c/backpacking-routes

Old paper map gave me a surprise on the Wind River High Route

I dug out a 1987 topo map from my dad's gear bin before hiking the Wind River High Route last month. It showed a trail that didn't exist anymore, so I followed it for about 3 miles and ended up on a ridge with a view of Gannett Peak that was better than the official route. The downside was a sketchy scree scramble down, but honestly it was worth it. Anyone else ever trust an old map and get a pleasant surprise or a near disaster?

The San Juan snowmelt week that wrecked my itinerary

Last June I planned a 6 day loop near Silverton, Colorado and hit a week of record snowmelt. The first crossing was ankle deep at 8 AM, but by 3 PM the same creek was waist high and moving fast. I had to bail on the whole route and take a gravel road out to Durango, which added 14 miles of walking. What stood out was how every stream that looked small on a map became a real hazard by afternoon. I ended up using a GPS app to reroute daily, which I normally refuse to do. Has anyone else had a season where the water levels made their planned trail totally unsafe? How do you decide when to turn back vs push through a crossing?

The Desolation Trail crossing that made me ditch my paper maps

Got caught in a surprise snow squall near the saddle at mile 14 on the Desolation Trail in Colorado last October. My folded map turned to mush in about ten minutes and I had to backtrack blind until the weather broke. Now I always carry a laminated copy plus a backup GPS on my phone even for day trips. Has anyone else had a close call relying on old-school navigation in bad weather?

Old trail maps still beat the phone in the Sierras

Last month I pulled out my 2004 Tom Harrison map near Bishop Pass when my GPS died, and honestly it felt more solid than any app I've used in 3 years... the scale just makes sense. Does anyone else carry paper backups on remote stretches, or am I just stuck in the past?

Just got caught in a flash flood on the High Sierra Trail near Kern Canyon

We were about 6 miles past the Kern Canyon ranger station when the sky opened up. It was around 3 PM and the creek crossings we had scouted an hour earlier were already waist deep and moving fast. I made the call to climb to a ridge line instead of pushing forward to the next camp spot. We sat up there for 2 hours watching the water rise and then drop back down. Has anyone else had to reroute mid-day because of these afternoon monsoons, and do you check the weather report before heading out each morning?

Water filter advice from a thru-hiker on the PCT changed my whole pack setup

I ran into a guy at the REI in Portland who had just finished the trail, and he told me he ditched his pump for a squeeze bag because it weighed 11 ounces less, so now I'm swapping mine out before my 3-day trip on the Eagle Creek loop this weekend, has anyone else made the switch and regretted it?

Stopping at the first water source on the John Muir Trail was my biggest mistake

Last August I filtered from a creek at mile 12 because the map showed it as reliable, then hit a 14 mile dry stretch that the guidebooks glossed over. I ran out of water with 3 miles left and had to drink from a muddy seep, which gave me GI issues for two days. The problem is people treat any blue line on a map as a guarantee, but late season creeks dry up way faster than folks think. I started carrying a 4 liter capacity and checking the snowpack reports before each leg, and it saved me on the Sierra High Route later that trip. Anyone else get burned by trusting a map over local beta for water sources, or do you always cache extra? Has anyone else dealt with filters clogging on glacial silt that gets stirred up after afternoon storms?

Wet socks on day 3 in Glacier taught me the liner system

GPS shortcut on the JMT almost got me lost near Muir Pass

I stopped trusting the 'direct line' shortcut on my GPS app last week, it sent me up a talus field that took 3 extra hours near mile 74. Anyone else had a route app overrule the actual trail signs out there?

My old rain fly trick almost got me hypothermic on the PCT last month

I used to pitch my tarp in a simple A-frame and just trust the wind direction, but after a 40 mph gust hit the Sierra crest near Tuolumne Meadows and soaked my sleeping bag through the footbox, I switched to a half-pyramid with the low end facing the storm. Now I always scout for natural windbreaks and dig a small trench on the uphill side before dark, even if it costs me 20 minutes of hiking time. Has anyone else had a classic setup fail hard in exposed alpine terrain, and what did you change about your go-to pitch after that?

The John Muir Trail changed my food strategy after 8 days

I did the JMT last September and by day 8 near Muir Pass I was so sick of my freeze dried meals that I barely ate. I switched to packing mostly tortillas, peanut butter, and a bag of trail mix for the last 4 days and felt way better. Has anyone else hit that wall mid-route and completely changed what they carry? What worked for you on longer trips?

A thru-hiker told me to stop overpacking food, best advice I got

Last year on the PCT near Mount Shasta, a guy named Dave looked at my resupply box and said 'you're carrying your own trash can.' He pointed out I had 3 days of extra snacks and a full jar of peanut butter. I cut my food weight from about 8 pounds down to 5.5 for a 5 day stretch, and honestly I felt lighter on the climbs and actually ate fresher stuff at the next town. Has anyone else got a piece of advice from a stranger on trail that stuck with them?

My pack weight dropped 9 pounds after I finally measured my gear properly

For about 3 years I just guessed what my gear weighed. I would look at a sleeping bag and think, "that feels like 3 pounds," and move on. Then a buddy on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia let me weigh my full pack on his scale at a hostel. It was 41 pounds, not the 32 I had been telling myself. That moment stung. I went home, bought a $15 luggage scale from Target, and weighed every single item. Turns out my tent stakes were 1.2 pounds just by themselves, and my old camp stove with a full fuel can was almost 2 pounds. I swapped out 4 items and dropped to 32 pounds before my next trip to Shenandoah. Has anyone else had a big gap between what they thought their pack weighed and reality?

Day 12 on the PCT, I realized my water filter was backwards the whole time

I was pumping for 20 minutes each morning, cursing the slow flow, until a guy from Oregon pointed out the intake tube goes in the creek, not the clean bag. That's when I saw the crud caked on the inside of my drink bottle, probably 3 days worth of unfiltered silt. Has anyone else missed a basic setup step like that and only caught it thanks to a stranger?

Old PCT maps vs new GPS, I chose paper and paid for it

Back in 2018 I was planning a two week stretch through the Sierra and had to pick between carrying the old Tom Harrison paper maps or just relying on my phone with Guthook. I grew up on paper maps and figured they'd never fail me, so I took them. Three days in, a storm rolled through and I missed a turn near Forester Pass because the map didn't show a newer trail reroute that happened the year before. Took me an extra five hours to backtrack and find the right path. These days I carry both, but I still feel silly that I trusted the paper just because it felt more honest. Anyone else had a similar experience with old school gear on a modern trail?

That time I carried 6 liters of water for no reason

First two trips on the PCT I was hauling a full 5L bladder plus a 1L bottle through the Sierras, thinking I needed it all. Last month I met a guy at a camp near Tahoe who showed me his 2L setup and pointed out there's a stream or spring every few miles if you check the map right. Has anyone else spent years overpacking water before realizing you can just filter as you go?

Appalachian Trail vs PCT water strategy, extra filter won

On the AT I carried one Sawyer and kept stopping to treat every stream. On the PCT last month I grabbed a second cheap filter for dirty water and it saved me so much time. Anyone else run dual filters or just stick with one and wait?

TIL it took me 37 tries to pack my backpack right for a 5 day trip on the Appalachian Trail

Rant: The Pacific Crest Trail 'popular' sections are way overhyped compared to the less crowded alternates

I did a 200 mile stretch of the PCT last summer and everyone said I had to hit the Sierra section near Yosemite. Total zoo. I mean, I get the views are nice but I spent half my time stepping around other hikers and waiting for campsites. Then I detoured onto the alternate route through the Emigrant Wilderness because a ranger suggested it (thanks, random ranger dude). Way better. Quieter, saw more wildlife, and honestly the scenery was just as good if not better. Am I crazy for thinking the famous thru-hiker corridors are more about hype than actual experience? Anyone else ditched the main route for an alternate and been happier?

Tried a lightweight tarp shelter after five years of carrying a tent and I'm never going back

My first night under just a tarp at Grayson Highlands was miserable in the rain but after that I saved two pounds off my pack and the morning setup is way faster, anyone else ditch a heavy tent for a tarp and regret it at first?

The guy at REI swore I needed waterproof boots for the Ozarks in June, I went with trail runners instead

Last summer I was planning a 40-mile loop in the Ozarks and this older employee at REI told me I'd regret not having waterproof boots for the creek crossings (you know, wet feet and blisters). I went with lightweight trail runners anyway because I hate heavy boots, and honestly I was fine - my feet dried out way faster after each crossing. So who's right here, the waterproof boot crowd or the fast-drying trail runner people?

The loop around Lonesome Lake changed so much in 2 years I barely recognized it

I hiked the Lonesome Lake trail in the White Mountains back in 2022 and it was a nice moderate route with clear views of the Franconia Ridge. Last weekend I went back and the whole approach to the lake is different now. A beaver dam flooded about a quarter mile of the trail so you have to scramble up this side slope to get around it. The old wooden boardwalk they had is completely underwater and rotting. Plus the campsite near the lake had way more tent platforms than I remember, like 8 instead of 4. I guess the maintenance budget got cut or something in that time. Has anyone else seen a trail transform that fast from just weather and animal activity?

Debate: Push through a bad weather day or bail out early? Here's my story

I was on the JMT near Muir Pass last July, and around mile 80 the forecast said thunderstorms by 3pm. I had 6 miles to go to a safe camp, but the clouds were already rolling in dark. My buddy wanted to keep pushing, but I argued we should hunker down under a rock overhang and wait it out. He said we'd lose time and risk getting stuck overnight. We ended up splitting up, him going ahead and me waiting. He got hit by hail for 20 minutes and barely made it to the pass, while I waited 2 hours then cruised in dry. Which side do you lean on when conditions get sketchy? Has anyone else had a decision like this go bad either way?

Ran into a guy on the JMT who changed how I pack my bear can

Last summer near Muir Trail Ranch, a ranger told me I was cramming my BV500 wrong. He showed me to layer stuff vertically instead of just shoving it all in. Now I can fit three extra days of food without leaving the lid cracked.

Debate: Should backpackers stick to established trails or is bushwhacking fair game?

Last month on the AT near Roan Mountain I ran into a guy who swore by off-trail routes to avoid crowds. But three years ago I got lost for 6 hours bushwhacking in the Smokies and had to use my emergency beacon. I get that popular trails get trashed, but going off-route can mess up fragile ecosystems. What's your take on where the line should be drawn?