Hey guys!
Before we get back to the regularly scheduled blog, I wanted to share this video overview of how my gear worked out for me/how I fit it all in my pack. I hope you're all staying healthy and hanging in there in the midst of coronavirus craziness!
Before I left for the trail, I had the impression that everyone I met would have way lighter gear than me, since most of the gear videos I see these days have stuff from ZPacks and Hyperlite (not in the budget for me, sadly).
But my gear was still lightweight (16-17lb base weight most of the trail) and performed really well. I spent more on my Big 3 and found other areas to try budget gear. A few things really surprised me!
All that to say - find out what works for you. Everyone has their own hiking style. I carried a good number of luxury items, but they all really boosted my enjoyment of my time out on the trail, and that made it worth it for me. Basically, I hope this video helps you know that your capability as a hiker isn't tied to the gear you carry :) I tried to be as thorough as possible and include weights where I could, but I somehow managed to forget a few things:
Dirty Girl Gaiters - wore these the whole trail, I think they were probably the most helpful in the desert section.
My digital camera - I used the Canon EOS M with a 22mm prime lens and loved the photo quality. Unfortunately, I left it in a hotel room on my way home and never got it back :( I recently upgraded to the Canon EOS M6 with the same 22mm lens, and I wish I would have had this setup instead on the trail. Autofocus is much better, the screen flips out, and there is a great wifi photo transfer feature.
Thanks for watching!
- Calzone