#11 | Thru-Hiking Gear: Regrets, Upgrades, and Best Advice (Group 2)

06/12/19 • 72 min

Gear. For some people it's their favorite topic in the world, for others, it results in a shoulder shrug and an eye roll. But whether you love or hate gear talk, there's no way around it: what you carry on your back, plays a big role in how much you enjoy your hike. More precisely, getting it wrong the first time, can be emotionally and financially draining.

-Check out the full list of what our hikers changed in the show notes below-

Today our hikers share what they've sent home, what they've upgraded- really an overall glimpse into their gear systems thus far.

FIND US ON ITUNES | FIND US ON GOOGLE PLAY | FIND US ON STITCHER

Get a 10% discount off at northxnorth.co by using code "TREK10".

In today's show, we hear from:

PCT HIKERS

Karthikeya Nadendla
- Sent home Big Agnes Air Pillow, but is considering retrying on trail, or trying Sea to Summit Pillow
- Started with New Balance Summit Unknowns, swapped out for for Altra Timps after heel pain
Laura Stewart
- Sent home cook set cup accessory
- Forwarded the larger snow basket option for trekking poles
- Dropped Patagonia long-sleeve button-up in favor of long-sleeve sun shirt
- Removed netting from Outdoor Research skort and paired with men's boxer briefs
- Added sun gloves
- Sent home Injinji toe socks liner and is using a single layer Darn Tough sock
- Considering adding a sun umbrella
Julie Klazynski
- Switched Sawyer Micro for a Sawyer Squeeze
- Planning to send home: mug, stove, mace, extraneous toiletries (lotion, shampoo, conditioner)
Liam Purtle
- Sent ahead microspikes
- Bought larger size shoe (went from 10.5 to 12)
Eric Dernbach & Alison Dernbach
- Upgraded to Altras with wider fit
- Sent home: mug, extra pair of long underwear, pack cover, first aid kit, book
Angie Kane
- Swapped out hiking shorts in favor of hiking pants for sun protection
- Upgraded to

-Check out the full list of what our hikers changed in the show notes below-

Today our hikers share what they've sent home, what they've upgraded- really an overall glimpse into their gear systems thus far.

FIND US ON ITUNES | FIND US ON GOOGLE PLAY | FIND US ON STITCHER

Get a 10% discount off at northxnorth.co by using code "TREK10".

In today's show, we hear from:

PCT HIKERS

Karthikeya Nadendla
- Sent home Big Agnes Air Pillow, but is considering retrying on trail, or trying Sea to Summit Pillow
- Started with New Balance Summit Unknowns, swapped out for for Altra Timps after heel pain
Laura Stewart
- Sent home cook set cup accessory
- Forwarded the larger snow basket option for trekking poles
- Dropped Patagonia long-sleeve button-up in favor of long-sleeve sun shirt
- Removed netting from Outdoor Research skort and paired with men's boxer briefs
- Added sun gloves
- Sent home Injinji toe socks liner and is using a single layer Darn Tough sock
- Considering adding a sun umbrella
Julie Klazynski
- Switched Sawyer Micro for a Sawyer Squeeze
- Planning to send home: mug, stove, mace, extraneous toiletries (lotion, shampoo, conditioner)
Liam Purtle
- Sent ahead microspikes
- Bought larger size shoe (went from 10.5 to 12)
Eric Dernbach & Alison Dernbach
- Upgraded to Altras with wider fit
- Sent home: mug, extra pair of long underwear, pack cover, first aid kit, book
Angie Kane
- Swapped out hiking shorts in favor of hiking pants for sun protection
- Upgraded to

Previous Episode

#10 | Expectations vs. Reality (Group 2)

To prepare for a thru-hike is to spend months reading blog posts, watching videos, and following social media accounts trying to absorb as much information for your forthcoming journey as possible. But even the most type A person can't completely envision what lies ahead on the trail- and thank god for that.

That is precisely the premise of today's show. Today our hikers let us in on how the journey has deviated from their expectations.

FIND US ON ITUNES | FIND US ON GOOGLE PLAY | FIND US ON STITCHER

Get a 10% discount off at northxnorth.co by using code "TREK10".

In today's show, we hear from:

Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected].

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Download this episode here. Find us on Stitcher and Google Play.

INSTAGRAM: Follow Trail Correspondents, The Trek, and Badger.

YOUTUBE: Subscribe to The Trek.

FACEBOOK: Follow Trail Correspondents and The Trek.

< sign up for our newsletter >

Editing and music courtesy of Pauly Boy Shallcross.

Next Episode

#12 | The Thru-Hiker Diet: Favorite Meals, Snacks, and Philosophy (Group 1)

Food. It's is a subject of endless fascination to just about everyone. Even the most experienced hikers stand room for improvement with their backcountry menus. Rarely do I go a long stint on trail without picking up some sort of tip for how to enhance my hiker fare.

This episode will be appealing to those who want to improve their on trail culinary skills or who are simply curious about what a hiker eats, what the vaunted hiker hunger is all about, and how tastes evolve over the course of a thru-hike.

FIND US ON ITUNES | FIND US ON GOOGLE PLAY | FIND US ON STITCHER

Get a 10% discount off at northxnorth.co by using code "TREK10".

In today's show, we hear from: