Andrew Skurka's Blog, page 4

Video Tutorial: How to plan a backpacking trip in 7 steps

Last night Andrew and I hosted a 55-minute tutorial on trip planning. If you joined us, thank you. If you didn’t, you can watch the replay below. Please join us for our next discussion at the end of the month about the ways in which backpacking is fundamentally different for women than men.

Topics we discussed included:

Why trip planning mattersDefining trip parameters: where, when, with who, and why?How to research likely conditions, such as temperature and bug pressureHow to select gearPlanning an itineraryFood and resupply planningCreating and collecting navigational resourcesAssessing and gaining the appropriate skills and fitnessCompleting a final systems checkResources

We mentioned several planning resources including:

Tutorial: Plan a backpacking trip in these 7 stepsBackpacking trip planning checklistTrip planner templateTemplate: environmental and route conditionsTrip planning research: My go-to resourcesBackpacking Gear List Template + 3-season ChecklistWatch the event:

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Aquamira: Why we like it, and how we use it

For about twenty years and almost exclusively I have used Aquamira ($15) to purify backcountry water sources. And it’s been the only purification method used by the guided trip program that I started in 2011 and that has over 1,000 alumni.

Last month two of these alumni emailed me separately, asking for a written explanation of our Aquamira methods. Alfredo wrote, “I am leading a group of ten new backpackers on a three-day trip in central Florida. I normally use a gravity filter but want to change to Aquamira after using it in the High Sierra.” And David wrote, “Please explain how your guides use Aquamira and the dropper bottles. I want to do the same on a trip next month to the Grand Canyon.”

TL;TR

The text in this post is slightly more nuanced and comprehensive, but this video will get you 90 percent of the way there, too:

Why treat

Water can be effectively treated by boiling it, treating it with chemicals (iodine, bleach, chlorine dioxide), filtering it, or subjecting it to UV light. All methods are designed to either kill, neutralize or extract pathogens (protozoa, bacteria, and viruses) that can infect a human with a waterborne illness. For a deeper dive on the pros and cons of these options, read this post.

In North America, we’re mostly concerned about having severe gastrointestinal distress, and giardia probably gets the most attention.

Why I like Aquamira

My recommended water purification method is Aquamira, a chemical treatment of chlorine dioxide. I prefer Aquamira for personal and guided trips because:

1. It works. I track injuries and illnesses, and Aquamira has a very good track record in our program. Clients or guides have rarely become ill during or after their trips, and these cases can often be attributed to likely human error (e.g. mixing up of purified and unpurified bottles).

2. It’s time efficient. In a 10-person group, at each water stop we treat at least ten liters of water. If this stop precedes a dry day or a dry camp, we could be looking at fifty liters (13 gallons)! With Aquamira, we can do this in just a few minutes. With filters or UV pens, each water stop would take substantially longer.

3. It has little aftertaste, unlike other chemical treatments like bleach or iodine.

4. It has few potential points of failure. Versus boiling, Aquamira is faster, better tasting, and less fuel consumptive. Unlike filters, Aquamira does not clog and require backflushing. Unlike UV pens, it does not rely on electronics, batteries, or fragile glass.

The advantages of Aquamira seem to hold in all of our operating areas, which in 2024 include southern Utah, Alaska, the High Sierra, Yellowstone, and the Appalachians.

I prefer the Aquamira drops over chlorine dioxide tablets like these from Potable Aqua ($18) because the drops are more flexible and more cost effective.

This 2-oz size (for both Part A and B) will treat about 60 gallons according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.Manufacturer recommended process

To purify water, the manufacturer recommends these steps:

Mix seven drops of Part A and seven drops of Part B into the provided mixing cap.Let this solution react for five minutes. It should turn bright yellow.Put the solution into one liter of water.Wait 15 minutes if you’re concerned about giardia, bacteria, or viruses. Wait up to four hours if you’re concerned about cryptosporidium.Drawbacks in the recommended process

The manufacturer’s instructions will effectively purify your water, but it has drawbacks.

One issue is the physical bottles containing Parts A and B.

They are difficult to squeeze, probably because they are square-bottomed and because they’re made of overly rigid plastic. Cylindrical bottles are available now, too, but I’ve not used them.The 1-ounce package (two ounces total of A and B) is way more than needed for normal trip lengths. For context, we carry this amount on a 7-day trip for a 10-person group.

A second issue is the 5-minute wait while Parts A and B react to each other. This time adds up over a day, and it’s disruptive to a hiking cadence. Also, the mixing cap is vulnerable to being stepped on or knocked over, or having debris land in it.

Finally, the recommended dose (fourteen drops total) may be appropriate for “worst case” water like a cow pond with poop floaties and a dead carcass, but it’s overkill for most water sources. When used on water taken from good-to-great sources, the water will have a noticeable swimming pool-like chlorine taste.

The square-bottomed bottles made of overly rigid plastic are very difficult to squeeze.Disclaimer

Below I share how we use Aquamira. These practices are inconsistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations. So far they have worked well for us, but your mileage may vary. Follow this information at your own risk.

Our system: Bottles

We decant Parts A and B into these 10 ml dropper bottles from US Plastics, using an irrigation syringe. These bottles, which are light-proof and air-tight, are easier to squeeze and they’re more appropriately sized for smaller groups and trips of normal lengths.

To mark the bottles, I use this multi-pack of electrical tape:

Bottles with Part A are wrapped with apple red tape.Bottles with Part B are wrapped with blueberry-colored tape.

By using a different dropper bottle, you run the risk of having bottles with unequal drop sizes, i.e. Seven drops of A and B actually translate to 10 drops out of your dropper bottles. It’s important to test the relative drop size and to adjust accordingly.

Our smaller and softer dropper bottles are marked with electrical tape: apple red for Part A, blueberry for Part B, and yellow for the premix.Our system: Premix (no wait time!)

At the first water source or in the morning over breakfast, we premix Parts A and B into a third dropper bottle. If we use another 10 ml bottle, we wrap it in yellow tape. Soloists may want to use smaller premix container, like this 6 ml bottle.

Important: If you are making the premix, ignore anyone who tries to talk with you. If you want to talk to the person making the premix, wait until they are completely done.

A 10 ml bottle will hold about 75 drops of both Part A and B, for a total of 150 drops. In our program, this is enough to purify about 20 liters of water.

By making the Aquamira beforehand, we avoid the 5-minute wait time that’s part of the manufacturer’s recommended process. In addition, our capped premix bottle is more secure than the provided mixing cup.

The effectiveness of premix over time is not officially established. I’ve heard reports of it being okay for several days, but I encourage my guide team to cook a new batch of Aquamira each morning. This daily routine seems more reliable than trying to recall if the premix is from, say, Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening.

Our solution: Dosage and dwell times

The manufacturer recommends a mixture of seven drops of both Part A and B (fourteen drops total) per one liter of water, and before drinking waiting at least fifteen minutes (or four hours if there’s a risk of cryptosporidium).

Cryptosporidium

We never intentionally wait four hours, even in a location like southern Utah where there’s little water and almost no high quality water. I only have one record of a client testing positive for crypto, six years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park. This means that one of two things:

Cryptosporidium is not common where we operate, orAquamira more rapidly purifies water contaminated with cryptosporidium than stated by the manufacturer.Dosing

Instead of the recommended fourteen drops (seven of both Part A and B), we often use just half that amount — that is, seven drops of premix per one liter of water, if we want it drink-ready in fifteen minutes. If the water is high quality, I may use less, like of the premix; if the water has an unpleasant odor or color, I may use more, like ten drops.

Water with this smaller dose has much less chlorine taste. And it still must be effective because we’ve been doing this for a long time with only very rare incidents.

Dwelling

If the water is not needed in fifteen minutes, the dosing ratio can be reduced even further. For example, I will treat a 2.4-liter Platybottle with only seven drops of premix, then give it hours to do its thing, like overnight or between breakfast and lunch.

Ownership

With Aquamira and most other water purification methods, too, it can be difficult to retroactively determine bottles that have (or have not) been purified. Aquamira may give off a bleachy odor and sometimes will off-gas, but neither observation is reliable.

We put the onus on each group member to own their water purificvation, specifically by knowing:

Which of their bottles has been purified (or not), andWhen their bottles will be safe to drink.

This system of ownership works well until a “water party” offers to fill up and purify bottles for other members in the group. In this case, it’s imperative that the water party have a good system for tracking bottles that have (or have not) been purified. To help distribute bottles to their correct owners afterwards, it’s helpful to mark all bottles, like with that leftover electrical tape.

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Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Trip Planning Tutorial: Join us March 6

Join Andrew and I on March 6 for another tutorial livestream. The focus of this conversation is a deep dive on how to plan a backpacking trip.

Join us on March 6 at 6:00pm MT here.

Topic covered will include:

Why trip planning mattersDefining trip parameters: where, when, with who, and why?How to research likely conditions, such as temperature and bug pressureHow to select gearPlanning an itineraryFood and resupply planningCreating and collecting navigational resourcesAssessing and gaining the appropriate skills and fitnessCompleting a final systems check

Andrew draws from experience planning lengthy expeditions like the:

Alaska-Yukon Expedition (6 months, 4,700 miles),Great Western Loop (7 months, 6,875 miles), and theSea-to-Sea Route (11 months, 7,775 miles).

And Katie from planning trips, such as:

backpacking the length of the Grand Canyon,hiking an 800-mile off-trail loop in the Great Basin of Nevada, and traversing the Sangre de Cristo range.Questions?

If you would like to submit a question for this event, complete this form. Or leave a comment below. During the broadcasts we try to answer all questions received.

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Tutorial: Gear and Skills for Desert Backpacking

Yesterday, Andrew and I hosted a livestream focused on the foundations of backpacking in the desert.

Topics we discussed included:

Leave No Trace in the desertTrip planning: seasonality and daily flowHazardsWater: how much to carry, how to find it, carrying capacity, favorite bottles, treatment, electrolytesFootwear: ideal characteristics, favorite modelsClothing: tops, bottoms, accessoriesCamp selection: best and worst desert campsDry campingBest shelters for the desertPitching shelters on slickrock and sandGear care and special gearDesert navigation

In terms of the desert experience we’re drawing upon, here are the highlights:

Andrew

backpacked 800 miles across the Colorado Plateau from Arches to Grand Canyon NPs in 2009hiked from the Grand Canyon to the PCT across southern California, including a 70-mile waterless stretch without a cachebackpacked through southern California on the PCT in June

Katie

backpacked the length of the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Pearce Ferryhiked an 800-mile loop in the Great Basin of Nevadahas completed the PCT and CDT desert sections as well as the Oregon Desert TrailWatch the event:

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Tutorial: Backpacking in the Desert

Join Andrew and I on January 30 for another Ask Us Anything livestream. The focus of this conversation is desert travel and backpacking.

Join us on January 30 at 6:00pm MT here.

Topic covered will include:

Water planningTrip planning: seasonality and daily scheduleOverland and canyon travel: navigationFootwearClothingHazards: wildlife and weatherCamping and shelter setupGear careSpecial gear considerationsLNT & Etiquette

In terms of the desert experience we’ll be drawing upon, here are the highlights:

Andrew

backpacked 800 miles across the Colorado Plateau from Arches to Grand Canyon NPs in 2009hiked from the Grand Canyon to the PCT across southern California, including a 70-mile waterless stretch without a cachebackpacked through southern California on the PCT in June

Katie

backpacked the length of the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Pearce Ferryhiked an 800-mile loop in the Great Basin of Nevadahas completed the PCT and CDT desert sections as well as the Oregon Desert TrailQuestions?

If you would like to submit a question for this event, complete this form. Or leave a comment below. During the broadcasts we try to answer all questions received.

The post Tutorial: Backpacking in the Desert appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Christopher Roma: Learning to turn back

Last week an experienced thru-hiker, 37-year old Christopher Roma, died tragically of exposure in the White Mountains. My condolences are with his parents, family, and friends.

My father and several alumni shared this news with me. I had never met Christopher, but in at least a few respects we were kindred souls.

I know only public details about the accident, from news reports. And based on that information I wouldn’t dare question his preparedness or his decision-making. For all I know, he could have done this exact trip multiple times before at this exact time of year; or he just got unlucky, because his parka zipper or snowshoe strap broke.

Many people will question his actions, however, since the conditions were objectively bad. According to ABC, he was facing “single-digit temperatures, harsh winds and waist-deep snow.” A helicopter tried three times to land near him, and couldn’t because of poor visibility. And many rescuers had to retreat because they were getting frostbite themselves.

I will ponder though: Did he not turn back because he had never turned back before?

I ask this because it’s a lesson that most thru-hikers don’t ever learn — or, at least I didn’t. It’s conceivable that Christopher hiked the Pacific Crest, Continental Divide, and Appalachian Trails, plus probably many other lesser known trails and summits, without ever having to turn around. Certainly the conditions would have been challenging at times, but never so bad that he couldn’t push through them or get out of them. That’s the reality of these trails in three-season conditions.

In other outdoor sports, turning back is more embedded in the culture and a more widely discussed expectation. For example, backcountry skiers turn back if they think the avalanche conditions are too risky. Mountaineers turn back if the conditions deteriorate, if they don’t reach the summit before a designated time, or if they’re too exhausted. And rock/ice climbers turn back if there is too much rockfall or weak ice.

In contrast, thru-hikers can come to expect that they can always move forward because they always have. Until one day they can’t. And if you’ve never turned back before, why suddenly would you realize that it’s even an option. Turning back is like a muscle — if you don’t ever use it, you may not know it’s there.

I feel very fortunate that I didn’t learn this lesson the hardest way, with my own life. In hindsight, it could have gone the other way on a few occasions, like when I thought I could hike my standard 30+ miles on the CDT through Colorado’s San Juans despite day-long 35-degrees-and-raining conditions, or when I forded the South Fork of the San Joaquin during peak runoff without even looking for a better spot than the trail crossing, or when I hiked and skied through avalanche terrain in Colorado without really understanding avalanche basics.

It wasn’t until the Alaska-Yukon Expedition that I made the realization, perhaps because I was no longer a naive twenty-something or because that landscape is more properly intimidating, with storms, rivers, mountains, and wilderness that are unrivaled in size and power by the lower 48. It took a few close calls for me to be okay with covering ground when the conditions permitted, and holing up for hours or days when they didn’t. Finesse not force, became my new refrain.

Even if it may not have helped Christopher, I hope another thru-hiker will benefit from knowing that turning around is an option.

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2024 needs-based scholarship: now accepting applications

In 2022 we launched a needs-based scholarship program to create more opportunities for individuals whose outdoor access has been hindered by limited financial resources, lack of generational or communal outdoor knowledge, or discrimination. Beginning today, January 16, we’re accepting applications to award scholarships for our 2024 guided trips and in our Plan Like a Pro online course.

The exact spots available to 2024 applicants has not yet been determined. In past years, we have made spots available on:

Fundamentals 3-day courses, andAdventure 5- and 7-day trips.

Spots on these trips are likely again in 2024. We don’t expect to have spots available on Expedition-level trips (canyoneering, 11-day, Alaska), and we expect to have fewer spots available on longer trips (5- and 7-day trips) than the shorter 3-day trips.

The scholarship award is equal to 80 percent of the trip fee and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Guided trip recipients will receive access to a pre-trip planning curriculum as well as our gear library.

Learn more and apply here.

If you’re not interested in applying, but would like to help make this program a success, please share this post.

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Ask Us Anything about Winter Backpacking, with Richard Forbes

Yesterday, Andrew and I hosted our first Ask Us Anything event of 2024. The topic was winter backpacking and our special guest was Montana-based guide, Richard Forbes.

Richard has guided more than 220 days across a wide range of mountain sports including rock climbing, mountain biking, mountaineering, whitewater, backpacking, backcountry skiing, map and compass, and photography. Over the last few years, Richard has:

skied or mountaineered across the Isolation, Ptarmigan, Bailey, Chiwaukum and Enchantments traverses in Washingtonclimbed and/or skied the five volcanoes of Washingtonrowed a raft down the Grand Canyon as part of a 27-day winter noncommercial trip, andvisited 20 out of 26 wilderness glaciers of Glacier National Park as part of a multi-year storytelling project.

Topics covered include:

Defining winter backpacking & the importance of understanding your regionHow to choose a location, especially as a beginnerThe biggest mistake Andrew and Richard have made winter backpackingHow to obtain drinking water and stay hydratedThe best stove and fuel to use in cold environmentsFood planning and ideal foods for winter travelGear considerationsBest use of snowshoes versus skisHow to sleep warm and dryVapor barrier liners: how they work and applicationConsiderations for choosing a winter shelterChoosing and preparing a campsite and pitching your shelterHow to deal with frozen boots overnightThe importance of avalanche training if you’re recreating in that terrainWatch the event:

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Ask Us Anything: Winter Backpacking

On Thursday, January 4, Andrew and I will be joined by guide Richard Forbes for another Ask Us Anything event. The focus of this conversation is how to safely backpack in winter.

Join us on January 4 at 6:00pm MT here.

Richard has guided more than 220 days across a wide range of mountain sports including rock climbing, mountain biking, mountaineering, whitewater, backpacking, backcountry skiing, map and compass, and photography. Over the last few years, Richard has:

skied or mountaineered across the Isolation, Ptarmigan, Bailey, Chiwaukum and Enchantments traverses in WA Stateclimbed and/or skied the five volcanoes of WA rowed a raft down the Grand Canyon as part of a 27-day winter noncommercial trip, andvisited 20 out of 26 wilderness glaciers of Glacier National Park as part of a multi-year storytelling project.

Topics discussed will include:

Requisite knowledge and skills to safely backpack in winterChoosing a locationSpecial gear considerationsNavigation in winterClothing and layering Campsite selection and preparationSleeping warmNutrition and hydrationQuestions?

If you would like to submit a question for the Ask Us Anything events, complete this form. During the broadcasts we try to answer all questions received.

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Application deadline today for UT, AK

If you’d like to join a guided trip next year in Utah or Alaska, the open application deadline is today/Monday.

Officially, you have until 11:59 pm MT. Realistically, if your application is waiting in my inbox tomorrow morning, you’ll be fine.

This week we will finish reviewing the applications, and next week we will start forming groups and offering spots. As we get deeper into this process, it can be difficult to find spots for new applicants; if we’re unable to, they’ll go on a waitlist and hope for a cancellation.

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