Ultra light 101: It’s All In Your Head
By: Maggie Wallace


My trail crew had hauled in 70-pound packs to this desert 200 miles from the Northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. It was on this trip, while we worked in a particularly arid day, that I had my first experience with an ultra light hiker. We had noticed a figure moving towards us through the heat. He was wearing tennis shoes and clothing that hung in tatters, and his pack appeared to be a child’s school bag, held together with duct tape. His eyes were wild as he asked us where the next spring was so he could fill the single water bottle he carried. Explaining that he planned to reach Canada ...

Written by Guthook at Guthook Hikes!


Airing out my WM Lynx last winter after a chilly night in the White Mountains


My pals at Gossamer Gear sent me one of their brand new Kumo Superlight backpacks the other day to take for a test drive. It's not like I need a new backpack, nor can I afford new backpacking ...

Written by Guthook at Guthook Hikes!

This is a slightly modified version of a post from my blog about my thought ...

Written by Guthook at

Guthook Hikes!

As I mentioned in my Winter Layering System post a few weeks ago, my clothing system for winter hikes is based on a simple ...

Backpack Comparison Chart
by Roland


Whiteblaze members frequently ask questions about different pack models. The chart below displays the models, commonly ...

Written by Guthook at <a href="http://guthook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Guthook Hikes!</a><font size="3"></font><br>
At the same time that I'm looking at winter sleeping bags, I've been keeping my eye out for insulated down jackets to fill out my winter insulation system. A good down jacket is key to the cold weather of Northeast winters because it doubles as primary insulation while in camp or at breaks, and as added insulation inside a thick sleeping bag. Currently, I only have a very heavyweight down jacket that is plenty warm but not light at all, and a lightweight down jacket that is pleasantly light but not warm enough for what I'd like. Neither of them have hoods, which I would like for added warmth.
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Written by Guthook at Guthook Hikes!

It seems strange to write a "gear guide" to headlamps because I only own two, but between those two headlamps I have everything I need for now. I can imagine another reason I would buy another headlamp in the future, but for now, Petzl earns my great respect for their line of headlamps
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