I’m here to work for a few months and am looking to meet like minded people!

I’m an experienced backpacker and want to get into the Winds as much as possible. I’ve done two shorter trips so far.

Please reach out if you’re in the same boat or have any good suggestions 😊

I had asked for intel here on Sky Lakes and other areas. Posting trip report for others.

TRIP REPORT: Sky Lakes Wilderness, packed in 4 nights end of August. Camped at Middle Lake and Cliff Lake. Route was enter and exit at Sevenmile Marsh TH. Because we liked both our sites, we essentially “basecamp and day hiked” the area. We hiked PCT, Sevenmile lakes trail, Lake Ivern trail, over Devils peak, and Lake Alta trail. There is one stretch of tangled blowdown on the Sevenmile lakes trail between Devils Pk and Lake Alta that is complex and I’d think tough for horses. We went around it.

Trails were in good shape with a few exceptions. Trail from PCT down to Grass Lake is rough.

I had left a message and the ranger got back to me the morning we headed out: she had been in the backcountry. She was super helpful. Medford station.

Some recommendations:

1. ⁠Everyone says Cliff Lake is the best, and it’s neat with a great view and a shale cliff falling into it. But it is way too crowded, probably 3-6 other groups there even on Thursday. Unless you are midweek or don’t mind, it isn’t a wilderness experience.
   
2. ⁠If you like the solitude part of the Wilderness Act: pack in to Lake Alta Violet hill campsite, it has an awesome view over the basin, in retrospect I’d choose it over Cliff Lake. Devils peak has 3-4 sites near summit and if you can live with wind camp there. Lake Ivern is cool and lonely with one site and no view, off on a 2 mile spur, but I’d definitely camp there. Middle Lake has a nice site just off the Ivern trail.
   
3. ⁠forecast was lows in the mid 40s, dropped below 30 the last night of August, I was the mummy in my summer bag and summer tent.

I think I did this correctly. Picture 1 is diagram on the map. Picture 2: compass lined up with grid lines, then I oriented map to north, needle fell at 17 to the right of zero degrees. Picture 3: I placed compass on the diagram, again needle at 17 degrees. Look ok?

Was thinking of heading down to Joseph for a cheeky little trip in the Eaglecap Wilderness this weekend and am looking for some recommendations. Looking to do 2 nights, prolly with a shortish first and last day. I’m assuming that the holiday weekend will bring the crowd (me included lol), so a slightly less popular route would be preferred. Thanks!

Lots of Labor Day discounts so I’d like opinions on the best value here. I live and camp in MN, USA. I’m mostly leaning towards the rapide, eclipse, or one of the s2s pads. Comfort is the most important, followed by weight. I just wonder if the s2s pro is overkill for what is mostly 3 season camping. The pads I’ve used are around 3 rvalue at the top end. If I do camp in the winter I bring a CCF pad to put under the inflatable. Just want your guys’ opinions again hah.

Edit: All pads are regular wide. Also, I much prefer vertical baffles, something with horizontal baffles like the tensor doesn’t feel very comfortable to me.

Planning a backpacking trip for my best friend's 30th birthday and looking for recommendations on 4-6 day routes in the Western US or Canada, we would like it to be sometime from late June to early August 2027. Our group will probably be 6-10 people, and we will be traveling from across the US so are open to pretty much anywhere that we can get to semi-conveniently, we all have multi-day backpacking experience and could probably average 15 miles per day, less with significant elevation change. We would really like to avoid National Parks and crowded areas, camping along lakes and rivers with no other people sounds ideal, and really getting out into the Wilderness. I just did a trip through Glacier, Northern Idaho, North Cascades, and Mt Baker so would prefer to avoid that area.

Thanks for any recommendations! Let me know if you have more clarifying questions to give better advice.

Did the Alpine Lakes Wilderness High Route in 3 days, 2 nights. It was a challenging fun loop with a ton of scenery. Challenged my route finding skills and stamina, but oh boy such good views and so many lakes!

Cleaning out a relative’s garage and found these MSR fuel containers. They’re at least 4-5 years old and feel fairly full/heavy. How can I safely get rid of them?

I live on the east coast - all of my serious backpacking has been done in the southern Appalachian mountains and I’m planning a 5 day backpacking trip “out west” next year to explore more of this huge country. I’ve done a lot of research already and have narrowed my search to somewhere in the cascade range of Oregon or Washington state. I’m having a hard time deciding between these areas:

Willamette National Forest
Gifford Pinchot NF
North Cascades
Mt Baker Snoqualmie

I’m sure I can’t go wrong with any of them frankly, but since I have to fly across the country and it’s a big to-do, I want to pick a great one for my first trip. Does anyone who lives over there or knows the region better have any suggestions/tips/advice or differences between these areas?

I know many of you like me enjoy a cold beer during a weekend backpacking trip. Sadly, not every trip has a cold stream or lake you can soak your beer in to cool it down.  I am looking for some sort of cold pack that I can pull from my freezer at home, slide my beer can in (like a cozy) that fully encompasses it, and will keep my beer cold cold for at least that first day on the trail, second day would be awesome.  I know I’ve seen stuff like this online, but I can’t seem to find it now that I’m looking for it.

Does anyone have a link, recommendation, or something similar to what I’m talking about and can help me?

Howdy, looking to get a different sleeping bag. I currently have a mummy style and I don’t like how restricted my legs are when I sleep. Can you guys recommend a good alternative bag or a quilt you love for less than a million billion dollars? Thanks

I am planning a 2 to 3 night backpacking trip in San Juan mountains area of Rio Grande national Forest. Any advice if a bear canister would be needed or can I just do a bear hang? I am planning for mid of September, so if there is any other advice that you can give me, I will really appreciate it. Thank you.

My husband (6’1”, 200lb M) and I have been backpacking for about a year now. Our current setup is a Marmot tungsten 2p tent, Exped ultra duo inflatable sleeping pad (two person), and then we have two Patagonia 20F Fitz Roy down sleeping bags. The two person pad is fine for me, but he can never get any sleep because he’s a side sleeper and his shoulder/arm touches the ground through the pad. He is thinking about getting a self inflating pad and putting it inside the sleeping bag with him for added comfort. He is currently looking at the Sea to Summit 1.5” self inflating mummy pad. He is not concerned with the added weight, just wants to actually sleep. Does anybody have experience doing this? Any help is appreciated!

I have a free week the first week of November 2026. I’m looking for recommendations for a 6 day hike. I’m experienced and can hike 12-15 miles a day with a full pack. I’m most interested in loops but my second choice are section hikes. Got any recommendations? Thank you in advance!

I pulled the list of licensed/permitted guides from the ANWR website so I've been looking at the routes they offer. Problem is many websites are not very descriptive as to what the route involves, how hard it is, what the terrain is like. Prefer an August trip that does 35-40miles over 7+ days. I think being in a valley bottom the whole time sounds boring, I'd want to climb some passes, get varied terrain. Prefer high alpine country overall. Any ideas?

https://youtu.be/i0gmhMFar-k

Hey travelers 👋 I am in the midst of planning a backpacking trip to the Winds next summer. I’ve been keen on wanting at the minimum go to Titcomb Basin, and some of the other high country/mountain passes/Lakes in that area. I found this loop online and it looks exactly like what I’d be interested in. I’ve heard Titcomb/island lake at times can be like Disney (in terms of how busy Wyoming is), and that the further into the wilderness you go the more solitude you get. I was hoping someone who has traversed this area would be able to tell me a bit about it.

I’m also weighing the possibility of bagging Fremont Peak. I’d assume I’d most likely be camping adjacent to it at Island Lake or Indian Basin. I’m also open to suggestions of other peaks in the area that aren’t above class 3 with similar views, but with Fremont Peak’s proximity to this loop, and highest class rating of lower 3, it just seemed like the move. Any tips or advice regarding this is hugely appreciated as I’ve heard descending down towards Mistake Lake to Titcomb can be kind of dicey as opposed to the south buttress route that one would use to ascend.

The general loop is as follows:
Elkhart trailhead - Island lake - Titcomb Basin - Knapsack Col - Peak Lake/Shannon Pass - Summit Lake - Trapper Lake - Elkhart trailhead.

General loop information/ where I found the loop/map:
[https://backpackingroutes.com/titcomb-basin-loop/?amp=1\](https://backpackingroutes.com/titcomb-basin-loop/?amp=1)

Map of the loop itself:
[https://www.gaiagps.com/public/UQilLiMNKZxdGd4wCGf3ZhoD/\](https://www.gaiagps.com/public/UQilLiMNKZxdGd4wCGf3ZhoD/)

Fremont Peak all trails link:
[https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/fremont-peak-via-pole-creek-trail-loop?p=-1&sh=ej2dsl&utm\\_medium=trail\\_share&utm\\_source=alltrails\\_virality\](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/fremont-peak-via-pole-creek-trail-loop?p=-1&sh=ej2dsl&utm_medium=trail_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality)

Thanks for the help and tips, I am just trying to get my bearings with this loop and know what exactly I’m getting myself into. I’m an avid hiker and live/hike in Colorado so elevation is not an issue for me. I’m not a mountaineer/climber, so anything above class 3++ is kind of my limit, however I do like to push myself. I’m mostly just seeing what other people have to say about it so I know what to do where and what to generally expect out of this trip.

Cheers 🍻

I hike and backpack in warmer environments. Think low 40s at night. Day time can be 50 to low 70s. I’m also a fair weather backpacker. If it’s bad weather, I might cancel. I do plan on doing the John Muir trail next year and I won’t be able to predict the weather then.

Id also use this jacket for any rain I get here in Texas throughout the year.

I'd rather have something that works for when I need it most. I backpack in the high Sierra which has overlap with alpine.

It's currently 30% off which brings it to about 125$ more than the OR Helium BUT you're getting the 3L Gortex Pro membrane.

https://outlet.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/alpha-sl-jacket-0287?colour=19330

Thoughts?