How Much Time Does it Take to Hike the Colorado Trail?

January 13, 2017 by John Nestler in Survey, Backpacking

I finished bikepacking the Colorado Trail in the fall of 2016, and quickly became interested in the average trip length of other trail users. I originally intended to analyze bikepacker trip length, but I created an online survey and 90% of the responses came from thru-hikers (57 out of 63 responses). This article examines the average length of a thru hike on the Colorado Trail as well as other factors including hiker age, gender differences, and whether hikers wished they had budgeted extra days for their trip.

Gear Recommendations and Packing List for Bikepacking the Colorado Trail

November 17, 2016 by John Nestler in Camping, Gear Review, Bikepacking

Packing for an extended bikepacking trip isn’t drastically different from that of a hiking trip, but there are a few critical pieces of gear that can make a world of difference. I outline those pieces of gear here along with a comprehensive bikepacking trip gear list. This article came about after completing the Colorado Trail this fall, and is part of a little web series about my trip along with advice aimed to help other mountain bikers (and possibly even hikers) plan their own adventures on the trail.

Logistics and Planning Advice for Bikepacking the Colorado Trail

October 24, 2016 by John Nestler in Bikepacking, Camping, Photography

This is the second article in a series about bikepacking the Colorado Trail, and it covers basic planning and logistical aspects of the trip. If you haven’t already you should read the introductory article which gives a brief overview of the trail as well as my experience bikepacking the trail in the fall of 2016. This guide is geared towards bikepackers, but much of the information could also be beneficial to backpackers.

A Basic Guide to Bikepacking the Colorado Trail

October 22, 2016 by John Nestler in Bikepacking, Camping, Photography

This is an introductory article, the first in a series about bikepacking the Colorado Trail. When I started researching the Colorado Trail I had a lot of questions and I hope this guide can both help to point you in the right direction and get you stoked as you start planning!