u/Any_Concert_8517

Doubled my mileage and did my longest hike ever today (12 miles) at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Today I pushed myself way past my comfort zone and completed a 12-mile loop. Before this, the furthest I’d ever hiked was 6 miles, so doubling that felt like a terrible idea around mile 9. Everything hurt, I questioned every decision that led me there, and I seriously considered turning around.

But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Now I’m exhausted, sore, and weirdly proud of myself. It’s amazing what your body can do once your mind stops trying to negotiate a quit.

u/Any_Concert_8517 — 1 day ago

▲ 2 r/camping

Forget the expensive brand names—what’s your favorite hardware store camping hack?

I’ve started realizing some of my favorite camping gear didn’t even come from an outdoor store.

One of the best things I’ve used lately is just plain Tyvek house wrap as a tent footprint. Waterproof, super durable, ridiculously light, and basically free if you can get scrap pieces.

I’ve also been using Reflectix as a seat pad and extra insulation under my sleeping pad on colder nights. Looks goofy, works amazingly well.

Binder clips have somehow become permanent camping gear too. I keep finding random uses for them around camp.

Curious what random hardware store / dollar store / household items everyone else brings camping.

What DIY hack actually worked so well that you stopped buying the “real” version?

reddit.com

u/Any_Concert_8517 — 7 days ago