Gear
Read all about what I put in my pack for a thru-hike, how I use it and test it on the trail.
Escalante Route Gear List
For the Escalante Route in the Grand Canyon I carried a lot more weight on my back than on other hikes. Some of the extra load consisted of luxury items, but most of it was absolutely necessary for canyon hiking. The cold night temperatures and harsh wilderness terrain necessitated special gear.
Kesch-Bergell 2021 Gear List
For the Kesch-Bergell Trek in 2021 I swapped some of my gear for lighter variants. But I also carried some heavier items than last year. This resulted in a base weight just below 7 kg (15.4 pounds), not bad for a 12 day hike in the Swiss Alps.
Trail Food: a Hiker’s Breakfast
I have been buying different brands of trail food breakfasts for a few years. But once I became aware that these expensive meals were not much different from what I make myself for breakfast at home, I started preparing my own hiker’s breakfast.
Gearlist 2020
When I first started backpacking, I had a heavy Fjalräven backpack and a total weight of about 25 kg on my back. Especially since my first major thru-hike in 2018 in the High Sierra, I have been lowering my pack weight significantly. For my last thru-hike on the Swiss Haute Route I brought my base weight down with another 700 grams, to just about 6,8 kg (15 pounds).
Solar Charger review: the Flybox
Like most hikers, I want to be able to charge my smartphone, wether on a thru-hike or a multi day section hike. I have compared different options and finally chose the Flybox Solar power bank to carry on my SEKI Loop thru hike in the summer of 2018.
Five Things I Learned on the Trail
In the late summer of 2018 I hiked the SEKI loop (in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park), a combination of the John Muir Trail, the High Sierra Trail and some other connecting trails. Here are five things I learned hiking the SEKI loop.
My High Sierra Gear List
Preparing my thru-hike in California’s High Sierra, I have read and viewed many gear lists that have inspired me to compile my own. Except for my hiking pants and shirt, my boots and my iPhone, everything I will carry in the High Sierra this summer is on the above photograph. Read on for the complete list.
A Big Knife & 4 Other Things I Don’t Need on the Trail
Preparing a 162,4 mile (261 km) hike I am critical about what to carry on the trail. Although I am not an ultra light hiker, I do keep a spreadsheet with the weight of all my gear. Trying to keep my base weight (full backpack without food & water) below 18 pounds (9 kg), I still bring stuff that I do not really need on the trail.
The Big Bad Bear canister
The Sierra Nevada is bear country. Bears are usually found between 3000 to 7000 feet, where they can find their natural foods. But black bears like human food as well: anything from a Snickers bar to toothpaste.