Advice For Long Distance Hikers, Part Two
Sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking systems
Advice for long-distance hikers, part two!
But first, a fun and exciting thing- recently I shared the first chapter of the novel I’ve been working on for the last few years. Now you can also listen to an excerpt from the middle of the book- my friend Margaret Killjoy (who has a great newsletter) reads the excerpt aloud on the Cool Zone Media Book Club podcast.
After reading, Margaret and the host Robert Evans are like “you can really tell this person has spent time looking for water in the wilderness” and I had myself a laugh at that because if there’s anything I’ve spent my time doing, it’s looking for water in the desert. I’ve walked across Southern California on the PCT (twice), I’ve walked across New Mexico and Utah. I’ve walked across Arizona twice, in two different directions. I’ve walked across Death Valley 2.5 times. There are few things more satisfying than looking for, and then finding, water in the desert, and I took great joy in putting the novel’s protagonist, Bets, in dicey water situartions during her long overland journey, and having her hunt for water- in low elevation desert, in high elevation desert, on foot, on a bicycle, with others, alone. Springs, rivers, tinajas, strangers she meets on the road… where is the water, and how will she find it? You’ll have to read the book to find out (when it exists in the world someday)! (I don’t have a publisher- if you’re a publisher and you’re reading this and you’re interested, email me)
Also, I’ve been trying out a title for the novel- An RVer’s Guide to the American West. This is the name of the old book that Bets is using as a map on her long journey- maps are super hard to come by in her world, and this worn tome with its rudimentary maps and descriptions of long-defunct KOAs is all she could rustle up. Using the book as the title is also a clue to the massive plot twist I’ve written into the ending. I think I like this title? Although now after yammering on about water I’m realizing maybe the title should have something to do with water? And the desert? I don’t know. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments so I can steal them.
And speaking of places you do not have to search for water (because it’s literally everywhere aka the floor is bog)- there are still a few spots in my Alaska Brooks Range summer trips! These are going to be extremely epic and also very fun- deets and the application are here.
Ok. On to the long-distance hiking advice. We were in the middle of talking about gear.
Sleeping bags- there are a few things you should know about sleeping bags, and sleep systems in general, that will go a long way towards helping you choose the right bag. They are-
· Sleeping bags are rated for survival, not for comfort. So a ten degree Fahrenheit bag will keep you alive down to ten degrees, but it will only keep you comfortable down to about 30 degrees. This is why I recommend a 10 degree bag for the PCT, CDT, or other trails in the western US where shoulder season in the desert often drops to freezing at night, as well as at night in the mountains during summer. Anything less warm than a ten degree and there will likely be nights when you’re too cold to sleep well. Unless you’re a really warm sleeper, which brings us to-
· Are you a warm sleeper or a cold sleeper? This is a huge factor in which bag is best for you. If you don’t know yet, think of times you’ve shared a bed with someone- are you usually the one who needs more blankets, or less? In my experience, people with an estrogen operating system (or EOS, as I like to call it) often sleep colder than those with a testosterone operating system (TOS). This is because more testosterone often means more muscle mass, and the more muscle mass you have the more heat you produce (and calories you burn) just sitting still. As someone with an EOS, I am a very cold sleeper, and I carry the warmest 10 degree bag on the market (the Western Mountaineering Versalite- I was cold on every trail I hiked until I got this bag). There are exceptions to this of course- some EOS people sleep warm, and some TOS people sleep cold. If you’re a warm sleeper, you might not need a ten degree bag to stay warm down to freezing- some very warm sleepers carry 20 degree bags on the PCT and do just fine. If you do suspect you’re a cold sleeper, though, I would err on the side of caution and get a ten degree bag, because if you get a 20 degree bag and are cold and end up needing to replace it, you’ll have to spend that much more money. And while there are some trails that don’t get down to freezing at night (I hear the AT does not), if you can only afford one bag, it makes the most sense to get one that can do all the three-season trails. And to complicate things further:
· There is no industry standardization when it comes to sleeping bag ratings. One company’s ten degree might be much less warm than another company’s ten degree. What works best is to get to know each company’s bags, so you know how they compare. I’ll get more into that with my recommendations below. And if you’re checking out a bag from a company that I don’t mention, you can look at the fill power and weight of the bag (the weight is a good indicator of how many ounces of down it contains) and compare it to the bags I talk about, and that will likely give you an idea of how warm it actually is. If a bag says it’s rated to ten degrees, but it only weights a pound- well. It’s not going to keep you warm down to freezing, I can promise you that.
Quilts vs. sleeping bags- once upon a time, back in the seventies, Ray Jardine, the originally ultralight yammerer, was like “what if we took the hood and the zipper off a sleeping bag, that would make it so much lighter!” and hence, the backpacking “quilt” was born. Jardine then created a pattern to make one’s own quilt that he distributed (as well as a pattern for an ultralight backpack and a tarp) and the MYOG (make your own gear) movement was born. The design of much modern long-distance hiking gear is based off these original designs by Ray Jardine, or derivatives of these designs as they’ve evolved and been improved on over the years. (Ray Jardine also invented modern trad climbing cams, FWIW.)
A backpacking quilt is indeed like a sleeping bag without a hood or zipper- the top cinches tight around your shoulders, there are flat clips to close the bag underneath you where a zipper would be, and you can get one with the footbox sewn closed, to keep drafts away from your feet. Not having a zipper and hood does save weight, and the idea is that you sleep in your lightweight puffy jacket (I use this seven ounce puffy from montbell, a Japanese company) and the hood of your puffy jacket, along with your beanie, replaces the hood of a sleeping bag. The most common quilts you see on the long trails are from Enlightened Equipment- their quilts are beautifully designed without being crazy expensive, and light but no so light that they end up being not as warm as their temperature ratings claim they are. I have a ten degree EE quilt that I love but alas, I am such a cold sleeper that my Western Mountaineering Versalite is what I usually end up packing- it’s not a quilt but a full-on sleeping bag, so it does end up being warmer. (Even though it’s super expensive it’s probably the best gear purchase I’ve ever made- if I can’t sleep I can’t hike, you know?) Most hikers use the EE quilts, though, and do just fine.
Down vs. synthetic- Down is a more practical choice for long distance hiking, in many ways. It’s way lighter, much more compactable, and it’s warmer. A synthetic bag will keep you warmer when soaking wet, but your sleeping bag shouldn’t be soaking wet inside your tent- if it is, you’ve got a bigger problem you need to troubleshoot. (Single wall tents do often cause a bit of condensation on your bag in the night, but in my experience it’s not enough of a problem that the down is compromised and I’m cold.) Synthetic bags do last longer- every time you compress your down sleeping bag in a stuff sack it breaks the down a bit, and after several five month trails you’ll likely need to replace the bag, as the loft will be flat and it won’t be warm anymore. (Washing the bag to get your body grease out will re-fluff the loft, but washing also breaks the loft somewhat, so you can only wash it a few times during its life before it’s just donezo.) However, a synthetic bag is so much heavier that I feel like the financial pain of replacing a bag after 300 nights of camping is less devastating than the physical pain of carrying ten extra ounces for ten hours a day for 300 days of walking. Hiker math!
The one instance a synthetic bag makes more sense, IMO, is if you’re ethically opposed to down, and some people do carry them for this reason.
My bag recommendations:
· Enlightened Equipment quilts are the most popular quilts on long trails, by far. I recommend getting a 10 degree quilt (if you plan to hike any of the long trails in the western US- this bag will keep you warm down to about freezing) unless you’re a really warm sleeper, then a 20 degree might suffice. I recommend getting a quilt with the footbox sewn closed. EE often has good deals during black Friday.
· If you’re a really cold sleeper (like me), I recommend the Western Mountaineering Versalite, which is a 10 degree but much warmer than the EE ten degree, on account of the hood, zipper and super high quality down. This bag costs $$$ but hey, if you buy several quilts that don’t keep you warm before finally buying the Versalite (as I did), then you’ve already spent the money anyway. (Hiker math!)
· I hear a lot of good things about Katabatic quilts as well, but don’t have experience with them myself (and haven’t hiked with anyone who’s used them). The warmest bag they have is a 15 degree, so maybe the reason I haven’t seen them in use is because I mostly hike in the west where it’s colder at night? But people do say they’re super high quality, so might be worth looking into if you’re a warm sleeper.
Now let’s talk about sleeping pads!
There are two kinds of sleeping pads- inflatable and foam. In my experience, most people over the age of 25 need more padding than the foam pad can provide, and prefer an inflatable pad. There are exceptions to this! A great thing about sleeping pads is this is a piece of long-distance hiking gear that you can get at REI, and REI has all the pads on display and a special table where you can lay on them and see how they feel, so you can decide for yourself if a foam pad is tolerable. There are pros and cons to both.
Inflatable pads- we’ll use the Thermarest Neo-air as an example, which is the most popular inflatable pad on the long trails by far (and the one I’ve always used.)
Pros:
· Super insulating so you’ll sleep warmer (R value of 4.5- different pads have different R values)
· Lots of space between you and the ground, so you won’t feel small lumps or holes or rocks
· About as light as it gets for something this warm- the full length weighs 13 oz
· Rolls up into a stuff sack about the size of a burrito, fits easily inside pack with other items
Cons:
· Heckin expensive
· It’s really easy to get a hole, and the holes are hard to repair; that being said, I’ve only gotten one hole in my neo-air over ten years of long-distance hiking, and I’ve done a lot of desert hiking where things are stabby. There’s a method to protecting your pad (never letting it touch the ground or any plants or basically anything but the floor of your shelter) that will help it last a long time.
· Sounds like a bag of potato chips when you roll around on it, although in my experience, once you’re tired enough (after a few days on trail) this no longer registers.
· Can feel narrow- occasionally has the vibe of sleeping on a throw pillow for this reason, although in my experience this is something that I also stop noticing after a few days on trail (I’m just so relieved to be laying down!) (You can test this out at REI to see if it bothers you)
There are other inflatable sleeping pads- they’re generally a bit heavier than the neo-air but can be a good choice if you want something wider, or less expensive. Try em out and see which works best for you!
Foam pads- we’ll use the Thermarest Z Lite for our example- this is what’s carried by pretty much every long distance hiker who prefers a foam pad.
Pros:
· Impossible to pop
· Weighs about the same as the regular length neo-air (14 oz)
· Wayyy cheaper than the neo-air
· You can also use it as a sit pad during breaks
Cons:
· R value of 2. Won’t provide much insulation from the cold, cold ground.
· Does not provide much padding either. You’ll feel every rock and lump. Could be super uncomfortable for you.
· Does not fit inside pack- most people strap theirs to the top of their packs.
There are other foam pads, but I don’t recommend them just because of how heavy they are- however, you should find what works best for you!
Now let’s talk about cooking systems. Generally, people on long trails only “cook” in the sense that they bring some water to a boil- dinner is whatever can be prepared this way (freeze dried meals, ramen, mac n’ cheese, instant refried beans, instant mashed potatoes, etc), and often people boil water for breakfast as well, if they want coffee, tea or oatmeal. (Some people also cold soak and don’t carry a stove at all, but we’ll address that later when we talk about food!)
The two most popular methods for bringing water to a boil are a screw-on cannister stove (the MSR pocket rocket is the most popular, and what I carry) and the Jetboil, which is a cannister stove with its own special system, for lack of a better word. Alcohol stoves used to be really popular when it was harder to find fuel cannisters in trail towns (alcohol stoves burn denatured alcohol, which is sold at gas stations as HEET, a gas-line antifreeze) and these are still a good option on trails like the Hayduke where towns are not set up for hikers or in the Alaskan Arctic (you can’t bring pressurized fuel cannisters on bush planes), but the more popular trails now have fuel cannisters available in basically every town and alcohol stoves have also been banned on the PCT because of how many fires they cause. (This is real- I have seen some things back in my day, hiking the PCT before these stoves were banned.) (I also [carefully] used one for years and loved it, and still use it in the Arctic.)
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of both kinds of cannister stoves.
Jetboil
Pros:
· More fuel efficient than a normal cannister stove like the pocket rocket, so you end up carrying less fuel weight and don’t have to replace your cannister as often.
· Boils water VERY fast. You want water? You got it- yesterday.
Cons:
· Expensive
· Bulkier and heavier than the pocket rocket, although with the savings in fuel weight the weight difference overall comes out in the wash, IMO (The bulk difference tho is really noticeable)
· You can’t cook in the pot itself for some reason? (I don’t know why- will a jetboil owner please tell me in the comments?) So these are best for people who eat freeze-dried meals for dinner where you pour the water right into the bag, or have some other bag-cooking system.
Pocket Rocket
Pros:
· Lighter, smaller and easier to pack away than the jetboil
· Less expensive (tho still like $40)
· You can cook right in your pot (and by “cook” I mean you can bring the water to a boil, add your ramen/instant refried beans/whatever, and let it sit for a few minutes until it’s done).
Cons:
· Takes longer to boil water
· Uses more fuel, so you’ll be carrying a few oz more fuel weight, generally, and replacing your cannister more often
Both the Jetboil and the Pocket Rocket are super popular on the long trails, so I’d say it comes down to how fast you want your water to boil, and how much you mind a carrying a bulky cylinder that doesn’t stash away very tidily.
If you choose to carry the Jetboil, your choice of pot has already been made for you (it comes with its own pot, encased in a coozie? And has a plastic lid? Jetboils are so confusing to me honestly). If you choose the Pocket Rocket, you might be like ok what pot should I buy?
I strongly prefer a 900 ml titanium pot. There are a couple of brands that make these in similar styles- MSR, Toaks, Evernew. Titanium of course is far superior to any other material because even though the pot costs $65, it weighs negative ounces and will outlast any other piece of gear that you own, you can pass it down to your children if you have them, and their children, one day some sort of nuclear event will vaporize us all and all that will be left will be these titanium pots, sitting in the ashes in this scorched earth looking as fresh as the day we pulled them off the shelf at REI. Mine’s almost ten years old and I have so much sentimental attachment to it.
I choose 900ml because that is the perfect size for dinner. Some people hike with a mug-sized titanium pot, but I stg those people are starving to death. You can barely shove a single brick of ramen in there, much less the 800 calories of taco soup I like to eat every night on trail once the hiker hunger hits. Mug People are sad, sad hikers, shivering themselves to sleep (going to bed full helps you sleep warm) and slowly wasting away. They’re not gonna make it all the way to Canada! They’re gonna give up and go home to their dogs instead. Get the bigger pot, you’ll be glad you did.
Other eating accoutrements
A spork. Everyone needs a titanium spork. Like the pot, I have had mine for many years, and it will outlive me by centuries. Some people who eat a lot of those freeze-dried meals prefer a long-handled spork, to make it easier to scrounge around in the bottom of the bag, but a regular spork will get the job done as well.
A cup. Many people don’t carry a cup. It’s somewhat of a luxury item, and you can think about what you plan to eat and drink to see if it’s a redundancy. (For example, if you drink coffee and eat a bar for breakfast, you don’t need a cup, because you can drink coffee out of your pot. I eat granola and drink tea for breakfast, though, so I use both- granola in my pot, tea in my cup.) I like this collapsible silicone cup from sea to summit.
Oh man. I thought I’d be able to fit everything into this second installment of long-distance hiking advice, but it’s already so long! So stay tuned for part three, where we’ll discuss food, training and shitting in the woods. And as always, leave a comment if there’s something in particular you want me to talk about, or if I missed something!
Until next time,
Carrot
I love this series even though I've never been on a long distance hike but I'm obsessed about all the details of everything you list.
COOKPOT TATTOO! I am obsessed.