Energizer Cap Light

This little flashlight clips to your hat and can be used in place of a headlamp.
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“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”~ Friedrich Nietzsche

When backpacking I normally bring the Princeton Tec Remix for a headlamp. It weighs 2.6 ounces, can put out 300 lumens and has a burn time of 150 hours.  The light is very bright, so is great for night hiking (which I seldom do) and can be dimmed for around camp. I've used it for years without a problem.  BUT, it does not have a red light, which is annoying to anyone camped near you if you get up in the middle of the night to pee.  Also, being a head lamp, when you are wearing a hat (which I normally do), it can be a bit cumbersome with the visor of the hat. 

That being the background, a few days ago I was in the grocery store and I happen to see this little flashlight that can clip on your hat.  It has the ability to tilt after clipped on to point up or down. It has a red light and two levels of white light.  The highest being 85 lumens.  It runs on two AAA batteries, with the batteries in it the whole thing weights 1.5 ounces.  I think I'll swap this for my headlamp on my next backpacking trip and see how it goes.

 This little gadget costs $10 and and is well worth it (and BTY: if you buy it through a link on this blog, BackPackBaseCamp will get a small commission).

A fall walk in the woods of Pyramid Mountain; Morris County New Jersey

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“The soul never thinks without a picture.” ~ Aristotle

A beautiful fall day for a walk in the woods

Fitbit – Easy way to track your day

This little Fitbit device gets you motivated to do just a bit more be fit.
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“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Even though I’m a “computer guy” I normally don’t go in for gadgets, It took a long time and a lot of convincing for me to even get a smart phone.  When I do get a new gadget I’m always hesitant to recommend it to others until I’ve had it quite a while.  There’s been too many times I thought something was the ‘next great thing’ and then after using a few weeks – well it wasn’t. 
So I’ve waited this long before blogging anything about the Fitbit.  I’ve had it since December 2010 – but it actually sat in it’s box until May 2011 when I got around to opening it.  I was convinced into getting it by a friend at work that has been using it for a couple of years now.  So what is it?
Essentially it is a solid state electronic pedometer.  It is such a simple little device, the design is nearly perfect.  It measures your steps, converts them into miles and calories burned.  It wirelessly sends this information to the website to track your history.  The Fitbit has only one button.  It’s not an off/on switch – the fit bit is always on.  Each day at midnight it resets its self to zero steps (it saves the data for weeks in case for some reason it hasn’t ‘synchronized’ it’s self with the website yet.  When you press the button it tells you how many steps you have taken so far today, press again – how many miles, press again how many calories have burned, again and it shows a flower indicating how active you have been (more petals the better).  Don’t touch it for a second and it goes back to it’s normal state.
The beauty of the Fitbit is that it is so simple.  The battery is recharged when you put it on its’ base which has a USB connection your computer.  The base also acts as it’s wireless connection.  The charge lasts a LONG TIME – weeks.  This is a big advantage over using an “app” on my smartphone for a similar function.  I wear my Fitbit all the time.  It is always on.  Always tracking me.  Tiny and unobtrusive – I don’t even think about it.  It has been a tremendous help in keeping me motivated to reach certain “goals” (in # of steps), partly inspired by friendly competition with a few of my buddies that also have Fitbits.
The website that it feeds can not only be used to see your history but also to track other activities and your diet (which you need to key in what you eat if you want to track calorie intake – this is the one flaw of the Fitbit design – it has no way of knowing automatically what you are eating). 
Alright I’m not going to rehash all the information about the Fitbit that you can get from their web site.  If you are interested take a look at the site:  FitBit.com This little gadget costs $99 and and is well worth it (and BTY: if you buy it through a link on this blog BackPackBaseCamp.com will get a small commission).
While I’m being a bit commercial, I have to put a plug in for my kids (9 & 13 years old).  Last year they did a lemonade stand and it didn’t make to much money so now they got this idea to start making dog treats.  It is off to a good start, we put a simple web site together http://wilbursbiscuits.com/ and they are selling at local craft fairs.  It is top quality all natural stuff if you have a dog and are interested check it out.
One more thing: Backpackbasecamp.com is now an affiliate of Eddie Bauer; There First Ascent line is great stuff.  For the next few days they are having a 50% off sale. In addition until Oct 2nd you can get 20% off of EVERYTHING is you used code: FALL 2011

A picture is a poem without words

"A picture is a poem without words." ~ Horace

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“The soul never thinks without a picture.” ~ Aristotle

I was out for a hike Sunday morning, just about a perfect morning so I thought I’d get creative with my smart phone and took this picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought it looked nice and when I looked at it today it made me think of my friend Paula who has real talent, but is a bit to modest to realize it.

The photo below is one of her older ones. After I’ve been bugging her for a long time she has finally decide to put some of her work up for sale, and it will be available on the web hopefully soon.

Paula loves to hike, you should check out her blog at:

http://thesmokieswhisperer.blogspot.com/

and follow her on Twitter at: @SmokyWhisperer

The new Garmin Montana--the all-in-one GPS?

Garmin GPS units; Review: New line of dual-use touch-screen GPS. A guest post by Kevin Jordan

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“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”  ~Henry David Thoreau

 

First, there was Colorado. Then came Oregon, and after that Dakota, and now...Montana? If the my chronology seems a little out of whack, it's because I'm not talking about states here--I'm talking about Garmin GPS units. This week, Garmin announced the release of a new line of dual-use touch-screen GPS units. The "Montana" series, as it's called, is designed to bridge the gap between outdoor-use GPS units like those in the Oregon series, and automotive units like those in the Nuvi series. Both the Oregon and Nuvi series have been very successful and popular, and those GPS units are very good at their respective tasks. However, there has never really been a GPS unit that was a good fit for both the outdoor and automotive markets...but it looks like the Garmin Montana might just be the GPS that does that successfully.

For one thing, unlike previous outdoor-use GPS units that will just give textual turn-by-turn driving directions, the Montana GPS units will also give you voice commands. However, the speakers for the voice commands are located in the actual automotive mount, not the GPS. This way, Garmin could keep the size and weight of the GPS low enough not to be awkward for hikers and backpackers. Another first for the Montana is that, similar to many smartphones, you can hold it vertically or horizontally. I would imagine that holding it horizontally would make it a little easier to use in the automotive mode. There are two power options for the Montana: a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (included with the GPS), or 3 AA batteries. Useful battery life with the AA batteries is advertised as 22 hours, which is more than most handheld GPS units currently on the market. Battery life with the lithium-ion pack is advertised as 16 hours.

All 3 units in the Montana series (the 600, 650, and 650t) include a barometric altimeter and electronic compass, have slots for microSD cards, and are compatible with all Garmin maps, BirdsEye satellite imagery, and custom maps. The Montana 650 also includes a 5 megapixel camera, and the 650t includes the camera and is also pre-loaded with detailed U.S. topographic maps. All in all, the Montana GPS units look pretty impressive. They're slated to hit the market in late June, so we've got a month to drool in anticipation. Until then, we can only wonder--is the Montana the elusive all-in-one GPS we've all been waiting for?

 

About Kevin Jordan  I’m an avid hiker, backpacker, climber, and lover of the outdoors. I’ve been backpacking and climbing all around the world including trips to New Zealand and Chile. I currently run a business selling new and pre-owned handheld GPS units, as well as providing GPS units for rent. I love teaching people how to use GPS technology to take their outdoor adventures to the next level.

Hiking in the Rain & Fog

The pleasures of hiking in the rain and fog

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“He who would travel happily must travel light." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

So it was raining this weekend and looks like rain all this week. I just took the dog out for a walk in the drizzle and it reminded me I wanted to write a short blog post about my hike yesterday in the rain.

When I don’t have time for a full day hike I often hike at a very nice county park near me. It’s a wonderful park with many nice trails up to views of New York City and flatter trails along a reservoir.  The only down side being it sometimes gets a bit “crowded” (meaning you can spot some other people there from time to time).

So yesterday I figured it was a good place to go, cause “Sunday” hikers don’t normally hike in the rain.  Thinking I would have the place to myself, I drive into the lot and find a troop of cub scouts.  They seem to be standing around debating if they should hike in rain or not and appear to be inclined against it.  They ignore me as I walk past them.

Fortunately they were the only other people in the park and I walk for a mile or two before seeing anyone else.  When I get to the top I think about turning around – the fog and clouds are making it feel kind of spooky and I’m getting a little creeped out – but I decide to go ahead and do a long loop.  Just as I walk into a normally dark part of the woods (now really spooky) I meet a young lady and her dog walking the other way.  I recognize her as someone else who often haunts these woods and we exchange a smile as we pass; this makes me forget how creepy the woods is this day.

The rain has stopped now and the woods are so quiet. There is just the stillness of the hanging fog in the air and the dripping of water from the leaves.  A peacefulness that is hard to describe. It’s like a vacuum that sucks the tension and stress out of my body. My daydreams, worries and thoughts evaporate into the mist and all that remains is that peaceful feeling.  The quietness. The solitude.

A short while passes as I near the end of my loop and I hear the ear-piercing noises of cub scouts coming toward me.  That’s OK too. It’s nice to see the kids out in the rain.  They ignore me as they walk past.

Platypus Gravityworks Water Filter

Camping or hiking with a group? This gravity water filter does 4 liters in 2.5 minutes with out any pumping…

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“I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

If you are backpacking, camping or hiking with a group, share this Platypus Gravtyworks water filter.  As a group you save weight and there is no need to do any pumping.   Just hang this from a tree and Isaac Newton does the work.  It will filter 4 liters of water in 2.5 minutes with out any pumping.  It has a flow rate of 1.75 liters per minute. 

The system weighs 10.6 ounces and filters to 0.2 microns.

click rei from purchase to here

Kickboards & Scooter Luggage

You no longer have to drag your hand luggage and yourself through the airport!

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“I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Bored with dragging your hand luggage and yourself through the airport? Micro luggage is designed for the frequent flyer who needs to move quickly and effortlessly. Instead of pulling your luggage, how about riding on it to the gate? Micro luggage is a specially designed Samsonite case with a built-in Micro scooter allowing you to move quickly and easily. When folded, it fits in standard size overhead bins. When you are done scooting, the scooter folds up turning it into conventional wheeled luggage. The handlebar also retracts for carrying or placing in the overhead bin.

End of Winter Gear Review

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“All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.”~J.R.R. Tolkien

So winter is finally over, although here (in New Jersey USA) yesterday April 1st we had a bit of a snow storm.  Still, I’m putting away my winter stuff.  So I’ll make a few comments about things I liked the most.  I came across a few new interesting things:

Somehow out of the blue Columbia Sportswear ask my wife and I to test a couple of jackets from their new Omni Heat line.  I’m sure by now you all have seen this stuff, jackets with a silvery metallic lining on the inside, said to increase warmth by about 20%.  It does actually do this.  The technology reminds me very much of the New Balance FUGU jacket I reviewed on this blog long ago (here is that post).

The Columbia Omni Heat line is nice, although so far I don’t see any jackets in that line particularly designed to be light-weight and so not so good for backpacking.                 

My wife tested the women’s Heat Elite Jacket Omni Heat Jacket. She liked it very much but did find the sizing to be a little tight considering it’s main use other than day-to-day wear would be as a ski jacket.  The jacket is a soft shell; wind resistant, breathable.  Nicely soft to the touch.

They sent me a Grade Max Full-Zip Sweater. The thing is extremely warm comfortable and I find myself wearing it quite often.  I don’t think I would take it backpacking simply because of it’s weight and it wouldn’t pack down well.  I have used it on several day hikes and it breaths well.

Gloves is an area where I’ve seen some improvement but you have to search carefully. Ideally I would like a glove that is warm, water-proof, but not to bulky so that you loss finger dexterity.  I found two sets that fit this: The Serious Xtreme all weather – these are top quality and really are warm (done to very low temps) and water-proof.  The other set of gloves I like for not so cold weather (not below 20 degrees F) is the UA Extreme Coldgear running glove. They say it is “water-proof” by I would say it is more like “water- resistant” so long as you don’t' get them to wet.  The fit – “like a glove”; extremely comfortable and give you great dexterity.

 

 

Interesting New Products

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""I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion." ~Henry David Thoreau

I came across a few new interesting things:

JetBoil CrunchIt

Finally an easy way to recycle those metal gas canisters. The device screws on to gas stove canisters then punctures a whole in the empty canister like a can opener. So far I’ve only seen it for sale as part of a Jetboil set at REI.com but hopefully they will be around in stores soon separately.

Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Knife

This new Gerber Knife, tagged with the logo of Bear Grylls “Man vs Wild” fame; will start shipping November 15, 2010, you can get is on Amazon.com for $59.99 (retails at $79.99).

Cheap Quality Rain Gear

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"Well done is better than well said.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

So this past week I was on a family vacation, part of which included a few days in Ocean City, MD at the beach. The first full day there we wake up to pouring rain.  I think my wife may have been secretly happy about this as it created an excuse to go to the factory outlet stores.  Having left anything that resembled rain gear at home, I agreed and off we went.

After looking around in various outlets and not finding anything reasonable I decided to opt for an umbrella and spotted the “Totes” outlet.  I knew I could find a good quality small micro umbrella in there.  But what surprised me was top quality light weight rain jackets for the entire family.

Normally when I backpack I bring my Marmot PreCip Jacket which is a great piece of rain gear.  It weighs about 12 ounces (336g), has a “breathable” coating, big zipper pockets and pit zips. It sells for about $99 (REI link on photo).

I know lighter rain jackets are available, some as light as 7 or 8 ounces made of Gore Tex Paclite or Event.  But so far I have not been able to bring myself to spend the additional hundreds of dollars to save 4 or 5 ounces. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find such high quality rain jackets at the totes outlet.  I purchased one that felt ‘light’ – turned out to be 11.5 ounces (medium).  It has a nylon shell and polyester lining, netting on the inside top half, vented back. Velcro wrist and rain pocket closures, a nice hood and a waist tightening cinch pull.  Unfortunately no pit zips. But guess the price? $14.

Bug Hunting With Kids

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"Be who you are & say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss

This is a guest post by Debi Huang; Check out her blog at:
Go Explore Nature

Bug Hunting With Kids

While it’s true not all kids like bugs, going on a bug hunt is still fun – especially if you take along some friends. After all, the more eyes looking out for critters, the better! Here’s how to make your next adventure a success, even for the most squeamish among you.

1. Bring the right tools.

A bug container, bug tweezers and a magnifying glass are pretty much essential. The kid-sized tweezers make grabbing fairly simple, even for little ones. Store your catch in a bug container long enough to examine it close up without fear of it crawling or flying away. Just be sure to release it before heading inside!

2. Know where to look.

Backyard bugs can usually be found under things, like potted plants or other heavy items. If you’re on the trail, look for bugs in flowers and trees or near water.

3. Take your time.

Bugs are easy to miss if you’re walking too fast. Most are small and many have the gift of camouflage, making them tough to spot at first glance. Take it slow and let your eyes roam the area for anything that moves. You might even want to pick one place and hang out for a while.

4. Search for signs of bugs, too.

Finding bugs is thrilling, but so are signs of bugs or bug homes. Spider webs and vacated cocoons are good examples. My kids are also enthralled with dead bugs, so don’t be too quick to discourage curiosity in whatever form it comes.

5. Try to stay quiet.

I know what you’re thinking – how is staying quiet possible with kids? But you’d be surprised how willing kids are to listen and be still when looking for bugs and other wild critters. And once you’ve spotted one – and you will, trust me – even the littlest of kids seems instinctively to know to be still and enjoy their new toy. At least for a little while!

Debi Huang is a Los Angeles-based wife, mom and adventure guide for two young boys. Her blog at Go Explore Nature is all about getting kids and families outdoors and connected to nature.

Evernew DX vs Trail Designs Caldera Cone; Comparison tests

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"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me." ~ Noel Coward

For a couple years now I’ve been using the Trail Designs Ti-Tri Caldera Titanium Cone as my main backpacking stove.  It is an extremely efficient light weight design.  For those of you not familiar with the Caldera Cone; it is an ultralight alcohol stove with an aluminum (or in this case titanium) cone.  The cone drastically increases fuel efficiency and is both the pot stand and the wind shield.  With the titanium version you can burn wood as well as alcohol (you can also burn Esbit, thus the ‘Tri’ in the name).  This design allows the hiker to carry much less weight in the from of fuel. 

Overall I’ve been happy with the Caldera Ti-Tri system.  There are a few things that still bug me about it and caused me to look for better alternatives.  The first is that it takes up a lot of space in my backpack.  There are a few ways to store the thing, Trail Designs sells it with with a plastic container (food quality that can double as a cup).  The trouble with the plastic container is that it is not light and the second time I used the stove I ripped a slit in the top (good bye usefulness as a cup).  The edges of the titanium cone are very sharp (that’s how I ripped the top of the container) and so I need to be very careful not to cut myself.  Not something I want to be worried about in the wilderness.  On my particular cone the pot gets stuck in it, giving me trouble getting the hot pot out of the cone.

The stove I’ve picked to use now is the Evernew Ti DX set.  Again it is made out of titanium and can burn alcohol, word or Esbit.  It packs down much smaller than the Caldera Cone (I store it in my pot).  The Evernew stove has no sharp edges and has a very high quality ‘feel’ to it.  Unlike the Cone, the Evernew is not fuel efficient. It burns hot and fast.  Boil time for the Evernew is 4 minutes, 30 Seconds (2 cups 68 degree water) versus the Caldera Cone boil time of 6 minutes, 5 seconds.  So you can get your water to boil fast – an advantage.  The disadvantage is it burns hot – burn out time on 20 ml of alcohol was under 5 minutes whereas the Caldera Cone burned for over 8 and 1/2 minutes on 20 ml of fuel.

The Evernew wins on weight; The entire DX set is only 3.2 oz. (92g); My Caldera Ti Tri is 2.4 oz (68g) but including the plastic container it is 5.0 oz (143g).  Note: Each Caldera is a different weight depending what pot they are made for.  Mine is for a 700 pot which weights 3.2 oz (92g).

The Pot I use for the Evernew is a 1 Liter Evernew Pasta Pot that weights 4.1 oz (116g).  Since the Evernew is not custom made for specific pots I have much more flexibility here, which is another reason I now prefer the Evernew DX. 

So my entire setup including the larger pot with the Evernew is now 7.3 oz (208g); The Caldera was 8.3 oz (234g); so I also save an ounce by switching.

Here is a video testing the two stoves side by side:

Related reviews:

Evernew DX Ti Alcohol Stove Review

Evernew DX Ti Stove Burning Wood

Eight Year Olds and Fire-Belly Toads

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“You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince.”

On at least one morning each weekend I try to go on a fast paced hike up and around a mountain and reservoir that’s about 20 minutes from where I live. The whole hiking loop I normally do is about 5 miles. I attempt to do it and get back before the family is 100% up and about. It’s a little bit of quiet alone time for dad and it helps me clear my head. Usually I make an insincere offer the night before or that morning asking if anyone would like to come with me. Normally no takers, but this past Saturday for some reason (I was suspicious already) my son decided he would love to join me.

So my pace dropped to the stride of an eight year old boy. A boy who was apparently in the mood to talk a lot (so much for quiet time), to talk a lot about Fire-Belly Toads. The hike went something like this:

 

“Dad, did you know they sell Fire-Belly Toads at Petco?”
“No, I don’t think I know what a Fire-Belly Toad is.”
“They are really cool toads, they eat crickets, could we get one?”
“Live crickets?”
“Ya, you can buy the at Petco, they come in a box.”
“You want to keep live crickets in a box in your bedroom, aren't they noisy?”
“You have to feed them every couple of days”
“Hmm…”

Time goes by, as we walk along…

“Dad, did you know my friend Mary won a national art Contest in school.”
“Oh, that’s great, she seems like a nice girl.”
“She’s interesting. She doesn’t eat meat. They eat worms too, you have to give them live food (the toads, not Mary) ”.
“What did she draw to win the contest?  She’s a vegetarian?”
“She draws pictures of airplanes.”  “She’s a Muslim, she’s from Portugal.”
“Hmm…”

Time goes by…

“My one friend, Nick, he is a model. I think it might be better to be an actor”
“You, want to be an actor?”
“No. You have to keep them between 72°F to 78°F degrees, can’t let them get to hot, but they can get colder sometimes”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, there aren’t any actors my age.
“Sure there are; what about Cassady, she’s an actress, you know her.”

“She’s Nickie’s age (12).”  “Toads are amphibians, we need to have a pool of water in the cage.”

“What about Annasophia Robb (continuing to try to change the subject), she was about your age when she made “Winn-Dixie”

“Ya, I like dogs too.”

“Hey, Look Connor, there’s a Frog!”
“Cool!”
”Why don’t you pick him up?”
"Dad, I don’t want to touch him.”
”Won't you have to touch the toad to pick him up to clean his cage?”
”That’s different. That is  a WILD frog!”
“Hmm…”

Time goes by…

“How long do these toads live?”
"About 10 to 12 years”
(OMFG!)
“So is it final we are getting a toad?”
”Hmm…”

A Too Short Visit to the Rocky Mountains

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“Faith, indeed, has up to the present not been able to move real mountains . . . But it can put mountains where there are none.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

This past weekend I went to Denver to be at my nieces’ wedding. I was lucky enough to be able to take a few additional days off work and do some hiking in the Rocky Mountains.  My brother and I, both being sea level people, decided to take Sunday to do a day hike and acclimate ourselves to the altitudes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We chose Sniktau mountain on the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass.  To get there from Denver, use I 70, exit at Loveland Pass just before the Eisenhower Tunnel onto Highway 6.  This mountain has an altitude of 13,234 feet at its’ summit.  This is a good hike to start with for us low landers.  At the bottom of the mountain the temperature was about 75 degrees.  The trail head starts at about 11,900 feet and goes up fairly steeply.  Having a bit of trouble getting used to the thin air, we just took our time.  The trail ascends steadily as it reaches the first knoll.  The temperature dropped to about 50 degrees at the summit, with some serious winds. 

The views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains are extraordinary and breath-taking (couldn’t resist that pun).  The trail then follows a ridge line descending and ascending from Knoll to knoll. The partially snow covered trail (this was June 6th) continues to give fantastic views well worth the hike.  At the fifth knoll you reach the summit and are rewarded with picture perfect panoramas.

On the way back down the ridge line, winds picked up significantly, somewhere between 60 – 90 miles per hour winds, giving us a go feel for the power of nature.

 

 

Some video clips from the hike up Sniktau mountain:

Monday we went to Rocky Mountains National Park.  About 2 hours from Denver, RMNP is a national treasure.  If offers over 350 miles of hiking trails, many drive in camp sites and over 200 ‘backcountry’ campsites.  Permits and bear canisters are required for backcountry camping.  We visited the parks backcountry permit office, were greeted by an attractive young ranger, Megan.  She was helpful and efficient.  Walked us through the rules and paperwork, and issue us a permit to camp at Spruce lake.  We were on the trail minutes later.  No problems whatsoever.

I only wish I could have spent more time exploring the trails and mountains.  That will have to wait for a longer next visit.