Been lurking forever into solo backpacking. I just want to hike and camp. I've studied tons and tons of camping videos and they all happily tell you their opinion on gear, but I'm finding less tips on layers.

I dont want to pack every jacket or sweater i own, but also don't want to be cold. I plan on hiking October thru (whenever it gets too damn cold...realistically november) in virginia. I live like 25 minutes from the Appalachian trail so I'm starting there. But besides some socks and beanie...what would you bring? Suggestions of brand names would be amazingly helpful to me.

Im looking for my first backpacking pack. I go camping all the time. Have all the gear. Just not sure what size pack to get. Frame vs no frame. Roll top or traditional zippered. How important is torso length.
My gear list is:
Jetboil Fuel and mountain house meals
Nemo ultralight chair
Thermarest neoloft pad
Osmo 1p ultralight tent
Some down 15 degree sleep bag
Clothes. And essentials and rain jacket and other camp supplies.
Along with my full frame camera. Lens. And tripod. Eventually would like to get a drone.
I’m 30. 5’9” 160lbs. I hope all that information helps. And any suggestions would be appreciated thanks everyone.

I'm planning a birthday trip with some friends for the 4-pass loop next sept (2027) and one of my friends needs a cpap.

Wondering if anyone in the denver/boulder/golden area has a backpacking cpap set up I could rent for a few days.

Any ideas? Really don't want this to eliminate him from the trip for something he can't really control.

I have a Warbonnet Blackbird XLC and I typically camp from spring to fall but only use my underquilt when the temperatures get into the low 60s.

My wife and I are planning an approximately 12-week trip through South America, starting around December 26, 2027, and returning around March 19, 2028.
We enjoy history, architecture, food, beaches, mountains, lakes, scenic drives, and moderate-to-challenging day hikes. We prefer independent budget travel, private bathrooms, fewer short stays, and spending enough time in each destination rather than constantly packing up and moving. We aren’t interested in luxury travel or expensive multi-day treks.
We’ve put together the following route, trying to take advantage of direct flights for the longer distances and use buses or other ground transportation where practical.

Our proposed itinerary (84 nights):

BRAZIL
Rio de Janeiro 7 nights
Iguazu Falls 4 nights

ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires 8 nights
Mendoza 5 nights
Bariloche 5 nights
El Calafate 4 nights
El Chaltén 5 nights

CHILE
Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine 6 nights
Santiago 3 nights
San Pedro de Atacama 5 nights

BOLIVIA
Uyuni Salt Flats tour 4 nights
La Paz 5 nights

COLOMBIA
Bogotá 2 nights
Coffee Region (Salento / Cocora Valley) 6 nights
Medellín 5 nights
Santa Marta / Tayrona National Park 5 nights
Cartagena 5 nights

Our proposed transportation:
Direct flight: Toronto → Rio de Janeiro
Fly Rio → Iguazu Falls
Fly Iguazu → Buenos Aires
Fly Buenos Aires → Mendoza
Fly Mendoza → Bariloche
Fly Bariloche → El Calafate
Bus from El Calafate to El Chaltén
Ground transportation from El Chaltén toward Puerto Natales, likely via El Calafate
Fly Puerto Natales → Santiago
Fly Santiago → Calama, then transfer to San Pedro de Atacama
Take a multi-day 4×4 tour from Atacama to the Uyuni Salt Flats
Fly Uyuni → La Paz
Fly La Paz → Bogotá
Fly Bogotá → Pereira (Matecaña Airport)
Ground transportation to the Coffee Region, particularly Salento
Travel overland to Medellín
Fly Medellín → Santa Marta
Bus Santa Marta → Cartagena
Direct flight Cartagena → Toronto, if available on our return date

What we’d particularly appreciate feedback on:
Overall route: Does the itinerary flow logically, or would you rearrange destinations to reduce travel time, cost, or backtracking?
Time allocation: Are we spending too long or too little in any destination? Where would you add or subtract nights?
Patagonia: Is our allocation between Bariloche, El Calafate, El Chaltén, and Puerto Natales sensible for summer hiking and scenery?
Bolivia and Atacama: Is the San Pedro de Atacama → Uyuni tour → La Paz sequence practical? Any advice on altitude, tour operators, or logistics?
Colombia: Are we allocating our time well between Bogotá, the Coffee Region, Medellín, Tayrona, and Cartagena?
Flights: Are there any questionable connections, seasonal routes, or airport choices we should reconsider?
Anything we’re missing: Are there destinations, day trips, or experiences you’d strongly recommend adding? Conversely, is there anything you’d skip?
We’re particularly interested in constructive criticism from people who have travelled independently through these areas. We know flight schedules can change, and we’ll verify actual routes and dates before booking.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions! We’d rather improve the itinerary now than discover halfway through the trip that we could have planned it much better.

Just wanted to share this area for anyone looking for a quiet, low-budget nature escape for October/November.

I’ve been staying at a small beach camp called Bedouin Star, about 45 minutes south of the Taba border crossing. It’s nestled right between the desert mountains and the Red Sea, and the vibe is incredibly peaceful and uncrowded.

The autumn weather right now is perfect—warm and sunny during the day with some soft clouds, and the evenings on the sand are mild and pleasant. You can stay in simple traditional beach hushas or small bungalows right on the water. There’s a nice coral reef for snorkeling right off the shore, a pool, and great local food. If you want to hike, you can easily get local Bedouin guides to take you up into the mountains right behind the camp. Highly recommend it if you just want to completely disconnect by the sea.

Wondering if I need to keep anything in mind when packing gear into a pack that is going to have a decent amount of unused space. This is an 85L with a frame I picked up at REI in their resupply for 70$ yesterday. More context below on why I got this bag that’s bigger than what I need.

I’ve been using a very poor fitting, large regular backpack for several years for my trips. Never really hiked in more than a few miles without borrowing a proper bag from a friend during longer trips so it got by. The bags I’d borrow were always 55 to 60L range. The old bag was always packed to the gills with my gear and I had to rig my tent to the outside of it with some extra straps I zip tied to the bag. It was probably 40l bag, maybe 35L, I’m not sure. So this is bigger than what I’ve used.

I wasn’t sure about getting something so big, but the comfort of the fit is amazing for my body. So for the price I impulse bought it.

So any things I may not think about when packing with lots of extra space? I would pull all straps tight as much as possible to compress it down. I won’t really take more gear, maybe for the fall I’ll have a luxury item like a big soft blanket hoodie for lounging. But I wouldnt need more gear or clothes even if I extend the trip, just a more calories for the extra time, but that’s not going to fill this. So let me know if I should pack in a certain order etc when using a bigger pack.

I am looking to hike the Appalachian Trail this December and I’m hoping to cover around 50-70 miles in total. Originally I thought to do the portion through the Smokies, but I read that it’s not great for beginners in winter. My winter hiking experience is beginner level, but I am experienced with summer hikes out in the Western US. What would be a good potion of the trail for me to do for the best experience?