Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
My theoretical introduction to the world of ultralight backpacking came in the late 1990s, in the form of Ray Jardine’s, The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker’s Handbook. [1] In 2003, I received my practical baptism courtesy of a gentleman by the name Read More …
For lightweight and ultralightweight backpackers, the combined weight of food and water will regularly exceed that of all the gear they are carrying. For example, five days food equates to approximately 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Half a gallon of water Read More …
The Southeastern Serpentine Trail (SST) is a 583 mile (938 km) trek through the southern part of the Appalachian mountains. It passes through four states and consists of a combination of the Foothills, Bartram and Benton Mackaye trails, along with the Smokies section of Read More …
Last week I shared a photo on social media of three friends of mine on the Sierra High Route. What I didn’t mention is that two of the ladies pictured, namely Christy “Rockin” Rosander and Nancy “Why Not” Huber, are Read More …
Between 2010 and 2015, I hiked more than 19,000 miles (30,577 km) carrying a Mountain Laurel Designs Burn. This included multi-week trips in Australia, New Zealand and the calendar year triple crown of 2012 (plus eight of the other 12 Read More …
“How far have you hiked today?” About thirty miles. “Seriously?” Yes. “Why don’t you stop and smell the roses?” I chuckle every time I hear this line. Do the people asking the question actually think about what they are saying? Do Read More …
“On Thursday, June 16, five members of the Camp Sherman Hasty Team responded to Carl Lake in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness area to locate a lost Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiker………Sterley (the hiker in question) told team members that her Read More …
Vermont’s Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States. Completed in 1930, it winds its way through the rugged Green mountains from the MA – VT state line to the border with Canada. I hiked Read More …
The second & final stage of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse, was a six day stretch between Scotts Peak Dam and Farmhouse Creek via the rugged Arthur Range. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Arthurs are notorious for their exposed Read More …
This gear review is six years and 20,000 plus hiking miles (32,187 km) in the making. What can I tell you; I don’t like to rush these things. 😉 Since 2010, I’ve used a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir on all of my backcountry Read More …
On the third to last day of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse, I camped at a place called Goon Moor. It was there I met Viktor Posnov. Born in the Ukraine, Viktor’s family immigrated to the United States after the fall Read More …
I’ve always been drawn to remote corners. If it’s out in the wilderness and off the beaten track, chances are you’ve got my attention. Throw in some ecological diversity, lots of solitude and the promise of a pretty vista or Read More …
Irrespective of whether I’m carrying an inflatable or closed cell foam model, the one constant in my choice of sleeping pads over the years, has been that I always use mats that are no more than 3/4 length. There are Read More …
When: February 27 to March 14, 2016. First stage of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse. Terrain: A combination of rocky, gulch laden coastline, open beaches, buttongrass plains and extremely dense scrub. Weather: South West Tasmania is an area of high precipitation (it Read More …
The traverse of Southwest Tasmania consisted of two main stages – the west coast followed by the Arthurs Range. The summary below is from the first stage, a 17 day stretch from Cape Sorrell to Scotts Peak Dam. Note: For Read More …
Over the past twelve years, I’ve chosen to go stoveless on most of my three-season hiking trips. Here’s a quick summary of the hows, whys and wherefores behind that decision: Why? Time, convenience and weight. Whilst realizing it’s not a choice Read More …
The first time I saw a Donate button with a “Buy Me a Meal” tagline on a hiking blog, I immediately thought of that famous line from Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. You know the one I’m talking about. When Oliver Read More …
Snakes aren’t interested in biting hikers. Whether you’re walking down the trail, sleeping under the stars or taking a sneaky number two behind a not-quite-big-enough bush, snakes want to avoid a potential encounter just as much as you do. That Read More …
Tassie. Australia’s southern most state. The 26th largest island in the world. Home to the the country’s oldest brewery (Cascade – established 1832), Tasmanian Devils and Princess Mary of Denmark……….pretty much in that order of importance 😉 . Some 45% of Tasmania’s total area Read More …
Today I was planning to post a route map and overview notes from my recent traverse of Southwest Tasmania. It was to be the first in a series of articles on what was one of the toughest trips I have Read More …