c/backpacking-routes

Pro tip: I bought a $120 water filter for the Lost Coast Trail and it saved my trip

I was about a day into the hike and my old pump filter clogged up for good. I had to use my backup, a Sawyer Squeeze I bought just before leaving. It was super easy to fill up from the creeks and took maybe two minutes to get a full liter. I would have been in a real bind without it. What's your go-to backup piece of gear for a long route?

I spent $80 on a water filter for a five day hike in the Sierra Nevada

The filter broke on day two and I had to boil everything, which took forever. I'm still mad about carrying that extra weight for nothing. What's a filter you've used that actually held up on a long trip?

My tent pole snapped in half on the Lost Coast Trail last month

I was setting up camp near Big Flat when a gust of wind caught the fly just right. Heard a loud pop and my main arch pole was in two pieces. Had to MacGyver it with some duct tape and a sturdy stick I found, which made the tent look like a sad, lopsided mushroom. Slept that way for two nights before I could hike out. Anyone have a good fix for a broken carbon fiber pole section, or is it just a total loss?

Warning: I thought the 'no fires' rule on the Enchantments thru-hike was just a suggestion.

My buddy and I planned to cook over a small fire last fall, but a ranger at the Snow Lakes trailhead checked our permit and said we'd get a $250 fine if we even tried. We used our tiny stove instead and honestly, waking up to that clean alpine air with zero smoke smell was way better. Anyone else had a trail rule they hated at first but ended up liking?

Heard a guy at the trailhead say he never does the same route twice

I was getting ready at the High Sierra trailhead last weekend and overheard a guy telling his friend he makes a point to never hike the same exact route again. He said, "If I'm going back to a park, I find a new trailhead or link up different loops." It made me stop and think... I've done the same favorite 20-mile loop three times now. Maybe I'm missing out by not mixing it up more. How do you guys find new ways to explore an area you already know you like?

Just realized I've been packing my bag wrong for every single trip

On my last hike in the Smokies, I was struggling up a hill and my buddy asked why my pack was so low. I always loaded the heavy stuff at the bottom, thinking it was more stable. He showed me his setup with the weight high and close to his back. I tried shifting my tent and food up top for the next mile, and it felt like a new world. Has anyone else made this same mistake with their gear placement?

The time I picked the 'shortcut' on the Lost Coast Trail

Last fall, my group had to choose between the official 25 mile route or a 4 mile beach scramble marked on an old map. We went for the shortcut to save a day. Big mistake, because the tide came in fast and we got stuck for three hours on a tiny rock shelf. My buddy actually said, 'Well, this is cozy,' as a wave soaked his pack. Anyone else have a trail shortcut that turned into a much longer adventure?

Remember when the trail to Iceberg Lake in Glacier was just a worn path?

I went back last summer and it's a wide, gravel highway now, all because they rerouted it after that big washout in 2019. Anyone have a favorite old-school route that's gotten a major facelift?

I finally got a permit for the Enchantments but wasted $75 on a bear canister rental.

I rented a huge canister from an outfitter in Leavenworth, only to find out the trailhead has free ones you can borrow. I lost the rental fee because I didn't check the ranger station's website first. Anyone know other popular spots where you can borrow gear like that?

Warning: I planned my whole trip around a 'perfect' campsite and missed the point

I was getting ready for a three day loop in the White Mountains, and I spent hours online picking a specific spot by a lake for my second night. I had the GPS coordinates, the photos, the whole thing. I was so focused on hitting that exact point that I rushed the first day, didn't stop to look at anything, and was just miserable trying to keep a pace to make it there. When I finally got to the lake, it was crowded, windy, and honestly not that great. The tip-off was talking to another hiker the next morning who told me about this amazing, quiet meadow he'd found just a mile off the trail the day before, a place I blew right past. I was so glued to my plan that I forgot the whole reason I go out there is to find those unexpected moments. Has anyone else gotten too locked into a route and missed something better?

Finally hit the 50-mile mark on the Lost Coast Trail and a ranger at Mattole said my old boots were 'veterans of the trail'

That one comment from a stranger after a tough stretch made the whole soggy, blistered trek feel totally worth it, you know?

I decided to try a 'shortcut' on the Timberline Trail last week and ended up wading through a creek with my pack over my head.

I bought a $200 GPS unit for the Wind River Range and barely used it

I was so sure I needed all the tech for a 5 day loop in Wyoming last August, but the trail was so well marked I just used my paper map. That thing is still in the box with the tags on. Anyone else find themselves over-prepping with gear they never touch?

Getting lost on the old John Muir Trail section near Thousand Island Lake

A few years back, I was hiking that part of the JMT and a big storm washed out the main trail markers. I spent about four hours just bushwhacking in circles trying to find the right path again. The map was no help because the landscape had changed so much. I finally found the route by spotting a specific rock cairn a ranger had mentioned once. Has anyone else had the trail just disappear on them like that?

Update on choosing the High Sierra Trail over the JMT for my 7-day trip

I had to pick between the full John Muir Trail or just the High Sierra Trail section for a week last August. Went with the HST from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal, and the logistics were way simpler with just one permit from Sequoia. Anyone have a favorite 5-7 day loop in that area for next time?

Finally tried the 'shortcut' around the north side of Lake Serene

It saved me almost two hours, but the trail was way steeper and muddier than the main route (my boots are a mess now). Anyone know a good way to clean dried-on Washington mud?

I spent years trying to hit a 20 mile day on the PCT and it was a total waste

The moment I realized it was when I met a guy near Mount Hood who was just sitting by a creek for an hour, not even hiking. He said he'd been out for three weeks and his longest day was maybe 12 miles. I was so focused on my map and my pace, I missed everything around me. My whole goal of pushing big miles meant I skipped side trails, didn't stop at lakes, and was just exhausted every night. That was two months ago, and I've completely changed how I plan trips. Now I aim for 10-12 miles max and actually enjoy the place. Anyone else get stuck in that mileage trap and finally break free?

A friend called my usual 3-day loop 'a forced march' and it made me rethink everything

I've been doing the same 20 mile loop in the White Mountains for years, pushing hard to finish in three days. Last fall, a buddy came along and halfway through day two he said, 'Dude, this feels like a forced march. We're just ticking off miles.' That hit me. I realized I was so focused on the route and the finish that I was missing the point. I changed it up this spring, stretched the same loop to five days, and spent a whole afternoon just sitting by a creek I always rushed past. Do you think a route is about covering ground, or about the experience along the way?

Spent a full day trying to find a creek crossing that was on the map

On the Northville-Placid trail section near Lake Durant, the map showed a bridge over a small creek. The bridge was completely gone, just some old posts in the water, and the creek was running high from rain. It took me and my partner about six hours of bushwhacking upstream to find a safe spot to cross, which set our whole schedule back. Has anyone else had a mapped feature just not exist anymore on that trail?

Warning: My buddy told me to skip the switchbacks on a trail in Colorado and I almost got stuck

Last fall I was hiking the Four Pass Loop near Aspen. My friend Mark, who'd done it before, said 'Just cut straight up the slope, the switchbacks are for tourists.' I listened to him on the way up Buckskin Pass. It was a brutal, straight-up climb that wrecked my legs. On the way down, the loose scree was so bad I actually slid about 20 feet and had to grab a bush to stop. My knees were killing me for two days after. Turns out those 'tourist' trails are there for erosion control and safety. Has anyone else had a friend give them trail advice that totally backfired? What did you learn?

Bought a $35 bear canister for a trip in the Adirondacks and it was the best money I ever wasted.

The time I picked the 'scenic' route over the marked trail in the Smokies

Last fall, I had to choose between the well-signed Alum Cave Trail or a dotted line on my map labeled 'old logging road' that promised a quieter walk. I went with the dotted line, which turned into a two-hour bushwhack through rhododendron thickets so dense I had to crawl. My friend just kept saying, 'You picked the dotted line' over and over. Has anyone else been completely betrayed by a map's suggestion?

Heard a ranger at the Olympic National Park visitor center say something that made me pause

He was telling a group that the popular Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier has had a 40% jump in overnight permits this year. He said a lot of new folks are heading up there without checking the current river crossing reports, and the snowmelt is still high. Has anyone done that route in the last few weeks and seen the crossing near Glacier Meadows?

Rant: A washed-out bridge on the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas forced a 5-mile detour through dense brush.

Has anyone else had to reroute there recently?

My last hike on the Appalachian Trail had me thinking about how crowded it's gotten.

I mean, back in the day you could go miles without seeing another soul, but now it's like a highway sometimes.