by Paty | Sep 27, 2020 | Gear, Hiking
Plenty of typical backpacking staples are missing in my food bag. No salami or pepperoni. No bags of beef jerky. Not even pre-packaged beef stroganoff or chili mac. As someone who follows a pescatarian diet (I eat fish about once a week when I’m off trail), my...
by Paty | Sep 15, 2020 | Gear, Uinta Highline Trail
When I was deciding how to use my REI dividend back in May of this year, I had one major purchase on the top of my wish list. I wanted a Garmin inReach Mini GPS device. Retailing at $350, this satellite communicator was a splurge for me. It was right on par with...
by Paty | Sep 12, 2020 | Gear, Rockies, Uinta Highline Trail
The Unita Highline Trail was the last of my summer thru-hikes for 2020. I’d already thru-hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail and North Umpqua Trail, so I pretty much had my gear dialed in for this adventure. Nonetheless, I did make some major additions and changes to the...
by Paty | Aug 12, 2020 | Gear, Tahoe Rim Trail
It’s no surprise that most hikers loathe bear canisters. No one likes adding extra weight to their pack. Then there’s the process of rearranging all your gear to accommodate this ridiculously bulky item. And the confined space inside the canister that...
by Paty | Jul 28, 2020 | Gear, N. Umpqua Trail, West Coast
Every fall/winter I head to Southern Oregon to visit family for the holidays, and I always seem to find my way over to the North Umpqua Trail (NUT) for a quick hike. This 79-mile trail parallels the Umpqua River from its headwaters up in the Cascade Mountains down...
by Paty | Jul 3, 2020 | Gear, Tahoe Rim Trail, West Coast
My Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) thru-hike required two separate gear lists. That’s because the first 120 miles were a solo hike. Thus, I only needed to pack the items I needed for my own comfort and safety for that leg (click HERE to view my solo packing...
