Trip in the Rockies: Would you make these changes?

[Shawn Bearden]

Colorado Trail July 2016, ~17 days, ~30 miles per day, solo

Here is my current gear list. To the right of some major items are potential changes. Thought and feedback on those changes (or anything else) is welcomed.

Thanks in advance!

[Mina Loomis]

For a 17-day mountain trip, if you decide to go no-cook I would at least add back in a way to make a small fire.  Wet/cold/injured, could make a big difference.  Especially if you at least have a metal cup to heat water.  Do you already know a good no-cook menu plan that you like?

I too struggle with that 10 lb.-carried “barrier” although my clothing items would be lighter than yours because of me being smaller.

[Mina Loomis]

P. S. With the emergency fire suggestion, I am assuming no current local burn ban.  Burn ban = no fires, maybe even no ignition sources if stringency dictated by the circumstances.  But more likely if you need a safety fire it’s because of a lot of rain and probably cold, plus an injury, so less likely for a burn ban to be immediately relevant.

[Shawn Bearden]

Hi, Mina. Thanks! I do have a suite of no-cook foods that I like, don’t become unappealing after many days, and are calorie dense. What concerns me most about going no-cook for this long is the morale factor. I just don’t know how much of a morale boost a warm, cooked dinner will be after two weeks. I do find cooking to be a bit of a hassle with the stove components, prep, and cleanup. This is really not a big deal but a slight inconvenience.

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