backpackers?
 

anybody into backpacking? not necessarily travelling in hostels but i mean wilderness backpacking.

i did the juan de fuca hike last yr, a few nights at garibaldi, did machu picchu (not exactly backpacking), and 5 days in patagonia this winter. also thinking about doing a week on the john muir trail next summer, but its 211 miles. gonna see if i can do half of it in a week.

anyone else? gear, trip, any related discussions welcome. also if anyone wants to get into it and has questions, that's welcome too.

also im not sure if this is the right forum, maybe the travel forum would be more suitable?

I don't think this thread belongs on Revscene haha

I love hiking and I love camping. This year I was hoping to combine the two and do a few overnight hikes. But due to an injury I haven't been able to make that happen. Decided to update a lot of my camping stuff (car and lightweight stuff) so picked up a new tent, two new bags for different times of year. Compact tools and stoves and lanterns and stuff. Hopefully next year I can use more of this stuff! I haven't even been able to use the kayaks I bought months ago :(

LOL about 100 miles in a week? that's like 160km. That' fast as hell.

I've been on WCT, Golden Ears, Manning park. Tried to do a night without a tent and only a tarp. It sucked, both times I tried it.

Was supposed to do NCT with a group of friends this year but I landed a new job and it'd be bad to ask for a week off before the 1st day.

I'm in the market for a down sleeping bag right now. nights are cold as shit. :(

My pack is a 48L Osprey Kestrel. I'm pretty happy with it, it's got lots of room if I strap my 2 person walmart tent to the lid, and bring 2 pairs of clothes.

It's either this forum or the 4x4 forum. There's another thread on hiking here so I think it's close enough.

yeah 160km is definitely a bit ambitious, but i'll prob leave with an open return just in case i cant manage. afaik its a well maintained trail so you can practically trail run it, just have to pack light. i use a 65L arcteryx bag right now but gonna have to trim that down to an under 50L pack and all the expensive things that that implies. also in the market for an ultralight tent. i dont think i can do the tarp and bivy thing. rather carry an extra pound.

what kinda stuff did you get? i fucking love gear

Looking for some peeps who's up for a backpacking trip over night this long weekend, in the LML.

Where's lml?

Lower main land...

what arcteryx pack do you have? i've got the 65L altera i beleive.. great pack but havent had it out in the bush much.

Might be going packing/hunting trip this coming fall a few days hike out

i have the same one and it is a comfortable pack, but i can't say i love it.
when i bought it i wasnt sure which features i'd value most since it was my first pack, but i have to say i don't really like the side pockets, they're a little odd shaped for water bottles, and i wish the hip belt had pockets that could actually fit snacks.

I bought a second pack last year that i havent used yet, but its an REI flash 45. 2lb lightweight pack, part of my slow transition to ultralight gear. when i hike i like to cover mileage fast, so it suits my style. if i hike with friends though and they're more casual, then i'll be more likely to bring the bigger pack.

This thread looks promising! I just got into backpacking last year, but I haven't done anything crazy ( Elfin Lakes, Garibaldi, Joffre ). +1 for the Arc'teryx Altra 65 as well! I'm looking to do a few more this year, and hopefully hit up Juan de Fuca trail as well. Why do you say Machu Picchu isn't backpacking? Do the porters do everything for you? It's on my sight, but I'm not sure if I can make it for this year.

porters carry your tents, sleeping pads, and eating shelters, plus everything meal related including prepping and cleaning. the only things you have to carry are your sleeping bag and personal items, and even then you can pay for an additional porter who will carry an additional 14kg. you can split one with your friend and offload 7kg each. if you do this you can basically just carry your water, some snacks, and whatever else you need with you on the trail.

i recommend machu picchu for those who are really interested in the inca history and for those who really want to visit peru in general. i loved the city of cusco and i think that was almost worth the visit alone. it's touristy but just an amazing place.

if you want something that's not guided, you should try hiking in patagonia. the classic W trail is 4 nights (or 3 if you don't want to see the torres sunrise), and it's just incredibly varied in it's surroundings (jungle, desert, icebergs all in one). the camp sites are all pre-determined since it's a strict national park, but they're mostly pretty basic. i preferred it to the inca trail personally, also you don't have to book it like 6 months in advance

Did you find Machu Picchu / Cusco / Peru in general unsafe? How about Patagonia?

altogether i have to say it was all pretty safe feeling. i only spent about 4 days in lima and santiago so i'm sure it depends on which neighborhood you're wandering around, but i do remember people saying lima could be unsafe at night. cusco is totally fine if you're not too far from the touristy squares, and patagonia is straight up safe as far as im concerned.

yea, i think the altera serves more of a travelling/backpacking style than hiking. having the sack style top, as well as the fully zippered front was amazing when travelling with second pairs of shoes, dress clothes, etc.

Holy shit, this thread is a gem. I know where I'm spending my vacation days next year. Peru and Patagonia.

This year, NCT, Juan de Fuca, maybe Golden Hinde, Sunshine Coast Trail.

Sunshine Coast Trail got rated one of the best backpacking hikes in the world. Desolation sound is a paradise for kayaking too, from what I hear.

I got a down sleeping bag too! I'm so excited not to have frost bite this year!

Yeah, having porters is kind of a cop out isn't it? I don't think I could drop my gear on someone unless there's something in it for them, other than money. But then again, it's a job for them.

its a great job for them, and afaic they're underpaid for it.
when you go make sure you tip them generously. we tipped them about $20 each porter and $100 for the guide, and i think $60 for the cook. i still think that was too little, but there were like 8 porters so it did start to add up for us too. just consider it part of the deal.

if i could do it without a porter and just with a guide, i'd do it, but you can't do the inca trail without a guided group. i think there might be options for more minimal tours, but my friend did all the booking and most of the others didn't have much gear anyway, so it was fine. i didnt really like the pampering too much but that's just sort of the way it is.

I'm sure the pampering was part of the tourist effect. I bet it's to make sure the more inexperienced ones don't die on the trail.

I recently grabbed the Altra 85..it was sold out online so I got the last one in-store. The reps weren't able to confirm if it'll fit in carryon overhead compartments without taking off the hip support/top lid

going to use it to get through east asia
I have Havasupai booked for later this year but not certain if I can go...you can have mules to transport your gear tho

Patagonia, dang so jelly. How is it compared to WCT/juan de fuca in terms of difficulty?

ezpz. long days, 8 hrs is normal on some days, but less technical. hardly any altitude and almost never have to use your hands.

The 50 Best Hikes in the World - Explore Magazine

World's Best Hikes, Trails -- National Geographic

inspired by this multi country talk.

I should pop my head in here again. From last year my injuries have been no issue, and from last summer I'm down from ~200 to about 185 (and getting fitter). My brother and his wife, my gf and I want to do some backpack camping (one or two night) in the coming late spring and summer. Our family is full of avid campers our whole life, but car based. I already have all the gear I'd need aside from a backpack. I spent last summer and fall buying lots of stuff on clearance and sales, accumulated everything is need faster than I expected.

Anyways, my brother and I would like to do a weekend soon without the women just to try it out and iron out any kinks, so when they join it will be all enjoyment for them. We can easily cover 15km a day, but I think it will be more about getting out to nature and enjoying some camping MORE than just covering ground.

Are there any suggestions for an amateur overnight hike in that would be a good test? Something in lower mainland that we can enjoy a fire at our camp and shoot the shit.

Oh PS, check out th website or app (for iPhones at least) "the outbound collective". Such An amazing local resource!!!

https://www.theoutbound.com