Finalizing my pack, two weeks to go!

If you were to lose the microspikes and rainpants, you’d save over a pound right there.

Oh, and the crocs are heavy. I carried a pair of mesh pool shoes for camp shoes and river  crossings that only weighed 2 ounces per pair. Or just wore my hiking shoes loosely laced in camp; no camp shoes at all.

the binoculars are 10 ounces. Heavy! I’m being brutal here, but…how important are they to you?

If you were to lose almost all of the electronics, you’d save over a pound. do you need an inreach on the jmt?

Check your food. Anything less than 120C/oz should be replaced with something more nutritionally dense. Junk food is OK, mostly this is 160C/oz. Protein is necessary, so I expect some loss of calories, there.  But all filler type stuff should be 120-140C/oz. Stuffing is good as are chips. Macaroni barely hits 100, for example, noodles are better at 110. Same for rice. This is a good intro. http://momgoescamping.com/calorie-dense-healthy-backpacking-foods/

You should be able to get buy on around 3000C/day and shed only about 1/3pound per day. That’s what fat is good for, to keep you going in lean times. Do not be afraid to use this. It should be about 1.1-1.5pounds per day. Try it, it works well.

Do NOT lose the microspikes. The Sierras are still snowpacked.

You’ve got a lot of redundancy. Here’s my advice:

Instead of two filters, bring one of those and a lighter second water purification option if you’re that worried (e.g., iodine tablets with vitamin C tablets). I also don’t understand why you’re bringing both a Nalgene and a Smartwater bottle. I get the Nalgene for the steripen, but why the SW? And if you’re looking to shave weight, lose the steripen + batteries and nalgene altogether and switch to a sawyer filter on the SW bottle (would probably want to bring two 1L bottles, but given how wet it is this year, you may be just fine with one).

Lose the sit pad and use your CCF spare pad. I get it’s a luxury item, but it’s redundant.

Normally I’d say the ground sheet isn’t necessary with a tent, but my stupid uberlite has now popped 3 times in the Sierras despite using a polycryo ground sheet, a 0.7 CCF rain skirt, and a 1/8” CCF torso pad underneath it AND being super careful with site selection. This was in the Sierras. So maybe a ground sheet, your tent floor, and your CCF pad will be fine. If you’re a cold sleeper, just know that the uberlite and CCF pad will probably not be enough, especially in snow (obviously, I’m super disappointed in this product). :) Make sure you pack the patch kit for the uberlite. I ended up using mine up, using DCF tape, and duct tape to try to seal it all back…the only thing that worked was the patch kit and DCF tape.

I always count my sun gloves as worn. I usually wear them underneath my warm gloves if it’s cold for extra insulation, and to bed if it’s super cold. But if you think you’ll be carrying them more often, then keep them under spare clothing

This is probably a big personal decision, but lose a pair of underwear  ex official are known for being able to hand wash and dry quickly. Wear one pair, clean the other and let it dry overnight and/or while you’re hiking. Change into the clean pair before bed. Repeat.

Normally I’d say you’re bringing too many hiking socks, but it’s a wet year so bring them if you’re concerned of cold feet while hiking

Either lose the rain jacket or the Houdini, but don’t bring both. Use the rain jacket as a wind and rain jacket or if you’re brave enough, use the houdini jacket as the rain and wind jacket. You’re already bringing a down jacket and baselayers, and hiking in pants and a long sleeve shirt.

Either lose the balaclava or lose the neck gaiter. They serve the same purpose.

Lose the crocs. Or mark them as luxury.

None of your consumables are marked as consumables on my end. Maybe it’s the mobile version of lighterpack, but if not, your FAK, etc. should be marked as consumables.

Know that if you use your pepper spray, you’re likely going to get back sprayed yourself. I, myself, am an overly fearful woman, especially when I’m out in the backcountry. But I’d never bring pepper spray. Use your In Reach mini! Given the high snow pack and swollen rivers this year, I’d personally bring the InReach on the JMT. But this is a relatively very busy trail for a thru hike.To each his/her own, though!

Lastly, coming from a medical professional: assuming you don’t have any allergies, kidney failure, or history of stomach ulcers/bleeding, bring an NSAID instead of Tylenol for pain (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen). And unless you have or are at risk of having heart problems, leave behind the aspirin. Tylenol doesn’t have anti-inflammatory effects. Ibuprofen (Advil) has a quicker onset than naproxen (Aleve). Aspirin has an anti-platelet effect and is less potent of a pain killer than ibuprofen, so it’s not as effective and you’ll bleed longer. Neomycin and other OTC antibiotic ointments are no longer recommended for wound care due to high rates of allergy development (plus antibiotic resistance is going to be the death of human civilization). When I worked as a cardiac nurse, we even stopped putting Bactrim on open heart sternum incisions. If we’re not using them on post-op patients, we shouldn’t be using them for minor scrapes and lacerations. The most effective wound cleansing method is soap, water, and debridement if needed. Keep it clean this way, and keep it wet with petroleum ointment (which is found in antibiotic ointments, and is effective at preventing infection) until it scars. And the petroleum ointment (e.g., Vaseline, Aquaphor) can also be used for lip balm and chafing, so you can lose the chapstick. Everything else in the FAK looks good, assuming you suffer from allergies really bad and that’s why you’re bringing the Sudafed (otherwise, if you rarely get allergies, just bring the Benadryl and treat the symptoms at night).

Anyway, that’s my advice! Have a great trip! I’m jealous you got a slot with this new lottery system. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2020 or 2021 now!

Oh yeah, and most importantly…LOSE THE BINOS.

And rest assured…even when my base weight is close to 3 lbs., I still feel like my pack looks too big. It’s just part of the UL backpacking sickness. It’s like body dysmorphic disorder, but for our packs. ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions. In my head as I’m reading I’m saying, can’t do that, can’t do that. I really need to take a leap on dumping some of these things, like the extra BeFree. I can’t squeeze the Sawyer, my arthritis is too severe. I could lose the Houdini too. Too hot to hike in the rain jacket but the long sleeve is probably enough, even in high wind. Sit pad, yeah, totally a luxury item. Bulky too. But soooo comfy! But you’re right, I can fold up the foam pad instead. That’s 6.3 ounces saved.

Bummer to hear about the Uberlite. If I go back to my trusted Prolite, I add 8 ounces. Worth It? Freakin lot of money these things! I don’t spend it on cars, so I guess it’s ok. Would be nice if they were sturdier.

Pack dysphoria! I like that.

I’m allergic to ibuprofen and Aleve, so that’s why the aspirin. Wish I could handle ibuprofen, it’s much more effective! Tylenol for headache. I used diclofenac for a while, until I developed a stomach bleed while in the backcountry; that was fun. All my pills fit into a tiny round plastic container, except the Benadryl which is in blister pack. I’m sensitive to stings, not really allergic, but I swell up like a balloon. Also if I develop allergy to the aspirin (more likely for people who developed allergies to other NSAIDs), I’ll want the Benadryl. I didn’t put it on the list, since it’s a consumable,  but I’m also bringing a small bottle of Yukon jack. Medicine for when I’m not taking any pills!

Binos have to stay. 50% of the purpose of my trip is birds. They’re the lightest I could find for the quality. They won’t be on my back at least!

Tell me how the inReach substitutes for pepper spray, not sure I  see that.

If you’ve had luck with the Uberlite than stick with it. Your ground protection will be a lot better than mine, and I think lots of people have had zero problems with it.

Regarding your allergies, definitely stick with what’s safest for you. You probably know this, but aspirin can cause stomach bleeding, too, so just be careful! A stomach bleed in the backcountry sounds awful! Sorry you experienced that!

Binos make sense now. :)

I used to carry pepper spray until my cop friend explained a few things: it’s likely not going to be within easy reach, or if it is you’re probably not fast enough or thinking clearly enough to use it before a perpetrator attacks. If a person is strong enough to attack you, he’s probably also strong enough to disarm you. He’s likely also planned out a few steps ahead of you what he’s going to do, further disabling your plan to reach somewhere, unlock the pepper spray, and point and shoot (assuming your arms are free and you’re still conscious and able to make competent decisions under high stress). Pepper spray also backfires a bit, meaning you’re likely not going to avoid getting it in your own eyes (I’ve never tried it; this is just what he explained). Are you going to be able to run with pepper spray in your own eyes? His advice: learn self defense. That’s just my own opinion based on his recommendations working in the field. My comment about the In Reach was meant half-handedly; if it’s on your shoulder straps, you might have a better chance of clicking the send help button than getting to your pepper spray and using it correctly.  But don’t do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable. It’s a pretty frustrating world we live in having to even have these conversations and be fearful of something like this out in the beautiful backcountry. Our only concerns should be animal attacks! :(

I can’t squeeze the Sawyer, my arthritis is too severe.

Try setting up the Sawyer as a gravity filter.  I’ll never squeeze or pump again…set it up and sit back. Fresh water in 5 min.

I carry my steripen, that I love, in a one ounce–ish belly pack with my lunch and a map. It’s easy, light, and never clogs. I have iodine tabs in case of breakage but it’s never happened.

You could also carry a sawyer filter only as a backup with very little weight penalty.

My son carried a Steripen rechargeable last year on a shorter Sierra hike and it failed day 1 – even the solar charger he had wouldn’t bring it back.  We assumed it got wet in the wrong places. Works fine now at home.  Go figure.  Luckily I had the squeeze. We’ve set it up as a gravity filter at base camps, but then usually bring a larger bag. Those fail too if they are not being used regularly. I would bring the befree and filter to 1 your drinking bottle. Since the befree is a bottle that plus either the smartwater or Nalgene should be enough. I hear there’s lots of water.

Your stove and tent are heavy. Are you sharing those? I love the MSR Windburner and it rocked in the Sierra last year.  It was good for me, my son and 1-2 other scouts at a given meal. If it were me solo I would take an alcohol setup, or at least a lighter canister setup. If you are sharing then share some of the load, like the canisters or part of the tent. Sorry if I missed this in an earlier post.

Carrying less consumables can make a big difference if that’s possible.  You could downsize the battery too. I had a 6700 mAh that worked for 5 days with an iPhone 8, including daily messages with the InReach and lots of photos.  You can leave the phone on airplane mode and turn it and the InReach off each night.

I would leave the pepper spray home, and maybe the sitpad, using the 1/8 ccf around camp. Those sitpads sure our nice to kneel on getting in and out of the tent or sitting down for a meal.

I would leave the crocs behind.  They are sometimes on my list, but never make the final cut. Love that RR shirt though.  HYOH!

Partially, you list seems heavy compared to others because you’ve been more through in listing more of the items.

The big items are a 3-pound tent and a 3-pound pack.  Both of those are easy to do in under 2 pounds and possible to approach a pound each.

A 2-pound bear container sucks, but that is what it is.

I was surprised to see a reference to pepper spray (there are only black bears in California and most black bears I’ve met in the last decade, I was serving up with potatoes, onions and carrots later that day).  But then I saw 3 ounce and for humans not 15 ounces for bears.  Pack what you need to feel comfortable but I think I could find stats and news articles to support the safety of the JMT>AT>the streets of Fairbanks.

A $5 TSA-seized Victorinox Classic would save 2 ounces over your current choice and still give you a blade, scissors, tweezers, nail file, etc.  I can send you one if you want.

Stove and pot can be under 5 ounces, not 15 ounces.  BRS-3000T and a simple grease pot for instance.  I’d be under half of 15 ounce (and under $40) with a HX pot AND stove.

That’s a lot of “clothing, packed”.  You’ve got options besides putting on more clothing.  You could make camp early and get in your tent and sleeping bag.  If there’s a really chilly morning, you can drape yourself in your sleeping bag and forego a puffy layer or two.  CCF cut into sandals could be 1/4 of the weight and vastly less bulk than the crocs.

Thanks all. David, what tent weighs less? I know there are bivy/tarp type options, but that’s too much fussing for me. I looked at everything REI has on their website, and nothing is lighter once you add stakes. I think the only other improvements on tents are the cottage gear one, like The One, but the prices are just too outrageous for me right now (possibly won’t have a job when I return! David knows all about that on-going Alaskan adventure). Eventually I will go that route though and lighten up the tent. Maybe a Zpacks. So freakin expensive.

I have a nice 2 pound pack, but it won’t fit the bear canister. That thing! My old Granite Gear VC Crown 60 is a trusted workhorse, took me up the Chilkoot, all over the interior. Love that pack! but no way will that canister fit, and I have tried. I have to say the new pack, although 3 pounds, carries the load really well. It doesn’t feel like 25 pounds on my back.

Re pepper spray – not worried about bears at all. Humans are always scary. I’ll think about it. I stay off the streets of Fairbanks, tbh, although there’s a meth dealer living 2 blocks from me anyway! His customers seem to come and go and not bother anyone in the hood. So far. Love living in a society that is utterly falling apart.

Bob the tent is a one person. No way would it fit another human! So no shared gear. I’m still thinking about the stove though. I have a pocket rocket and pot that is lighter, just a lot slower and it sucks in windy conditions. Is saving 6 ounces weight, worth increasing cooking time by 10 minutes, every night? Maybe enough sheltered camping along the jmt not to worry about wind? And I can cook in the lee of my tent there, I don’t do that in Alaska (real bears). This one might be doable.

I’ve wondered if people don’t list everything in their checklists, and “cheat” to get lower weights. Kind of silly, since it’s your own back you have to put it all on! I read through them and it always seems like there’s stuff missing, and it’s not the “extras,” it’s stuff like tent stakes, or a raincoat. A salesperson at REI told me yesterday that rain pants aren’t needed anywhere “unless you’re up high,” because “your skin is waterproof.” Excellent recipe for hypothermia in Alaska! I have never regretted bringing rain pants in Alaska, and need them almost every trip. Maybe not the Sierra though? Hard to walk the jmt without going up high.

Oh, right, the bear canister.  In these cases, I ask myself WWMD (What would Manfred do?) during his various JMTs.

I’ve pondered going with just a minimal but full pack frame and then lashing on 1) the bear canister, 2) sleeping bag/quilt and other night-time gear in a modern UL dry sack, 3) another not necessarily waterproof stuff sack for everything else and/or 3 or 4) 2.7-ounce sil-nylon day pack.  You don’t actually need a pack bag – you can’t wear it, eat it, or shelter in it, so why bring it?  Just to hold your stuff?  Again, you can lash gear onto a pack frame with just grams of cordage – we’d do that for Scouts, back in the 1970s, when they didn’t have a pack and frame.  We’d loan them a frame, throw all their stuff in their sleeping bag, fold it over, and lash the lumpy mess onto the frame with a diamond hitch or spider hitch (google those).  If it was going to rain, wrap it in a trash bag or your tent, first.

“When you have a hammer, you tend to see everything as a nail” and I’m unusually good at (and sometimes fixated on) lashing and other rope work to solve problems.  Could the bear canister be firmly lashed to your lighter pack / frame?

Shelter in the one pound range include Zpacks’ Plexamid (15 ounces, $549) and lots of tarp options at 4 to 7 ounces.  At this late date, I wouldn’t suggest relying on a tarp on the JMT – not before you’ve had multiple nights and weather conditions under your belt.  The roomiest thing about a pound (and a very popular option on the AT and PCT) would be the Duplex at 20 ounces and $600.  Yeah, not cheap.

Dixie on Homemade Wanderlust reviewed a 2-person $50-60 tent and compared it to her 2-person $600 20-ounce ZPacks Duplex that she used to thru hike the PCT and the CDT.

River Country Products Trekker 2 has less ventilation having mosquito netting on only one end and is 41 ounces with stuff sack and stakes.  That solves the money issue, but doesn’t do near as much to reduce the weight, only 5 ounces from your current 46-ounce tent.  It would give you a lot more room.  But 5 ounces saved for $60 is pretty good weight/$ AND MORE ROOM!  It does require two trekking poles, which it looks like you’d be bringing anyway.

Sorry to hear Dunleavy went gunning for your job (and lots of others).  My friends at UAA and KPC are worried, pissed, and actively trying to override his vetoes and/or look into a recall campaign.  I don’t understand why a Dunleavy, Arduin or DeVos goes into public office just to burn it all down.  We’ve got it triply bad because our Borough mayor is another mini-me trying to dismantle everything.

Regarding rain pants:  Weather everywhere is different now, but hiking in the Sierra decades ago, you only had to worry about afternoon thunderstorms.  It doesn’t always happen, but if it does, it’s in the later afternoon.  You definitely need to be continually assessing that before going up any passes in the afternoon.  Sometimes we’d set up a tent or tarp for everyone to get under and do a late lunch or early dinner or take a siesta until it blew over.

I can hike through pretty cool conditions in shorts if my trunk is warm and I keep moving.  People differ in that, though.

A cheap and UL option is to bring a trash bag as an emergency rain skirt.

You love your current pack. Why not rent the bear canister?

You can rent carbon fiber bear canisters from Wild Ideas, would of these fit in your pack. https://www.wild-ideas.net/

I agree with David about the lack of need for rain pants at the times that you’re hiking. And renting a Bearikade is also a great idea. Carrying the first night’s freeze dried dinner, I could then get five days of food in a Scout. That little puppy is fabulous and small, but maybe not large enough for your adventure.

I use a windscreen for my pocket rocket and it really really helps boil time and fuel consumption. I leave some ventilation and test the heat of the canister with my finger. Never has this been an issue.

What about a used Fly Creek tent?

Thanks Bruce and Jeffrey, but I already have a Bearikade; it just doesn’t fit into the old pack. The Weekender is a good size for this trip, because of the long carry after MTR.

I’ll definitely look at that cheapo tent. The Moment is perfectly comfortable for one, but I’ll eventually be looking to lower the weight a tad more.

8.7 oz for the steripen and nalgene. You could bring a spare befree for maybe 2 oz.

I like having plenty of water in camp, so in addition to the 1 qt you have, I often carry a platypus 1 gallon (1.2 oz?). However, with the BeFree, I use the 3 qt squeeze plus my 1 L platypus. Ditto on the gravity setup.

All this planning, won’t it be great to just start walking? I love the feeling of having everything I need with me, and a long walk in front of me.

Enjoy!

I don’t carry rain pants in the Sierra either. I figure the Sahara convertible pants over my long johns are good enough.  It’s not like you’re going to be walking through wet brush on the JMT.

I will take a dry pair of tights for sleeping in if I see rain as a threat, but my sleeping bag is a 30F (less than your 20F), so I often need to wear layers inside it.

I think you can get “telephoto” lenses that clip on to your smartphone. If they are long enough, they could be a weight and functional advantage over the binoculars.

If you take the insoles out of your boots around camp, it feels like having a different pair of shoes. Maybe you could loose 9.4 oz without the crocs.

Well, lightening up is a matter of reducing the amount of gear you carry and about using things that are double duty. For every double-duty item, you can replace two of something. Even if the one item is 150% heavier, you save because you can drop two that weigh 100%. (Yeah, I know a numbers game.)

Without replacing anything, you can likely drop several pounds by sticking to the essentials only, few if any conveniences. No one NEEDS two sets of clothing for 3 weeks out on the trail. Rinse them out when you can, wear them damp or wet if you have to, it won’t kill you. You might want two sets of underwear, but I only bring one. A long john set doubles as as sleep wear and tights. (Yes, you need to keep the inside of your bag as clean as possible to reduce bodily oils getting into the down.) In a pinch, you can use your bag wrapped around you under your rain gear for warmth if the temps dip to 20F. You WILL be warm at those temps. Cold mornings mean packing up and get moving for an hour or so, then make breakfast. No set rule that you HAVE to eat before you hike. Ignore the fancy things you have learned, and BE FLEXIBLE. Cool nights usually mean few to no bugs. How can you use this to make your carry weight go down. Dehydrating means less water weight to carry. I can get buy on a single half liter bottle for several hours. Fill and camel up at the water holes. (Strange feeling to be thirsty and have to urinate, simultaneously, though.) Eat enough salt to keep perspiration going. Usually junk foods help there. Bring plenty of rice, it is somewhat slower to metabolize than sugars, bread, and wheat products. Bring dried foods wherever possible, even if you normally eat fresh all the time. It saves weight. Drop the windshirt, these are never actually needed. A rain jacket works as necessary. Wear it loose and extra large. It will also keep you fairly cool in warm rains.Water is not a death sentence, you can survive being wet for a LONG time. Go with the lightest possible stove system, or make an alky stove out of the garbage. (Just remember to make a wind screen too.) Fuel doesn’t have to be heavy, just limit cooking to boil & cozy. Use your hat to cozy it, you won’t need the extra cozy. Avoid long acting chemicals. Nice as a back up, but use a light filter or UV. You can reduce the amount of water you need to carry, because there is no wait time. Modify your tent by removing everything possible, then sew the mesh and floor into the fly. After sealing the seams, you will drop a good half pound to a pound just by doing that. (Watch out for the door(s), of course.) Use UL stakes or no stakes. A stake (peg) is easy to whittle and can save a couple ounces. Reduce the size of your gear as much as possible. Smaller volume will pay for itself while you carry it. Drop handled mugs and stuff, if you can use a pot for cooking, you can eat and drink out of it. A piece of light wire works as a bail handle and is lighter than the handle bracket and handles. And, it works better with a full wind screen with no cutouts. Remove the zippers from your bag. Chances are you can use it as a quilt and save a couple ounces. These are all things you can do for no added expense (well maybe 5-10 dollars) and still make up a good weight savings with no loss in functionality on the trail.

You’re welcome to borrow my zPacks Duplex for your trek, I won’t need it at that particular time. Should save you some weight.

This was recommended on BPL by Richard Nisley. I got one and it’s really nice.

3F UL Gear Cycling Camping Hiking <span class=”matches”>Rain</span> Pants Lightweight Waterproof <span class=”matches”>Rain</span> Skirt <span class=”matches”>Rain</span>wear Men’s Waterproof <span class=”matches”>Rain</span> Pants Windblock Pant Liner Breathable Pa

Could be a compromise vs. pants/no pants. I like the speed and ease of putting it on. No fumbling with zippers/boots/shoes etc to get most of your legs covered. Packs about the size of a ping-pong ball and seems to weigh about the same.

Agree with James re: clothing though I admit while I’ve carefully read this thread I haven’t checked your list. I always take too many changes of clothing on any and every trip of any and every sort but finally seem to have whittled that down on backpacking to 2 of base layer shirts/t-shirts, underwear, &r socks+ 1 pair sleep/camp socks, long underwear top/bottom (cap 1 weight) for sleeping/camp. 1 pr really light athletic shorts both for trail and camp (over sleep set above) , 1 pr. trousers, 1 ls shirt with pockets. a really light puffy, hat/ gloves rain jacket (doubles up for wind and layer over light puffy) & now kilt. My clothing bag is really small since I’m wearing about half, yet I always have clean layers for 6/7 days and plenty of warmth ( though the socks are getting a little crusty the 5th/6th  days despite being washed twice. ( dr. Bronners)  Dirty Girls help a lot with the socks; It’s the built up dirt not the sweat that’s hard to clean out by hand. Clothes should also dry really fast in normal high Sierra dry air. A couple bread bags to put over your socks when you have to wear them around camp and they’re still damp from a stream crossing. Keep the camp socks dry. Then there’s the trick which pretty much works of sleeping with damp socks/shoes etc in the bag . Really does help to dry them out.

2nd the sawyer filter and hanging/gravity feed. There’s always something else to do while it filters. Bird watch! Should be plenty of water! By the way if you haven’t used a gravity feed before you do have to mash the bag a little to get it flowing but once it’s going gravity does the rest. Helps to get the filter wet thru first.

I have a small pepper spray canister and it has a clip like on an ink pen. Why couldn’t that be clipped to a shirt pocket or trouser pocket for fast access in an event?. Potential problems with another person, it  can help to think through what would I do in this event first and have a plan of action. Go McGiver. Identify weapons, routes whatever as a sort of practice.It’s weird I guess but being ready to react rapidly and aggressively seems to put out a vibe that might fend off people with ideas. God forbid it would ever be necessary. It sucks to even think about it. What a world! I have to agree though that the JMT seems an unlikely place to have an encounter. It’s not like some of the big through routes that have easy highway access for any random deranged perp.

On a more positive note what generous offers from Doug and David!  That’s community for you.

Ohh yeah and a really gram weenie savings is these instead of a lamp. You can take 3 or 4. It’s perfectly adequate for pretty much everything except maybe running down the trail in full darkness. Really nice for reading in the tent. Grams make ounces and ounces make pounds. Viva BPL!

photon microlight

Good luck Karen! Not many suggestions that haven’t been suggested. You can do it! Just wanted to say I Love the photon II – it is my main source of light , I’ve added a cam snap to it and my warm hat to make it a “head lamp”. After removing the mini clip and plastic mount it weighs .2oz POINT TWo!

Sung to the tune of “Hot Blooded”.      Gram Weenie! Check it and see. I’ve got a base weight of a hundred and three ozs. Cmon baby do you do more than hike? Ima gram weenie, gram weenie.

Thanks for the offers of loaner gear. I’ll decline this time, because the date is fast approaching. It’s a manageable weight although still a bit heavier than I’d like. Hopefully I’ll shed a bit of personal weight on trail!

I also keep forgetting that once on trail, it’s not that hard to just make do, deal with a bit of discomfort. It sounds terrible when I’m sitting in a comfy chair in dry clean clothes, but once out there for a day, I just don’t even think about it.

Had a great day hike yesterday, starting out in warm breezy weather. Ended by running full tilt uphill in a deluge, faster than I’ve run in ages, with lightning flashing all around! Covered in mud, soaking wet, and hungry, just made it all the more memorable. Ripe wild blueberries and sharing it all with an old friend, sweetened the day. Huzzah for the great outdoors.