The year started well with two trips out in January, followed by another four trips by the end of April, including a three-day outing to the Mark Twain National Forest to watch the total solar eclipse. Read on for links to all the trip write-ups, plus notes on my gear changes.
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A quick roundup of the backpacking trips I managed to fit into 2023. And, of course, some pictures.
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A look through my 2023 Backpacking cooking kit, which I’ve been using for the past three years. 2 pictures
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Video. Part way through a recent Hercules Glades five-and-a-half-mile hike back to the trailhead, I decided to make a rough video of the remainder of my hike for my family in the UK. I’ve never done this before and may not bother again, but here are the final three-and-a-half hours of my hike, compressed into 14 minutes.
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A quick roundup of the few backpacking trips we managed to fit into 2022. And, of course, some pictures.
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A quick roundup of our 2021 backpacking trips and a rundown on our gear changes. And, of course, some pictures.
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We try out some new gear, and once more I manage to break something … Trip write-up: three-minute read.
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Seam sealing my new tarp – it’s time to start thinking about fall and winter camping. I’m prepping my new winter tarp.
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Got your own land? Go for it, cut down trees, and make as much mess as you like. Public land? Leave no trace. Let’s not trash the wilderness. One-minute read.
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I looked at this picture I took before I set off on a recent trip, and I realized there are a few things I can do to improve how I stow things. Two-minute read.
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Wet shoes, dry feet – Waterproof socks, and they worked. Now I have a footwear solution for snowy trails. It’s just a shame I didn’t get these before it snowed. One-minute read,
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I’m usually pretty easy on my equipment, but recently I’ve got careless and damaged three items of my backpacking gear. Today I removed my temporary duct tape fixes and applied permanent repairs to my underquilt protector and rain skirt. One-minute read, 6 pictures
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Keeping clean while hiking or backpacking is an oxymoron in my book. Nature is all about dirt, and working up a sweat comes with the first steep hill you have to climb. The squeamish and easily frightened should probably stop reading at this point. Backpacking is perhaps not for you. Six-minute read
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A quick run-down of what electronics and electrical items I take out with me when I’m backpacking, and how I carry and manage them. Eight-minute read
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With my final trip of 2020 over it’s time to sum up what I did and where I went.
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My trip had been dogged by a series of stupid mistakes. My last mistake could easily have been fatal, but as is usually the case when I do something stupid, I was lucky and got away with it. Until possibly one day I won’t. Five-minute read, 3 pictures
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An in-detail run through all the gear I’m currently using to backpack and hammock camp in temperatures down to around 20°F
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On this trip I was trying out my new backpacking clothing options, and while I was checking how well my choices were working, I was slow to make changes when things weren’t. And that was a problem. Three-minute read
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No, I’m not referring to COVID-19, though that has thrown a monkey wrench into my backpacking and hiking plans. I’m going to briefly talk about what I’ve been doing on the trails, plus some life and gear changes.
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Rain, thunder, a flooding lake, wading, and bushwhacking make for a different start to a weekend’s R&R. Piney Creek Wilderness. Trip write-up: Ten-minute read, 45 pictures
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Two nights and a superb sunrise on the Bell Mountain Trail – Many years ago I read about hammock camping on Bell Mountain and the beautiful dawn vistas to be had looking out over Shut-in Creek. Ever since I read that article I’ve wanted to camp there and watch the dawn. Trip write-up: 12-minute read. 38 pictures.
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February 2020, Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness – It was time for me to get out and clock up a few more miles. We first planned to visit Paddy Creek Wilderness in late December 2011, but with high winds in the forecast, we decided to go to Piney Creek instead. Somehow Paddy Creek Wilderness never featured in our plans after then. Now was a good time to put that right. Trip write-up: 24-minute read. 69 pictures
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January 2020, Three Days At Devil’s Backbone Wilderness – I visited old haunts and hiked the last of my un-trod trails in this wilderness. Trip write-up: 17-minute read. 48 pictures
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Piney Creek Wilderness – January 2020 – A three day, two night, relaxing stay by the lakeside in Piney Creek Wilderness. Trip write-up: 11-minute read. 54 pictures.
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After a seven-month break, I’m finally back on the trail with my last hike of 2019. This is going to be a shake-down hike, with lots of new gear to check and test, plus I need to get back into the swing of hiking and camping.
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