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Weight matters, but so does sleeping through the night. This board takes ultralight and comfort-first setups equally seriously.
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11 threads in Backpacking
- EZEZD· 8/6/2026
Medicine Bow Range backpacking — underrated Wyoming alternative to the crowded ranges
Backpacked the Medicine Bow Range and came away wondering why more people do not go. Granite, alpine lakes, real elevation, and a fraction of the traffic you find in the more famous Colorado and Wyoming ranges. Notes: - Afternoon thunderstorms are the schedule-setter. Be off high ground by early afternoon. - Nights are cold even midsummer. I would not take anything above a 20 degree bag. - Water is plentiful but filter everything. - Cell coverage is essentially nothing. Bring a satellite messenger. If you want alpine scenery without a permit lottery, put this one on the list. Anyone have favorite loops in the Snowies?
#trip-report#wyoming#alpine#planning0replies - EZEZD· 8/5/2026
Isle Royale backpacking: wolves howling as I got into the tent
Isle Royale backpacking, and the moment that made the whole trip was lying down for the night and hearing wolves start up somewhere across the ridge. Not one — a chorus, answering each other, going for what felt like a long time and was probably ninety seconds. The island itself is a fantastic backpacking destination: no road noise, no vehicles, moose everywhere, water on both sides of nearly every ridge. Rough notes: - Ferry logistics dictate your itinerary more than mileage does. - The trails are wetter and rootier than the mileage suggests. Waterproof footwear or accept wet feet. - Bugs in early summer are serious. Head net. - Moose are the actual hazard, not wolves. If you have been, what loop did you do? I want to go back and do a longer traverse.
#trip-report#isle-royale#wolves#michigan#wildlife0replies - EZEZD· 8/1/2026
High Uintas backpacking: my tent collapsed under overnight snow in Utah
Went into the High Uintas in Utah expecting cold, got a heavy wet snow overnight instead. Woke up with the tent fabric on my face — the snow load had folded the poles in and pushed the walls flat. What went wrong, honestly: - Three-season tent with a shallow-pitched fly. Snow had nowhere to shed. - I pitched under open sky in a flat meadow instead of using tree cover. - I did not get up to knock the snow off. Two or three passes during the night would probably have saved it. What I do now above treeline in shoulder season: steeper pitch, guy every point, pick a spot with some wind and tree shelter, and set an alarm to clear the fly if snow is forecast. Anyone else had a tent go down under snow? Curious whether people jump straight to a four-season shelter or just manage a three-season better.
#trip-report#utah#winter#gear#shelter0replies - ESEscarpmentEli· 7/19/2026
Sub-24 hour overnights are the best training there is
Leave after work, hike two hours in, sleep, and be back before breakfast. It has kept me sharp between big trips and it costs nothing. Post your favorite quick overnight loop.
#backpacking#training#overnight2replies - TATamarackTess· 7/8/2026
Quilt vs bag after two seasons of both
The quilt is lighter and sleeps warmer than the rating suggests if you get the pad attachment right. Get it wrong and you will chase drafts all night. Anyone still preferring a full mummy?
#backpacking#quilt#sleep-system0replies - MEMesaMarisol· 6/28/2026
How light is too light for shoulder season?
Went out in late October with a 30 degree quilt and a wind shirt and spent the night doing sit-ups in my sleeping bag. Learned that shoulder season is the wrong time to shave ounces off sleep. Where do you draw the line?
#backpacking#ultralight#winter0replies - NINightHikeNoah· 4/19/2026
What finally fixed my blisters after ten years
Toe socks under a thin wool sock, shoes a full size up, and leukotape on the two spots that always went first. No hot spots in 300 miles since. Everyone's feet are different but that combination was the unlock for me.
#backpacking#feet#gear0replies - BABackcountryBeth· 4/16/2026
Trekking poles: converted after years of refusing
Knees on a 4,000 foot descent made the argument for me. The shelter using them as poles was a bonus I did not expect. If you have been holding out, this is your sign.
#backpacking#gear#knees0replies - VEVerdeValleyVic· 3/30/2026
Shakedown my list: 14 pound base weight, three-season
Big three is a 40L pack, 20 degree quilt, and a two-pound trekking-pole shelter. I think my cook kit and electronics are where the fat is. Roast it — I would rather hear it here than feel it on day four.
#backpacking#ultralight#shakedown0replies - NONorthwoodsNina· 3/19/2026
Trail I would hike again tomorrow
The Teton Crest Trail with a north-to-south start. Three days, big country the entire way, and the permit process is manageable if you are flexible on dates. What is yours?
#backpacking#trip-report#routes0replies - NONorthwoodsNina· 3/17/2026
Resupply planning for a five-day bear canister stretch
The canister is the real constraint, not weight. I switched to olive oil in a small bottle and denser dinners and finally got five days inside a BV500. Post your highest calorie-per-liter foods.
#backpacking#food#bear-canister0replies