Don't worry, fanny packs have come full circle and are cool again. Thanks for the tips!

I thought the Oracle Ridge and the Superstitions were the WORST part of the AZT. You go down a couple dirt roads and the rock crawlers have made them like hiking on marbles. The rest was pretty stellar, though.

Oh, this looks and feels spectacular my friend!

Looking good, David. That stock tank looked like most all of my water sources here in cattle country. I’ve learned to filter and deal with it. It’s an acquired taste. lol.

I like mine.

🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌 0:29 0:29 0:30

Looks like a handy light to add to my road kit I keep in the vehicle.

Enjoyed more of the Arizona Spring scenery. Spent about a week in Tuscon in '09 and day hiked a few of those trails around Mt. Lemon. Had a great burger at a place called Sawmill Run, I think it was. Thanks for a few memories.

Wow…that’s a lot of miles and elevation; plus backtracking and extra time making and posting the video. Loooing day!!! Plus see those rocks and I think snakes…..😮

Thanks for making this video. I didn’t realize that there was an Arizona trail, but I don’t know why there wouldn’t be. It’s a beautiful state. I’ll have to go see it for myself one of these cooler days. ❤

Moving right along and some pretty good elevation gain and descent.

Looking forward to following this series! Happy trails!!!

I’m 68yrs young and the pandemic and dealing with LongCovid put a stop to my yoga and workouts so I’m just now starting to get back into it again and one of the best things for me is rebounding on my Cellerciser as it is great for your lymphatic system and less stress on my osteo knees! Thank you for this video perfect timing for me! ♥️🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♂️

Here we go! I’ve stayed in my share of hotels like that. They get the job done. lol.

I have a Cocoon pillow but it look different than that one. For the past couple of years I’ve been using a Zpacks pillow and it’s worked fine for me. I like that camouflage duplex you have. Wanted the same but by the time I saved the money, they had discontinued it.🤷‍♂️

Used to use the clothes stuffed in a bag method but treated myself to the Sea to Summit Aeros Regular and haven't gone back. The Nemo Filo looks nice and may give it a try.

Pillows are so hard for me, I have 5 or 6 and so far nothing feels like I want it to but I still sleep ok. I’m still looking for that perfect pillow, you gave me a few more options in the search. The Nemo Filo is probably the closest I’ve found however.

Thank you!

Older minds often think alike. I think our kids taught us about the advantages of being prepared. 😊

Glad you mentioned stairs, luckily I work at a gym so I’m getting stronger climbing legs on the nifty stair master. Take care good luck on your hikes

Great advice…

You nailed it on this one! Three day trip happening next week. Keeping an eye on my new shoes and new tent setup for July. Everything else is dialed in.

Hi David, hope all is well. Really enjoying your helpful content. How are you feeling about the Brooks Cascadia's? Still working for you? I'm on the hunt for a hiking shoe. Thanks for great info!

Nice review…

“Cool wears off really fast” - truth!

Thank you for this. There are "sponsored" items on Amazon making all kinds of crazy claims out there. These are the panel and battery combo units with ratings and reviews beyond reality.

Nice new gear. I’m interested in seeing how those new stakes do you. I too am a fan of the Groundhogs. New gear I’ve switched to is the Topo Pursuits and after the OT, I sized up a half size. Along with lace locking and the extra distance from toe to tip, I hope to mitigate some of the toenail damage I’ve experienced on long rocky downhills.

Hi David nice video and I like your lokation - looks like you're about to hike, ha ha Some good arguments for not doing the UL hiking to far - thanks for sharing

Looks wonderful. I'm a 67 year old woman who got the spring fever as well. I have been checking off the miles getting ready to also do a long hike this year. Many steps to you.

Loved these two videos. I'm currently prepping for a backpacking trip out to Colorado and this is one of the routes we're considering. Videos like these two really help me have more confidence when planning a trip to somewhere I've never been. Thank you for putting these together, they're awesome. Definitely subscribed!

I had spring fever because our Feb was beautiful so I hit the Ozark highland trail for two nights in early March..love your videos. I come to Co in the summer to escape the eastern ks humidity.

hi david ......finally with the pressure of my daughter to get myself to the gym at 70 and guess what i actually enjoy it and it also combats loneliness

Good morning Dave. You inspire me to get out overnight, again. Thank you

There is more snowshoe hiking to do as it appears we will have snow well into April and May.

Thanks David.. really needed this video today.. just walked off the Ouachita Trail after 7 days… 70 miles in.. i got injured and was hurting pretty but felling there after i walked. Like i could have kept going or maybe if i just took an extra day or maybe slowed down .. so many what if’s. So much planning went into this hike .. all is done for awhile. But after i heal i’m already starting to plan to go back Next year. Be even more prepared.

I recognized a few places in that video. Makes me want to get out!

Thanks, David. I needed this talk at the moment. Much appreciated.

👍Nice!

Good to see you got this warm up hike in before the late March blizzard out there. What section of the CT was this? Gettin' ready to scratch my spring fever outdoor itch for two weeks in the Cherokee National Forest. Looking forward to your summer adventures.

Great video! Enjoyed it

I am planning this very trip in late June. I was a little hesitant because I will be solo and am a bit older (61) but you have provided me the confidence. Thanks!

Thanks for the video on this topic. A couple of your points hit home on a trip that I was on last year and which I ended up quitting. 1) Your WHY is your super power. I have always been attracted to day hikes and back packing trips and even vacations where I could experience awesome views. This was true even before online repositories like KZbin or Instagram. So I know it is not just the "cool" factor. 2) Think about others too. My trip last year was planned mostly by me with a somewhat new hiking partner and their teenage son. I'm a parent as well so I had to watch how everyone was doing, not just "were they OK", but "am I leading them down a memorable experience." While I may easily be able to gut it out because I've done that so many, many times - it might not be what all the other people in my party would enjoy. One thing you didn't voice exactly was one of my mottos, "Backpacking is my favorite chosen past time and I WILL return." So whether one chooses to push on or chooses to turn back, it is indeed the aggregate that builds my joy in total, not just one particular dream trip. My turn-back story was on the Three Sisters Loop in Oregon last year. Around 50 miles, we were doing it in 4 days with slightly truncated days 1 and 4. Not a real tough challenge for me personally. First day was great, but then around midnight in camp I smelled smoke. I could walk about 10 minutes to get slight mobile reception and, indeed found that a wildfire had broken out. While we were not in real danger of meeting the fire, it was the smoke that was getting stronger and thicker. Our loop was going to turn south that day and move away from the fire so we probably could have continued safely. So at 7 AM we are wondering what to do. We ended up turning around. Basically it was my call in the end. The other two were, as you'd expect, supportive of either decision - go on or turn around. Little help there. I thought, "If I'm going to hike the Three Sisters wilderness, I want to experience it in all its glory." I was especially looking forward to seeing the vast lava flows which were difficult to even make out in the smoke. And I'd be pulling two hikers who were much younger in their backpacking careers. The kicker was, "I will be back." This was not the most ideal ending to the trip, but it definitely was not close to any ending of my backpacking career. Hopefully not theirs either. I'm planning to do that loop again this year and those two are signing up to accompany me again.

Love this!

I been exercise since grade school I’m 50 hiking is one of the outdoor activities that I still enjoy doing but only a short one like more than 5 miles

Starting the AT in March of 2025. I will turn 61 on the trail. I do a lot of trail running, hiking in the White Mountains and walking. I plan on adding in weights and yoga soon. I am also hoping to add in some biking on some bike trails. I wish I liked swimming because I think that is such a great, low impact, exercise. Thanks for the great info and reminder to keep moving forward.

Here's a suggestion I gave a friend of mine just the other day. If you think in terms of distance or landmarks along the way to complete a hike, it can really be discouraging because it makes the end of the hike seem so far away. Rather than that, what I do is I estimate what time I'll finish the hike and then check my progress against my watch. For instance, if I think I need top walk another 45 minutes, I'll just daydream for a while and then when I check my watch it may be 20 minutes later and I'll know I only have 25 more minutes to go. It's a lot less stressful that way and it's even fun to see how close I come to my estimated arrival time. This approach works really well on car trips, as well.

Good thoughts to keep in mind when on the trail or any other of life's pursuits. I've always dreaded that "last mile" doing different things like backpacking, flying or a trip to the beach, because that's when enjoyment of doing that thing ends. It's like the last day of vacation before having to go back to work. There's probably a psch term for that but I'm too lazy to look it up 😉.

Great advice...thanks!

Met a guy hiking the PCT in 2022.He said he was 78.

New subscriber here. I’m 70 (female) and love being outdoors every day. I hike with my 91 yr old husband and our 10 yr old dog. We haven’t missed a morning in 24 years