Tag Archives: hiking

Mail Call – Sleeping Bags, Knives & Spam

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Tips, tricks and discussion on various Backpacking, Hiking & Camping topics.

Topics Discussed / Gear Seen

    • Don’t want letters read on Mail Call? No problem, just write “not for video” on the back of the envelope.  🙂
    • Some stickers from Larry at Mobiltec Camper Restoration 
    • The time that Mike and I drove 30 hours to the Colorado Rockies.
    • I should go backpacking in Michigan.
    • My next solo backpacking trip.
    • Vicarious backpacking.
    • Utah Backpacking in Canyonlands National Park.
    • I need to camp in the desert again!
    • Sleeping sideways in a hammock.
    • We’re going back to Colorado for a backpacking / camping trip.
    • Midson likes Mail Call.
    • My recent Facebook Live event on Katadyn’s FB Page.

  • Potential Monthly Podcast on YouTube Live?
  • Jolly Hiker Awards me a the ‘Jolly Hiker 2018 Hiker Prize’.
  • A fresh new pocket knife from Bear & Son Cutlery http://bearandsoncutlery.com/
  • Carol can’t get past voodoo dolls. https://karmakeepers.net/
  • My new matching right & left sleeping bags from Animato.
  • Sleeping Pads and Sleeping Bags
  • My Coleman Folding Saw finally broke.
  • Gomboy Silky saws seem to be highly recommended as a camping saw.
  • HydraPak water bags causing taste issues with the Katadyn BeFree water filter?
  • Catch All Sleeve as an alternative to the Dutchware Winter Sock?
  • Spam, Spam, Spam.  🙂
  • Spam + Hiking = Awesome
  • I never knew there were so many different versions of Spam – Chorizo Spam, Jalepeno Spam, and Tocino Spam, and Cheese Spam, oh my!
  • Hiking with your dog.
  • My viewers are amazing.
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Winter Hammock Camping on the Appalachian Trail – Port Clinton, PA

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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.

GPS Data for this trip is available on the Trip Data Page, or by using this link for direct download: Port Clinton Winter Hammock Camping 2018 GPS Data – Sintax77

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.

Pack
Backpack – ULA Ohm 2.0
Pack Cover – Dutchware Argon

Location
GPS Unit – Garmin Oregon 650

Cooking & Eating Utensils

Spork, Plastic – Sea to Summit
Stove – MSR Rapidfire

Hammock System
Hammock Body – Dutchware Chameleon
Hammock Sock – Dutchware Winter Vented Sock with Optional Zipper
Hammock Suspension – Dutchware Polyester Tree Straps with Titanium Cinch Buckles

Sleep System
Under Quilt – Hammock Gear Incubator 20
Top Quilt – HG Burrow 20

Shelter
Tarp – Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp
Ground Cloth – Tyvek, long
Tent spike – Titanium

Water Treatment & Storage
Water Filter – Sawyer Micro (came with my Sawyer S3 system)
Dirty Water Bag – CNOC Outdoors 2L Vecto Water Container Bag
Water Bottle – 40 Below 1 Liter Bottle w/ Bottle Boot

Light Sources
Flashlight / Clip-on Headlamp – Olight S1 Mini Baton

First Aid & SOS Messenger
Spot Messenger

Clothing
Mid Layer – Surplus Military Fleece
US Army Gen III Extreme Cold Weather Trousers
Gloves – Sealskinz Water Proof Ultra Grip Gloves
Boots, Winter High Top Garmont GTX
Face mask / neck gaiter by Seirus Innovation

Chair
Alite Mayfly Chair 

Mail Call – Angry Bushcrafters, Drip-lines, Chameleon Sidecar, UL Flashlight, Novice Camping

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Tips, tricks and discussion on various Backpacking, Hiking & Camping topics.

Topics Discussed / Gear Seen

  • Sleeping Pads for Winter Camping? (I double up two summer ones)
  • Big Agnes Q-Core SL Sleeping Pad (inflatable)  I used it on the ground at -25F by itself.  …not a great idea. I had a pretty cold butt, but I lived 🙂
  • Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite Sleeping Pad (foam) I’ll be stacking this with the Q-Core on my upcoming New Hampshire winter trip.
  • How to get started with your first overnight backpacking / camping trip.
  • “Mickey Mouse Boots” – military surplus boots for extreme cold weather and snow.
  • Bushcraft is cool, but like many niche hobbies, it can cultivate some arrogant attitudes. Emphasis on some, but it’s out there. And no, I’m not even necessarily talking about Joshua’s comment. His was relatively mild but a good segue for discussion.
  • Fires starting / campfires on camping trips.
  • Survival skills (great to have) vs just having fun in the woods (great to have as well).
  • Winter sled camping is a ton of fun.

Tips & Gear for a Mt Washington Winter Ascent | Severe Weather Hiking

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Tips, Gear Used, & Things I Could Have Done Differently while Climbing Mt Washington in Winter.

Primary Winter Ascent Gear Shown

My Preferred map for Mt Washington Hikes: AMC Map: Presidential Range: White Mountains Trail Map

 Other Gear Seen / Discussed

Opening Music: Beethoven – Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, 1807

Stock Footage: Various Public Domain pieces from the U.S. War Department, circa WWII.

Mail Call – Winter Camping Glove Strategy, Camp Saw Options & Astro Photography

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Topical discussion on various Backpacking, Camping, Hiking & Travel topics.

Topics Discussed / Links to Items Seen on this Episode

  • Hiking the Florida Trail?
  • White Water Rafting Trips?
  • My previous canoe camping trip experience.
  • Some fresh threads from Lucid Skis up in Maine
  • Thoughts on winter gloves for camping and backpacking trips.
  • Sealskinz Ultra Grip water proof gloves
  • Camera that Sara used for the northern lights pics in our recent Iceland video.
  • Panasonic GM1 Camera (no longer in production, I scored Sara’s on Ebay)
  • Venus Laowa 7.5mm F2.0 ultra wide angle lens.
  • Mittens / Overmits for camping.
  • Discussion on camping saws for backpacking trips.
  • Canadian Shield Pocket Chainsaw recommended by viewer
  • Coleman Folding Saw
  • Finding Flight Deals
  • How we came about going to Iceland (twice)
  • A huge thank you to Dwayne for the Xmas gift box.
  • How to make easy and amazing trail pizza, with packable ingredients.
  • MSR Flex Skillet for ultralight backpacking camp cooking.
  • There’s noting like a post-hike burger.
  • I need to do a solo winter backpacking trip somewhere within drving distance of the Mid-Atlantic. Any suggestions?

Tips & Gear for aking your Dog Backpacking Hiking & Camping

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Tips, Gear & our Experiences with getting a puppy / Dog into Backpacking, Hiking & Camping.

Topics Discussed

  • Dog training for trips, daily walks as a puppy etc.
  • Age to start hiking with a dog?
  • Trip planning and strategies your dog’s first backpacking trip.
  • Differences in trail selection, water sources, etc.
  • Hiking dog food – nutrition, packing options, need for increased consumption.
  • Usage of dog backpacks for hiking.
  • Sleeping arrangements, leashes and leads for around camp and on the trail.
  • Some discussion on each of our dog’s camping trips so far.
  • Items that we bring for our dog camping trips (see below)

Dog Backpacking Gear / Items Seen