2021 Backpacking Round-up
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A quick roundup of our 2021 backpacking trips and a rundown on our gear changes. And, of course, some pictures.
More >Campfire Chat
Leave no trace – How NOT to camp in the Wilderness
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.
More >Packed and Ready to go. I review my packing strategy (again).
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.
More >Snow Day Gear repairs
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
More >Embrace the dirt. Staying clean on the trail
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
More >Roundup of my 2020 backpacking trips
With my final trip of 2020 over it’s time to sum up what I did and where I went.
More >Tales of stupidity – Camped overlooking ‘Twin Falls Hollow’
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
More >The unexpected problems of losing weight
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
More >2020 – All Change! New gear: an ultralight backpack, some luxury items, and cooking kit changes
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.
More >Preventing Tangled Lines
This is the best way to stop knots and tangles in a line. Where has this been all my life?
More >What do you do when your work stops you getting outdoors?
They say that work grows to fill the time available, I wish the same could be said of my time in the wilderness. A more determined effort to get “out and about in the Ozarks” is needed.
More >New Trail Names at Hercules Glades
Back at the beginning of 2018 the majority of the trails at Hercules Glades were renamed. The more I think about it, the more I am coming to the conclusion that it wasn’t a good idea. There are lots of maps, videos, and references online that use the original names. Sooner or later some confusion is bound to arise.
More >Trip Report: Piney Creek, Three Days Solo Backpacking
Ninety-degree temps, and three days spent by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness. Some much needed rest & Recuperation time.
More >Hammock Test Setup
I’ve been wanting to try hammock camping for quite a while. I’m reluctant to purchase all the necessary gear unless it’s something I’m sure I will be comfortable with — and in.
More >Busiek Silver Trail – January 2018
We took advantage of some days with reasonable weather in January and went hiking in Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area. Busiek is just 20-minutes from Springfield, so for us, it’s a great place for a quick day hike.
More >C’mon Baby Light My Fire (or, How Do You Light Your Campfire?)
Just to manage expectations – if you want detailed instructions on how to make and light a campfire mosey on over to YouTube – there are hundreds of videos that’ll give you ideas. Here I’m just going to chat about fire lighters, share some fire making tips, and mention the tools we use when car […]
More >Gear Review: Backpacking Cooking System: 2016 – 2018
In 2016 we took a serious look at why we weren’t getting out backpacking as much as we’d like. Work was one of the major obstacles, but we also identified several gear issues that caused problems. One of those ‘pinch points’ was the cooking system we used when backpacking. We wanted something lighter, smaller and […]
More >How did we get here, and where are we headed?
Back in 2010 our outdoor recreation goals very quickly evolved. Within three months of our first weekend camping trip we’d bought kayaks to get out on the lakes, and in less than six months we went from car camping to backpacking and hiking. From the start we had difficulty finding campgrounds and sites as they […]
More >Trip Report: 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Backpacking
We went eclipse backpacking on the Ozark Trail. The eclipse was more popular than I anticipated. My plan had been to wait until seven days before the event and pick a destination. I picked seven days because the weather forecast would be more reliable. Unfortunately, waiting that late meant that everything was already booked (and […]
More >A short hike and some hammock gear testing
The weather this weekend has been wonderful (especially considering it is still February). However, we’ve not had a chance to get away backpacking as we had commitments in town on Saturday. Today we went on a short hike at Busiek, hiking a little over three miles with around 700ft of elevation climbed. Remaining true to our recent experiences, […]
More >Pinch Points – Reviewing our ‘Problem’ Backpacking & Camping Gear
When we stopped hiking / backpacking, we didn’t mean to. It started with a family wedding that coincided with our annual spring break trip, then work got busy, and all of a sudden years had passed. We tried to get out last year. We managed three short day hikes. In marketing you look to removing […]
More >If wishes were ponies
I’d have a whole lot of pack horses by now. This time last year (2015) we thought we were getting back into our hiking / backpacking stride, and we lost it. After about three hikes we stopped. Lots of work came in and we both spent most of the year tied to our desks and […]
More >Short hike at Busiek
We wanted a fairly quick and dry hike. Ginger didn’t want a repeat of Saturday’s wet and muddy trail.
More >Late Afternoon Paddle on the James River Above Lake Springfield
I decided to ignore the temperatures in the high nineties and take the kayaks and our youngest daughter out for a short run on the James River. The plan was to put in at the Southwood Access point, go up river and drop back down-river and take-out at Lake Springfield.
More >Caught on Google Earth
We found our van on Google Earth, it’s parked at the Coy Bald Trailhead, Hercules Glades.
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