Having worked in numerous National Parks in the USA, one common refrain from visitors from other countries, "I had no idea how ENORMOUS the USA was". I worked in Zion, folks thought they could visit Yosemite, Mt Rainier, and Yellowstone on the same weekend. Yeah, maybe in the same week, if you fly!

Your criteria is just way too small. You want cheap...but don't say what kind of landscape. Kind of important. Kentucky is WAY different from West Texas. Heck, West Texas is way different from East Texas. You could drive all day long and still be in Texas.

Try again with more detail.

I hear ya. And that is true. I'm not saying NEVER or NOT AT ALL. Just considerably less than. My personal opinion is the "pendulum swung a bit too far" and the social aspect of Mormonism will be returning. Probably not to the same level but to a greater extent. We are, in essence, social creatures. Man may not live by bread alone, but he also can not live by faith alone. We need each other. We need to be around each other.

Lol just walking around. Setting up a tent, tarp. Other shoes would be fine, I'm sure. Keens are what I own and I like the closed toe. I'm not the most "aware". I've stubbed my toe enough that a cover is a good idea. I camp a lot at alpine lakes. It's nice to walk to the shore without concern. For me, hiking around camp is usually a bit more strenuous than barefoot but not boot worthy.

Loose fitting, airy. Letting the dogs breathe. I hike about 50/50 in boots and trail runners...depends on the terrain. Heavy pack on scree and a boulder field is gonna get boots. Feet that have been in boots all day are gonna be thrilled to be in Keens at the end of the day, but they will stay on and let me do all the camp chores safely. I hike a lot in the backcountry of Washington and Idaho. You can't afford foot damage up there.

I've been to 4 different ones now...with 4 poor experiences with espresso. Waaaaay too sweet, but I was on the road and wanted a drink. Ah well.

Sucks for me. Is it better than drip from a gas station? Maybe? I certainly don't go back.

I have investigated Bah'ai' faith considerably, and while I agree with what you have said, I also agree with another post. Bah'ai' acknowledges the evils/problems of each of those topics but does nothing to actually "solve" them short of acknowledgment. While that is different from many other faiths, it is not actually constructive. So, it could be argued that Bah'ai' is "better" than many other faiths but it isn't better than generic agnostic liberalism.

Hey, no problem at all! Sawyer squeeze is just a really handy product. The other filters are good, but the Sawyer Squeeze is just really functional. That is really the key in backpacking. Since you have to carry everything, and there is only so much space, everything you have NEEDS to be really useful. Eh, maybe not NEED is accurate but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better if it is useful.

That is why you saw a lot of comments deriding your choice of knives. One is good idea, multiple is superfluous...and heavy. The more often you backpack, the more you find a "set" that works for you. From your pics, most of your gear is unused. You'll find out really fast what works and what doesn't. You'll also figure out what is just dead weight and what you wish you had.

Personally, my kit is pretty much cobbled together from garage sales, thrift stores, a couple things from REI I couldn't find used, food I dehydrated, and stuff from 40 years ago. Most of it is 5th or even 10th generation after I've bought one thing, then found a better one etc. It's a constant evolution. What my pack looks like now is nothing like what I started with years ago.

Having fun is the key part! Use the gear you have, get out there...learn some stuff. You aren't going far or long, get out there and find out what works and what doesn't!

The implication is that it is "bad" somehow to be straight and cis and male. Oh, and since you were assuming....go for race as well!

I like your set up mostly. I'd heavily disagree on the water filter choice. You have one, I just don't like it. Same with camp shoes. You chose flip flops. I don't like those for camp either. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE flip flops. Just not in the backcountry.

IMO, Sawyer Squeeze is a better option for water filter and Keens for camp shoes.

But hey, you do you. You've got the critical stuff. Go have fun!

It's a "focus" thing. I mentioned it earlier. They know. It was purposeful. Prior to the 80s, it could easily be argued that many things did not have a full gospel purpose. I remember that specific sentence being uttered. "Ask yourself, what is the specific spiritual purpose of this activity? Will this draw souls unto Christ?" Prior to 80s, the purpose was Strengthening Members, or Building Fellowship, or Ward Building.

Very different focus.

I thought so! Of course, I was a kid, so I'm kinda biased, but yeah, being in the regional dance festival in 1985 (our ward/stake did the dance of Estonia....costumes and all) and in ward talent shows and Christmas parties and on and on and on. (Lots of room for reminiscing here)

Growing up Mormon in the 70s and 80s was a very different world than it is now. I try and have this talk with my brothers who all had this same childhood, but their kids do not.

Being a "not Utah" Mormon in the 70s and 80s, you were a very unique individual. The Church was central to your world. It was your social life. When they removed all of the social aspects of Mormonism, they really crippled the people outside of Utah.

Lol. Pray and pay. At least at the moment!

That's about right. Removal would have happend in the mid 70s. In the 70s, the High Priests were grumbling every single week about correlation ruining the Church. In the hinterland (mission field...we literally referred to anything not Utah as the Mission Field) it took a bit longer. I served a mission in Virginia in the 90s. There were still some remnants of independence out there.

I have three nieces and nephews on missions ATM. That is exactly what they are doing. It is a concerted effort to "not be Mormon ".

They are really trying hard to come up with marketing that is appealing but doesn't use the words that everyone knows. The struggle is real!

Some of us are old enough to remember pre correlation. Some ward buildings did have playgrounds. It wasnt consistent, some did, some didn't. They all got ripped out though. I was a Mormon kid in the 70s in Utah, Oregon, New Jersey and Nebraska. Wards were a bit more "self determining" as were buildings. But, the homogeneous aspect of correlation makes it pretty much the same everywhere now.

There are numerous reasons given. Some are probably true. The biggest one is that the building is for worship, not social. That concept is a big change. For decades, the church building was looked at as a hub of local social activities. No longer. Now, the church building is for worship activities only. Every activity must have a worship component. So, all of the social activities are gone. The "fat has been pared away". Liability might be given as a reason, but it's not the primary mover. Faith is.

Went to Rick's College (Pre BYU-I) Rexburg is a very concentrated version of the most conservative version of Mormonism. It's about 30 to 50 years behind socially. In Provo and at UVU you'll definitely have some extreme Mormons, but they will be 10% of the population. Enough to notice, but not enough to make the rules. In Rexburg, it's just the opposite. The extreme Mormons make up a much larger %. Is it 90%? Probably not that high, but enough to make the rules.

They are a different breed, absolutely.

Darn good reasons? They are similar to the ones you have for not believing in a teapot orbiting the sun EXACTLY where we can't see it. Mormonism is not really any different. It is a pretty heavy "claim" but entirely reliant on "it's true, trust me. Have faith."

Not to seem rude, but you absolutely would be

lying to myself

Like Russell's Teapot, the claim to exist is made by the Mormons. The default is non-existence. It is on the claimant to provide any and all evidence. Every time actual Evidence has been evaluated, Mormonism has failed miserably. It isn't even that hard. Just a cursory glance at theology and Mormonism is ridiculous.

You are in great shape! I've summited Rainier 3x. The two "biggies" that no one can prepare for unless they are on a mountain are Working at elevation and mountain weather.

If you are good up to 13k already, you will probably do just fine. RMI 4-day has a day of elevation at Muir to acclimate. You will probably be more frustrated with the slackers RMI ropes you to than your own physical fitness.

Your kit sounds well thought out.....I'm a fan of the rum....but I'm curious about the bear vault. Why did you choose something so heavy? Simply for safety from rodents? Wouldn't a RatSac do a similar job at much less weight?

Hike your hike!

Less than 20k. Sucks that they feel the need to gaslight.

11-12 hours is pretty long though. Can it be a day hike? Sure! It's 11-12 hours of hiking. Depending on where you are, that could be an overnight if you wish. 6 out, set up camp, 6 back the next day.

Personally, my family is a bit "needy" and I hike way faster than they do, so it would be a day hike for me. I'd do it by starting at 5 AM or so and hiking all day.

Pretty sure the only people who think this is remotely weird are younger than 25.

After that, I'd DO Anything, the golf ball is laughable, to get my young knees back.

Lol. Could be why it originated in Nordic areas and not further south.

But you CAN do all of those things. That is the point of the saying. Shitty weather doesn't mean shitty people. It CAN but it doesn't have to.