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Being a "naturalist" is what makes being out there so rewarding. There is actually more to see off the trail. The term is left over from the NPS days when they had people in ranger suits giving talks to people at campgrounds. Now they mostly have law enforcement agents instead. I am always looking for plant ecologists, foresters, range people and wildlife biologists to talk with in the wild.

I'm also a fan of Tarptent inner tent options. I have the one-person Moment DW with both mesh and solid interiors. I really like having both for the versatility of being able to use whichever inner is best suited for a trip. The mesh version is my favorite for warm weather and ventilation. The solid interior is great for cooler temps, and for the Moment DW, its only adds 2-3 ounces to the weight of the tent vs the mesh version. It's also great for more privacy when you are camped with a group and you want to leave the vestibules open for ventilation. I used the solid interior for snow camping on two winter backpacking trips and it really helped to keep me toasty warm inside the tent. I also have the optional crossing pole for the Moment DW, making it freestanding with the ability to handle light snow loads. My only wish is that the mitten hooks were easier to open/close for swapping out the interiors.

I have been carrying polycryo for a ground sheet for several years. I backpack often, and I have only had to repair one small puncture hole over the years.

We all have a responsibility to never need to be rescued.

Thank you Aaron!

I always start with the USGS topos - was just looking at the area you mentioned on my Gaia GPS app. But, if you don’t use an app CalTopo.com is an option where you can view and print maps, and you can measure out distances on either resource. I like to use the Gaia GPS app for planning, and it’s nice that you can also save the maps to your smartphone etc. for offline use. This post goes into detail about my planning process with the app and utilizing and saving maps, etc.

Good questions. I have led a lot river running trips in the last 50 years. I have not taken newbies on backpacking trips for many years. Some people have so much ego, they can't admit that are rookies. Some of them refuse to follow even a strong leader. Some people especially women and younger people are great at following and learn quickly. I would have some hesitation about Dad's that want to look good in front of their kids. You need to sit down with the group and get on the same page. It might be best to car camp with them first or do a one night trip to see what you have. I took a friend and his wife on a one night bping trip. They wanted to be the guests and wanted me to be the guide. I was supposed to do everything for them. Glad it was only one night. I had an old friend on a week long river trip. We used to backpack together in college. We had long talks about the fact that he was part of the team. He said okay but on the river he wanted to be a guest. I said okay, but I will have to charge you $250 a day.

All great suggestions. I am gonna combine a lot of the stuff into mine. Thanks for the great ideas.

Mostly finalized, not packed full and will be easy to pack. Just looking to replace the Neosporin with 2-3 smaller single use packets. Still debating taking out the multitool, but I think this is it and realize this is for 2 people. Obviously some Rx items here some people won't need and are specific to myself. Thanks everyone for the thoughts so far. https://imgur.com/gallery/hsDUIUc