I've purchased 2 Lucid mattresses from Amazon and they've gotten fantastic reviews from some and too soft complaints from others. Both are hybrids, but I cannot find the exact ones on Amazon now 😞

I love the Win detergent; I use it weekly and recommend it to everyone with stinky exercise gear/clothes. I've even given samples of it to the parents of the kids I coach.

@Ottakee I saw that.... so tempting....... Maybe just the quilt to start with....... This past trip I put my sleeping pad into a silk sleeping bag liner to make it a bit quieter and it worked quite well. Are you a side sleeper? The one review video on saw on YouTube showed the guy sleeping on his back all night, . I might start out that way but I don't stay there; I move a lot!

I always have the map of the area. I'll spend some turn learning how to use Gaia this weekend. Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks, I appreciate his responding. I've also emailed 2 friends who has significant others who work as mechanics to see what they say.

DD's girlfriend's dad is a mechanic, so she's got a call into him as well. Thanks! She has already paid $$ to replace the front wheel bearings, or something like that. It's such a tough balancing act....

I hate used car repair decisions! The catalytic converter was stolen off my daughter's Toyota Prius earlier this week. Last week, she paid $600 for a new front wheel bearing and we really hoped her car would last another year or two, until she finished her degree and got a full-time job and could afford a new one on her own. Now we are trying to decide if we replace the CC with an aftermarket one, which would cost around $300, including new O2 sensors and a CC shield (to prevent it from being stolen again, I guess). Our mechanic says that while the aftermarket CCs are cheap, he has seen nothing but problems with them - they don't last, they don't fit properly, etc and since her car is a 2006, we should just cut our losses. Anyone have any insight? She would prefer to buy the car on her own, but there's no way she can afford it right now, so dh and I would have to co-sign or buy it and she would pay us back and that's totally doable for us.

I have downloaded the Gaia app, but I haven't used it yet. Is it pretty intuitive/easy to use?

Thanks everyone. I am darn proud of myself! My husband is totally supportive; he wasn't too keen on it at first, but after I did a few day hikes on my own, he realized I'd be fine. He does worry, but I usually have service at the trailhead and he always knows where I'm going and when I'll be back. None of the hikes I have done are really remote either. I'll probably get a Garmin Inreach GPS eventually as I go further afield. The AT is pretty hard to get lost on, at least the parts I've travelled. It's a very well-worn path and the trail is blazed quite well. Honestly, my biggest worry is going off the trail to pee and not being able to find it again - the trees all look alike (to me - my dad and brother would be horrified by me saying that!) and it is really easy to get disoriented only a few feet from the trail! My goal is to finish hiking the PA section of it this summer, but I've got a bunch of other things on the calendar too, so we'll see! I've been wanting to do this for years, and I'm so glad I finally did. I feel fulfilled 🙂 and can't wait to go back out!

One night only, but it's a beginning!!!! Day 1 - I hiked just over 9 miles to campsite where I set up my tent, filtered water, made supper, and went to bed by 8pm. I didn't sleep well since I still don't have a better pillow, but I used a stuff sack with my extra clothes (in addition to my crappy pillow) plus it was chillier than I anticipated. But, my sleeping pad was much more comfy on the ground and with a bit less air! I am still very interested in the ZenBivy system though.... Day 2 - I actually slept a little later than I planned (Isn't that the way? Don't sleep all night, but come 5:30am - sound asleep!) and got on the trail shortly after 8:30. I hiked just over 4 miles and waited for the shuttle I had arranged to take me back to my car. I hiked pretty much by myself both days and at the campsite an older gentleman set up his hammock a bit away from my tent and there were a bunch of other people set up a ways up the trail. Everyone had to walk by me to get to the water source, so they all knew I was there, but I think the older gentleman was worried about me being on my own - he and I had chatted at an overlook for 10-15 minutes about 3 miles before the campsite. Anyway, it was nice he was there, but I felt totally safe before he set up. Everyone I spoke to on the trail was nice, chatty, and easy going. I can't wait to do it again - hopefully for 2-3 nights next time.

I should be able to get water at any of the places I camp. Although as summer progresses, it may become more of an issue..... Yes, I'll need to keep the heat in if I camp in the winter. But still a lot of $ I am not quite ready to spend that amount of money. Most of hikers I saw last weekend carried Smart Water bottles and a single Sawyer filter. I had never thought to use them for hiking or camping. So tempting.... I signed up for their emails, so hopefully I will get notice of their upcoming sales. Sometimes, I find have to force myself to eat when hiking - no idea why. I can feel myself fading and then when I eat I feel sick. Other times I eat ravenously the entire time!

Have a great time. It sounds like it will be a wonderful 2 days of solitude!

What temp rating do you have? And have you used it in that temperature? Do you think you're a hot or cold sleeper?

That's my worry. I love hiking and camping, so backpacking is the perfect activity for me. But I need to be somewhat comfy to sleep. Unfortunately, yes. The funny thing is our bed is (according to me) ridiculously firm but I slept a solid 8 hours after the backpacking trip. And, that's also what the thru hikers that we met said - when you're as tired as they are after hiking 18-20+ miles, you can sleep on anything! It was plenty warm enough for me on the weekend - not too hot or cold, just a bit humid. That's the one my friend had and she hated it! I used to use a 3/4 length self-inflating pad when I took my GS girls camping and I was fine... but that was 15 years ago! I've seen that layering too, especially in cold weather. My son says I should just use his hammock, but that would require me to figure out how to set it up! Perhaps someday.... Wow - you've tried lots of pads! I used to buy them off of Steep and Cheap for my boys Scout trips, but now I want to buy at REI so I can return if I'm not happy with it. Doubling the Klymit up with the Z-Lite is a possibility that I may explore on my next trip..... And yes, I think I'm going to have to pack a better pillow. I had an old one that I had to fold twice to get any comfort from it, but it kept unfolding every time I moved! I just saw an ad from them on Instagram! I'll check them out. Thanks everyone! I'm pretty excited because I just picked up a Nemo DragonFly 2P from REI's garage sale area for $180. It's nearly a pound lighter than my son's old Quarter Dome 2P. Another question... has anyone ever switched from a sleeping bag to a quilt? They seem to be gaining in popularity. I do find sleeping bags a bit confining and usually sleep with them unzipped so I can stick out my 'thermometer leg' as needed. And, saving a bit more weight with one would make it easier to carry more water. I like to stay well-hydrated, but I'm considering ditching my 3L bladder and carrying 2 1L Nalgenes instead.

I know a few WTMers are campers and backpackers, so I'm hoping you can offer some advice.... My question for campers is about gear, particularly your sleeping pad. I bought a Klymit sleeping pad for last weekend's backpacking trip. It gets great reviews for back and side sleepers (me!), but I barely slept at all on Saturday night; I could not get comfy. My one friend had a closed cell pad which was like a board and my other (son's GF) had an insulated inflatable pad which she said was too hot. Is it possible to over-inflate a sleeping pad so it's too hard? Would having a small pillow for between my knees help, like I normally sleep with? Oh, and we were on a platform in a shelter, not in a tent on the ground - perhaps that made it harder? My dh is away on business, so I have my sleeping pad on our bedroom floor and tried using it last night, but no luck 😞 I just couldn't get comfy, although I was able to have a short nap on it earlier in the day. Perhaps I am destined for 45 minutes of sleep at a time. I hope not; I need my sleep after 8-10 miles of backpacking!