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How to Do Trail Magic Right

This is a post about trail angeling and trail magic on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and why perhaps it has become detrimental to the trail and trail culture.* Between 2013 and 2015, whether because of the “Wild” movie effect or due to an influx of Appalachian Trail (AT) hikers wanting more trail time or even triple crowns, the population of thru-hikers on the PCT doubled. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA), a governing body of sorts in charge of maintaining access to the trail, again issued permits arbitrarily and for free — several thousand of them. Between April 6 and May 1 this year, I camped out at mile 42 of the trail, doing backpack shake-outs at Mt. Laguna Sports and washing dishes at the Pine House Café. Between May 1 and May 15, I worked with trail angels continue reading…

Hitching Sign

860 Miles by Thumb

I just got into Portland, Oregon after hitching from Lone Pine, California to Cascade Locks for the 9th annual PCT Days. Most of the ride was much less eventful than anticipated, and took me much less time than I budgeted for. It took 16 hours in 6 strangers’ cars, with an overnight in Bend at a friend’s house. And then I was there at Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks having a great time with fellow hikers. More on the wacky part of the hitch hike soon.

star wars cycling cap bills

Handmade Bike Caps!

Mr. Joe brought it to my attention via Instagram that he has been busy making cycling caps from the sewing pattern I offer. He has added in a few touches that I thought were super worthy of sharing. As you can see, Mr. Joe took an awesome Star Wars print and put it under the bill of his cap. He LOVES Star Wars. Who doesn’t? I think I see a Star Wars cycling caps enterprise in Mr. Joe’s future. I know when I was making caps, I took many orders from customers wanting specific fabric prints. Those were always the most fun caps to make. When I quit making caps a lot of people were disappointed, so I left behind my sewing pattern in the hopes they could find ways to fill the void. You don’t need me! You just continue reading…

Lighthouse Surrounded by Trail Trash

The Best Ultra Lightweight Sleeping Bags

Ultra lightweight sleeping bags are purpose-built for long-haul treks where space is at a premium and weight is counted in grams, but they can also be used on your ordinary family camping trips. I call that win-win! The sleeping bag is part of “The Big Three:” your backpack, your tent, and your sleeping bag. These three items comprise the most weight, and take up the most space of all your gear. Also, they are items (aside from food and shoes) that can make–or break–your hike or tour. Be prepared to shell out good money up front (and not have to re-purchase something better later). This is an investment you’ll be putting to very good use. A sleeping bag is a camper’s best friend. Considerations Bag girth and length. You want enough room to be able to roll over in your continue reading…

Hitch-hiking Pro Tips

I did done a ton of solo hitchhiking both during and after my PCT thru-hike — over a thousand miles and many dozen hitches. I learned a lot about hitching and from hitching and thought I’d share with you. Before my thru-hike it never occurred to me to hitch-hike. Not only that but it seemed dangerous and rather taboo. But on a thru-hike it becomes not only necessary but mostly fun. And for me, I wondered not only why I had never done it before, but why not keep doing it? And so after my hike, I continue to hitch-hike. Of course I’ve seen firsthand that it is easier to get a ride when you’re a female (or two or three females) on the side of the road. The minute you pair up with a guy it gets a little continue reading…

Stoned Boners May 14 2013 in Wrightwood

Backpack Choices for a Thru-hike

(UPDATE 2023) I realize these days all the “cool” kids want a tissue-thin artisanal custom sub-2-lb backpack for their thru-hike. If that’s you, maybe you don’t need this article. If you’d prefer to carry something sturdy that can actually handle water carries, snow gear carries, and possible longer stretches, then this post is for you. (UPDATED 2019) Here is a run-down of all the popular backpacks on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Also included are a couple pack comparison charts for you, looking at a range of the most common and reasonable packs for normal people. I hope this helps your selection. Please correct any mistakes or omissions in the comments below. Index Common Packs Outliers Other Ideas Considerations 55-60L Comparison Chart 65-70L Comparison Chart Common Backpacks of the PCT (As of 2015) Here is a list of packs that continue reading…

Pepper Flake stretches out his back at Sunrise Trailhead trough

My Portraits of the Pacific Crest Trail

I was super excited to find this excellent photo gallery of PCT hiker photos over at Outside Online today (thanks Pacific Crest Trail Association for the link). How cool is it that an unwitting trail angel became a documenter of some of the 2014 personalities? I met a few of those hikers (Justin, Blanco, Far Out, Sarah!, Namaste) , and maybe met a few others before they got their trail names, and got teary-eyed looking at their beautiful portraits. But it made me remember that I took some 2014 PCT portraits myself, and still haven’t shared them beyond the ephemeral Instagram base. So here you go: Hiker Apache. Now I’m partial to this guy because I hiked a few miles with him in 2013, and he’s just sweet and mellow. Here he is back again in 2014 to see how continue reading…

tropical wool cycling cap

This Cap Was Perfect

I got this great letter from a customer of mine who loved his Little Package cap. I got many letters like this over the years, and wanted to share this one to share the love! I love getting letters like this. Getting them now that I’m done making caps is a little sad, but that’s OK. It’s nice to be reminded I made lots of great little things. [box type=”note” size=”large” border=”full” icon=”none”]Hi Caroline, I’m sad to hear that you’re not currently making caps. I bought a cap from you a couple of years ago and I recently lost it. I know you’re not open for new orders, I just wanted to share its story a little. This cap was perfect. It accompanied me on countless journeys, and kept my head warm through rain, sleet and snow. It kept my continue reading…

PCT Gear Review

I was really comfortable with my gear along the Pacific Crest Trail, so I thought I would share it with you, and explain why it worked. Please note beforehand that I purchased all these items with my own money after carefully researching them, and was not given anything for review. The following are my opinions. If you look at this photograph with me, I will talk about the items shown, left to right, one row at a time. Click a link to skip forward to that gear item.

screenshot of cycling cap sewing pattern

Digital Cycling Cap Patterns Now Available!

People have been requesting this product for years, and I’ve finally made it! My two cycling cap sewing patterns — with the best instructions, templates, and style/fit available — are now downloadable as PDFs. You can buy, print, and be cutting and sewing within minutes from now! Check them out: These patterns include the same templates and guidelines that I follow when sewing caps in my studio. They even include instructions on how to add a cozy earflap for cold-weather riding. I worked for several years ironing out hiccups and honing the style so that these would look and fit great on everyone. The patterns print out on letter sized (or A4) paper. Just make sure to print at 100% – no shrinking to fit. Please note my patterns and designs are protected by copyright and intended for personal use continue reading…

orange wool knit cycling cap

Bike Craft 2012

It’s getting busy in my studio but I had to take a minute aside to let everyone know Little Package will be at the Bike Craft fair this year. This will be the 5th or 6th time I’ve tabled at this wonderful, homegrown Portland event, and as always, I’m looking forward to it. It’s so fun to be in a room with dozens of other local crafters who have worked hard to bring their bike style to life. Please put it on your calendar! BIKE CRAFT 2012 December 1 and 2, 11am-6pm Sandbox Studios, 420 NE 9th Portland, Oregon USA This month I am trying to catch up on the wait list that formed when I was out of action in August and September, packing and shipping orders from my online shop (which include semi-custom orders), and designing and sewing continue reading…

Collarbone – 6 weeks, 5 days out

So this is my new right collarbone. I’m pretty happy — as happy as one can be, I guess — with the new shape. And I’m proud that I healed it myself, trusting nature to do its job (though that was tough sometimes). There are some fairly good resources online for people with broken collarbones wanting to know what to do. I really had no idea, and never went to the doctor, so I did a lot of Googling. I got the most (but not necessarily the best) information from these two websites: – Pinkbike broken collarbone recovery time Of course that’s the first thing people want to know. How long will I endure this hell? – John’s Clavicle Page Lay expert-ish, though a bit pro-surgery. Some things I learned: 1) It doesn’t matter what sling you use, figure-8 or continue reading…

Collarbone Update

Exactly 4 weeks ago I crashed a dirt jumper on a wooden ramp & broke my right collarbone. Looking back a month has gone by quickly, but trust me: individually, those 28 days each took an eternity to pass. I thought at week three my bone would be fused and by week four I would be sewing, but last week I had a setback. A massive spasm in the middle of the night re-broke my collarbone. No joke. It was a nightmare. But real. I thought I’d have to start over… But this morning I woke and realized my bone had finally fused! Seems like broken bones learn from their mistakes. Now that it’s fused I can move around much more freely. I took two walks. I even swung my arm a little. I bought my own groceries! Today in continue reading…

My Collarbone 8/18/2012

Regression Success!

It’s been a week since some mean gravity stole me from the air and threw me down on Lumberyard wood, breaking my clavicle. Mean, mean gravity. That choice little moment cut in half everything that preceded it, and what followed, into two separate worlds. Here I am in bed strapped together with braces and slings, in awful pain. This time last week I was just figuring out how to clear all the tables in the beginner flow sequence, looking a little more like this: You can see exactly where I fell 11 seconds into this video (the first 15 seconds of the video shows what I’ve been working on). There is a little jump I was experimenting with, trying to get some extra speed. The third or fourth time on it, I just bailed straight off it, landing down on continue reading…

White 970 human whisperer

Human Whisperer

This week I pulled an insane maneuver: I sold the sewing machine I use to make cycling caps — before getting a replacement. I sold it right out from under my business, without warning or much planning. It had been listed on Craigslist for several weeks as part of my plan to buy a new machine to improve my tax situation, and suddenly one evening someone wanted it badly. Off it went to a happy new home, perfectly good but massively depreciated. Off it went, leaving me high and dry. A replacement won’t be here until mid-next week. I do own these two vintage “backup” sewing machines, though. They sit pretty, high up on a shelf above my desk, collecting compliments and dust. I pulled them both down this week in a desperate attempt to keep up with sewing jobs. continue reading…

Hincapie Sportswear Cutaway Jersey

Women’s Cycling Jersey Options

This is a rant-y opinion piece. If you disagree, or wear any of these jerseys, that’s your style and you’re certainly entitled to it. I am opinionated and can sometimes come off as bitchy, but those things go hand-in-hand and for the most part I’m a very smart and nice person. So hear me out. There’s a comment form at the bottom of the post if you would like to rant, too. So yeah, I’ve been shopping for cycling jerseys for several years and still only own two. Two of the same jersey. Black, short sleeve, three quarter zip, wool. Why only two? Because shopping for women’s jerseys is awful. I normally have to stop after a few moments of browsing because nothing pops out at me. Or rather, everything that pops out at me pops way too much: it’s continue reading…

My Smith Rosy Redline Max Sunglasses

Things We Will Do

On Saturday I called up Boone and asked if he wanted to go mountain biking. Of course he did. I printed off a map to a pretty out-of-the-way and lesser-traveled trail and picked him up, and off we went. I got a new fork for my bike, switching out the old 80mm SID Race for a burlier 100mm Reba RL, so I was pretty excited to try it out. Improved bike, new trail, lots of excitement… right? Well, it doesn’t work like that. We were on strange trails with no idea where we were going. Strange trails that twisted and turned more than a pissed off snake. And my fork just proved too much for me. I couldn’t get in the groove. I couldn’t ride fast. That was sad. But what really got me was I lost my sunglasses. I continue reading…

Mountain Biking

The first few times I was invited mountain biking I laughed it off. Mountain biking wasn’t something I wanted to do or ever thought I would do. But then I did it. And now I am a mountain biker. This weekend Boone & I drove out to McKenzie River east of Eugene and camped for a couple days on the trail. The McKenzie River Trail was the very first trail I ever mountain biked (in 2005), and it’s still one of my favorites. I’d only ever ridden the bottom half, though. This weekend I finally got the chance to ride the top section of the trail. It is notoriously technical (“technical, technical, technical bla bla bla” is most of what you’ll hear about it in trail reviews) with lava bed sections featuring slices of razor sharp flesh-hungry pumice and lava continue reading…

I’m a Softie for them Soft Bills

Somewhere along the line, I decided to fill my cycling cap bills with something other than plastic. I don’t know why. Maybe I ran out of plastic in the studio. Maybe someone special requested a soft bill. I honestly can’t say when it happened, but when it did it was magic. I stumbled right onto the perfect solution: just the right filling, and just the right amount of it, and lots of top-stitching; and right off the bat I had the very best soft bill there was. And yet people are still not sure they want a soft bill. Why not? Because they’re floppy? I’ve got news for you: they’re not. Not mine. Mine don’t crack or warp either, and you can fold and stuff them into your jersey or bag when you’re on the run. They hold up to continue reading…

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