ThruNite TH20 Headlamp…A New Lighter Light
A couple of months ago I wrote an article on the ThruNiteTH10 headlamp, and I followed up with a YouTube video where I shared some “On The Trail” experiences with the lamp. Since that time, ThruNite sent me their new headlamp, the TH20.
Here are some initial thoughts and specs on it.
Quality. ThruNite makes quality gear. Just like the TH10, the TH20 is constructed with the same aircraft grade aluminum. I will never have to worry about breaking this headlamp after an accidental drop.
Weight. When I first opened the TH10, the weight of the lamp stood out (as compared to my Petzel). That has been taken care of…ThruNite shaved a whopping 27% off the TH10 with the TH20 (132g vs 96g). While the TH20 is still heavier than my Petzel, it is much more comparable, just 54 grams (or 1.9 ounces) separates the two now. This is a considerable step in the right, AKA light, direction.
Battery. The TH20 will operate on either one Li-ion 14500 750mAh battery or a single AA battery. The choice to be able to use a commonly found AA will come in handy in certain circumstances. However, there is one downside to using a AA as opposed to the 14500, lumen output. The max lumen output with the 14500 is 520 as compared to 250 lumens with a AA.
Lumens. Even though lighter, the TH20 still produces a massive 520 lumens on turbo (with a 14500 battery). It is a versatile lamp as there are four modes that follow; Turbo (AA) at 250, Infinity High (AA) at 230, Infinity Low (AA) at 1.6, and all the way down to 0.3 lumens in firefly mode. While testing my TH10 on a couple of night hikes I found myself using its 172 lumen setting most often and I believe I would simply adjust to the 230 lumen setting with the TH20.
Overall. Even
though I haven’t taken my new TH20
on a trip yet, that hasn’t stopped me from growing fond of it. There are three
primary reasons I am looking forward to using my TH20 on the trail.
First, brightness. This is the reason I was drawn to the TH10 in the first place. I wanted the ability to brighten up the trail when on a night hike. I have never heard anyone say, “My flashlight is too bright.” With an operating lumen range from 0.3 up to 520, I’m not going to be losing out on any power with the TH20.
Next, comfort (especially with the reduced weight). I sleep wearing my headlamp on my head all night. Always have, always will. While the TH20 doesn’t have the over the top strap on the headband, I can’t imagine it being any less comfortable than the TH10.
Lastly, confidence in the battery. When I first went to the TH10 and the required 18650, I was unsure. I was unsure due to my lack of education on the power and longevity of any battery other than the standard AAA, AA, C, D (and so on). Now that I am educated, I'm a convert of the “non-typical” battery options available. I was completely impressed with the 18650, and from what I have researched about the 14500, I will be pleased with that as well.
Time to start planning a trip with my new TH20, my new lighter light!
I hope to see you on the trail,
Rob
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Footwear For The Trail, What To Wear?
Hiking
boots or trail runners?
Which is better or best?
The debate about footwear is one that most backpackers/hikers become very passionate about. Defending their reason, chosen brand, style and so on. While there is no best or correct choice, I am on the team of trail runners, 100% of the time.
There are three reasons why they work the best for me.
1. Light weight. My shoe of choice is about 8oz per shoe, which is about one pound (per shoe) lighter than most boot options. In a 1984 study by the U.S. Army Research Institute, they found that it takes up to 6.4 times as much energy to move at a given pace when weight is carried in the footwear as opposed to the torso. This means that each additional pound of weight in footwear is equal to about five pounds of weight on your backpack. In my case, this is ten pounds of weight in my pack!
Simply put, your legs won't have to lift the extra pound for each step. The point is really driven home when you do the math. The average mile has over 2,000 steps which equals lifting an extra ton of weight for each mile you walk.
2. Fast drying. Regardless of your footwear, your feet will get wet. Whether it be crossing a stream, rain, or dew, your feet will get wet. Mesh trail runners dry really quickly. The heat from your foot will have your shoes dry shortly after being soaked. An added benefit is the breathability of the mesh, as your feet won't sweat nearly as much. Dry shoes are the first part to healthier, blister free feet.
3.
Better fit. Trail runners are flexible, and there are so many options that it is easy to find a pair that will fit you great. I look
for two things when purchasing trail runners for hiking long distance.
- No heel slip. Find a pair, that when laced properly (check out the heel lock method on YouTube), will cup your ankle and hold it securely in place. I used to assume that all heel designs were equal. I was wrong. Take the time to find a shoe that holds your heel properly. Remember, your heel sliding around in your shoe will be the start of a blister before lunchtime on day one.
- Wide toe-box. Most of the issues with toes (that hikers have) is caused by their feet crammed into a narrow toe-box shoe. My general rule of thumb is to have the ability to widen my toes (in my hiking socks) as wide as I can when my shoe is on. That way, once I start hiking and my feet swell, there is still plenty of room to let my piggies roam.
I am not sure how my three reasons would play into your decision making, but these are the keys as to why I love my trail runners.
If you chose to go with trail runners, find a small, niche running shoe store in your area to get sized properly. Typically, these small stores are owned by running enthusiasts who have a higher level of experience and knowledge when it comes to proper shoe fit and selection.
What is your footwear of choice?
What are your reasons?
Also, check out my blog on Foot Care where I share a tip using climbers salve that is a part of my "good foot" care plan.
I hope to see you on the trail,
Rob
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Fun Is There For Us To Have!
Since then, we have changed most of our gear at least once, and have grown to love backpacking more and more.
We typically take trips from Southeastern Virginia with our Obsessive Compulsive Backpackers Meetup group, but are aiming to do more trips on our own. For us, trips are mostly two to three nights in the mountains of Virginia or West Virginia.
Now on to my blog article!
Do you watch YouTube videos, read blogs and forum posts from other backpackers, and find yourself wondering - how do they do it?
I suffered an inferiority complex for quite some time as I moved from the total beginner to the somewhat competent level. From my experience, I have now come to understand that just being a backpacker is awesome, and you should too!
For all of us who backpack at any ability level, there will always be someone who takes nicer trips, hikes farther per day, has lighter gear than ours and knows how to do it all on the trail. It's very easy to get caught up in this "wow, look at that guy!" mentality.
As someone who struggles with all of these things, it gave me lots of self-doubt for the longest time. Instead of enjoying my trip, I would spend a lot of it fretting over my inadequacies.
I used to concentrate on how I was "different" from the more ‘elite’ backpackers. For example, as compared to an ultra-lighter, I am carrying at least 1/3 more weight, hiking half as fast and going about half the distance per day.
Then I realized, instead of thinking of how I’m different from elite backpackers, I should focus on the similarities and things we have in common, such as:
a love of the outdoors, an obsession with trip planning and gear research. And perhaps most importantly, a love of telling war stories about that time when we overcame adversity, saw a bear, or pitched our tent in record time during a raging thunderstorm.
Once this attitude shift happened, I realized backpacking is not about how light, fast, or far you can go. No, it's about getting away from our every day, hum-drum routine, to take in the sights and sounds of the forest.
Sure, going faster, farther, and lighter are all worthy goals, but not at the exclusion of the thrill of backpacking at its primal level.
Fun
is there for us to have.
I would challenge all of you, myself included, to step back and realize how lucky we are to live in a country that actually allows backpacking. Make an effort to avoid envy and feelings of inferiority.
Will you promise to join me in enjoying the journey more, and not to be so concerned about the things that don't matter much?
I hope to see you on the trail,
Mike
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When Life Gives You Lemons
Everybody has heard this line before. Heck, you’ve probably come up with our own answer a time or two. A few I've heard are; “you make lemonade,” “grab tequila and salt,” and my favorite, “go hiking!”
You haven’t heard that one before?
“Go hiking”
Neither had I…until this weekend.
The Plan
DuctTape and I were scheduled to meet at the trail head at 6:30AM. This meant that he needed to be on the road at 3AM, and I by 4:30.
My 4:35AM text, “all good?”
His response, “yup.”
We’re off and running.
The Decision
At 5:15AM, I pulled into our usual pit stop, a 24-hour convenience store and gave him a quick call. After two minutes on the phone I decided to wait for him. He was just ten minutes away.
In hindsight, waiting for him was a good decision.
Yes, we have hiked
the Northville-Placid trail together enough to have our routines down pat. We
have a “usual” pit stop. That is one of the things I enjoy about hiking with
DuctTape, he has as many routines as I do. Routines give me great comfort.
After buying a 20oz cup of coffee, we are ready to drive the last hour to the trail head.
“I’ll follow you,” my parting words as I hopped into my car.
The Lemon
Sipping on my coffee, listening to Delbert McClinton, I remember thinking about how lucky we were that the weather forecast from earlier in the week had changed. The sun was partially up and the sky was blue.
Less than ten minutes down the road his car slows down.
Would he pay attention to what he’s doing!
He slows more.
Less than five seconds later he is pulling off the side of the road.
What did he forget?
I roll my window down as he approaches. “I lost power, the engine started knocking, and the oil light came on” he says.
After attempting some road side mechanics, we called AAA.
His car is on a tow truck heading to the dealer. It is now 7AM.
Three hours and some breakfast later, I am standing by my friend’s side as the Service Manager says, “my technician just looked at your car and unfortunately you need a new engine.”
They discussed options and agreed to a plan. As DuctTape walked away from the Service Manager he looked at me and said,
“Let’s Go Hiking”
By 10:30AM we were on our way back towards the trail head.
When life gives you lemons, go hiking!
I can’t wait to share the video with you all.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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Your One Special Place
I am writing this on Tuesday, May 10th at about 10:30PM. In three short days I will be heading back to the Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) for a one night, 24 mile trip…and I can’t wait.
We all have that one trail we love. The one place that holds only fond memories. We can’t explain it, we just love it. I suppose it's kind of like a pair of jeans that fit just right, or your favorite beer, or how you like your chicken fried (this might make a good song).
The NPT is my comfortable pair of jeans, my cold bottle of beer, my fried chicken.
Especially this time of the year!
I spent three consecutive Memorial day weekends (2012-2014)
hiking this trail with my friend Whoopsie. Sure, we heard about the black flies (so
vicious they will carry you off), the unpredictable weather (sleet one moment, unbearable heat the next), the mud and slop (that has been rumored to devour grown men). But this is when we had time to hike together and the NPT
was where we wanted to be.
The NPT is located in the southern portion of the Adirondack Park in New York State. The Adirondacks cover six million acres, yes 6 million acres. To put that in perspective, Glacier, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon could each fit within the Adirondacks.
There is a wonderful resource, Wild River Press, that has an entire guidebook series, Discover The Adirondacks, dedicated to help you find your special place within the Blue Line (the term blue line is used as a reference for the boundary of the park). I hope to someday meet and hike with the editor, Bill Ingersoll.
What makes the NPT my place?
I often reminisce about our first break at Rock Lake (picture right). I recall staying in Hamilton Lake Stream lean-to and listening to a torrential rainstorm one night. I have vivid memories of seeing all of the 'firsts' as we traveled down the trail; Silver Lake, Mud Lake (picture upper left), the chimney, and the list continues. We laughed and enjoyed everyone one of our miles on the NPT…well, almost every one of them.
In fairness, we had moments when the black flies drove us nuts, we
did indeed experience some temperamental weather (picture left), and our pants were muddy. But those
are not what my memories are. My memories are of the blue disks that mark the
NPT, the meals we shared after a day on the trail, and of the feeling of finally
making it to Lake Placid.The Northville-Placid Trail will always hold a special place in my heart, and I get to hike there this weekend. Life is grand.
Where is your favorite place to hike?
Why does it hold such a special place in your heart?
What is your favorite beer? (I love Long Trail IPA)
I hope to see you on the trail,
Rob
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Lighten The Load - (For Free)
A few weeks back I shared a blog - Lighten Your Load. Admittedly, the title was a bit misleading (as your comments pointed out). In that article I talked about my weight, not the weight in my backpack. In this blog I am going to share a method I used to lighten my other load (and it didn’t cost me a dime).
I have used this graphic to show how many of us went about learning to backpack.
This is what the cycle typically looks like: research gear, buy gear, take a trip, some things go well, others do not, repeat.
From day one, no matter our level of confidence, there is always some fun sprinkled in.
But simply having fun isn't enough is it?
We want to maximize our fun...by carrying a lighter load. To accomplish this we need to build more confidence.
The graphic above plays a big part in why many of us have carried (or are currently carrying) a heavy pack.
“You pack your fears”
No truer words have ever been spoken. Lack of confidence causes fears, and the one thing you can be certain about fears; they are always heavy!
What if I get cold? - Throw in an extra shirt.
Am I going to starve to death? - More food.
Will I smell funny? - Extra clothes and deodorant in the pack.
How do we overcome our fears? By gaining confidence. How do we gain confidence? Learning what gear to carry and how to use it. How do we learn what to pack and how to use it? You guessed it...experience.
See how this all works nicely together? I call it the gear experience confidence loop.
We have all been there (in the gear experience confidence loop). While I was in it, I also stumbled upon a method that had an immediate impact when it came to carrying a lighter load. Now, I get the chance to pay it forward.
Assuming that you have practiced with your gear at home, it is time to start planning your next trip. While you plan, make a detailed list of everything you are going to take with you. The list could be as simple as writing with a crayon on the back of an envelope or as intricate as an excel spreadsheet. Also, there are mobile apps or websites that are available as well. I use a spreadsheet.
Make sure you list everything! Socks, food, toilet paper, camp shoes, gloves, first-aid kit, deodorant…you get the idea.
As you make your list you could also include the weight of each item (this will allow you to track weight savings down the road if that interests you). I use a simple kitchen scale I picked up for about $10 to weigh my gear.
Now that your list is complete, pack up, go out, and enjoy your backpacking adventure. Have a blast! Make sure to take plenty of pictures and share them with us here.
What’s next? Time to build some confidence.
Once you get home, pull out your planning list and place one check mark next to a piece of gear for each time you used it during the trip. Using a cook kit as an example; let’s say we made a Mountain House meal for dinner, a hot chocolate by the fire before bed, a coffee when we first woke up, followed by oatmeal for breakfast. Four checks would be placed next to our cook kit, one for each use. Go through the remaining items, placing a check next to it each time it was used.
Take a look at your marked up list.
How many items have three or more check marks next to it? Are there any items that don’t have a single check mark next to them? Did you carry any food out of the woods?
What is the total weight of all the items with less than three check marks?
What could you do without? What items didn't help maximize your fun or keep you safe?
Continue this exercise for the next couple of trips. Use the knowledge (confidence) gained from each trip when planning your next one.
I made decisions on all items with less than three checks. This exercise helped me learn about my style and what my goals are (as Grey Gorilla pointed out in this blog last week). I learned I don't enjoy the camping as much as I do the hiking.
My extra clothes bag was almost two pounds heavier than it is now. The contents of my food bag actually get eaten on the trail. The folding saw only sees my pack when I know I am going on a camping trip, not a hiking trip. My weight saving examples go on.
Remember, the lightest piece of gear is the gear that stays home.
Is there a method that you use to help lighten your load?
Do you keep a list of all your gear with their weights?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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Selecting Backpacking Gear
Hi everybody, Rob here. I want to introduce my friend Chris, AKA Grey Gorilla.
Having always been impressed with his ability to make solid gear choices, I asked him if he would share the method he uses when selecting backpacking gear.
Grey Gorilla - Guest Blogger
So you’ve been looking to buy some new gear. Maybe you already have some older gear that is in desperate need of upgrading to the 21st century or perhaps you are jumping into the hiking/backpacking thing for the first time.
Just start surfing the internet and you’ll soon realize that there are about as many options when it comes to backpacking gear as there are colors under the sun.
Whichever end of the spectrum that you are on…it’s no secret that the process of buying new backpacking gear can be pricy and intimidating. Here are a few guidelines to follow to help make your decisions a bit easier.
A simple four part method - Define, Observe, Purchase & Enjoy
Define - Before you start loading your shopping cart it’s necessary to outline your intentions:
How do you want to hike?
- Are you a mileage based hiker that likes to put the miles under your belt or do you prefer to spend time in camp?
- Do you prefer multi-day trips or simple overnight stays?
Where will you be spending your time?
- What climate will this gear be used in?
- Will you be traveling on maintained trails or bushwhacking through dense foliage?
- Are you trying to get in shape/lose weight?
- Possible using backpacking as a means to another hobby? (Photography, birdwatching, etc..)
- Do you just want to crush miles to see how many you can do in a day?
Observe - Now that you are thinking about where, why and how you’re going
to use this new stuff…you need to do your homework.
Search for the type of gear that
aligns with your style, intentions, and expectations.
Social media platforms offer a
plethora of information about anything that you can imagine. Use them as a way
to reach out and talk to others about what works and what doesn’t. We all love
to talk about gear.
In general, lighter gear is
better but may also mean more expensive and less durable.
While one hikers 8-pound base
weight is great for maintained trails and high mileage days. It may not be
so suited for someone carrying heavy camera gear or hiking different climates.
Purchase - Now you can load that cart up!
Websites such as Massdrop and
Steep and Cheap may be able to offer discounts.
Remember though, there may be
cheaper ways to obtain this sweet new stuff. Check out forum/group pages
for used and/or unwanted gear.
Cottage industries offer a
refreshing twist to the big box stores and are more likely to have better
customer service.
My favorite, if you are slightly
crafty, is to make your own gear. There are plenty of vendors available to
assist you in all your DIY needs.
Enjoy - Buying new gear doesn’t have to be a mind boggling
experience.
With a little bit of thought it
is easy to avoid that impulse buy and to purchase the right gear the first
time.
Buy your gear to align with your
style and you’ll, no doubt, have a more pleasurable, meaningful experience.
Let me share how I used this method to make some of my first purchases and some of the alternatives that I had in mind.
I knew that I wanted to get into shape and cover a lot of miles while doing multi-day trips. I was fascinated by the idea of these long distance hikers on their quest to carry the lightest load possible while still maintaining an adequate level of safety and pleasure. I turned to Andrew Skurka and his extensive knowledge of this subject laid out in his book The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide to get me started.
What I chose:
Go-Lite Jam
50L vs Framed, multi-pocketed ruck style pack
Torso
length closed cell Thermarest Solar vs self-inflating sleeping mat
DIY
sil-nylon tarp vs free standing pole type tent
DIY down
quilt vs expensive sleeping bag
Cat food
can alcohol stove vs jet boil cook system
Montrail trail running shoes vs hiking boots
Using the money I saved (by making my own gear) I bought the best clothes that I could afford. In a true ultralight set-up all the gear that’s on your back needs to compliment what's in your pack.
It is this method that allowed me
to go farther, faster and still have a good time leading to many amazing
memories on the trail.
What did your first load out look
like?
Did you follow a similar method
when making your gear purchases?
Please leave a comment below
sharing what has worked (or not) for you below.
~ Grey Gorilla
Chris is an avid outdoorsman that
enjoys hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking. He has used his research and
experience in ultralight backpacking to simplify the rest of his life through
the adage that “less is more”. He lives in Central New York with his wife
and 4 children who together run a small homestead and share a passion for all
things outdoors.
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Planning The Impromptu Hike
This is part three of a three-part blog written by three
backpackers (Dane, Rob, and Lance) all answering the same question: How Do
You Find Time To Go Backpacking?
Planning the Impromptu Hike, by Dane
With all of our kids
either in college or out on their own, one would think that my wife and I would
have all the time in the world to do whatever we wanted. The truth is,
however, that we are busier than we've ever been. In addition to both of
us working full time jobs, we are active volunteers at our church and at the
county jail. Almost every evening is taken up with some type of volunteer
activity.
As with my many of my backpacking friends, my wife doesn’t join
me in the woods. This adds an additional challenge since it means that
time on the trail is also time away from loved ones. Adding family time
back into the mix also has to be a focus.
For me, planning a backpacking trip centers around two unrelated
elements, which result in two different kinds of trips. These are impromptu trips and carefully planned trips.
Planned trips are generally longer for me (a week, or extended
weekend), and are often farther away from home (like my upcoming trip to
Colorado). They are special events, and require a lot of detailed
planning, like finding a shuttle to and from the trail, or a shower when
done. These trips are affected by the availability of friends, shuttles,
vacation time, and, of course, money. They don't just happen. We
have to make them happen. Most of us are familiar with these kinds of
trips.
But there’s another kind of trip that I often find myself
taking. These are my impromptu overnight hikes. They occur when I
find an unplanned opening in my schedule. They are almost always to an
area that I can drive to in under an hour. These hikes require
flexibility, as well as having easy access to a trail or outback
area. I almost always do them alone.
Even though I call them “impromptu hikes,” they actually require
a little advanced planning. By taking just a few, easy steps, you can be
ready to hit the trail with very little notice.
Here are some simple steps to take in order to plan for an unplanned getaway:
- Select a suitable location that can be accessed easily and quickly. Consider prearranging with a private landowner as I did in this video.
- Pack at least three meals and snacks in a separate storage bag.
- Organize your gear in a way that allows you to locate and pack everything quickly.
- Have a backpacking checklist ready to use. Click here for a sample.
- Plan your itinerary and write it out before hand, making certain someone is left with a copy.
- Wait for the right time, then go.
We all enjoy those big, planned adventures to new places.
However, for me, being flexible and deliberate enough to remain spontaneous has
meant a few extra nights in the woods each year.
dane
Dane Cramer is a backpacker, Christian blogger, jail
chaplain, amateur filmmaker, and author of
two books: Romancing the Trail and The Nephilim: A Monster Among
Us.
Connect with Dane at FeatheredProp or on YouTube.
Are you prepared for tick season?
How Do You Find Time To Go Backpacking? Part 2
This is part two of a three-part blog written by three backpackers (Dane, Rob and Lance) all answering the same question:“How Do You Find Time To Go Backpacking?”
Finding Time To Unplug From All Things Needing A Plug
By Rob (Backpacking Adventures)
Find time to go backpacking? Time? You think I can find time?
I am a husband, and the father of two daughters ages thirteen and seventeen. My career requires about thirty weeks a year on the road. Then, there are my other hobbies of golf and playing music. There is no chance of me finding time to go backpacking…I have to MAKE time.
Actually, WE need to make time.
A number of years ago, one Saturday afternoon, I was having a glass of wine with my wife Angela, and our conversation ended up on backpacking. Her question was innocent and simple, “when was the last time you went backpacking?”
My answer was frustrating and now hard to imagine.
“I don’t think I have been on a trip since…wow, I think it was the first weekend in June!” I said in astonishment.
This realization wouldn’t have been so bad if we were having our conversation on July 27th, or August 27th or even September 27th. Instead, it was late November. The Saturday before Thanksgiving.
The enthusiasm that you see in my videos is genuine. I love the trail. The physical exertion, unplugging from all things needing a plug, and the sense of accomplishment all play a part in building my enthusiasm. I enjoy only having to focus on sleeping, walking, and eating. The trail is my happy place.
We are only on this great earth for but a short time, shouldn’t we be spending as much time as we can by doing what we enjoy?
Now, back to the conversation with my wife.
At some point that afternoon we agreed to the fact that when there is a goal, with a plan that makes it achievable, the goal is usually accomplished. We proved that point to ourselves by sharing examples of our own lives as well as that of our children, family, and friends. That is when it happened. Somewhere between talking about learning how to ride a bike and how to plant a garden is when my wife gave me a goal and a plan to make it happen.
“At least twelve
nights a year in your hammock. There are 365 of them to choose from, pick
twelve” Angela said. 
I sat and listened.
"You will go on one backpacking trip each of the next twelve months. It may only be a quick overnighter to Morgan Hill (our local State Forest) or it may be a multi-day trip in the Adirondacks, but you are going to go backpacking every month. We will not be sitting here a year from now having this same conversation” she stated.
How could I argue? Why would I argue? What should I say?
"I may not be great at math, but 12 nights out of 365 isn’t a big percentage,” I said with a smile.
We continued to talk about sacrifice, support, and doing what we enjoy. Together we even figured out (with the help of a calculator) that 12 nights is just 3% of all the nights in a year.
Just 3%.
Could I commit 3% of my year to do something that I loved?
That’s how I find the time to go backpacking. My family made it a goal, a simple goal - make the time to do the things you love to do.
What % of your year are you willing to commit to doing something you love?
Please share your answer or how you find time for backpacking in a comment below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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Time To Continue Walking North
It was staying healthy that became my ultimate demise.
Starting in February of 2015, when I first set my sights on this trail, I set a goal to complete the thru hike between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The first trip (starting the Friday before Memorial Day) was an eight day adventure that brought me over 100 miles down the trail. I was back at it in June on two separate trips, then another in July. August had yet another scheduled with the plan to cross Journey's End (the northern terminus) about Noon on Labor Day. I figured that was as good a place as any to celebrate the holiday.
All went well until July.
That trip was planned to be over fifty miles, starting at Lincoln Gap and ending at Smugglers Notch. About Noon on day three, as I summited over the top of Mt. Ethan Allen, I slipped on the smooth face rock that is Mt. Ethan Allen, falling and twisting my knee. As I continued on to Montclair Glen Lodge I found myself favoring it more and more. Eventually I made it from the summit to the lodge but was limping noticeably. The distance was just one mile.
Dutch (my hiking partner for this trip) and I talked it over as we watched my knee continue to swell.
We decided to come off trail.
After a visit to the Doctor, where I learned I hadn't torn any knee ligaments, I began to plan how to still accomplish my goal of completing my thru hike. A few quick adjustments of my schedule and I was back at it on a humid mid-August afternoon ascending up Camels Hump.
After the short hike to Bamforth Ridge Shelter, where I just beat a torrential rain, I was back...Walking North on the Long Trail (this is what I had named the video documentary of my trip).
No time to bask in the glory as things changed again that next morning. Just like my last trip, I slipped on another smooth faced rock. I fell again and twisted the same knee.
Driving back home I felt frustrated, depressed and defeated. I wasn't going to accomplish my goal. To be honest...I was pissed.
This last re sprain (so I learned after another trip to the Doctor) took me off trail until late-December.
Today is April 23rd, Saturday morning.
I woke up early, grabbed a cup of coffee and came down to my office. I pulled out my official Long Trail Guide book and map and I started to make a plan. A plan to continue walking north.
My goal of hiking the Long Trail is still alive, it just took a little detour. A detour, like so many other ones in my life.
In the weeks that follow, as I finalize my plan, I will share my gear, itinerary and meals.
Canada or bust...
What backpacking trips didn't go as planned for you?
Have you ever had to come off trail due to an injury?
Please let me know in a comment below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
New Gear - ThruNite TH10 Headlamp
Over the past number of months I have seen and heard much about this headlamp, now I get to try it out.
First impression - built to last.
While the TH10 is a bit heavier than what I am currently using (PTEC Byte), the difference is largely due to construction materials. The TH10 is built with aircraft grade aluminum while the Byte is plastic.
I can't imagine that any accidental dropping (even onto rock) is going to phase the TH10 in the least.
Another difference worth noting is the battery. The TH10 uses a single 18650 (there are other compatible options available). If you don't know what an 18650 battery is (I didn't until just recently) I would describe it as a cross between a C and AA.
This picture shows it next to the AAA I currently use in my PTEC. While researching battery life I didn't find any negative comments when it came to actual backpacking usage.
The 18650's I bought are rechargeable and came in a 2 pack.
The last thing I will mention...this sucker is bright!
There are 6 different modes (all with the push of the on/off button): Firefly 0.2 lumens, Low 11 lumens, Medium 172 lumens, High 490 lumens, Turbo 750 lumens and a SOS mode (blinking) at 750 lumens. (The lumens rating came directly from the ThruNite website.)
| ThruNite TH10 | PTEC Byte | Difference | |
| Weight | 134g or 4.7oz | 42g or 1.5oz | 92g or 3.3oz |
| Battery(s) | 1 - 18650 | 2 - AAA | |
| Weight with battery | 180g or 6.3oz | 57g or 2.0oz | 123g or 4.3oz |
| Construction | Aluminum | Plastic |
If first impressions count for anything I think I am really going to like this product. Now to get it on the trail!
If you have the TH10 (or are thinking about getting it) I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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How Do You Find Time To Go Backpacking? Part 1
This is part one of a three-part blog written by three backpackers (Dane,
Rob and Lance) all answering the same question:
“How Do You Find Time To Go Backpacking?”
Make the Time to Do What You Love
By Lance (OutLan) (guest blogger)
I have always loved camping and hiking. Since I was a little boy, my favorite thing to do was to go on hikes with my family on the trails around my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. I wanted nothing more than to go camping, though my parents were never really the "outdoorsy" type. Their idea of roughing it meant getting a hotel room each summer in Gatlinburg near the Great Smoky Mountains. At the age of 10, all I wanted to do was explore those mountains--to hike, camp, and spend time deep in those woods. Backpacking, I thought, would be the way to really do it. To me, that was the answer. Unfortunately, I never got beyond the planning stages.
Fast-forward to five years ago, after many years of getting tied to desk jobs,
starting a family, and not being out in the woods other than car camping, my friend
invited me to an overnight "survival" camping trip in November. My
gear was old and not up to the task of the snow, sleet, and 18 degree
temperature I experienced that night. It was both a horrible and exhilarating
night, and I knew I wanted to make a regular a habit of getting outdoors. I
wanted to get into backpacking. This would mean getting all new gear, gaining
the experience, and making the time to do it. This, I
thought, was not going to be easy.
My kids were just two years old when I came to this realization. My wife realized how badly I wanted to make this a part of my life, and reluctantly supported my crazy expenditures and weekend trips out in the woods. Being the father of twin boys, it never really felt right to leave her alone with two babies, but my wife let me go anyway. I know she was not always happy with me going out to the woods, but she also I knew it's what I loved and was my release from the everyday stresses.
These days, there are multiple things that pull at me on a daily basis. Though my kids are older, it is just as challenging – if not more so – to get away. I have work responsibilities tugging at me almost 24/7, the kids have school and extracurricular activities, and there are the common but important household responsibilities and chores that every husband and father has to deal with. It is never easy to find the time to go backpacking, so I have to make the time. This starts with strong communication with my wife, letting her know when and where I'd like to go, and making sure there are no conflicts in our schedules. She is disinterested in backpacking, and is fine with me going off and doing it alone or with friends. To keep our schedules aligned, we make use of available technologies, like mobile apps, to sync our schedules. There is never really a convenient or "good" time to do it, but certain times are better than others, and it always comes down to timing. Not every trip comes to fruition, but the ones that do are always great.
Time is the most valuable thing we have, and though it's sometimes hard to
balance all of our priorities, it's still important to make some time for
ourselves. This year, I encourage you to try making getting outdoors a
priority. Get out there, explore creation. Hike, camp, backpack, and just take
in the beauty that's around us.
Connect with Lance at The Outlan Channel or on FaceBook and YouTube.
Lance enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, and a wide range of outdoor activities and gear. He discovered YouTube a few years ago as an infinite resource filled with other people who love the same things he does. He decided to turn his passion for photography and the outdoors into an official channel and it has become an addiction for him. He is striving to consistently produce more high-quality content and gain a larger subscriber base from whom he can learn from as well as instruct and entertain.
How Do You Pack?
When it comes to loading my backpack, I have been on both sides of the fence; having once been a stuff sacker, I now cram.
What made me change?
Is the preference to one or the other linked to your personality?
Are people who drink their coffee black more likely to cram?
When I started backpacking and began acquiring all of my gear, I would open each package and find all the doo-dads in their own little sack. Everything came in a bag! Sleeping bag and quilts, tents and hammocks, rain fly’s and tarps, rain gear, jackets and stakes oh my.
If by chance a piece of gear didn’t come in its own stuff sack, rest assured I could get one. Dry bags, cinch top, roll top, cuben fiber, silnylon and more - in any size, color, and weight imaginable. Everything had a bag and every bag had a place in my pack.
I was in CDO heaven (CDO is the proper way to have OCD).
I remember laying all of my gear out, each in its own stuff sack, and I would practice loading it into my pack. Sleeping bag in the bottom, pad or tent standing up to give structure, then the extra clothes bag. That was followed by something, then something else. Eventually the floor was empty and my backpack was full.
Grabbing my pack, I would sling it onto my back and walk around the room to test it for fit and feel. Over time, I got it figured out; I knew how I liked to load my gear.
While arriving at camp on the trail, I would open my bag and pull each individual sack out placing it on the the ground. All my gear, nice and organized. Everything had a place and I was in the woods. Life was grand!
It was when I started to pack up in the morning that things would take a turn.
Where the h@!! did I put that stuff sack?
I swear I put all of them into that one big one.
Did the wind blow it away?
“Did you see my blue, roll top, extra clothes stuff sack?” I would ask.
Eventually I would find it or just chalk it up to some deep-woods, stuff sack eating, boogie monster!
Then, on multi-day trips when my food and toiletries bags would get smaller,
I found that my perfectly loaded pack started to feel different on my back. All of the
individual components didn’t fit together as perfectly as they did just a few
short days ago.In April of 2014, I was on a short, solo overnight hike near my house in Central New York. I woke up on day two, had the fire going, and had just finished getting my cook kit cleaned up. As thoughts bounced around in my head, I recalled a post I had read on a forum about “cramming."
With only six more miles to go, I decided to give cramming a try.
As I walked out that morning, I didn’t really notice much difference. Things felt pretty much the same as when I had walked in the night before. However, when I started planning for my next trip, I decided to give it another try. I would leave the stuff sacks at home.
It was on that five-day trip that I realized...I was a crammer.
On the third day of that adventure, as I jetted along an open hardwoods section of trail, I remember thinking to myself;
My pack feels the same as when I started, only lighter.
Shrugging my shoulders (not in a “who cares” kind of way, but in a “hey, this feels good” kind of way) I started to think about my decision to cram. A couple of days later I finished that trip, and it wasn't long after that I took another. Each of the next few months I would be found on the trail, just cramming my gear into a trash compacter bag in my pack. Eventually I figured out why I liked my new loading system. The three reasons were really simple:
- My pack stayed the same size throughout the trip. The quilts (or sleeping bag) were only compressed as much as needed to fill the empty space.
- There were no hard items (in a stuff sack) against my back. My pack provided a nice flat surface for my back to press against.
- I could fit more gear into my pack. There were no more voids between stuff sacks as I had experienced in the past.
Here is the
loading style that I use, starting with my top loading backpack (ULA Ohm 2.0, ULA Circuit or ZPacks Zero):
- Place trash compactor bag in backpack
- Sleep clothes and extra clothes in first
- Top quilt followed by under quilt next
- Finally, my hammock, followed by a quick roll of the compactor bag
- I then place my food bag and rain gear on top of the rolled up compactor bag
Which style
do you prefer?
What happens to stuff sacks in the night?
Is there a deep-woods, stuff sack eating, boogie monster?
Please share you thoughts in a comment below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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Morning Routine
My eyes are still closed as I listen to the birds that are chirping faintly in the background. Not hearing the rain that was falling when I fell asleep, I grin. Stretching my legs, I think to myself, they feel great! Likely due to the dose of vitamin I (AKA ibuprofen) I took before going to bed. Opening my eyes I gaze out at the wonder around me. A big smile stretches across my face; I love waking up in the woods!
Eventually, I check the watch hanging from the ridge-line of my hammock; 5:28A.M. and 52°F. As I examine the woods around me, I estimate that I have slept 9 1/2 hours since going to bed at hiker midnight (8PM). Now what? There is a choice to make. Am I going to get up and go or relax and chill?
What would you do?
I will share my preference later, but first let's find out what my hiking buddy DuctTape had to say when I asked him the same question.
DuctTape: “What I do in the morning varies greatly depending upon the trip and the circumstances of each day, however the basics remain the same; get up, pack up, eat, and walk. The order in which one performs these four tasks will determine what the remainder of the day is going to look like. As an example, you could eat before getting up, sometimes referred to as BFTH (Breakfast From The Hammock). To further illustrate some options, I present a tale of two trips.
July - 2013 - It was pre-dawn and I was in my hammock in the woods near the Cold River lean-to on the Northville-Placid trail. The air was still cool. I changed out of my sleeping clothes and into my damp hiking clothes for it had misted for the majority of the previous afternoon. My hammock, quilts and what-not were stowed in my pack, followed by my cooking gear. With my tarp still deployed I untied my Ursack (bear bag) from the nearby tree and it too was shoved in. With my pack fully loaded, I took my tarp down and stored it in the outside pocket of my Gossamar Gear backpack. In a short time of 15 minutes, my feet had hit the trail, not that I was rushing or even timing myself.
The trail was wet with dew, adding to my already damp hiking clothes. I broke through the countless spider webs which spanned the trail, apparently attempting to catch us backpackers for breakfast. As I walked I munched on a granola bar for some quick energy. Approaching a well known waterfall I could see the sun was beginning to rise. Sitting down on the large rocks protruding into the river I boiled some water with my alcohol stove. There is something about enjoying coffee as the sun gives rise to a new day.
Having already hiked about 3.5 miles, I only had about 12 more to go. Plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the day and even rest during the forecasted heat coming around 1PM. I will surely arrive at tonight’s camp with time to relax. Smiling, I am glad I decided to get up and go.
The alarm that was set the night before went off at 6A.M., but she rolled over and went back to sleep. About 7A.M Allana was finally awake and she made her way to the log next to mine. We sat by the fire while we finished breakfast and I shared where my mind had wandered during the past hour. We then spent the remainder of the morning keeping the small fire going and swapping stories. We packed up our gear, gathered the trash that others had left behind, and hit the trail at a quarter to 9. It was the last day of the trip, we didn’t have far to go."
While reading his response, with contrasting stories, I too found myself reflecting back on the different trips I have been on. While my preference is to get up and go, he is correct in saying that each day's objectives and circumstances contribute to the actions of your morning. I guess you could say there is nothing routine about my morning routine.
Do you like to get up and go or relax and chill? What was your most memorable morning? Please share in a comment below.
[DuctTape (aka Russ) can be found backpacking and paddling throughout New York State, but spends most of time in the Adirondacks. He volunteers his time as a trail steward, lean-to adopter, and leads hikes for the Adirondack Mtn Club. Follow him on twitter @DuctTapeADK]
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Lighten Your Load
As someone who took off on my first ever backpacking trip with a pack that was in excess of 55 pounds (a fun but not easy trip), I quickly became obsessed with lightening my load. There just had to be a better way. Today I can tell you how many grams, ounces and pounds everything in my pack weighs. I have spreadsheets and a kitchen scale to weigh my gear with and I am not alone! There are a good many backpackers that do the same with their gear, and they will even offer up advice on how to further lighten your pack (maybe without being asked). While this is all fine and dandy, this isn't the load I want to lighten most.The biggest (and cheapest) weight that I had to lose was me, not being carried by me. I was late arriving to backpacking. Sure I had camped and hiked around the woods since I was a little boy growing up in rural upstate NY (think Canada), but I hadn't been on true backpacking trips. It wasn't until a buddy of mine (Whoopsie from my YouTube videos) and I decided it would be fun to strap our room and board on our backs and take off on a backpacking adventure. That's when it hit me - I am not in good enough shape to go on a 20 something mile, 3 day walk in the woods. This was the moment I started becoming determined to lighten my load.
Trying to get in (or stay in) shape for backpacking is the one motivator that has helped me make healthier food choices and stay committed to exercise. Backpacking trips are my pot of gold at the end of the healthier lifestyle rainbow. Now, the dust doesn't seem to build up on the elliptical as it had in the past. While it may be only a 30 minute workout, 2 to 4 times a week, thats OK. Why? Not because I find it particularly fun, no, that's definitely not the reason! It's because I know that it will make my next backpacking trip more fun. I will be stronger, less fatigued, and in a better mood (yes, I can be in a bad mood). At meal times I find myself asking for smaller portions, eating more salads, and generally thinking about what I eat. Sure I have done that in the past when I was on a diet, but I usually stay on a diet about as long as one of my videos lasts.
While I only try to maintain my current weight between backpacking trips, I use the actual trip itself to lighten my load. It makes sense right? All of that walking...up/down, up/down, up/up and up again. With that level of exercise in addition to your backpack on your back, losing some weight is bound to happen. As the frustrating weight loss saying goes, "weight loss is 20% what you do and 80% what you eat." This is where the backpacking trip calorie gap comes into play.
I have read that the average backpacker will burn between 5,000 and 9,000 calories a day. Those estimates will vary depending on the terrain, weight of gear, and the hikers level of fitness, but it is a good rule of thumb. The calorie gap is created when you compare what you have for calories in your food bag versus what you actually burn. A typical days worth of food (for me) weighs about 1.25 to 1.75 pounds with each day having between 2,500 and 3,000 calories crammed within. I refer to those calories as fixed calories, not variable calories. Variable calories are the calories you can easily add to; a quick trip to the freezer for ice cream, the pantry for a bag of chips, or in my case the cupboard for a peanut butter cup (or 10). Variable calories are why diets do not work for me. On a backpacking trip, all the calories are fixed, AKA the ones you can't add more to once you are on the trail.
Backpacking truly keeps me motivated to eat healthier and exercise year round. Part of that motivation is due to keeping my off-trail exercise and eating commitments simple:
1) Don't gain weight between trips.
2) Never go more than 3 days without 30 minutes of dedicated exercise time.
It doesn't get any easier, maintain and move. Maintain your existing weight and keep moving. Let the calorie gap that exists on your backpacking adventures lighten your load.
Are you trying to lighten your load? Are you trying to lose weight to be able to enjoy your backpacking adventures more? Is backpacking a part of your weight loss strategy?
Please leave a comment sharing your story.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
[After my last blog (Filming Your Adventures) a comment was left on the Backpacking Adventures FaceBook page talking about weight gain/loss, backpacking, and how it all works together. I would like to thank Erik for that comment and for the inspiration for this blog.]
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So, you want to start filming your backpacking adventures?
Are you thinking about filming your backpacking adventures? Possibly starting a YouTube channel? Excellent idea. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video can be worth a million. I am by no means an expert nor do I have as successful a YouTube channel as others, but I thought I would share what I have learned during the past couple of years since starting my channel. It is a fair amount of work, but the preserved moments and emotions are priceless. Here are 11 tips I have learned along the way:
1) Look into the camera, be yourself and try to keep away from the "um" "um" "um's" - those three things seemed like no-brainers, but when I started I found them really hard to do, especially the “um’s”. By looking into the camera (as opposed to off in the distance) it keeps the conversation genuine. If you aren’t looking at the camera, the viewer will find themselves wondering who you are talking to, over their shoulder. While I'm out solo I find that my camera becomes my hiking buddy, and I try to look him in the eye when I talk to him.
2) Pay close attention to
background noise and lighting. I have lost many a good shot due to planes,
trains, sun and so forth. While walking along in the woods, paying no particular attention to much of anything, I never seemed to notice all of the unnatural noise around me. I guess that is largely due to the remote areas I typically hike in. That being said, I can almost guarantee a shot or two lost due to some type of noise that just doesn't fit in an outdoors movie.
3) Make sure you use a
camera with good audio. A movie with bad audio is like watching a movie with
subtitles, I click off immediately. I am not going to speak about my opinion of other brands of camera that I find the audio to be suspect at best, rather speak about a camera I know has good audio. 
4) Why all the extra batteries? So you can shoot a ton of footage. Shooting a ton of footage will slow your mileage down, but it will give you options when it comes time to make your final product. I typically find about 40% of my footage on the "floor" as I try to be selective with what makes the final product. Also, when you create your talking clips, do so in short little bursts (20-40 seconds), stop, and then start the next clip. By doing so, it helps to figure out what you are going to say and helps with #1 and #2 above.
5) Be particularly aware of camera movement! Try and keep your arm as steady as possible and in rhythm with your movement, otherwise motion sickness for the viewer will occur. Also, try and vary your shots both in style and distance. What I mean by style is how the camera is being held. Selfie stick (or some other hiking pole mount), tripod, or hand-held to name a few. Keep the style of shots varied throughout the day. Now on to distance. I try to incorporate close up, 1/4 body, 3/4 body, full body, and wide angle where I pick up as much scenery as possible. You will find that different distance will convey a different emotion to the viewer. There are some great videos on YouTube that really explain the last two concepts well. This is still a part of the process I am working hard to improve.
6) Gear, food, and camp footage. Everybody loves gear, food and camp footage! As Andrew Skurka states, a backpacking trip involves two
7) Talk about the temperature, time, and incorporate a bit of the map if you can. It helps to set the stage and create a mental image for the viewer. If you want to take the overview of the map to a whole new level in post production, you can use a different application to animate your maps. A few channels that I follow do this and it adds to the shot. Additionally, if you have a device that tells you elevation (I use a "Lad Weather" (lad004bk) Watch), you can share the change in elevation you are experiencing.
8) Speaking of post production, use of editing software. Mine is iMovie, and it's all I have ever used. Regardless of what you use, be prepared for a steep learning curve. I used to spend about 5x the length of a finished video to edit it, but now I am down to about 3x or so. For example, in my Long Trail series "Walking North," my goal for each produced video (covering two days of hiking) was to be at about 30 minutes. The time to edit each part was about 90 minutes. When I started, that would have easily been 150 minutes. It takes time! Like we discussed in #4, the quality and quantity of your raw footage will be the driving force behind editing time. More high-quality raw footage is easier to integrate into a finished product.
9) Use of transitions, or should I say lack of use. You don't need a transition between every clip. Pay attention to your favorite TV show, they very rarely (or never) use a transition between shots. I use them about 15% of the time, only when it fits. When you do use them, find a few simple transitions you like and stick with them. I like cross dissolve and swap, and use those almost exclusively.
10) Avoid time warp (A movie where you only talk about and show where you currently are)! Incorporate some
kind of quiet movement between spots and talking. It could be a walking away from, or towards the camera shot. A view down at your feet and legs walking. Change it up, be creative, and try to stay away from the time
warp clips...beam me up Scotty.
11) If you incorporate music, keep the music quiet and in the background. I typically have mine set to 10-15% volume. A general guideline I follow is to make sure I still hear natural noise over the music. Select music that enhances the mood or tone of the shot or video.
And a bonus...
12) Create something that captures your memories, and something that you're proud of. Don't get frustrated with views, likes, subscribers, or the idea that you will make a bunch of money. Do it for you.
Why do I do it? Two reasons: 1) I love the interaction with everyone who takes the time to comment and 2) When I am old and in a rocking chair, with cob webs from my nose to my knees, probably a little drool on my chin, I can show my grand, or great grandkids how old gramps used to get out and live his life.
Leave a comment sharing what you like to see in videos or what your movie making tips are.
Also, please share this article with other like minded folks.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
Backpacking Foot Care - Taking Care Of Your Transportation
How can climbing salve for rock climbers hands be used for backpacking? On your feet, that's how.
Hiking in the slop is part of the game, we all have to deal with it. Just like a rock climber depends on and needs to take care of their hands, backpackers need to do the same for their feet. Climbing salve, like the Joshua Tree that I use, is a great product to super moisturize, condition and "waterproof" your feet.
Starting 5 days before a trip, at night before bed, I rub Joshua Tree onto my feet (and then cover with socks). After a number of days of pre-treatment you can see water actually bead on your feet.
While on the trail, keeping your feet warm, dry and moisturized at the end of the day will help prevent "hamburger" feet thus making the next day enjoyable.
My end of the day foot care process; 1) dry feet throughly, 2) rub in Joshua Tree and 3) cover up with loose fitting warm sleep socks.
If you give climbing salve a try let me know how you it worked for you. Do you have a foot care tip that works for you? Please share your ideas below.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
Welcome To The Community
Welcome to Backpacking Adventures, website addition. I will be posting a bi-weekly blog and opening a store with a few items for purchase. Please check out the About page to learn more about the greater plan for Backpacking Adventures. Please leave a comment below and share the message with others.
I hope to see you on the trail,
~ Rob
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