The best hike in the world for me personally was the Huayhuash Circuit,
We did rent a cook tent and hire a mule driver, but decided on our route independently.
Huayhuash is dangerous. Hikers have died there. This is arguably the best hike in the world but is appropriate only for robust, experienced high altitude trekkers.
The greatest danger is altitude sickness. We hired horses instead of mules so we could evacuate by horse, if necessary. Smart trekkers do some acclimatization treks out of Huaraz before catching the bus to Huayhuash.
I hiked and bikepacked Norway for many weeks summers of 2018 and 2022.
Norway IS expen$ive. The best way to lower your holiday costs is to sleep FREE in your tent.
A longstanding law called allemannsretten (loosely translated as ‘the right to roam’) allows everyone to wild camp virtually anywhere in open country, for free.
Langøyene island, a 15-minute ferry ride away from Oslo, has grassy glades to pitch up in, right next to the fjord. Sognsvann lake, north of Oslo, is another good spot. …
However — it’s a small percentage of Norway that is both flat enough and dry enough to pitch a tent. I was happy I carried a foam sleeping pad as well as my air mattress. I put it UNDER the tent to keep everything a little drier.
If you can’t find a good free spot, it’s easy to locate one of the 1,000 or so paid campsites.
Protection from the wind is another problem. I did hear of wind breaking tent poles. It’s often gusty.
A hiker had recommended this free spot in Sommarøy. Ideal. Wooden tent pad with protection from the ocean wind.
I like having a picnic table to organize gear and sit down for meals.
This was the closest free site I could find near Svolvær. No picnic table.
Here are a few more typical sites.
Last night tenting, I found my MSR Hubba™ NX Easton Syclone tentpole had broken … somehow. It’s the most unreliable part of MSR tents, along with their lightweight zippers.
My favourite campsite was Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten. But this cost $20 / night. It’s the trailhead for the Veggen and the more popular Mannen climbs.
Both bear canisters meet Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) grizzly bear testing standards as of May 2022 and are approved for use on the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.
… hikers now have twice as many options on offer from BearVault to help protect their food (and protect the bears) in the backcountry. …
Kraig Becker on The Adventure Blog is one of my most trusted gear reviewers.
He’s been using this innovative sleeping system since 2018:
… The model I tested was rated for use in 10ºF (-12ºC) and the entire system (sheet and comforter) weighs just 3 lbs, 13 oz. (1.73 kg) for a large model. An equivalent-sized version rated for 25ºF (-4ºC) temperatures weigh more than a pound (.45 kg) less. Make no mistake, there are other sleeping bag options that weigh less, but few will deliver this much comfort. …
It looks great. Ideal for adventures where weight is not a major issue: Bikepacking, Kayaking, car camping, etc.
I opted for the 20 degree (6C) 850 down fill version. Regular length. Wide. This should keep me warm and comfortable on all my typical outdoor adventures. Even Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland.
Enlightened Equipment gives you hundreds of options. You can custom order exactly what you want.
Though it’s down, apparently I will be able to wash this bag.
Full Windsor sent me a sample set of their Magnetic Flatware.
And I’m impressed.
High quality. Durable. And the magnetic coupling is super slick.
There’s no way I could possibly bend or break the spoon as I’ve often done in the past with metal and titanium. The knife has a serrated edge that could cut wire!
besthike.com 