Hack Your Pack's video: PCT Ep 02 - Going Solo Scissors Crossing to Warner Springs 2017 PCT Thru Hike Hack Your Pack

Picking up at the end of my first week on the PCT, I'm now hiking on my own and slowly increasing my mileage. But my middle age knees struggle to adapt to the higher mileage. This episode starts a few miles South of Scissors Crossing and heads North to Warner Springs. I enjoy the first blisters of my thru-hike and come to regret over-lightening my pack in a few key areas. Then I learn to cope with my first long water carry through the Anzo-Borrego Desert and capture a few beautiful photographs of the tail-end of the super bloom. A couple of details not covered in the video: I arrived at Scissors Crossing intending to refill water and push on. However, the magnetic pull of town, hot food, and laziness lured me back to Julian. In the hotel room, I discovered a tick on my right butt cheek. Since Julan has a health clinic, I decided it was best to spend a day to get it looked at. Something you won't discover in these videos is that I was also hauling a small computer in my pack. I was convinced that I needed it to plan for the Sierras (my pre-hike planning only went as far as mile 704). I also had ambition to blog using the computer, though I don't think I even produced one post. Pillsbury convinced me to begin bouncing the laptop ahead, which combined with the other efficiencies saved me a whopping 10lbs of base weight. Some of the other optimizations she helped me with are listed below: - Replace Osprey Exos with a Hyperlight Mountain Gear Windrider 3400 - Replace wind shirt and rain jacket and rain chaps (yes chaps) with the OR Helium jacket and pant - Remove Enlightened Equipment Hoodlum... Beanie, buff, and hoods should be enough - Remove stuff sacks - Remove glove liners and use sleeping socks instead - Remove extra clothes and town clothes... embrace being hiker trash - Replace tyvek ground sheet for polycro (not actually achieved until Big Bear) Pillsbury runs 2 Foot Adventures, a mobile gear shop out of a converted Airstream trailer. She follows the PCT hiking herd as they move northbound on the trail, offering UL products and advice from the perspective of a former thru-hiker. She's a great resource for the trail community, and you should totally check out her shop if you are passing through the right town at the right time. Otherwise, you can find her online here: https://2footadventures.com/ Thanks for watching! I'm grateful for your support. For more adventures in ultralight backpacking: Website: https://www.hackyourpack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyourpack Twitter: https://twitter.com/hackyourpack Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hackyourpack Let's be adults and play nice with copyright (both yours and mine). Video is shot and edited by myself. Music is licensed from Artlist.io