Tarptent Prototype
On an upcoming trip to Peru, I’ll be taking along a prototype from Henry Shires at Tarptent. Weighing in at just over a pound and a half (including stakes), the front end is similar in design to the Tarptent Contrail. Read More …
Category: The Hiking Life Blog
The Triple Threat of Eagle Rock
You know the Pacific Crest Trail rock formation…………… You may have tried the Southern California beer……………. But apart from my Australian and New Zealand readers, I wonder how many of you have heard this classic tune by “Daddy Cool”???
PMags, Wife Carrying & the Liebster Award
When I first saw the term “Liebster Award“, I thought it was some sort of prize that Mags’ German born wife had given him for being a good hubby (i.e. Lieber translates to ‘dear’ in English). I soon discovered it Read More …
10 Quotes for Hikers & Backpackers
The tenth and final quote is from yours truly. The words were written some fifteen years ago during a hike in Lamington National Park. This was where I had learnt to backpack as a kid. It is one of the Read More …
Lowest to Highest Trail Gear List (2014)
In the relatively short space of 135 miles, the L2H goes from the salt flats of Death Valley (280 ft below sea level) to the summit of Mt.Whitney (14,490 ft). From a gear perspective, this means packing for everything from Read More …
Upon the Great Divide: A CDT Thru Hike
I met Ryan “The Tourist” Choi on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2012. As soon as he introduced himself, I recognized the name. Ryan, along with Ben Deumling, was one of the first people to ever complete the Hayduke Trail Read More …
Stayin’ Alive………..Thru Hiking’s Answer to the Bee Gees
To the left we have the Bee Gees, mid-strut during their classic Stayin’ Alive video. To the right, we have (L to R) Bobcat, Dirtmonger and Malto striding down the road from Whitney Portal (finish of the Lowest to Highest Route). Note Read More …
The Lost Coast Trail – Trip Report
I’ve always loved the ocean. Growing up on the east coast of Australia, it has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Swimming, fishing, diving, and yes, walking along its shores. Waves rolling in, Read More …
“Think Outside” Presentation – LNT & the Pacific Crest Trail
On April 11, I had the good fortune of doing a couple of presentations for an outdoor program called tHInK OutsidE. The goal of the program is to educate school kids about the wilderness, with an emphasis on LNT (Leave Read More …
Mantra for the Inebriated Hiker
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria.” – Dave Auerbach
Backpacker Magazine & Lucky Pablo
The latest edition (March) of Backpacker Magazine includes tips and advice from long distance hikers Matt Kirk, Heather “Anish” Anderson and yours truly. I haven’t actually seen a copy as yet. The Mexican postal service is a little slow at the Read More …
Bag Balm and the Chafe Shuffle
In more than two decades of hiking and backpacking, I had never had a serious case of chafe. Indeed, I occasionally made fun of hiking buddies who moaned and groaned about tender thighs or raw behinds. With a wry grin, Read More …
Copper Canyon Traverse – Stage 4 – Batopilas to Cumbres de Sinforosa
At a Glance Date: December 6-12 ( 6 days) Start: Batopilas Finish: Cumbres de Sinforosa Distance: 130.5 miles (210 km) Daily Average: 21.7 miles (35 km) Total Distance: 381 miles (613 km) The Highs and Lows of the CCT We reached Read More …
Copper Canyon Traverse – Stage 3 – Divisadero to Batopilas
At a Glance Date: December 2-5 (3.5 days) Start: Divisadero Finish: Batopilas Distance: 65.9 miles (106 km) Daily Average: 18.8 miles (30.3 km) Total Distance: 250.4 miles (403 km) Urique High Route Leaving Divisadero, our route skirted the western rim Read More …
Copper Canyon Traverse – Stage 2 – Creel to Divisadero
At a Glance Date: November 27 – 30 (3.5 days) Start: Creel Finish: Divisadero Distance: 41.5 miles (67 km) Daily Average: 11. 8 miles (19.1 km) Total Distance: 184.5 miles (297 km) The Junkie Whilst hiking out of Creel at Read More …
Copper Canyon Traverse – Stage 1 – Basaseachic Falls to Creel
Date: November 19 – 26 (7.5 days) Start: Basaseachic Falls Finish: Creel Distance: 143 miles (230 km) Daily Average: 19.1 miles (30.7 km) Total Distance: 143 miles (230 km) The Beginning Our trip began at Basaseachic Falls (246 m / 807 ft). Located in Read More …
The Wave
The Wave is one of the geological highlights of the southwestern United States. Located at Coyote Buttes near the Arizona/Utah border, it is a multi-coloured rock formation that is comprised of interconnected sandstone gullies. Situated amongst sentinel-like conical domes, the swirling strata Read More …
Emergency Fire Starters for Backpacking
It’s cold, wet and miserable. You’re drenched to the bone. All you really want to do is get warm. Now would be a good time to start a fire, but dry tinder material is scarce. In such a situation it Read More …
Appalachian Trail Gear List – Fall / Winter (2012)
I hiked the Appalachian Trail between October 17 and December 28, 2012 (72.5 days). It was the 12th and final thru-hike of the 12 Long Walks. The lowest temps encountered were in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains (7°F / -14°C), and Read More …
ALDHA West Keynote Address – 12 Long Walks
Here is a video clip from the talk I gave at ALDHA West on September 28, 2013. This particular excerpt relates to the Southeastern Serpentine Trail, the sixth of the 12 Long Walks. It includes reminisces about robberies, solitude, hypothermic weather and Pabst-Blue Ribbon Read More …