Ultralight hiking & backpacking
Lightweight gear, long-distance trails and trip reports. For hikers who carry their own pack.
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A Winederful Camino Rest
Day 8 from Viana to Logrono Todays Miles: 5.7 miles Total Camino Miles: 100.4 Street Side Cafe Reunion With a short hike to Logrono, we took our time and hit the trail about 9:00 am. It was a cool morning but the warm sun was shining. We stopped at the Oasis Cafe for breakfast, sitting right out on the narrow street. The cafe was run by the same Christian volunteers from the States who operated the food truck in the middle of nowhere yesterday.
Heading Out Onto the Arizona Trail
Today I started the 800-mile Arizona trail, hiking south from the Utah/Arizona border to the Arizona/Mexico border.
Day 12: The Camino’s Cascade of Synchronicities
I woke up in a mood. What mood that was, I couldn’t quite decipher. With a gallon-sized Ziploc bag of scrambled eggs I’d made the night before, I set out in the dark. I knew what medicine to use to help me process: Walking As the movement of my legs loosened the stuck thoughts in my mind, I realized the initial excitement of the beginning was dissipating. When I was on the Appalachian Trail, my coping strategy was to hike big miles.
Pointy Pursuit
I have a pointy encounter along the trail and put in a monster stint in pursuit of a sunset.
Human Remains Discovered in Shenandoah National Park Backcountry
uman remains were discovered near a tent in Shenandoah National Park late last month and an investigation is underway. The remains were found on September 22 in the Naked Creek area following a report of a missing hiker the park had received earlier that day. The Naked Creek backcountry zone is located in the center of the park to the west of Skyline Drive. The area was eventually closed to the public on October 7 until further notice.
Review: Hilltop Packs Cook Pot Stuff Sack
Explore the advantages of a cook pot stuff sack for camping. Keep your cook pot clean and contents secure on your adventures.
JMT Day 8 – More Serendipity
Despite our leisurely days and rest days, we woke up on Day 8 only fifteen or so miles from where we needed to be on Day 10 (for MTR). So, we hiked and talked and took pictures, then took about a four hour break at Sally Keys Lake. I took a nap and waded into the lake and cleaned up a bit. As I was dozing, I heard some horses, and saw two riders coming up the trail.
Born to Be in the Berkshires
Massachusetts had such a wonderful mix of charming towns and little trail treats and beautiful land that it continues to be one of my favorite states. Thank you Mass for the best time!
Te Araroa blog: All the gear and no idea?
I love being nosy and looking at other people’s gear choices, and when I was in the research stage of my preparation I read quite a few of these types of posts on the Trek. So here we go, this is my contribution to the world of gear lists! This is my first thru-hike so I don’t really know what I’m talking about… but I think I have a fairly decent idea what works for me.
Kilimanjaro Prep – Miter Basin
It seemed natural to head to Africa a week or so early and do a Kilimanjaro trek before Becky arrives for the rest of our Africa adventure.
500+ Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail
Day 38 – Mile 444 – The 49er Saloon, Acton It was 5:30 when I woke to my alarm on the dark, cold patio of The 49er Saloon. Using an almost empty fuel canister found in the hiker box and a chair as a table, I boiled water for coffee. Topping off my electrics and packing, I chatted with a pleasant hiker named Rooster, from Georgia. At 7:30 I walked across the parking lot and down the street toward scenic Soledad Canyon Rd.
A Passport Mishap on the Way to the Arizona Trail
Today we began traveling out west to the Arizona Trail. But a passport mix-up up almost stopped us in our tracks.
Camino Primitivo Day 8
We woke up at 6am and finished packing. We ate our leftover meat from yesterday and our donut pastries we picked up from the repesol the previous day. We left the hotel at around 6:30am. We could barley see and took the wrong way for a minute before realizing we were off trail. We saw lights moving behind us in the distance and contemplated who it could be. Jane and Ian caught up with us about 8:30am when the fog started to clear up some.
Confessions and Coffee on the Camino
Day 7 from Los Arcos to Viana Todays Miles: 11.4 miles Total Camino Miles: 94.7 Off To School Los Arcos is a compact medieval town, encircled by thick stone walls and a handful of ancient city gates. We started our hike late this morning at 9:00 am just as young children were heading off to school. It was a crisp 45° as we passed through one of the narrow arched exits. Cafes in town were closed so we decided to hunt for food and coffee further down the trail.
Muir Pass To Bishop Pass: Minerals & Monsters
Day 9: My shoulder ached horribly. I could barely turn my head, like Batman in a live-action film. It loosened up as I moved about, and I used my cork ball to dig deep into the ropes my muscles had formed. But the pain came back in no time. Nonetheless, I tried to formulate a plan to stay in the game. I visualized the perfect food resupply and mapped out how to do everything in the lightest,
Day 11: The Rain, the Snail, and the Sacred Detour
The donativo albergue was silent due to the house rule that no one wakes before 6 am. Because I relished this silence during my journaling and prayer, I went to the common area at 5 and wrote as I listened to the pitter-patter of rain outside. While writing, I reflected on why I came out here in the first place: to heal my religious wounds. Even though the Catholic faith was everywhere on this trail, I had noticed it was an invitation rather than an expectation.
Day 0 – He’s Got a Ticket to Ride (and he don’t care)
Route: Pennine Way prep – Edale to Hope and back again My goal today was to box up and ship my extra clothes to Kirk Yetholm where they’ll be waiting for me at the end of my trail in (hopefully) 20 days. Edale is pretty small: two inns, a church, a school, a campground with a snack bar, the train station, and a handful of houses. One of those inns is the famous Old Nag’s Head,
Above the Clouds or below the clouds?
Hike Blood Mountain in the rain (again) or go to the hostel? Will it clear up in time for summit views on our redemption round?
Camino Days 8-10 with a Zero in León
Its so early, there are starts behind us Today we’re up early to hike by headlamp for 90 minutes. No coffee, no breakfast—just that trust that the Camino will provide. The Camino Provides Sometimes she does; other times I figure she is off providing for other pilgrims who have greater needs than our first-world desiress. That said, cold instant coffee in a water bottle and whatever snacks we have are not terrible. Dark hiking is a mixed bag.
Meeting The Flintstones
I thaw myself out after a bitter cold sunrise on Mount Greylock. I run into a pack of hungry SOBO hikers, they decide to eat burritos instead of me.
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