This morning I was putting some chicken in the slow cooker for dinner and I decided to use a little sea salt to flavor things. When I gave a quick twist to the plastic grinder I realized it was pretty similar to the hand crank grinder my friend Nora gave me for my birthday. Me…
I got my REI dividend today and used it to purchase a bear canister (I got the Counter Assault Bear Keg). After the coupon and the divend they still owed me a little bit of money, so I also ordered a semi-rectangular synthetic bag that can be unzipped and used as a comforter. I have…
It’s time again for me to send out the info for testing gear through BackpackGearTest.org. They’re always looking for new testers, and the new round of cool goodies is about to hit the streets! Right now I’m involved with several tests including: Montrail boots, Luna Sport food items, a really cool microfiber accessory (Mental Head Case),…
I’m gearing up for a couple of trips this month, provided my vacation time gets approved. I’ve got a 10 day trip planned for the last week of August and the first week of September.As such, I’ve got my dehydrators working ’round the clock to crank out some tasty trail foods. I’m doing something a…
These are a couple of files I created when I was still planning to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2004. Since I never did that trip they’ve been sitting on my laptop’s hard drive ever since. I believe they would be useful for many types of trips, not just hiking. For instance, a cross-country bicycle…
I recently completed a trip that was not nearly as comfortable as it should have been due to poor menu planning. No, I didn’t go hungry, but I did end up with about five pounds of food I didn’t eat. I planned no-cook meals but ended up eating just candy bars, jerky, chocolate pudding and…
What’s the best breed for hiking and packing? As with any activity, there is no best breed. Some breeds tend to be poorly suited for hiking and carrying a load- long backed breeds such as Bassets and Dachshunds for instance. Some have coats that pick up burrs and debris, or coats so thick they can’t…
Dogs- Winterdance: the Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod Paulsen, Gary– Harcourt Brace 1994 Woodsong Paulsen, Gary– Simon & Schuster 1990 Fan’s Guide to the Iditarod, A Hood, Mary H-Alpine 1996 Guide to Backpacking with Your Dog, A LaBelle, Charlene– Alpine 1992 Hiking With Your Dog Hoffman, Gary– ICS 1998 (Second Edition) Hiking With Dogs…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say on the subject of towels. A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of…
