c/backpacking-routes

My stove valve gave up mid trip and cold soaking got old fast

I was about 40 miles into a 5 day loop near Steelville when the fuel valve on my canister stove started grabbing. It would twist fine for the first half turn, then catch like it was full of glue. I got one solid meal out of it in the morning before I gave up and went cold soaking for the rest of the trip. Pretty sure it was grit getting into the threads from the trail dust, since I packed it loose in a side pocket. Spent the next three evenings soaking ramen and instant mash in a Talenti jar while watching everyone else fire up their stoves. The strange thing is it worked fine when I tested it at home the night before. Has anyone else had a valve start sticking mid trip and found a field fix that actually holds?

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diana_moore75•2d ago

Unpopular opinion: the PCT is better if you skip the desert section

Last month I started at Kennedy Meadows instead of the Mexican border, saved 3 weeks and a pile of misery. Has anyone else trimmed a famous trail to fit their actual schedule instead of doing the full route?

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patricia_singh81•7d ago

The strip map approach beat my GPS on the JMT last summer

Everyone I know swears by downloading the full topo maps for the John Muir Trail, but I went old school and printed strip maps at 1:24,000 scale for each section. Turns out seeing only the next 10 miles at a time kept me from overplanning and I made better decisions at trail junctions, especially around Evolution Basin. My GPS battery died on day 6 near Muir Pass and I didn't even care because the paper strips had every switchback and water source I needed. It's not about tech versus paper for me, it's about reducing the noise when you're staring at 200 miles of trail. Has anyone else tried stripping down their maps instead of carrying the whole route at once?

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leoyoung•7d ago

Went with the high route over the river trail, bad call in hindsight

Last month on the Pacific Crest section near Crater Lake I had to pick between the ridge line or the river valley route. The river trail was 2 miles longer but had water access, the high route was shorter with no shade. I took the high route for the views and ended up rationing 3 liters over 9 miles of exposed switchbacks in 88 degree heat. My buddy who took the river trail said it was slow but he filtered water every hour. Has anyone else picked the scenic option and regretted it when the sun got brutal?

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the_lucas•9d ago

That hiker who said 'real backpackers skip the map' almost got us lost near Desolation

I was at the trailhead outside South Lake Tahoe last Saturday and overheard this guy telling his buddy that GPS apps are for tourists and that using a paper map means you're doing it wrong. He then proceeded to lead his group up a closed spur trail that dead ends after 2 miles of bushwhacking. I get that people want to feel rugged, but I've done the Tahoe Rim Trail three times and I still double check my route at every junction. Has anyone else run into these map-deniers and how do you politely warn new hikers without starting a fight?

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wright.dakota•11d ago

Took a chance on the Smokies loop trail everyone said was too hard

I've done the Appalachian Trail section around Gatlinburg a few times, but last month I tried the Ramsey Cascades to Greenbrier loop, about 18 miles with 4,500 feet of climbing. Everyone online said it was brutal and some folks told me to skip it. I went solo with a map and a filter, and honestly the climb was rough, but the payoff at the top where the old growth trees open up was worth every step. I expected to be wrecked for two days after, but I felt fine the next morning. Maybe I'm fitter than I thought, or maybe the warnings were just from people who don't do elevation. Has anyone else tried a route they were scared of and found it easier than the hype? What made it doable for you?

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oscarmurphy•11d ago

The shortcut through the quarry near Killington that almost got me stranded

I always thought people warning about old logging roads were just being dramatic. Last October I took this 'shortcut' off the Appalachian Trail that some forum post swore by, it cut 3 miles off my day. Turned out the road was washed out after a rain, I had to bushwhack 2 hours back to the trail with one liter of water left. The GPS on my phone was useless in the valley too, zero signal. Has anyone else taken a supposed shortcut that turned out to be a total fabrication?

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michael_jones•12d ago

Just realized my GPS battery dies way faster in cold rain, wasted 2 hours off trail near Glacier

I mean I knew batteries hate cold but last October in Glacier NP my unit dropped from 80% to dead in like 3 hours of steady drizzle. I ended up backtracking by paper map to the junction. Has anyone else run into this and do you carry a spare battery bank in your chest pocket or what?

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leep33•12d ago

Shoutout to the ranger who told me to ditch the waterfall plan in Glacier

He said the Hidden Lake trail would be a zoo but the north fork was emptier and honestly he was spot on, saw 3 people in 6 miles. Anyone else had a ranger tip that totally flipped their route game?

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william816•15d ago

The map store clerk who told me to skip the ridgeline, 4 miles of bushwhack later

Last month in the Smokies, a guy at the outfitter in Gatlinburg said the Grayson Highlands ridgeline was overrated and pointed me to a 'shortcut' along a creek. I trusted him and spent 6 hours pushing through rhododendron thickets with a 40 pound pack. Has anyone else taken advice from a shop employee and regretted it, or do you have a go-to route source you actually trust?

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miabennett•18d ago

Spent $400 on a fancy GPS unit, then went back to paper maps. Who else overpaid?

Used it on a 3 day trip in the Sierras, battery died by day 2 and the screen froze in rain. My $12 laminated map did the job the whole time. Anyone else ditch their expensive gear for the old way?

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david701•20d ago

Paper maps vs phone GPS, I finally switched after 11 years

Tbh I was the guy who always carried paper maps on every trip. Had a whole system with a ziplock bag and a highlighter. Then last summer on the Lost Coast Trail I got hit with fog for 3 days straight and my paper map was useless for anything beyond the basic trail. My buddy pulled out his phone and had our exact location even in the fog. I still bring a paper map as backup but now I download the GPS route first. Does anyone else still carry paper maps or am I the last one?

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leoyoung•21d ago

The 3am detour near Glacier that nearly ended my trip

I rerouted around a washed-out bridge on the Highline Trail last August and ended up on a goat path that took 6 extra hours, so now I'm wondering if anyone else trusts their GPS detours or just turns back when the trail gets sketchy?

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hannah240•27d ago

My water filter busted 3 miles into a hike in the Sierra Nevada last month

I was out on the Rae Lakes Loop trail, just past the first creek crossing, when I went to pump some water and the handle snapped clean off. It was one of those plastic-handled gravity filters, not even a year old. The little rubber gasket thing shot out into the stream and I couldn't find it. I had to turn around and hike back 3 miles to the car without any water because I only brought one bottle. Lesson learned - now I carry a backup Sawyer squeeze in my pack. Has anyone else had a filter fail on them mid-route? What do you do for backup filtration?

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alice808•1mo ago

Overheard a guy at REI say the JMT is "overrated" and I almost lost it

I was in line at the REI in Denver last Saturday and this dude in full Patagonia gear is telling his friend the John Muir Trail is "overrated" and "too crowded." Said he did it in 12 days and was bored. I've done the JMT twice, took 18 days the first time and 20 the second. Yeah it's popular but calling it overrated feels like saying the Grand Canyon is just a big hole. Has anyone else run into these ultra-fast hikers who act like doing a trail in record time means you got the full experience?

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reese_taylor69•1mo ago

Tried that shortcut trail near Lake Tahoe and it was a total bushwhack nightmare

I took what the map called a '3 mile shortcut' off the PCT near Desolation Wilderness last Saturday and it turned into 5 hours of pushing through manzanita and losing the trail twice. The map was from 2018 and clearly nobody maintained that route since then. Has anyone else had an older guidebook totally screw you over like that?

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alice808•1mo ago

Pro tip: that "expert level" trail on AllTrails was a total joke

I had a buddy swear by this route labeled 'hard' with 5 star reviews saying it was legit. Brought my climbing gear and everything. Turned out to be a paved path with one slightly steep hill. Wasted $30 on gas getting out there. Anyone else get tricked by overrated trail ratings?

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parkerk56•1mo ago

Took the Pacific Crest Trail section through Washington instead of the Colorado Trail this August and the difference in water availability was wild

I was constantly carrying 4 liters on the PCT vs maybe 2 on the CT, and the mosquitoes were way worse out west - has anyone else noticed one trail just drains you more than the other?

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diana_moore75•1mo ago

That $80 'ultralight' stove I bought totally let me down on the JMT

Honestly, I grabbed this fancy titanium stove from a gear shop in Bishop before hitting the trail. Cost me $80 and it broke on day 3 near Thousand Island Lake. The valve stripped and I couldn't even simmer water. Lost the money and had to cold soak my dinners for the next 6 days. Has anyone else had luck with a cheaper option that actually holds up?

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the_stella•1mo ago

My cousin swore by the PCT's water report and it saved me from a dry camp near Kennedy Meadows

He told me to check it religiously even when the guidebook said there was water, and sure enough the creek we planned on was completely dried up, has anyone else had a water source vanish on a popular route like that?

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rowan593•1mo ago

Snapped a trekking pole on the John Muir Trail last month

I was about 8 miles out from Muir Trail Ranch when my left pole just gave out on a rocky descent. No warning, the middle section just cracked clean through. I had to finish the last 3 days using a broken pole and a stick I found near a creek. Anyone else have a pole fail mid trip and have to improvise?

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violafox•1mo ago

Hiked the PCT and AT last year and the difference in trail marking is insane

The Appalachian Trail's white blazes made it so easy I barely checked my map, but out on the PCT in Washington I spent half a day off route because of a missing cairn and a faded marker, so why don't the western trails just adopt the same system?

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grace_perry44•1mo ago

Pro tip: Stop filtering water on the trail before you hit camp

I kept seeing people stop at every creek to filter water during the heat of the day. Took me three trips on the John Muir Trail last summer to realize it's way smarter to just carry an extra liter and filter when you set up camp at night. The problem is that stopping midday means you're dealing with cloudy water from melted snow and you waste 15 minutes each time. I switched to filling up at my last water source before camp and filtering while my stove runs for dinner. My pace improved by about half a mile per hour and I wasn't rushing to make miles before dark. Has anyone else tried timing their water collection this way or do you swear by filtering every chance you get?

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quinnm90•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: the AT is overrated for experienced backpackers

I was talking to a guy at a gear shop in Asheville last weekend who said the Appalachian Trail is just a crowded green tunnel for 90% of its length, and honestly after hiking a 200 mile stretch in Virginia last fall I can't disagree why do we act like it's the ultimate test for everyone.

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the_jesse•1mo ago

Switched from a topo map to a GPS route app on the Pemi Loop and kinda regret it

Did the Pemi Loop in NH last month. Had my paper map ready but also loaded AllTrails on my phone to try it out. The GPS was nice for telling me exactly where I was but it killed the fun of figuring out the terrain myself. Felt like I was just following a line on a screen instead of actually navigating. Missed a small side trail to a viewpoint because the app showed it as a faint line. Anyone else ever ditch the tech and go back to paper maps for certain routes?

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