Whether we’re walking through a meadow filled with lupine and paintbrush, taking in alpenglow on peaks above an alpine lake, or watching sunset and then the Milky Way on a remote summit, we love the quiet, slow moments with nature created by backpacking.
Backpacking packing list
What we bring on every trip: layers, tent, sleep system, cooking, and the things that took us too many trips to figure out.
Photography
The camera gear Sean has decided on over the years to balance weight with getting the right shot.
Pacific Northwest
Devils Dome
East Bank Trail · Devil’s Dome · Jackita Ridge · Pasayten Wilderness
A clockwise loop from the East Bank Trailhead, with Devil’s Dome and its 360° views–North Cascades in one direction, the Pasayten in the other–as the centerpiece. Trail conditions make it harder than the numbers suggest: blowdowns throughout, a punishing descent into North Fork Devils Creek, and a rough final stretch along Ruby Creek.
Trip guides
Blackjack Ridge & Cradle Lake
Central Cascades · Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Three days in the central Cascades, with Cradle Lake as base camp and a unique angle on Mount Stuart. As of 2025, the ridge traverse between Bootjack Mountain and the Snowall-Cradle Lake Trail requires tricky route-finding: maps disagree, the tread disappears repeatedly, and we’d recommend against the loop without off-trail navigation experience.
Trip guides
Wyoming
Teton Crest Trail
Granite Canyon to String Lake · Death Canyon Shelf · Hurricane Pass · Grand Teton National Park
Five days from Granite Canyon to String Lake, with camps at Marion Lake, Death Canyon Shelf, South Fork Cascade Canyon, and Holly Lake. Death Canyon Shelf was the standout; Holly Lake had flooded campsites. August storms hit most afternoons; being in camp when they arrived was a mix of planning, fast hiking, and luck.
Trip guides
Middle Fork, Wind River
Scab Creek Trailhead · Bewmark Lake · Lake Donna · Rainbow Lake
A four-day loop from the Scab Creek Trailhead through the Middle Fork Valley. Camp at Bewmark Lake looks across the entire Middle Fork Valley, making for spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The climb to Lake Donna at 11,076′, with Pronghorn Peak above it, is the standout.
Trip guides
Green River Lakes
Square Top · Peak Lake · Knapsack Col · Elbow Lake
A lollipop from the Green River Lakes trailhead — in along the Green River past the iconic Square Top views, then a high-country loop through Peak Lake, Knapsack Col (looking down into Titcomb Basin), and Elbow Lake.
Trip guides
Sierra Nevada
Ediza & Thousand Island Lakes
Ediza Lake · Garnet Lake · Thousand Island Lake
An Ansel Adams Wilderness loop out of Agnew Meadows — a night below the Minarets at Ediza Lake, over Garnet Lake, and down to Thousand Island Lake under Banner Peak. July afternoon thunderstorms are a real planning consideration on this route; we got caught in hail on the last morning out.
Trip guides
JMT in Yosemite
Tuolumne Meadows · Cathedral Lakes · Clouds Rest
Four days from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley via Cathedral Lakes, Clouds Rest, and a camp two miles from Half Dome. Permits are competitive — we needed three applications to get them. The route ends with Half Dome on the last morning and a descent through increasing crowds past Nevada and Vernal Falls.
South America
Cerro Castillo
Laguna Cerro Castillo · New Zealand camp · Laguna Duff
An overnight loop in Cerro Castillo National Park — up to Laguna Cerro Castillo, across a fully exposed ridge, and down to New Zealand camp. The ridge crossing is serious in bad weather; we had to crouch to hold our footing. Part of a longer Aysén road trip, not a standalone destination. Worth it for the morning at Laguna Duff.
Trip guides