J. Taylor Bell

j. taylor bell (he/him) is a wildland firefighter and an extremely enthusiastic birdwatcher. He also has a collection of poetry titled HELLO CRUEL WORLD (Wendy’s Subway, 2021) and will be starting PhD research at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia whenever it’s safe. Peep some extremely occasional twitter banter, or wave hello @jtaylorbell1 @disco_steww

Posts

Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 Tent Review

Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 Tent Review

If you've already heard about the Ultamid 2, you probably heard that it's the Taj Mahal of tents. Seriously y'all this thing will dominate any

May 25, 2022 : J. Taylor Bell
The Ultimate Guide to Resupply and Towns on the Arizona Trail

The Ultimate Guide to Resupply and Towns on the Arizona Trail

One of the best and simultaneously worst things about the AZT has to be the preponderance of towns along the way. Some may even hazard to say that

May 19, 2022 : J. Taylor Bell
Jolly Gear Triple Crown Button Down Sun Hoodie Review

Jolly Gear Triple Crown Button Down Sun Hoodie Review

Surely we can agree that a thru-hike has always been a chance to fly your freakiest flags. You've got your ever-more-swashbuckling Hawaiian

May 9, 2022 : J. Taylor Bell
(Almost) Every PCT Town, Ranked

(Almost) Every PCT Town, Ranked

My recurring mantra on the PCT last year was a little bit unorthodox: "Never skip a town" is basically the only thing I told myself on a regular

Feb 7, 2022 : J. Taylor Bell
I’ve Been a Thru-Hiker Since 2013: Here’s How Gear Has Changed

I’ve Been a Thru-Hiker Since 2013: Here’s How Gear Has Changed

When I graduated from college in 2013, I had no idea what I was doing with my life. But I did know that I wanted to hike as much of the Appalachian

Dec 31, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell
Congrats to These 2021 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Week of December 27

Congrats to These 2021 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Week of December 27

Look at all these beautiful people! It warms the heart to see so many intrepid hikers braving every torrential thunderstorm, hand-over-foot climb,

Dec 28, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell
Platypus QuickDraw vs Katadyn BeFree vs Sawyer Squeeze: Which Water Filter Should You Carry For Your Next Thru-Hike?

Platypus QuickDraw vs Katadyn BeFree vs Sawyer Squeeze: Which Water Filter Should You Carry For Your Next Thru-Hike?

The perfect water filter doesn't exist. That's not a meme, it's just how I feel. And to be fair, a lot of the time I can't tell if my feelings are

Dec 22, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell
Congrats to These 2021 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Week of December 13

Congrats to These 2021 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Week of December 13

Look at all these beautiful people! It warms the heart to see so many intrepid hikers braving every torrential thunderstorm, hand-over-foot climb,

Dec 16, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell
The Guadalupe Ridge Trail: 102 Miles of High Desert Hiking in West Texas

The Guadalupe Ridge Trail: 102 Miles of High Desert Hiking in West Texas

Agave. Prickly Pear. Catclaw. Lechuguilla. Acacia. All abound on the Guadalupe Ridge Trail, one of America's most challenging yet rewarding desert

Dec 14, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell
Congrats to these 2021 PCT Thru-Hikers: Week of December 6

Congrats to these 2021 PCT Thru-Hikers: Week of December 6

Well, it's been another bizarre and wonderful year for hiking the PCT. Especially for our first batch of SOBOs! And so, to that end, we wanted to

Dec 8, 2021 : J. Taylor Bell