Greetings, my fellow hiker! Today, I'm taking you to the backcountry of Sedona, Arizona, where you will get some great views and (even better) no tourists.
I'm Brice, president of Vaucluse Gear, where we love to sweat less and explore more. Today I'm taking you on a fantastic hike out here in Sedona, and I’ll also be sharing the gear that I brought with me for this trip that helped me sweat less and explore more.
So let's dive in.
We’re here at Munds Mountain Wilderness, an 18,150-acre wilderness area in the Coconino National Forest outside of Sedona, in the southeast corner of Arizona. Locally, (I’m learning) it’s known as “southeast Sedona,” between Arizona State Route 179 and Interstate 17.
Hiking Review - Munds Mountain Wilderness - Sedona, AZ
Let's take a look at our hiking trail. If you've been to Sedona, or are thinking about coming here, then more than likely, you're going to hear about Chicken Point. You will hear about this beautiful Catholic chapel, the Chapel of the Holy Cross. And it is beautiful and iconic, and the views you get are stunning. But, the downside is that it's very accessible for tourists who choose just to drive here. They could walk there quite quickly, and you don't need a lot of hiking gear. So yes, warning, this trail can get crowded.
But… if you start on Little Horse Trail, which was my choice, the trail (when turning left) will take you to the chapel and Chicken Point. If you take a right, you can also get on the Jim Bryant Trail. That's what I took. Go right while everybody else is going left to Chicken Point. By taking the Jim Bryant Trail, you are almost instantly out in the backcountry of Sedona in what's called the Munds Mountain Wilderness. And here, you’re going to get some fantastic views.
The only downside to this trail is that it eventually turns into a dead-end. I don’t usually like backtracking, but it wasn't that bad in this instance because you've got great views going out in one direction. Then, when you turn around, you've got more different great views on the return that you wouldn’t have noticed at the time because they were behind you, where you couldn't appreciate them. So overall, it was a fantastic hike.
My total distance hiked was 4.19 miles. Elevation gain was just under 600 ft. The total time hiked was just under three hours, and you don't have to do much climbing to get up to a spectacular view. That's the benefit of Sedona. You don't need to be hiking up peaks to get a view. There are views practically everywhere. It's unbelievable.
Here are the hiking stats:
- Weather - Mostly Sunny and 43 F to 53 F. (Full overview of the area)
- Time on trail: 2h50
- Distance hiked was 4.19 miles.
- Elevation gain was 591 feet.
Strava Tracking: You can review the hike's stats on my Strava account by clicking here.
AllTrails Tracking: You can review the trail on my AllTrails account by clicking here.
Backpack Airflow System - Sweat Less in Arizona
As I mentioned, I am also the president of Vaucluse hiking gear. We love to sweat less and explore more, so I equipped this Osprey Backpack with my Vaucluse Cool-Dry Frame. I've got a Talon 22-liter, and as you can see, it already has some type of mesh and curved frame to help with sweat.
I say “some” because, technically, I’m fibbing. This Osprey backpack’s frame doesn't help at all.
Because when you're wearing your pack, your back is already curved. So your back curves into the backpack. This Osprey is called the Airscape, but there wasn’t any air escaping at all.
So I equipped it with our own Cool-Dry Frame right here. It's a very soft dual frame, which allows for complete separation of about ¾” and weighs under six ounces. So you don't really feel it. You don't feel the weight on your back because it's very flexible, and you can attach it in just seconds. You've got these loops that just strap around, and you snap it in. This takes less than a minute. For further custom fit, we’ve added Velcro straps as well.
The frame is an accessory to elevate the airflow on your back when you're hiking.
That way, when you are sweating and start to feel that heat building up, the Cool-Dry is going to help that sweat evaporate and – what we're seeing from the feedback of our customers – is that while you’re wearing the Cool-Dry while hiking, you’re probably sweating at least 50% less. The temperature of your back is at least 10 degrees cooler, so your core temperature is also staying cooler.
(If you want more details on how this works and why your back is going to be much cooler, please check out our website).
We have been loading up on statistics, and feedback, and testimonials from hikers just like you. And what’s been really helpful has been learning how the Cool-Dry helps not just during hot weather conditions, but also in cold weather! We've been getting customer reviews from folks out hiking in colder weather and conditions and learning how their Cool-Dry also lessens the likelihood of hypothermia (that's where your core temperature drops dramatically when you stop hiking). So the first step to avoiding that is to keep your core temperature from going up too high in the first place!
When you're hiking with a backpack, you want to keep your core at a level temperature so that, when you do need to stop, you don't have that risk of hypothermia. And, when hiking in the heat, if your core temperature keeps going up, you'll need to drink more water to help stabilize your core temperature. When you don't have enough to drink, you're not going to sweat as much and, instead of hypothermia, you’re at risk of life-threatening symptoms similar to anhidrosis.
So why not check it out? Meet my Cool-Dry Frame for backpacks. It helped me stay cool and comfortable on this hike, and you can find more details below.
Thank you so much for your attention, and see you on the trails!
You can read our 5-star customer reviews by clicking here, Yes, this gear definitely works.
