r/Ultralight

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/James_Fortis on 2024-08-24 13:25:02+00:00.

A fellow Redditor saw my graph of Food's Cost per Gram of Protein vs. Protein Density and suggested I post it to this sub. I hope it comes in handy for anyone who's looking for cheap and light-weight options to get enough protein when you're backpacking!

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/hugmytreezhang on 2024-08-23 22:11:00+00:00.

I've just moved to a much colder place and it's winter in this part of the world. Anyone got their best tips for staying warm? Or anything else I should be prepared for when it's around -4 C ish? Might be camping, might be in huts

Mine so far are: Make a hot water bottle Eat fatty foods before bed Pee before bed Keeping my head insulated Manage layers to avoid sweating Need a good pad R value, and/or use foam as well as inflatable Campsite selection - get tree cover, avoid valleys or ridges or adjacent to water Put water bottle upside down overnight

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Rockboxatx on 2024-08-23 14:08:13+00:00.

I been using the IOS beta on my iphone 14 pro max and tested the satellite messaging when we lost one of our friends in Indian Peaks. The messaging worked really well and was pretty reliable. Here are a few ways its better than inreach from a usability standpoint.

• Native imessage support so the UI is much better
• It tells you where to point your phone in the sky
• Because you know where to point, connection is much faster and more reliable.
• currently free without subscription.

Disadvantages.

• Phone can not be in airplane mode so it sucks up battery
• Does not support group text. We found this out the hard way and the app doesn't warn you that your messages don't get sent or received. We only found out when we accidentally got cell service on top of a pass.

This service will pretty much makes the inreach obsolete. I was thinking of switching back to Android, but this feature may make it impossible.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/ultratung on 2024-08-22 21:31:47+00:00.

I have seen quite a few times people say on here that down pants as part of a sleep system are inefficient for warmth, which probably is true, but something interesting I noticed is this:

Cumulus Basic Down Pants: 102g down, 205g weight -> 50% down ratio

Ice Flame 7D nylon down pants: 99g down, 187g weight -> 53% down ratio

Now let's compare to a sleeping bag with the same amount of down:

Cumulus Magic 100 bag: 105g down, 215g weight -> 0.49% down ratio

I would have personally definitely thought that sleeping bags would have notably more down per weight unit than a pair of down pants, but it seems like this isn't the case. So are down pants underrated?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/karldied on 2024-08-21 21:38:41+00:00.

This post is to share my experience using a small solar panel on Canada’s Great Divide Trail (GDT) during 30+ days on trail. The solar charging process exceeded my expectations, but my success was likely dependent on generally clear skies and my hiking style which usually included long late-morning breaks. I was inspired to give it a try based on u/Peaches_offtrail gear review at

Equipment:

• Lixada L1613-T 10w mono crystalline Solar panel with USB-A output
• Nitecore NB10000 battery (38.5 Whr)
• iPhone 15 Pro (12.7 Whr battery)
• KOWSI power meter (.3 oz)
• USB-A to USB-C adapter
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• Anker 20W PowerPort III Nano PD IQ3 charger (for use in town)

Pictures:

Process:

I charged the battery bank using the solar panel during breaks and then charged my iPhone in the evening from the battery bank. The in-line power meter was used to monitor the solar panel output and the relative charge to and from the battery bank.

Environment:

The GDT is a 700-mile trail in the Canadian rockies from the U.S. border to Kakwa Provincial Park, BC. I was only able to hike the southern portion as fires made most of the north half off limits. It was July 2024 to early August. Days were very long and mostly clear, though there were a couple rainy days.

Solar Panel:

The Lixada L1613-T mono crystalline Solar panel is rated for 10 watts. It weighs 3.1 oz. It puts out 5.1 volts with no current draw. The NB battery bank charges at around 4.57 volts. At 4.57 volts, the Lixada put out 2-3 watts in my use, consistent with other buyer’s experience in the online comments. I always oriented and tilted the panel to face the sun and ensured there were no shadows cast on the panel from plants or other objects. The orientation was typically ‘good,’ but not perfect. If it was partly cloudy but a distinct shadow could be seen, the output was around 40% - 60%. If a shadow could not be seen, but the sun was clearly discerned through the clouds, the output was around 10% to 20%. If a tree or plant cast a shadow over the panel, the output was insufficient to charge the battery bank.

Battery bank:

The Nitecore NB10000 battery bank is rated for 10,000 mAhr, or 10 Ahr, at 3.85 volts, or 38.5 Whr (volts x amps). It weighs 5.3 oz. It has 3 LEDs to indicate charge level. It has a USB-A output port and a USB-C input & output port. Its capacity is about 3 times the iPhone 15 Pro battery capacity, so it should theoretically be able to charge the iPhone a 1/2 charge (my typical use in a day) six times. I wanted this capacity to be able to maintain the phone in the event of multiple successive cloudy or rainy days. Normally when charging via solar, I placed the battery bank behind the solar panel to shade it to keep it cooler. Importantly, it can accept 18w fast charge so you’re not waiting around in town for it to charge.

iPhone 15 Pro:

The iPhone 15 Pro is estimated to have a 12.7 Whr battery. The phone weighs 6.6 oz. It has a USB-C port. It uses quick charging at 9 volts when bulk charging up to about 81%, then it finishes with a 5 volt charge. The four most critical power-saving settings are: (1) Airplane mode, (2) Low Power Mode, (3) Tap or Swipe to Wake: off, and (4) Raise to Wake: off. In my experience, the first two cover many of the additional settings often suggested to save power. Low Power Mode in particular seems to limit the use of the motion sensors that otherwise would work overtime trying to track step count etc. For me, the phone is often inadvertently activated in the shoulder strap pouch where I keep it, and (3) and (4) prevent this. I used FarOut (formerly Guthook) for offline map navigation.

Kowsi (Diymore) power meter:

This is an inline USB-C to USB-C device that tracks volts, amps, watts (volts x amps), time, and cumulative watts (watt-hours). It weighs 0.3 oz. More than anything, it confirms the solar panel output. It also tracks the total charge and discharge to and from the battery bank.

USB-A to USB-C adapter:

This small adapter converts the USB-A output of the solar panel to USB-C. Everything else in my entire electrical setup, including my headlamp, cables, and town charger, are all USB-C. It weighs 0.1 oz.

USB-C to USB-C cable:

My cable was 8 inches long and weighed 0.2 oz. A slightly longer cable would have made charging at hotels and in town easier.

Anker 20W PowerPort III Nano PD IQ3:

This is a USB-C 20 watt charger cube for use in town. It weighs a touch over 1 oz. I previously carried two charge cubes as well as two cables, so that I could simultaneously charge my phone and my battery bank. Having two charge cubes and two cables also provided backup redundancy. However, with the solar panel, the phone and battery bank were maintained at sufficient charge that I switched to a single charge cube and single cable. This offset over 1 oz of the weight of the solar panel.

Use and hiking style:

In my use experience, it would be impractical to attach the solar panel to the top of the backpack and expect much success. This solar panel is a little delicate for that setup, and a longer cable would be necessary to ensure components are not strained and damaged. Further, the time that a panel so mounted would provide much charge is often very limited, between shade and miss-orientation. Edit: others have had good success, as reported in the comments.

My use was to set up the panel facing the sun when I took extended breaks from hiking, those of 20 or greater minutes. My hiking style is to typically pack up camp and depart promptly without eating, and then stop a couple hours later in the mid- to late-morning period for a cooked meal and to dry my tent, sleeping bag, and any other gear that is damp from evening condensation. This is often a 2-hour break. During the late morning, it is often before any cloud formation, and provides good charging conditions for the solar panel. My charge rate was 2.0 to 2.5 watts, often providing 4-5 Whr, sufficient on average to recharge the energy used during the day.

For my use, it worked well, which was better than I expected, but I recognize that many hikers do not take extended mid-day breaks that would lend themselves to static solar charging, and as such might not find success as I did.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/OneshotOtter on 2024-08-21 16:18:11+00:00.

BD is claiming that their new Deploy down hoody is the "lightest weight down hoody" in the world at 148g (5.22 oz) (size M). Does anyone else know of anything lighter? Has anyone gotten there hands on this hoody? The initial read of the specs seem pretty good but I'm wondering if anyone has any first hand experience.

Product page:

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/turtlintime on 2024-08-18 22:00:45+00:00.

If you use a higher R value (5.0+) sleeping pad in the summer, is that less comfortable than if you used a lower R value one?

I would assume with a higher R value, you would be more warm in the summer

Edit: To clarify: I am asking if in summer you would be more cool sleeping on the bare ground/low R value vs a high R value sleeping pad

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/sohikes on 2024-08-18 15:26:43+00:00.

TRIP DURATION: July 29th to August 12

LENGTH: Around 335 miles

ZERO DAY: Banff (August 9th)

DAYS WITH RAIN/HAIL: 6/15

BEAR SIGHTINGS: 1

GEAR:

VLOGS:

DAILY BLOG

Day 1: 17 miles

Got to Waterton at 1AM and camped at an empty spot at the campground. Only got a few hours of sleep before packing up at 7AM. Stopped by a coffee shop for a quick breakfast before buying some bear spray and a fuel canister. Apparently there were no small fuel canisters sold in town, they only had the medium and large ones. From there I hiked four miles SOBO to the border where the trail officially begins. This was the first time I ever reached this terminus even though I’ve been to Glacier NP three times before. Nice to finally see it. The 6.5 mile climb to Carthew was slow but the trail was nice. I saw probably a dozen people which was surprising. The last 1.5 felt never ending, many false summits. I got to Akamina CG around 6:45. Much earlier than I like to stop but that’s how it is on the GDT. All the tentsites were on gravel which meant I couldn’t pitch my freestanding tent. Had to find another spot on the dirt somewhere. This was a pretty windy campground. The ground was pretty soft so I hope my stakes stay in. My iPhone says I walked 29.5 miles today, I estimate it was probably around 25. However only around 17 of those miles counted toward the trail

Day 2: 21 miles

Woke up at 6am. It rained last night so I’m glad I didn’t cowboy camp. Started the Rowe alternate at 7:30. It’s about 1,700ft gain in 1.3 miles, but the last 0.6 has 1,300. Took me 80-minutes to get to the top, I didn’t think it was bad. There are worse climbs on the Appalachian Trail if you ask me. The ridge walk was wide open, great views. The worst part was going up Festubert. Dark clouds rolled in and there was very loose scree going up. Insanely slow. Got to the summit and then the rain came, I went down as fast as I could but it only lasted 20-min or so before it cleared up. It took me 7hrs and 15min to do this 11-mile alternate. Slow going but I highly recommend if weather is good. I got back to the main route around 3PM. From there it was only 9 miles to my planned campsite (Scarpe Pass). It was nice to be back on a trail after all the cross country travel. I took a long break around 5PM to cook dinner since I had time to spare. Got to the campsite at 7:45. It feels strange to be forced to end my day early, especially with daylight until almost 10PM. But it was a pretty long day for only 21 miles so I’ll take the extra rest. I also realized this morning that I miscalculated how much food I needed for this section. I currently only have 4,800 calories remaining with two more days of hiking. I usually want to have at least 3,000 per day. Unfortunately this means I probably won’t be able to do Barnaby Ridge like I planned. That alternate is tough and slow going so I would definitely run out of food

Day 3: 29 miles

Didn’t fall asleep until after midnight. This year I’ve been finding it very difficult to sleep on trail. Woke up at 5:48 and got moving by 6:15. I had a tough three miles to start the day going up to La Coulotte. At the summit is the beginning of the Barnaby Ridge alternate. I had planned to do it but I did not pack enough food for this section. There’s a good chance I would run out of food if I did this slower moving route so I continued on the main route down towards Castle Mtn Campground. It was an extremely slow moving morning. Tons of ups and downs. However the good news is that the rest of the way was not only downhill but much of it was dirt road. I made it to Castle Mtn a little after 3PM. They had some snacks there so I ate two small bags of chips and drank a 16oz Coke. Many athletes actually drink Coke during their competition because it has easy carbs, sugars, and caffeine to keep you going. I sometimes drink a 7.5oz Coke before long runs. So that 16oz really hit the spot and was exactly what I needed for the rest of the day. They had WiFi there and I found out Jasper NP canceled all my permits due to the wildfires. I guess that means I officially won’t be able to thru hike the GDT. Oh well. Hopefully I can do sections A, B, and C since that would be half the trail. Leaving Castle Mtn it was a quick 3.5-mile paved road walk back to trail. From there all I had was a 1,200ft climb and it was smooth sailing to Lynx Creek CG. The last half of the day only took me 8-hrs to do 22-miles compared to the beginning of the day which took me 6-hrs to do 7-miles.

Day 4: 20 miles

Got moving around 6:30. Nothing significant today aside from a PUD (pointless up and down). Took the alternate route into Blairmore because that’s where all the grocery stores are at. Got in around 12:30 and went straight to a cafe for a late breakfast. From there I got my next resupply at three different stores. The IGA had a poor selection in my opinion, I got a better resupply at the Circle K next door. Walked about two miles down to Coleman and got a room at the Paddock Inn for $130CAD. It’s the standard cheap motel, nothing fancy but it’s on the Main Street. I did laundry and went to The Rum Runner Restaurant and Pub down the street which had very good reviews. There was a line out the door when I arrived and two women in front of me offered to let me sit with them so I did. I was honestly hoping to sit at the bar and watch sports but whatever. They were both from Canada and we talked about a bunch of random things to kill time. The food took a long time to come out because it looked like there were only three chefs. I had a HUGE double patty burger that really hit the spot. Definitely need the calories. One of the women went out for a smoke and came back with a very intoxicated man. This guys face was as red as I’ve ever seen before and I’m Asian. So now I’m sitting at a table with three complete strangers devouring my burger. Interesting situation to say the least. After that I went back to my room to take my second shower and then type this all up. Town days go by too fast. It took me about five hours from the time I got into Blairmore to checking into my room. I’m tempted to zero but I can’t since my hike got delayed due to my flight getting canceled. That means I started a full day behind my permit itinerary which is one of the annoying things about that whole system

Day 5: 21.3 miles

Slept well. Woke up at 8 and went across the street for breakfast. Had a very good chorizo, egg, and rice skillet. After that I went back to my room and chilled out until my 11AM check out. I never leave before check out on trail. There was a free can of Pepsi in the fridge so I drank that before I headed out of town. The first 8-miles kinda sucks. Just road walking combined with following a path made for dirt bikes and ATVs. When the trail picks up it’s pretty great. It’s a recent addition to the GDT called the High Rock Trail. Well built and marked, must have taken years. I think it’s around forty miles so I will enjoy it. There were many ups and downs today which made for slow travel. Made it to Window Mountain Lake CG by around 7PM but I just filled up water and kept going. I honestly kind of regret it because that was one of the best campgrounds I’ve seen so far. There were a bunch of people there also which wasnt surprising since it’s Friday. I’m always jealous of people who hike in groups, it would be more fun and nice to have someone to talk to. Hiking solo sucks on a trail like this. I did a few more miles and stopped at a random spot next to a dirt road at 9PM. My original goal was First Creek CG but I fell 2.5 miles short, oh well. I also realized there’s no way I will make my reservation at Porcupine CG in four days. I would need to average almost 38mpd. My delayed start really screwed up my itinerary but I’m not sure if I would’ve made it anyways.

Day 6: 28.2 miles

Last night wasn’t fun. I kept on hearing loud noises coming from the trees not far from my tent. Sounded like something big was moving in there. It even caused a tree to fall over. Obviously I didnt sleep too well. I never saw what it was though. I started hiking at 6:30 with bear spray in hand until I was a mile or so away. The day was pretty boring until late noon. That’s when I started the climb up Tornado Saddle. The last half mile or so is super steep. Doesn’t help that it’s all loose scree so you take one big step only to slide back down. The Saddle was very windy but had some nice views. On the decent I took my dinner break at a water source. Had some nice ramen noodles. I don’t remember the last time I ate ramen. After I ate it I drank the leftover broth. It had around 1,800mg of sodium which I needed. I also had two packets of LMNT today so I’m well over 4,000. Ended up hiking until 8:45 where I found a great tent site on a ridge. Overall it was a pretty tough day. Lots of ups and downs. On a trail like the CDT I’d probably be at 35 miles

Day 7: 27 miles

Started moving at 6:30. Nothing really happened until 10:45 when I had a grizzly encounter. I was going uphill and when I looked up I saw a grizzly standing there. I immediately made noise and it went away. He/she was probably 40m away. I hiked the next couple miles with bear spray in hand and doing frequent b...

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/wishofalifetime on 2024-08-17 18:59:55+00:00.

Any summer ultralight trousers with a baggy and/or boxy fit? I noticed that a lot of the other threads wanted to avoid trousers with wider fits, but that is exactly what I'm looking for. Something akin to the Patagonia Terrebonne and Outdoor Ferrosi with a baggier fit. Would love to see some budget recommendations if available. I'm based in the UK, thanks in advance.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/wanderlosttravel on 2024-08-14 21:20:48+00:00.

Is Zpacks still the only ultralight brand that offers a truly arched frame?

EDIT: I'm not here to argue about the effectiveness of the arch. Maybe it doesn't work for you, but I have way to much of my own experience that confirms it does indeed actually work for some of us. Thats probably part of the reason Zpacks in one of the most popular ultralight brands! If your only response is to argue with me why my own extensive experience isn't reality than you've totally missed the point of my post.

What do I mean by this "truly arched frame"? I mean a frame that maintains an arch even when fully loaded such that the backpack material itself is kept off the majority of your back. In other words, a frame that allows airflow to your back. Zpacks does this two ways from what I can tell. One, by using carbon fiber frames which are less flexible (than say aluminum). And two, on many of their packs, they have also added adjustable tension points that actually hold the curve in place.

To me a truly arched frame makes a world of difference in keeping cool while hiking in hot sunny weather. The air moving between your back and the pack greatly increases comfort, decreases heat, and thus decreases water loss through sweat. It also has the side benefit of decreasing long term bad odor from enormous amounts of sweat build up on the pack.

To me, this design should almost be standard for framed backpacks as it adds almost no weight penalty while providing a significant increase in comfort. Zpacks tends to actually be one of the lightest, framed backpack makers on the market despite having frames like this.

So why don't I just buy Zpacks? I probably will as I have no problem with the brand and like my current pack. But, they aren't quite a cottage company any more so if I could support a small garage company, I'd love to. Also their prices seem to have increased more drastically than the competition. A good comparison, I currently own a Superior Wilderness Design 50 liter and Zpacks 60 liter pack both of which I bought around 3 years ago for $300 each. The comparative SWD pack is now $355 while Zpacks is now asking $399. There could be other factors, but generally as a company gets larger, it should be able to scale and thus become more competitive not less.

Finally, I like seeing competition for similar products as thats how they improve. Some people don't like the Arc Haul design. But they might really love an HMG arched pack. I guess I'm hoping some gear designers/companies might see this post and realize that at least some of us value this feature and it honestly could be the sole thing keeping us from buying your backpacks. My partner feels the exact same way as I do. She went from Osprey to Zpacks and has said she would never purchase a backpack without a frame arched enough to allow significant airflow to her back.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/pretzlstyle on 2024-08-15 04:29:02+00:00.

Super stoked to share my new homemade 3-section folding trekking poles.

Full gallery of the build process with details in the image captions:

And a video of the pole assembly:

Specs:

• weight: 3.9 oz per pole (without strap)
• Length: 120cm
• sections: 3
• total cost: ~$120

Materials:

• roll-wrapped carbon fiber tubing
• main section tubing ID/OD: 11mm/9mm
• joint and tip tubing ID/OD: 9mm/7mm
• grip and collar tubing ID/OD: 13mm/11mm
• grip: 6" EVA foam fishing pole grip, ID 0.5"
• tip: BD Distance Carbon Z trekking pole tip (no basket), Tenacious Tape shim
• pole section locking mechanism: zip ties, 3/32" shock cord, Dutchware mini plastic hooks, rubber o-rings
• Z-fold cords: ~30cm of Gossamer Gear DynaGlide cord, nylon flange bearing, small rubber gasket
• strap mounting assembly: shim made from wooden dowel, brass thread adapter, locking washer, nylon #8-32 machine screw
• glue: Permatex 2part epoxy

I made these for my <5lb SUL kit. It's easy to make poles this light if you don't need them to fold, but I wanted them to fold up in a 3-piece Z-style so that they can be used with small fastpacking packs and running vests. After researching and considering the design very carefully, I was hoping for sub-4oz, so that they were a worthwhile substitute for my 120 cm 5oz BD Distance Carbon Z poles.

I was particularly inspired by this post by /u/AndTheIronyIs and this post by /u/vanCapere (Montmolar). The trickiest part of a folding design is how to lock the pole together once it is assembled. Both of these users emplyed a central cord which runs the length of the pole, and is pulled to tension. This is similar in principle to the mechanism that BD Distance poles use, and the exact same mechanism as is found in some cheaper UL folding poles like the Aonijie E4204.

I thought that this mechanism seemed like a pain to install, a pain to calibrate to the right tension, heavier than necessary, and a potential failure point of the pole. In looking for something simpler, I came across this genius design by David Hoyer at BPL. Most of what he presented here is the same as Montmolar's design, but on page 2 of the comments (from October 7, 2016), he detailed a simpler mechanism, which I ended up employing.

Essentially, each of the two pole joints are locked in place via a local mechanism involving just zip ties and shock cord. It's very simple, and it works.

Afaik, no one has ever tried this design on a 3-pole section, so I gave it a go. In addition, I wanted the pole sections to stay attached to eachother by some kind of cord, as the BD poles do, even in absence of a central cord as in the more common design described. I came up with as simple but rather specific way of allowing this with small sections of cord, and a few pieces of hardware. See the Imgur captions for full details.

I'll also note that in trying to nail the sub-4oz goal, I used thinner carbon tubing than others. Both Montmolar and David Hoyer presented very light designs using 10mm tubing, but both of them said that these poles later failed (Montmolar's snapped, and Hoyer's bent). Evidently, 10mm is just too thin. David Hoyer reported that switching to 12mm (the width that BD uses) resulted in poles that have lasted for years.

As a compromise between these choices, I opted for 11mm tubing. Time will tell if this performs more like the 10mm horror stories, or like reliable 12mm poles.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/tabletennisfan on 2024-08-14 16:39:36+00:00.

Groundsheet: dirty and wet

Tarp: wet but not dirty

Sleeping bag: neither dirty nor wet, but you want to keep it dry.

It seems to me you gotta store all three in separate bags/places. Is that what you do, or do you have a better system?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Cute_Exercise5248 on 2024-08-13 20:02:07+00:00.

For 30-odd years I relied 95% on a Trangia mini with "windscreen" & pot that I think was listed at 11oz total. Maybe over the years, I averaged a dozen nights per year. Eighteen months ago I took it on overnight ski trip, & (no surprise) watched stove melt into snow. It would have been handier to bring a cannister stove....weight/bulk comparisons are very close... really no reason not to prefer my new cannister (pocket rocket).

In early 1980s, I owned a french Bluet cannister stove... used a few times and spent an hour (?) at 38 degrees (??!) & 1a.m. (!) trying to boil a little water. Newer fuel mixtures largely solve this. My go-to stove at the time was gasoline. Once while priming (at 3 am) I forgot to close gas tank....threw flaming stove in a panic, away from my tent ( and towards my pal's tent). This and a worn-out stove nipple, was context for choosing alcohol stove, whose fuel requirements become impractically large for more than a few nights and which fluctuate sharply depending on breeze.

Yes alcohol is more widely available ( as "Heet" automotive product) than cannisters... which has been Godsend a few times (all-night drugstores sell isopropyl alk, gas stations sell Heet, until they don't...Italian hardware stores... etc). But these are exceptions, rather than typical. Mostly I think practical arguement (including conveniece) favor cannisters. Alk comes out ahead in reliability& safety, but the risk of malfunction this addresses is minimal. As for the "aethetic of simplicity," alcohol stoves are way ahead. But aesthetics aren't directly "practical."

Also, alcohol works good for one person. It becomes marginal for two... for 3-4, I'd forget it. This is not so for cannisters, which are thus more versatile.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/m4ttj0nes on 2024-08-14 02:57:55+00:00.

Finally, lone peaks are getting vibram. Seems like 9+ will be an up-charged additional version vs vibram being the standard on the “base model” but we will see.

Regardless, this sub has been asking for vibram lone peaks forever, glad to see altra listening.

Now if they address durability…..

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/pgowdy13 on 2024-08-13 04:43:11+00:00.

Overview

Howdy! This details a 6.5 day (8.5 originally planned) trip report of the primary route of the ~Wind River High Route~ (WRHR) from south to north by Andrew Skurka. The trip started August 3rd and ended August 9th. 

Group Profile

The group, individuals best identified by their trail names, consisted of Toto (me), Grizz, and Gaucha. We’re a group of friends that met on our southbound through-hike of the PCT in 2016. Grizz and Gaucha are married and live in Reno, NV. I currently live on the road in my van but formerly lived outside of Phoenix, AZ. All of us are quite experienced backpackers. Grizz and Gaucha spend much of their free weekends exploring routes around the high Sierra and have spent significant time traveling South America as well as New Zealand. I’m primarily a climber, but I love to partake in the occasional backpack trip. I completed Skurka’s Pfiffner Traverse in July of 2020.  

Logistics

Logistics came down to two big things: planning how we’d do the shuttle and minimizing our food weight. 

For our shuttle I originally tried to post on some local WY Facebook groups to arrange a ride, offering $150 for the task. I gave up on this after a week, and instead we decided to use ~Wind River High Route Shuttles~. I’d recommend this shuttle company to anyone. Matt, the owner, showed up promptly on time the morning of August 3rd and had tons of great information on the area, including food recommendations for the inevitable gluttony that bookends any good backpacking trip. 

For our food while on the hike, Gaucha, a natural planner/obsessor of small details, outlined, purchased, and packaged everyone’s food before the trip. The final weight for the 8.5 days of food was 14lbs. 3oz – or about 1.5 lbs of food per day. 

Food Spreadsheet:

As far as planning actual distances for each day of the trip… we didn’t really. We knew that weather often plays a big factor in the decision on how far you make it/where you stay each night, so we wanted to stay flexible. We figured 8.5 days was more than enough time to complete the trail and would offer us a small buffer if we needed to wait out any particularly severe weather. 

One other matter to contend with is permitting. The WRHR crosses about 5 miles of reservation. These might be 5 of the most expensive miles I’ve ever hiked. Each person needs to obtain either a day permit or a week permit from one of the local gear shops in Lander. A single day costs $60. A week-long permit costs $90. We opted to get the single day permit and guess on which day we’d be doing the 5 miles. We figured we’d beg forgiveness if we ended up being off by a day when passing through. 

Gear

One major consideration was what snow gear to bring. After talking with some of my best friends that had done the Dixon route back in 2018, along with some thorough perusing of past trip reports, we decided that we’d take microspikes but opted to leave our ice axes. It seemed we’d be trying the route late enough in the year that any pass/slope with any extreme steepness would likely be melted out or have some nearby rock option available. 

As far as layers, we each took a rain jacket, a puffy, and a sun hoody. I also took an incredibly lightweight wind shirt that actually ended up being my most useful layer. 

For shelters, Grizz and Gaucha shared a Zpacks Duplex. I took a SMD Deschutes. 

Bears were a consideration on this trip as there are reports that grizzlies roam down into the northern range of the Winds and black bears populate all areas. Grizz and Gaucha shared an XXL Ursack and I used an XL Ursack. They also used an Opsack for some food that they couldn’t fit into the XXL Ursack at the beginning of the trip. We carried two cans of bear spray – one for each shelter. 

Grizz also opted to bring a fly rod and a spinning rod for some of the stellar fishing (more on that later) that is rumored to be available in some of the alpine lakes. I volunteered to take some of his fishing gear to split up the weight (and because I also love to fish). 

Day 0 - 0 miles | 0 ft | 0 hrs 

Grizz and I had recently finished a trip into the Northern Pickets in Washington to climb Mt. Challenger (a trip report I’ll save for another place and another time), so we were already together and simply needed to intercept Gaucha on her way to Lander. We hopped on a plane at 5:30am from Seattle to Salt Lake City. Gaucha, driving from Reno with all of our food and much of our gear, picked us up and we made our way to Lander. After grabbing our permits, checking our packs, and slamming a final hot meal, we made our way to Trail Lakes TH to spend the night and await the shuttle in the morning. 

Day 1 (August 3rd) - 18.24 miles | 3,923 ft UP | 8hr 45mins

Note: My Strava tends to pad my distance by 1-1.5 miles. Keep this in mind for all future distances.

Mike arrived at 8am sharp. We crowded into the van with some of the other WRHR hopefuls. There was a couple (with names I unfortunately did not catch) and a solo hiker, Braeden. We chatted about past trips, Wyoming wildlife, strategies for the trail, what we were going to eat when we were done, and by the time we knew it the couple of hours to the Bruce’s Bridge TH had passed. We all stumbled out of the shuttle around 10am and plodded our way up the first miles of our journey.

Day 1 of the high route is relatively easy. We were loaded down with the enormous weight of our 8.5 days of food, but the trail from Bruce’s Bridge meanders slowly up, never getting too steep or rough. Furthermore, this is the biggest continuous section of trail you get while on the WRHR – so we knew it was important to enjoy it while we could. Mostly, we were hot. The trailhead starts low relative to the rest of the route (a mere 7,142ft.), so we figured we’d need to make it to the core of the range before temperatures cooled. Around 6:30pm we made it to the first of Deep Creek Lakes and spent some time searching for suitable tents sites. 

The lake was surprisingly busy. Eventually, after speaking with a really sweet couple, Matt and Livy, offered us advice on where to camp, we settled down at a spot near the shore. Grizz and I, excited by the number of fish jumping around the lake, took a half hour to try to catch a couple. Unfortunately, after a couple hits, a couple hooks, and one really close catch, the fish stopped biting. We comforted our bruised egos with some of Skurka’s famous beans and rice, finally crawling into our tents around 9pm. 

Day 2 (August 4th) - 11.55 miles | 3,321 ft UP | 11hrs 07mins

Day 2 began uneventfully. We were fresh and full of confidence. We knew it would be a big day as we were tackling, debatably, the most formidable peak and descent on the entire route, Wind River Peak and the West Gully. We packed up our camp and started up the last quarter mile or so of trail. On our way up we ran into Matt and Livy who graciously gave us 4 or 5 flies they had success catching fish with. They also gave us a couple of packets of instant miso and olives for seasoning any fish that we might be lucky enough to catch. We also ran into a group of 3 very friendly forest rangers. They were on their 7th day of a 9 day trip to clear fire rings and educate people on LNT principles. We had a nice 10 minute chat. 

The climb up Wind River Peak wasn’t bad and scenery wise it was spectacular. An enormous, triangular notch cleaves the cliffs of granite to the north east of the peak, and the enormity of the range is on full display at the summit. We kept a steady pace and enjoyed the relatively reasonable grade of the trek. As we approached the top, clouds were beginning to form in the distance, and we figured we’d better start making our way down as quickly as we could – we’d seen a 30% change of T-Storms in the forecast. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t end up being as quickly as we’d liked. The couple of miles after the summit of Wind River Peak are arguably some of the worst/most annoying on the entire route. The West Gully is a steep descent gully on small, marble rocks and talus. Everything you touch is quite loose and quick to give way to a small slide. Worse yet for some, it can feel somewhat exposed. We crawled our way down the gully, doing our best to stick to solid pieces of rock or ground.  

Gaucha, shaken by two unfortunate spills on the loose rock, was starting to struggle. Grizz and I each took some of her food to lighten her load, but by the time we made it to the tarn beneath the west gully, the clouds had come on darker and socked in most of the valley. The sky opened up, and it began to rain. We scurried beneath a behemoth of a boulder perched against the cliffside that created a kind of cave and waited 20-30 minutes for the storm to pass. 

The remainder of the day saw us skirt the side of Black Joe Lake and finally make it to the shores of Big Sandy Lake where we set camp. The lake, as Skurka mentions it might be in his guide, was a tad crowded. We found it hard to find a decent site where we weren’t on top of someone else. The solo hiker we’d rode with in the shuttle, Braeden, had been leapfrogging...

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/ChaoticKinesis on 2024-08-13 00:08:35+00:00.

I have a hard time finding shoes that fit me well because I have somewhat wide feet, a particularly wide midfoot right beneath the pinky toe joint, and narrow heel. I tried the Lone Peaks and found them uncomfortably narrow in the midfoot and sloppy in the heel. Topo fit me better but they have so many models. After trying a couple and finding them to feel quite different, I decided to order them all to find the best one. All were tested in a mens 11.5, standard width. I am a Brannock 11E and wear size 11 in most shoes, including Topo road running shoes. I like sizing up a bit for hiking shoes so I went with 11.5 but I would say they fit true to size. Below is how I rank them in terms of width, fit, comfort, and with some other notes. This is not a long-term review, as I have not actually worn any of them on trail.

Wide:

• Pursuit 2 - Tied for having the widest midfoot and a generous toe box, while also being the most comfortable all around. These have a fair amount of cushion and a bit of bounce to them. I ultimately kept this one because it was so comfortable and I prefer 0 drop.
• Ultraventure 3 - Similar fit to the others in this group and very plush, kind of like a bouncy cloud. I can understand why they're popular but it wasn't for me. If you prefer the cushion of the Altra Timp over the Lone Peak, you'll probably like this one.
• MTN Racer 3 - Significantly less soft than the Ultraventure, despite having a similar stack height, and otherwise similar fit. This was easily my 2nd favorite. Stack height is higher than Pursuit but it's not softer. These have a bit less bounce than the Pursuit and significantly less than the Ultraventure. If this had a 0-3mm drop, I may have kept this one instead.

Medium:

• Terraventure 4 - Marginally narrower than the above in the midfoot/toe box and a slightly stiffer upper caused some overhang and discomfort beneath pinky toe. Otherwise these were great. I'd put them below the MTN Racer even though I prefer their lower stack/drop.
• Traverse - Most robust construction by far, definitely more of a hiking shoe feel than a true trail runner. Stiffest upper, marginally wider midfoot than Terraventure with a narrower toebox. This is the only one in which I couldn't really wiggle my toes. I could see myself sizing up to a 12 for the first time in my life, as it just felt a bit too tight all around. Snuggest heel because this is their only stability trail shoe.

Narrow:

• MT-5 - This one stood out for being noticeably longer and narrower than any other model. It didn't fit like a Topo and was the only one where the fit felt completely off.

Note: I have returned all except the Pursuit but I can do my best to answer any questions from memory. I don't own any Altras but for those wondering what would be most comparable to the Lone Peaks, I would try the Pursuit, MTN Racer, and Terraventure.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/outcropping on 2024-08-12 15:06:41+00:00.

For those who carry a bear can, what size do you find yourself bringing most often, and for what length of trip? Do you own more than one? If so, which ones?

When I hiked the JMT in 2019, I carried a BV500. This is overkill for solo use on shorter trips, so I recently picked up a BV425 and kinda love it. Great for 1-2 nights. If I was less lazy about packing I could maybe get another day in there.

What about you?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/ploddingplatypus on 2024-08-09 19:26:34+00:00.

As I hike more and more I find I like using trekking poles less and less. I'm currently on the CT and really only carrying my poles for use with my Xmid 1p. I know Durston and others make trekking pole alternatives for shelters that are stupid light, just curious what people experience with them are? Or maybe other options that are in a similar price bracket/quality/weight as the Durston tents without trekking poles? Thanks!

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/davidhateshiking on 2024-08-10 15:32:47+00:00.

As promised a while back in the weekly here is a medium term review of the Aonijie c9111 30l backpack. I have used it for about 350 kilometers on multi day trips and maybe 100 kilometers of day hikes. I’d estimate that I was running with it for about 30 kilometers combined during these outings.

TLDR: A great pack to tryout frameless, vest style backpacks that is also an affordable option for those who don’t have access to the cottage options in the states.

Here are some pictures :)

Comfort and weight limit:

I find it very comfortable even when running with up to 6 kg in it as long as the main compartment is synched down well and nothing is bouncing around on the outside. While hiking it starts getting uncomfortable at around 10/12 kg for me and I have never exceeded 14 kg total pack weight (long water carry). There’s a little hack with using a sit pad cut in half to make the hip belt padded that I only used once but it worked well.

Accessibility:

I absolutely love the pockets on the vest straps. I can fit my phone, my motorola defy, a 500ml soft flask or bottle, my sunglasses, a few small snacks, a buff and some liner gloves in there and use one of the smaller ones for small trash like wrappers etc.

I’m actually able to reach a bottle in the side pockets while moving when i’m trying a little bit and i added some shock chord to the bottom which allows me to access my Foam pad without taking the backpack off. (See the modifications column).

I never really use the zipper on the main compartment when the pack is fully packed but I unzip it from the top to make packing up easier from time to time. the zippered compartment at the front is fairly slim and I use it to store my tent stakes and my toiletries for quick access and so they don’t poke into the rest of my stuff. The stretch pocket on the outside is fairly snug and I mostly keep my first aid/ditty kit and rain gear or additional layers in here. If I’m running I also put my food pouch in here to keep it from bouncing. The main compartment is a typical roll top that works as intended and lets you vary the backpacks volume in a pretty decent range. it rarely feels floppy even with minimal gear. I added a few loops and shock chord for additional storage which I describe later under modifications.

Potential weight savings:

the hip belt is pretty minimal and easily removable and if you prefer to snap the roll top to itself you could cut off the two side straps. The foam backing is easily removable and weighs XXX grams. Here’s a nice post by u/kashew_peenut with additional MYOG modifications to save even more weight.

Wear and tear:

So far the coating of the Fabric has started to delaminate but the fabric wasn’t really that water resistant to begin with. I ripped the sewing in one of the side pockets fairly early on but I was overstuffing it way past its limit. I wanted to sew it up myself but it hasn’t bothered me enough to do so so far. The stretchy material on the pouches has held up great so far. The stitching of the main compartment is starting to stretch out near one of the shoulder straps. I was able to recognize that this is the shoulder strap that I use to swing the bag onto my back and I am going to be a little more careful with that in the future. I overloaded the bag on volume and weight a bunch of times so if you are a little more careful with your gear than I am this shouldn’t happen to you. (If anyone has tips on how to reinforce the area i’d be grateful)

Modifications and Add-ons: Here’s the pictures

I added some straps to the bottom so i’m able to attach a foam pad to the bottom. I didn’t have to sew at all for this modification and I attached the linelocs near the body so you can use them with the pack on your back. I think most people would benefit from this change and it takes maybe ten minutes to do at home.

I added some shock chord over top of the big mesh pocket. As i’ve said the Pocket isn’t huge and the shock chord is perfect to store an additional layer or micro spikes so the don’t poke into anything.

I also added a loop so I can attach my poles on the main body of the backpack.

I often use an additional pouch on the chest instead of a fanny pack. sometimes I manage to fill it with the snacks for the entire day and don’t have to stop to get food out of the bag until I made camp at the end of the day. I use the adjustable loops on top of the vest straps to clip into with the clips linked with the pictures. I absolutely come to love this approach as it frees my hips and still gives me easy access to my snacks (I tend to snack all day instead of eating substantial meals).

I bought a 10 liter pouch from decathlon that i’m going to test out if I need a little bit more volume due to bulky food etc. XXXlinkXXX I’ll report back once I have more experience with it.

Tips:

I found out that you can use the elastic loops on the bottom of the vest straps and your foam pad to quickly store your poles like this.

Use the side Zip of the main compartmented make packing up the bag easier. (especially stuffing your quilt inside)

I actually use a compression bag if i’m using a bulky quilt and am maxing out the volume of the backpack.

If your hardcore and use a torso length pad this backpack lies very flat and can be used under your feet as ground insulation.

I hope this helped and I would love for others to join in with their experiences with the pack in the comments.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/StraightupGarbage on 2024-08-08 23:15:58+00:00.

TL;DR: google sheet with budget sleeping bags for EU(NL) between 5°C and -20°C as of 8-8-2024, will maybe update.

sheet:

I have learned a lot from this sub. The only thing is that it is very USA dominant(you americans are a very innovative bunch). But this caused me to not be able to find adequate sources for a lot of budget gear.

I thought north american prices were good, until I bought a Durston tent(Very happy with btw) and I had to pay 44% in import and VAT.

I made this sheet to decide for myself what the best deal would be, and thought that y'all europeans would appreciate it. It was made from the view of a dutchman though, so prices might be localized(language is english though).

some caveats:

1. I am currently not a believer in the quilt for my activities, so everything is a bag. I WILL add them as soon as I get some info on what the critical deciding factors are for (budget) quilts.
2. For some of the brands I don't know if one can trust their T-comfort rating, so do your own research before buying.
3. It is skewed heavily towards aegismax atm(9-8-2024) because I just added all the stock on their website)

If you have any other brands/bags to add, please tell me!

Currently I can't buy anything cause I just hiked in Switserland ;-;. So I will likely need to update it when I get my monetary injection

edit: I added all the bags/quilt from aegismax.cn, I believe this to be the official site, but I could be wrong. This addition causes a couple of caveats though, namely in inbalance and that they don't always give lengths so sometimes it is guestimated.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/quainte on 2024-08-08 14:52:57+00:00.

Hi guys, so I have a SOTO Thermostack which I use to make coffee. I've used the 400mL titanium cup to only boil water. And I start noticing that there are some spots appears at the bottom of the cup. Then stupidly I tried to heat the cup (empty), and it started to change to brownish color.

1. Do you guys know what might be those tiny spots?
2. Why does the cup change color to brown? Is it rust? Will it still be safe to use?

Thank you!

Sorry for my bad english

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/htii_ on 2024-08-08 21:25:04+00:00.

I just bought a GG the One and am waiting on its arrival. But, I see almost unanimous recommendations for the Xmid. Is it that much better? GG is much lighter, so it surprises me to see that recommendation. Did I miss something or mess up by getting the One instead?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/alanlongg on 2024-08-07 23:02:44+00:00.

Hello again r/Ultralight long time no see.

Map: (limited detail)

Lighterpack:

Pictures:

Dates: July 27-Aug 2

Summary:

Last week a friend and I completed what we are calling the Riffner Traverse, the Pfiffner Traverse, plus an additional section to the north through the Rawah Wilderness. When I was looking at the topo, I noticed an alpine range to the north of the park and thought it was worth investigating. I mapped a ~35 mile route through that wilderness that linked beautifully into the Pfiffner proper.

Overall, the Riffner traverse covers beautiful alpine terrain with an insane amount of vertical change per day. We got through the Pfiffner in 5 days and had an absolute blast (thanks u/andrewskurka) This route demands good fitness, impeccable weather, and a tolerance for bushwhacking.

Day 1:

Our good boy Connor dropped us at the Rawah Trailhead some three hours away from our home base in Boulder, Colorado. Heavy packs, lots of food, and short shorts carried us along the Rawah Trail through some meandering woods and up to the first of many alpine basins. Past the first few lakes, trails got quite faint but we plugged away oo-ing and ahh-ing at lake after lake. Clouds came and went as we hopped over a pass with only a few minutes sat under some pines for a passing storm. Cruising our way past the Rawah Pyramid, we took the first of way too many dips in Twin Crater Lakes. With some ominous evening weather approaching, we dropped into the Island Lake basin and set up camp. We thought the weather would clear up around 6 or 7 but to our surprise it poured hour after hour. Occasionally poking my head under the mesh of my tent, I noticed some fantastic puddles creeping their way underneath me... a good test of the new tent I suppose.

Day 2:

Clear skies and sunshine, the alpine yardsale was in full force while we dried out our bags and tents before kicking off a 2.9k climb up Clark Peak, the Rawah range highpoint. Easy navigation and steep grass took us to the summit of Clark peak with spectacular views of the basins we had crossed, and the ridge ahead of us to the south. Our goal for the day was to stay as high as possible and get into Rocky. Beautiful cruising on alpine ridgelines took us pas a huge heard of Elk, incredible wildflowers, and eager anticipation for the terrain ahead. Longs peak stood out as a distant beacon of where we would be going. We dropped into Cameron Pass, made our way through the Michigan Ditch, and got incredible views of the Nokhu Crags, the northern escarpment of the Never Summer range. We hopped over an incredibly relaxed Thunder Pass and had our first night in the park at Box Canyon. I also saw a porcupine (a new animal off my ticklist)

Day 3:

We cruised down trail past Lulu City to the Timer Lake trailhead at a whopping elevation of 9073 ft., 1700ft below Millner pass, where the Pfiffner starts. After a short snack and bathroom break, we began the climb up to Mount Ida at 12,874ft. The timber lake trail was a constant uphill grind, long, reasonably quick and OK. Another swim stop at Timber lake and the day was inching its way along. We still had a long way to go to the July site in the middle of the park. The climb up to Ida we dubbed "the hill that never ends" coming from the Timber Lake trail we veered off trail to head up to the divide, cresting hill after hill after hill until we met up with the use trail to the summit. Great views and great weather made the following section past Chief Cheley peak feel very moderate. We were moving well and felt good being on the "actual route" at this point. Weather could not have been better. The divide provided wonderful terrain with expansive views and fairly straightforward navigation. We cruised past Hynach and stayed up high as the sun sunk lower in the sky. At Ptarmigan point, energy levels were low, we stopped to eat, enjoyed the sunset and cruised on the CDT for some easy night hiking down into Hallet Creek, and our stop for the night. We rolled in late and set up camp around 1030p. Sleep. What a first day on the Pfiffner.

Day 4:

Early morning. We woke up and cruised down the trail to another low point on the trip, one of the only other times we would dip below 10k feet. We climbed up to the Ptarmigan Mountain basins which has some of the best swims on the trip. The trail slowly died out as we crept along the Pfiffner. Another talus basin with bus sized boulders drew near and we had an absolute blast picking our way over this little pass. Easy going. Columbines, paintbrush, and some of the most intense bluebells I've ever seen. Andrews Pass, and Ptarmigan Pass in quick succession. Getting down from Ptarmigan peak was a bit of a shwack fest, steep, dense woods with blowdowns galore. Slow going through that one. Isolation Peak Pass went down easily as well. Three on the day so far. Stepping into Paradise valley felt a bit like Narnia... no roads, no trails, and pretty confidently, no other people. Instead of dropping into the valley, somewhat scarred by the last forested hillside, we decided to stay high and contour the sub alpine meadow terrain over to the pass. Was is the most direct line, no probably not, but we thoroughly enjoyed the views and the little meadows we passed through. We stayed as high as possible en route to the pass and minimized our need to climb which was greatly appreciated. The last pass of four passes for the day went down fairly easily and dropped us into upper Hellz Canyon. Through RMNP in just two days! Onto the Indian Peaks.

Day 5:

Only two passes on the menu today, Cooper Peak Pass and Paiute. We had been speculating on Paiute all trip and were fully prepared to employ our flatiron scrambling experience to get up and over. On the way to cooper peak pass we made our one and only navigational error which cost us a few hundred feet of climbing and and extra 30 minutes getting over the pass, nothing crazy but frustrating nonetheless. Getting up and over Cooper Peak pass was the pinnacle of "steep grass" or what we liked to call "4th class grass." Steep, tiny grassy steps led us up and over this one. We stopped occasionally to catch our breath, and take in the absolutely insane amount of wildflowers we were going through. The grass slowly gave way to scree and talus. The way down was somewhat slow but we scree-skiid as much as possible picking our way down through the rocky terrain. We had our eyes set on a partially frozen tarn to take a snack at and dip our feet. We both agreed this lake was probably a bit too cold to full plunge in. Our feet went numb in under 30 seconds. We carried on to Gourd lake where we stopped for lunch and a proper swim. A great spot to take a dip. From Gourd lake we hopped on trail down into the valley and moved quickly until our turnoff up thunderbolt creek. We found faint use trails most of the way up the valley but towards the first falls we completely lost it and went full bushwhack. This valley also started our encounters with spiky scratchy plants. There was no escape from these. This climb was slow going. We twisted and turned our way past multiple waterfalls, hugging rock faces, ducking and crawling under blowdowns and battling our way into the upper basin.

At Thunderbolt lake we took a small break and while a swim was temping, we wanted to have ample time for getting up and over Paiute pass. From the lake onwards, travel was a good bit easier and straightforward, just up. As we got closer to the pass we were constantly referencing topos and slope angles. We climbed up to the pass and agreed on which notch we should be heading over. Overall we both thought that the schwack up Thunderbolt was by far more difficult that getting up and over the pass. The south side of Paiute we budgeted 45 minutes for, expecting some technical downclimbing and precarious routefinding. Again, we were both surprised with how straightforward it seemed. Off of the steep terrain we worked our way back to a trail and went over to Crater Basin where we camped for the night. A quick dip in Crater Lake and I went to sleep.

Day 6:

Up and out of Crater Basin, great views were easily overlooked when encoutering chest deep brush. Thunderbolt creek round two! Through this stretch we certaintly didnt pick the best line, but we were in too deep to backtrack and save time. Dense brush, chest high flowers, and very uncertain footing made the climb out of the basin incredibly slow. Getting above treeline felt like an accomplishment. Should we have slowly climbed up the benches instead? Who knows but we got there eventually. The whole morning we noticed fairly dense snow in what we called "the notch" and "the coinslot." We quickly ruled out the coinslot becuase of snow and were really hoping the notch would be passible. We didn't have spikes or axes. As we crept though the talus the snowfield became a big conern. Turning around and detouring would be.... less than ideal. We paused before crossing some steep scree below the snow and thought it would go if we stayed in the hallway between the rock face and the snowpatch. We went one at a time in fear of kicking down loose rock and made it through without any issue. We took our time and made mental notes to be careful. ...

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Matt_Bigmonster on 2024-08-08 21:01:44+00:00.

Classic design with all the updates you wanted. Bungee mod, USB C charging, updated LED for better efficency.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Responsible_Trifler on 2024-08-08 00:56:49+00:00.

My wife has had some health issues and because of that, we have not been backpacking these past few years.

With that, I’ve been thinking about getting a much larger pack to carry for the both of us and for her to carry a 15-20 liter pack for her day hike with water, layers, snacks. We hike a lot in the sierras so bear canister is required too.

I normally have a 40 liter pack with about a 7 pound bw and she use to have a 50 liter pack with a 12ish pound bw.

With carrying most of her stuff, would a 70 or 95 liter swd big wild work?

I also have a 4 year old that we may start bringing to short low pressure trips so I might want to future proof this purchase.

I’m also concerned with carrying such a large pack. I’m 5’9” and around 145 so I’m a smaller guy. I am a strong hiker and do ultras but I’m concerned that such a large pack would be quite unwieldy.