Gear Review – ULA Photon (Custom)

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I completed the PCT with the ULA Catalyst and she was an absolute workhorse. I took her on the Superior Hiking Trail, the Camino Portugués, and the Appalachian Trail. Only on the Appalachian did she really start to show some wear. I purchased the Ultra Circuit when I retired the Catalyst and took her on the Camino Francés, and she was flawless. However, we are limited to a 25 liter pack for the Inca Trail, so we needed some new gear. I cannot say enough about ULA Equipment, so it was only natural that we would buy our packs from them.

The smallest pack they make is the Custom Photon. They list the Photon as a 35 liter pack, however, the internal section is 25 liters. The only difference between my wife’s and my pack are the sizes, colors and I added the frame and load lifters. I simply prefer a more rigid pack. Also, I’ll be the one to carry the extra heavy gear.

My pack is similar to the one they show above, except I had the bottom made with their reinforced black material. It weighs in at 26.1 ounces, and is mostly waterproof. We will still use a garbage compactor bag on the inside to provide extra water proofing.

We have carried these on all our hikes for the past year, and they show no sign of wear. They are very comfortable to wear. We highly recommend them.

Inca Trail 2026

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This year’s grand adventure is to fulfill one of my wife’s dreams since she was a child. When she was little, she was given a picture book about Machu Picchu in Peru. As she knows me well, she proposed that we backpack the Inca Trail to get there. It is a short hike in distance, but a rigorous hike with altitudes from 11,000 to 14,000 feet as we maneuver the ancient carved stairs.

This will be her first backpacking adventure where she will be sleeping in a tent and skipping showers, so that will be fun! She’ll hike with me anywhere as long as there is a shower and a comfortable bed at the end of the day. So, we will see how this goes!

Hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu requires permits, so this is a fully supported hike. We selected Alpaca Expeditions to handle all the details. As a fully supported hike, we have a guide, a porter and cooks. The porter will carry 7 kg of gear for us. He or she will carry our tent, sleeping bag, extra air mattress which is 3.5 kg. So, we can have them carry 3.5 kg (7 pounds) of personal gear. Our packs are limited to 25 liters in capacity, so we needed to buy gear specific for the hike.

In the next couple of weeks, I’ll break down the kit I am taking as well as my wife’s. I will also post how we are training for altitude when we lowlanders live at just 600 feet.

Return to the Camino del Santiago!

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So, a funny thing happened at seminary.  They are going to have a class on pilgrimages which will include a 100k hike of the Camino!  This will be the French Way this time.  Although I was required to take Systematic Theology first, they are making an exception for me!  I’ll be hiking in a group including some of my cohort!

It will require me to shower and use deodorant, but it will be a chance to use my new ULA Circuit Ultra.  The hike begins in late May.

I have posted my preliminary kit on the side. 

 

Day 59: Hike Done for Now

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Unfortunately, after a discussion with my doctor, I’ve decided to end it and return home.  What I struggled with yesterday was complications between my blood pressure medication and the high dosages of Vitamin-I I need to take to fight through the pain.  It is preventing my kidneys from processing the electrolytes I also need to take to keep from getting muscle cramps.

Basically, I cannot take all three at the same time at the dosages I’m taking.  With that, I’ll just have to wait until I heal up.

Day 58: Heat Induced Crash

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Starting Point: Campsite (547.7)
Ending Point: Bear Garden Hiker Hostel (558.8)
Total miles: 11.1
Steps: 30,502
Injuries: Intercostal Strain, Illness
Achievements:
I woke up and started packing.  Kea came by to tell me that he was sick and would be returning to Atkins, VA, a small town ten miles back.  He has the hiker ick, a combination of vomiting and diarrhea.  It may be Norovirus.
Captain Blogger and I hiked on and reached the 25% Complete sign.  Sadly, due to Kea’s illness, we didn’t even fist bump.

Day 57: Unforced Error

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Starting Point: Mount Rogers National HQ (534.6)

Ending Point: Campsite (547.7)

Total miles: 13.1 trail.  1.5 Double Bonus
Steps: 35,515
Injuries: Intercostal Strain
Achievements:

Kea and I stopped off for a good breakfast before leaving for the trail.  We were going to take the 11:00 bus from Marion.  However, we had an opportunity to take a ride from a trail angel.  I grabbed my pack, but left my outer shell behind.
That was a real dumb mistake.  It is supposed to storm all next week.  An outer shell it a necessity.
Fortunately, the Sweeper found it and gave it to a hiker by the name of Singing to the Pines.

I didn’t realize this until I was six miles in.  While I waited, a ranger came by and I got a chance to paint a new blaze.

After waiting for two hours, I started hiking backwards. He got to the trail an hour later, but bought doughnuts and decided to have breakfast before starting.
Unfortunately, there were some neat things to see, but I had to skip it all.  I’m good now, as I have all my gear.  Lesson learned.

Day 56: The Shortest Nero Ever / The Backstop Boys Officially Disband

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Starting Point: Partnership Shelter (534.4)
Ending Point: Mount Rogers National HQ (534.6)
Total miles: 0.2 Trail Miles, 3.3 Bonus Miles
Steps: 8,562
Injuries: Intercostal Strain
Achievements: Do You Even Hike?
I’m smiling in this picture, I swear…

After a lovely evening at the shelter, we were picked up by the shuttle at the National HQ and taken into town.  There we did the standard resupply, shower, and laundry that we do every three to five days. I also had a badly needed haircut.  My beard was untouched.
By definition, the difference between a Zero and a Nero is whether we hike trail miles.  Technically, walking from the shelter to the parking lot was trail miles, so this was a Nero and not a Zero, but I can assure you that the absolute minimum as amount of hiking was done.  I didn’t clip a buckle.
Tonight, we celebrated the Sweeper, who is leaving the trail today.  The Dunkeroo hiked 19 miles to be here.  We celebrated with some beers and played a song trivia game at a local restaurant.
That is really a testament to the Dunker.  He hauled to be here just for the Sweeper.
I’ll miss the Sweeper.  I’ll miss the Dunker.  We texted Blaze.  His surgery was today and it was a success.  He hopes to start at Harpers Ferry in four to six weeks.  Alas, this is the end of the Backstop Boys.  We are all solo acts now.
Tomorrow, Captain Blogger and I hike on as a duo.  Kea is hiking to the end of May.
I stepped on the scale at the hostel.  I didn’t loose any weight.  That is good.  My calorie intake is matching my mileage.  Now I feel confident to increase my miles.
A day of rest is necessary. Tomorrow, I’m off to Bland.  Looking to the future, I have some epic weather coming up. Seven days straight of thunderstorms.  At least it will be warm rain.

Day 54: And Now It’s Hot

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Starting Point: Stealth Camp (508.1)
Ending Point: Trimpi Shelter (524.6)
Total miles: 16.5 miles
Steps: 39,908
Injuries: Intercostal Strain
Achievements: Swim In Comers Creek Falls
Not much to say about today.  It was a day to do miles.  It was hot.  I felt like I was on the PCT.  I drank four liters while hiking and another two in camp.  To this point, I usually came to camp with the water I filtered that morning. 
The swim in the falls was cold but refreshing.  I probably left a rainbow sheen after not bathing in four days.
Captain Blogger and I hiked farther that Sweeper and Kea.  We’re with Duck at the shelter. Things are thinning out.
Tomorrow is a short ten mile day.  We’ll go into town for a resupply the next day.  It is supposed to storm, so it is a good time to be off trail.

Day 55: Best Shelter Ever

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Starting Point: Trimpi Shelter (524.6)
Ending Point: Partnership Shelter (534.4)
Total miles: 9.8 miles
Steps: 24,989
Injuries: Intercostal Strain
Achievements: Shelter Pizza

With just 10 miles to go to the next resupply point in Marion, VA, the logical thing to do is just pound the miles.  Although it was over 80 degrees, the hike was not difficult.  It is supposed to storm tomorrow, so we’ll stay in town.  To save money, we hiked to the last shelter, just 0.2 miles from the road.  We’ll go into town tomorrow. Therefore, I needed to hike just 10 miles.
Needless to say, my motivation was completely lacking.  First, I slept in.  Then I hiked three miles to a scenic point.  I had good reception, so I updated my blog.  I became hungry, so I ate my lunch.  Then I decided I needed a nap.  I didn’t get into the shelter until nearly 3:00 p.m.  I think that is about 1.5 mph.
As I wrote a couple of days ago, some hikers came into our camp and after a good conversation, gave us $40 for pizza a Marion.  We honored that gift.

Needless to say, I ate it in one sitting.
Tomorrow, we’ll go into town and resupply for four days.