Winter PCT Sponsorship
Oakhurst CA — March 1st, 2015
On the afternoon of March 1st, Shawn (Pepper) Forry and Justin (Trauma) Lichter accomplished the first ever winter thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. In an astonishing 132 days, the pair covered the 2,650 miles from Canada to Mexico using a combination of skis, snowshoes, and traditional hiking.
In planning for this record setting journey, the pair needed gear that was light weight, efficient, and above all reliable. When it came to selecting their cooking system, they chose the Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri for it's defense against the elements, and it's 3-fuel capability. When asked about their cooking system, they noted:
"Keep it simple. Alcohol stoves like the Ti-Tri Sidewinder have an often overlooked place in winter travel. No moving parts, quiet and ultralight. What's the rush when half your day is in camp?"
— Shawn (Pepper) Forry.
"Most people think that you can't use alcohol stoves in the winter but that is not the case. The Trail Designs stoves are so efficient we were able to use them on the entire winter traverse of the Pacific Crest Trail! In fact it was great to have the versatility of the stove in case we decided to start using it as a twiggy stove too. Every night we would melt snow for water for the next day and cook our dinners. Even in windy conditions the stoves were efficient and worked perfectly. They worked well in the winter and are also perfect for regular 3-season backpacking."
— Justin (Trauma) Lichter
Trail Designs once again joins the voices across the world in congratulating Shawn and Justin on their tremendous achievement!
(photos by Justin Lichter)