I’m thru hiking the 3,100 mile Continental Divide Trail this summer. I have a feeling I’m going to be switching out gear as needed, so I will share an updated final list when I’m finished with the trail. I’m carrying more gear than I’m used to, namely electronics, as I plan to vlog the hike along the way.
Check out my gear video on YouTube… coming soon :)
Tonya and I on the Sheltowee Trace Trail
First things first- here’s my gear list with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s:
A few days ago I got on the 343 mile Sheltowee Trace Trail to finish what I started in 2023. I had 50 miles left, walking north from the southern terminus. I had hoped and planned to do this stretch earlier this season, even adding on an additional 50 for training… but things change.
It was a terribly rainy spring and a tornado ripped through towns near the trail only a few weeks prior. I waited for a weather window that worked for me and it was too close to summer for my taste, but I was determined to finish the damn thing.
Paired with an overgrown trail and an already noticeably heavy tick season, it made for some high alert hiking. Not to mention keeping an eye out for copperheads and bears- only one bear was spotted on this outing.
Last minute I decided to bring Tonya, Tabor’s dog, who has taken to me. She was the buffer between the ticks and I, collecting them like souvenirs in her fur. God, there were so many. I would stop every few minutes to pick off ticks crawling up my legs or trying to burrow into her fur. See slide for how many were latched. Now double… no triple that for totals.
Astonishingly I was only bit by two.
Half of those 50 miles were shared with horse trail. Shit soup is the nicest way to put it. Some was gravel which was pleasant comparatively, but it’s downright dangerous at times. Slippery as hell and mud sucking your shoes right off. A vile smell at times.
I camped 2 nights and took a little over 50 hours to hike 50 miles.
The heat and humidity gave me some very uncomfortable chafe in multiple places, a heat rash on both my lower back and where my backpack straps sit. Sand in my shoes gave me blisters on the balls of my feet- a new one for me. Noseeums ate me alive on the last day.
I only saw a few people camping on trail, no one actually hiking. A group of three men made me feel uncomfortable and it made me hate being a woman having to always be on guard, to feel this unwanted fear. I was thankful to have Tonya with me.
It was a new experience taking a dog with me on this type of hike. I wasn’t sure what she could handle, but she was a beast. We hiked 13.6, 22.2, and 16.8 miles.
I must be mad. Never again will I brave the hell of a Kentucky summer.
But somehow, I still had fun.
I’m planning on heading out on a big adventure this summer, but first I must finish the last 50 miles of the Sheltowee Trace Trail. In 2023 I hiked aproximately 150 miles of the trail in the spring and 150 miles in the fall (the mileage on this trail was not to a T). It was a pleasure to watch the trees, plants and animals come to life during the spring and then watch everything change color and get ready for winter.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint, dill pickle chips, a candy apple and first day back on trail
The Sheltowee Trace Trail covers 334 miles through the state of Kentucky into northern Tennessee. The trail runs through Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
The Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest was the very first place I ever backpacked.
I felt like I owed it to myself to hike this trail.
This was the first trail I hiked alone.
I’m sharing the gear I used to hike the trail in the fall. I was happy with all of my gear choices during this hike. Links include affiliate links from which I may receive a small compensation, thanks for trusting my recommendations!
2,000 mile review on the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest backpack
Read MoreIn April I hopped on the Appalachian Trail for a few weeks. A few friends asked me to join and I came out with the possibility of thru hiking the entire trail. Some opportunities came up back home, but this is the gear I would bring for a thru hike, section hike or weekend hike on the AT.
Backpack - Hyperlite Waypoint 35
Sleeping Pad - Nemo Tensor Insulated Regular
Quilt - Hyperlite 20 Degree
Shelter - Hyperlite MID 1 + 6 stakes
Trekking Pole - Gossamer Gear LT5 (single for tent pole)
Pillow - Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Regular
Puffy - Enlightened Equipment Torrid Pullover w/hood
Mid Layer/Thermal Bottoms - UA Base 2.0 Leggings
Mid Layer/Thermal Top - Senchi Hoody
Sleep Socks - Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks
Extra Socks - Injinji Midweight Trail
Undies - Exofficio Bikini
Rain Jacket - Montbell Versalite
Rain Pants - Montbell Versalite
Beanie - Fjallraven Vardag Beanie
Short Sleeve - Icebreaker Cool Lite
Socks - Injinji Midweight Trail
Bra - Patagonia Barely Bra
Hat - Baseball Cap
Cotton Bandana - Bandana
Shorts - Yogalicious 5" Shorts
Utensil - Toaks Titanium Spoon
Lighter - Mini Bic
Pot - Vargo Bot 700
Water Filter - Sawyer Squeeze w/coupler
Stove - BRS 3000T
Fuel - MSR Small
Phone - iPhone 13 Pro w/Case
Power Bank - Nitecore NB 10000
Headlamp - Nitecore Nu25 (w/UL band)
Headphones - Iphone Headphones
Charging Cables - Charging Block/Cables
Dry Bag - Hyperlite Roll Top 3L
Camera Body - Fujifilm XT-2 Body
Fujjifilm Battery - Camera Battery x2
Lens - 18-55mm Fuji Lens
Camera Strap - Peak Design Leash
Toothbrush - bamboo w/cover
Toothpaste - Travel Size
Hand Sanitizer - 1 oz bottle
Trowel - Deuce Trowel
Bidet - Culo
First AidTA oint/bandages/alcohol wipes/KT tape/Benadryl/advil/charcoal/immodium/earplugs
Repair Kitpatch/thread+needle
Wallet - Lite AF "First Aid"
Lip Balm - Dermatone Coconut
Sunscreen - Travel Size
Stuff Sack - Hyperlite 2L
It took us years, around 5 to be exact, to go through the process of deciding to get a camper, which type to get and eventually find one. Is she perfect? No, but this Toyota Tundra and Four Wheel Camper (FWC) rig ticks a lot of boxes.
Initially we wanted a van, we still sort of do, but most vans can only go so far on rutted forest service roads. We wanted to get out and explore deeper than most. We wanted to camp with a little more privacy and feel like we were in the middle of nowhere. Leave it to our trusty 2000 Toyota Tundra V8 with newly upgraded Falken Wildpeak tires to get us there (Not a plug of any sort, Darren simply agonized over getting these tires or not due to cost, and he was so happy that he did. We went on some pretty rough roads this summer and everything held up.).
The ability for the truck to get us places most trailers, vans, and fifth wheel campers cannot swayed our decision. Sure, we could get a newer 4X4 van, but that would cost an arm and a leg. We are currently using this vehicle/camper combo to get us out for a few months at a time- not live in it full time.
My obsession with campers began 5 or 6 years ago. With full time jobs, I couldn’t get Darren on board with dropping everything and buying some rickety old thing to travel the world in. Imagine that. So, in the spring of 2018 I rented a VW Vanagon and we roadtripped around the desert for a week, exploring Nevada and Utah. I had always been enamored with the style of the Vanagons, and our experience in the camper solidified that sentiment. It was indeed near perfect in its design. The thing was, these vehicles are not so reliable. They are old and break down often. Just in our one week in the Vanagon interior knobs and levers broke off.
Initially, this didn’t deter me. Once we got home, I continued to look for Vanagons for sale. The price was acceptable at first, then prices started rising higher and higher. There was no way we would spend $40k for a 30 year old vehicle that is bound to break down constantly. Then we looked at Eurovans. Same issue. One thing I loved about the Vanagon was the poptop concept. Vans with this setup were over our budget, and we didn’t really want a camper van as a main vehicle. Then comes the truck and popup camper idea. In the meantime, we would thru hike the John Muir Trail in 2019, Long Trail in 2020, and Pacific Crest Trail in 2021.
When we returned from the PCT in fall of 2021, Darren purchased a 2000 Toyota Tundra. He had looked for well over a year before finding the right one. Being from Ohio, most of the old generation Tundras are rusted out underneath due to winter salt exposure. This one was pristine. Sure, he could have purchased a new Toyota but again, price and also SIZE. The old gen Tundras are small and that’s how we like it.
As a year 2000, I know you might say- but, that truck is OLD AF. Well, that’s true- 22 years old, but the previous owners took amazing care of the truck and this Tundra generation is meant to last. They can go upwards of 500,000 or more with the proper care and maintenance. Since it is a common Toyota, more mechanics will know how to fix it. We had it tuned up before our 2 month trip through California and Colorado and the only issue was a tiny chip in the windshield on the way home.
Gas mileage is pretty pitiful with the camper on the truck. We wager that it’s around 15mpg on the highway going at a responsible speed. If we go over 80mph, the miles per gallon decreases significantly. We keep her at a comfortable 60-70mph. It takes longer to get anywhere, so we take that into consideration with planning.
Our research for campers was extensive. Since we loved the popup concept, we gravitated toward popup campers to put on the truck. Low profile, lightweight and some of the most reliable on the market, Four Wheel Campers stood out as the ideal choice. They were known to hold up while the competitors popup campers were known to leak. We knew we wanted something older, because guess what? These FWC are some of the most expensive popup truck campers on the market. If you order one new it’s around $30k, and the wait can be a year or longer.
They hold their value, and possibly even gain value throughout the years. We were shocked by the cost of these campers, especially the used older models. These campers, new and old, were selling the day people listed them.
We realized that we’d have to get lucky and find one that was the perfect size for our small old truck. It would also have to be near-ish to us, which is a long shot because these campers are highly uncommon in the midwest. If it’s old, the condition has to be great, otherwise it’s not worth the money to us. We didn’t want to spend time stripping down and building out a camper, but we were willing to build onto it.
After over a year of searching and many failed attempts at purchasing, I finally found a 2005 Four Wheel Camper Eagle, the perfect size for our small Tundra. It was in great condition and was shell model, meaning it was lighter weight even with a custom build. It didn’t have a sink, but that wasn’t an issue for us. The thing was- it was in Florida. That’s a story for another time- I’ll share how we found our camper and the journey it took to get there in separate post.
We named the camper “Heisenberg” aka “Walter White”.
As thru hikers, we know what it’s like to live with less. Living on the trail means no showers, toilets, or warm beds to sleep in at night. No refrigeration for cold drinks or skillets to make fancy tacos.
This camper is a legitimate upgrade from sleeping in a tent every night. We have a solar panel that keeps the battery charged, offering power for our refrigerator/cooler, laptops, fan and lights. The bed up top pulls out to make a larger than Queen size bed. We added extra storage for clothes and toiletries with the addition of the shelving with flexible rope baskets. There is no shower in the camper, but we do use a solar shower occasionally. We have a cassette toilet inside the camper, but we still haven’t used the thing. Reminder- we are thru hikers and are accustomed to taking care of business outside.
The camper is equipped with an old Coleman Camp Stove, which has flung itself from flimsy mounts on the counter multiple times when off roading. We’re going to have to find a better mounting system for that. We love to cook, but are somewhat limited with ingredients due to storage. We ate a ton of tacos and “bowl” foods cooked in our cast iron skillet.
Over the past few months, we’ve had a blast in this camper. A positive is that it’s small, compact and lightweight- great for off roading and better for gas mileage. You don’t want your truck to be weighted down and struggling to perform. On the other hand, a negative is that it’s small and compact- for two people it juuuust works, but there will be times when you have to step outside to get your own space. It’s a pretty tiny area to share with another person for months at a time.
We drove up rutted out forest service roads with minimal clearance due to low hanging branches. Basketball sized boulders littered the road and we drove over them like a Tonka truck. We squeezed between trees that others had scraped up. When everyone was camped at the first pullouts, our rig was able to get us further in to be immersed in the wild.
In and out of the truck- this is where a van would be the better choice. Eventually you get comfortable in the camper and you will have forgotten something in the cab. We cannot easily access the cab without exiting the camper and going around. There is a lot of back and forth between the two depending on how you store things, but a van would be more convenient since everything in contained in one unit. That is our only gripe about having a truck camper… and it’s not really that big of an issue.
Stealth with a popup truck camper could also be an issue if you plan on sleeping in the city and want to be discreet. It’s not important for us to be stealthy, as we are mostly camping in the forest. You could opt to not pop the top and sleep on the bench, but I still think a van wins here.
Security was a big deal for us, so we took preventative measures and installed antitheft products in our rig. We saved so much on the camper that we had extra in our budget to customize a few things.
Lots more to talk about on this subject, but overall we had a great time and enjoyed our experience in the camper. We have made a few mental notes on things we could change for our next trip… bring less clothes, update the mattress, and possibly build out more storage solutions in the cab.
A short film on my PCT 2021 thru hike
Read MoreAll of my current camera gear.
Read MoreThe gear I took on the Pacific Crest Trail summer of 2021
Read MoreHandmade by me and available to purchase!
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