The Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed is an evolutionary way to rethink the modern sleeping bag, but can evolution keep you out of the cold? I decided to find out by subjecting the sleeping bag to the challenges of riverside camping, deep inside the gorge of a local hiking favorite in the smoky mountains. The cold, damp, 40 degree … More Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed Review
The Sierra Designs Lightning UL2 tent has decided to rethink the basics of tent design. Does a good design really need fixing? About the tent: Sierra Designs has decided to make some bold moves with this tent. Gone are door vestibule s, and in are hybrid single/double walls. They also decided to connect the poles … More Sierra Designs Lightning UL2 Tent Review
I was there once, bag packed, ready to head out into the woods. I was sure I had everything I needed for a good nights sleep out in the woods. That’s when I tried to lift my backpack and load it into the car, all 40 pounds of it. “Wow, that’s heavy”, I thought as … More A Beginners’ Guide to Backpacking
Everyone should know how to navigate with a map and compass, but surprisingly few can. Here is how you do the basics. Parts of the Compass 1. The numbered Ring, that’s the “azimuth ring”. These numbers give you a numerical angle of direction, or “bearing”. A 90 degree bearing means you will be heading to … More Map and Compass Navigation (The basics)
Are your boot’s laces loosening up on those long descents, or coming untied completely on high mileage treks? The problem lies within your technique, not your laces. A simple fix is a modification of the original bow method of tying your boots. Lace your boots as usual, and proceed to make the final “roundabout” on … More How to Stop Your Boot laces From Slipping
First, let’s address this: Why should you hang your food at night while camping? Well, there are actually a couple reasons. First, you don’t want a bear, or other creature getting into your breakfast before you do. A hungry morning makes for a long hike. Secondly, if animals do get into your food, it trains … More How to Hang a Bear Bag
I’m am always happy to see how many people hit the trials with their closest companion, their dog. Dogs are a great hiking partner. They go wherever you go, and they are always close by your side. They won’t bail on you when the weather gets rough, and they’ll never nag you about that wrong … More Mans Best Friend. Tips for hiking with your dog.
I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my viewers for this past year. My blog has seen nearly 5 times the traffic that it did last year, at around 25,000 views! Sure, I’m not making any money off of my blog, and I don’t intend to, but it’s great to know that … More 2013 in review. Thanks to all my viewers!
Perhaps you want true solitude, or maybe you don’t have any reliable hiking partners. Either way, solo hiking is a great thing, and it’s much more enjoyable than most people realize. I have a few locations that I like to hike out to when I get the chance. It clears my mind, invigorates the senses, … More Solo Hiking. Why, and how to.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! On this particular day, I wanted to take a moment to give thanks for a few things in particular that I’m thankful for. The list could go on forever, but I’ll try to keep it short as I’m sure we’re all busy. My Mom. She’s in the hospital right now, but she’s … More Happy Thanksgiving!
