Tyler & Becca hike the PCT

The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from the border of Mexico in California to the border of Canada in Washington state covering a staggering 2,663 miles. It goes through some of the most beautiful places on the West Coast including the Sierras, Yosemite, John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Mt. Shasta, Crater Lake, Three Sisters Wilderness, the Cascade range, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainer, Mt. baker and more. I have had the chance to hike several sections of the trail through some of the most amazing and pristine wilderness I've witnessed. 

Tyler and Becca (friends of ours) are hiking it this year. All of it. I'm very excited for them and can't wait to hear about their trip and will try very hard not to let jealousy completely overcome me.  Before they begin I got the scoop on their plans and their gear list. 

Colter Co.: Why did you decide to hike the PCT?

Tyler: It has been something that we’ve wanted to do ever since we found out about it. We started really getting into backpacking about 4 years ago and it was something that we added to our bucket list. There was kind of a perfect storm of transitions going on in our lives so we decided that now may be as good a time as any. It was a now or maybe never sort of scenario.

CC: How long have you been planning for this?

T: We bought our plane tickets at the very beginning of the process and that was sometime at the end of last July. It’s been almost a 9-month planning process. We figured that it would be easier financially to spread things out over a longer time. It’s allowed us some opportunities for trial and error with gear and meal planning, so it’s worked out. We definitely don’t think that it requires that long of a planning period, but we’re doing this for two people with twice as much to think about. The bulk of our preparation really started about 3 or 4 months ago. At that point it was what we did every weekend and any other free time that we had.

CC: What do you think will be the biggest challenge?

T: We both think that at first the physical challenge of hiking in the heat will be the hardest. We’re not looking forward to the long stretches without water, especially with the low snow pack this year. After we get into a rhythm and start to get situated it’s going to be more of a mental challenge to do it day in and day out. The good thing about hiking together is that we’ll have a built in support system to keep each other going. We’d be more concerned about it if we were hiking alone.

CC:  Which parts of the trip are you looking forward to the most?

T: Definitely the Sierra’s. We’re both dreading the desert so it will be nice to see the transition into the higher elevation mountains. We ‘ve decided to hike Mt. Whitney as a side trip, so that will be a highlight as well. We both are really looking forward to overcoming challenges, meeting new people, and just experiencing the overall culture of the PCT.

CC:  What is your gear list? What is your base weight?

Becca’s base weight is 13 lbs. 6 oz.
Tyler’s base weight is 16 lbs. 2 oz.

Shared Gear: Zpack’s Hexamid Duplex Cuben Fiber Tent, Snow Peak 900 Titanium Cook Pot, alcohol stove, 7’x7’ Homemade Tarp (for shade and added rain protection), 50 feet of bear line w/ carabiner and bag, Instapark Mercury 10 solar panel, Deuce of Spades trowel.

Becca’s Gear: Mountain Hardwear Thruway 50L backpack, Feathered Friends Vireo Nano 20 degree quilt, Thermarest Neoair Women’s sleeping pad, Black Diamond Z-Poles, Outdoor Research Echo hat, Marmot Crystaline Rain Jacket, Patagonia Houdini Wind Jacket, REI Primaloft Jacket, Columbia Omniheat vest, Outdoor Research mittens, beanie, head buff, 3 hiking shirts, 2 pairs of leggings, 3 pairs of socks (2 hiking + 1 sleep), running shorts, 2 bras, underwear, sunglasses, toiletries, Ipod Nano, headphones, Sawyer Mini Water Filter w/ 1.5L and 2L Evernew water bags, REI Litecore Sit Pad, food cozy, Sea to Summit long spork, Bearvault 500 (in required areas), camp shoes, Dirty Girl gaiters, Sea to Summit but headnet, REI Ducksback pack cover.

Tyler’s Gear: Boreas Buttermilks 55L backpack, Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20 degree quilt, Thermarest Neoair ¾ length sleeping pad, Outdoor Research Sun Runner Hat, Outdoor Research Helium 2 rain jacket, Patagonia Houdini Wind Jacket, Patagonia down shirt, Patagonia Houdini pants, REI Sahara shorts, Smartwool beanie, bandana, gloves, 2 Outdoor Research Echo hiking shirts, 3 pairs of socks (2 hiking + 1 sleep), REI silk bottoms (sleep), underwear, Ipod shuffle, headphones, Sony NEX 7 camera w/ 16-50mm lens, Lowepro camera bag, Joby gorillapod tripod, Iphone 5, Sawyer Squeeze water filter w/ 1.5L and 2L Evernew water bags, Klymit Cush sit pad/pillow, food cozy, Sea to Summit long spork, toiletries, sunglasses, Penrod fishing pole w/ spinning and fly reel, fishing forceps, flies/lures, Lighter1 Big Daddy Bear Canister (in required areas), camp shoes, Dirty Girl gaiters, Sea to Summit bug headnet.

Shoes: We each have 4 pairs of shoes that we’ll have available to send to us as we need them.

Becca: Merrell All Out Fuse, Salomon SpeedCross 3 (two pairs), Salomon Fellraiser
Tyler: La Sportiva Helios, Salomon SpeedCross 3, Merrell All Out Fuse, Salomon XA Pro 3D

CC: What kinds of meals are you planning?

T: We’re really big into freezer bag cooking. All of our hot meals will involve boiling water and rehydrating foods in a Ziploc freezer bag. Over the years we’ve come up with a few recipes that we really like, but we’ve added some new ones also. For breakfasts we’ve planned for oatmeal with peanut butter, grits, chia seed pudding with fruit juice, Belvita breakfast bars and muffins (We’ve figured out how to bake with our cook pot). For lunch we have a combination of things like peanut butter and honey flatbread, tuna salad pitas, couscous with cranberries and tuna and homemade beef jerky. We’ll have a ton of snack foods as well including dried fruit, fruit leathers, flavored honey straws, Kind and Cliff bars, Cliff Shot Bloks, Gatorade and flavored lemonade drink mixes, and various candies like Sour Patch Kids, Sour Patch Watermelons (the best while hiking), Swedish Fish, and sour gummy worms. Dinners were definitely the most complex and we wanted to have a lot of variety so that we won’t get bored of our meals. We have basics like mac and cheese, spaghetti and alfredo, but some other interesting things too. We have chili with fritos, “Thanksgiving” with potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberries and chicken, beef tacos, creamy potato soup, Indian curry, Pad Thai, Pizza Ramen, potato burritos, creamy mushroom rice with chicken, Shepard’s pie, and even sushi rolls. It has been a ton of work and we’ve packaged everything on our own.

CC: What's the most important thing you've learned in preparing for this?

T: We’ve definitely learned the importance of food and good nutrition. With 20 miles/ day averages in some stretches it’s really critical that you replenish what your body is using. We’re glad that we did everything ourselves because we know where the products come from and what we’re eating. All of this ties into larger themes of preparation. We have learned a lot about budgeting for two people in the long term. So far we’ve accomplished the most when working together so that will be a critical aspect of our success on the trail.

CC:  What advice would you give to others thinking about going? If it’s something that you’re really passionate about you should just do it. There are a lot of hurdles to jump in order to be able to pull off a trip like this, but make it happen now. You never know what the future will bring and what your opportunity will look like then. Start planning early. Double and triple check everything you’re taking. There are a lot of great resources out there to see what others are carrying and the pros and cons of gear and meals. The key is to make it your own hike and not get caught up in that stuff too much. If you absolutely have to have a particular item (i.e. fishing gear for Tyler) then you’re justified in taking it as long as you’re willing to carry the extra weight.

Thanks you for sharing your experience and planning with us Tyler and Becca. Enjoy the journey.

DIY Wood Gasifier Backpacking Stove

----------   UPDATE 3/20/17   -----------

I've discovered an on the market option for wood burning backpacking stoves! The Firebox Nano 3" is amazing. It folds flat to be only 1/4" thick and weighs only 6 oz for the steel version or 4 oz for the titanium version. It can boil a cup of water in under 4 minutes and it runs on twigs! And in keeping with our brand ethos, it's made in the U.S.A. I like it so much that I've decided to over it in our shop. Click here to check it out. 

Now back to the previous journal entry:
--------------------------------------------------------------

As promised, I am reporting on my wood gasifier backpacking stove build. I took a few designs and morphed them together. I have tried a couple other versions in the past that failed because I tried to scale them down too small. This time I used a standard 14.5 oz can for the inside can and a 28 oz can for the outside can. The first step is to cut a hole in the base of the larger can so the smaller can will fit inside of it snuggly. Trace the diameter of the small can on the bottom of the large can and drill small holes about 0.5" in from there all the way around the lid. Then use wire cutters to cut the space in between those holes until the center falls out. Then trim up to the line drawn about every quart of an inch to make flanges that will fold down. AFTER you get the small can drilled, it will slide through that hole and fit nice and snug. Make sure to drill it first! I'll get to that part now. 

The key to getting this thing to work is airflow. I started by drilling 8 - 0.5" holes around the base of the outside can and the base of the inside can. Then drill 16 - 0.25" hole about 0.5" down from the top of the inside can. This design creates a vortex between the can and the hot gases/smoke jet back out of the smaller holes and into the flame. It ends up reburning the smoke and gases so it's very efficient and mostly smoke free. And it looks pretty cool as it burns. 

I did a couple test burns and found that it's best to load this thing backwards. Put the larger pieces in the bottom, then the smaller items, shavings and last the tinder. I used a bundle of twine fiber and a knot of twin soaked in wax. The fine fibers ignited quickly from the fire steel (This fire steel is part of a new product R&D. Don't tell anyone, it's a secret...) and the wax soaked knot burns long enough to catch the shavings under it. It ends up burning down until the larger items are all burning well. It makes for a lot less effort feeding the fire. I was using cedar and it burned pretty quickly. If you have access to it, I'd recommend hardwood chips. 

I also built a little pot stand out of a tuna can. The pot stand fits inside the bottom of the stove for storage.  In my test run I could get 2 cups of water to boil in about 12 minutes. It was pretty chilly and windy that day, so I think under better conditions (and with hardwood) I could get a boil going in less time. Still not bad for what it is. 

Overall I am very happy with the design. I will be taking it on my next outing and really put it through it's paces.  When not in use, the stove packs up nicely and fits inside the pot I use for backpacking. Very compact and light weight. 

Let me know if you've had success with a similar design.

Backpacking Stoves

----------   UPDATE 3/20/17   -----------

I've discovered an on the market option for wood burning backpacking stoves! The Firebox Nano 3" is amazing. It folds flat to be only 1/4" thick and weighs only 6 oz for the steel version or 4 oz for the titanium version. It can boil a cup of water in under 4 minutes and it runs on twigs! And in keeping with our brand ethos, it's made in the U.S.A. I like it so much that I've decided to over it in our shop. Click here to check it out. 

----------- Now back to the previous post -----------

I love backpacking. The unparalleled views, the lack of people, the dip in crisp mountain lakes, the lack of people. Even the barely passable food is somehow amazing. One of the ways to make backpacking better is to lighten the gear up. One piece of gear that can help is your cooking system. There are a lot of fancy stove systems out there, but I don't know much about them 'cuz they're expensive. Also I like to make things. If that sounds like you, here are a few options you might like. 

Denatured alcohol stoves. 

These are simple to make (with a little skill) and don't require any special materials. They are super light weight and the fuel is easily accessible, which is why through hikers like them. They are a bit on the dangerous side. If they tip over, they get exciting. Next time we hang out I'll tell you about why I don't use mine very much any more. Good times. 

Here's a simpler design and an instructional video. 

Wood burning stoves.

I have been working on a design for one of these off and on for a while. I've been trying to create one that is as compact as possible. I started really small, and it didn't work. I don't think there was enough heat build up to sustain itself. I have seen some that work really well. You have to make sure you get good air flow! That's key.  

Here's a good link to a tutorial on making these:

Another design that's pretty cool is the mini rocket stove. They are less compact, but you still might be able to make them work for backpacking. This design has fuel feed tube where you add wood to the fire. It also creates an airflow moving up the chimney that sucks more air in and sort of works like a jet engine. I've not made one of these, but they seem pretty neat-o. It's certainly on my to-do list. 

Hopefully you've found something here to tickle your DIY fancy. I know I'll be making one of these bad boys soon. I'll post the results when I do. 

New bandana designs

New bandana designs are in! These two new designs family with the Know Your Knots bandana and bring knot based style to the everyday staple. Both designs are available in navy or Red. We are also very glad to tell you that with this print run we have upgraded all of our bandanas to a softer U.S.A. made 100% cotton bandana, and water based inks. We think you'll enjoy the quality upgrade. The next time you pull one out of your back pocket for a quick boogie check your nose will thank you.