The Process

It’s one of those things I do before every thru-hike. I stress about all my “stuff”. The stuff I’ll need to help keep me safe, warm, alive, well fed and hopefully happy during my adventures. The stuff I mostly need and usually only one or two things I don’t but I’m not used to going without them yet.

It’s the process of packing up all my gear and making sure I have enough food to last me the first 91 miles from Sierra City to Belden.

I went to get my resupply items today with Madre at Walmart. She went to get a few things and some items needed to make this amazingly delicious homemade chocolate cake. More on that later. When I got home and took everything out of their wrappers, laid them all out on the table, I became overwhelmed immediately. It’s tough the first time because I don’t have hiker hunger, I have a rough estimate of how many days it’ll take to get there, but I’m also packing an extra day of food… just in case. So I just got a few staples that I like to eat and a few things I’d prefer not to even though I know they’re great on trail.

I bagged up snacks for each day along with stuff for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch and dinner. I wrote on bags how much water was needed for meals/shakes and after I was finished laying it all out there, I couldn’t help but think to myself, this will be my new normal.

Resupplying every 7-10 days is a chore every hiker does in town. Some will have boxes sent to them and pick them up at the post. Hikers will also do laundry, wash themselves (most of the time), write blogs/ edit videos, call family and friends, have pizza/ burgers and beers at a local spot that a million other hikers recommend, and try to relax. But nonetheless, chores happen on trail and that’s my least favorite part. Well all of them but the eating and drinking part!

So I’ve got the first bit done, whew! Here’s what I’m taking to eat for week one.

Next up, getting my gear packed and hoping my bag weight is under 30 lbs without water.

Other than a few items that needed washing (I’ve been living the past few weeks with minimal clothing options) I was packed in no time. I cut off the we wrist straps to my trekking poles (they rubbed my skin raw last year), I fixed my dirty girl gaiters (one of the clips was squished from getting my foot stuck in some rocks last year), and put on some Velcro on the backs of my shoes. But for the most part, everything in my pack has a place its own place and that part was easy.

The hard part, before when I had to make sure I had everything I needed.

The big 3: tent, sleeping bad/pad and pack… easy. Got a new sleeping bad and tent, same ole trusty pack.

Everything else… hard. How much “stuff” and what.

Clothes and extra clothes

The right clothes for the weather

Cook system

Diddy bag items: notebook, pen, bandaids, headlamp, trowel and tp/wipes, battery charger, cords, wall plug, etc.

micro spikes

Bandanas and buff

Gloves and beanie

Mattress pad

Pack cover

Camp shoes

Water filter and bladder

Fanny pack

And nothing I don’t need. Here’s what I ended up with.

I’m pretty happy with everything I packed (as of now) and it ended up weighing 27 lbs without water. And thankfully, I don’t think I’ll be carrying more than a liter at a time (depending on the snow).

So now, I’m packed and ready! I leave on Thursday for LA and I couldn’t be more ready to go. My last day and a half will be spent mostly at Madres eating chocolate cake and having as many Sundrops as I can.

xo,

Legs