c/backpacking-routes

PSA: The Pacific Crest Trail has over 1,000 water sources that dry up by August

I was planning a section hike on the PCT for late summer and dug into the PCT Water Report. It hit me that nearly 60% of listed creeks and springs marked on older maps are seasonal, not year round. Some sections between Kennedy Meadows and Sonora Pass have stretches of 30+ miles with zero reliable water by late July. The debate is: do you trust the outdated Guthook comments from 2019 or the new official report from 2023? I'm leaning toward carrying extra capacity, but that adds 3 pounds to my pack. Has anyone else run into this surprise on a recent long distance trip?

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elliot_johnson31•1d ago

Took the Smokies high route through Gregory Bald instead of Low Gap Trail

I was planning a 3 day trip in the Great Smoky Mountains and had to pick between the Gregory Bald Loop and the standard Low Gap out-and-back. Everyone in the forums says Low Gap is easier with better water access, but I wanted the views from the bald. I went with Gregory Bald and it was brutal on day 2 with a 2,000 foot climb in the heat. But when I got to the top around 5 PM the whole valley opened up and I could see Cades Cove way below. The wild azaleas were still blooming in early June which I didn't expect. I had to filter water from a tiny creek near the campsite which was a pain, but honestly the sunset made up for it. Has anyone else taken the high route through the balds instead of the valley trails?

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laura_allen•1d ago

The secret to avoiding blisters on long trails isn't better boots, it's changing your socks every 2 hours

I hiked the John Muir Trail last summer and my feet were a disaster by day three. Blisters on both heels, tops of my toes, even between my arches. I tried expensive socks, different lacing patterns, and two kinds of tape. Nothing worked until a thru-hiker I met at Muir Trail Ranch told me to just stop and swap socks every 2 hours on the dot. I thought he was exaggerating but I gave it a shot. I carried six pairs of thin wool socks and rotated them out even if they didn't feel wet. By the end of the 210 miles I had zero new blisters. Has anyone else tried this or do you do something different for foot care?

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gavin692•3d ago

I spent $180 on a GPS device and it almost got me lost in the Sierras

Everyone talks about how you need a Garmin inReach for remote routes but I had the opposite experience. Used mine on the Rae Lakes Loop last fall off the 60 Lakes Trail junction and it kept putting me on trails that just ended at cliffs. My old paper map had the actual route marked clear as day. Had to backtrack twice by an extra mile each time. Anyone else find that the fancier tech actually makes things worse on certain trails?

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uma_martinez•3d ago

That ranger at Yosemite told me to skip the Half Dome cables if I had bad shoes

Wish I'd listened. I went up anyway in worn trail runners and nearly slid off the wet granite near the top. If you're going in early season when it's damp, take his advice seriously or bring real sticky rubber.

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angela687•4d ago

My brand new filter failed on day 2 of the John Muir Trail

I bought a Sawyer Squeeze last spring and tested it at home. Seemed fine. On day 2 of a 10 day JMT section hike near Thousand Island Lake, the flow dropped to nothing. I backflushed it three times and still barely got a trickle. Ended up borrowing my buddy's backup tablets and boiling water at camp. Has anyone else had a new filter clog up that fast?

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nancythomas•7d ago

Pro tip: skip the expensive hydration bladder and grab a $5 smartwater bottle instead

I spent $45 on a fancy hydration bladder before my JMT trip last year thinking it would make life easier. First day the tube leaked all over my sleeping bag and I was stuck with damp gear. Second day I just tossed it and grabbed a 1.5 liter smartwater bottle from a gas station near Yosemite for $5. Threads fit my sawyer filter perfectly and I never had to wrestle with a slimy bladder again. Plus I could see exactly how much water I had left without twisting around to check. The bottle is way lighter and I just clip it to my shoulder strap with a carabiner. Has anyone else ditched the bladder for a simple bottle on long routes?

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graydavis•8d ago

I finally noticed how much faster the PCT gets after Muir Trail Ranch

The first 700 miles had me doing 15-mile days max, but after that ranch I was suddenly pushing 25-mile days without feeling wrecked. Was it the trail terrain changing or just my legs finally adapting after 6 weeks? Curious if anyone else hit that same shift.

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rubys80•8d ago

My backpacking stove failed at 10,000 feet on the Wind River High Route

I was out near Big Sandy Lake in Wyoming last month when my canister stove just wouldn't light. The valve started hissing weird and then stopped flowing gas completely. I ended up having to boil water by building a small fire with wet birch bark and dead twigs. Took me 45 minutes just to get a cup of tea going. Anyone else had a stove die on them mid trip and had to go full primitive?

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wendyk56•9d ago

Just realized I've been carrying way too much water on desert hikes

Got caught on the Koko Head trail in Hawaii back in March and ran out of water 30 minutes in. Some guy with a tiny 1-liter bottle was totally fine and I'm lugging 3 liters like a pack mule. Turns out if you start early enough and know where the shade spots are, you don't need to haul a gallon and a half. Lesson learned the hard way, especially since I had to hike back down with 2 liters still sloshing around. Anyone else do the math on water weight vs actual need?

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nora_walker57•11d ago

Stuck between two routes on the Appalachian Trail and picked the wrong one

Last fall I had to choose between the 10-mile Grayson Highlands loop and the 12-mile Mount Rogers out-and-back near Damascus, Virginia. I went with the loop because it seemed shorter and I was running late, but I forgot how exposed those balds get in October when the wind picks up. Around mile 6 I was basically crawling over boulders while gusting 30 mph wind tried to push me off the trail. The other route stays in the trees the whole way and would have been way more sheltered. Has anyone else made a bad call based on thinking shorter equals easier?

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viola_ward•14d ago

Met a guy on the Colorado Trail who carried a cast iron pan for 200 miles

He told me he brought it just for frying up fresh trout he caught, and I watched him pull out a collapsible fishing rod from his pack like it was the most normal thing in the world, has anyone else met someone with a ridiculous luxury item on trail?

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angela687•14d ago

A stranger on the PCT made me ditch my fancy water filter setup

I was about 10 days into a 30 day section hike on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer. This older guy at a campsite near Crater Lake watched me spend 15 minutes pumping water through my heavy ceramic filter. He just said 'you're carrying a whole kitchen for a drink.' That got me thinking. I switched to a simple Sawyer squeeze and a smartwater bottle the next town stop. Saved almost a pound off my pack right there. Has anyone else had a random hiker change up their whole gear setup with one comment?

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charliestone•15d ago

Had to pick between two trail forks in the Shenandoahs and I chose wrong

So I'm hiking the Rose River Loop last weekend and I hit a split where the map showed two ways back to the car. One was a 2 mile ridge walk and the other was a 1.5 mile creek side trail. I figured shorter is better right? Picked the creek trail and ended up crossing the same damn stream 8 times on slippery rocks. Took me almost 2 hours and I soaked both boots. Anyone else ever take the "shortcut" that ended up being way worse?

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hollyl45•15d ago

Finally found a hidden trail on the AT that skips the worst climb

I was stuck bushwhacking near Roan Mountain last weekend trying to avoid the steep switchbacks on the main route, then noticed a faint game trail that dropped me right into a creek bed. After following it for half a mile I popped out at a campsite I never knew existed, completely bypassing that brutal 30 minute uphill slog. Anyone else ever stumbled onto a random shortcut that actually worked out better than the official path?

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ryan369•15d ago

Spent $60 on a water filter pump and it broke on day 3 of a 10 day trip

I was doing the Lost Coast Trail up in NorCal and that cheap Sawyer knockoff clogged up something awful. Had to boil creek water over a campfire for the rest of the hike, which added like an hour to each meal. Anyone found a filter that actually holds up on multi-day trips?

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keithbutler•16d ago

Got yelled at for missing a switchback on the Appalachian Trail last month

Some guy from Georgia chewed me out for cutting a switchback near Blood Mountain, and I honestly didn't realize I was doing it until he pointed out how much erosion it causes. Has anyone else had a trail veteran call them out for something that seemed minor but actually mattered a lot?

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keithbutler•17d ago

Hot take: The PCT is overrated for solo hikers these days

I did 200 miles of the John Muir Trail last summer and honestly had a better time than my whole PCT section hike from Kennedy Meadows. Too many people treating the PCT like a social media backdrop now, you know? Anyone else feel like the JMT delivers better scenery with half the crowds?

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elliot_taylor•18d ago

Wasn't sold on packing cubes for 3 years, then tried them on a 10 day trip

I always thought packing cubes were just extra weight and hassle... figured I could just roll my clothes tighter. Last summer I did a 10 day loop in the Wind River Range and my buddy had them. He could unpack his whole bag in 30 seconds to find his rain jacket. Meanwhile I was digging through everything like a raccoon. On day 4 I was so annoyed I asked to borrow one of his. It really did keep my dirty stuff separate and made camp setup way faster. Has anyone else been converted after swearing them off for years?

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kelly_craig•18d ago

That $50 water filter I bought from a random website was a complete dud

I picked up this cheap gravity filter off some outdoor gear deal site before a trip to the Gila National Forest last month. First day on the trail, the output slowed to a trickle after just 2 liters. Took it apart and the filter element was basically just a piece of cloth inside. I ended up having to boil all my water for the rest of the 5 day hike, which cost me extra fuel weight and time. Has anyone else gotten burned by those no-name gear websites?

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the_elliot•18d ago

Spent 3 hours navigating a washed out trail in Olympic National Park last weekend

The map showed it as a simple creek crossing but it turned into a whole ordeal finding a safe bypass upstream. Has anyone else dealt with trail maps being wildly outdated in the Olympics?

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the_jordan•19d ago

TIL carrying a water filter is pointless if you don't check the flow rate beforehand

I clogged my Sawyer Mini on day 2 of a 5 day trip in the Sierras last summer because I didn't pre-filter the silty creek water, and I had to beg other hikers for clean water the rest of the way - has anyone else had their filter die on them in a remote spot?

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mitchell.lee•20d ago

Hot take: I used to think GPS route planning apps were overrated

For years I swore by paper maps and handwritten notes for my trips. Then I did a 6 day solo hike on the Long Trail in Vermont last September and got caught in fog so thick I couldn't see 20 feet ahead. My phone's GPS kept me on track when every landmark was invisible. I still carry a paper backup but I finally get why people rely on digital tools in certain conditions. Anyone else have a moment where tech saved your hike when you least expected it?

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the_alice•21d ago

Spent $120 on a fancy water filter and it nearly ruined my PCT trip

I bought a Katadyn BeFree 3L system before my hike through the Sierra section last August. First real river crossing, the bladder split at the seam and dumped all my drinking water. Ended up having to boil everything for two days until I hit a ranger station. Has anyone else had these fail on them mid-route?

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the_eva•21d ago

Vent: Almost got stranded on the High Sierra Trail because of a broken water filter

I was 3 days into the High Sierra Trail last summer and my MSR filter just gave out completely. Like full on clogged, no water coming through, and I was above 10,000 feet with no backup. Stupid mistake on my part for not carrying tablets or a backup filter. The nearest creek was still a mile up trail and I was already dehydrated from the heat that day. I ended up boiling water for an hour that night just to have enough to drink. Now I carry two filters everywhere but man that was a rough lesson. Has anyone else had a filter fail deep in the backcountry like that? What do you use for a backup now?

3 comments