I finally get why the old guy at REI told me to plan my routes around water, not miles

Sandra Thompson · 2026-09-17T17:40:04.317909+00:00

I was in the Flagstaff REI last Saturday returning a pad and the guy at the counter asked where I was headed. I told him I had a 22 mile loop planned for the Kachina Trail area and he just kinda smiled and asked how many water sources I had marked. I said two, and he said that's why most people bail at mile 14. He pulled out his own map and showed me he marks water first, then builds the route around it, not the other way around. I tried it on a 16 mile loop near Sedona the next weekend and finished feeling way better than my last trip. So what's your rule, do you plan miles first or water first?

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I finally get why the old guy at REI told me to plan my routes around water, not miles | Backpacking Routes - Opinions Matter