Tag: gear

Post Hike

Presentation in Cincinnati

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A week from today we’ll be giving a Lightweight Backpacking on the Pacific Crest Trail presentation in Anna’s hometown, Cincinnati. Here’s the blurb about the event:

Date: Sunday, August 18, 6 PM
Location: Roads Rivers and Trails, 118 Main Street, Milford, OH 45150

Anna Sofranko and Chris Alexander hiked the entire 2600-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. They walked across deserts, over snow covered mountains, and through old growth forests. In order to complete the trail before heavy snow fell in Canada they had to hike about 20 miles each day for 5 months. Dramatically reducing their gear weight allowed them to cover such long daily mileages enjoyably and free of injury. In this presentation they’ll share stories from the adventure, lightweight backpacking tips, and beautiful photos from their book Pacific Crest Trail: A Journey in Photographs – https://wanderingthewild.com/book Come join us for an exciting evening!

Please Join and Share this event with your Facebook friends via https://www.facebook.com/events/606869279333432/

We’ll hang around after the presentation to answer questions about the PCT, the John Muir Trail (which overlaps with the PCT), lightweight backpacking, or whatever else you’ve been curious about as you read this blog.

Hope to see you there!

Anna rock hops across Evolution Creek in Kings Canyon National Park
Anna rock hops across Evolution Creek in Kings Canyon National Park
Gear

Appalachian Trail Gear List Updated

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Photographing a bald on the Appalachian Trail

On a backpacking trip we like to be just as comfortable hiking as we are in camp. Lightening our pack weight has been key. Carrying less weight means less physical strain, more energy to focus on the beautiful subtleties of nature, and ultimately more fun. At the same time, we also like to sleep comfortably and cook a hearty meal. When choosing gear, we aim for the sweet spot which perfectly balances comfort on the trail and in camp.

We had a great setup on the PCT, but we are always refining our gear, learning what items aren’t necessary, researching new products, and finding things which serve multiple purposes. Simple durable items are a favorite of ours. In addition we make changes based upon the terrain and weather in the area where we’re hiking.

Rainy weather on the Appalachian Trail

We recently updated our Appalachian Trail gear list to reflect the changes we made while hiking the AT:

https://wanderingthewild.com/gear/at-gear-2013/

Hope you find it helpful.

Cooking dinner in the backcountry

We also wanted to let everyone know that North Star is continuing to recover. Her shingles rash is gone. The pain only flares up occasionally. The remaining issue is her energy level. She gets very tired after walking a few blocks.  The discussion forums we’ve read concur that it usually takes between 1-3 months to return to full health after a shingles outbreak. We’ll continue to be patient.

Sunset on the Appalachian Trail

Gear/Planning

Appalachian Trail Gear

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We’ve finalized our Appalachian Trail thru hike gear! It’s similar to our PCT gear but even lighter. Check out our full AT gear list at:

https://wanderingthewild.com/gear/at-gear-2013/

Here are some of the new items we’ll be carrying on the Appalachian Trail:

Northstar wearing Marmot Crystalline jacket and ULA Rain Kilt
Northstar twirls in her new rain jacket and kilt.

Rain gear:

Northstar will wear a Marmot Crystalline women’s rain jacket on the AT. This minimalist jacket weighs just 6.2 ounces. It’s durable and protective, yet small enough to pack into its own pocket.

She’ll trade rain pants for a well-ventilated ULA rain kilt (2.9 oz). In addition to providing rain protection, this will allow some modesty when washing all our clothing in town.

Shutterbug will be sporting a 7.1 oz Rab Pulse rain jacket. Rab has managed to keep this jacket light while integrating a very functional and adjustable hood.

Montbell’s Dynamo wind pants will provide Shutterbug with basic wind and rain protection. They’re very breathable, and at 2.6 oz, they’re lighter than his shorts!

Read More “Appalachian Trail Gear”