I've gotten a lot of questions about what we're doing, why, and how this whole backpacking thing works...so I'm going to attempt to answer them. I really wanted to do something epic this summer, and don't have enough time off between work ending and school starting to do the PCT. The CT is a shorter option, and seems logical since I'll be living in Colorado for at least 2 years. I want to see/do as much as possible while I am there! If you told me just a year ago that I'd be doing this, I'd have said you were bat-shit crazy. Props to my good friend Rob for taking me on my first backpacking trip and teaching me most of my backcountry skills--not sure anyone else could have talked me into taking that first step! Full transparency here, I think the longest backpacking trip I've gone on was 3 nights. So, maybe this is a little crazy, but I'm confident I can do it and it will be an amazing experience.
When I started purchasing backpacking gear, I wasn't sure if I'd like it, so I bought light-weight stuff that was affordable. Now that I'm dedicating a whole month (and probably more time in the future) to a more intense experience, every ounce matters. I've upgraded a lot of my gear to ultra-light, and justified spending extra $$$ for really nice stuff that (I hope) will last...especially since I'm going to be unemployed in less than a month.
This is what will/should keep me alive and relatively comfortable on the trail:
(Dog not included, he just really wanted to be in the picture)
Unfortunately, Tucker won't be joining us on the hike. He's getting old, and to be really honest, he just doesn't like being outside all that much. Tuck will be going to live with my parents in Texas for the summer. I'm going to miss him, but it's really what's best for him. He'll be joining me in Boulder later in August.
All of that fits in this--Gossamer Gear's Mariposa lightweight backpack. It weighs 28.3 oz. I upgraded from the REI Flash 58 pack, which saved me about 20 oz or 1.25 lbs in weight. It is also more comfortable for me; the REI pack would dig into my collarbones and I couldn't seem to get it adjusted quite right. I'm 5'2" (rounding up) and it was difficult for me to find a pack that fit my torso. **UPDATE!** a year later, I still LOVE this pack. It's great--No complaints, no issues, worth every penny!
This is what I'll be wearing while hiking--Nike running shorts, a synthetic (quick drying) t shirt, sports bra, and super-awesome prAna trucker hat :) I'm a big fan of cheap Aviator sunglasses. I have gaiters to keep crap from getting stuck in my shoes (and they have foxes on them, because foxes are awesome). I'm wearing trail-running shoes instead of hiking boots. My hiking boots tore up my feet last summer while hiking with Monika on the AT--I'm hoping these will work better. Trekking poles help with navigating rough terrain and keeps some of the weight off your legs/joints.
**UPDATE!** All of this worked really well except for the Merrell trail running shoes. They destroyed my feet. I switched to Salomon trail runners after Segment 7--huge improvement.
I splurged and bought a new tent. While I like my REI 2-person tent, 4lbs was way too heavy. After doing a lot of research and cost/weight analysis, I settled on the Nemo Hornet 1 person tent. It weighs a magical 1 lb 11 oz! (HUGE weight savings!). While I have not yet slept in it, it's really easy to set up and I like the design. I also used my REI rebate which made it much more affordable.
**UPDATE!** This tent withstood golf-ball size hail, 40+ mile an hour winds--while it has some drawbacks (is not freestanding, must be staked out), I have been extremely happy with it.
Sleep is important. My old sleeping bag, a Mountain Hardwear synthetic bag, weighed about 3 lbs and took up half my backpack. I saved up and got a ZPack down bag that weighs 15.4 OUNCES! And it fit in my MAILBOX! I am still in awe of this sleeping bag. The only downside is it does not have a hood, but I like using a silk bag liner and am bringing a hat and down jacket with a hood anyways, so I don't think it will be a big issue.
**UPDATE!** This bag worked well for me. It is so light-weight and small--definitely two important things. I used a silk bag liner with it and still have not had to wash it. The bag liner was nice because without the hood-part, I got a little cold in the San Juan's. If I had a do-over, I would have swapped out the silk liner with a fleece bag liner for the San Juan's. If I am car camping, I don't bring this bag. But for backpacking--it's great.
One thing I've learned through my limited backpacking experience is that I have to have a pillow. Some people will think I'm crazy, but I'm happy to carry an extra 6 oz to have my REI backpacking pillow. Clothes in a stuff sack just don't cut it--plus I plan on wearing most of my layers to sleep because it will get cold at night!
**UPDATE!** This pillow is amazing...no regrets. I don't know how people sleep with a puffy as their pillow. I wore mine most nights at high altitude to keep warm.
I also cut about 4 oz by switching to a new sleeping pad. My old ThermaRest NeoAir, while easy to blow up, made an obnoxious crinkling sound every time I moved. My new sleeping pad, an Exped Hyperlite, has vertical baffles and doesn't make noise when I move. I also don't feel like I'm rolling off it all night. However, it's kind of weird to inflate. ThermaRest definitely has a better system there.
**UPDATE!** This sleeping pad is amazing, I love it. I roll around all night and had no trouble staying on this pad. It was comfortable, durable, packs down small, and quiet. No complaints!
Food: The most we'll be hiking is about 100 miles or 5 days between our re-supply points. We'll drop or mail boxes to the hostels that we're staying at. Both of us really like food--I think we spent about $400 at Costco for our backpacking meals & snacks. We'll be living off granola, granola bars, easy mac, instant potatoes, tuna/salmon packets, dried fruit, and chocolate. I also can't live without coffee--thankfully Starbucks makes some pretty awesome instant coffee that doesn't taste instant.
**UPDATE!** If I had a do-over, I would NOT have sent myself resupply boxes and would have just resupplied in town. I got sick of a lot of the foods we ate and it would have been nice to have some more variety. I usually craved salty foods, while my hiking partner craved sugar. Also, the towns all had more than adequate resupply options.
Toiletries/Personal Items: Again I'm splurging in this area. I cut weight out of the essentials so I could carry some comfort items. I refuse to not wear deodorant...that's essential. I'm skeptical about going 5 days between showers, (Monika agrees) so we're both carrying body wipes to clean up at the end of the day. I'm bringing a tiny razor, soap, chapstick, sunscreen, and bug spray. I bought a Kindle Voyage, the lightest e-reader, and am happy to carry the extra 8ish oz. After a TON of research, I got the #1 recommended backpacking camera--the Sony RX100. I bought an older model to save some $$. I'll be bringing an extra battery and memory card. Fortunately, all my devices use the same charger :)
**UPDATE!** The body wipes were the best thing ever. Would not have traded that. I did ditch the razor after the first 70 miles...totally got over the need to shave every few days! My kindle was totally worth it; I read for about an hour every day. The camera worked really well but now (in 2017), I have a new Google Pixel phone, and it takes just about as good of pics. Just went backpacking last weekend and used just the phone--can't really tell the diff between those pics and what the camera takes. However for 5 days at a time, there is no way the phone battery would have lasted for all the pics.
I calculated my base weight (everything except food and water) at about 17 lbs. I weighed my pack today with food (except lunches--we'll buy that as we go) and 38 oz of water (I might need to carry more? not sure yet) and came up at 27 lbs. I'll probably re-evaluate some of my items; it would be nice to end up around 25 lbs. I anticipate swapping out/ditching things I'm not using along the way as well.
**UPDATE!** I always carried too much food, so my actual pack weight after resupply was between 30 and 32 lbs.
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