Like it or not, we are living in the 21st century, and technology has made its way into the world of backpacking. Now, there are tons of technological advances that have happened in backpacking: lighter and stronger gear, more breathable rainwear, etc. I am specifically…
Re-supply and food planning are some of the most stressful and time-consuming parts of planning a thru-hike! I generally try to avoid planning food (hence my PCT 2018 resupply strategy), but on the John Muir Trail, you can’t really resupply at grocery stores. Unless you…
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…
Sometimes a last-minute planned trip doesn’t go the best, but we managed to pull this one off! A group of my co-workers happened to get President’s Day weekend off, so we headed up to Lake Tahoe for my second-ever snow camping trip. California’s snowpack wasn’t…
Every January, my co-worker and friend, Shaun, plans a fun birthday backpacking trip. Last year, we went snow camping. This year, we opted for something… warmer? But definitely not drier! Despite some day-of travel difficulties, wet weather, and an annoying hit-and-run that resulted in my…
