(First posted at The Trek) Pack It in, Pack It Out All of the Leave No Trace principles are geared around a common theme, preserving the wildness of the outdoors. Depending on your world view, there’s a number of good reasons for this. Mine are primarily selfish – I want things to stay nice so…
Category: Smokebeard
PCT2018 Gear List
(Originally published at The Trek) I have a few purchases left to make, but right now my gear list is pretty solid. Pack weight is just at 13 lbs, and that includes a 1 lb fudge-factor for things like chapstick, extra clothes added at the last minute, the weight of my pen, money, and other…
Old Guy Music: Hiking Tunes from my PCT Jukebox
(Reposted from The Trek) I don’t listen to music while I hike, for a few practical reasons. I don’t want to use the battery on my phone, I don’t want to deal with sweaty headphones, and I want to hear rattlesnakes before I step on them. After 46 trips around the sun, I have a…
The Three Kinds of Ultralight – Be Ultrawise With Your Choices
(reposted from The Trek) If you’re a hiker, and you ever use the Internet, you know there’s a lot of discussion about reducing pack weight. One phrase I hear a lot is “how do I go ultralight?”. The answer is complicated, because it’s the Internet, but also because at no point do you “win” and…
Foot Care on the Trail: One Man’s Battle with His Feet
(originally posted at The Trek – https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/foot-care-on-the-trail/) Warning: there are some potentially scary and gross pictures of my previous foot injuries in this article. Other warning: I am not a doctor. Let’s talk about feet. With 3,000 hiking miles on mine, I’ve run into more than a few gnarly situations. This is not a humblebrag. I…