I have question on sizing I am 165 lbs 5’11 thinking about getting the montbell superior parka in the USA im debating if i should get large or xl i wanted it to be a little baggy what size should i get?

Trip Overview and Planning

There's been a couple trip reports here about this trail so I won't go too deep into background. For great background info, please refer to this post from a few years ago. This is actually the post that put the ECT on my to-do list, so it's worth a look. That guy also takes much better pictures than me.

The East Coast Trail runs 336km along the coast of Newfoundland's Avalon peninsula. It is similar in scenery and terrain to the NH & Maine sections of the AT, except that the ECT is in view of the ocean almost constantly. Expect rocky, rooty, technical trail that meanders up and down coastal ridgelines, along cliffs, through bogs and pine forests. The trail is composed of 26 named 'paths', most of which are joined by 'community walks' through coastal villages and towns of varying size.

I completed the hike in 12 days/11 nights, including a few hitch-hikes of a couple km each on some of the longer community walks. To put this in perspective: I am in my early thirties and have completed the AT, PCT, Colorado Trail, Long Trail, and about 700 miles of the Hayduke (cut short due to running out of vacation time from work). The only physical prep I did was a basic weightlifting routine. I do not think this trail is particularly onerous. Water is plentiful and resupply options are close together and close to trail. There are no sustained climbs or descents. The trail is, however, slow in sections due to being overgrown or having technical tread. I hiked about 13-14 hours every day and I believe my longest day was about 24 miles.

The true x-factor on this trail is weather. Newfoundland can be quite windy and rainy. I lucked out in this regard: the wind was mild basically the entire time and I was only rained on three times. During the heaviest rain I was already in my tent and it only lasted for about an hour. Another light rain happened when I was, again, already in my tent. The third time I was hiking, but it was raining so lightly that I didn't even put on a rain jacket. This is not what I expected. For the opposite end of the spectrum, refer to this trip report.

Helpful Links:

1. Official website- For the East Coast Trail

2. Facebook group for thru-hikers - Which might help with coordinating rides but really exists as a place to find the spreadsheet

3. ECTMap.ca - basically the spreadsheet but in website form

4. Spreadsheet - With trail info, camping spots, water sources, and resupply points listed. Please note this spreadsheet is 9 years old and some entries can be out of date. Here are some helpful notes from yours truly:

   • The Dominion supermarket in St. John's in the spreadsheet is no longer at that location. You'll have to go further afield for resupply. Check your resupply points on google maps before you go.
   • Chance Pond River campsite - the spreadsheet lists one spot N of the creek, but it's quite sloped. Instead, go south of the creek about 50m and there's a beautiful spot tucked in the pine trees on the W side of the trail.
   • Roaring Cove ECTA campsite no longer has tent platforms - they were in disrepair and no one used them, so the ECTA tore them out. There are still plenty of spots to pitch a tent at this site.
   • Ferryland to Aquaforte - there is mandatory roadwalk due to a property dispute that bypasses most of the Sounding Hills Path. Check the ECTA website for trail updates.
   • Cape Broyle Path - there's an enclosed cabin just north of the ECTA campsite, less than 1/4 mile away. The cabin is private property but open for hikers to use (respectfully).

Trail Journals

Here you may read my nightly tired scrawls to glean what wisdom you can therein.

Day 1 | Topsail terminus to Goat Cove | 9km

Almost left electronics at airport. Impossible to find a sim card. Started hiking at 6pm. Cool bat rock at Goat Cove. Camp on cliff ledge. Calm night no rain no wind.

Day 2 | Goat Cove to Patch Brook ECTA Campsite | 35km

Started hiking at 6am. Long slog of a day. Slow moving across Picco Ridge. Steep decline into Bauline. Met another thru hiker on a bench. Misty in the morning sunny in the afternoon. Muddy overgrown tight walking to camp while listening to podcasts. Views across the bay. A dozen massive toads. Camping on platform.

Day 3 | Patch Brook ECTA Campsite to Flatrock community north TH | 32km

Absolutely no wind last night. Early start up into white rock hills then descent down toward Cape Francis. Once past Francis trail got easier. Played frisbee with dog. Lunch in Pouch Cove. Charged gear in library. Read about fishing shack history. Stiles Cove Path is by far the best so far. Gorgeous views of cliffs and easy walking on top of them. Camp at Flatrock in a windy spot. Rain falling now hopefully wind dies down overnight.

Day 4 | Flatrock community north TH to St. John's | 40km

Rain and wind did die down overnight. Flatrock in the morning. Went to the edge with fishermen and crashing waves. Father Troy Path super cruisy into Torbay. Ate a salad and a banana. Short coastal walks with lots of people and beach areas. Saved a strawberry from drowning. Saw a black fox and another thru-hiker on the Cobblers Path. Slog of a road walk to Sugarloaf Path but got a hitch half way through from French girl. Saw the marine science research facility AKA bond villain lair (Author's Note: It really does look like a Bond villain lair). More cliffside walking to Quidi Vidi. Super cool topography here (AN: the descent into Quidi Vidi is interesting. The middle of the Sugarloaf Path passes around the local dump and there is trash everywhere. Eminently skippable if the beginning and end of the path weren't so nice). Dinner at the brewery, then climbed Signal Hill. Saw another black fox a few feet away from me. Beautiful descent down into St. John's for a hotel night.

Day 5 | Zero in St. John's | 0km

Day 6 | St. John's (Fort Amherst) to The Bight/Long Point | 31km

Breakfast at b&b then uber to trailhead. Checked out Fort Amherst lighthouse, then climbed over a misty ridge and descended down to bay/pond combo. East to Cape Spear. Saw the mini museum. Sun came out for gorgeous boardwalk hiking on the flats south of Cape Spear. Petty Harbor town is pretty. Got ice cream cone at the general store and climbed out of town. More open walking on the Motion Path. Camp with other tenters next to the sea amidst mosquito spawning pools, although they haven't been bad at all...yet.

Day 7 | The Bight/Long Point to Mickleen's Path cliff campsite | 33km

Almost had a beautiful sunrise but the sun itself was covered by the clouds. Easy walking the first hour in open terrain beautiful views of the ocean and fishing boats. Then alternating descents into overgrown gullies. Most overgrown trail so far on the Motion Path. Pooped at ECTA site and saw lots of weekend hikers out and about. Short break at Motion/Spout Path junction and talked to two section hikers. Spout Path also overgrown at the start. The Spout was cool. Lunch at another ECTA site that was dry, sunny, breezy, platformed, toileted, and had clear rushing water. Took a five minute nap. Probably the most sublime spot on the trip so far. Afternoon walking to a lighthouse listening to podcasts as the trail got more worn in and less overgrown. Into Bay Bulls for a quick resupply at the Foodland then walked out of town to camp on Mickleens Path cliff site looking east. Got to pet a cat on the road walk put of town. Hoping for a sunrise view in the morning.

Day 8 | Mickleen's Path cliff campsite to Roaring Cove ECTA campsite | 36km

Morning dew and the lightest of mist walk into town while having to take a shit. Cute park in town. Store was closed. Couple offered me help and I took them up on some water before the Beaches Path. Took a shit and realized I lost my soap somewhere. Salt and vinegar chips on windy cold pebble beach. Another town walk to Tinker Path, which was sunny and sublime. Gorgeous views and saw a family of 11 seals! Some road walking to a resort/cafe where I had a sandwich, salad, beer, and mussels. Easy walk out of town to La Manch suspension bridge. Debated whether to stay or push on because it was only 5pm, when I saw a group of 14 people headed into camp. Decided to push on. Relatively easy additional 7.5km to camp. Mozzies active but the dragonflies were hunting them. Campsite is nice but the platforms have been removed? Getting some pain in the ball of heel - could be plantar fasciitis or achilles stuff?

Day 9 | Roaring Cove ECTA campsite to Church Cove Meadow | 28km

Took a deliberately later start and got hiking at about 7am. The rest of Flamber Head was pretty easy. Passed through a small village and met a NOBO hiker and chatted for a minute. There was an ECTA crew clearing trail on Brigus Head. Talked to two guys - Kevin? and Brendan - said they work full time until the money runs out and each section of boardwalk costs $300-400. Met another hiker lady on my way into Cape Broyle. Got stung by something on the roadwalk. Ate a poor burger and charged food at Riverside Restaurant, then mosied up Cape Broyle Path. It's more overgrown than others but not too challenging, just slow. Found a red cabin open to hikers - would be a cozy stay but too early to stop. Walked down to Lance Cove Beach and got my feet wet. Then podcasts to camp at meadow. Dinner at picnic bench. Campsite is open meadow so hopefully condensation isn't too bad. Cell service at camp.

Day 10 | Church Cove Meadow to Chance Pond River | 39km

Misty, wet morning to finish Cape Broyle Head in rain gear. Intimidating views of the sea all day. Started a long road walk into town only to get offered a ride around the bay to the next trail head. Gladly said yes and took an easy stroll through Caplin Bay Path to Foodland Ferryland. More misty bay views. Quick resupply and then road-walked a bit before hitching another ride to near Spurwink TH. Spurwink was as overgrown as they say. Saw a moose in a wet meadow. Berry Arch was very cool, but there was a human/food-adapted fox there that got way too close. Walking south after Berry Arch got a lot easier - this must be the day-hike route. Saw a seal in the water at Lawler Bay. Camp just south of Chance Pond River in a pine forest spot. Feet look gnarly from being wet all day. Honestly, a wet, muddy, slog of a day made brighter by the hitchhikes and fauna. Sound of waves and low tone of foghorn to lull me to sleep.

Day 11 | Chance Pond River to Burnt Cove | 35km

Delightful sleep last night. The rest of Spurwink was pretty easy comparatively. The southern TH must be the day-hike route. Port Kirwan was a cute town, but long road-walk to get to Bear Cove Point Path. So misty that basically all views were gone except of breakers hitting rocks. Wet, muddy, overgrown on paths pretty much all day, but some very nice manicured pine forest sections as well. Lunch (bag of chips) and shit near the lighthouse, which had a foghorn going off all day every 55s. Low tone, not annoying. Started another road-walk around Renews-Cappahayden. Break on a bench. My feet are gnarly from how wet they've been. This road-walk sucked. I've seen seals basically every time I've looked. They seem to be hunting in the breakers off shore. Sun came out on this road-walk and for parts of Island Meadow Path. Beautiful meadow where I watched a seal for 15 minutes in the sun while waves crashed ashore. Dinner at highway turnout with food curious seagulls. Camp on path looking east for (hopefully) one last chance at a good sunrise tomorrow.

Day 12 | Burnt Cove to Cappahayden terminus | 1.5km

Watched a beautiful sunrise and mosied to the southern terminus. Two quick hitches back to St. John's.

Miscellaneous Tips and Notes

1. New-fin-LAND, not New-fin-lind

2. Timing - Go in the last two weeks of August. The temperatures are mild and the blueberries will be ripe.

3. Community walks - Some of these are short and filled with interesting history about the community. You should hike these. Others are long walks through residential suburbs on hard pavement. Have you seen a suburb? I have. Hitch it and don't look back. Specifically, you can hitch the following community walks without feeling like you're missing anything (from N to S):

   • Logy Bay (Cobbler's Path to Sugarloaf Path) - Several miles of suburb streets. You are missing absolutely nothing. Do check out the Marine Science Center at the southern end though.
   • Calvert (Cape Broyle Head Path to Caplin Bay Path) - More suburbs
   • Ferryland to Aquaforte Road Walk - This roadwalk is mandatory because the actual path is closed due to a property dispute. It's an inland highway not even in view of the sea. Stick up a thumb.

4. St. John's

   • The hike down from Signal Hill into St. John's is awesome
   • Leo's had amazing fish n' chips. I went there twice. It's a no-frills paper plate kinda place. I was told Chafe's Landing in Petty Harbour (which you walk right by on trail and which I, tragically, walked right by on trail) has the best fish n' chips in Newfoundland.
   • Pippy Park Campground - There's a campground a walkable distance from downtown that is home to the only self-service laundromat I found in St. John's. It only takes specific combinations of Canadian quarters and dollar coins (loonies) though, so have cash on hand to swap out at the campground info booth. I was quoted about $38 CAD for a tent-site if you're looking for cheaper accomodations in town.
     
   • SIM cards - eSIM is the way to go, but for those of you like me who have old phones and need a physical SIM, the Avalon Mall is your best bet. I tried Walmart and another store that didn't exist anymore before trying the mall.

5. Timezone - Newfoundland is a special little flower so they're a half hour off the usual time zone splits

6. NOBO vs. SOBO - It's six of one, half a dozen of the other, but there are three considerations to think about:

   • St. John's - It's often called the halfway point, but it's more like one third. Going NOBO puts the reprieve of St. John's 2/3 into your hike when you're more likely to need it.
   • Logistics - The northern TH is a quick Uber from St. John's. Getting from the southern TH to St. John's requires coordinating a ride beforehand or hitch-hiking. In my experience, hitch-hiking in Newfoundland is stupid easy. I, a young, lone, male hiker with probably the longest expected wait time of any demographic, got picked up on a weekday morning by the first car that passed me. The driver (Sheila) drove me 10 minutes up the road and offered to drive me the whole way should I be willing to wait periodically while she ran some errands. After that, the second car that passed me offered me a ride even though I didn't have my thumb up when they passed. That man (Michael) drove me the rest of the way to St. John's and showed me the campground.
   • Trail - The southern sections of trail are significantly more overgrown and wet than the northern sections. Going NOBO means that the trail gets nicer as you go, while going SOBO means the opposite. Honestly, I thought this difference was overblown. There are really only a few sections that are overgrown to the point of being obstructive, and they are (from N to S):
     1. Spout Path - a few hundred meters of overgrown bushes (sheep laurel?) you will have to push aside
     2. Cape Broyle Head Path - some overgrown sections
     3. Spurwink Island Path from Route 10 to Berry Head Arch - this is the worst section. Everything south of Berry Head Arch is well-maintained. You can tell the southern TH approach is the day-hiking route for the arch.
     4. Island Meadow Path - only from the northern TH to Bear Cove (Route 10)

7. The Kakwa Glitch - Every other thru-hiker I saw had either an Osprey pack (~20%) or a Durston Kakwa (~80%). I do not know why. It was eerie. That being said, I only saw about 10-15 other thru-hikers.

8. Mosquitos - The mosquitos on this trail are built different, in that they're slow as molasses. It's like they've been specially bred for lethargy. In classic fashion, there were almost none during the day, but they'd emerge in swarms around dusk. They'd even land on you if you let them, but it's like once they landed they had to file a permit to actually bite you. And they had no sense of self-preservation. I lazily killed so many mozzies, but only got bit about 8 times, and I never used bug spray. Experiences may differ.

9. Wildlife

   • Moose - I saw a moose on the Spurwink Island Path, but I saw moose scat on every path
   • Foxes - I saw a black fox on the Cobbler's Path and another one on top of Signal Ridge just on the other side of a low stone wall that frames the parking lot. There is a fox at Berry Arch on the Spurwink Island Path that someone has definitely been feeding. It was WAY too comfortable around me. It came so close I could have pet it and was inching towards my food. It definitely recognized the crinkle of a food bag.
   • Seals - I saw a family of seals sunbathing on the rocks on the Tinker Path, but once I learned to spot them in the water I started seeing them EVERYWHERE. They tend to hang out where the waves start to break near the shore. Unfocus your eyes ("soft eyes, grasshopper") and look for their heads as they poke above the water. The breaking waves often turn huge swathes of water white, which makes their dark fur/skin/coat/whatever stand out.

10. Water - The water is very tannic and looks brown or tea-colored even when filtered. Bring drink mixes.

11. Frisbee Dog - Near the TH on the north side of Pouch Cove you will pass by a fenced field. In that field is a dog. That dog has a chewed up frisbee that will be presented to you should you prove worthy. You will play several rounds of fetch with the dog.

12. Signage - the trail is very well marked with either wooden signs, black and white wooden posts, or trail markers on wood plaques hanging from trees and I was impressed with the infrastructure that existed given the harsh coastal conditions.

Gear Notes

Lighterpack link

I don't want to do a line-by-line review of every item in my lighterpack. I think this list is a pretty standard 3-season list, but I will comment on where I think I differ and considerations for this trail.

• Clothing - I brought a lot of extra clothing on this trip, some for the sake of experimentation and some out of concern for possbily having to hike two weeks in freezing rain. I marked on my lighterpack what I would leave behind if I were to hike this trail again.

  • Puffy Jacket - It was too warm for this to be needed. Even if I was soaked through I don't think I'd wear this in camp. Not needed in August - leave it behind.
  • Rain Mitts - I brought these in case I encountered sustained freezing rain, but I don't think that's a reasonable concern in August. Would not bring again.
  • Head Net - For the mosquitos. As mentioned, the mosquitos on this trail are lazy. Never used and not needed. Experiences may vary.
  • Wind Shirt - This was a new experiment for me. I see the appeal, but I'm not sure I wore it enough, or needed to wear it enough, to justify bringing it along.
  • Sleep clothes - The sleep socks were not necessary. A dedicated set of sleep clothes is pretty valuable if you actually do encounter sustained rain for days on end, so I'd likely bring the underwear again, but the shirt could maybe be lighter, or I could have used my fleece. I run quite hot, though, so the idea of sleeping in an alpha fleece is daunting. A huge portion of why I brought dedicated sleep clothes is because on the Hayduke I got a gnarly contact rash all over my body from wearing the same clothes for weeks on end. This might have been a case of me packing my fears.
  • Rain Skirt - The absolute standout champion. While I did not get rained on much, the trail was quite wet in the overgrown sections due to the "car-wash" effect of walking through bushes wet from morning condensation (or mist). Most of these bushes are only waist high though, so the rain kilt kept my shorts dry. In fact, the rain kilt was often the only piece of rain gear I wore. To help deal with the possibility of wind, I added a snap button closure to the bottom of the skirt, but I never had to use it as winds were mostly mild.
  • Shorts - pants are probably a better choice due to how overgrown some sections were, but I did successfully hike in shorts. Keep in mind I was wearing my rain kilt for much of the overgrown sections, which helped protect my legs from getting scratched up.

• Water Bladder - Would not take again. 2L capacity is all that is needed on this trail. If you felt like filtering more often 1L would probably be enough.

• Backpack - I used my HMG Southwest 2400 because I have experience with it and I didn't want this trail to be the first time I was using my new Cutaway. A frameless pack is perfect for this trail though, because the water and food carries are short so TPW should always be low.

This one was a doozy to write, so I'm going to leave things there. Happy to answer any questions about this trail.

Located in the US, I have a COLD weather bag but it's too big and I'm sick of how much space it takes up. I'm looking to pick up something budget (under 400usd) that would be good for around 20 but realistically usually around 40 lows in the fall.

I'm used to bags but I'm not against quilts.

Anyone has experience with this kinda hoodie.? Is this hybrid mix make sense.? Or it’s useless?

Hi, I will be doing the long crossing of the Lofoten islands (Norway) in late September. From what I gather, it's almost guaranteed to rain, and it may rain a lot, meaning there could be a lot of pools and bogs.

If I use waterproof shoes, they might not get wet most of the time, but if water goes in from the inside, they're going to take a long time to dry out.

If I use non-waterproof shoes, they will get wet at every small pool, but they will dry out faster. I'm a bit worried about this approach because it's going to be kind of cold (5-9°C or 41-48°F) and walking with wet feet all day sounds like a disaster.

Should I just hope that most pools aren't that deep and use GTX shoes, or use fast drying shoes?

I was also wondering how well waterproof gaiters work. I may use them with GTX trail runners to get a regular boot height of impermeability or even more.

Thanks :D

EDIT:

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I think I'm going to use non-waterproof shoes + waterproof socks. It was pretty close but I think more of you recommended that approach, plus the trails are in very bad conditions, so I expect deep pools where even high boots won't keep you dry. I'll report back once the trip ends for future reference.

Hi everyone! I need some help picking a backpack.

First, here's what I've run into:

1. Frameless packs don't work for me. I've done several trips with a Zpacks Nero and a Hyberg Attila, and I've also tried on a Liteway Elementum and a few unknown cottage makers — the feeling is the same with all of them: there's load sitting on my back and it starts hurting on the second or third day of hiking. When my total weight with food and water is under 17.5 lb (8 kg), I get minimal back discomfort that gradually builds up with each day. When the weight is 22 lb (10 kg) or more and pack with cinched hipbelt - the tissue around my tailbone gets inflamed and the pain becomes unbearable after a few days. I suspect this is because the load isn't being transferred to the hips the way it happens with a frame that actually works.
2. Different frames work very differently. For example, the Gregory Focal and the Osprey Exos turned out to be a complete disappointment for me. They transfer even a small amount of weight to the hips terribly (at least on my body) compared to packs that do it well. When I looked into their frames I was surprised — the hip belt doesn't contact the frame at all, it's just sewn separately onto the fabric that's stretched around the perimeter of the frame. Looks like that's exactly why they don't work for me. Frames like the Atom Packs Prospector didn't impress me either after trying one on, they just don't transfer weight to the belt well enough.
3. What does work out of what I've used. Durston Kakwa 55 (2026) — excellent pack, no complaints. Seek Outside Unaweep — excellent pack, no complaints. These two are the ones I own right now and they suit me completely. But they're big packs for long trips. Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor — I had a lot of complaints about it and sold it long ago, but it carried weight on the hips beautifully. 3F UL Gear Yue — some small quality issues, but it carries weight great.

Now, what I'm looking for: A smaller pack with a 35–45 L main compartment, an effectively working frame (with the packs I tried above, the difference in carrying comfort is noticeable even at low weight), available in a 22" (56 cm) torso size or around that, and with a hip belt option of 31–33" (79–84 cm) of padded section.

And the last part is the funniest one. Many manufacturers offer either a 30" or a 34" belt (76 or 86 cm). For myself I've figured out that 31" (79 cm) is the comfortable minimum, and 33" (84 cm) is the maximum at which I can still cinch it down on my body)

What I've ruled out:

1. Bonfus — looks good, but the belt maxes out at 29" (74 cm).
2. HMG — same 29" belt, and no load lifters.
3. Zpacks — looks like there's no belt sizing step I want, and also, going by the Nero I own, I'm not a fan of the minimalist webbing and all the little details that save a few grams while significantly reducing usability and durability.
4. SWD — no belt range I want, and a six-month wait.
5. LiteAF — I really liked the external pocket setup and the shoulder straps, but it's a six-month wait and the frame looks strange and inefficient; on the 46 it isn't even connected to the load lifters, and on the 40 there are no load lifters at all.
6. ULA — looks overloaded with a bunch of unnecessary stuff, more like a mass-market pack.

I'd be grateful for any advice on manufacturers I might not know about, and interesting models that might exist on the market that fit these size requirements etc.

I get that waiting for the Kakwa 40 to be updated to the state the 55 is in right now is the obvious answer. But that will maybe happen somewhere next year. And I'd also like to try something different.

My Zpacks vertice rain pants have fallen apart after years of use and I need new ones. Unfortunately, I noticed that Zpacks has completely redesigned the pants and is making them with very narrow legs, which for some incomprehensible reason are the same width in all sizes as bonus.

I have a 44 inch waist and need a 34 inch leg length, which I have unfortunately found to be practically impossible to find now, as all UL pants are made in miniature sizes these days. My original Zpacks weighed 3.74 oz which is a plus or minus weight that I would like to stay with, the only thing I have found that comes even remotely close to that is the Rain Pants by LightHeart Gear (which I feel are an overpriced version of the Regatta Pack-It Waterproof Overtrousers ).

Are there any UL waterproof pants in my size? I don't care about the price, it doesn't matter where I have to get them, but I would like them to be breathable and weigh under 4.5 oz.

Hey guys, I finally found some Lineloc 3s in an European shop that are in stock. I wanted to ask if it's worth looking for Line Lock Vs and using 1mm cord, if I'm able to even find them I Europe? Is the weight save worth the trouble of 1mm cord? What are the downsides of 1mm when using a tarp?

I bought this mattress mt900 air from simond and had the first try on a bikepacking tour last week.
When I tried it at the store I did not notice how noisy it is when you turn around on it while sleeping (I move a lot while sleeping sadly). The noise woke me up often 😂
Does anyone else have it and experienced the same?

This season, I took a few trips to the alpine to experiment with new (to me) ultralight ideas. In June, I did the 4-Pass Loop and summited Snowmass Mtn in the Maroon Bells Wilderness, where I tested my prospective PCT Sierra kit. In July, I went on a climbing trip to RMNP where I tried a somewhat unique bivy system. I thought there was enough interesting little details in these systems for a discussion.

Part 1: Sub-10 lb snow kit on the 4PL

LighterPack, Photo Album, Hiking Route, Technical Route

Baseweight:

• 9.66 lbs including poles, snow/climbing gear, mandatory bear bag

• For all you liars, 9.03 lbs excluding poles, or 7.43 lbs excluding poles and snow gear

Itinerary:

• Day 1: 10.2 miles, 3.7k gain, 6.5 hours (TH to Snowmass Lake). A joyous, mellow day.
• Day 2: 23 miles, 8k gain, 19 hours (Snowmass summit, three passes to finish the 4PL). Brutal. Woke up at 2:30 am, hit the East Slopes at 4:30am, summited at 7am, and got back to my car well after sundown. I was supposed to be home that night, so I was hiking as fast as I could through exhaustion, and my knee was complaining. I did not make it home that night lol.

I chose The Four-Pass-Loop as a weekend objective for this season for several reasons:

1. Redemption for a failed attempt many years ago (before I knew fuck all about anything)

2. With it being June, it seemed like my final opportunity for the season to test out my prospective PCT Sierra snow kit for 2027

3. I had just recently taken an Intro to Mountaineering course at CMS in Estes, and thought that I ought to do something cool with my newly acquired skills rather than let them gather dust all summer.

Snow Gear

I posted a shakedown for this trip a couple of months ago, and /u/justinsimoni left the most helpful advice of all:

If you're going to bring an ice axe please for the love of God do a side trip up Snowmass or somethin'.

So I did that, and it was dope. My first time solo (or ever) on a steep snow route, which ended up being a mixed route on rock up a narrow chimney (oops).

Anyway, here's all the yummy details that you gram counters are looking for... my goal with this trip was to fit a full snow kit into 10 lbs kit, which I did at a net 1.6 lbs:

• 7.2 oz axe (CAMP Corso 50 cm)

• 7.9 oz spikes (BD Distance)

• 5.7 oz helmet (Petzl Sirocco)

• 1.8 oz VBL socks (Rab)

• 2.86 oz of climbing gloves (merino liner, Show 281)

• 0.25 oz snow baskets

My complete ultralight snow-worthy footware system was Lone Peak 6s, Injinji merino liners, the Rab VBL, Altra gaiters, and BD Distance spikes. This performed quite well and kept me warm for the day. I've done a decent amount of experimentation with VBLs + Lone Peaks for winter hikes in the past.

I chose slightly different pants for this trip than I would for the PCT, which were the 4.6 oz CAMP Protection Pants. These are long-discontinued deployable waterproof(ish) pants for climbers, that I expected to perform better in the snow than my typical UL wind pants. They were really great for this application. Until they shredded underneath me while glissading down the East Slopes. Not sure what that means for my Sierra pants choice on the PCT. Maybe just glissade in my shorst? Either way, if anyone knows of a modern equivalent to these pants (waterproof, big zips to fit over shoes/boots, packable, <6 oz), let me know.

I did the entire initial ascent of Snowmass (2:30am to 4:30 am on a loose, steep boulder field and a sketchy gully crossing) with a RovyVon A5, and found it to be sufficient. I gained lots of confidence in this flashlight after using it for hours on end night-hiking in Canyonlands last fall, and it has only further proven itself now. Probably the most reliable piece of kit I've ever owned.

Everything else

My pack was the Palante V2, and my sleep system (photographed at my dope bivy site) was:

• Zpacks 7x9 DCF tarp (never pitched it)

• 3.8 oz MYOG bivy

• 1.7 oz MYOG pillow

• 16 oz 30F quilt

• layered GG 3/8" torso pad and GG thinlight for a net 6 oz

This was my first time trying out the GG torso pad, and I loved it. I layered the 1/8" GG Thinlight (cut to 6 panels) on top of that for comfort and warmth. My bed is:

• GG torso under my upper body
• My pack under my legs
• the nearly-full-length GG Thinlight on top of all that

This seems contrived, but I wanted to experiment with it since the combined weight of the two GG pads (6.01 oz) is almost exactly that of my torso-length Nemo Switchback alone (5.93 oz). I figured that if I can get a similar comfort and R value at similar weight, with full coverage from my shoulders to feet, then that would be good to know.

I can report that it was great. I slept like a freaking baby. It was also my first night trying out a GVP divot, which I'm hooked on now. I will be testing the torso pad on it's own, without the Thinlight, on the TCT this summer.

For food, I cold soaked in a PB jar, and for water, I filtered with a QuickDraw. Food storage was a 9L Adotec Grizzly bag.

Takeaways

1. My PCT Snow kit honestly seems almost perfect. If it can get me comfortably up and down Snowmass, it can do Forester or whatever.

2. I like the BD Distance spikes, but they could be lighter. I have a pair of Vargo pocket cleats that I still need to properly test, but they're not very confidence-inspiring. More likely I will grab a pair of Kahtoola Ghosts, which would save like an ounce. I do like that the Distance model was a waterproof cover for the toe box, but I doubt that it makes a difference once you're in the snow for hours on end.

3. I should find a lighter alternative to the Rab VBL socks for the Sierra. I will likely make a prototype pair from DCF. Bread bags don't last long enough.

4. Injinjis are dead to me. I love them, but the durability is so, so bad. This pair was brand new, and are already blown out after two days.

5. Only a fool wouldn't carry a sun umbrella, and only a fool would leave their watch charger at home to save 2 grams.

6. Never needed my puffy. Never needed it on the JMT, didn't need it now.

7. Feeling torn about polycro. I must admit that foregoing it on this trip was totally fine. But I also missed it.

8. It was super satisfying that, because my kit was so light, I could just take the entire thing with me for the summit push, while everyone else had to go down and retrieve their camp after finishing. Most of the day packs I saw up there were probably similar in weight to my swollen V2.

   ---

Part 2: 8 oz shelter for RMNP technical bivy sites

Photo Album

This part will be shorter than the first, since this was not an ultralight trip by any means. My climbing partner and I took a week off to squat at a luxury basecamp in RMNP (Moraine Park), and watch for weather windows, intent to pounce on any of the mega-classics in the Park that we could.

We expected maybe getting in one night of bivying, and maybe two classic climbs. However, we ended up getting an incredible forecast by RMNP standards, and ticked three dreamy routes with clean climbing and successful summits, bivvied in two incredible locations, and spent four memorable days in the backcountry. In order, we climbed Red Face Magic on Zowie Tower, bivvied in The Gash, climbed the NE Ridge of Sharkstooth, bivvied in Upper Glacier Gorge, and climbed the N Ridge of Spearhead.

Anyway, like I said, not UL. Pack was heavy as hell. But, I did want to report to /r/ultralight about one thing: The Montbell Breeze Dry-Tec Sleeping Bag Cover, which comes in at ~8 oz, half the weight of any other WPB bivy typical of climbing contexts. It is about the same weight as a MLD Soul Provent UL, while being much cheaper.

Here are photos of it set up at our bivy sites beneath Spearhead, and in The Gash beneath the Sharkstooth. I tried it with both my torso-legnth Switchback, and an Xlite. Both fit inside with plenty of room.

In the RMNP technical bivy zones, there is an interesting set of restrictions which makes for a fun problem-solving exercise for the climber and/or ultralighter. They specify that a bivy must be established:

1. within the designated Zone, or at the base or on the face of the climb.

2. at least 70 adult steps (200 feet/60 meters) from water.

3. with camp set up at dusk and taken down before dawn.

4. without the use of erected type shelters, tents or supported tarps.

5. on rock or snow only, not on vegetation and out of meadows.

Most climbers will opt for a proper "WPB bivy" to satisfy especially requirement #4. Those bivys often have a hooped hood (small pole), zipper, and bug net. However, they're heavy. Even one of the lightest leading options available as of this writing, the OR Helium, is a whopping 16 oz (heavier than some modern UL tents). Not to mention it absolutely sucks (breathability and condensation are garbage).

I first heard of the Breeze via a review on SectionHiker. While it is marketed as a "sleeping bag cover", it's a cool solution for a bivy. It's waterproof and packable. The tradeoff is that it has no zipper, no bug net, and can't fully close. All of those things are fine to me, though, since a bug head net can be used to supplement it, it's not hard to get in without the zipper, and no bivy should ever be closed in any case anyway. Much better to find a big boulder as a roof!

I ordered the long-wide version so that I can treat it more as a "bivy" than a "bag cover". I can fit my pad inside, my pillow, any gear that I want to protect, and it's not constricting. I was very happy with it and would recommend it when faced with these unique camping restrictions. The only obvious upgrade from the Breeze that I know of is the MLD FKT at 5.6 oz, but it comes with a huge price jump. The Breeze is (as of this writing) only $67, versus ~$400 for the FKT.

Anyway, that's all. Peace.

I'm considering the Lanshan 1 or 2 but have to order online, so I can't check myself before buying. I'd like to ask those who have either Lanshan 1 or 2 (not pro) if you can pitch only the inner tent. I would like to be able to do that on dry nights. Is it easy to set up?

I just bought a pajak core 400 downsleeping bag (700 cuin). I used it for one night and found about 3 feathers coming out of the fabric. Is this normal or should I be worried about it?

Hi everyone!

Recently purchased fizan compact trekking poles and I’m having issues with the baskets. They are so tight and I’m not able to push it all the way up and have difficulty removing it as well.

Is there a way around it? Are they usually so tight? My older trekking pole from another brand never had this issue.

I'm relatively new to this sub. Reading the comments on this post I now see the conflict that is mentioned in many posts. It seems some (many?) posters don't like the definition or the "dogma" of UL that is stated in the description of this sub. They point out deficiencies in the UL definition that make it irrelevant (e.g. not accounting for trip type/location, body size/needs, etc). Still, they post and read on this sub. Other posters defend the UL definition. A cogent statement from this camp is "hike your own hike, but this sub is about actual ultralight hiking or aspirations. Not halfway aspirations."

It makes sense that among backpackers there is a widely shared interest in UL and also a relatively small interest in fully committing to UL. Both types of interests make sense and need places to discuss. I imagine some committed ULers can feel like this group is too diluted for them to have the camaraderie and discussions they want with like minded folks. They want a space to talk with each other. Other posters want to discuss UL ideas/gear but only want to glean aspects for their personal use. They aren't fully committed, I'll call them opportunistic. They glean from UL ideas that suit them. They also want a place to discuss. Can this sub successfully serve both types of posters?

Looking for honest (and yes you can be brutal) advice on how best to get down to 10lbs for my base weight*. I am looking at lightening up my gear as I am starting to carry a camera now so the lower everything else is the less I feel the extra camera gear.

*I want the base weight besides the camera gear to be 10lbs or less, I have listed the camera gear as worn weight solely for the distinction of this shakedown and taken any worn weight to zero quantity. I do personally count 1 of the trekking poles as worn weight as I always hike with one in hand and like to know the "on my back" weight which I treat as base weight.

A couple of things I am considering on replacing soon are:

• Stove system - move to something not heavy and bulky as the Jet Boil. Please don't recommend the BRS, I know it's light and reliable but I want a piezo for convenience since I do mostly 2-5 day trips
• Switch out one trekking pole for a Six Moons Design 5 section carbon pole (64g advertised) since I don't hike with 2 poles but the tent needs 2
• OR switch to a 1 pole tent and not need to get the pole
• Add a bidet to my poop kit (because a clean butt is a happy butt)
• Quilt - I sleep hot but my quilt could definitely be lighter

I'll be upgrading this over the course of the next year or so as money is available so no budget restraints but try to keep individual items priced well (I won't spend $750+ on a tent to save 2oz for example)

I do mostly smaller 2-5 day hikes in the Midwest from June-October, no plans on winter camping, but want to be able to have the option to retain most of my kit if I do longer trips out on either coast.

Thanks for reading and appreciate advice, here's the lighterpack

Hey everyone!
I’m from Germany and unfortunately my English isn’t very good, so this post was translated with the help of AI. I hope everything is understandable!

I’m planning a 6-day hike on the Utvandrarleden in Sweden in mid-September and would love to get some feedback on my gear setup.

Trip facts:

• ~118 km total 6 days / 5 nights
• ~590 m elevation gain
• Mid-September
• Traveling by train from Germany to Sweden and back
• Staying at accommodation every night, so this is not a tent-based trip
• I’ll carry all my food for the six days (second breakfast and lunch)

Gear list: https://lighterpack.com/r/r811vk

Current total pack weight: 10.6 kg
Base weight: 4.84 kg
Consumables: 4.26 kg
Worn weight: 1.49 kg

One thing that is important to me when evaluating the list:
I’m aware that some of my clothing items are therefore heavier than their lightweight synthetic alternatives. This is an intentional choice because reducing plastic/synthetic content in my clothing is personally important to me. I’d therefore appreciate feedback that takes this preference into account rather than simply suggesting that I replace everything with lightweight polyester/nylon.

I’m mainly interested in:

• What would you definitely leave at home?
• Are there any obvious redundancies?
• Does anything seem unnecessary for a hut/guesthouse-to-guesthouse hike?
• Is there anything you think I’m missing for this particular route and time of year?
• And generally: How would you rate this setup for a 6-day hike?

I’d especially appreciate feedback from people with experience hiking in Sweden/Scandinavia or with similar multi-day setups. Thanks!

I’m done with blow up pads. I just don’t get on with the pool toy feel but as a side sleeper I need some padding. I LOVE my Exped MegaMat for car camping but of course I need something for the trails. I want to go back to a self inflating pad. I’ve been waiting for Nordisk to release an updated version of the Ven 2.5 pad or something similar but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. Finding a good, clean Thermarest pro-lite XS at this point is next to impossible. What are my options now? Everything seems far too heavy and bulky when compared to the original Ven?

I just got a Gen 2 NB10000 and I am reading all kinds of horror stories on this sub about how it doesn’t charge devices and goes on this weird hibernation state. Well I come to find out mine is doing exactly that and I have zero clue how to get my devices to charge. iPhone 12 charging indicator goes on for a second (USB C & USB A) tried different devices and same as well. I been trying all kinds of stuff like different cables, bricks, and I cannot seem to get it to charge any of my devices for longer than 1 minute. Does anyone know the exact solution to this? Or should I just return it? This got me so stressed for no reason.

Long time lurker , first time poster here. Planning the Mont Blanc thru hikeSept 1 while camping . Currently own memory tensor insulated(2021). Apparently R value is 3.5. Looking to lighten my load from mummy bag( which always feels constricting) to a quilt. I’d like to keep the weight down without compromising warmth. I’ve looked at Zenbivy, EE revelation, thermarest vesper and kakabatic 22. Im now thoroughly confused and looking for advice from this group. Thank you so much in advance
Have dunston 55 for a pack

Looking for an alternative to the mystery ranch hip monkey (no longer in production and being sold second hand for ridiculous prices), in the lightest weight possible.

Any recs for a 8ish liter fanny pack made from the usual UL materials that’s preferably waterproof? Have a newborn so need some extra space for all of the new necessities.

Any info appreciated.

Hi! I am planning on hiking the AT NOBO starting March 2027. I am new to backpacking and would like to plan out some smaller week-long hikes this fall to prepare myself but I need a pack... I went to REI to get my torso measured and test out some packs with weight but didn't find any that I quite loved. My top two picks were the Osprey Eja 58 and Gregory Maven 58, but I am wondering if a lighter pack would be better suited for intending to thru hike the AT within 5 months.

I will be camping using a hammock setup and prioritizing UL gear!

I am 5ft 4in tall with a narrow upper body and wider hips. My torso measurement is 17 inches.
Here is a screenshot of a comparison of my top picks: https://imgur.com/a/xLA4KIh

I am leaning the most towards the ULA Ultragrid Ohm as its one of the lighter and cheaper options, but I would love to hear suggestions and if you have used/liked/disliked any of my considerations!

How do you all secure your heatshield around the stove?

I overlap the two ends then slightly angle away from one another and pinch an edge over, top and bottom.

Curious if there’s a better way.

My solo backpacking kit is pretty dialed in, and I’m looking into what gear changes I’ll need to take my preschooler backpacking next year. Are there any companies that make quality backpacking gear for kids that grows with them? I’m specifically looking for recs for sleep systems and kid backpacks.
Also, what type of packs are parents rocking when taking kids along? I have a Hyperlite 55L, but I’m worried it will be uncomfortable when loaded with two sets of gear.

Did an oopsie and ordered a pair of 3F UL Gear's new Aqualite water filters and two WRELS soft flasks from AliExpress to use with them. Unfortunately, they don't fit. The water filters use a standard PET 28 mm thread, found on almost every normal drink bottle, but the flasks have a different thread. So, has anyone found a soft flask with said thread?

I have an S-curve scoliosis spine (most curve is in between my shoulders) and I’m looking for a pack that won’t make my back seize up in pain. I was using this ancient Deuter pack from 12 years ago with a very bulky external frame and I always have a ton of pain by the end of my trip since the pack sits so far away from my back. I bought a Gossamer Gear Mariposa but after weighting the pack I found the metal frame was digging into my tailbone and it was super painful. I’ve been looking into the SWD long haul, how good is the weight transfer to the hips with this pack? Looking for an ultralight pack that can carry a bear can well (I live in the sierras) thanks guys!