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
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2018 (v2.0)
We're not even halfway into the year and I'm already making some dramatic additions to my current gear outfit. I've got my first non-freestanding shelter (Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2), my first bivy (Enlightened Equipment Recon), and my first quilt (Enlightened Equipment
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2018 (v1.0)
It's a new year which means it's time for another arbitrary reason to do some swapping and upgrading of my backpacking gear outfit. I've been in New Zealand for nearly four months now (one more to go) and I've changed, added, or upgraded enough of my backpacking gear since my final Continental
Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail)
As was to be expected, my Continental Divide Trail gear list at the end of the trail did not match up exactly with my pre-departure CDT gear list. There's no better way to test gear than to take it thru-hiking, and there's no better thru-hike to test gear on than the CDT. I've divided this post
Continental Divide Trail Gear List
NOTE: This is my gear list when I began the CDT. The final and updated gear list (likely much more useful) can be found here. It's finally complete, my Continental Divide Trail gear list. I didn't think I would ever be prepping for another thru-hike (and especially not for the CDT), but now
Backpacking Gear List (Fall 2016)
The fall is a great time for backpacking - cooler temperatures ward off both crowds and bugs, making the mountains a much more enjoyable place. Sure, you may get yourself caught in the occasional hail or snow storm, but that's just part of the excitement of shoulder season hiking. Here is an
Backpacking Gear List (Summer 2016)
Once again, I have altered the format of this list to make for (what I think is) easier readability. ORANGE denotes a new item and strikethroughs indicate things that I have dropped from the previous list. Below the initial list you will find detailed descriptions of each item, including weights,
The Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
It's been a few years since my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and the gear in my pack has changed dramatically. The idea of another thru-hike (PCT or otherwise) interrupts my thoughts on a daily basis, and I fear that the only way to silence this persistent nagging voice inside my head is to once
Backpacking Gear List (Spring 2016)
I've finally sorted my spring gear list after a winter hiking in Nepal (for that gear list, check here), and I am happy to share with you the tweaks and upgrades I've made for the season and year ahead. This time around I changed up the formatting a bit for easier readability (at least I think