I ran into the same flaking with a batch of old Asimov paperbacks I did last year, learned my lesson fast. What finally worked for me was a super thin coat of matte Mod Podge, like barely any on the brush, then I fanned the pages while it dried so nothing stuck. The trick is doing it in two or three baby coats instead of one thick one, and letting each coat dry for a full day before you close the book. Also, sanding the fore-edge lightly with 400 grit before you paint helps the paint grab onto something. Mine have been sitting on the shelf for like six months now and no flaking, no sticky pages.

Man, I did the exact same thing with Breaking Bad. Put it off for years because everyone would not shut up about it. Watched the first four episodes in one night and then called in sick the next day to keep going. Sometimes the hype is real and you just have to eat your words.

Wait, weren't you on the Colorado Trail, not the CDT? Those are different trails, but I get what you're saying about the hip belt thing. That same fix totally changed my hiking too, I was carrying my pack like a suitcase for years. I always thought the shoulder straps were supposed to do the heavy lifting, turns out they're just there to stop the pack from tipping backwards. Once I got the belt sitting right on my hip bones and let it take the weight, my neck and shoulders felt way better after a long day. It's crazy how something so small can feel like a whole different pack, but it's easy to miss when you're just grinding out miles.