“Dream It. Do It.” Well, I couldn’t say it much better than that. My mom has always said that I needed “exertion.” I got cabin fever really easily when I was young (hell, I still do. . .), and if I didn’t get my daily exercise in I’d be bouncing off the walls. As I…
Trail Kitchen: Episode 1
What do you think of when I say “trail food?” For many people, the immediate thought is granola and Mountain House. But does it have to be this way? || The Realization: Food CAN be tasty on the trail || At the beginning of my backpacking adventures, I followed the conventional approach to “hiker food.”…
A Yummy Surprise: Hunter’s Reserve Summer Sausages
I’m a foodie. Plain and simple. The most social space in our entire house is our kitchen, not the TV room or the living room. My family spends countless hours together cooking from scratch, mixing together real, whole ingredients. So in planning for my John Muir Trail hike, it was very difficult for me to…
How a Pair of Crocs Legitimately Saved My Life
We made our way through an empty Tuolumne Meadows, putting in some miles on our way towards Donohue Pass. Following the banks of the overflowing Tuolumne River, we came across the first creek crossing on the trail for which we had to take off our boots if we wished to keep them dry. In no…
Gear Explained: Sleeping Pads
I’ve seen people underestimate the importance of a sleeping pad. They never repeated that mistake. . . || So. . . what is a sleeping PAD? || The rarely mentioned sidekick of a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad is a crucial part of every backpacker’s gear list. Without it you will certainly have a cold…
Gear Explained: Sleeping Bags
With so many sleeping bags on the market, picking the “right one” can seem a daunting task. || Sleeping Bag: So What Really Is It. . .? || I like to describe a sleeping bag like a human thermos. It does not generate heat, but rather, traps heat that your body radiates to the surrounding…
Trail Review: Art Loeb Trail
With its panoramic bald knobs, the Art Loeb Trail is a great destination in the Southeast for a weekend trip. Located in Pisgah National Forest, the trailhead from Black Balsam Knob Road is just over an hour from Asheville and around 3.5 hours from Atlanta. || Location || The Art Loeb Trailhead on Black Balsam…
