5 Myths YOU Thought Were True About Backpacking
A few years ago, I was on a backpacking trip with my daughter and a few of her friends. She woke me up in the middle of the night shivering uncontrollably, slightly hypothermic, looking for help. And in my half-asleep, been-hiking-all-day, tired stupor, I said, "Did you try taking off a few layers?" Because I believed the myth that you sleep warmer naked. *face palm* Today we're going to talk about five myths you just thought were true about backpacking. Keep scrolling to read,
Backpacking’s Top 5 Most Useful Gear
Backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags. This is the gear most people want to talk about. But all of those things are highly specialized. Your tent, sleeping pad and bag are good for sleeping in
Every Way To Treat or Filter Water Outdoors (Almost)
When you are backpacking you need to be able to treat or filter your water. Even clear clean looking water can contain nasty Parasites that will make you sick. To stay safe you should always treat water or filter water. Thankfully there are a lot of differ ways to do so. Below is a list ranging from least to most expensive. Boil Water If you don’t have any other way to treat water you can always boil it to kill bacteria and
Holy Grayl? Or Major Fail? – Grayl Water Filter Review
What is the Holy Grail of water filters? I can only imagine from the name that Grayl wants to hold that title. But is it really the best? Or is it a huge failure? So you can choose wisely Here are the Grayl Geopress pros and cons. Oh, be sure to check out this video where I see if Grayl can filter out Coke? https://youtu.be/tpd0tHdZGCw Okay I’m going to start with the cons and just a short disclaimer. Since this is a
My Kid’s First Backpacking Trip – Eagle Rock Loop, Arkansas
There is something about backpacking that I love to share with other people. But recently I realized I have never shared backpacking with my 9 year old daughter. And that wasn’t right. So we decided to fix that and headed North to the Eagle Rock Loop in the Ouachita National Forest of Arkansas.
TripTarp Review: The Backpacking Trip Planning Tool You Never Knew You Needed
When planning a backpacking trip, how do you make sure you have everything you need? Most backpackers rely on checklists. Weather it’s on paper, from memory, or printed on a tarp. Which is the case with TripTarp: a new Multipurpse backpacking planning tool I recently had the pleasure to review.
Exploring the Untouched Beauty of Matilija Wilderness, California: A Backpacking Adventure in Los Padres National Forest
The Matilija Wilderness in Southern California is indeed a wild place. I recently did a 2 night backpacking tip of the North Fork Matilija Creek Trail in the Matilija Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. I wasn’t looking to do a lot of miles on this trip and even what I intended to do was cut short due to how difficult the trail is to follow.
The 5 Best Backpacking Trips in Texas
Texas is nearly devoid of public land. No public land means backpacking opportunities are scarce in the Lone Star State. Even though Texas has multiple State Parks, most are no more than a few square miles in total size. At any given State Park you could hike the entire trail system in a day leaving no real opportunity for backpacking. Luckily we have two National Parks in the Western mountains (yes Texas has mountains) and a small group of National
Yosemite Bear Spray Ban – Why The Park System in Wrong
This summer my wife and I have a backpacking trip planned in Yosemite. As I started doing some research trying to plan and prepare for the trip I stumbled upon a strange Yosemite rule. Apparently bear spray is banned in the park being labeled as a weapon. This fact has made me uncomfortable. I have spent a lot of time in the backcountry, and have seen bears up close. While I have never been attacked by a bear, nor have
Washing Down Sleeping Bags and Jackets
If you spend anytime in the backcountry, chances are you own some down gear. Down sleeping bags and jackets are lightweight, incredibly warm, and super compressible. Just like everything else, down gear gets dirty (and smelly) and needs to be washed. But down gear is so delicate and expensive, that washing it is a little more complicated than just throwing it in with the rest of your laundry.I’m going to focus on how to wash two different types of Gear.