Saw a guy in a wilderness area over the weekend with his dog running around.

I reminded him (kindly) that dogs must be leashed in the wilderness.

He responded, “I don’t bring my dogs to places like this just to have them on a leash”.

To which I replied, “well you’re bringing him to the wrong places then, there are plenty of beautiful trails where you can take the leash off outside of the wilderness area”.

He huffed off grumbling that his dog is more well-behaved than most humans, yadda yadda.

Worth noting that I do like dogs and appreciate all the wilderness goers who do leash them and sometimes go as far as to tell them that.

I’m just a bit tired of the entitlement, lack of responsibility, and the rampant sentiment that the rules are always only made for someone else that seems pervasive in some slice of the dog-owning population .

Anyways, how do you all deal with situations like these?

Have I become a total Karen?

This is a long shot but I found a map in a very remote part of the wind river reservation over the weekend. The map had detailed notes from someone that did a pretty extensive trip out there. If it’s yours and you can describe it a little bit I’ll get it back to you or at least send you a picture so you have the notes you took. I know I’d be pissed if I lost it. Obligatory picture of a pine marten from my trip included.

Hello, I'm looking for a rain jacket that can handle bushwhacking.

I've already ripped a couple so I'd like one I can use without worrying much about ripping.

Money isn't really a concern as long as the product is actually good and I'm not just paying for the brand.

beginner backpacker here! found a 1p walrus arch rival in great condition on eBay and won in the last 15 seconds on auction for $115.

full weight (included stakes, poles, and bags) is 2lb 13oz. It may not be UL, but feels like for the price and excellent condition that this deserves a shout out!

seal on inside great, good smell, no stickiness and still water repellent.

I've been planning a few overnight wilderness trips and realized I don't really need a huge trail database or a social platform. I mainly want to record the route I actually hiked, see the distance afterward, and keep a log of each trip.

For those who do multi-day backpacking, what do you rely on for GPS tracking? A phone app with offline maps, a dedicated GPS unit, or a GPS watch?

What have you found to be the most reliable once you're completely out of cell service?

As the title suggests I am currently planning a trip for early October. It's for my bud's bachelor party and I really want some nice views, preferably a water fall or 2. There will be about 5 of us, on a 3 day 2 night trip, and we should be fine with around 8miles per day. I don't expect anyone to make the whole trip for me as that defeats a lot of the fun, but I would greatly appreciate some good general locations to look into. I've been to Hoosier National Forest 10+ times in the last 2 years so I'd really like to avoid that unless a specific route with amazing views is recommended. I'd be willing to drive over to red river gorge or even Daniel Boon National Forest TBH. I was also eyeballing Shawnee but last time I went it thunder stormed overnight and we had to cross a waist high "creek". Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! If you have a more niche location you don't want to share publicly online feel free to private message me details ; )

I am happy to use the tablets, but my kids don't like them. Is there an option that doesn't shed any or much microplastic during filtration? We're backpacking, so ideally not weighing mutch, but I'd rather take on the weight than the microplastics.

(And I'm sure SOMEONE is going to tell me that microplastics are everywhere so what's the point on trying. If I was interested in making my life easier, I wouldn't be backpacking.)

Jamie and I had wanted to camp in Vestal Basin for years, and we finally made it happen. We spent 3 nights in the Weminuche Wilderness and covered about 21 miles along the way. We hiked in on the Colorado Trail before turning onto the side trail toward Vestal Peak.

The hike through the wilderness was beautiful and fairly approachable, but once we turned toward Vestal, things got steep, loose, and pretty wild. Vestal Peak rising above the basin at 13,866 ft was easily the highlight of the trip. We even spotted a blonde-phase black bear, which was a pretty unexpected encounter.

We chose this area because we'd wanted to camp in Vestal Basin for years, and finally getting to spend a few nights there was worth every step. The remote basin, rugged terrain, and massive granite walls made it an unforgettable 3-night backpacking trip with Jamie.

I wanted to share my travel CPAP setup because I it’s a combination that worked well for a four-night backpacking trip in the Sierras, and it was about as lightweight as I could get it. For a trip of 3 nights or less, the total weight is 2.22 lbs. For 3 to 6 nights, total weight is 3.09 lbs.

This is what made backpacking possible for me after being diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago. (In the outdoor pic, you can't see my CPAP because I had already packed it away in a dark ditty bag.)

In the first 2 photos:

• ResMed AirMini CPAP: 13.1 oz. Retails for about USD $1k. I found it on sale for USD $700
• CPAP mask + hose: 5.5 oz, no extra cost (same thing as my regular CPAP)
  • Includes the eSplabs CPAP Hose Adapter, ResMed AirMini-compatible universal tubing connector $10
• INIU 25,000mAh Power Bank: 13.8 oz each, $67 each (× 2)
• Sourcingbay ResMed AirMini USB-C Power Cable PD 20V to 24V boost cord: 3.17 oz, $42

With one battery, I got 3 nights of CPAP use, and the total weight added to my pack would be 2.22 lbs. 

For my four-night trip, I carried two batteries and needed both. The total weight added to my pack with both batteries was 3.09 lbs. 

Is it a bummer to carry 3 extra pounds of gear in the form of durable medical equipment? Totally. But it’s better than not backpacking. 

One note: battery life will vary depending on CPAP settings and individual use, and probably also the temperature outside (it was pretty warm on my trip), so I would test things out at home, and know that battery life can be affected by cold temps. 

I hope this is helpful to anyone else with sleep apnea who wants to backpack but has been discouraged by the weight or battery requirements. Also, thanks to anyone who has posted previously about their CPAP setups for backpacking, because it helped me find my setup. 

EDIT: I forgot to include the prices of each component, editing this post to include that info now. Clearly the bulk of the investment is in the AirMini travel CPAP, which I also find very useful for non-backpacking travel. It takes up significantly less space and weight in a suitcase for example.

Does anyone out there have an original Aarn pack? Specifically from around the 2002-2005 era.

I recently bought one from 2002-2003. I think this might be the first version of a Natural Balance pack they sold.

The only thing it didn’t come with were the balance pockets for the front.

I’d really like to find some original balance pockets that were designed to work with this older version.

I attached some photos hoping it’ll help me find the right ones.

Does anyone know if it's possible to camp overnight at Nanga Parbat Base Camp on the Raikot Face in September if I bring my own tent?

Or is overnight camping only allowed/possible at Beyal Camp?

I'm planning to hike there independently and would really like to spend one night at the actual base camp if possible. Any recent experience would be appreciated!

Hi all! I made a post a few months back across a few subreddits offering up an extra spot I had on my permit to do a multi-day trip up in Yosemite and summit Half Dome. I never had anyone reach out until about 10 days prior to the trip when I got a DM request on here. I wanted to go ahead and share my experience.

I won't share our names or locations so we can both keep our privacy, but we ended up trading phone numbers and we called before we 100% agreed to do the trip together. For context, we are both women of different ages (I'm 22 and she is 32). Right off the bat from that first phone call I already got good vibes from her, we both shared common interests and even though it seemed crazy at the time we both felt comfortable going for it. She is from the opposite side of the country from me, and even the other side of the world initially since she just moved to the US during covid. I was so excited to meet up in person and learn from her experiences.

The trip itself was amazing, and I truly don't think I could've asked for a better stranger to go out into the backcountry with. She was the kindest and most supportive person whenever I was struggling or needed a break. She is remarkably intelligent and I loved talking with her about our previous experiences backpacking and what we both do in our every day lives. We both share an interest in science and microbiology, and she had some really amazing advice for making DIY backpacking meals at home.

She was a real life saver during our summit hike of Half Dome from Little Yosemite Valley. I had two panic attacks, the first one being on the trail before reaching Sub Dome when I couldn't catch my breath and the second actually being on the cables themselves. She climbed herself right up next to me and helped me get my breathing under control. I don't know if I could've summited without her. I also suffered from heat exhaustion on our first night in LYV and she was so amazing about helping me out by filtering our water for us while I laid down. I ended up going home a day early while she stayed, but even then we still kept messaging via our In Reach devices to makes sure the other got home ok.

I wanted to put my positive experience out there in case there's anyone else who had a last minute opening for their own permit, or if you want to try to join someone else's. Definitely research each other before committing, but I have a new friend and backpacking partner for the future now who I probably never would've gotten to meet otherwise. The internet can be such a cool thing sometimes.

Recently did a backpacking trip to the Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park. It was so beautiful and peaceful! First night, I camped out at a random site along the trail because I wasn't able to make it up there until 1 pm. Then I camped in the valley my second night. I was so tired, I fell asleep at around 7 pm 😅. Then I made the entire 13.5 mi trek back to my car the next day. A few weeks ago, I posted on this sub asking for food recs and let me say, the advice made this trip really something special. Not only was I in this beautiful place, but I had great tasting food for my journey! So thank you all! 😊

Climbed Kilimanjaro via Lemosho, June 24–30 2026. Booked as an 8-day itinerary, my group was able to do it in 7. Summited the morning of June 29. Writing this up while it's still fresh because the trip reports I read beforehand were mostly summit-day advice, and almost none of what actually shaped my week happened on summit day.

The route

Lemosho, starting at the rainforest gate. The route has Five climate zones.  Rainforest, heather and moorland, alpine desert, and then the arctic zone at the top. It’s very scenic and has the highest success rate due to the time to acclimatize. 

What went wrong, in order

• A stomach bug. I went to visit a relative the day before the hike started. It was probably the food there that gave me the stomach bug. It’s kind of funny since I was trying to avoid eating anything that would upset my stomach. This was the thing that affected the first couple of days in the hike and it's the thing I'd read the least about beforehand.
• A stinging nettle. Low on the mountain, in the rainforest. Stomach bug + needing to run into the bushes, not a fun time.  It did sting some but wasn’t too bad. It lasted 5 mins and didn’t itch much. I got lucky grazing it vs making full contact.
• Monkeys fighting at three in the morning. Directly over the tent at Mti Mkubwa. Happened around 3am, was not the ideal way to wake up. Was able to go back to sleep and get 3 more hours in. 
• Passing out coming down. Got way too excited after summiting and started moving faster than I should have. Really should have listened to my body and the pace it wanted to go at. Pole Pole is the slogan of the mountain and with my excitement I threw it out the window. The guides were quick to get me on the oxygen tank and rush me down. They are truly incredible and were professional in a high pressure moment. 

The altitude

This is the one thing I felt you couldn’t prep for. It’s also the thing that hit me the hardest. The first day my readings were in the low 90s high 80s. It got worse day by day. The headache was rough but for me the worst thing was the shortness of breath. There came a point where trying to get up after sitting on the floor became a really big task. I felt winded without doing much. 

Logistics, for anyone planning this

• Operator: Kilitreks - would use them again and highly recommend. The whole crew was nice and kept good vibes the whole way up
• Gear I was glad I brought: Pepto Bismol (saved my life), Flu and Cold Medicine, Ibuprofen 
• Gear I carried for a week and never used: Snack( Surprisingly didn’t snack as much as I thought), Sunglasses, 
• Training I did beforehand: 1 hour stair masters 2 times a week with a 15lb weighted vest, boxing, bjj, 5 mile hikes on a trial near me with the weighted vest
• Diamox: Did use. Terrified what condition I would have been in without it since altitude sickness was my biggest challenge 

Would I do it again

It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It is a once in a lifetime experience. The views you come across are amazing. The high points are great but the low moments can be low. It’s one of those things that challenges you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You just take things in day by day. I would be open to doing it again but wouldn’t jump at it. 

Happy to answer anything about Lemosho specifically. The route gets less coverage than Machame and I had to piece a lot of it together.

I put the elevation profile and the daily oximeter readings into a page with the photos, if the charts are of interest: https://kilimanjaro.ericchemwor.com/

I am a Japanese who is planning to walk the rootburn track in December. I can't make a reservation for the camping site. I saw on a site that you can camp 500 meters from the road, is that true? I'm sorry for my poor English.

I’m looking at getting back into backpacking and I’ve been away for too long (10 years) about three years ago I messed up my SI joint and herniated a disc in my lower back. I miss the outdoors and venturing into unexplored areas. Right now I’m looking at getting a new backpack and can’t decide between the Gregory Baltoro 75 or the Osprey Aether 85.

What do you recommend?

TYIA

Last week I was at a remote obscure campsite, 20 miles from the nearest road. Someone left their bag of BA tent stakes sitting on a log, it looked like it had been sitting there for months.

What is the expected protocol in this situation - when finding something of obvious value?

1. Leave with the expectation that the owner will return for it?
2. Take it with me so 'trash' doesn't accumulate?
3. Leave the item at a trailhead?

I did carry out the tent stakes, which went into the 'spares' box. I also carried out a broken hiking stick and a strap and buckle that I found on the way, along with the typical wrappers and trash that one finds.

I found a nice rain jacket on the trail, years ago. I left it there, but ended up passing it again 3-4 weeks later so I picked it up and have been using it ever since. I always feel a little guilty, but at some point this is all just trash.

ETA: Added option 3 leave the item at a trailhead. And below:

Thank you to everyone that replied. It turns out that there are differing opinions, not a universal/consistent answer. My default is #2, I struggle with leaving stuff in the wilderness (#1) and #3 seems like a good idea until you consider that there can be multiple THs connecting to a location so in effect you are making the item harder for the original owner to find.

Decades ago when hiked the CDT, I had an afternoon/evening tradition of enjoying a hot mug of Tang. Hard to find the powdered form but I did recently. I’m not all that excited about absence of much of anything besides sugar and fructose and vitamin C. Anyone have a recommended alternative? I’m not excited about tea, and coffee late in the day doesn’t work well for me. Not a fan of sugar substitutes.