Solo Backpacking 400 Miles Across Michigan | North Country Trail Day 1
Plan resupplies around reachable trail access, carry no more than four days of food, and use FarOut to locate waypoints and campsites.
- Start with a four-day food supply and plan resupplies at known access points; the hiker’s first was 80 miles down trail.
- Use FarOut offline maps and waypoint notes to find campsites and plan where to stash a resupply bag.
- Carry a Sawyer Squeeze for water; the first day’s mostly flat terrain let the hiker cover 24 miles.
Useful logistics and trail footage, but the planning details are covered in the notes. · Best for: Backpackers planning long-distance or section hikes in Michigan.
Jason Wish begins a 400-mile North Country Trail section hike at Mackinac City, describing his shuttle, first-night camp, resupply strategy, and first full day on trail.
Getting to the trail and camping after dark0:00
- Leaves his truck near Boyne Falls with a resupply box and gets a shuttle to Mackinac City.
- Collects water in town before walking out on the Petoskey–Mackinac bike path and joining the NCT.
- Camps about three miles from the start under pine trees.
Route choice and resupply plan6:00
- Chooses a 400-mile Michigan section of the NCT, starting at Mackinac City and hiking south toward Cedar Springs.
- Starts with four days of food; plans resupplies in his truck at 80 miles, in Kalkaska, with his wife, with a friend, and at a food bag hung 80 miles from the finish.
- Uses trail angels Nick and Sarah for the shuttle; they may also move his truck to the finish.
Finding and hanging a resupply10:25
- Uses FarOut maps, mileage, and waypoint notes to find a primitive campsite accessible by road near Sawbill Lake.
- Parks near the trail, walks about 150 yards into the pines, and hangs a food bag from a branch.
Water, pace, and trail conditions12:28
- Filters water from a moving stream with a Sawyer Squeeze.
- Reports easy, mostly flat terrain and says 25 miles a day seems achievable; covers 24 miles on day one.
- Stops in Wilderness State Park, sees Lake Michigan, and later encounters hillier terrain.
Food, meeting another hiker, and camp15:02
- Eats a Trek Pack meal by adding 12 ounces of water and shaking it.
- Meets Mega Man, a coast-to-coast hiker traveling the NCT route westward.
- Sets up camp by a stream just outside Wilderness State Park.
Step by step
- Plan a route and identify accessible resupply points; use FarOut mileage and waypoint notes to check campsites and access.
- Pack up to four days of food, then arrange resupplies along the route with vehicles, companions, or trail support.
- For a resupply cache, reach a trail-accessible site, walk into a concealed spot, and hang the food bag from a branch.
- Filter water from suitable sources with a Sawyer Squeeze and plan daily mileage around terrain and conditions.
Tools & resources mentioned
- FarOut — offline trail maps, mileage, and waypoint notes; trail segments must be purchased for offline use.
- Sawyer Squeeze — water filter used at a stream crossing.
- Trek Pack — meal prepared by adding 12 ounces of water and shaking.
Notes are AI-generated from the video's transcript and may miss nuance.