battery banks are light enough now, the other swore his phone died on day 3 of a 10 day trip and he had to backtrack 8 miles to a ranger station, has anyone else dealt with a failed phone mid route and wished they had a backup?

A guy in a shelter told me to lighten my pack and it changed everything

I was on the John Muir Trail about 4 years ago and my pack weighed close to 50 pounds. A thru-hiker named Dave looked at my setup and said, you don't need half that stuff, you're just carrying fear. I swapped my big tent for a tarp and left my camp stove at home. Now I aim for 25 pounds max and the miles go way faster. Anyone else get told something similar that actually worked?

Hiking the PCT taught me about water storage

Everyone I met out there was carrying these huge 4-liter bladders, but I finally realized you only need 2 liters max between reliable sources. I dropped 3 pounds off my pack after Mammoth and my shoulders thanked me for it. Anybody else notice people overpacking water on desert sections?

Appreciation post: finally hiked the Lost Coast Trail after years of hearing about it

I was always skeptical that a 25 mile coastal stretch could rival the Sierra but after doing the northern section last weekend I get the hype now, anyone else find a route that surprised them way more than expected?

Took a shortcut on a trail near Asheville that looked solid on the map... absolutely not

I had this route mapped out on AllTrails that saved 3 miles off the standard loop, but when I actually hiked it last Saturday, it was basically a dry creek bed with loose rocks and a 3 foot drop off on one side. After about 20 minutes of slipping and questioning my life choices, I backtracked to the main trail and met another hiker who told me that shortcut has been washed out for years. Has anyone else had a trail on AllTrails that was totally wrong in real life?

Dropped $180 on a water filter that clogged on day 2 of the JMT

Bought a Katadyn BeFree on a recommendation and the flow rate dropped to nothing after filtering one murky stream near Thousand Island Lake. Anyone else have better luck with the Sawyer Squeeze for silty Sierra water?

Navigated a flash flood on the Tonto Trail last month

I was about 4 miles east of Horseshoe Mesa on the Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon when a sudden downpour turned a normally dry wash into a knee-deep torrent. Water came up fast, like within 10 minutes, and I had to scramble up a rocky slope to higher ground with my pack half open. I ended up waiting it out for about 45 minutes, watching the water drop back down, and then found a way around the muddy mess by cutting up to a higher bench. The route was totally different than what I had on my map, but it worked out without losing too much time. Has anyone else had to bail on a marked trail because of surprise weather?