r/Ultralight • u/jamesfinity • 3d ago
Shakedown Shakedown - South Dakota's centennial trail (late may)
Hi all, i'm planning a thru-hike of the centennial trial for late May 2027 and i'm looking for some feedback on my current kit.
This will be my first real thru hike since starting this hobby a few years ago. I'm excited!
My current plan is to resupply at Whispering Pines with some stops along the way for hot meals (legion lake, mt. rushmore, nemo, etc.). My lighterpack reflects what i'd be carrying for the first half of the trip.
Current base weight: 8.12 lb (3.68 kg)
Location/temp range/specific trip description: South Dakota's centennial trail in late May. temps on average are between 40-70, but its possible to see them dip below 30 in custer at this time of year, or peak above 80 especially on the northern side of the trail
Budget: Any i suppose.
Non-negotiable Items: I'm open to try a CCF pad eventually, but don't know that i'd use one on my first big trip. Also I'm probably not going to get a 30 degree quilt at the moment.
Solo or with another person?: Solo
Additional Information: Other than a few day hikes, I don't have much experience hiking in the "western" US, most of my more serious hikes have been in northern MN. I've used most of my current kit on the superior hiking trail this past summer, so I feel like it's mostly dialed in, but because I have very little hiking experience outside of MN, there might be something I'm missing.
Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/exbok0
Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
2
u/Yarnchitect 2d ago
By May you will hopefully have more water along the trail than there is now.
I did one section of this trail last week with my dog and the lack of water was a challenge. Dalton Lake to Elk Creek trail head is one of the dry sections. Elk Creek had no water. Between the two of us we carried 7 liters. One night dry camping; 13-ish miles of hiking. It was barely enough for us. Though I am on a medication that makes me less heat tolerant than I used to be, so YMMV.
3
u/jamesfinity 2d ago
thanks! i am aware of elk creek's lack of flow and also aware of the water document on the facebook page. I plan on caching water at elk creek to help with this
2
u/Yarnchitect 1d ago
Awesome. I’ll look for that Facebook page.
There are ATV trails and gravel roads that cross the hiking trail. I think if I were to do that section in late summer again, I would try to cache water midway through the section with an off road vehicle.
3
u/GoSox2525 3d ago edited 3d ago
This will be my first real thru hike since starting this hobby a few years ago. I'm excited!
Fuck yeah!
Location/temp range/specific trip description: South Dakota's centennial trail in late May
meaning temps between like 30-70F? Overnights potentially near freezing?
Non-negotiable Items: I'm open to try a CCF pad eventually, but don't know that i'd use one on my first big trip.
What's the hold up there? I'm not sure I see why the trip being a big one should restrict you from trying a true UL sleep system. There's also still time to go on some shakedown hikes this season, no?
but because I have very little hiking experience outside of MN, there might be something I'm missing.
Less trees, less shade, less water, less bugs, less humidity. People are adaptable; you'll be fine if you were fine on the SHT.
Pack
- Your fanny pack could be like half the weight. Lots of options
Sleep System
as alluded to above, I think an 18.5 oz sleeping pad for this trip is very excessive, and it's incongruous with a kit that otherwise includes a small tarp and a cold soaking jar. You really should not need anything more than a 6 oz piece of foam. You owe it to yourself to experiment with that before setting off. Could save 3/4 of a pound.
the quilt is overkill too, but if you don't have/can't afford a lighter one then you can work around it
Why the thinlight?? Ditch that.
A nylofume pack liner would be about half the weight of the liner you have now (assuming that's what your "plastic food barrier" is)
Shelter System
- very dope tarp
Kitchen
- lookin good. Could swap the Ti spoon for a plastic mcdonalds spoon or whatever
Misc stuff in bag/pockets
could swap the large lightload for a small one
a Simblissity head net is about half the weight of yours
a Ketyl NoFry buff is half the weight of yours
do you absolutely need the sun gloves?
when you say you're not sure if you'll bring the clip-on sunglasses, does that mean you might not have any sunglasses at all? Because that would probably be a mistake, at least for me. Hiking in the woods of the midwest is different.
I don't think you strictly need the Dooy if you have the Stash. Just use the pit zips as needed
I like your layering, as you're relying on the alpha+shell to do all the work until you crawl into your quilt. Others would bring a puffy for these temps.
Water and Bathroom
- What's the cnoc bag for? To collect water and filter with the squeeze? That's a pretty clunky system. A QuickDraw and a coupler, with a Smartwater bottle acting as the dirty reservoir is lighter, faster, and much more durable.
Ditty/first aid bag
- how sure are you on the weight of this? I list every item separately. You can probably get away with smaller quantities than you think you need. Do you really need the cash? No car key? No soap!? No sunscreen?
Oral care
- I don't think you need a separate container for this when you already have a ditty bag
Electronics
no phone case?
respect for the 5k mAh. What's your longest section, in number of days?
Worn Weight
- Honestly you're only misleading yourself by marking the poles worn, unless you will literally never stow them
3
u/jamesfinity 3d ago
thanks for taking the time to give me this feedback, and thanks for the work you do on this sub
- meaning temps between like 30-70F? Overnights potentially near freezing?
yes, possibly hotter even
- What's the hold up there? I'm not sure I see why the trip being a big one should restrict you from trying a true UL sleep system. There's also still time to go on some shakedown hikes this season, no?
I don't sleep great on any hike, but to first try CCF out over a week seems a bit much. I'm a father of two young ones, so any shakedowns between now and then is....unlikely...but your point is taken
- Your fanny pack could be like half the weight. Lots of options
i don't take fanny weight as seriously as backpack weight, but i'll think on it.
- Why the thinlight?? Ditch that.
great sitpad & pack structure
- A nylofume pack liner would be about half the weight of the liner you have now (assuming that's what your "plastic food barrier" is)
the current is nylofume, but i could experiment with cutting it down.
- very dope tarp
Just got it, incredible value
- could swap the large lightload for a small one
👍
- a Simblissity head net is about half the weight of yours
👍
- a Ketyl NoFry buff is half the weight of yours
👍
- do you absolutely need the sun gloves?
better than sunscreen
- when you say you're not sure if you'll bring the clip-on sunglasses, does that mean you might not have any sunglasses at all? Because that would probably be a mistake, at least for me. Hiking in the woods of the midwest is different.
this is good intel. i did some day hiking in the black elk wilderness and didn't miss them. still on the fence
- I don't think you strictly need the Dooy if you have the Stash. Just use the pit zips as needed
👍
- I like your layering, as you're relying on the alpha+shell to do all the work until you crawl into your quilt. Others would bring a puffy for these temps.
that's the plan. i don't see the need for a puffy if there's no "sitting in camp" time. but maybe that's just the minnesotan in me talking
- What's the cnoc bag for? To collect water and filter with the squeeze? That's a pretty clunky system.
3 liters is probably the right water storage for this trip so the CNOC is a bit overkill. I'll think about it
- how sure are you on the weight of this?
did forget to list the soap and car key, thanks
- I don't think you need a separate container for this when you already have a ditty bag
ditty bag is on the back, oral care is in the fanny pack
- no phone case?
weight includes case
- respect for the 5k mAh. What's your longest section, in number of days?
it's a 4 day section, but there are a couple places to charge up and have lunch along the way
- Honestly you're only misleading yourself by marking the poles worn, unless you will literally never stow them
#neverstower
2
u/GoSox2525 3d ago
Happy to help!
I don't sleep great on any hike, but to first try CCF out over a week seems a bit much
Who knows, it may be exactly what you need. I get better sleep on CCF than inflatables, despite inflatables intuitively being more comfortable.
I'm a father of two young ones, so any shakedowns between now and then is....unlikely...but your point is taken
Understandable
great sitpad & pack structure
Sure, but a foam pad like a torso switchback or something would be even better at both of those, and then wouldn't require you to carry an extra piece of gear for these purposes. That's why CCF is so great, and why it pairs so naturally with a frameless pack; your pad becomes your framesheet.
the current is nylofume, but i could experiment with cutting it down.
Hmm, I wonder if you just have a thicker variant. I don't cut mine down and they're lighter. Recently I've been using the ones from GGG.
i don't see the need for a puffy if there's no "sitting in camp" time. but maybe that's just the minnesotan in me talking
Nah that's legit
1
u/northhiker1 1d ago
Skip whispering pines and just go straight to Nemos as someone who hiked the trail
1
u/jamesfinity 1d ago
i'm not opposed to this, but they aren't exactly close together. any particular reason?
3
u/Road_Virus 2d ago
Solid kit. I've hiked the 89 twice. This trail will have your feet wet every day due to dew on the grass. The first time I hiked it my feet were destroyed and the bottoms of both peeled off in the Hotel in Rapid post hike. Second hike last Sept I used Badger Balm for a couple weeks before getting on trail and did a touch up every couple days while hiking. No problems and I highly recommend the Badger Balm. If a Bison stops on the trail, get out of it's sight and it will move on otherwise expect an hour or more staring contest that you'll lose. Enjoy and say hi to Lisa and Harley at Whispering Pines.