Thanks!

Kelly Carlen thanks!

Thanks! I thought it'd be fun to try it this way

I'm glad you found it helpful! and best of luck in 2020. That start date tho... if you reach CO around early May it's gonna be rough even in a normal year. Do you have a hard finish date you need to hit?

@@DanStenziano Appreciate the response. I am starting medical school and have orientation starting in early August. My last hiking hurrah before hitting the books with gusto. I thought I recalled you starting pretty early as well, though I may be mistaken. I am considering a flip-flop, though continuous foot path would be preferable, I suppose. My friend from the PCT, who did the CDT this past year, took the low route in Colorado, suggesting that possibility for myself as well. I figured I would start early and then make the decision about flip-floppage when I get to CO. Essentially trying to see as much beautiful territory as feasible before transitioning to a slightly more mentally, less physically, active lifestyle. Apologies for the rambling.

Max Ribot I started 4/29 and paced myself to start CO 6/5. There are a few options. Some people this year flipped from chama to the basin in WY and hiked south which buys a little more snow melt time. Actually ppl were doing all sorts of flips this year. But hopefully you get a low snow year in CO!

MattShafter yeah I think I must have had close to that at one point. It obviously wasn’t great, I just didn’t want to send a different pack for CO, but it would have made sense lol. Looking fwd to your next vid!

ikyunwoo awesome, have fun!

A very good suggestion. I've considered it before for these exact reasons, and I think I will likely try it, as well as some lighter wind pants, on a future trip.

Yeah I feel like if I was going to bring snowshoes for those kinda conditions the MSR Lightning Ascents would be a good choice but still 4lbs. Problem with the kind of snow we had is that it was never powder it was just rotten mashed potatoes so even snowshoes could punch through.

I see windshirts as a kind of niche item. I don't need one but they're nice to have, especially one that's only 2oz. I find that my windshirt breathes better than my rain jacket and feels better to hike in when it's chilly but not raining. Also, not using your rain jacket as a windshirt will keep your rain jacket functioning longer. Two friends I hiked with on the CDT had the Helium II and seemed to like it. I think on the CDT you can get away with UL rain gear but I can also see the case for burlier rain gear. Not nearly as wet as the AT, but some nasty storms are inevitable. Best of luck out there!

Robert Lech Merry Christmas! Yeah I do plan on doing some videos under the umbrella of thruhiking tips/logistics (after I finish the episodes) and food will be one of them. Are you only interested in cdt specific resupply or resupply in general?

Have a link?

Alexander Honken nice- atom packs look awesome. I’ve been close to getting one a few times. Obv the grid stop is going to soak up some water as opposed to the laminates soaking up none, but I didn’t find it to be too bad- better than a granite gear pack I had which was made of Cordura. The inside of grid stop has a decent PU coating which I think keeps it from absorbing too much. But if you get caught in hours of straight rain it’ll definitely be soggy until you get some sun.

Thanks! Adding the lighter weight version of the plasma to the torrid could be a good solution for cold sections if you already own the plasma, and if you can get the layering/fit correct. The plasma to me seems a bit overpriced unless you're going to get a lot of use out of it. Worth noting that a combo of lighter jackets likely won't be as warm as one big jacket of similar weight, because in the 2 jacket scenario more weight is shell fabric than pure insulation.

Thanks! I don't recall having battery issues with the flashlight, but tbh I didn't use it very much because on a northbound hike you have tons of daylight. I kept my camera in a fanny pack and if it rained, I would put it in a quart size zip lock. If it was really coming down I'd put it in my pack inside the liner. The lens is definitely showing its age and there's a bit of dirt/dust in the focus ring I'll never get out but the image quality seems unchanged. I don't think I'd ever bring an expensive lens on a long hike though :)

Yep, tried oven roasting bags and now back to nylofume. I think it’s the best option. Splitwing vs Cirriform just comes down to conditions. Splitwing will do the trick most of the time; if I’m expecting very strong wind, exposed camps, and/or more than a few inches of snow I’ll take the yama.

haha no problem, happy to answer. Power bank- I was definitely happy with 10k. Don't recall getting close to running out of power. Longest stretch was 6.5 days and I also had another 6 day stretch. I would normally leave my inReach off during the day to save power but would occasionally leave it on if I was messaging someone. I never used tracking though. I would check Guthook once or twice an hour just to make sure I didn't take a wrong turn (easy on the cdt). Never for photo or video, that was all on the camera. I did very little night-hiking and the light was mostly for use in-camp. If I knew it was going to be a cold night I would sleep with all electronics and my sawyer in my quilt which was annoying haha. Map strategy- I split the maps up into 5 groups- NM, CO, WY, ID/MT, MT, and had those sent out to a town with a post office at the start of each section. Then from those towns I would send out the maps I needed usually to every other town. This would leave me carrying somewhere around 5-10 sheets of paper and an oz or 2. Boxes- I did have someone sending me boxes but I tried to keep it to a minimum. I had one sent to Chama (for colorado), one in northern CO to swap back to warm weather gear, and one for my ursack. Generally I put the maps in with this stuff but once or twice had to have an envelope with just maps sent. I would send myself boxes from a larger town occasionally if I knew that a town or two coming up wouldn't have good resupply. I also used Zero Day Resupply a few times. Windshirt- I should change the wording in the gear list- it's not that the frogg toggs don't block wind, it's that they're not comfortable to wear for a long time and the fabric is delicate so they wear out quickly. If you have more of a normal rain jacket (or if you always carry a fleece) then the windshirt is less necessary. I just like it because it adds a lot of warmth for very little weight. nobo v sobo - Nobo was not a great choice this year haha. the sobos had it much easier. It was a great adventure though. I think if you can keep up a faster pace then sobo is easier than nobo on both the cdt and the pct.

Thanks! Do you mean Georgia in February? The Alpine Light is of course going to be a decent bit warmer, but whether you need it depends on the rest of your system. If you have a really nice bag/quilt that you know can get you down to the temps you're going to see (I'm thinking low twenties or teens?), then you could save some weight and go with the Torrid and have the benefit of synthetic which is always nice on the east coast. But if you're going to be pushing your bag's rating then I'd go with the warmer jacket. To be honest I'd probably just go with the Alpine Light anyway because I hate being cold. Either way I'd also make sure I had a fleece for an active layer.

@@DanStenziano thanks ya I always have a fleece my fav peace of kit and I have a 0 deg hammock Gear burrow to start with

Mark Cummings it’s actually not that susceptible to punctures but once you get a tear it will spread easily. It’s definitely not the best food bag but it’ll at least last longer than an opsak

Dan Stenziano Thanks. I hear you about the tears. Very true.

I like it a lot! In fact I’ll be using it again this April on the grand enchantment trail. The top fabric is very breathable so no need to worry about condensation.

No bear can requirements anywhere on the CDT as of 2019. But you do have to hang your food in Yellowstone and Glacier (they put up structures for hanging at the campsites so it's pretty easy)

Ced Kar thanks! Here is the fanny pack I used www.decathlon.com/products/hiking-ultra-compact-fanny-pack?variant=888428593165&currency=USD&rnd=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmpb0BRCBARIsAG7y4zaAERgji66m0w_03iT96y2wGUCpZLgAoTrpjfzOPenCC0OmaKLVLBUaAihLEALw_wcB Sadly it’s not waterproof so I would keep a ziplock inside for my camera and phone/maps.

Leon Chen the KS40 would’ve been too small (mainly for CO). I could’ve gotten a KS50 but I just felt like trying MLD

alville I have a few other vids I want to make first but there has been some interest in it so I think I will

@@DanStenziano Please do. I'm torn between a few different packs and reluctant to decide due to the inability to try on.

If you're going to be on rainy trails a lot, I think the dcf version would be worth the extra $55, because even though the gridstop fabric is technically waterproof (PU coated on the inside) it absorbs water in prolonged rains and gets heavier/soggy. But even with the dcf version I'd still probably put my quilt in some sort of dry bag.

@@DanStenziano thank for the reply! Keep it up with the good work

Friar Rodney Burnap well the pack in this video is 36L internal, 48L counting all pockets, so that’s pretty close.

Bri B they won’t when they’re new. The trouble with FTs on a long trip is that the fabric wears out quickly and becomes less waterproof over time. Also water tends to sneak in through the zipper which is not as protected as on most jackets. Still, it won’t wet out in the same way a regular rain jacket will where the DWR on the face fabric gets scratched off and it becomes saturated. So I still would choose FTs over an UL rain jacket like the OR helium but on a long trip that’s not as dry as the PCT I think I’d get something more durable.

I'll have to try acrylic socks! Never thought to try them. I guess I'm only vegan by diet but any time there is a vegan alternative to wool/down that performs equally well in the given conditions then I will use it.

I actually used the Prophet on the CDT, not the Burn. The Prophet is around 10L bigger than the KS40, close to a KS50. I feel like this was a more appropriate volume for the CDT. I liked that the straps on the Prophet are more cushioned than those on the KS40 even though the KS was already pretty cushioned. This helped the Prophet feel a bit more supportive overall and I'd say upped its carrying comfort by a few pounds over the KS. But it's still frameless so nothing drastic. I also felt like the straps were a bit better fitting on the Prophet due to their slight S shape. If you watched my KS review, you might remember that I thought the side pockets were a bit low and not secure enough, well the Prophet had the opposite problem: the side pockets are a bit too high and annoying to reach. I just need to find side pockets that are right in the middle haha. I do like the grid stop material on the Prophet, it seems more durable than the VX07 I had on my KS although less water resistant.

Dan Stenziano great thanks for the feedback. I also like the grid stop material too vs the VX I think.

It would work, but you would be somewhat miserable in Wyoming due to the bug pressure. Two solutions: 1, purchase a separate net tent to use just for peak mosquito season; 2, use a bug bivy instead of a solid bivy which would provide a little more space to get away from them. You could even try adding one of these www.rei.com/product/849594/sea-to-summit-nano-mosquito-pyramid-insect-shield-net-shelter just for the worst mosquitoes although I've never tried personally, and it looks like it's more fit for a pyramid tarp.

@Dan Stenziano Thank you for your reply and patience (I discovered afterwards, that you actually answer my question in your Cirriform review video:) I already own the Sea to Summit bug net so that's good to know. Really enjoying your style of presenting and filming. That little 5100 is still a good camera and does the job perfectly well.

@@jatsajatsa Thanks! :)

Yes, unfortunately I'm still using a down quilt (been using the same one for 4 years now). I tried a 20 degree Apex quilt from Enlightened Equipment, but the packed size was enormous, so I sold it. I think the Apex 30 would be closer in size to a down 20, so if you can get by with a 30 degree quilt, that could be a good option. Also take a look at the 3D Apex quilt from Nunatak. You can get it so the underside of the quilt uses thinner insulation, which would reduce bulk. This is what I am planning on trying next. nunatakusa.com/home/208-3d-apex.html#/3d_diff_cut-yes_please/3d_foot-40_diameter_foot_end/3d_liner-breathable_10d_taffeta_black_/3d_collar-yes_please/3d_apex_distribution_foot-50f/3d_apex_distribution_torso-50f_top_and_underside/3d_apex_draft_control-full_zipper_closure_not_recommended_for_the_narrow_52_width_option_/3d_shoulder_width-58_inside_circumference_fits_most_/3d_length-72/3d_foot_liner-no_thanks/3d_apex_shells-50f_purple_42f_olive_30f_dark_grey_20f_moroccan_blue/stuff_sack-yes_please_include_a_stuff_sack/new_quilt_complete_partial_wpb-no_thanks

Dutchware Gear recently came out with synthetic insulation that acts like down, called "UP." It says that it comparable to like 650-700 fp down. I'm a DIY'er, so I am thinking about making a quilt to replace my Climashield quilts to see how it performs. I just ordered and received a 3oz pack of it to check it out and it is pretty cool. I can't find any vendors that are making quilts with this insulation for sale, but you know that there are some out there...I haven't looked very hard yet.

Michael Sean Garrison I have seen that on their website actually. Looks intriguing. I’d be interested to hear how your quilt turns out :)

@@DanStenziano Check out Cedar Ridge Outdoors at cedarridgegear.com They are making quilts with this insulation. I think they are tied to ULA Backpacks

​@@DanStenzianohey Dan, a bit late but wondering if you found a good synthetic option, I'm vegan as well and not sure about the bulkiness of an apex quilt

They are indeed too large, but it doesn't really matter. Leaves plenty of room to tie a knot and the excess doesn't take up much space. The nylofume bags are definitely not a perfect solution as I've said to a couple others, I see them more as a temporary fix until I find or someone tells me about something better. Haven't tried the roasting bags but they could work if they didn't suffer from the opposite problem of being too small.

@@DanStenziano They come in all sizes from little Quail Bags up to giant drum liners and they seem to last for ever. At least I'm still using two of them after 1,200 miles on the PCT. You can cook in them as well but I never carry a stove (so far). www.amazon.com/stores/node/20288560011?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=True%20Liberty%20Bags&ref_=bl_dp_s_web_20288560011 I use smaller ones for specific food items and then put them all in a turkey or goose size bag. Protein Powder is the one item that smalls the most and goes right through regular zip lock bags. It's so light that I often spill it anyway so I dont know what good it does LOL Maybe it's just the vanilla flavor they add that does that, I could switch to chocolate but I LOVE the vanilla.

@@hikerJohn Cool! Thanks for the link. Cheaper than the nylofume too. Now if only there was a way to test the scent proofing compared to nylofume other than putting smelly things in both bags and smelling the bags... Oh- and I forgot about the fleece. For some reason it's no longer available but it is this: www.sunnysports.com/RecommendFor/whsbaqzm.html Basically what I like is as simple a 100 weight fleece as possible. I prefer solid fleece to grid because it's warmer for the weight but some will prefer grid for better breathability. Should weight around 7-8oz. Apparently I'll have to find a new fleece too.

@@DanStenziano I called the manufacturer and they said they are odor proof and made of a type of nylon as well.

John well that was easy 😛 Good to know! I plan on trying them next time I go out

karupt 5’8”

I do love the feeling of sleeping without a shelter, and do so often. But some tarps, like the one in this vid, offer as good or better storm protection than many tents. DCF tents are also great, and if you’re going to pitch your shelter every night then they are a better choice.