Happy first day of Spring and the NCAA Tournament. Today, I'm hanging out on the couch, watching copious amounts of basketball, and my perfect bracket is already finished... damn you, Louisville!

In more personal news, I returned last night from Michigan after taking a last-minute flight out to see my godmother, who is dying from cancer. My mom and I were supposed to fly out next week, but my godmother's condition is worsening, and we wanted to see her before it was too late. It was a somber trip, with plenty of tears shed. But it was 1000% the right decision. Work and other aspects of life will always be there. People won't.

If my newsletter can convey anything, it's to live in the moment and cherish the time with loved ones.

Sending love and strength to everyone who is in a similar situation and is hurting and grieving.

What are the best ways to decrease your backpacking weight?

The backpacking season may be right around the corner, depending on where you live. Or for people like me in Seattle, we're still a couple of months removed from sleeping under the stars. (Currently DUMPING rain. Booooo.) If you struggle, like me, to get your pack lighter, here are a couple of suggestions and tips to lighten your load.

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Bring Less Water

Growing up in the Arizona desert, carrying water was non-negotiable. So, backpacks or day packs were always a bit heavier to ensure we could withstand some uncertainty in an emergency. But that doesn't always need to be the case.

If you're on a trail that has plenty of water access, you can carry less water at a time and fill up more often. Make sure your filter is easily accessible to keep your fill-ups fast.

In the end, do whatever you feel most comfortable with and will make the trip as stress-free as possible!

Will you really eat all of that food?

I'm notorious for bringing way more food than I actually eat and returning to the trailhead carrying a small grocery store. It is the one thing I'm trying to work on - to better lay out what I'll eat and my calorie needs.

I always expect to eat more while hiking, but then I'll go most of the day and just snack on some things.

I suggest laying out all of your food and thinking hard about the possibility of eating it all. It's okay to have extra food in case of an emergency situation, but if you tend to get back with bags of food, it might be a sign to cut back.

Fewer Clothes

This isn't a fashion show. Bring only what you need, and it's okay to wear some clothes for multiple days. (Wearing wool material is odor-free(ish), so you can use them for longer.) For a three-day trip, I'll wear the same clothes every day and have a fresh shirt/leggings to sleep in.

Ditch the Tech

There is no need to bring any technology other than a Garmin InReach 2 and your phone/camera. No Kindles, no iPads, no

For the photographers out there, try to limit yourself to one or two lenses. I'm guilty of sometimes bringing three or four lenses PLUS a drone. But I've been trying to find ways to reduce my weight, as camera gear is heavy, and it's all self-inflicted. If I don't photograph the Milky Way, I've been going with my 24-105 f/4 and 100-500 f/4.5-7.1 (or a 70-200 f/2.8). This gives me plenty of focal length range with only two lenses and saves my pack a couple of pounds.

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Aurora Photo Work Shop

I've always wanted to host a photographer/adventure workshop. And after my trip to the Arctic Circle in Alaska last year, I think an Aurora workshop would be an experience people would remember forever. I'm still in the early planning stages, but I'm soliciting interest from you all. If you're curious about what it's like up there, watch this video from my 2024 trip. ​

If you are interested, please fill out this short Google form. ​

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This is a brief rundown of what you could expect:

What would be included: EVERYTHING - excluding your flight to Fairbanks

Length: Four Nights/Five Days

Lodging: Shared Room

Food: All food is included.

Activities: yoga, snowshoeing, learning about the area's history from locals), dog sledding, and, of course, photo instruction (but I’ll be providing an online call as editing here isn’t the MOST ideal.

Location: 63 miles north of the Arctic Circle and under the Aurora Oval, where you’ll have some of the best northern lights you’ve ever seen *never guaranteed *

If you are interested, please fill out this short Google form. ​

Gear Corner - Save Money This Week!

REI is having its Spring Member Sale (ends 3/24), where members can get 20% off one full-priced item and one outlet item. I wrote a quick article with ~20 items, but if you want to browse on your own, click here. Here are some others that might catch your eye!

Camp

• ​NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P Tent (Outlet): save 40% through 3/20 + 20% coupon or just use your 20% coupon through 3/24 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​The North Face Wawona 6 Tent: ~$440 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 2P Tent: $344 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent with Footprint: ~$300 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad: ~$160-184 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping Pad: ~$192-208 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​YETI Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler: ~$340 with coupon MEMBER2025

Hike:

• ​Vasque St. Elias Waterproof Hiking Boots – Men's (Outlet): save 38% through 3/20 + 20% coupon or just use your 20% coupon through 3/24 with coupon MEMBER2025
• ​Merell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots – Women: ~$120 with coupon MEMBER2025

Apparel

• ​Patagonia Men's Torrentshell 3L Jacket: ~$143 with coupon MEMBER2025 (men's)
• ​Patagonia Nano Puff Insulated Jacket: ~$191 with coupon MEMBER2025 (women's)

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One last thing...

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