Pack Weight Check!

How does one decide what to carry during a thru-hike? As little as possible! We're 5 weeks away, and have the majority of our gear decided and set. I borrowed a scale, and did our first weight check. We both weighed in at just over 20 lbs, however this does not include ANY food nor water at 8 lbs per gallon (also the digital camera that Emily used to take this picture).

Other items not included are ice axes, bear canisters, mummyliners, and down jackets/sweaters, all of which we'll need for the ~400 miles of the High Sierra in California. This will add about 4 lbs, but because water will be so much more abundant than in southern CA, our backs probably won't notice much of a difference.

A full gear list to come soon.

Trail Map

Here is a very small map of the trail.  This 6" is actually 2,650 miles, from the southern terminus at the Mexico/USA border near Campo, CA to the USA/Canada border in the middle of nowhere, WA.  We will actually enter Canada and need a special permit to get back into the States.

We will walk through only 3 states, but 6 National Parks: Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite, and Lassen Volcanic in California; Crater Lake in Oregon; and Mount Rainier and North Cascades in Washington.  The highest point on the trail is 13,150 feet at Forester's Pass.  The lowest point, 150 feet in the Columbia River Gorge between OR and WA.