Heather "ANISH" Anderson
About Heather
Heather, known as Anish on trails, is the second female to complete the “Double Triple Crown of Backpacking”–completing the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails each twice. She also holds overall self-supported Fastest Known Times (FKT’s) on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013)–hiking it in 60 days, 17 hours, 12 min, which broke the previous men's record by four days and established the first female record–and the Arizona Trail (2016) which she completed in 19 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes. She also holds the female self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail (2015) in a time of 54 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes.
She has hiked over 20,000 miles since 2003 including 10 thru-hikes:
Appalachian Trail in 2003 and 2015
Pacific Crest Trail in 2005 and 2013
Continental Divide Trail in 2006 and 2017
John Muir Trail in 2005
Wonderland Trail in 2010
Arizona Trail in 2016
Oregon Desert Trail in 2017
She is also an ultra-marathon runner and has completed six 100 mile races since August 2011 as well as dozens of 50k and 50 mile events. She has attempted the infamous Barkley Marathons four times, starting a third loop once. She is also an avid mountaineer and peakbagger working on several ascent lists in the US and abroad.
When not on an adventure Heather is an ACE certified Personal Trainer who coaches online. She also speaks regularly about her adventures and is currently working on a book chronicling her Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trail records (due out 2019).
"Heather "Anish" Anderson's first book, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, about her 2013 Pacific Crest Trail hike is now available! You can purchase autographed copies direct from her from https://squareup.com/store/Anishhikes (US orders only). You can purchase unsigned copies from the non-profit publisher, Mountaineers Books, or from Amazon using the links on Anish's website: anishhikes.wordpress.com"
Heather's field report
OREGON DESERT TRAIL THRU-HIKE 2017
You can follow her adventures at: www.facebook.com/AnishHikes
Instagram: @AnishHikes
Twitter: @AnishHikes
For more information: anishhikes.wordpress.com
Favorite Products
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As Fall approaches I'm finding the Thermawrap skirt to be more and more beneficial, It's a great piece for layering over tights for extra warmth, especially when mornings and summits are chilly.
The stretch panels keep range of motion open, while the synthetic insulation and wind proof fabric ensures that I stay warm even on rainy days. At just a little over 3 ounces it's a great piece to throw into your pack when the weather is unpredictable.
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I suffer from Reynouds Syndrome and have tried nearly every glove under the sun. The UL Shell Gloves have proved to be a good choice in the summer when I just need something to block the wind, or light precipitation. They are not waterproof, but they retain enough body heat without making my hands sweaty. They've been my go to for trail running, climbing, and backpacking all summer and now into the fall. I find that stashing them in the pocket of my Tachyon Jacket keeps me prepared for inclement weather shifts at the drop of a hat. At .4 oz they are more than worth their weight in the field.
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Merino Wool Plus Action Zip Neck Women's
I am a huge fan of natural fabrics, especially Merino Wool. Merino is my favorite for the backcountry on cool weather days, as well as extended trips (front or backcountry). Merino is warm when it’s wet, feels good against the skin, and takes longer to develop a smell from daily wear. These factors make it a great go-to for a lot of different types of travel. One major drawback however is durability. 100% Merino does wear out much faster than synthetics.
Therefore, I was very pleased to find that Montbell now makes Merino Blend tops. I picked up the long sleeve Merino Wool Plus Action Zip Shirt and the short sleeve Merino Wool Plus Light T.
At 89% wool/11% Poleyester for the Plus Action Zip Shirt and 53%wool + 47% polyester for the Plus Light T, these shirts provide the comfortable feel, insulative properties, and the anti-stink that you’d get from a 100% version, but with the added benefit of being more durable and less expensive. I also put mine in the dryer on low (a no-no with most wool, including the care tags on these) and they didn’t shrink. But, it’s a risk...so be warned.
I found the fit on these to be true to size and very comfortable. Not restrictive at all. I wore them layered on cool weather days all across my spring road trip, where I traveled through spring in the deep south to the vestiges of winter in the upper Midwest and Northern Plains...and a lot in between. I wore them for both hiking and running; and was very pleased with their performance.
Since I wasn’t doing laundry often on the roadtrip, I ended up wearing these as travel pieces. They acquired odor faster than my 100% merino pieces, but I was still able to go 3-4 days of travel and hiking/running before they were in need of a wash.
The Merino Plus Light T was as light as my synthetic t-shirts, which makes it pretty desirable for trips where weight is a concern. As a mid-layer the Action Zip Neck was also a reasonably light enough piece (8oz).