I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018, and then a collection of shorter thru-hikes in the ensuing years: the High Sierra Trail, the Wonderland Trail, the John Muir Trail, and the Colorado Trail. And I have a feeling that there’s more to come in my future.
In these posts you’ll discover insights into thru-hiking and everything that goes into it: finances, gear, mental struggles, planning tips, and more!
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The John Muir Trail is a little challenging to go true Ultralight for. The heavy, required bear canister, and therefore, a heavier, framed pack to carry that canister, generally sees to that. However, I do believe my gear list is lightweight and still full-comfort. And…
John Muir Trail permits are pretty hard to come by. You probably know this, since you’re researching how to get JMT permits. I failed on my first lottery attempts in 2017. In 2020, somehow I won the lottery for a permit from Happy Isles (after…
Another backcountry trip, another opportunity for new gear! I switched a few things up from the Wonderland Trail to the High Sierra Trail. Not anything too big (except for my pack), but the small changes can make a big difference! LighterPack link to gear list…
I’m looking forward to testing some brand new gear on this trip, and continuing to use some newer gear as well. There’s no better place to try out new gear than actually on trail! For a late July Wonderland hike, I have hopes of good…
Before I jump into this list, I just want to point out that I felt much safer on trail than I did while living in Seattle. I feel like there’s so many worse ways to die in civilization than out in the wilderness. Maybe that’s…
Money is a huge trail topic. Some people may be surprised that doing a thru-hike and “living in the woods” for 4+ months actually isn’t very cheap. I kept a moderately detailed account of my expenses and was planning on writing this post since the…
