WHAT HAS YOUR GEAR BEEN UP TO LATELY?

MARK SIREK
MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 330
edited March 2022 in OUR STORIES

Stories and pics if you got 'em. You have our approval to blow up this spot.

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Comments

  • nirwin
    nirwin Member Posts: 22
    edited July 2023

    My pack has just been hauled around Nepal for a few weeks. They say you bags age by about 2 years (apparently) on a trip to Nepal. I can see why. Pics to come soon...

  • krysta_king
    krysta_king Member Posts: 11
    edited June 2022

    Just got the Versa (black) + took it out to explore slot canyons that a backpack just won’t fit through! Very impressed with the material + how much you can fit in it! Photo to come 🙃

  • danofosho
    danofosho Member Posts: 7

    My pack is still smelling like the Appalachian Trail as I pulled it out of my garage but it'll be smelling like the Alps soon as I head to Europe for a month of hiking!

  • Jessicaholly88
    Jessicaholly88 Member Posts: 47

    My porter has been with me through the alps the last couple of weeks! Hiked some amazing Swiss ridges and glaciers in Chamonix ❤


  • MARK SIREK
    MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 330

    @Jessicaholly88 THAT is an awesome photo - holy moly. Thanks for sharing!

  • amykbannon
    amykbannon Member Posts: 5

    Quality time in the creeks and canyons of the southwest this spring! Ready to shift gears and take these packs into the alpine this summer.


  • TenDigitGrid
    TenDigitGrid Member, Moderator Posts: 82
    edited July 2023

    My wife and I just got back from Mt Shasta in northern California. We both have the Southwest 70's in his and hers colors (Black and white).

    Here is a shot I took of my wife on the way up with her pack!



  • katethewild
    katethewild Member, Moderator Posts: 23

    We've been exploring the Sierra the past couple of weeks. My partner discovered a ripped seam on his backpack as we were headed off, so I let him use my small Southwest on a multi night trip. Fit wasn't 100, but he made it work!


  • gbassett
    gbassett Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2022

    Spent a week hiking and sailing through the Faroe Islands. A bucket list trip that did not disappoint in any way! Hats off to Amarok Adventures for running such a great trip. A couple of photos from this magical place. This was my first big trip using my Daybreak and it performed perfectly! Used it as a travel carry-on for my flights and as the daypack during the hikes.



  • lisagermany
    lisagermany Member Posts: 3
    edited July 2023

    Scouting a possible new trail route between Narsaq Bay and Assaqutaq near Sisimiut, Greenland. I'm the hiking and trails manager for Qeqqata Municipality and can you believe this is my job :D

    This was my first trip with my Hyperlite pack and I was thankful for less weight. It's difficult to be ultralight in the Arctic - but I'm trying!


  • Bermyboy
    Bermyboy Member Posts: 2

    Freakin awesome hikes here… only in my dreams. Great photos and accounts of areas most will never see… thanks.

  • Andrew
    Andrew Member Posts: 1

    @lisagermany Wow, this is amazing. How did you come about getting a job like this?

  • Kim_McNett
    Kim_McNett Member Posts: 2

    This summer I had the rare opportunity to travel aboard the R/V Tiglax in the Western Aleutian Islands. I was invited as an artist in residence through the USFWS, so my M.O. was to do a bunch of field sketching while exploring these super remote islands, rich with nesting seabirds, marine mammals (sperms whales!) and also wilderness juxtaposed with WWII battlefields that have essentially been unchanged. To board the ship, I flew to Adak Island and along with my friend Lindsay Martin (teacher at sea) we did an overnight trip before setting out on our 10 day voyage. While these island regularly get blasted with storms and rarely warm above 55 degrees F, they have no brush or bears! This is a real free-pass for an Alaskan backpacker!

  • Naomibro
    Naomibro Member Posts: 92

    GOOD for you and good FOR you!!! With an old Altoids tin, I carry my water colors, brush and media and NEVER regret the extra wt.

  • lisagermany
    lisagermany Member Posts: 3

    @Andrew I first visited Greenland in 2017 and fell in love with the place. I'm a photographer and writer so started building networks here and finally convinced them to give me a job :P My original job was still as a Content Manager but not hiking-specific. Lost that job bc of Covid, did crap jobs just to be able to stay in the country (I need a work visa to stay here), and just as I'd reached the limit of being able to cope with crap jobs - got offered this job :)

    I've known my current boss since 2018 and he's always wanted to hire me but didn't have the capacity to do so. Fortunately - it all came together and worked out in the end.

    Our region - Qeqqata Municipality - is really focused on outdoors adventure and so we are leading the charge with developing hiking routes in a proper way here. We have the most famous trail in Greenland in our area - the 160-200km (depending on where you start) Arctic Circle Trail, but we are building a network of shorter trails as well.

    I'm sooooooo happy :D

  • sashaswashut
    sashaswashut Member Posts: 41

    Just took my pack to Montana for a week! Did some hiking and paddle boarding with my family. I just got a few more Hyperlite items and looking forward to using them here in the PNW soon!


  • Riff
    Riff Member Posts: 8

    A few friends and i took the long way to a ski line on Rainier a couple of weeks ago, a fine way to watch the mountain from fresh angles. 4400 full dyneema Porter gets it done.


  • Riff
    Riff Member Posts: 8

    Volcano season here in the PNW had a few more highlights- Solstice night on Mt Adams was really something.



  • gnadto
    gnadto Member Posts: 2

    Had five solo days planned on the Alpine Passes trail in Switzerland. At the last minute, Porter 3400 already packed, had to bring my dog. The pack swallowed the extra 3kg of food, bowl etc. no problem. And we were both happy to have her along.


  • MARK SIREK
    MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 330

    @gnadto THAT is an amazing spot!

  • Naomibro
    Naomibro Member Posts: 92

    Just returned from the Colorado Trail. It was an arse-whipping! Living in gulf Coast Texas, it's impossible training for altitude, so we had to suck it up, gasp like crazy and deal with headaches and a few sleepless nights, until we acclimated. It was great! planning for west to east next year already.

  • AustinHager
    AustinHager Member Posts: 37

    The mountains around here have had a crazy amount of lingering snow, to the point where it made since to tour rather than ski up until just about a week ago. To get the legs back in action for alpine hiking season my partner and I headed up into Valhalla Provincial Park and checked out Beatrice Lake. It was a quick one-nighter but helped me deal with such a delayed alpine hiking season. The weather was incredible but we had some pretty nasty thunderstorms at night and had to walk back in the rain, either way it was warm and great to be outside!


  • TenDigitGrid
    TenDigitGrid Member, Moderator Posts: 82

    My wife and I went Kayak Camping around Horseshoe bend over 4th of July weekend! The HMG GOAT Totes were the star of the show helping us carry all our gear onto the backhaul boat that took us up river, and for emptying the kayaks setting up camp! Here are a few pictures below, more pictures, full story and YouTube Video can be read and viewed on our blog here: https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/241-kayak-camping-horseshoe-bend





  • bugglife
    bugglife Member Posts: 100

    I've recently had the problem that I'm the photographer of my friends, and I'm also the one w the HMG, so it's often tough to get photos of it in use. I was able to solve that nundy by inviting a HS buddy and his wife to join me in Grand Canyon for a canyoneering / backpacking / packrafting (very brief, just a river crossing) trip earlier this spring. Here's my buddy in my SW3400, my first piece of HMG.

    Here's me in my 4400 NR. I got this pack because I wanted something bigger when I needed to carry ropes, rafts, PFDs, etc. It also has the advantage of being a bit more durable and waterproof.

    And here we are together, navigating an obstacle in GCNP, in our NR and SW packs, which felt pretty apropo.


  • Naomibro
    Naomibro Member Posts: 92

    8/5

    See your PFD but not the 'yack.

  • bugglife
    bugglife Member Posts: 100

    @Naomibro

    I didn't have any good photos of it from that trip because it was just a very short river crossing! Here are a few from two other spring trips to GCNP.

    Sitting in my raft while I inflate it because there were some really strong winds, and I didn't want the raft to get blown away, or even just blown into the sharp, desert vegetation that could puncture it.


    Here's the raft in use in the CO river. In December, we had underestimated a "medium riffle," and also didn't follow the fine print and bring wetsuits. Together, those two choices led to some serious type 2-3 fun. In May, the warm temps were a bit of a challenge when we were hiking in the sun, but were a welcome change while we were on the water.

    When we couldn't get quite as far down river as we had hoped due to serious upstream winds, we elected to walk. It turns into a bit of a bushwhack / sufferfest near the end, but it was pretty glorious for about half a mile.

    I hope that satisfies your curiosity!

  • Naomibro
    Naomibro Member Posts: 92

    8/08

    Wow, wow and more WOW! Scared to death of inflatables, even tho I can swim! Need hard-sided 'yak. Guess I'm kinda wuss!

    Good FOR you and GOOD for you!

    Did I say WOW?!

  • akhaleyj
    akhaleyj Member Posts: 2

    The HMG mid doing its thing all across Alaska this summer and last:

    Sleeping shelter for three in Wrangell-St. Elias during a from-the-road, hike-in, float-out trip to Jaeger Mesa and the Jacksina River.

    Sleeping shelter for one in Gates of the Arctic National Park during a two-week trip.


    Cook tent and gear shed during a week long trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Sadlerochit Mountains.

    Sleeping quarters for two on the Harding Ice Field in Kenai-Fjords National Park.

    Shelter for the shitter during a basecamp trip in the Talkeetna Mountains. 🤣

    And.... one more from the Harding Ice Field because who doesn't love an Alaskan, glacier sunset?


  • mountainman417
    mountainman417 Member Posts: 2

    Put this 4400 Northrim, through the paces on Jackson Peak and Mt Moran this month. Performed well great with up to 55 lbs.

  • slipperybill
    slipperybill Member Posts: 1

    Quick three day upper middle fork packraft with a buddy. Packed ultralight (only two beers each/ I forgot the cooking fuel)