@@juanbackpacks, I'll look forward to that update. After watching your videos, I'm considering putting the Allegheny 100 Challenge on my radar... no promises! However, I'd be happy to discuss and help with your goals for next year. (I'm a 23-year, injury-free, Ironman Triathlete & Coach (side hustle)).
Regarding your food plan: I recently finished a 100 mile section of the Appalachian trail having 7 to 10% grade ups and downs in 6 days. I am 6' and 230 lbs and even with consuming 4500 calories a day I lost 5 lbs. Those 9000 calories don't seen to be nearly enough.. Assuming 5 hours per day down time you'll be hiking 2.5 mph for 100 miles. if you weigh 200 lbs with a 29 lb pack your calorie needs would be 22,000 with a 1% to 5% trail grade.
You are absolutely right. I’m running a deficit intentionally. I’ve done it many times on my long trips up to 260 miles. I know my body and its tolerances. I function perfectly fine at 2,500 to 3,000 calories daily on hikes up to around 200 miles. I do it because it is impossible to carry higher calories per day on big stretches where resupply is not possible and I simply do not have room for more food.
Pack weight is a moving target. It's something that you have to know for yourself. Ultralight backpacking has gotten to the point where it's seen as gatekeeping for the outdoors. If you can spend the money great, but there is no reason you can't do the trail with a 80lbs canvas rucksack on your back... just make sure you do enough training so your shoulders and back and hips are ready for it. Train with your pack and your gear that you can afford or manage and you'll be fine. Don't let the idea of being too heavy keep you off the trail.
I completely agree. Get the gear you can afford and get out there. That being said age catches up with you so being light helps me at 58 hike more miles daily and endure more miles overall. I am considered in excellent shape for any age but the lighter load makes the miles come easier given my body and old injuries. Also remember a lot of people don’t have extra time to train up to carry heavy loads.
I sooner carry a pair of water shoes . Syper usful for crossing rivers and can be worn as a normal pair of trainers around camp. Flip flops are to cold and no use as an actual shoe .
That’s a good point if your preference is to not cross rivers in trail runners or boots. I cross in my trail runners. I don’t like crossing rivers in any kind of open toe shoe.
I've been using Leki poles. Mine are essentially 4 sections with the cable running through them. They adjust with the top section. They work great for my X-mid. After Durston rolled out these with no straps, I decided to take the straps off my Lekis to see if I would miss them. I haven't so far. I DO really like my cork grips on my Leki poles. I like that they came with baskets. I'm interested to see what Durston does with future versions.
Durston really thinks his products through and is constantly innovating. I just took his Wapta 30 out for a day of fishing and hiking in the back country.
@@juanbackpacks I was using a 3 weight in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Hiked up a stream in a meadow and got 3 successive bites but since I’m a klutz with a barbless hook they all got off. The rest of the trout on my trip were small, spooky and not at all attracted to what I was offering them, plus it got variously hot , windy, and the pressure in numbers was greater than the trout census. I love small streams and will stick to the far off places next time.
Sorry about the Alleghany 100 but hey you did better than I would have! I'm a huge Durston fan and these are very innovative. I think I'm gonna wait on the strapped version though. :)
I pulled the trigger too soon and kind of thought they would design some kind of aftermarket strap but looks like they will just offer as an option on new ones. Oh well. I like them and will use them for most of my backpacking.
Found out about this just after the registration deadline by seeing your videos and a few from others about the event. Decided to show up the day of the event and do the 50 miler nonstop. I wanted to see what my bad knees were getting into! Incredibly fun event with tremendous volunteers making it truly unique. I did the 50 in 21:01:05. Next year year maybe I'll shoot to improve my time or push out to 75 or 100. Good luck next year!
Hello Juan, it was great to meet you before the event this year. I hope you reached your goal to complete the 100, i was fortunate to complete. good luck with your upcoming hikes
Congratulations! I fell behind at the mid point in time by about 5 miles so I was feeling a little deflated knowing that I couldn't finish the 100. I should have gone for the 75 but stopped at 50. Last year I was ahead by 5 miles at the same point but dropped due to an injury. I think the third time will be a charm for me! I'll be back next year.
it was great chatting with you! Unfortunately, I fell behind at the mid point in time by about 5 miles so I was feeling a little deflated knowing that I couldn't finish the 100. I should have gone for the 75 but stopped at 50. Last year I was ahead by 5 miles at the same point but dropped due to an injury. The third time will be a charm for me! I'll be back next year.
That sounds amazing! I've been looking more into stoveless meals myself, I'll have to see about some of these! I like the electrolytes idea - whay are those?
The electrolytes are “Salt Stick” brand. I picked them because they are very popular among ultra runners and seem to be a reputable company. The are also one of the only companies that give real directions on how to use them.
I like not cooking when fast packing because the focus is on covering miles and not necessarily on lounging at camp. Don’t get me wrong, when I’m just backpacking I really prefer preparing one hot meal at the end of the day. The cool thing about how I do my “no cook’ food plan is that I basically just buy bulk packs of things (cheaper) figure out the number of days and calorie count I want teach day then make sure I have enough total calories for each day in all the bulk foods I bought… I then just repackage things and divide up into days. One one gallon zip lock for each day typically.
Respectfully, there is only merit with respect to two (2) of your underlying issues. Firstly, the bag is terrible and I wholeheartedly concur in this particular regard . Even if it doesn’t break, the dirty water side is too narrow and small to gather water at most streams efficiently. Get the CNOC dirty water bag. The filter is sold by itself and you don’t have to buy the bag too and the money you save you can go buy a better dirty water bag. Secondly, during the pandemic, Cascade designs had terrible customer service and was not resounding to emails and the telephone hold times were hours long. This has since been rectified. No excuse on their part and I appreciate your frustration in this regard. When I saw your video in the first minute I was like, did this guy buy when this filter was a year or less old? Then, the resounding answer was yes! Indeed, the filter speed was defective too when the first retail models were released. If you didn’t get this filter until its second year of production then there is going to be issues; however, the vast majority of the current production units for this model do not have any of these issues (save and except for the bag). I wish RU-vid permitted user comment posts to post/ submit photographs because I would post a pic of my QuickDraw after hiking the PCT and no thread wear after five (5) months of use, day in and day out! The QuickDraw was also the most used and most popular water filter on the PCT last year and I was one of the votes that counted in that survey. I like the Katadyn BeFree filter too and use it as my day hiking and overnight filter; however, it clogs, gets really slow, really fast, and it can be hard to fill up at steams because of the narrow bag opening and there is no way to do an on trail integrity test (i.e. after dropping or freezing temperatures, etc.) unlike the QuickDraw, which is easier to back-flush/ clean on trail and can do an easy integrity check of the hollow fibres.
I really appreciate your thougfull comments and insight.. great post. I’m actually gong to circle back to that filer for my thru hike of the Uinta Highline this July. Mainly because I think they may have resolved the threading issue.. Mine was pobably one of the first runs of the products. I’ve worked with outdoor companies to design products that cost in access of $2,000 for a single product. My biggest problem with this company is that I could tell they had an issue but after two emails they never responded once. I’ve been on that end of product developement and I believe you have to respond to your customers…. I just didn’t want to have to keep trying to get answers to my questions… not worth my time to chase them down.. so I just gave up. Now a few years down the road I’m willing to give them another shot.
Very helpful video. I'm gonna work on backcountry trails for a month this summer in Yosemite, and Ill have time to fish lakes and streams. I haven't done too much fishing around Yosemite and was wondering if you had any specific tips?
They will take about any fly. That being said, size 12 Elk Hair Caddis have been a great producer for me in the Sierra. Most of the time it’s the only fly I use and I’ve always caught fish.
Did it twice.. If there’s no rain in the forecast I’d leave the tent and jacket behind , only take a poncho that can do double duty. I slept about five hours total. Food is most important.. there was plenty of water available.. Mental focus is by far the most important, once you lose that the game is over. Fitness and conditioning are important but will only get you so far. Last time I was 64. Best of luck to you!
I had an old election sign sitting outside for a while now. Knew id find a good use for it. I got some plastic tubing for a few bucks and made a pair of mayfly's with some paracord 😊
I use Nathan flasks. There are cheaper decent options on Amazon as well that I use and work fine. www.nathansports.com/collections/water-bottles-flasks
Saw you out there on my thru hike at end of July last year too! I really enjoy the video and only find myself wishing your self filming while out trekking didn't blur out the background.
That is awesome! I film a lot in cinematic mode. That’s a good point. I may have to start filming some segments in regular mode to take advantage of the incredible surroundings.
Water Resistance: WP Rating 1500 mm HH. You are right robic will absorb water but that doesn’t mean it will pass through. I know that sounds completely counter initiative but it is true. My tent is made of robic and it gets heavier from water but does not leak. It is likely that your seems and the zipper account for any water in your pack.
I’ve been using mine for 2 years, 2500 trail kms. I had to check my threading to see and mine doesn’t have that weakening threading you’ve experienced. Also, pinhole leaks are a reality with literally every single water bladder especially when you’re squeezing and squeezing it day after day. Some last years some don’t. Lots of variables when backpacking that might not necessarily mean it’s the build quality or QC issues. I don’t know what to say about your “complexity” complaint. Other than laugh. Opening a cap and rolling it up? Why is that complex? Kind of sounds like you just have beef with Platypus because they wouldn’t work with you over the thread weakening. I’d take my QuickDraw over my BeFree (I have the three litre gravity version) any day. BeFree is ok if you’re only ever filtering from a highly clear perfectly ideal water source. Otherwise you better bring a backup way to filter your water on long trips because I do not trust my BeFree on long remote backcountry trips at all. Geez my BeFree almost completely clogged (lost about 90% of its flow rate) just from high tannins in lake water on one trip.
It is my belief that the thread issue was resolved in later runs of the product or it may have just been a bad run. I’m not the only person who experienced the same thing. There were several reports of it I saw by searching the web when I reported it but none since then. The bag failed on the third use. I’m just reporting the facts of my experience for people to consider that all. I don’t use those welded bags for that reason. They fail more generally speaking. Complexity is in the eye of the beholder. For me it’s just too many pieces to keep track of for my liking. Personal preference that’s all.
Thanks for the comment. This is simply my factual experience with the product. It may be atypical but it was my experience. My biggest problem was the lack of follow up by customer service. I’ve worked in the outdoor space with companies developing products with their designers so I was mainly just trying give them feedback in case others experienced the same thing. That’s an important feedback loop.
I love my G420 and will keep it. I’m a huge fan of the shelter pocket. There’s a lot to unpack with your question. I’m going to file this away so I can make a video about it.
@juanbackpacks I've also been eyeballing the Mariposa. I'm interested in how the new one is better and if the double side pocket can fit a one liter with a filter on top without effecting the top pocket. One more thing what do you think of black diamonds new pack the beta? I have the g420 and need something bigger for the jmt...
I wish I could give you an answer regarding the new Mariposa but I don’t really know for sure. It depends on the distance between the pockets. GG has always been good about answering my questions in the past using the form on their website.. I would recommend that. I saw a few videos on the BD backpack…. I don’t have any experience but it is a quality company so I can’t imaging it’s not a decent pack.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing this information. I saw you did your first resupply in Independence, then you stayed in Lone Pine. I think you said you hitched to Independence, did you then hitch to Lone Pine or is there a better way to get there? Thanks, there are way more stay options at better prices in Lone Pine and it looks like a better place for a zero.
What a great job of editing and presentation. You're a natural. I could never approach your skill-set in narration without a LOT of multiple takes. Your message comes across in how momentous an accomplishment this was for you. I followed you on this trip through the link you provided me but this fills it all in brilliantly. Your methods, technique, recommendations, strategy and personal message in how this affected you comes across the screen quite clear. Nice work. To accomplish this trek with all the physical challenges as they presented themselves and still grab the videos and conversations on the trail just simply amazes me. Don't have any clue why you couldn't have included live footage of the challenges in the chutes :-) JK!
Nice video thanks for putting this together. VVR is actually Vermillion Valley Resort not Ranch. When doing the PCT and completing all of the Sierra, VVR was my favorite stop in the entire Sierra. Independence was great too but as you know not fun having to hike over Kearsarge both ways. Now that I’m done with the PCT I’m doing the JMT this summer at a more enjoyable pace, not the thru hiker big mile pace lol. Hopefully will be much more enjoyable. Thanks again
I always get the VVR thing confused! LOL. Doing the JMT at your won pace is the best way to do it if you have that luxury like we did. Each night we would look at the map and plan our next day. Mostly around water where we thought their would be good fishing. Some days we were done by 2 p.m. LOL. it was soooo nice to do it that way.
It doesn't say so on their website, but the size of the pack and pocket would seem to be big enough for a 3L. They are very responsive in their website contact form, so you might try pinging them directly to make sure.
Videoshop. I think maybe they do a month to month subscription now but when I started using it a few years ago it was a one time purchase for the pro version of around $50. Its the best and easiest video app I've tried. It was WAY worth the $50.
nice video. I will have to agree, you can do all kinds of re-arranging the weight, or what you call it, but the total weight you are carrying is all that matters.
Thank or the comment!…. Yep total weight should be the goal that drive what you need to do with your base weight. When I’m in the Sierra doing bigger miles with longer water and food carries… i need to be at 13 lbs or under to be around 30-35 lbs total pack weight which is the most I want to carry. That’s like 10 days of food and a few liters of water.
Finally someone that is light weight. Think I'm at 14oz for conventional. I use an ice fishing reel with half a dt 3 wt line. Also use a florescent light tube for added protection. I use a lanyard instead of a bag. Great setup. Time to make it lighter lol.
