You should be more excited to start the Sierras than starting a new state! Lol, I'm excited for you and the next section. As far as the pack, it's your pack design amd overall pack weight that's harming your back. You should have acclimated to your gear, by now. As I mentioned before, your tent and your backpack are 2 items you carry throughout the entire trail. If you can afford to splurge, those would be the 2 places to buy premium. You can buy DCF tents that weigh around 1lb. Research Durston X-Mid Pro 1 (Dan is Canadian and an amazing innovator), the competition honestly is kind-of meh in terms of quality and design. Z-Packs does make a single trekking pole tent that has less of a footprint, but the Durston will give you more vestibule space and the zipper door doesn't unzip onto the ground. Z-Packs Arc Haul Ultra is a great pack, it has a carbon fiber frame that keeps your pack off of your back, the weight is more focused onto your shoulders and hips through the hip belt. That pack is a little over a pound. From there, you have to go through your pack and really think about what items to discard for the next section(s), which should be done when you're going through the desert, any way. Lots of people do tend to over pack, and that's okay, just know when to let go of items because every pound adds up!
Sorry to hear you are still having issues with your back despite switching packs. It might be a good idea to take a few days rest off trail and start again, hopefully pain free this time. It must wear you down to be in pain all the time. Thanks for the videos 🙂.
I found your channel looking at the Zulu 55 a few days ago. Image my surprise when I jumped to the most recent video and learned of all of the trouble you’re having with all the packs and now back to a Zulu. 😂 I hope you get it figured out soon!
RV resorts are like that. Bleech. If you’re tired of the desert, you’ll have a grind until Kennedy Meadows. Hopefully you’ll hike through the Sierra before you say “done with CA” …it’s not all desert and the small towns have a better hiker feel.
Go Papa go keep it up buddy
You need a tramily!
I did have a tramily, but we got split up for various reasons
I don't blame you for. Moving on when that place was so noisy! It's kind like culture shock after being on the trail!
It was not so great!
I stayed at that campground when it was a KOA, and I remember it being noisy with constant train traffic. I hope your back is feeling better.
Yes, it was not great.
You should be more excited to start the Sierras than starting a new state! Lol, I'm excited for you and the next section.
As far as the pack, it's your pack design amd overall pack weight that's harming your back. You should have acclimated to your gear, by now. As I mentioned before, your tent and your backpack are 2 items you carry throughout the entire trail. If you can afford to splurge, those would be the 2 places to buy premium. You can buy DCF tents that weigh around 1lb. Research Durston X-Mid Pro 1 (Dan is Canadian and an amazing innovator), the competition honestly is kind-of meh in terms of quality and design. Z-Packs does make a single trekking pole tent that has less of a footprint, but the Durston will give you more vestibule space and the zipper door doesn't unzip onto the ground.
Z-Packs Arc Haul Ultra is a great pack, it has a carbon fiber frame that keeps your pack off of your back, the weight is more focused onto your shoulders and hips through the hip belt. That pack is a little over a pound.
From there, you have to go through your pack and really think about what items to discard for the next section(s), which should be done when you're going through the desert, any way. Lots of people do tend to over pack, and that's okay, just know when to let go of items because every pound adds up!
Thanks for the tips! I definitely need to re-think my pack weight. I should be able to drop 10 pounds for the next trip.
Sorry to hear you are still having issues with your back despite switching packs. It might be a good idea to take a few days rest off trail and start again, hopefully pain free this time. It must wear you down to be in pain all the time. Thanks for the videos 🙂.
Yes the pain certainly did not help at all. I am currently taking a long break off trail. Not sure when I will get back on.
I found your channel looking at the Zulu 55 a few days ago. Image my surprise when I jumped to the most recent video and learned of all of the trouble you’re having with all the packs and now back to a Zulu. 😂 I hope you get it figured out soon!
Yes, I did come full circle on that one. I lost count, but I think I tried 9 other packs before going back the the Gregory Zulu
RV resorts are like that. Bleech. If you’re tired of the desert, you’ll have a grind until Kennedy Meadows. Hopefully you’ll hike through the Sierra before you say “done with CA” …it’s not all desert and the small towns have a better hiker feel.
There also appeared to be a lot of permanent campers and it was not looking so good.