And the Light Shall Inherit the Earth

Trail Magic

For those attempting an AT thru-hike, trail magic is very real. Random acts of kindness from total strangers reaffirm a faith in humanity that is often absent from our real-world lives. The Magic can take many forms, be it a cooler in the woods with soda and donuts, a much-needed ride into or out of town, or befriending a stranger in town who invites you to their home for a shower, place to sleep, laundry, and sometimes even a home-cooked meal. All the things thru-hikers no longer take for granted are generously made available and some degree of normalcy is achieved.
—TG

Photo Essay: Hiking the Andes with Mountain Lodges of Peru

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The first step? The Big Three: backpack, sleeping bag, and shelter. These items account for the majority of pack weight, so focusing on ways to keep their bulk and weight down takes priority.

The 19-ounce Granite Gear Virga ($110; www.granitegear.com) backpack is a well-appointed, frameless top-loader with 3,500 cubic inches of space, providing ample room for all the necessary lightweight gear. At first blush it may seem flimsy, but in lieu of a frame, your sleeping pad serves a dual purpose by unfurling inside the bag, giving it rigidity. The pad-free hip belt may also cause the raise of a skeptical eyebrow, but remember that you're only huffing a 20-pount kit. The absence of pads is scarcely noticeable.

For summer camping, the Marmot Pounder ($159; www.marmot.com) is the lightweight backcountry equivalent of bedding down in 400-count Egyptian cotton. It may not be as comfortable as a Comfort Rest, but it weighs a microscopic 17 ounces (20 for the long). This low weight does mean that the bag's 40-degree rating leaves little wiggle room, so opt for something heavier if you anticipate colder temps. And like most ultralight sleeping bags, it isn't a roomy bag, so if you tend to toss and turn, things could get tight. But for warm-weather camping, you can't beat the weight or small pack size, and its synthetic fill means that it'll dry quickly if it happens to get wet, a feature you don't get with the more expensive down bags.

To keep off the hard ground, I use a three-quarter-length Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 ($89.95; www.thermarest.com) sleeping pad, which covers my hips and shoulders, primarily. It inflates one inch and supplies just enough cushion to rest comfortably after a tough day on the trail.

Camping shelters have also come a long way in recent years, eliminating excess fabric and extraneous poles without sacrificing versatility. And in that evolutionary race, TarpTent's Squall 2 ($195; www.tarptent.com) easily rises to the fore. This sil-nylon masterpiece of functionality and usability is a thoughtfully-designed, single-wall hybrid that can be pitched in a mere three minutes. As with all TarpTents, the Squall 2 subscribes to the lightweight philosophy by employing the hiking poles as tent poles, thus illuminating the extra weight. If you haven't bought into using hiking poles just yet, lightweight tent poles are also available—but give hiking poles a go for one day hike and you'll likely be converted. They aid in pacing, keep snakes at a distance, save you from spraining your ankles, and operate as an extension of your body when fording streams. I love Black Diamond's Terra CF ($124.95; www.bdel.com). Shafts made from extremely durable carbon fiber make them strong and light (only a pound for the pair), the foam handles provide great grip without the blisters, and the 15-degree corrective angle puts less strain on your wrists.

But back to the tent. The twin trekking poles create a gaping entryway for the Squall 2 and the tent's roomy interior provides plenty of space to enter and leave quickly, sit up with headroom to spare, and get dressed without enduring Circ de Soleil contortions. Full-perimeter netting allows the shelter to breathe, preventing condensation from forming and keeping insects at bay. When pitched properly, the extended beaks at each end keep you and your gear dry, even in the hardest downpours. Choose between a floorless model that needs only a patch of Tyvek to keep you off the wet grass, or have a floor sewn in for a few more dollars. Weighing in at exactly two pounds, including stakes, lines, and sewn-in floor, you will be hard pressed to find a sturdier, more effective shelter for the money or weight.