I've been backpacking for several years now and am far from being some avid explorer but I found some simple tricks that have helped me out that I thought I'd share.  Some may be weird

Liquid sweetener containers (1.68 fl oz) are perfect to fill with denatured alcohol for alcohol stoves.   One container holds enough alcohol to bring 1 cup of water to a boil, two times.  They are small enough to fit in any nook in your backpack and weigh just 13.5 grams.
They are re-usable and as long as you’re okay with burning plastic, they can be burnt up when they’re empty.
These containers are great for other items as well; olive oil, shampoo, dish detergent, ky jelly -haha.

Old pill bottles are great for carrying fire starter items.  Matches and strike strips fit in most.  Or you can fill one with cotton balls soaked with baby oil and they will last for years.  They are also ideal for coffee, sugar, non-dairy creamer

If you can get ahold of this, a ½” spacing wire mesh screen with 1/16” diameter wires makes a great portable grill. Cut it to around 12” x 12” and it should fit in the pocket that most backpacks have for a hydration bladder.  To use it, simply place 2 large logs approximately 10” apart and rest it on top of them over some hot embers.  Or use steel tent stakes as legs and rest it on top of them over the embers.   To make storage cleaner get a bubble wrap shipping envelope that is large enough for it to fit inside of.

Speaking of:
Bubble Wrap Shipping Envelopes are great insulators while reconstituting freeze-dried meals – especially reflective mylar ones.  Simply slide the meal packet into a bubble-wrap envelope to help keep the water hot longer.   There’s nothing worse than waiting 10 minutes to open the meal packet to discover that the meal is now barely warm.

Water bottle measuring cup.  At home get a plastic water bottle and a measuring cup.  Fill the water bottle to the top then pour out water into the measuring cup until the measuring cup is holding ½ cup.  Then mark the water line on your water bottle with a sharpie.  Pour out another ½ cup and mark the water line again.  Do this until the water bottle is empty.  You now have a plastic water bottle with ½” cup measurements marked from the top down.  Cover your sharpie lines with clear mylar tape so they can’t be rubbed away.

Some egg sellers put their eggs in rigid clear plastic containers, as opposed to the styrofoam or pressed paper containers.  These plastic containers have locking tabs and can be cut down to hold any number of eggs.  but they also hold other delicate items, like strawberries.

I like taking booze with me when I go backpacking but I don’t like drinking it warm.  So I tried this and it worked.  I poured my rum into a freezer bag and then double bagged it in case of leakage.  That made it easier to fit in my backpack and didn’t require a bottle.  I then got an ammonium nitrate ice pack and cut it open and removed the water packet from inside.  I poured the ammonium nitrate into a sandwich bag and measured the water in the water packet.  When I got to my camping site I measured out the water I needed and activated the ammonium nitrate.  Then I placed that in the outer freezer bag and laid it on the ground with the booze on top of it.  This trapped the ice pack between the booze and the ground.  It cooled the rum and I enjoyed a nice cold drink.   To make this work more effectively, place your booze in a stream for a few minutes so it gets pre-chilled.   When the ice-pack thaws, just dump it out, it's just fertilizer.

Most mens swimsuits come with a small pocket on the inside of them.  These pockets are typically made from a cloth mesh material with an overlapping opening, making it difficult for stuff to fall out of them.  Cut the pocket out of an old pair of swim trunks and place a piece of a bar of soap in it.  Use this to scrub your pots/pans/cups/silverware clean.  The cloth material is usually pretty rough and the soap provides the lather.  It dries out quickly and fits anywhere.

UPDATE 1/18/19:

as a comfort item I put a piece of 1/2" x 12 x 15 foam in the pocket of my backpack (this came out of the packing of a computer box).  I use this as a seat cusion when sitting by the fire, as a knee pad when trying to start a fire, cutting stuff or folding up my gear and as a pillow pad to put under my inflatable pillow.   It weighs practically nothing and also provides extra padding when in my pack.

And one more.  I took a selfie stick and cut the end off of the smallest extension then ripped the wires out of it.  So it's now an extendable straw.  When blowing a fire, I sit on my pad and extend the stick to it's entire length and blow air through the stick rather than having to get my face down in the fire where I'm inhaling lungfulls of smoke.  It not only keeps you away from the fire, it focusses the air where you need it.  When compressed down it's only 6" long and fits anywhere.

I like using 5 hour energy bottles for a lot of things. The fuel thing I might try. I rinse them, dry them and reuse them.

Salt and Pepper
Spices
Mouthwash
Shampoo (I don't wash my hair everyday when backpacking)
Lotions

Use a label printer to make labels if you are sticking edibles and non edibles in like containers.

Pill bottles, good idea... I have been knocking my brains out of what to use them for... Good ideas...

I use a flask which keeps the kool aid cool...

The old 35mm film canisters used to be the best for small items. Unfortunately, film canisters are a thing of the past.

Find someone who is diabetic and ask them for the containers that the test strips come in. The strips that I use for ketone testing come in little film canister sized containers, the glucose strips that came with the meter also came in the same canisters.  I'm not sure if all meters test strips come this way though.

Thanks.  I like the Water bottle measuring cup idea.

I like to keep spices in plastic soda straws. Especially if I’m cooking just for myself.

Melt one end with a lighter, then pinch it to seal (yeah, don’t burn yourself.) Fill with whatever spice you like.
I fold a piece of paper in half, dump the spices in the crease, and uses that to pour in the spices.
Trim off the excess and melt and seal the other end. Label with a sharpie.

Just cut or bite one end open to use. Makes sprinkling pretty easy. Then reseal if needed.

Soda straws from McDonald’s are bigger in diameter than most generic ones.

I've heard of and used some of these tips and tricks in the field.

One of mine is to empty a bottle of foot powder into a 2.5 gallon Ziploc bag, which folds up neatly and stows more easily compared to a foot powder bottle. It also helps to keep foot powder from getting everywhere, as you simply stick your foot in the bag, wiggle your toes a bit and then put on your socks. This trick will help a bottle of foot powder last months.

I buy the travel sized bottles of pills from Walmart and label them with a P-Touch, then stick them into a Velcro backed shotgun card. Keeps my Immodium, Zyrtec, Ibuprofen and Pepto Bismol caplets neat, orderly and easy to find.

I recycle all our dryer lint by balling it up, soaking it in melted paraffin and then letting it cool in cardboard egg cartons. I cut or tear up the carton and bag it in ziplocs for use as fire starters.

The large size contractor trash bags are gold. You can slit them up the sides and use them as ground cloths, they make great waterproof bags for lining a ruck or covering up gear, plus the material can be cut up and used for a variety of other purposes.

- 2gal ziplocks are good for keeping clothes dry and compressed.
- always bring something to sit on
- bring something to work on top of during fire/food prep (aluminum foil)

I’ve spent hundreds of nights living out of a backpack and sleeping in tents......and you would be AMAZED at how handy a frisbee is to have. It’s a plate to eat on, a work surface for food prep, a flat surface for a table in the tent, a scoop to help clear surface scum off of still water before getting water to filter, the list goes on and on.....and it’s entertainment for after dinner

if it's gonna get cold, sleep with stuff that might freeze

number one with a bullet for me would be my headlamp, at least one water bottle,  and my water filter (in a ziploc)

if your water filter is a type that needs to be back- flushed or may retain water, and it freezes... it's done, kaput, compromised, broken, dead.

stuff for your feet

pardon my language, but... fuck mole skin

stop using it, stop buying it, it's dumb

the second your feet get wet, it comes off and now you have a wad of free-floating bullshit in your sock and your blister or hot spot sn't protected anymore

i experimented with duct tape and tried other options like second skin,  but now I use this stuff called leukotape

it's zinc oxide tape, like kinesio tape, so it doesn't come off with moisture, it's seriously tough, and stays in place. the brand i use is called leukotape p, but any can be substituted. it's available at many locations where sports medicine equipment is sold

i've crossed creeks, walked downpours, and gone swimming with this stuff covering injuries... it doesn't go anywhere

the texture reminds me of a soft version of athletic tape,  the exterior does breathe, and that means the woven fabric material does get dirty, but it does keep wounds clean and protected for a long time

by itself, it is the single best hot spot treatment i know

for blister treatment, i drain and clean the outside without tearing the skin, cut piece of medical tape or second skin to cover the blister, then cover the whole thing in leukotape.

if there are any folds in the tape, i remove those with scissors. with a little practice and a sharp knife you can cut wedges out of the edge of the leukotape where you know it will fold at the contours of your foot

oh yeah, round off the corners of rectangular pieces and generally keep the applied tape as small and as rounded as possible

ground covering = Tyvek

it's the mysterious material used to make those tough white envelopes that aren't-quite-plastic and not-exactly-paper

it's actually plastic

it's also the same stuff used to wrap up houses as a vapor barrier instead of old-fashioned tar paper

why? because one side is water repellent and the other side is breathable

now,  if you get your hands on a large sheet (not an envelope, that's a different grade of tyvek) you'll notice the difference between the two surfaces.  one side is more slick and the other side is actually kinda fuzzy

when you use it as a ground covering or tent footprint, keep the fuzzy side up. this will keep any ground moisture from effecting your sleeping bag and allows your bag to breathe, or also provides a negligible insulation layer.  probably not even a half-degree, and that's not why we're using it,  but it's there

if you're winter camping, this stuff is almost a required footprint for your tent.  I make this claim simply because of its price, availability, weight, size, and performance

in winter, and colder temperatures at night during the other three seasons, the temperature difference between your warmer body and the cold ground will promote condensation

and that's bad. because nobody wants to wake up to a wet sleeping bag because the inside of their tent is covered in water droplets and the bag was touching the side

it used to be hard to get,  but now everyone uses it for this. and when it first hit the scene,  his effort gave to beg a piece off a construction crew or find someone that was crazy enough to buy a roll of it... and then buy a piece from them

Amazon is probably going to be your best bet in finding this stuff

lastly,  wash it.  no detergent,  no hot water, cold water,  normal wash setting.  let it dry in a shower or on low (air only,  no heat) in a dryer with a couple of towels

otherwise it's seriously noisy and might keep you awake, or wake others while you move around on it

oh yeah,  don't fold it when you store or pack it.  like any other piece of gear it's prone to losing effectiveness at points where it's repeatedly worn or folded

I know a guy who carried a tyvek protective suit hiking, used it to sleep in. He said it did keep him warm enough. Can't say I would try it but I do believe him.
He also used one of those blue tarps as a tent. He was a former Ranger so maybe that explains it.

GSI pot scrapers are great.  For the most part, it eliminates the need to wash pots with water, and that's a great thing when it's cold.



Thermarest foam pads.  These used to be the go-to camping ground pad, but have since been superseded by inflatable pads, but they still serve great uses.  I'll cut them to wrap around the three sides of the backpack, and use them as an insert, inside the pack to protect the pack from sharp item inside the pack - I'm a climber, and the cams and pitons and stuff have a nasty way of tearing through pack material when the pack rolls onto the ground.  At camp, the pad can be pulled out and used for seating while cooking, and can also be used as a extra level of protection for an inflatable pad on sketchy ground, an since it's grippy, it can also help keep an inflatable pad in place when bivy'ing on uneven ground.  Modern lightweight inflatable pads are often very slick and prone to sliding around on such terrain.

sleeping mats

the are a few options out there. from super-plush, to barely there

why?

because temperature yo

nothing beats an inflatable pad for comfort and nothing beats a closed-cell foam pad for insulation

"so, why doesn't someone just market a thick closed-cell foam pad?"
because it would pack up about as tightly as your mattress from home, and it would weigh a ton

so, check it out. insulation is basically about preventing heat loss.  and one of the best lightweight insulators is calm air.

yep, air.  more importantly, air that isn't moving

so why don't people use air mattresses more?  because a lot of reasons



maybe someone knows that they aren't a calm sleeper.  tossing and turning provides a pumping action in the mattress, and that will provide less insulation

there are a lot of different questions you should ask yourself about your sleep while backpacking

do you sleep on your side? do you sleep better with a pillow?

do you toss and turn? do you curl up or spread out?

are you generally colder or warmer while you sleep? are there any contributing factors to that?

there isn't a single do-it-all sleeping mat that doesn't look just like a bed. you're going to have to take into account what is important to you, and pull that thread.

me? i'm a type 2 fun dude. i don't mind sucking a little if it gets me where i want to go

so, i pack light.  grams, not ounces
my summer sleeping mat is a piece of 1/4" reflectix sewn into some tyvek. and it's only as long as my torso

my wife enjoys sleeping on her side and lounging in camp while i do something else. but i'm not carrying her mattress

don't get me wrong, i still have other pads. but they have their place according to what i feel i need to have good sleep, so i can enjoy my trip

and that's what i like about backpacking, i get to select my adventure. it's at my pace, my comfort level (or not), it's my choices i'm living with

This is my tyvek bivy sack.  I cut the one side at an angle so I can have my face out but if it gets rainy, I flip it over and I'm completely protected.  I've slept in this in the rain (in my back yard to test it) , with a pad and sleeping bag and stayed completely dry.  Tyvek is a miracle material because it is completely waterproof while still allowing vapor to pass through.  It's expensive though and usually needs to be bought in large expensive rolls.  I got mine at a construction site after a strong storm tore the tyvek off of the structure.  They had picked up the torn pieces and threw them in the dumpster.

One trick; throw your tyvek in your dryer with a couple basketballs or soccer balls, no heat, and let the balls beat and soften the material.  The longer you do this the more fabric-like it becomes.  It's pretty loud when its straight off the roll.

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Oh so many!  I'll have to think about some that I've learned over the years.

I use a Sawyer Mini as a water filter, but I also pack along the two-solution Aqua Mira purification as a backup and if the water is suspect.  The key with the Sawyer filters is to first, carry two squeeze bags.  I've had one leak around the head and couldn't patch it up; the backup was essential.  Also, I pack the filter, purification drop bottles, squeeze bag, and drinking straw/connector in a cut-off Gatorade bottle.  The bottle serves as a scoop for water sources that are small puddles or trickles; I than transfer to the squeeze bag for filtration.  Speaking of the straw tube/connector...my wife I and I splice our hydration drinking tube with a matching connector on the straw tube.  It makes it significantly easier to connect the filter directly to the tube and refill the hydration pouch while in the pack.

Alcohol.  I've moved on to using grain alcohol (Everclear) as a multiuse fuel/item.  Primarily used as a fuel, but can also be used as disinfectant.  Also, if your feet are so wet they're wrinkled, rubbing some alcohol on them will draw out much of the moisture and lets your feet dry faster.  Lastly, if we are about finished with the hike and I have some fuel left over...it's a morale booster for the last day of the hike!

Tortillas.  We accept the weight, but pack tortillas for lunches and dinners.  For lunch, we just squirt in some of our favorite nut-butter, role up and eat.  For dinner, most of our reconstituted meals are thick enough that we can use a tortilla as a plate; when you down to the last half-dozen bites, roll it up for a dinner burrito!  Tortillas have become a staple in our meal planning.

While we typically only pack a small titanium mug/pot and spork/spoon, I've come to love Fozzil's folding "Bowlz": Fozzils Folding Bowl



It can be used as a large cup, bowl, cutting board, plate...numerous uses, light weight and very versatile.

You can make your own, but Dutchware gear sells them (Big Carl Pack Hanger).  I didn't think much of them at first, but a simple length of Dyneema cord with a small clip that weighs only a few grams helps keep your pack off the ground.  It take a little creativity to keep it protected from water running down the tree, but most are fine.  As a hammocker, this helps when the ground is soaking and no place to place your gear (until the ground dries under your fly).

I can't find my picture, but my wife bought some reusable silicon muffin wrappers for baking.  You put a slit on opposite ends so it bends in your fingers and you have a very handy pot holder that weighs a few grams and nests well in your cooking kit.

Even in the summer, I always carry a section (about six) of a Z-Rest folding CCF pad.  I can fold it up and put it up against my back in my pack (or strap it on the top/bottom of pack).  It's my primary insulation (ass to head) in my hammock, works as a good ground pad to sit on or put my gear.  It augments my under-quilt or winter sleeping pad during cold weather whether in a hammock or on the ground.

I'll second Leukotape instead of moleskin.  The key is to identify the hotspot before it becomes a blister.  The adhesive is excellent even when your feet get sweaty.  My feet are typically pretty callused, but when they get soft and wet from constant rain, the tape really helps avoid getting blisters, hence removing the need of moleskin.

My wife is a big advocate of the female "Shenis" (urinary funnel/device), and the Diva Cup (menstrual device).  She's done a ton of backpacking and keeps these devices handy in her pack, vehicle, and range bag.  Not something most people like talking about (especially females), but she's made numerous converts for the serious female backpackers.

Also, my wife dehydrates her wet wipes.  This saves weight and she'll rehydrated the one or two she needs to use.

Not mine tip, but my wife had issues with her shoes (any shoe) giving her blisters on her toe.  More about her toes and how they rubbed against each other than the shoes.  Her solution was Injini toe-socks.  She loves them and every hear, she gets a couple pair put in her Christmas stocking.  These are her primary hiking socks.

Pro-tip for those who want to CCW on the trail: Get an HPG Kit Bag!  I've logged 1000 miles easily with a few different Kit Bags (my backpacking version is the Original Snubby).  Integrates easily with any pack system, can be used as a stand-alone, carries not only your handgun concealed, but also a few snacks, headlamp, map, compass and/or GPS.  Even if I don't have my pants on, I'll have my Kit Bag on!

That's all off the top of my head for now...

ROCK6

Great stuff guys!

We are in the final stages of our prep for our PCT thru hike.

I’ll add some of our little TTPs as we do our final checks. Many of them have been covered already.

Plus, we picked up a few ideas too from this thread.

You can buy them off eBay. I bought 10 of em a few months back for pretty cheap.

Sawyer mini filters are pretty much the standard for thru hiking, but you can get other filters for a bit less

the best thing about the mini is the fact you can screw it directly to a Smart Water, or similar water bottle.  the thread pitch is pretty much the same

but, you need to squeeze the bottle. if you want higher output the Sawyer squeeze is the ticket.  it's a little bigger, but that's life.



smart bottles are available at any gas station for when they get too gross to use

and the dumb syringe that comes with the mini? ditch it.  you can use the drink spout on the smaller water bottles to back-flush the filter

if you need a scoop to pull water from a shallow source... just use your head.  you can use anything from a ziploc bag to a cup or a cook pot to accomplish that.  you don't need anything special or task-specific, you just need something that holds water.  just turn a ziploc inside out and use that,  that way the inside is still dry for what it was holding

toe socks.

"but they look goofy and i think i look like a faggot"

they're socks.

if you thought sliced bread was cool, you need to check out toe socks. say goodbye to blisters

bonnie's balm is expensive? try rocket pure. same stuff, about half the price

whatever you use,  make sure it can seal as well as heal your feet.  remember, live skin repels water,  dead skin absorbs it.
just another blister abatement tool

boots? only if you're paying me

have you heard about our lord and savior Trail Runners yet?

as for alcohol stoves? they're fine if:
you just boil water because you can't adjust the strength of the flame, which means that you're gonna waste fuel for every burn or worry about having to add fuel to keep the stove going
don't mind having to burn off all the alcohol because you can't extinguish it
don't mind not being able to see the flame very well unless it's dark

with the advent of 110 gram canisters and the size of modern pocket stoves, i don't see many pros versus the cons

and this isn't me talking out of the side of my neck. i've done the cat food stoves and the soda pop can, as well as a fancy brass one that i can't remember because i'm trying to forget the awful smell it produced in my pack

alcohol stoves can go pound sand

gaiters bro. seriously

i use Dirty Girls, my wife got them after my hand-made ones made shit the bed
bonus: they have some kinda-hot pinups printed on them, so i have some motivation on my feet

if you didn't get any yet, i'd suggest some sun gloves for the southern section, it's really bright down there

i just used a pair of kayak fishing gloves from amazon, then mailed 'em home once i hit yosemite

don't fuck around with full-sized crampons for the passes. unless it's the dead of winter Forester and Kearsarge are completely doable with mini-spikes

oh, and make sure you sized your ice-axes correctly, you're gonna lean on those for all the passes

my personal favorite part of the trail was the Marbles, Man-Eaten lake in particular

if this is your first time, it's fucking life-changing dude. i'm excited for you both

you know that scene in Zoolander where Hansel talks about hanging out in St Barts with his friends sunbathing and doing acid, and how it changed their whole perspective on shit?

it's a lot like that

you find the deepest waters in your soul out there brother

unless it's a gel or liquid, use a snack baggie

they're good for everything from ibuprofen and acetaminophen (which together, can provide near-narcotic pain relief i've found) all the way to protecting your phone when it's raining

you can still use the touch screen too

thought i put this in here already, but i guess i didn't

someone already mentioned the mylar shipping envelopes for keeping small backpacker meals warm while they soak

you can also make one for a cooking pot or cup
same principle: boil water, add food, and then insulate the pot or cup while your food continues cooking while it's off the stove

that material? it's called reflectix and it's basically the same stuff used to make dash board windshield reflectors

some folks use metal tape when they make their pot cozy/warmer but the edges of the tape come off, moisture gets under the tape at folds. .. and it falls apart

the reflectix though,  it's pretty thin and you can sew it... so i do that



just use the lid and pot for making stencils and cobble up a way to keep your food warm

and... sorry for the stupid camouflage grosgrain edge tape,  it's all I had available

oh yeah,  you can actually use a windshield shade to make one of these.  but be warned, a lot of them have designed either silk screened or printed on them, and that stuff is going to come into contact with a very hot piece of metal.  it'll come off

if it's only on one side though, just face that side out

While we still use alcohol stoves, there's a narrowing gap with the minimalist canister fuel stoves.  Weight is almost the same (minus the empty weight...if that's a big concern).  I don't concern myself with the "more moving parts" comparison.  Decent quality canister stoves are pretty darn robust and the only thing I've had fail on me was the auto-igniter switch (both on a Snow Peak and Jetboil stove), you can still light them with a lighter.  While I typically only use alcohol in the summer, canister stoves are a solid 3-season stove.  My wife and I have our alcohol stoves dialed in for our uses, but usually recommend a canister stove for those getting started or those who want the simplicity of use and faster boil times.  One area they shine is simply getting a pot of water boiling faster...which is really nice for me in the morning if I'm planning a cup of coffee while where packing up.

Completely forgot these as well!  These aren't waterproof gaiters, but they are extremely effective when used with low-top trail runners to keep the debris, rocks, and twigs from getting in your shoes.  And yes, they have more than funky, psychedelic, girly-art colors; my wife likes the brighter colored ones, I prefer the dirt-colored variety Mine are actually some urban-camo pattern:



ROCK6

Thanks for all the tips. We are tracking on most of them. Those things are lifesavers for sure.

I’ve section hiked the AT. But we are dropping everything, selling the house, doing the hike, and then moving someplace new. Will be an exciting year.

I’ve thought about doing a thread on the hike—I know that there is at least one more member here thru hiking as well—to give updates, answer questions etc.

But the jury is still out on that.

I am very excited. We step off 11 April.

i'm envious.

if you're going nobo you might consider releasing some where's and when's for trail magic

the northern half doesn't have nearly as much trail support or magic as the lower sections.  and forget about hiker towns after mammoth

it's totally up to you, some people enjoy the challenge of self-support. me?  i enjoy my privacy

it does affect your hike. I quit telling people where I was because it felt like... they sponsored me or something.

on the other hand,  i did enjoy the company of some very good friends when i needed it.  especially when i didn't see other hikers for a while.  it's weird coming of a trail after not talking with anyone for a while

What year did you hike?

1993, it wasn't even a sanctioned trail yet

i saw one other thru hiker past (north of) the highway crossing at Ashland, Oregon

Oh that’s awesome!

It’s so popular now. Permits are limited to 50 per day. I suspect we will more daily. It’ll run out once the first group gets tired, hurt, gives up.

But I plan to be around people for most, if not all, of the hike.

yeah, i do trail magic for parts of the cdt when i can

there's a lot more these days, which is good

full disclosure, i used to have longer-than-socially-acceptable conversations with check out clerks because it got lonely.

but the people i met are some of the coolest

i'm so stoked for you

it's gonna suck and your legs are gonna want a divorce, but you get to have those problems in a real-life post card

reflectix is amazing stuff. I made a pot holder out of some as well as a small envelope to act as a heat saver for my boil in bag meals. Cuts the "cooking" time by a lot.

I occasionally will use alcohol stoves when by myself, but i find i keep going back to canister stoves. Especially when with more than one person.

I like the 35mm containers for non backpacking trips. Won't get crushed easily and not hard to find/sits easily on tables/in bathrooms.

if you like the 35mm canisters,  think about the dumb little bottles for 5 hour energy drinks

they're great for olive oil

Lighter shoes with really good insoles will treat your feet better than heavy boots and crappy insoles. No one needs waterproof boots or shoes unless you're winter hiking or crossing a lot of water.

If you think you need boots for more ankle support, carry less weight or strengthen your ankles.

Some of us have some messed up ankles. I have tried the trailrunner type shoes and find that I do much better with a mid height.

Will you be updating arfcom on your progress as you go? The reason I ask is my family lodges at Shelter Cove (Odell Lake, OR, major re-supply spot) in late July/early August. I love talking with the PCT thru hikers that stop there for a short while.

It’d be great to buy a beer for a fellow arfcommer.

I also hike into Diamond Peak Wilderness while there and come across thru hikers there frequently.

That sounds awesome.

I know there is one other member doing the PCT this year. Maybe we can do a thread about our trips.

@billpete

I'm working on doing my state one section at a time (Can't take off the time to do the thru hike with kids at home).

If you feel like having a hiking buddy maybe you can get in touch with me when your in southern Oregon and I could join you for a few days.

Assuming we make it that far, heck yes!

IM sent.