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Took 4 seasons to realize my water filter was the bottleneck, not my stamina
I kept pushing longer days on the JMT thinking I needed to train harder, but every afternoon I'd hit a wall around mile 14. Then last month I timed myself at a creek crossing: 20 minutes of pumping for 6 liters, which meant an hour of lost daylight each day. Anyone else switch to a gravity setup and see their daily mileage jump overnight?
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the_christopher13d ago
That 20 minutes for 6 liters hit home hard. I did the same math on the PCT and felt like an idiot for not catching it sooner. Switching to a gravity filter was like getting a free hour back every single day, and that hour is huge when you're trying to weave in a dinner cook and still make camp before dark. The funny part is I used to defend my pump like it was part of my identity, but now I look back and laugh at all the extra breaks I thought were "strategic." The real kicker is the weight savings too, since I ditched the heavy pump and just carry a squeeze bag that doubles as a dirty water bladder. Honestly, anyone still pumping for big groups is just donating their best hiking hours to a chore they could do hands-free.
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