The Global Test III: Trekking in Russia

Kristin and I were very pleased with the gear we selected for our nine month tour of Latin America. We were happy with the overall performance of our setup, and proud of the low weight and small size of the two backpacks containing our entire life belongings. However, when planning for the next leg of our journey, a three month gallivant through Russia, we made some rookie mistakes: we packed gear that was starting to show wear, swapped things that worked for things we had not field tested, and brought more than a few items that we never used.

Despite some poor gear choices, numerous gear failures, and occasional trouble with the authorities, we survived three amazing months wandering through Russia. We completed six backpacking trips all over the vast country. Below, I have described each one by highlighting both the unique beauty of the landscape and the problems we encountered. Our gear list is detailed at end of the article, where we also specify the changes we made from our Latin America Gear List.

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ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
  • Solovetsky Islands
  • The Khibini Mountains in the Arctic Circle
  • Caucasus Mountains
  • Mt. Elbrus
  • Sochi
  • Lake Baikal
  • Altai Mountains
  • Transiberian Train
• Final Notes on Our Gear List
• Gear Lists
  • Kristin's List
  • Danny's List

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