I recently had the opportunity to do an appearance on a relatively new podcast geared towards those of use who prefer to sleep above the ground. About a month or two ago, the hosts, Jonathan and Mark, sent me an invite to do an in person recording while Jonathan was not to far from my hometown on business. In the time since, I’ve actually listened to all of their podcasts so far and have been enjoying the opportunity to listen to an outdoors podcast that really focuses on hammock camping specifically.
So far, they’ve had some pretty cool guest from the hammock camping industry / scene, including Tom Hennessey, Dutch from Dutchware Gear, Shug Emery, and Derek Hanson. From talking to Jonathan, it sounds like they’ve got even more interesting guests lined up for the rest of 2016, so it should make for some good listening in the future. Hopefully my appearance doesn’t pull that curve down too far 😉
For the SinChats video, I take a little trip down memory lane of the various talk radio shows and podcasts that I’ve enjoyed and been influenced by over the years, along with a discussion of camping and backpacking specific podcasts that are available out on the internet. So, what are your favorite outdoor, camping, or backpacking podcasts?
Taking a look at my second item from GO! Outfitters, the Apex Tarp Shelter.
This is an 11′ x 9.5′ 70D Polyester Tarp that comes standard with 6 aluminum stakes and 8 guy-lines which can be configured in a variety of ways in conjunction with the Apex tarp’s 20 tie-out points. Personally, I’ll probably tie permanent lines to the 4 main corners and use removable a removable setup (either via larks head or hardware, like Dutch Hookworms) for the remaining lines for maximum adaptability on the fly.
**A note on the side middle side tie-outs: The official production model has the middle tie-outs on each side, unlike the configuration seen in this video. I believe this was simply due it being a pre-production model.
The tarp itself weighs 20 oz. Included guy-lines and aluminum stakes weigh a total of 8 ounces. I can see this tarp work great with any of my current camping hammocks, or as a nice stand alone shelter for minimalist ground sleeping situations. Color options are Forest Green, as seen and Slate Grey. There are also plans for an additional door kit as well, which may shed some light on the importance of those extra tie-out points on each side.
Taking a look at a new hammock I’m testing out, the GO! Hammock by GO! Outfitters.
This is an 11 foot by 70 inch wide, netless, 70D camping hammock, available with or without the cinch buckle and nylon webbing strap suspension system. They also make a full bug net version as well, but I’m looking forward to giving it a spin for some cooler weather and winter backpacking, so netless should work out just fine for now.
Join Mike, TJ and I for 4 days of hiking & camping as we initiate our friend Zeke on his very first backpacking trip!
For this backpacking trip, we’ll be visiting one of my favorite areas, the White Mountains, for a counterclockwise Pemi Loop. While I’ve previously done this loop as a solo hike, I switched things up this time by doing the loop in the opposite direction, starting with Bondcliff Trail and the Bonds and ending with a traverse of Franconia Ridge to return to the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center where we started. We also stretched the hike out to 4 days and 3 nights. This enabled us to get some more camping and exploring in, and also let us do less miles per day, since this was our friend’s first backpacking experience. The White Mountains are home to some of the most aggressive hiking trails in the country, and our goal was to make sure he actually wanted to do this again!
If you’ve never done a Pemi Loop before and are looking for some more logistics, trail listings, etc, feel free to check out my previous solo video. For this video, we’ll be focusing more the amazing views, camp camaraderie and of course, the biggest question – will Zeke ever want to do this again? Or will he want to push us off one of the numerous precipices that the Pemigewasset Wilderness has to offer…
For info on the “helicopter situation” click here for a link to an August 28th post the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team’s Facebook page.
A note on GPS Data: I didn’t record new GPS track data for this trip, as the data from my previous trip pretty much covers the route (in reverse of course) and includes waypoints for points of interest included in that video as well as this one. I also tagged a decent amount of extra potential tent and hammock camping spots as I hiked, which some may find useful if looking for alternative camping spots.
An unboxing and first look at the Amok Draumr 3.0 hammock for camping, backpacking, & lounging.
This a quite different looking, flat laying hammock that is specifically made to work with your existing sleeping pad. It looks pretty cool – almost like a floating one person tent! Stay tuned for updates usage in the field on upcoming backpacking and hammock camping trips.
Specs and info, as per the manufacturer:
*Suspension and bug net included. Available with and without tarp.
Hammock weight:
1340 g / 47 oz (without tarp)
2056 g / 72 oz (including tarp/stakes)
Capacity:
150 kg / 330 lb max weight
22 kN carabiners
Tree distance:
minimum 2.5 m, maximum 6 m.
Use of the hammock:
The hammock requires an inflatable sleeping pad – you can read about size recommendations on their website, http://www.amokequipment.com/ , as well as more details, specs, etc.
Join Sara and I for a spring Hammock Camping and Backpacking trip in Shenandoah National Park.
For this trip, we’ll be visiting Shenandoah National Park for a 2 day overnight backpacking trip in the Thornton River area of the park’s northern district.
Parking Location: N38° 45.689′ W78° 16.923′
From Front Royal entrance station, take Skyline Dr. S to mile marker 21 and park in the lot on the right not too far after Hogback Overlook.
Trails Used (in order) and Route Notes
Day 1
Start by heading south on the Appalachian Trail from the trailhead connected to the parking lot.
At the Junction with Tuscarora Trail, take a right to continue on Tuscarora Trail. (Yes, this is where we took the wrong turn and ended up back at Skyline Drive)
Take Matthews Arm Trail towards Matthews Arm Campground.
Pass the campground and cross over Skyline Drive.
From the other side of Skyline Drive take Elkwallow Trail.
Continue along ridge line, via Elkwallow Trail.
At the next junction, hang a right on Thornton Trail to begin descending back towards Skyline Dr.
Cross the road to continue on Thornton Trail.
Decent camping opportunities become available as you approach the Thornton River. A potential area on the right (that we skipped) is marked in my GPS data file for the trip.
Continue on Thornton Trail. From this point on, the trail will cross back and forth across the river several times, before any particular decent camping areas appear.
Reach the intersection with Hull School Trail. There are reportedly several decent camping opportunities within range of this intersection. We chose to continue down Thornton Trail a little ways and camp not to far from the river as a water source.
Setup camp along Thornton River.
Thornton Hollow – Day 1 Elevation Profile
Stats for Day 1 Mileage: 12.1 miles Gross Ascent: 1,621′ Gross Descent: 3,632′
Day 2
Break Camp and follow Thornton Trail back to trail junction.
Hang a right to head uphill on Hull School Trail
Continue on Hull School Trail, crossing the Piney River, and passing the Bolen Family Cemetery.
Take the Keyser Run Fire Road towards the Little Devil’s Stairs Trailhead Parking area, and Rt 614.
At the parking area, head up Little Devil’s Stairs Trail, though the canyon. Prepare for numerous zig-zags over flowing water and potentially slick rocks, depending on recent rainfall and time of year.
After gaining 1,200′ or so climbing out of the canyon, reach the the intersection to reconvene with Keyser Run Fire Road once again. At this point you can either stay in the woods by heading left towards Pole Link Bridge and Sugarloaf Trails, which will take you back to the AT and ultimately your car, or hang a right on the fire road towards Skyline Dr for a road hike along several scenic overlooks. We chose the latter.
Return to the parking lot on Skyline Drive.
Thornton Hollow – Day 2 Elevation Profile
Stats for Day 2 Mileage: 10.4 miles Gross Ascent: 3,133′ Gross Descent: 1,237′
Trip Totals for 2 Day Overnight Loop Total Mileage: 22.5 miles Gross Ascent: 4,754′ Gross Descent: 4,869′
Thornton Hollow 2 Day Loop GPS Track
Gear
My wife, Sara, is starting to really look at getting her base weight down, and taking a more weight conscious overall approach. For this trip, she’s basically carrying the standard system that I usually use, seen here in my 2015 Ultralight Backpacking Gear List video and blog post. A detailed run down can be found in that post, as well as on my Gear Lists page. The only notable difference would be her own clothing choices, and the esbit cooking system. I chose instead to carry a generic $5 canister stove, and a can of IsoPro canister fuel for the sake of simplicity. I also knew that the terrain and mileage would be relatively tame on this trip, so it was well worth the extra half pound or so.
For my gear, I basically just carried all of my older gear that I’ve slowly upgraded away from over the years. I all works great, it’s just a bit heavier – but it sure comes in handy when the wife says she wants to head out for a trip. Eventually, Sara will probably get her own ultralight backpack to replace her larger, heavier Gregory Baltoro, but in the meantime, I’m fine with using my EMS Longtrail 70. Once she’s decided on a new pack, I’ll put the Longtrail back into use strictly as my heavier bag for winter trips. Notable Gear Items (For full lists, head over the to the Gear Lists Page)
Sara
Dream Hammock Darien Ultralight Hammock with Dutch Clips and cinch buckle suspension system.
Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp with Zing-It guy lines and Dutch Wasps for quick tension adjustment.
Osprey Hornet 46 backpack.
Shawn
Dutchware PolyD 1.2 Hammock with Dutch Speedhooks and Kevlar Tree Hugger suspension system.
Hennessy Deluxe Hex Tarp with Dutchware continuous ridge line kit (30′ Zing-It, Dutch Hook, Dutch Wasp, and two soft shackles) and Dutch Tarpworms shock corded to each corner tie-out point.
EMS Longtrail 70 backpack
Generic Canister stove and Toaks 750 ml titanium pot for boiling water needed to re-hydrate those ridiculously tasty PackIt Gourmet meals.
Sawyer Squeeze rigged up in gravity mode, using a few dollars worth of 1/4″ tubing and adapters that I grabbed on a whim from the Dutchware site while picking up the previously mentioned Tarpworms. So far, it’s working great – I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner!
Post-Hike Cheeseburger Spot
The Backseat Bar and Grill, in Winchester, VA
The vibe here was basically if you combined classic diner with a bar that has IPA on tap. We both got fried pickles to start, followed by a classic, straight forward cheeseburger with fixins. This paired nicely with the Devil’s Backbone IPA that they had on tap, which we thought was the obvious choice after having just conquered Little Devil’s Stairs.
, 70D model, 12’x10′
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