Slackpack? What is slackpacking? Simply defined, it is hiking a section of a trail without a fully loaded backpack. It gives you the option to carry only what you need for a typical day hike.

How did this come up? Last week, we had a long day hiking and just made it to a hostel before the rain started.  The forecast for the next day was rain and storms all day, so we decided not to waste the day. Rather than fighting the weather, we elected to “slackpack”. For $10, the hostel shuttled our packs to the next hostel, and we just had to hike there. 25+ miles!!!

The day started with rain, but an hour in it stopped. The rest of the day was great. Probably the best day of hiking so far, as all I carried was food and water. What energy we had without 25 pounds on our back!

So, I hiked from 7:30 until 5 pm, and ended at a family run resort, Black Bear Hostel. To reward ourselves for two days of hiking, we took a zero.  Nice!