Hi y'all!
After the PCT and half the TA I'm starting to feel the itch again. This time I want to go for the CDT NoBo.
However, I'm considering swapping the New Mexico section of the CDT out for the AZT. I've heard people saying the AZT is awesome and the NM part of the CDT not very exciting.
Any people here who've done both and can offer some opinions on this plan?
hellloooo everyone!
i have an open month next july (2027), so i'm planning wayyy in advance but was wondering if anyone knew of any approx. 3-5 week budget hikes near-ish the UK (or in proximity to a major airport)(or honestly anywhere haha) that would work for beginners? the closest i've come to a thru-hike is the camino de santiago, which i completed this past october and LOVED. i hear horror stories about the summer months, however, and have started looking elsewhere. i will be visiting a friend in nottingham around that time, and figured i would try for another long walk.
i have little preference about the TYPE of walk (rugged, urban, paved, wild, etc.) and similar indifference as to the social life. mostly, i care about the budget and clarity / accessibility of accommodation. the timing of my camino was such that beds were cheap and readily available. if this is not the case with a july timeline, i'm fine camping, but don't want to be, like, ignoring laws or regulations, or disrespecting cultural / town norms. looking for a 650-950 km hike, doable in 3-5 weeks. does anyone know of something that might match? i've been looking into the via transilvanica or the GR 10/11 through the pyrenees, but haven't found much about the accommodation.
if anyone has any experience / recommendations they're especially passionate about, please send them my way! and even if it doesn't align exactly, send them anyway and i'll stick em on the bucket list haha
thanks so much for your help!
I’ve walked the West Highland Way and the Alta Via 1 in them so they have a lot of miles on them. Should I get a new pair or should it be okay?
Cooking these with a toaks pot and brs stove is challenging. Any advice?
Anyone have deeper insight on how this affects a PCT run?
Just picked up a replacement Sawyer squeeze. While it still comes with other stuff I don't need, they:
got rid of the bags and give you a 2L CNOC
got rid of the hoses
included the blue coupler
Finally, they're getting it.
Hey all!
I have recently been diagnosed with POTS. I have had symptoms and problems for years, but never quite knew what was going on. I’ve had some scary instances happen to me on longer day trips and have been hesitant to get back out there. My last occurrence was at 3,000 feet after 5.5 miles. I legitimately thought I was going to die, and it took over a hour to get back to normal before I could turn around and head back down.
I am working with my doctors to learn management techniques, but I am wondering if anyone has POTS and has any advice for me, or if anyone has successfully thru hiked with a POTS diagnosis. From what I’m experiencing now…. It seems my PCT dream could be over. Thanks in advance.
I've been looking at buying a new backpack for a while now, mainly because my current one doesn't seem to be big enough to fit me properly (had it quite a few years and the hip belt doesnt seem to go low enough).
One brand I've been looking at is AtomPack, I know these are mainly targeted at through hiking, which is something I want to try some day when I have time, however in the mean time are these good backpacks for general travel? Are they durable? Don't want to spend that much money on something that won't last long.
Hi, I just got out of 2 months on New Zealand’s South Island on the Te Araroa Trail and loved it so much, I am now planning to go on the PCT next season. My Uniqlo Puff Down Jacket is ready to retire so I would appreciate some recommendations on ultralight Puff jackets. I am female and tend to run cold easily. Probably still prefer down over synthetic… thanks so much 🫶🏽
Though CalTopo and Gaia remain the overall favorites for many people, Avenza is used by many GIS professionals, government agencies, SAR teams, and more.
From a recreational backpacker's standpoint, Avenza lets you import georeferenced PDF maps from CalTopo you create or from other sources, which are often available on government websites. One example: camping zone maps here in Grand County, Utah.
Many nonprofits also make their maps available for free download in the Avenza store, while small map companies sell their maps there. I think the Latitude 40 maps, for example, are excellent for the Moab, Utah, and Grand Junction/Fruita areas.
No more.
Info here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gis/comments/1squcv3/avenza_maps_alternatives/
In essence, Avenza got bought out by a venture capital firm:
"Blue Marble Geographics is backed by Eterna Growth Partners, a growth investment firm focused on scaling innovative technology companies."
You can no longer download and add georeferenced PDF maps without a paid subscription. Organizations, companies, and nonprofits can no longer update their existing maps or publish new maps. New publishers cannot join the platform either. You can still download maps that already exist in their current state in the map store.
However, the map store will eventually be phased out as well.
https://community.esri.com/t5/gis-life-discussions/avenza-alternative/td-p/1700623
EDIT - Screenshot from another subreddit - https://imgur.com/ZYm6TjG
Source - https://www.reddit.com/r/algonquinpark/comments/1rhkkik/heads_up_avenza_maps/
That last point matters. For many small organizations, Avenza offered a cost-effective, sometimes free, way to get electronic maps into people’s hands. This fall, for example, I used the Cohos Trail map on Avenza. I assume that the map provides at least some revenue stream for a small nonprofit.
CalTopo lets you add georeferenced maps, of course, and it is still an excellent tool. But for maps you download from elsewhere, Avenza was a quick-and-dirty option with fewer steps and easier in the field or just on a phone.
For adding georeferenced maps, Field Maps is one suggestion mentioned in the thread above. I’ve used it a bit for volunteer work, but I’m not overly familiar with it.
So it goes.
I’m looking into doing the Camino de Costa Rica this June or July as a solo female. I have a decent amount of thru hiking experience and speak Spanish fluently so I’m not so much worried about trail conditions/navigation, but am concerned about general safety from theft and sexual violence. Ideally I would not like to hire a guide, as I’ve had prior experience with guides in Central America being highly flirtatious bordering on harassment.
Do any women/solo hikers have experience or advice? Is the trail trafficked enough to find a group to loosely join?
Hi 👋🏻 I'm planning to do the GR 11 section from Candanchú to Puigcerdà in July. Is there a fast, cheap and reliable way to reach Candanchú? Zaragoza airport seems to be the closest one, and it says that there is a direct bus, but it's apparently only twice per week. I emailed the Avanza service provider to check but no answer yet.
Many thanks!