My 2013 Colorado Trail Thru-Hike

[Rick Burtt]

I know this is early, but I'm planning on using this summer to work out any bugs/tweaks in my kit. I plan on resupply by friends about once per week in the 25 days I plan on being on the trail. You can find my list at this link:

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=5695

Appreciate any feedback from folks out there. In particular, not sure all of it plus a week of food will fit in my Peak pack. If I step up to the Jam, that adds 3 oz to the base. I have everything on this list, except the quilt and the camera, but I'm still open to alternatives.

Thanks,
Rick

[Matthew Zion]

So my ancient Macbook (2yrs old) can't install Adobe Flash 11. Would you mind copy/pasting it into a forum post?

I yo-yoed the CT this summer and thought resupplying via hitching was easy enough. The only stretch that really filled up my bag was Salida -> Silverton. Depending on your strategy this is probably the only section that might max out your Peak but if family/friends are meeting you it should be simple enough to meet at several passes in that region.

[Luke Schmidt]

I can't get your gear list to load. Once its up I'd love to help out. There are some long stretches between resupplies and some long dry stretches so even with a small baseweight your pack can get heavy. If I did it again I us an internal frame pack unless I could average 25 mile days or more to reduce the time between resupplies.

[Rick Burtt]

I even tried to get to the link from my Windows machine at work using IE 9 with no luck. I'll copy and paste the list into here when I get home. Appreciate your willingness to help, especially with the resupply/water logistics!

[P. Larson]

Am I the only one who can see this? Sadly, I'm new to UL backpacking also, so I can't offer up much help.

In case people are wondering, 2011 MacBook Pro with Lion and your link works fine.

[P. Larson]

Maybe this could help:

[Rick Burtt]

This is up to date. Incidentally, 2009 MacBook Pro with Lion and Chrome, the link works fine. *sigh*

[Luke Schmidt]

Rick here are a few thoughts

1. You will want to stiffen up your pack with a sleeping pad, ideally a foam one. A neo-air probably won't cut it and even if it did work I'd worry about the neo-air failing under the stress.
2. If you want to keep the Neo Air I'd get a pack with a frame in it. A Jam plus a foam pad to stiffen it up will weight about 2 1/2 pounds. There are a number of lightweight internal frame packs out there that weight around 2 1/2 pounds.

Edit – Do you already have a Jam? If so great, I had one once and they are a goo value. On the other hand if you don't have a Jam they are currently out of stock but the Golite Pursuit is on sale for $89. The pursuit weights 2 lbs 15 oz but I bet you could trip a few ounces off it by removing the top pocket and extra strap length. I don't think a stripped down Pursuit would be much heavier than a Jam+foam pad. If you're set on using the Neo Air this might be a way to go.

[Rick Burtt]

Good tip on the structure. I'm going to do some trips this summer to really test the kit out, so we'll see if the included back pad is sufficient to hold up without torso collapse. I have a Peak right now, but am considering the Jam. I've talked with the local GoLite folks and they seem to be in a lull after clearing out inventory while the 2012 line is in production. I'm told to start looking for the new products mid-February.

[Luke Schmidt]

If you dig up the State of the Market Report on frameless packs they discuss the Jam and Peak along with other packs in some detail. I think the verdict on the Jam was that it collapsed much quicker with just the included backpanel compared to a folded pad.

Hello,

Just a few thoughts…

On February 01 Brooks will be releasing the new Cascadia 7 shoes that fix all of the horrific problems of the C6, so it might be worth giving them a try before you hit the trail. Those C6 have been horrible and thankfully Brooks heard the complaints of their users and gone back to the way things were around the C4 when the Cascadia were a true work of art. I personally felt the C5 was the best, but those C6 did not make it out of my house before they got taken off and sent back. Everybody with their hands on the C7 so far are reporting they are way better than the C6 shoes and almost as good as the C4.

A camera and an iPhone? (Or, do you have the older iPhone3?)

Lastly, I agree with others that the backpack without internal support (be it a pad such as the Thinlight Insulation Pad 1/8" rolled, but not the neoair as it will not offer any structural support) would be a wise decision at the TPW that you are looking at.

John B. Abela
HikeLighter.Com

[Karl Gottshalk]

I use a NeoAir in a pack without internal support (ULA Conduit). I fold it into fifths and put it in my pack first against my back, the tubes run vertical. A puff or two of air is all it takes. Worked for me on the entire CT. Highly recommended. If your pack is really empty, put in a few more puffs.

Karl

>Lastly, I agree with others that the backpack without
>internal support (be it a pad such as the Thinlight Insulation
>Pad 1/8" rolled, but not the neoair as it will not offer
>any structural support) would be a wise decision at
>the TPW that you are looking at.

[Rick Burtt]

I have read the SOTM report and have wondered about the Peak and Jam; so far I've only had about 18 pounds in my Peak but have had no collapse issues. I think it helps that it comes in a Medium size as well as Small and Large since my 19.5 torso sits right on the border of most pack sizes. I'll try the NeoAir puffed up and see how it goes.

I do have the iPhone 4 (not 4S), but still find the camera to be sub-optimal. I'm willing to spare a little weight to bring along a higher quality camera. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of Ryan's review of the NEX-7, but all other reviews I've read are promising.

[Rick Burtt]

Forgot to mention… Hadn't heard anything bad about the C6 – can you point me to a review with some specifics? I took them for a short hike today (<2 miles – had my toddler with me – with no weight to speak of) and they were good. I've a neutral gait and wore them in the store. I got them with a discount so they're non-returnable, so I'll likely torture-test them under a variety of conditions and make a judgement call from there.

Rick, Perhaps one of the most predominate bloggers talking about the suckage of the C6 is this one. Lots and lots of others out there doing so (including myself).

[Rick Burtt]

Thanks for the link. The C7 is interesting – particularly the assymetric lacing. I'll be curious to try them when I wear these out, or get fed up with them, whichever comes first.

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