3 Days of Hiking, Backpacking, & Rainy Hammock Camping in the Cranberry Wilderness using the Amok Draumr XL Hammock.
For this 3 day, 2 night spring backpacking trip, I’ll be hiking a 20 mile loop in West Virginia’s Cranberry Wilderness, part of the larger Monongahela National Forest. The specific area for this hike, located between the Williams River and the Cranberry River, is commonly referred to as the Cranberry Backcountry.
Each of the 3 days will be comprised of three different “vibes”. Day one will mostly be a lowlands hike in the woods, day two will be primarily along the the beautiful Cranberry River, and day three will be a mossy, higher elevation ridge hike along Kennison Mountain.
With a new Amok Fjol XL tarp in hand to thwart the forecast of rain, each night will be spent hammock camping and testing the new Amok Draumr XL hammock, which Amok kindly sent for evaluation.
Route Overview Cranberry River Loop – Sintax77
No permit is required to camp in the Cranberry Wilderness, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the USFS Cranberry Wilderness website here.
Join me for 3 days of Winter Hammock Camping, Backpacking & Hiking in the Smoky Mountains.
For this winter camping adventure, I’ll be doing a Gregory Bald Loop Hike, incorporating campsite 13 Sheep Pen Gap, campsite 113 Birch Spring Gap, and a hike to the Shuckstack Fire Tower. This is my second backpacking trip to the Smokies, but due to the shorter winter days, ice, and snow, I’ll be slowing the pace down a bit compared to my previous hammock camping experience there.
Join me for 3 days of Hiking, Hammock Camping & Backpacking on Pennsylvania’s Black Forest Trail.
For this adventure, I’ll be doing a 3 day, 2 night solo backpacking trip in Pennsylvania’s Tiadaghton State Forest. The Black Forest Trail is a 42 – 43 mile loop (depending on where you park and start from) with a total elevation gain of 8,550′.
Black Forest Trail Route Overview – Sintax77
GPS Data for this trip and many others can be found on my Trip Data Page. Includes full track data for each day, and way-points for campsites used / observed along the loop.
I also highly recommend the Black Forest Trail Guidebook and Map. I found the mile by mile information provided and overall quality to be great and very helpful.
Trailhead Used: Pine Creek Rail Trail Access Area behind Wolfe’s General Store – 41°28’15.6″N 77°30’05.8″W Trailhead is on the other side of the auto bridge, behind the Hotel Manor inn / pub. Parking immediately at the trailhead is for day use only. No overnight parking is permitted in the hotel’s parking lot by the actual trailhead.
Black Forest Trail Full Loop Elevation Profile
Day 1
Park at the Slate Run Rail Trail parking lot
Head over the auto bridge and make a right.
Begin the loop at the Black Forest Trailhead, located in the lot behind Hotel Manor.
Head Counter Clockwise on the Black Forest Trail
Setup camp at an unestablished spot about a quarter mile past the crossing of Dyer Branch
Black Forest Trail Day 1 Elevation Profile- Sintax77
Day 1 Mileage: 16 miles Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,989′
Day 2
Continue Counter-Clockwise on the Black Forest Trail
Setup camp at an establish spot along Naval Run creek.
Black Forest Trail Day 2 Elevation Profile- Sintax77
Day 2 Mileage: 15 miles Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,182′
Day 3
Continue Counter-Clockwise in the Black Forest Trail
Return to the Slate Run Rail Trail Recreation Area Parking Lot
Black Forest Trail Day 3 Elevation Profile- Sintax77
Day 3 Mileage: 13 Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,953′
Join me for 3 days of Winter Camping, Hammock setup, Snowshoeing, Camp Stove testing with multiple Fuel types for Snow Melting, Cold Weather Clothing tips & more on this mega episode.
For this solo winter backpacking and snow camping adventure, I’ll be heading into the deep snow of the Sandwich Range Wilderness in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. If you’re serious about geeking out on the finer details of camping in deep snow in temperatures below zero F, this video is for you. We’ll be spending a lot of time at camp experimenting, demonstrating and discussing a lot of winter camping topics in detail, including –
Snowshoe types and usage
Campsite selection
Using the Outdoor Vitals Mummy Pod System
Snow melting for drinking water
Extensive testing using the Optimus Polaris Optifuel stove comparing several camping fuel types for winter cooking & snow melting – LPG canister fuel, white gas, and diesel fuel. Liquid fuel stove priming, inverted canister mode, fuel efficiency, etc.
Winter hammock camping tarp setup in the snow.
Trekking poles for winter hiking
Staying warm on winter camping trips – clothing layer management and strategy, sleeping bag choices, hot water bottle for supplemental warmth.
Traction & Traversal
MSR Denali Ascent Snowshoes *No longer in production, I got them on Ebay. A modern equivalent would be something like the MSR Evo Ascent Snowshoe. Kahtoola Micro Spikes *I didn’t end up using them, as I had my snowshoes on most of the time, but I always throw these in the pack for snow trips to deal with icy terrain. Trekking Poles – CNOC Outdoors Carbon Fiber Vertex Trekking Poles
Come along for 2 days of Winter Hammock Camping, Backpacking, & Camp cooking as we hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail near Port Clinton, PA.
For this winter camping adventure, I’ll be taking advantage of a couple of free days by heading up to Port Clinton, Pennsylvania for a spur of the moment solo backpacking trip. Along the way, we’ll see some sections of the Appalachian Trail that PA has to offer, go over my winter backpacking gear, setup a winter hammock camping rig, build a campfire, and do a a decent amount of camp cooking on my trusty, old-school canister stove.
Trailhead Parking
Appalachian Trailhead, Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, Rt 61 Note: Parking at the actual trailhead is no longer allowed / possible. I parked in the town of Port Clinton near the Fire Station and proceeded down Penn St to the dead end. This small detour allows you to hike directly under the highway bridge and link up with the Appalachian Trail on the other side.
This was a relatively simple ‘in and out’ hike with a total one way distance of just under 3 miles and an elevation gain of 1,284′.
Port Clinton Winter Hammock Camping Elevation Profile for Hike In – Sintax77
Notable Gear Used / Seen on this Backpacking Trip: For a more detailed account, check out my full Winter Ultralight Backpacking Gear List Blog Post / Video.
Haunted by the need to Camp in an Abandoned Place, Mike and I decide do a Backpacking Trip to the Abandoned Lyndonville Radar Station in the Remote Woods of northern Vermont.
Lyndonville AFS, also known as the North Concord Air Force Station, was a cold war era radar base that functioned as a ground control intercept and warning station from 1956 to 1963. Built as a defensive measure against the ever growing threat of a Soviet nuclear attack, it’s mission was to provide the Strategic air Command with 24/7 data on aircraft approaching the eastern US. Roughly 25 miles from the Canadian border, near the town of East Haven, Vermont, it’s location was chosen due to it’s far northeast orientation, under the assumption that this would be a likely attack vector for soviet nuclear bombers attacking major metropolitan areas on the east cost, including the US capitol itself.
Today the base sits abandoned on the remote ridge of East Mountain, with all of it’s radar towers still standing as a reminder of the post WWII escalation that almost brought the world to it’s end. On the upside, the views are fantastic.
. I found the mile by mile information provided and overall quality to be great and very helpful.
Alpha
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*No longer in production, I got them on Ebay. A modern equivalent would be something like the 
.
*I didn’t end up using them, as I had my snowshoes on most of the time, but I always throw these in the pack for snow trips to deal with icy terrain.
*I’m not sure my model is in production anymore. The closest current version seems to be the 
.
(came with my Sawyer S3 system)
hammock sleeping system
(Mike’s Pack)
USB Rechargeable Headlamp