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Love your informed videos and your willingness to share. Thank you!! I’m curious if you would have any thoughts for someone looking to thru hike over multiple years. I know it’s done but most of the advice videos are geared toward those strong enough to do the whole thing at once. Stuck in analysis paralysis at the moment - from a planning perspective, MYTH is harder, I think. I want to hike the trail in order going NOBO but consideration of start/stop points, snow, fire, etc are all considerations.

I'm going to use a big hat with a chin cord this year. This should allow me to use both trekking poles and not have to worry about wind. That's my intent, I may change my mind before I start.

Thanks for all of your great info. It helps to know what to expect. I got a bit of a late start but thankful that I at least have a permit.

No

Thanks for the info.One stupid question , what is a Smartwater bottle is it a brand of mineral water or just an actual bottle you can buy from an outfitter?

Awesome! 🔥

Any recommendations for sun umbrellas? Full size but a brand or two etc?

I've hiked the desert three times without an umbrella, but I'm very strongly considering bringing my umbrella this year. Thanks for helping with my (in)decision!

Thanks for the sun umbrella review. I would be interested to know if you normally send your umbrella home from Kennedy Meadows South, and if you find it useful in the rain while hiking. I would also be interested to know if you find other benefits such as a wind screen inside your vestibule, or as a wind screen around your camp stove? Are you able to pull the umbrella out of the packs side pocket while hiking, and tuck it back in the side pocket while hiking without ever stopping to take off your pack?

I use mine precisely as you. I bought a kit but haven't even tried to use it. Saw two peeps using them, one in rain, all day in 20 years but a single afternoon made a believer out of me.

I am planning on a 2026 hike. I will be 67 years old. But it’s a scheduling issue. Long story. So if I only make it to Kennedy Meadows I will not be happy but that is a high possibility. But my goal will be Canadian border. I would like a start date last week of March. I will be doing work in Yellowstone national park this summer and hiking on all my days off and a lot of days on a trail near the employee campground. If bear activity allows. Then I will do a national parks contract in Everglades of Florida fall of 2025 so I will be in good weather to hike. And train. Will also be going to Spain in mid September to do the Camino de Santiago. So this should help with training as well. Looking forward to following your journey.

Just got recommended your video and stopped by to say thank you. I'm sure you dont remember me, but I met you on a siesta in the desert south of Paradise Valley. You made sure I got off trail when I started to develop heat exhaustion. Hope you're doing well, happy hiking!

Hey Lothar, I have secured my permet and my visa got approved yesterday. My start date is may 25th, but I might start a few days early. Thank you so much for these videos, they help out A LOT.

Excellent. Would love to see a video on resupplying along the trail. Especially the Sierra section.

Excellent video. Seems to me that Tehachapi would be a good place to organise/print permits if one was using it as a resupply/rest stop. Thoughts?

Lothar, I find your video series very informative and helpful as I plan my thru hike launching late March 2025. Would appreciate it if you could do an in-depth video on the Sierra section during early season (leaving Kennedy Meadows South in mid May), to include shoe recommendations for constant snow travel (changing to GTX trail running shoes or boots for the Sierras?), river crossings, additional clothing and gear (microspikes vs. hiking crampons), glissading and resupply strategies. What is your average pack weight leaving KM? How many days of food? Is it possible to carry minimal water (max 1.5-2L) thru the Sierras to reduce pack weight, melting snow at camp when necessary? Relentless Kiwi has a number of very good videos on crossing the Sierras in a high snow year, but would like to get your advise as someone who has a lot of experience travelling thru the Sierras in May. Would love to see your gear list on LighterPack.com? Stay After It! Rambler

Block wind and insulate.

I just got a ajonijie 30l fastpack for next year. It was only 80 $ with two flasks . I took it from Lolo pass to Cascade locks. It worked well. I met you last year at lake Morena. Missed you this year. A girl I met this year ran into you at sibbits campground. I'll be down beginning of April. Maybe I'll see you there😊

I would add that a 900-fill goose down bag or quilt packs down much smaller than an 800-fill duck down one at the same temperature rating.

I appreciate your detailed videos.

Thank You for all of this great detail!!!

Last week I did Idyllwild~Whitewater and am uncertain what happened because of so many factors. Thanks to Far Out I constantly thought I was closer to the summit than I was so just kept going until I reached the shelter. The result was an incredible fatigue due to the loss of oxygen and 10 hours of climbing. I didn't bring my kitchen and had no desire for the food I brought. Ate relatively little the entire four days because I either felt nauseous for short periods or had little appetite/desire for the food I brought. I did burn some belly fat. For the first time in my 15+ years outside I absolutely loved the water I had that didn't have electrolytes mixed in. The 3rd day someone mentioned In & Out Burger in Cabazon and for a few minutes I spiraled into a 'burger obsession'. I managed to put my mind elsewhere which helped.

Started on Lone Peak 4 in 2019, and switched to Terraventure 3 in late 2021. Its rock plate is what I missed on the Lone Peak, and the 3 mm drop are also better for my feet. - On this years' PCT I used two pairs of Lone Peak (400+ miles) which I still had and wanted to wear out, and one pair of Terraventure (600+ miles). I left after midpoint. Never a single blister. I tried to exchange two pairs of DT socks in late June in Mammoth Lakes, but as they do not exchange them against regular stock but only a special batch they receive each year, there was not a single one available in my size XL. In the end I sent them to DT. Be aware that you have to pay the shipment cost for both ways if you send in one pair only, and thus stay below their 50$ free shipment limit. Always exchange two pairs.

Great summary. My feet have done well with Topo Runventure 4 and Altra Lone Peak 8. I always keep leukotape on me. Put them on hot spots and I haven’t had a blister in a while.

I am planning to hike around the 23st of May, and can't go earlier because of my final exams in school. I am quite fit, but haven't done any long hikes yet. Is starting this late too extreme or is it still possible, if I start training now? I could also do SOBO, but NOBO seems more appealing to me. What do you recommend?

I am registered and eagerly awaiting the lottery date. Please do make some preparation videos. I was planning to hike the AT this next year but that may not be possible. So shifting gears to the PCT. But it is a different beast altogether.

Very informative. I'm looking forward to more as the next season approaches

Even in the Sierra some rangers are generous - I was present this year when a guy without permit was checked at Kearsarge Pass by an Inyo NF ranger, and only got admonished, while he left the area anyways (but may have returned later). What I do not like is the PCTA Crest Running program. Those volunteers behave as if they had any authority to check permits. They do it at the start and give the PCT hangtag only for a long distance permit (with the correct date) - this is ok and their decision, though unfriendly against hikers who use local permits and do not receive one. But the gal also blocked my way and wanted to check my permit some miles past KMS, and insisted in the discussion that she has the right to do this. Unlawful behavior.

Thank you for your content. I especially appreciate the video about PCT permit lottery process. With the 865 miles of the AT currently closed, I am looking to doing the PCT in 2025 instead. I was already preparing for a thru hike but this video is also helpful.

Thanks fo the tips. See you on trail.

I met you in Lake Morena. I was walking from the nearest market to the State Park and you were walking the opposite direction. I had to leave after 14 days when mom had a heart attack and last week I finally made it back to the trail. I plan to continue doing short legs until I no longer feel safe in the mountains or I get to Walker Pass. Great to learn you finished another tour!

THANK YOU for bringing up the 'drying out of the Sawyer fibers'; that exact thing happened to me a couple years ago, got to camp and my filter would not work...I figured out the solution, but you are the first person to bring up this problem and solution publicly.

Love the videos, I found some useful tips and ideas, thank you!

I wonder what the massive storm will do for this year’s season?

I love the acronym you use for your channel name - I am going to subscribe, I love good camping and hiking information. I want to get back into a lot of hiking and camping and am older now, and haven't done much since my 20's.

Am hiking Northbound on Campo to Canada permit, but sister wants to take a month hiking Southbound from Canada. Is it possible to flip-flop just for that month to hike with sister, then go back and continue Northbound? Is it best to use local permits for the Southbound month and leave PCTA out of it? Or figure out some way to keep changing and printing new permits?

Bad audio - loud background noise and fast speech makes it difficult to understand for non-native speakers.

great information, thanks for posting

Flora n fauna - spikes in shoes n poison oak bathroom wipes not pretty! 😮

Greetings

Just met you at Cibbets Flats this week, your videos are very well done. Bugs

I had secured a May 25’th permit, but i cancelled it and managed to snag a May 6’th Permit. since I plan to start April 29’th, I will just stay at the campgrounds and my permit officially starts at scissors crossing.

Pad looks like Gossamer Gear, not "Granite Gear?" Granite Gear carries no such pad.

Great video

Thanks for the advice. With the crow 🐦‍⬛ accompaniment, you were certainly not in a cosy studio recording. Well done for persevering! 😅

I don't know what this video is about, but the rocks in you thumbnail looks like and eagle!

Probably starting early April, hope for not so much snow.

I’m heading south on the PCT in July

I picked up a windshirt after reading the following statement from Chris Townsend Outdoors, "In damp mist, drizzle and light rain I wear the windshirt, as it’s far more breathable than any fully waterproof rain jacket. In heavier rain I wear the rain jacket over the windshirt, which I find means any condensation tends to stay on the outside of the latter rather than soaking into my fleece or base layer." I figure a Scotsman with as much experience as he has just might have figured out a trick or two about being out in wet weather. And I agree with you about how all around useful a windshirt is.

I bought a pair of NRS booties on your recommendation. They are thin n light but are great here in S Korea for walking n cycling in the rain n cold. Temps can certainly-5 0r down to -14 C here currently.