Tech Tip: External Map Sources for CalTopo
How to import data layers into Caltopo.
National Parks Crash Course: Part 1–Permits, Reservations, and Deadlines
|| National Parks Crash Course Series || The U.S. National Parks system is an amazing natural resource and protects some of America’s most prized natural treasures. With over 61 national parks, and many more national monuments and protected areas, the NPS system is vast. As a visitor, there are many rules, regulations, and procedures that are useful to know when planning a visit. The purpose of this Crash Course series is to provide some small insights learned from personal experience…
Trail Kitchen: No-Mess Meals
Scrape, scrape, scrape. . . That’s normally how the end of any freeze-dried dinner went for me, my spork scratching the inside of my aluminum mug, desperately trying to remove the caked bits of my meal so that my hot chocolate or tea would not taste of chicken, beef, or vegetables. All in vain, too. Until a little trial, error, and to be honest, laziness, helped me realize a simple fix: freezer Ziploc bags. || How I Used to…
Gear Explained – Trekking Poles
Hiking sticks. Walking poles. Ski poles. Trekking poles. Whatever they are called, I want them with me on every trip I take, no matter what. || Brief Backstory || Trekking poles are a fairly recent invention. If your grandfather hiked the Appalachian Trail, you will have a hard time finding trekking poles in any of his photos. The “history” of trekking poles originates in Scandinavia with cross-country skiing (also known to many as “Nordic” skiing). Cross-country skiers would use…
Trail Kitchen: A DIY Version of Freeze-Dried Meals
Packing food for backpacking trips can be intimidating at times. How do I keep my food from going bad? How much food will I need to bring? How do I make my food INTERESTING, not just plain granola and energy bars? If you’ve done any amount of research on conventional “backpacking” food, you’ve probably heard of or come across freeze-dried meals. Think MountainHouse, Backpacker’s Pantry, AlpineAire, etc. Not quite “astronaut” food, but a simple and easy, just add hot water option.…
Visualizing Your Route on Google Earth
Data. It’s my favorite. As an engineer, I’m a data geek, especially when it comes to the outdoors. I’d rather spend a solid few hours on Caltopo doodling around than at a party or watching a movie. No lie. For me, one of my favorite parts of expeditions is the preparation process, the lead-up and planning and all of the work that goes into creating my dream adventure. I enjoy the visualization, the homework behind understanding the route, its features…
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.” I brought a ton of snacks, a mix of granola bars and trail mix that kept my blood sugar stable enough until larger meals, that…
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 bottom all night long. While a sleeping bag creates an insulating layer of air between you and the outside environment, a sleeping pad insulates your…
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 environment. The various temperature ratings of sleeping bags, such as 30 F, 20 F, etc., measure how efficiently the bag is able to retain heat…