Backpacking

When I set out for the Enchantments last spring, I decided to swing hard toward ultralight and threw everything in a Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 70L. The pack delivered on its promise — genuinely light, handles weight reasonably well — but by the end of the trip, my back was wrecked from chafing. The bungee back panel that creates airflow between the pack and your back is great in theory, but in practice the constant micro-movement rubbed me raw. For a trip that’s supposed to be one of the highlights of the Pacific Northwest hiking calendar, spending the last two days thinking about your back is not what you’re paying for. ...

13 miles, 3,400 feet of gain, a 35-pound pack, and a dog who demanded fetch when we got home. A long-overdue training hike ten minutes from my house.

Backpacking the Enchantments: What Happens When You Aren’t Expecting to Win the Lottery The Enchantments are one of the most competitive backpacking lotteries in the United States, so in 2025 I entered the lottery fully expecting to lose. But I ended up winning on my first try (Fellow backpackers, don’t hate me!) So now I had a problem. I’d entered the Enchantments lottery the way you enter a sweepstakes on a cereal box: no real plan, no expectation of winning, and that when I eventually won in a few years, I would have much more experience and training under my belt. The plan was to enter for a few years, build up a proper gear kit, and eventually do it right. Instead, I got a permit for a July 4th weekend on my very first attempt. ...