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Backpacking Light

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You are here: Home / Podcasts / Podcast 015 | Trip Short: The Tahoe Rim Trail

Podcast 015 | Trip Short: The Tahoe Rim Trail

by Backpacking Light on August 10, 2019 Expedition & Trip Reports, New Features, Podcasts

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Summary

When Backpacking Light Gear Editor and Podcast Producer Andrew Marshall set out on a fast thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail, he knew he’d be contending with Sierra snow pack that was several hundred percent above average. The story of that trip – trail conditions, lessons learned, and gear tested – is the subject of this BPL TRIP SHORT.

After a brief introduction, Ryan and Andrew spend some time discussing the Tahoe Rim Trail and conditions in the Eastern Sierra. Among other things, the guys talk about Andrew’s route finding, food strategies, training, and how to walk on sun cups (hint – meditate).

In the second half of the pod Ryan and Andrew talk about the gear – what Andrew loved, what he didn’t, and what he wished he’d left behind. They wrap it up with a lament on the state of footwear in the ultra-light world.

 Outline

  • Ryan introduces show topic and guest – BPL Gear Editor and Podcast Producer Andrew Marshall  
    • Andrew shares his past hiking experience.
    • Some basic facts on the Tahoe Rim Trail.
  • The Hike
    • Trail conditions – another record breaking year for Sierra snowpack
    • Mileage per day
    • Route finding in the snow
    • PCT thru-hikers
    • Training and fitness
  • The Gear
    • Mountainsmith Zerk 40L
      • A minimalist pack for people who don’t like minimalist packs. A master of external and easily reachable storage.
      • See Andrew’s First Look review here, and stay tuned for a full review coming soon.
    • Big Agnes Fly Creek HV1 Carbon
      • A hybrid Dyneema/Sil-nylon semi-freestanding double wall shelter.
      • Does the performance justify the cost?
    • Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite
      • Still probably the best sleep you can get for the weight, but not without its limitations.
      •  Check out Andrew’s extensive review here.
    • Therm-a-Rest Vesper 20F Quilt
      • Andrew has changed his mind a little on this quilt since his initial review.
      • Ryan and Andrew discuss quilt pad connection systems.
    • MSR Pocket Rocket 2
      • This stove has a great value.
      • The Pocket Rocket 2 may not have the chops of the Pocket Rocket Deluxe or Soto Windmaster, but it blazes along well enough to earn it high honors in BPL’s Upright Canister Stove Gear Guide.
    • Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultras
      • Aggressive, durable, and simple – this piece of gear probably saved Andrew’s bacon more than a few times on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Check out BPL’s  enthusiastic review.
  • The Lessons
    • Andrew’s training mistakes.
      • The difference between cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance is important!
    • The most important piece of gear in Andrew’s pack (for this trip).
    • Eating real food.
    • Why Andrew and Ryan are slightly disappointed in the ubiquitous Altra Lone Peak 4 trail running shoe.

Feedback, Questions, Tips?

  • Submit them to [email protected] or Twitter and get featured on our next podcast!

Credits

  • Backpacking Light – Executive Producer
  • Ryan Jordan – Director and Host
  • Andrew Marshall – Producer, Host, and Editor
  • Look for Me in the Mountains – Music
    • Written by: Chris Cunningham and Ryan Jordan
    • Performed by: Chris Cunningham (acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals, harmonica), Chad Langford (upright bass), and Tom Murphy (mandolin).
    • Produced by: Basecamp Studios in Bozeman, Montana

Sponsors: Help us Keep the Podcast ADVERTISING-FREE!

  • This episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast is supported and kept advertising-free by Backpacking Light membership fees. Please consider becoming a member which helps support projects like this podcast, in addition to a whole slew of other benefits!
  • In addition, some of the links on this page may be affiliate links that refer to our partner merchant retailers. If you follow a link and then make a purchase, we receive a small commission which goes a long way towards helping us pay for podcast production, hosting, and bandwidth fees! Thanks for supporting us in this way!

Contact

You can contact us at [email protected], or follow us on social media –

  • Backpacking Light – Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
  • Andrew Marshall – Instagram | Twitter | WWW
  • Ryan Jordan – Instagram | Twitter | WWW

Disclosure

  • We do not accept money or in-kind compensation for guaranteed media coverage: Backpacking Light does not accept compensation or donated product in exchange for guaranteed media placement or product review coverage.
  • Affiliate links: Some (but not all) of the links in this review may be “affiliate” links, which means if you click on a link to one of our affiliate partners (usually a retailer site), and subsequently make a purchase with that retailer, we receive a small commission. This helps us fund our editorial projects, podcasts, instructional webinars, and more, and we appreciate it a lot! Thank you for supporting Backpacking Light!

California, lake tahoe, podcast, tahoe rim trail, thru-hiking

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Comments

Home › Forums › Podcast 015 | Trip Short: The Tahoe Rim Trail

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • Author
    Posts
  • Aug 10, 2019 at 4:32 pm #3605518
    Backpacking Light
    Admin

    @backpackinglight

    Locale: Rocky Mountains

    Companion forum thread to: Podcast 015 | Trip Short: The Tahoe Rim Trail

    Ryan interviews Andrew Marshall about his recent thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. They talk about snow, gear, training, and more.

    Aug 11, 2019 at 10:59 am #3605598
    James Marco
    BPL Member

    @jamesdmarco

    Locale: Finger Lakes

    Thanks, guys! Generally, a nice trip report of a snowy year. Sounds like Andrew had a nice trip, overall.

    How were the bugs?

    As you said, the durability of the UberLight is still in question. In summer weather (no snow,) I can see where the light weight becomes a major advantage. But, in most cases, going below 40F without some sort of supplement is not going to be warm enough for most, and, durability is still a real concern. This means you have to carry some sort of CCF pad as well, both for supplementing warmth and increasing durability. For summer use, fine, but for spring/fall…??

    Aug 22, 2019 at 7:26 pm #3607183
    Diane Pinkers
    BPL Member

    @dipink

    Locale: Western Washington

    Andrew, you mentioned you started out the trail with 2 Liters of water–was that all you carried?  I’m headed there in 2 weeks, and I’m trying to gauge what my longest water carry may be, and how much to allow for.

    Sep 2, 2019 at 4:06 pm #3608624
    Bryan Bihlmaier
    BPL Member

    @bryanb

    Locale: Wasatch Mountains

    I too share the frustration with low durability, “disposable” trail shoes. Here’s a post I started about Hoka shoes in particular: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/hoka-trail-shoe-durability-delamination-issues/

    Sep 2, 2019 at 7:18 pm #3608646
    Doug Coe
    BPL Member

    @sierradoug

    Locale: Bay Area, CA, USA

    I’m sure this is covered elsewhere on the WWWeb, but I’m under the impression you are in sight of human-made stuff (buildings, roads, etc) more on this trail than on other popular wilderness trails (eg JMT).

    Am I wrong? Does this trail provide a good wilderness experience (comparable to most of the Sierra)?

    Sep 5, 2019 at 1:50 pm #3609048
    Dan Y
    BPL Member

    @zelph2

    We have unanswered questions here…..anybody home????

    How were the bugs?

    For summer use, fine, but for spring/fall…??

    Andrew, you mentioned you started out the trail with 2 Liters of water–was that all you carried?

    Am I wrong? Does this trail provide a good wilderness experience (comparable to most of the Sierra)?

     

     

     

    Sep 11, 2019 at 11:24 pm #3609853
    Dena Kelley
    BPL Member

    @eagleriverdee

    Locale: Eagle River, Alaska

    When you guys got into the discussion on the Altras and durability, I was all ears. I feel similarly- the soles of my Altra Lone Peaks wear out ridiculously fast. I tend to wear the outside edge of my shoe tread first, which compounds the issue because as the tread wears I start having an unnatural angle to my foot strike. It makes me feel more prone to ankle injury.

    I recently purchased a set of Merrell Moab Ventilators and so far I like them. I got the wide width, which is shockingly wide (makes my Altras feel narrow), and while I would never call them a minimalist shoe nor are they zero drop, they are quite lightweight. I’m testing the soles out (Vibram) and if I get better life out of them I may start using them instead.

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