Forrest Gump designed this app for hikers to hikers and hikers + homer’s to family/friends, and I’m using it largely for family and friends; yes, a few fellow hikers I’ve met and traveled with along the way as well. So let’s depart from what I have been writing about to dip into something different: my breaking camp system.

A typical day means I am already awake when it’s dark. But that’s just me. Usually by 5:00 I am stirring by having finished reviewing app notes on the day’s work ahead. I leisurely start to organize the inside of my pack, leading to breaking down the tent, so that by roughly 6:00 or first light—increasingly closer to 5:45—I am on trail.

Breaking camp means while laying down I deflate the air mattress, hoiste myself up, turn on the red light of my headlamp if necessary, rearrange some contents of my bag that may or may not be affected by what layers I’m wearing at night versus want to wear in the morning, i.e.: puffy or rain jacket/windbreaker, hat or beanie, dance pants on top of my shorts, thick or thin gloves, etc.

I always pop my multivitamin with a sip of water and then start the process of packing up the sleeping bag and inflatable air pillow, folding and pressing out all the air of the mattress then putting it into the pack along the backside as additional padding, rearranging my food bag to stack accordingly with all the other items in the pack that were taken out or need to be moved around which includes my toiletries and not to be confused with my poop kit that lives on the outside, and inserting the electronics bag, cork ball and vitamin/supplements. Items that I don’t need but want to keep dry all go into the dry liner inside my pack.

At that point I toss the bag outside the tent. I usually keep the water bottles outside to get a little extra chill overnight.

Tent. There’s a system for everything so needless to say I remove the pole, remove the stakes, dust off any dirt or sand and fold up/roll of all items into the compression sack. I tidy up final organization on the outside of my pack, do a dummy check, and head off on trail.

While setting up camp the night before, I select all the snacks I want for the next day and place them in the bottom compression pouch of my pack. I also presoak my breakfast after I eat dinner, and depending on lunch will place that meal easily accessible inside or on the outside mesh of the pack if it’s a prepackaged hiker meal vs. load up my cold soak container with the dried goods and water depending on when I eat the aforementioned cold soak breakfast, which sometimes might be on trail after hiking for a little while and not eating a bar. Or eating a bar too. There’s no exactly the same everyday.

Sometimes I have a bar within the first 15 to 20 minutes of walking. Sometimes I eat breakfast while sitting in the tent before organizing. It’s really just a matter of how I feel, how hungry I am, temperature inside/outside, and what lies ahead. But I can say, however, is that my special mix of oatmeal, mulberries, Goji berries, Chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut powder, and honey…(HT: DeLisas) better not get boring for the next few months! Adding in nuts and raisins is already helping after the weeks spent on the AZT.

IT Update: Idyllwild rest for three days and back on trail Friday.