Great Gear

This post is dedicated to the gear that stood out in some way.

YAMA Mountain Gear: YAMA sponsored me with a tent, the Stratiform 1P system, that I used for California and Oregon. I upgraded in size to YAMA's Terraform for Washington because I wanted more room for the rainy state. YAMA's gear is thru-hiking-proof. The customer service is exceptional. If you're in the market for a new, lightweight tent take a look at YAMA's website.

Leki Trekking Poles: Specifically, the Summit Antishock model. These are tough poles and withstood a significant amount of abuse with only one incident. An internal lock failed and become lodged inside of the middle pole section, rendering the pole useless. I called Leki and they shipped me two new pole sections for no cost, no questions asked. I had the replacements at my next resupply stop and they lasted the rest of the trip.

Turtle Fur: I started the trip with one of their Polartec Windbloc Fleece liner hats. It quickly began to form multiple holes even though I was only sleeping in it occasionally. I called Turtle Fur and informed them of the issue and they shipped me a new one immediately at no cost. They also asked that I send back the old one so they could investigate it. The new one was perfect for the rest of the hike and kept my head warm without overheating it. I'd recommend it for any type of backpacking trip.

Merrel: I began the hike in a pair of Vasque Velocity trail runners and was miserable because of totally flat insoles within 200mi. I tried a few other trail runners with similar results and finally decided to go back to what I knew: Merral Moab Ventilators. These boots are as light as most shoes yet they provide much more cushion and support. They easily last 1,000mi, twice the lifespan of most trail shoes.