I'm a fan of cafe bustelo packets for backpacking trips.

Definitely an REI Flexlite chair. 1lb and will never leave my list.
https://www.rei.com/product/148036/rei- ... -air-chair

I always take my own. I take it off the cardboard roll so it stores flat, and have the nice cozy brand I always use. I also never have to wonder if there will be some at my next stop.

I'm way late to the party here, but my stove system is the one thing I didn't change for the first 5 years of my backpacking life. I use a "Caldera Cone" system and use HEET as the fuel. It's efficient, lightweight (even with fuel), and easy to use. I did buy a Jetboil system this year when it was ...

We definitely rafted past those sites! Our river guide took us into the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado and it was so much colder, but he promised they had great fishing on that river. We were both getting snowed on 6/22. I was backpacking the Lost Creek Wilderness that weekend and got ...

We were in CO the end of June. Spent half a day birding Pawnee Grasslands where we saw a lifer Burrowing Owl. Met up with family in Glenwood Springs. Camped along the Colorado at a site where we had sand bags to protect our site from the river. Went to Colorado Monument (cool place) and Hanging ...

I didn't see Esbit when I was there, but I wasn't looking for it specifically. Can you take the tabs on the seaplane? Could be better to do that if so. Sorry you're losing a day! That's frustrating.

I'm a guilty migrant and see every day exactly what you're talking about. Traffic sometimes as bad as Chicago, and backcountry sites and roads crowded. Just a month or so ago there was an hour-long backup to get in to RMNP and no parking once people did get in. Same with the 14ers. Inexperienced and ...

I've been a very irregular poster this year. I moved to Colorado in December, and for the first time since 2016 I won't visit Isle Royale this year. But I have been exploring what Colorado has to offer! Sending Instagram links since the photos are already available. Mt Rushmore/Custer State Park ...

My jacket is a Marmot Precip as well. I don't tend to hike in it, but it's great to keep the wind and water off once in camp. I just accept getting wet as part of the hiking experience. Much more important to keep your bag dry than your shirt/pants (a wet bag adds a LOT of water weight and most ...

I second Base's suggestion above. You'll hit McCargoe and Moskey, which are two of my favorite camps on the island. I would personally stay at 3Mile rather than Rock Harbor on the 29th, then march in early morning. To be fair I take the Queen, which departs later than the Ranger, so it might depend ...

If anyone else is looking, I found a great company: https://outdoorherbivore.com/

I took their products to Isle Royale last year and it was all pretty great.

I promise you will regret it if you push on for Windigo after N. Desor! It took me 9 hours on that section, and I was wrecked by the end of it. The section from Little Todd to North Desor is probably the toughest section mile-for-mile I've ever hiked. That took me 5 hours for the 6-mile trip. North ...

Thanks for the report and I am glad you have good memories. The Minong is not for the faint of heart! Two parts of your story make me quite sad and angry--the vandalism of the outhouse and the idiot with the dog off the leash. I thought dogs were never allowed on the island, leash or no. I couldn't ...

Hey there IR Compadres, I live by an old saying: better late than never. And so here’s my trip report, from my excursion that commenced almost 6 months ago to the day! This trip really demonstrated so many of the island axioms; most importantly, hike your own hike, and be flexible with your plans. ...