We are hiking the GDT this time around with our son, Toothless. He will be about 8 months old when we start hiking. Over the past few months we have been working out what gear to bring on the GDT with him. We have been overcoming his constantly changing needs as well as gear shortages. … Continue reading GDT 2021 Gear List
Category: Gear
Gear Repair: BeFree Filter Clog
Skip the long YouTube videos and the demineralized water. Try soaking the filter in white vinegar for a few hours (or overnight) first. Our BeFree filter stopped flowing after 1.5 seasona. We backflush our filter and clean with bleach before storage so we thought maybe it was dried out. We went the entire SCT shakedown … Continue reading Gear Repair: BeFree Filter Clog
MYOG: Adding Nonslip to Exped Mat
I have been nagging Natasha about doing this for years and we finally broke down and did it. We sleep on a double pad and it tends to slide down even the gentlest of inclines. This sometimes means one of us gets pushed against the wall or our feet push against the mesh and push … Continue reading MYOG: Adding Nonslip to Exped Mat
MYOG: Hiking Umbrella Holder
We started carrying an umbrella when hiking with Toothless. With him in the front carrier, the umbrella helps keep the rain and sun off of him and minimizes how often we need to change his outfits to keep him comfortable. It is also is really useful at camp - in particular while eating. There are … Continue reading MYOG: Hiking Umbrella Holder
Gear Selection: Water treatment for the GDT 2021
Our water filter stopped flowing prematurely this season while on the SCT, forcing us to use chemical treatment on trail. As a result we started reconsidering our water treatment system. We have since cleaned the filter and it flows again, but we are still going ahead with chemical treatment on the GDT for 2021. Current … Continue reading Gear Selection: Water treatment for the GDT 2021
MYOG: Easy, Cheap, Kinda Light Tent Footprint
We tend to prefer to use a footprint for our tent. So when we originally got our Z-Packs Duplex, we made our own! We have also made the same design for our Z-Packs Triplex. This design has lasted years of hiking and has taken the majority of the wear and tear on our tent floor. … Continue reading MYOG: Easy, Cheap, Kinda Light Tent Footprint
Gear Selection: Baby Sleep System 2
A while back I wrote about our initial plans for a baby sleep system for backpacking on the GDT. After some initial tests we found that our original plan wasn't going to work out and we needed to find something that worked for our baby Toothless. I wrote about our success when we camped at … Continue reading Gear Selection: Baby Sleep System 2
Gear Review: Arc’teryx Phasic Sun Hoody Revised Reflection
Background I posted an initial review of my Phasic Sun Hoodie from Arc’teryx. This review was based on use in the fall, winter and spring. I've been wearing the hoody for a couple years now and have a few more thoughts on how it performs. I also have a Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody that … Continue reading Gear Review: Arc’teryx Phasic Sun Hoody Revised Reflection
GDT 2021 Food
Alright! Let's talk food! In 2018 I had a pretty dialed in food plan. This worked pretty well for us, but I had some lessons I took away. Some specific to the GDT and some lessons more general about long hiking. Lessons I can eat a pretty low variety of food for a long time … Continue reading GDT 2021 Food
GDT Prep: Final Stretch…
We're in the final stretch of prepping for the GDT with Toothless and this is probably the most stressed I have been about any trip (other than that one PCT section where I was still printing maps at midnight before we left but we don't talk about that trip). Regardless of how much there is … Continue reading GDT Prep: Final Stretch…
Backpacks & Bike Racks 