Gear | Marcus Hellberg

Garmin Fenix 6 vs Suunto 9 in-depth comparison

By marcushellberg on 2019-09-062019-10-27

I’ve been trying to find a good hiking watch for a long time. When Apple Watch 4 came out with its improved sensors, I wanted to see how well it would work as a GPS watch. The watch and software were leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, but it didn’t work well for what I needed it. The hiking view offered minimal useful info, not even altitude. The battery only lasted for a few hours of activity, making it less than ideal for long-distance hiking.

My (almost) ultralight JMT gear list

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-262020-06-08

I already had a lot of backpacking experience before the trip. I had even thru-hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail the previous summer. But the JMT would be quite different. Much higher in elevation longer stretches between resupplies. I wanted to be ready.

Tahoe Rim Trail overview and gear list

By marcushellberg on 2018-07-252020-06-02

The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) was my first long-distance solo hike. The trail covers 165 miles around Lake Tahoe. What makes the TRT a great option for a first thru-hike is that it’s a loop. That makes logistics easier: you end your hike where you begin it. It also offers numerous bailout points along the trail in case something were to go wrong.