She’s Walking 10,000 Miles This Year: Here’s Everything She’s Carrying

This is a sponsored post brought to you by Astral.

TOAlready known for becoming the first woman to hike the 5,600-mile Eastern Continental Trail (ECT), Lolo “Sparkle” Veloz has her sights set even higher in 2026.

This year, she aims to become the second woman to climb the mammoth Border-to-Border Calendar Year Triple Crown (B2B CYTC), a feat first accomplished last year by Madison “Peg Leg” Blagden. That walk covers approximately 8,600 miles, but Sparkle hopes to total more than 10,000 miles this year, breaking Peg Leg’s record for most miles walked by a woman in a calendar year.

To do so, you’ll need to average more than 30 miles per day for 365 days.

As a queer Mexican immigrant, Sparkle says she is walking to spread a message of joy and positivity. «Under the current administration, every part of my identity is under attack… it’s about giving people something to look forward to.» Along the way, he is raising funds for different non-profit organizations in the hopes that people will donate to the charity they care about.

As if hiking over 10,000 miles in a year wasn’t difficult enough, Sparkle also battles endometriosis, adding chronic pain to the list of obstacles she must overcome to make this hike a reality. «This is the ultimate test of endurance,» he tells me. «This is the biggest, hardest, craziest thing I’ve ever tried to do in my life.»

What kind of backpacking gear is needed for such an ambitious trip? In this post, we will take a look at Sparkle’s CYTC B2B 2026 team list.

What equipment does Sparkle carry for her 10,000 mile hike?

Sparkle is no stranger to the world of long distance hiking. Even before starting the CYTC B2B on January 1, I had already logged over 12,500 miles on long-distance trails, including the ECT, CDT, Arizona Trail, and multiple yo-yos of the Colorado Trail.

He’s currently hiked over 2,000 miles this year and we have to wonder: with so many miles under his belt and so many to go, what kind of gear is he carrying?

Looking to get a glimpse into his everyday life on these trails, we asked Sparkle to break down his gear, how it’s worked for him, and if there are any changes he wishes he could make.

1. Shoes: astral nosobo

In 2024, Sparkle became a product tester for Astral’s new shoe: the Nosobo. Since then, he’s walked over 5,000 miles in Nosobos and tells us how cool it is to see the feedback he submitted being integrated into the shoe.

He used to wear Altra Lone Peaks, but got tired of the few miles he put on each pair. His most recent pair of Nosobos, on the other hand, lasted 800 miles before he decided to upgrade to them, and he emphasizes that he «definitely could have gotten more miles out of them.» A previous pair lasted 1,000 miles.

Sparkle appreciates Nosobo’s level footbed and zero drop, and praises Astral for including a thick footbed to provide a little more cushioning without changing the drop or support of the shoe. «It’s been very, very nice because there are a lot of rocks here on the AT and I’ve been able to hold on to the rocks… pretty good,» he tells me. “And in Florida they were good at draining,” he says before laughing. They were very wet!

Astral nosobos: favorite feature

When asked about her favorite feature of the shoe, Sparkle tells us about the wide toe box and insoles: «I tend to be a little loose when I walk and step around, and my feet don’t hurt here because of the extra support.»

Another interesting feature of the Nosobo is its “Rechargeable midsole.“You can basically replace the entire midsole of your shoe like an insole when it starts to puncture, extending the life of your shoe.

Sparkle wears the Nosobos with midweight Injinji socks. Thanks to the wide toe box of the shoes, he has never had a problem with blisters. «People just don’t know about them,» Sparkle says. «They’re the new kid on the block!»

2. Shelter and sleep system

For a tent, Sparkle uses the Zpacks Duplex Lite. Before this tent, Sparkle had used a tent and bivouac setup and says this new shelter feels like a palace. Compared to the cult classic Zpacks Duplex, the Lite version has a slightly smaller footprint and weighs only about 3 ounces more than most 1-person shelters.

Sparkle also looked to Zpacks for her quilt; she is wearing a 20 degrees Solo Quilt. She describes this year as a “cold year” and therefore appreciates the closed footwell and zipper.

The warmth of her quilt has become very important, as she tells us that her sleeping pad is a “discontinued torso pad that has cutouts as big as a ribcage and only requires three breaths to inflate…it’s pretty basic.”

3. Backpack and clothes

Sparkle tells us that she is «currently taking advantage (he) The short AT resupplies” to keep his backpack small, opting to use the Zpacks. Black 30L pack. She loves the bottom snack pocket and shoulder straps on the running vest, both of which have encouraged her to eat and drink more.

By resupplying frequently, minimizing the volume of your gear, and walking quickly, you can fit everything you need in a very small backpack.

You wear most of your clothes every day and therefore only need to put a few layers inside the backpack. His hiking skirt is from Purple Rain Skirts, and again mentions pockets as a great motivator for snacking frequently while walking. For layers, use Sambob. alpha sweatpantsto swollen from Mountain Hardwear, a rain skirt, rain jacketand sun hoodie of Zpacks and a great Willi hat.

4. Food, water and safety

To filter water, Sparkle has its “tried and true” solution. Sawyer Grip and, for food, she specifically called Walking Fillo Tamales as a staple food.

As for various security products, Sparkle has a Nitecore UL headlampa garmin Phoenix 8 solar watch with SOS capabilities and two power banks, as she says she wastes battery taking videos along the way.

Sparkle’s CYTC 2026 B2B Team List

Shoes: astral nosobo
Large tent: Zpacks Duplex Lite
Sleeping bag: Zpacks single duvet
Backpack: Zpacks Black 30L
Hiking Top: Zpacks Mirage Sun Hoodie
Hiking backgrounds: Purple Rain Adventure Skirt
Middle layer: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, Sambob Alpha 90 jogging pants
Hat: big willi
Rain gear: Zpacks DCF Waterproof Skirt + Vertex waterproof jacket
Headlamp: Nitecore NU25 MCT UL Headlamp
Water filtration: Sawyer Grip
Smart watch: Garmin Fenix ​​8

To help support Sparkle’s journey, she has created a GoFundMe for food and accommodation expenses. And, if you are interested in following her, you can find updates and videos about her. instagram.

Cover image: Photo via Lolo “Sparkle” Veloz. Graphic design by Zack Goldman.