The Community Guide

c/backpacking-routes

6

cooper.taylor•15d ago

Lost 6 hours of hiking time last week on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia

Went out for a 3 day trip on the AT near Roanoke. Tried a new route I found on some blog. Big mistake. The trail markers were faded or totally missing in 4 different spots. Spent 6 hours just trying to figure out where I was. My phone GPS barely worked in the valleys. Ended up camping way off trail at 8pm. Has anyone else dealt with crappy markings on the AT south of Daleville?

13

abby_kim55•15d ago

Finally trusted that youtube hiker about water filters after getting sick on the trail

I spent $45 on a cheap UV pen filter from Amazon and ended up with giardia near Mount Whitney last summer. So now I am a strict Sawyer Squeeze fan, what dumb mistakes turned you into a gear snob?

23

the_vera•15d ago

Looked up the weight of my backpack mid-hike and nearly laughed

Turns out my 45L pack was 38 pounds because I packed 12 Clif bars for a 3-day trip. Has anyone else found a ridiculous stat about their own gear that made you stop and repack?

24

bell.emma•15d ago

Spent $80 on a down sleeping bag quilt from a no-name brand

Thought I was saving money for a summer trip. First night out it got down to 50F and I froze. No baffles, all the feathers shifted to one side. Total waste. Anyone else get burned by cheap gear like this?

14

hart.taylor•15d ago

Pro tip: I stopped using dedicated backpacking GPS units after a phone nearly killed my AT thru-hike

I used to swear by my Garmin inReach for everything. Tracking, navigation, SOS. But last summer on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, the battery died 3 days into a 5 day stretch when I forgot the cable. Had to use my phone as a backup and realized it worked fine with offline maps. Now I just carry a cheap phone power bank and use Gaia on my phone. Costs way less and works better for what I actually do. Anyone else ditch the dedicated GPS gear?

11

maxpalmer•16d ago

Tried the AT approach on the PCT last month, total mistake

I did the whole ultralight thing on the Pacific Crest Trail near Kennedy Meadows. Carried a 8 pound base weight. Ended up shivering through three nights because my sleeping bag was too thin for the elevation. Learned that what works for the Appalachian Trail doesn't always translate to the Sierra. Anyone else found that gear choices don't always carry over between different long trails?

10

gavin80•16d ago

Finally hit 300 trail miles this season and it snuck up on me

I was checking my GPS logs this morning and saw I crossed 300 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail section near Mount Whitney. That's about 15 miles a week since April, which is nothing crazy for some folks but way more than I've ever done. I remember reading a comment from someone last year who said "the trail doesn't care about your pace, it just adds up" and that really stuck with me. My knees are a little creaky and I need new insoles for sure, but I'm proud I stuck with it through the hot days. Has anyone else had a mileage goal sneak up on them like that?

11

craig.nathan•17d ago

My boot sole peeled off 8 miles into a Colorado trail last month

I was hiking the Four Pass Loop near Aspen and about 8 miles in my right boot sole just started flopping. The glue gave out completely on a steep rocky section. I had to wrap it with some paracord and duct tape I had in my pack to finish the loop. Made it another 12 miles like that but my ankle was killing me by the end. Anyone else had a boot fail mid trip and had to jury rig a fix?

21

jesse_burns8•19d ago

Lost $300 on a shortcut trail that didn't exist

Found this route on a forum that claimed a 6 mile cutoff on the AT in Virginia. Spent a whole day bushwhacking through terrain that was basically a swamp. Had to backtrack 8 miles in the dark. Has anyone else run into fake routes posted by people who clearly never hiked them?

11

uma_mitchell83•20d ago

Took me 5 hours to find a water source on the Grand Canyon's Tonto Trail

I was hiking the Tonto Trail last spring and ran out of water way earlier than I planned. The map showed a seasonal creek at Cottonwood Creek but it was bone dry when I got there. I had to backtrack 2 miles to find a seep I almost missed behind some rocks. That whole detour ate up 3 extra hours of daylight and I was rationing sips the whole time. Has anyone else dealt with a dried-up source on that trail and found a trick to spot the hidden ones?

29

kelly338•20d ago

Got caught in a lightning storm on the JMT near Muir Pass last August

I was hiking the John Muir Trail last summer and got pinned down near Muir Pass when a freak storm rolled in around 2pm. No trees, no shelter, just me and my aluminum poles on a big exposed stretch. I remembered some guy on a forum saying to ditch your poles and crouch on your pack to get off the ground. So I sat there for 45 minutes with hail hitting my face, counting seconds between flashes. That storm changed how I plan my daily altitude gains now. I check weather reports way more carefully and I always aim to be below treeline by noon. Has anyone else had a close call with lightning on a high route?

11

emma_perry•21d ago

Found a hidden trail junction that cut 3 miles off the Eagle Lake loop last weekend

I was following the AllTrails map like usual, but after the second creek crossing I noticed a faint path through the brush that looked like it connected to the ridge trail. Has anyone else ever stumbled on unofficial shortcuts that actually work out or are they usually dead ends?

17

david_fisher37•23d ago

Unpopular opinion: GPS devices fail way more than paper maps do

Last month I was hiking the Laurel Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania, about 12 miles in, when my Garmin just went black. Dead battery even though I charged it the night before. I was in a section with no cell service and heavy tree cover, totally reliant on that thing. I had a paper map in my pack as a backup but honestly I hadn't looked at it once the whole trip. Spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where I was on the map and matching it to trail markers. Since then I've started carrying a small compass and actually practicing with the map before trips. Has anyone else had a GPS die on them mid-route and had to switch to paper?

6

wilson.jana•24d ago

Took me 3 hours to find a safe water source on the John Muir Trail last summer

I spent nearly half a day just trying to locate a decent creek that wasn't all dried up near Evolution Valley. Anyone else waste way too long scrambling for water on a popular route?

15

jesse988•24d ago

Overheard a guy at an outfitter say he uses gaiters on every hike under 5 miles

I was in REI last Saturday picking up fuel canisters, and this older guy was telling the clerk he wears gaiters even on short day hikes. Said he got a pebble stuck in his boot once on a 3 mile loop and it took him 2 years to fully trust hiking again without them. I laughed but then thought about the time I walked 4 miles with a blister from a tiny rock. Has anyone else gone full gaiters just to avoid that one annoying thing?

9

mila395•25d ago

Epiphany about my food weight after 3 days on the PCT

I was packing for a 5-day stretch on the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake and grabbed my usual bag of instant oatmeal packs... they weighed 2.2 pounds total. I realized I could repackage them into a ziploc bag and save almost a full pound for just carrying the oats loose. It took me 4 months of trips to finally think of that simple change. Has anyone else had a basic weight-saving idea hit them way later than it should have?

19

rubybarnes•27d ago

Thought the $35 map was a waste until my phone died 3 miles into the Lost Coast Trail

I was real skeptical about dropping cash on a paper map when I had apps and GPS on my phone. Last summer hiking the Lost Coast Trail in California, my phone took a dunk in a creek about 3 miles in and wouldn't turn back on. That paper map from the ranger station saved my butt when I hit a confusing fork near a landslide area around mile 8. The tide schedule printed on the back was the real lifesaver too. Anyone else had a gadget fail and had to rely on old school stuff?

14

casey_torres60•27d ago

Tried the "quiet hiking" approach on the JMT last month and it backfired hard

I decided to hike a 15 mile stretch of the John Muir Trail near Mammoth Lakes without any music or podcasts, just nature sounds. Thought it'd be this zen experience but I startled a mama bear and her cub around mile 8 and had to backtrack 2 miles to avoid trouble. Learned that keeping a little noise on trail is actually safer for everyone involved. Anyone else ever get humbled trying some backpacking trend?

1

milesp38•28d ago

Got schooled by a guy on the PCT about eating cold oatmeal for 2 weeks straight

I was 6 days into a section hike on the Pacific Crest Trail near Mount Hood and my stove broke. I thought I was doomed to cold instant oatmeal and sad granola bars. Then a thru-hiker named Dave showed me his trick of soaking oats in a jar with powdered milk and cinnamon overnight. It actually turned into a thick, cold porridge that tasted way better than I expected. I ended up eating that for breakfast the rest of my trip and saved myself from cooking at all. Has anyone else found a no-cook breakfast that actually works on longer routes?

22

the_phoenix•28d ago

That half mile climb on the PCT near Crater Lake made me ditch my camp shoes

I used to swear by bringing camp shoes for every trip. Thought my feet needed to breathe after hiking. Then last summer I hit that steep ascent around mile 1830 on the Oregon section and my pack felt like it weighed 50 pounds. I realized I was carrying extra weight just to sit around in sandals for an hour. Anybody else just skip the camp shoes and use bare feet or socks around camp?

3

tyler_hernandez•1mo ago

Spent $40 on a GPS beacon after getting lost in the Sierras last month

I was hiking the Rae Lakes Loop and took a wrong fork near Dollar Lake, ended up bushwhacking for 3 hours before I found the trail again. That InReach Mini 2 I bought for $399 sat in my pack for two years unused, but now it feels like cheap insurance. Has anyone else shelled out for a satellite device and actually had to use it in a bad situation?

6

elliot_king•1mo ago

Took the wrong turn on the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs and ended up hiking 8 extra miles in the dark last week

I decided to follow a side trail that looked like a shortcut on my map near Hot Springs, North Carolina... big mistake. That trail just dead ended into a creek with no crossing. By the time I backtracked and found the real path, it was already 6pm and I still had 12 miles to my shelter. I ended up hiking with a headlamp through some rocky sections and twisted my ankle on a loose stone around 9pm. Had to stop and wrap it with an ace bandage from my pack before limping the last 2 miles. Has anyone else here taken a wrong turn that added serious miles to their day? What did you do to get back on track?

6

mitchell.mark•1mo ago

Lost a boot in a bog on the Slickrock Creek trail and still finished the loop

About three miles into the Big Fat Loop near Tellico Plains, my left foot sank past my knee in this muddy spot. Pulled my leg out but the boot stayed down there like it was buried on purpose. I hiked the remaining 8 miles with one hiking boot and one sock covered in duct tape and trash bags. Has anyone else lost gear in the backcountry and just had to make it work?

29

the_jordan•1mo ago

Was a die-hard fan of carrying a 70L pack for week-long trips but just swapped to a 45L on a 4-day loop in the Smokies last month

I used to think bigger was always better for multi-day hikes, you could just stuff everything in and not worry about space. But after carrying my old 70L monster up Clingmans Dome with barely 3 days worth of gear, I borrowed a buddy's 45L Osprey for the Appalachian Trail section near Fontana Dam and honestly it changed my mind. The whole thing weighed maybe 10 pounds less without the extra fabric and my back didn't ache at all on the descents. Anyone else had that moment where downsizing actually made a trip easier?

20

betty_stone2•1mo ago

PSA: My map reading skills went from a total mess to solid after one tough trip in the Wind River Range

Two summers ago I tried the Cirque of the Towers loop and got completely turned around near Lonesome Lake. I was using my phone with a downloaded map, but the battery died fast in the cold. I had a paper map but honestly didn't really know how to read the contour lines. I ended up adding like 3 extra miles that day, it was rough. The next morning, a guy in my camp showed me his old Silva compass and spent 20 minutes teaching me how to take a bearing from a peak to find my spot on the map. I practiced it the rest of that week. Now I always bring a real compass and a paper map from MyTopo, and I actually use them together before I even look at my phone. It changed the whole feel of being out there. Has anyone else had a trip that forced them to finally learn a basic skill like that?