The gear required for a hike of the Sierra High Route (SHR) needs to strike a balance of functional and lightweight. Typically, I am happy to tell people that "if you're happy carrying it, then carry it", but since the SHR calls for a lot of scrambling up loose talus and/or boulder fields, it's nice
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2020 (v1.0)
It's the dawn of a decade and I've made a lot of changes to my three-season backpacking gear list to kick off the twenties. Some of my favorite pieces of gear are still with me and are still going strong (socks and fanny pack) while I'm trying others out for the first time (pillow, anyone?). My
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2019 (v2.0)
I didn't stop hiking once I left the Pacific Crest Trail this summer, and since my final PCT gear list, a number of things have changed in my backpacking outfit. After hitting the Timberline Trail, Wonderland Trail, and the Wind River Range. Fall is my favorite time of the year to hike - fewer
Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (Round Two) – UPDATED
I've come a long way since my first Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike and my first Pacific Crest Trail gear list. With the exception of my spork, anti-chafe balm, and head net, every piece of gear I now have in my pack is different (this includes my pack). I know I've said it before somewhere, but I'm
The Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
Your Pacific Crest Trail gear list can at times feel like one of your most defining features on the trail. It's been a few years since my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and I've since learned a lot about what gear works on a thru-hike and what gear is better left at home (or thrown in the garbage).
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2019 (v1.0)
There's a lot of new gear I'm excited to try this year (like this new sleeping pad from Therm-a-Rest), but these experiments will have to wait until later in the year. For now, I've gone back to what I know and made some adjustments after testing out some new gear in the Japanese Alps. Last year,
Japanese Alps Traverse Gear List
Rain for a week straight, multiple typhoons, stupid levels of humidity, Japanese giant hornets, and a record-setting heat wave all made my 425 mi / 684 km traverse of the Japanese Alps quite interesting (but mostly just justified all the ramen I ate). Hiking in Japan is different, and
Australia Bike Touring Gear List
This post has been sitting in my "Drafts" folder for ages now being neglected like an unwanted stepchild. After repeated emails from readers wondering why they cannot seem to locate the link to this post, it's finished (sorry, everyone). First, a little background. When I began my 2,400-mile
Island Peak (Imja Tse) Gear List
Island Peak (Imja Tse) is technically classified as a "trekking peak", but it requires much more gear than what you would expect from your typical "trek". Why? Because you have to climb, not walk, to the summit of the 20,305 ft / 6,189 m peak. First things first, I paid 90,000 NPR (~$900 US) for