c/backpacking-routes

Just clocked 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail this weekend

I hit 500 miles of the AT near the Virginia border on Saturday. That number surprised me because I started out just doing weekend trips last spring. I figured I'd maybe get 200 miles total for the whole year. But once I got into the rhythm of 10 mile days, the miles just kept adding up. I use a simple logbook to track each section and it really helps to see the progress. Has anyone else found that their initial mileage goal was way off from what they actually ended up doing?

I finally tried the Lost Coast Trail in California last month

The whole time I was walking that beach section in King Range, I kept noticing how many people were hauling way too much gear. I counted 3 different groups with full camp chairs strapped to their packs. Has anyone else seen this trend getting worse on coastal routes?

That overheard trail runner at REI gave me a new water crossing trick

I was grabbing some new mole skin last Saturday at the REI in Denver and heard this guy telling his friend to always unbuckle your hip belt before crossing a river. His logic was if you slip and fall, the pack drags you under if it's cinched tight. I'd never thought about that in 8 years of backpacking. I always just crossed slow and hoped for the best. Now I make it a habit to loosen everything before any creek crossing over knee deep. Has anyone else got a simple safety habit they picked up from a random overheard conversation?

Gear failure on the John Muir Trail - do you pack backups or just hope?

I was about 50 miles into a 7 day section on the JMT last month when one of my trekking poles just snapped in half. No warning, just a clean break right above the lower lock. I had to finish the next 4 miles using a stick I found on the trail, which was slow and honestly kinda sketchy on the rocky parts. That got me thinking - do you guys carry spare poles or repair stuff for gear that could fail, or do you just trust your equipment and deal with it if something breaks? I mean, I get that packing extras adds weight, but limping down the trail with a random branch made me reconsider. What's your take on this?

Vent: I threw $60 at a map app that almost got me lost on the PCT

I downloaded this fancy offline map app last month for a section of the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake. Cost me $60 for the full version with all the trail overlays... turned out the GPS kept lagging and showed me on a completely different ridge. I ended up hiking 3 extra miles in the wrong direction before I realized it was lying to me. My buddy uses a paper map and a compass and never has these issues. Has anyone else had a digital map screw them over like this?

Got told my pack straps were all wrong by a guy at a trailhead in Colorado

I was loading up for a 5-mile hike near Durango when some older dude pointed out my shoulder straps were too loose. He showed me how to adjust them so the weight sits on my hips instead. Now my back doesn't ache after the first mile. Anyone else get corrected by a stranger on the trail?

Got stuck on a ridge in the Smokies when my map tore in half

I was hiking the Appalachian Trail near Clingmans Dome last October when a surprise gust ripped my waterproof map right down the center crease. I had no cell service and the fog rolled in so thick I couldn't see 20 feet ahead. I had to backtrack using rocks and tree bark patterns until I found a blue blaze trail to follow down. Anyone else navigated with nothing but instinct when gear failed?

TIL a guy on Reddit told me to skip the Sierras in late May. Dumb advice.

Someone in this group said the snow would be fine by Memorial Day on the JMT. I trusted him. Wrong call. Got hit with waist-deep slush at Muir Pass. Had to bail at Bishop after 4 days. Should have listened to the ranger instead.

That expensive lightweight tent footprint I bought ended up being a waste of $80

I spent $80 on a fancy Dyneema footprint for my new tent thinking it would save weight and protect the floor on rocky ground. Turned out the thing was so thin that a sharp rock poked right through it on day 3 of a hike along the Appalachian Trail. Anybody else had better luck with just using a cheap polycro sheet instead?

TIL a guy on the PCT told me to skip the Sierra snow crossing and go the southern route instead, ended up being the best call I made all trip

He said the snow was waist-deep in late June and I'd lose a week postholing, so I detoured through the desert and hit amazing water caches and empty campsites while everyone else was stuck - has anyone else had a stranger's random advice totally save their hike or was that just dumb luck?

The Guthook trick that saved my ass on the JMT last summer

I was sick of guessing water sources and hauling extra weight. Then I figured out you can download the offline maps AND mark your own waypoints on the phone app before you lose signal. Has anyone else used this to plan dry camps better?

Skeptical about ultralight gear until my pack hit 38 pounds on day one

Last summer I loaded up for a 5 day trip on the John Muir Trail with my old 65 liter pack. Weighed it at the trailhead and it came in at 38 pounds. First day was brutal, my shoulders were killing me by mile 6. A friend convinced me to swap my tent for a trekking pole shelter and ditch the camp chair. Next trip I was down to 28 pounds and it made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the hike. Anyone else have a piece of ultralight gear they resisted trying?

A thru-hiker told me my pack was riding 2 inches too low and it fixed my hip pain overnight

They said my hip belt was sitting on my hip bones instead of wrapping around them, and after adjusting the load lifters everything felt way more stable on the trail, so has anyone else had their whole carrying setup changed by one random piece of advice?

Wasted $60 on a 'waterproof' map case that leaked on day 2 of the PCT

Bought a fancy clear map pouch from the gear shop in Bishop and it fogged up inside then let rain right through near Evolution Creek. Anybody found a map case that actually stays dry in a downpour?

Saw a massive change in trail conditions over 3 years on the Kettle Valley Railway route

I've been hiking the KVR section near Penticton since 2021 and honestly the difference is wild. Back then the old trestles were still pretty solid but now parts are literally crumbling into the canyon and you gotta watch your step real careful. Some people say it's just natural decay and we should leave it be, others think the trail society should rebuild them before someone gets hurt. Has anyone else noticed how fast those wooden structures are falling apart compared to just a couple seasons ago?

A random stranger on the PCT changed how I plan water carries

I ran into this older guy near a stream crossing on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer. He asked how far I was carrying water and I said 20 miles to the next source like my guide said. He laughed and told me to always check recent trail reports because springs dry up faster than the maps show. That simple tip saved me from hauling an extra 3 liters through a dry stretch a few days later. Now I always check trip reports from the last 2 weeks before any long section. Anyone else had a random trail encounter that totally shifted your planning?

Warning: wasted $80 on a "Gore-Tex" rain jacket from a random online sale

Found this deal for a waterproof jacket marked down from $250 to $80. Looked legit, had the tags and everything. First real rain on the Appalachian Trail last month and I was soaked through in under an hour. The "breathable" claim was a joke too - felt like wearing a trash bag. Emailed the company and got no reply. My buddy's $40 Frogg Toggs from Walmart kept him bone dry the whole trip. Has anyone else fallen for one of these fake outdoor gear sites?

That stretch of the AT in Maryland I hiked 10 years ago is barely recognizable now

Talked to a older hiker on the PCT and now I feel dumb about my gear choices

Ran into this guy who's done the trail like 4 times and he told me he carries a 3-pound tent and a foam pad. I've been hauling an 8-pound setup for 2 seasons thinking I needed the comfort. Makes me wonder how much weight I could actually drop without hating my sleep.

Hot take: that expensive ultralight tarp wasn't worth my $200

I dropped $200 on a fancy DCF tarp last year because everyone in the forums swore it was the only way to go for weight savings. First trip out on the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake, a branch poked a tiny hole in it during a wind gust. Patched it up with tape but it kept leaking in a light drizzle the next night. My buddy with a $40 blue poly tarp from the hardware store stayed bone dry the whole time. I get that DCF is lighter in the pack, but for that price I expected it to handle basic trail conditions without failing. Am I just unlucky or did I buy into hype?

Why does everyone treat Appalachian Trail thru-hikes like a race these days?

I keep seeing posts celebrating 100-day completions but nobody talks about the mental toll of skipping town days and pushing 20+ miles daily, so is the goal to finish fast or actually soak in the trail experience?

Best day on the Appalachian Trail was a rainy Tuesday in Virginia, worst day was a sunny Saturday in the same stretch

What makes a day great or terrible out there is less about weather or scenery and more about things like how your gear holds up and what kind of shape your feet are in, so which matters more to you, having good equipment or having the right mental attitude?

Spent $150 on a 'must-have' ultralight tent for the Wind River Range, and it was a total mistake.

My cousin swore by a 'shortcut' on the Lost Coast Trail

He told me to skip the Black Sands Beach tide chart and just go for it at low tide (you know, the usual advice). Well, we got pinned against a cliff by a sneaker wave near Mattole Creek and had to scramble up a super sketchy slide zone. His 'shortcut' added like two hours of bushwhacking and I lost a water bottle. Anyone else have a well-meaning tip that totally backfired on a hike?

I followed a 'shortcut' on AllTrails that cost me a full day and a new pair of boots.