Last weekend Avagdu, HatterOfMaddnesz, and I loaded up our packs and went for a jaunt in the Chuckanuts. The hike in was about 6 miles, with an elevation gain of something on the order of 1,600 feet. (In the planning stage, I had told them to expect 7 miles and 500 feet. I suppose next time I should look at the map, rather than relying on memory.)
Avagdu and HatterOfMaddnesz claimed that this was the longest hike that they had done in a while, but they both pulled through. Avagdu used the opportunity to field-test his INCH Bag, which was quite heavy. It gave him a hard time. I think he’ll be shedding some of the redundancy the next time around. Certainly, we all learned something.
We spent two nights at a lake and took a hike up to a ridge that gave views of Mt. Baker to the east and the San Juan Islands to the west. (I took a nap.) My camera battery died soon after setting up camp the first night, so pictures are sparse.
I thought a guy like you would have a dozen spare batteries on hand… or at least a solar panel.
One of the smartest ideas is to actually take your BOB and other gear out with you on an excursion. Great job, I am certain that this will all pay off.
That’s a fancy walking stick.
Yes, I’m always surprised how many people build up some sort of BOB and never once take it out (or, if they do, they go car camping with it). I’m always repacking my bag differently after each trip.
Did have a few batteries, lost the one for my camera at Rant10th unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to replacing it. In an INCH kit I might indeed take a roll-able solar panel if I could afford one.
I shed a bunch of stuff after this hike, the bag is now significantly lighter. Thank PM for the nice hiking stick.
Great! We’ll have to go out again to test your new load.