Well, you’ve now satisfied any curiosity we had about your gear while watching your thru-hike vlogs. Interesting to hear what was absolutely essential and what was overkill or rarely used. Thx so much for this. Can’t wait for the one on hubby’s gear.
A note on the bear bangers, make sure to check the shells as they don’t keep for more than a couple years. If you invert them and hear a clunk, the gunpowder has clumped up and it’s not safe to use. It can explode in your hand and cause injury if you try to use it. My wife and I have moved away from bangers and over to marine air horns. You can get mini air horns in the boating section at Canadian Tire that work great for bears. I have successfully scared off 5 bears with these little air horns, 4 of which were grizzlies.
Hey Krista, it's T from the trail! This may be TMI, but AMEN to the Canesten! I just had my first every yeast infection on the GDT this summer when I was still 4 days from town, and I DID NOT have Canesten - FOUR DAYS! It was awful. I will certainly add a small tube to my future trips.
I know this is a year ago , but I really enjoyed seeing you take the gear you already have and not buying everything new and super ultralight . Also good information. I’m Looking forward to watching your CDT videos. 👍
While I love the idea of a 3kg base weight, that gear is expensive and some of it wears quickly. Also, the Canadian Rockies are cold at night, so having a warm bag and sleeping pad is key, as well as insulating layers. Sorry to read in the comments about the Hubba Hubba losing it's waterproofness. I retired an HH for the same problem, I thought it should have lasted far longer than it did. I love MSR gear but it seems that they're taking a wrong direction in terms of durability with some of their tents now. I had a chance to buy a Marmot tent for a crazy low price, and even though it's not considered a high quality tent (Tungsten UL) it's actually been a really solid performer. It's been completely waterproof and I'm shocked at how well it manages condensation. I'm a bit of a backcountry gourmet, dehydrate all my own food and I love the MSR Windpro stove! I often backpack with family and for group cooking I use the Primus 2.3L pot with integrated heat exchanger, and wow, that really lowers the amount of fuel I use. The stove simmers really well, essential for cooking great meals. It's not a light stove, but super stable and way better in the wind than a lot of can-top mini stoves. And being able to use a large pot for group cooking is amazing. I too use a lot of my winter ski mountaineering clothing/gear, as it's durable and handles any weather. I've also been considering getting some lighter rain pants and ditching my big Gore-Pro shell pants. I love my ArcTeryx Alpha FL shell jacket though! It's not super-light, but for about 300g, it's a fortress. I never use pit-zips, so don't miss them. It's also a nice trim fit which I like and as it does triple duty backpacking, alpine climbing and ski mountaineering, I love that I can use one shell for all those things. Lots of people poo-poo a good old 1L Nalgene bottle, but I like how easy it is to dip into a stream to collect water. Yeah, it's a bit heavier, but really works. The softer plastic ones are lighter, and I've switched to using one of those. One invaluable bit of weight I've been using for years and year now is a Thermcell. Being able to create a bug-free zone in camp is such a mental health boost. Yeah, you need to carry the device and the consumables but honestly, I'd leave behind a lot of other things before I ditch the Thermacell. One thing to note is the standard Thermacell has difficulties staying lit above 2000M or so, so I plan on switching to the one that sits on top of a fuel can. It's supposed to work better higher up. Being able to sit outside in the evening and enjoy dinner/etc without hiding in the tent is worth every single gram that thing weighs. Last year I did the Skyline Trail with my wife and her sister, and we did it slowly over three nights so they could see the sights. So we packed heavy (great food, etc) and I brought a Black Diamond Mega-Light pyramid tarp I use for winter ski traverses. Being a "free standing" tarp meant we could set it up over a picnic table or anywhere actually, and the last morning we had a terrible rain storm and being able to cook breakfast inside our table-shelter was fantastic. For a really long trip no way I'd bring it, but for that trip, it was awesome. I have a small SilTarp I'd think about bringing even on a very long backpack - not sure yet. Watched your vids, really enjoyed them, thanks for the work to put them together and post them! A dear friend of mine did the GDT and has a fantastic blog if you haven't seen it already, Jeanine Hoffart. Check it out if you haven't. overthedivide.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/day-1-tuesday-july-4-2017-waterton-townsite-to-alderson-lake%ef%bb%bf/
@@KrystaNorwick I've been carrying the standard Thermacell that uses a dedicated butane cylinder, so being able to run the Thermacell and stove at the same time hasn't been an issue. As I'm planning on using the can-top version this year, I haven't planned yet on managing fuel as I really do want to cook and run the Thermacell at the same time. I think I might have to bring two fuel cans. I've used the Thermacell in some very heavy bug areas and omg, it's the one thing I won't ever leave behind on a trip. It also really reduces the amount of deet you're wearing, which is nice. Not having to soak myself in the evening is great. They don't work while you're walking, but being able to be stationary in camp at night is great. With regards to summer use of the pyramid tarp, I just extended the stake out points with guy lines so it can pitched up high above the table. Here's a pic of my wife relaxing after it rained during supper - then the sun came out and I snapped some pics. ibb.co/CPGV48N
@@KrystaNorwick Oh, indeed! I've backpacked in the NWT, Yukon and Alaska, and the bugs can be unbelievable. The worst bugs I've seen in my life are in the Mackenzie River Delta around Inuvik. I'm not sure I could ever return there during the summer, they were so bad. We were in coastal Alaska and the Yukon a few years ago and I was surprised at how few bugs there were, yay for us. An 800lb grizzly visited us one morning in camp, but he just drank from the creek and moved on, thankfully. The bugs in the area around the BC/Yukon border south of Teslin are horrific. Inland northern BC can be bad, really bad.
@@KrystaNorwick It does help. Thank you very much! I've only been a day hiker but I'm just starting overnight hikes this spring/summer in the Atlantic provinces but there are a few of you ladies I've been watching do your thru hikes and you are incredibly inspiring. Maybe next year. :)
This was great info. I like that you talked about things women might need/use too. Thanks. Your hike really inspired me.
Well, you’ve now satisfied any curiosity we had about your gear while watching your thru-hike vlogs. Interesting to hear what was absolutely essential and what was overkill or rarely used. Thx so much for this. Can’t wait for the one on hubby’s gear.
A note on the bear bangers, make sure to check the shells as they don’t keep for more than a couple years. If you invert them and hear a clunk, the gunpowder has clumped up and it’s not safe to use. It can explode in your hand and cause injury if you try to use it. My wife and I have moved away from bangers and over to marine air horns. You can get mini air horns in the boating section at Canadian Tire that work great for bears. I have successfully scared off 5 bears with these little air horns, 4 of which were grizzlies.
Hey Krista, it's T from the trail! This may be TMI, but AMEN to the Canesten! I just had my first every yeast infection on the GDT this summer when I was still 4 days from town, and I DID NOT have Canesten - FOUR DAYS! It was awful. I will certainly add a small tube to my future trips.
Awesome!
Great! Are you also planning a thorough hike?
Love that you have a Kula cloth! I just purchased one this year and looking forward to life with less toilet paper on the trail!
I know this is a year ago , but I really enjoyed seeing you take the gear you already have and not buying everything new and super ultralight . Also good information. I’m Looking forward to watching your CDT videos. 👍
Thanks for watching, Joseph! We've been using the same gear for several years now. It's nice knowing everything you bring with you on the trail!
Great series, well done and thank you! My wife and I are wanting to do a section of the trail next summer. What was your favourite section?
While I love the idea of a 3kg base weight, that gear is expensive and some of it wears quickly. Also, the Canadian Rockies are cold at night, so having a warm bag and sleeping pad is key, as well as insulating layers. Sorry to read in the comments about the Hubba Hubba losing it's waterproofness. I retired an HH for the same problem, I thought it should have lasted far longer than it did. I love MSR gear but it seems that they're taking a wrong direction in terms of durability with some of their tents now. I had a chance to buy a Marmot tent for a crazy low price, and even though it's not considered a high quality tent (Tungsten UL) it's actually been a really solid performer. It's been completely waterproof and I'm shocked at how well it manages condensation.
I'm a bit of a backcountry gourmet, dehydrate all my own food and I love the MSR Windpro stove! I often backpack with family and for group cooking I use the Primus 2.3L pot with integrated heat exchanger, and wow, that really lowers the amount of fuel I use. The stove simmers really well, essential for cooking great meals. It's not a light stove, but super stable and way better in the wind than a lot of can-top mini stoves. And being able to use a large pot for group cooking is amazing.
I too use a lot of my winter ski mountaineering clothing/gear, as it's durable and handles any weather. I've also been considering getting some lighter rain pants and ditching my big Gore-Pro shell pants. I love my ArcTeryx Alpha FL shell jacket though! It's not super-light, but for about 300g, it's a fortress. I never use pit-zips, so don't miss them. It's also a nice trim fit which I like and as it does triple duty backpacking, alpine climbing and ski mountaineering, I love that I can use one shell for all those things.
Lots of people poo-poo a good old 1L Nalgene bottle, but I like how easy it is to dip into a stream to collect water. Yeah, it's a bit heavier, but really works. The softer plastic ones are lighter, and I've switched to using one of those.
One invaluable bit of weight I've been using for years and year now is a Thermcell. Being able to create a bug-free zone in camp is such a mental health boost. Yeah, you need to carry the device and the consumables but honestly, I'd leave behind a lot of other things before I ditch the Thermacell. One thing to note is the standard Thermacell has difficulties staying lit above 2000M or so, so I plan on switching to the one that sits on top of a fuel can. It's supposed to work better higher up. Being able to sit outside in the evening and enjoy dinner/etc without hiding in the tent is worth every single gram that thing weighs.
Last year I did the Skyline Trail with my wife and her sister, and we did it slowly over three nights so they could see the sights. So we packed heavy (great food, etc) and I brought a Black Diamond Mega-Light pyramid tarp I use for winter ski traverses. Being a "free standing" tarp meant we could set it up over a picnic table or anywhere actually, and the last morning we had a terrible rain storm and being able to cook breakfast inside our table-shelter was fantastic. For a really long trip no way I'd bring it, but for that trip, it was awesome. I have a small SilTarp I'd think about bringing even on a very long backpack - not sure yet.
Watched your vids, really enjoyed them, thanks for the work to put them together and post them! A dear friend of mine did the GDT and has a fantastic blog if you haven't seen it already, Jeanine Hoffart. Check it out if you haven't. overthedivide.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/day-1-tuesday-july-4-2017-waterton-townsite-to-alderson-lake%ef%bb%bf/
@@KrystaNorwick I've been carrying the standard Thermacell that uses a dedicated butane cylinder, so being able to run the Thermacell and stove at the same time hasn't been an issue. As I'm planning on using the can-top version this year, I haven't planned yet on managing fuel as I really do want to cook and run the Thermacell at the same time. I think I might have to bring two fuel cans. I've used the Thermacell in some very heavy bug areas and omg, it's the one thing I won't ever leave behind on a trip. It also really reduces the amount of deet you're wearing, which is nice. Not having to soak myself in the evening is great. They don't work while you're walking, but being able to be stationary in camp at night is great. With regards to summer use of the pyramid tarp, I just extended the stake out points with guy lines so it can pitched up high above the table. Here's a pic of my wife relaxing after it rained during supper - then the sun came out and I snapped some pics. ibb.co/CPGV48N
@@KrystaNorwick Oh, indeed! I've backpacked in the NWT, Yukon and Alaska, and the bugs can be unbelievable. The worst bugs I've seen in my life are in the Mackenzie River Delta around Inuvik. I'm not sure I could ever return there during the summer, they were so bad. We were in coastal Alaska and the Yukon a few years ago and I was surprised at how few bugs there were, yay for us. An 800lb grizzly visited us one morning in camp, but he just drank from the creek and moved on, thankfully. The bugs in the area around the BC/Yukon border south of Teslin are horrific. Inland northern BC can be bad, really bad.
Really helpful information on gear. What was your pack weight that you carried most days. Thanks again.
how much did all this weigh? and how much did your food for section A weigh? i love your videos. I have watched all of them twice so far.
If you could do it again would you do ultralight or the same as what you did?
Did I miss which trekking poles you used?
Thanks for this. What was the total weight of your pack? I'm sorry if you said it and I missed it.
@@KrystaNorwick It does help. Thank you very much! I've only been a day hiker but I'm just starting overnight hikes this spring/summer in the Atlantic provinces but there are a few of you ladies I've been watching do your thru hikes and you are incredibly inspiring. Maybe next year. :)
Try a Unightie!
Thank you Brian. Like Krysta, I had a silk liner. And a fleece liner. Cotton, jersey….I’ve tried them ALL! Ha ha
I could talk gear all day....
@@KrystaNorwick I have been upgrading my gear over the last few years. It's a process alright lol!
Are you guys sponsored by Arc-Teryx?? lol
I’m half the way through the trip videos and I had the same question!!
@@KrystaNorwick I saw you on their website when I tried to buy the same yellow hat!