Video: Ultralight Hiking

Rather unusual video by "lint" who has hiked the Appalachian Trail twice and is a triple crown (AT, CDT, PCT) hiker. Lint hikes a 8 pound pack plus food & water. We like his idea to use an umbrella with a bug net and his use of raw foods, such as carrots and brocolli. His "knife skills" while preparing food is extremely unusual (gross to some).

Want to read more about Lint’s adventures? He kept a trail journal of his Continental Divide Trail hike. Online: Trailjournals.com/Lint

Pinterest Appalachian Trail Board

Have you been invited to join Pinterest?

If not, you may not know about this rapidly growing new social media site.

We received a Pinterest invitation and have added an Appalachian Trail board to our many Pinterests. Interestingly, even though Pinterest is populated largely with women users (83%), we found a number of people using Pinterest for their gear lists for a future hike. Pinterest allows for easy commenting, which we did to aid our fellow Pinterest users in making good buying decisions.

Gear: Esbit Spirit Stove & Cook Set

We've noted quite a bit of interest in Esbit's new Spirit alcohol stove and cook set in our blog analytics. While we don't own one and no one we know has one, we did some online investigating and offer the following review for folks considering buying an Esbit Spirit stove cook set for use on their section hike of the Appalachian Trail.

The first thing we noted is there's a lot of metal, which equals weight. The Esbit Spirit cook set has a larger 985 ml cup than the 585 ml Esbit cup we use. Instead of the thin, light flat lid that comes with the 585 ml cup, the Esbit Spirit cook set comes with a second 470 ml pot, again more weight.

Directing our attention to the base beneath the 985 ml cup, we find the same heavy Esbit base, a brass Spirit alcohol stove, and an insert-able aluminum Esbit solid fuel burner - more weight. Yes, the entire cook set is made of hard anodized aluminum which is lighter than the steel cook sets offered in many outdoor shops, but there's still considerable excess weight.

The second thing we examined is the Spirit alcohol stove itself. It looks like the Spirit stove has small jets drilled into the top of the stove. If one can set the pot/cup directly atop the Spirit stove and still have a flame then Esbit's Spirit cook set is modifiable for use along the Appalachian Trail.

If you absolutely insist on paying the greater cost for Esbit's Spirit cook set, then consider:

1) Keep the 985 ml cup/pot.

2) Try and buy a replacement flat lid from Esbit for their 585 ml cup and ditch the 470 ml pot/lid.

3) Ditch the base.

4) Keep the Spirit alcohol stove, but ditch the screw on lid and the other lid-like thing (flame snuffer?). Alcohol stoves have no moving parts to be protected and you don't (shouldn't) pack alcohol stoves with alcohol still in them.

5) Ditch the second aluminum Esbit solid fuel burner.

Personally, we wouldn't buy either the cook set nor the stove. Why would you want a 92 gram brass stove, when a Supercat alcohol stove is just 6 grams? Our Esbit 585 ml cup weighs just 113 grams compared to the Spirit cook set's 417 grams. Nothing against Esbit nor the brawny, he-man-y fellows who like to tote cool metallic toys over hill and dale, but a lighter pack makes for a more enjoyable hike

.

Disclosure: We select and purchase the product(s) reviewed. We have no material connection to either the manufacturer nor the retailer(s).

Foldable Spork: Primus Folding Spoon Fork

After downsizing our trail kitchen to the new Esbit cup, we need a smaller spork that would fit inside the 3.5 inch space. We found a nice titanium folding spork at REI at a reasonable price, but our daughter wasn't able to pick up and deliver one of the prized sporks before our 2011 section hike. Being days from departure we sought out a substitute folding spork and discovered the Primus folding spoon and fork at a local Academy Sports for just a few dollars.

The folded Primus spoon / fork fit easily inside our Esbit cup along with the stove, lighter, and other pieces. The little plastic latch in the hinge didn't seem robust and we had read some negative reviews of folding sporks and spoons regarding folding mid-meal. We took ours to work and tried it out in a bag of instant mashed potatoes. Sure enough, while moving the folding spoon back and forth during mixing, the folding spoon unlatched on us. Serious flaw? Not at all. We merely learned to adjust our cooking behavior to the folding spoon. Only stir in one direction - forward only. Confident, we cleaned and packed our new red Primus folding spoon and fork into our Esbit cup.

Our experiences during our 2011 section hike were positive. Yes, the spoon folded once or twice while stirring due to "operator error". The spoon did fold while we were spreading bean dip on a tortilla. Again, once we held the lower spoon section firmly, we were able to spread at will. We really appreciated the fork part of the Primus folding spoon when eating our nightly Ramen soup. The fork enable us to gather a decent bite of noodles from our soup.

We recommend the Primus folding spoon and fork to other hikers wanting a small, lightweight folding spork or spoon, provided you are open-minded enough to modify your behavior. As these little guys are relatively inexpensive, we'll likely buy a few more for the family.

Ultralight Beer Can Stove Kit

Working Saturday at a Rural Tourism Marketing workshop and we just discovered a unique ultralight beer can stove kit. Turns out our speakers manufacture and sell a line of ultralight backpacking gear at UltralightOutfitters.com.

The ultralight beer can stove kit is designed for use with a 1 liter Foster's beer can. You supply the can. Instructions for making a Foster's beer can pot are on the website.

The ultralight beer can stove kit consists of a wire pot stand, a solid fuel stove, a windscreen, a lip guard, and a lexan spoon.

The stand does NOT fit a Heiniken beer can pot.

You can order the kit for $15.95 from Ultralight Outfitters.

Homemade Alcohol Stoves: The Coke Can Stove

Are you looking for a lightweight stove for your next backpacking trip? Have you ever considered a homemade alcohol stove from a Coke can?



Right after the canister stove, alcohol stoves are the most popular type of stove on the Appalachian Trail. The Coke can stove is the most popular of the its genre for good reason. Backpackers carry pocket knives and soda cans are plentiful and free!

So, it was with much delight when we discovered that Brian of Brian's Backpacking Blog included one of his homemade alcohol stoves made from a Coke zero can with the Bud Light stove we had won. Brian is a true craftsman. His cut lines are clean and the holes clean and well spaced. You just can't help but turn his homemade stove around and say "Wow!"

Adding the wow factor is the small size and weight of this type of homemade alcohol stove. We set the stove on our digital scale and read 11 grams or just a third of an ounce. Amazingly light! While the base of a Coke can stove is a smaller diameter than for Brian's Bud Light backpacking alcohol stove, the Coke zero can has a wider diameter above the base. Ours measured a smidge over 2-1/2 inches in width and just 1-3/4 inches tall. That means this homemade stove will fit inside most backpackers cups, including Esbit's new 585 ml cup, with room for a BIC mini-lighter and a folding spoon. Nice...

So, how's it burn? We found out last Saturday morning when we took it for a test boil on the back patio. We poured in 20ml of denatured alcohol, set our wind screen around it, and applied a light match. Like with Brian's Bud Light stove, alcohol is colorless when it burns. At 30 seconds we started to see bubbles and by 40 seconds we had yellow jets of flame from the side ports. We set an aluminum pot with one pint (16 oz) of water on top and let it heat. We had boiling water at 4-1/2 minutes. In fairness, we did lift the pot twice to check the stove as we weren't sure the wind hadn't blown it out. We did mention alcohol is colorless when it burns, didn't we?

We found this particular stove a wee bit more unstable than its brother, the Bud Light stove. This is likely due to its smaller base and the wide pot we used. The stove is likely more stable with small diameter metal cups.

After pouring off the boiling water and removing the wind screen, the stove cooled rapidly and we were able to pack up quickly. By the time you finish stirring your coffee or soup, the stove is cool enough to handle.

All in all this is a very good stove design and Brian puts lots of care into the construction of his alcohol stoves. We asked Brian about a Dr Pepper alcohol stove for a daughter who is a slave to the brand. Brian replied that he didn't drink sodas, but knew people who did. So, visit Brian on Brian's Backpacking Blog and don't forget to follow @BFGreen on Twitter. Thanks, Brian!

Alcohol Backpacking Stoves: The Bud Light Stove

Recently, we were the winner of an alcohol backpacking stove giveaway. The prize was a well made Bud Light alcohol stove. We grabbed some alcohol, water, pot, and the stove and fired it up this past weekend. Here's what we discovered...

The Bud Light alcohol stove is made from a heavy aluminum bottle. The top portion is removed, small holes drilled around the bottom half of the remaining aluminum tube, and then the tube is some how folded and compressed inside itself. The result is a sturdy, double walled, alcohol stove measuring just 1-3/4ths inches high and across which easily fits into most titanium and aluminum mugs and cups. We threw the little backpacking stove on our digital scale and found it weighed less than an ounce: just .85 ounces or 25 grams. That's just a bit heavier than a Supercat alcohol stove, but well in the acceptable range for folks wanting a lightweight backpacking stove.

We took the stove outside to our BBQ grill and poured 20 ml of dyed denatured alcohol inside. We then struck a match and stuck it inside to light. As alcohol fuel is colorless when lit, we weren't sure that we had actually succeeded in lighting the stove. At about 20 seconds, we noted tiny bubbles appearing in the alcohol, which became a full boil by 30 seconds. About five seconds later yellow flames erupted from the top and from the tiny side jets. Houston, we have ignition!

We set our old Mirro aluminum pot with a pint of water on top. Stable with no noticeable wobble. Likely due to this alcohol stove design having a slightly larger base diameter. We wrapped our tin foil windscreen around the pot and stove. No visible flame was observed, but we could feel heat rising around the pot.

At about 3-1/2 minutes we noted the bottom of our pot covered with small bubbles. By 4 minutes we had a roiling boil in progress. There was still fuel to burn and our last bit of fuel lasted until almost the 5 minute mark.

We dumped our boiling water in the kids nearby wading pool and let the stove cool down. Being double walled, the Bud Light stove takes a bit more time to cool than the single wall Supercat stove.

This particular Bud Light alcohol stove was made by Brian Green of Brian's Backpacking Blog. Brian also included one of his Coke can homemade alcohol stoves for us to test as well. While we really, really liked Brian's well made Coke stove, we'd choose the heavier Bud Light alcohol stove for its sturdiness and stability.

Here's a video from another hiker showing his Bud Light stove and its interior construction.

Gear: Supercat Homemade Alcohol Stove

We have acquired many backpacking stoves over our long life, but one of our favorites is our homemade Supercat alcohol stove. We like the Supercat alcohol stove because its among the lightest at 1 ounce, one of the simplest as its one piece with no parts, and it is effective in boiling water in about four minutes. Anyone can make a Supercat stove in about 15 minutes or less! Its the easiest homemade alcohol stove one can make and a popular project among backpackers.

Making a Supercat Alcohol Stove

Here's a YouTube video we like that describes how to make a homemade Supercat aka "Fancy Feast" alcohol stove:



Using a Supercat Alcohol Stove

Using a homemade Supercat alcohol stove is even easier than making one, but is not without a few warnings. We are setting fire to a liquid fuel in an open container punched full of holes.

1. Set your alcohol stove on a flat level surface, such as a picnic table, rock, or hard dirt surface. When using on a wood surface like a picnic table, its good trail etiquette to first place a piece of aluminum foil beneath the stove to reflect heat away from the wood. We carry a small round piece inside all our pots and cups that we use with our Supercat stoves.

2. Pour a small amount of alcohol inside the stove. For your first few times, don't agonize over how much fuel to use. Right now you just want to master the basics of how alcohol stoves operate. Don't fret if you spill a bit of alcohol over the side of the stove as you have just "primed" your stove for lighting.

3. Light your stove with a match or lighter. Hold a lit match or lighter near the holes of the stove or near the spilt fuel. The Supercat will likely ignite. Note there is little color in an alcohol flame and more than one cook has been singed by a lit alcohol stove. You can mix a small amount of salt into your alcohol fuel which will generate a visible flame.

4. Watch for the alcohol to begin boiling. After about 15-20 seconds, you should hear a change in the burning fuel and note small bubbles in the bottom of the stove. Congratulations! Its time to boil or cook something.

5. Slide your pot or cup down onto the stove. Slowly place your cook pot onto the Supercat stove. Covering the opening of the stove should cause the flame to jet out the small holes you punched into your can.

That's it in a nutshell! Your homemade alcohol stove will burn until it runs out of fuel. Don't be in a hurry to grab your alcohol stove after it goes out. The entire can will be very hot. Wait a minute or two and everything will be cold enough to pack up.

Backpacking Gear: LG Incite Windows Smartphone

One of the minor problems that most backpackers need to resolve is how many extra luxury items to pack and how not to forget and lose said luxury items while on the trail. Trail logs and forums seem to have more than one incident of someone finding lost phones and digital cameras along the Appalachian Trail. We had our own variation on our first section hike. We took along a Verizon pre-paid cell phone, two disposable 35mm cameras, a handful of maps and several sheets of notes. We also noted a distinct lack of current weather information along the A.T.

With that in mind, we have purchased an unlocked ATT LG Incite smartphone with Windows Mobile. We selected the Incite due to its combining the usual cell phone with still and video cameras along with an FM radio, WiFi, and standalone GPS system. "One device to rule them all;" pops into mind.

So far we have been very pleased. We have downloaded and installed several GPS programs and have settled on TurboGPS. We also have been pleased with the FM radio, which needs headphones or earbuds for an antennae and will not function without them. We've also found SpruceChess a free java chess program that should prove entertaining on the bus rides to and back. We installed Xpdf to view PDF files and will shortly upload our collection of PDFs from the 2009 Online Companion.

We have also taken numerous still photos under several light conditions and have found the size and resolution of both the photos and videos more than satisfactory.

Our final phase will be activating our pre-paid T-Mobile phone service. Our local ATT store was less than customer friendly when we inquired about a pre-paid ATT sim card, but T-Mobile was more than happy to sell us one of theirs. T-Mobile has adequate coverage at road crossing in NJ and in most of the metro New York City area. We can also spend just $10 every 90 days to maintain phone service. We like the idea of $40 per year for phone service that we prefer only to use while on the trail or during emergencies.

If you decide you like to purchase an LG Incite, we found ours on Amazon.com for about $100 - unlocked, no plan required. That's a tremendous discount from the 2008 suggested retail price of $500. A T-Mobile sim card is another $7 shipped.

Esbit Stove Cooking Set

While visiting a nearby military base, I discovered Esbit has a new stove and backpacking cook set. The new Esbit stove is round and one piece compared to earlier folding Esbit stoves. Also, the stove is no longer heavy steel, but lighter weight hard anodized aluminum.

We opened one of the boxes which was a 4 inches cube. Inside we discovered a small drawstring bag. Opening the drawstring bag we pulled out a cup with folding handles. Inside the cup was the stove. We set the stove base on the shelf and set the cup into the stove. Clever.

The Esbit stove has a permanent rectangle inside the bottom that holds one Esbit solid fuel tablet. There is a large opening to allow access for fuel tablets, matches, or lighters. Near the top of the stove are small holes to improve stove burning. It looks like there is room for a small alcohol stove or tea light stove inside the Esbit stove for those who prefer a different fuel. We noted Esbit's catalog does show this same stove available with an alcohol stove, so the extra space is a deliberate feature.

As there was no scale nearby, we don't have a weight for the set. If you purchase one of these you'll need to add a folding spork, lighter and some foil to make a better wind screen. Also, the stove seems almost the correct diameter for holding a Heineken pot, but alas, no Heineken beer can was available for testing.

There are a few other reviews of the Esbit stove set online already:
Esbit Solid Fuel Stove Set Review
Test Esbit stove: Small 585 ml cooking set for a cup of coffee

UPDATE

We went ahead and purchased the Esbit Stove Cooking Set. We killed about an hour measuring, weighing, and playing with its components. Here's some of what we discovered.

Size: The cup is 3.5 inches deep and 3.5 inches across (diameter)

Volume: The cup is marked with 8, 12 and 16 ounce levels, but will hold nearly 20 ounces.

Weight: The entire cook set as sold by Esbit weighed 1/2 pound (232 grams / 8.15 oz). The aluminum cup alone weighs 4.35 oz (129 grams). Dropping the Esbit stove and adding a Supercat alcohol stove and windscreen and the cook set weighs 6 oz (170 grams).

We took the stove outside in about 40 degree F weather, lit our Supercat stove and set the cup with 16 oz of tap water on the stove. Much more stable than our wider cook pot. Due to the close fit of the wind screen, when we first set the cup on the stove, we had a 2-3 inch jet of flame shooting above the wind screen on one side. This died back in about 20-30 seconds. We had boiling water at about 4 minutes.

We also wondered if the new round Esbit stove would fit a Heineken beer keg pot. We dug our Heineken pot out and set it into the Esbit stove. Perfect fit! Extremely stable, like the two were made for each other. Placing the stove over the top of the Heineken keg, we found the stove engulfed more of the keg and almost fit inside our screw top container. We're fairly sure that we can unscrew the four plastic legs and the stove and Heineken pot will fit perfectly inside the container.

We also set a super cat inside the Esbit stove as there is a European version with a brass alcohol stove. The Supercat pushes the Heineken pot up slightly and there's a bit of a wobble with an empty pot. The solid fuel holder is held in place by a single rivet. It looks like, if the rivet were removed, the Heineken pot would fit snugly over the Supercat stove making a complete lightweight alcohol stove system.

We plan to purchase a second Esbit stove cooking set and separate its components so we end up with two 6 oz Esbit cup/stove sets and two Heineken pot/Supercat/Esbit stove sets. That should cover our family of four and allow each child to eventually inherit two lightweight cooking systems.

Watch for two upcoming articles and YouTube videos featuring each cooking system and its components.

Ultralight Backpacking Gear: Digital Scale

Our newest piece of backpacking gear is a digital scale. Harbor Freight has their digital scales on sale, so we bought a battery powered digital scale that weighs items up to 11 pounds in grams, ounces, and pounds for $19.99. This is less than most digital kitchen scales we have priced and can also be used in the kitched due to its tare (zeroing out) function.

Our scale was easy to use. After turning it on, we used its tare function to zero out the scale. Then, we methodically went through our backpack weighing most items. We had a few surprises, some good and some bad. Here's some of what we learned:

Bad - things heavier than we realized

Compass. Our basic orienteering compass is twice as heavy as our little $1.99 thermometer/compass zipper pull. As we don't need an orienteering compass' capabilities on the Appalachian Trail, we'll drop it for the lighter zipper pull.

Cook set. We thought our old-fashioned 1987 aluminum pot with folding handles cook kit would weigh about two pounds. It weighs about one. We plan to buy an Esbit cook set for its smaller cup and lid. We should be able to drop some weight and also free some pack space. UPDATE: The new Esbit cook set cup along with a Supercat alcohol stove and aluminum windscreen weigh just 6 ounces and take up far less space.

Good - things lighter than we realized

Poly Tarp. We knew our 8 X 10 foot hardware store poly tarp was heavy. We figured around 2-3 pounds heavy. Turns out its only about 1.6 pounds. We still plan to drop about half of that weight by switching to a 10 ounce Hennessy nylon rainfly.

Nylon fishing pants and shirts. We switched to nylon fishing pants and long-sleeved shirts to save weight over thicker fabrics.

Supercat alcohol stove. One ounce!

Yes, we are slowly turning into a gram weenie. Our pack was at 23 pounds when we last weighed it at Boiling Springs, PA. We'd like to be at 20 pounds or less with food and one liter of water when we start at Delaware Water Gap later this year.

Bear Bagging: Ursack Bear Bag

One of the most important skills for a section hiker to master before setting off on a section hike of the Appalachian Trail is bear bagging. Losing one's food to a bear is very demoralizing and has caused more than one hiker to abandon their hike. In areas like the 100 Mile Wilderness, losing one's food due to improper bear bagging could result in immobilization.

During our past 2-week section hike, we spent an inordinate amount of time (15-min/day = 2.5 hrs = 4-5 miles) selecting a suitable tree and branch to set up our bear bagging system. We used the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT bear bagging system, which uses one rope, a bag, a carabiner and a stake/stick. While standing beneath the selected tree and attempting to swing our rope up and over the desired branch, we often wished for a better solution. We were very excited to receive an Ursack bear bag as a Christmas gift.



Its one thing to watch a video showing a bear attempting to get into an Ursack, but its another to hold one in one's hands and examine it thoroughly. The sack is larger and stiffer than we had imagined. We can easily bag our cook kit and at least five days of food plus even more. Our problem is likely to be trying to stuff a very full Ursack into our small $30 Walmart backpack.

The instruction card mentions crossing the cord, which is rock climbing grade kernmantel rope with about a 5,000 pound breaking strength. Looking inside we saw that the installed cords do cross. We then pulled the bag closed and tied a double overhand knot as instructed. Not only does the bag keep out bears, but there was very little gap for even a mouse to enter. After tying the overhand knot there is plenty of rope to pass around a 5-inch branch or tree trunk and still tie a figure-8 knot as recommended.

This is a well made product and we look forward to trying it out on a scheduled weekend shakedown overnighter this spring. We'll update this post with anything new or interesting we discover.

Appalachian Trail: Knives

Knives are a big concern among many hikers planning to hike the Appalachian Trail. Concerns range from what kind of knife to carry to the legality of carrying knives along the Appalachian Trail.

What knives are being carried?

In 2010, hikers along the Appalachian Trail were carrying everything knife-like -- from large, heavy machetes to small, ultralight, single-edge razor blades. During our recent section hike, we noted a significant number of swiss army style knives and folding buck style knives.

In our own preparation, we bought a cheap $1 folding buck style pocket knife and a small, fisherman's multi-tool for $5 at Walmart. Post-hike, it's clear that we should have left the folding knife at home. The blade on our multi-tool was more than sufficient for nearly everything we had to cut. The only exception was cutting some original moleskin. Neither the scissors nor the blade on our multi-tool was able to trim off a piece of moleskin. The folding knife allowed us to hack off a piece. God bless "Scissors" for having her dad's old swiss army knife at Quarry Gap shelter. Her scissors cut the moleskin just fine.

Our recommendation is to go with the smallest, sharpest knife that you can get by with. Your pack is going to weigh more than you would like, so cut some weight here. Many ultralight backpackers carry only a single edge razor blade. We may downsize to a razor blade for future hikes ourselves, provided we can get our hands on a set of lightweight keychain screwdrivers for tightening our hiking pole clamps.

TIP: Test your knife or substitute many times before departing for the trail.

Backpack Cover for Flying

Several past visitors arrived looking for information on backpack covers for flying. While I haven't flown with my backpack, I have ridden several buses with a backpack.

On an earlier shakedown hike in California's Big Sur, I used a large lightweight nylon duffel to over-pack my 5500 cu.in. backpack. I bought my nylon duffel at Academy Sports for about $15. The dark green Timber Creek duffel we bought has a large piece of webbing sewn around the duffel to create two large hand straps. Actually, the straps are so large one could almost wear the duffel as a pack itself. We used a small carabiner to clip the two straps together to make picking up much quicker and easier.

Once at our destination, we folded the duffel into a packet and placed it on top of the closed main compartment, flipped the top pocket back over, and fastened the retaining straps. When we returned to the Greyhound station at Salinas, we opened our pack, expanded the duffel, dropped our pack inside, and attached the new baggage tag.

While we've not done this on the trail, we did experiment at home and discover that we could turn the duffel inside out, which positions the handles inside and prevents them from snagging on branches along the trail. The duffel doesn't quite unzip the entire length, so there's a small "hood" that one can place over the top of one's backpack and the duffel will naturally hang over the pack. Its an easy task to take a spare nylon strap, like the ones used for attaching sleeping bags and pads to exteriors, and wrap it around the pack and duffel. As our duffel is longer then our pack, we found we could under-fold the excess material so the top of the duffel material overlaps the bottom and secure the entire fold with the nylon strap.

Hope this is helpful to those of you flying to the Appalachian Trail.

Timber Creek mini LED headlight

During our recent backpacking trip to Cane Creek State Park, one of the new toys we tested was a Timber Creek mini LED headlight. The Timber Creek mini LED headlight sells for about six dollars at the local Academy sports store. A bargain compared to the more expensive headlamps appearing on the gear lists of many Appalachian Trail through hikers. We suppose there is some cachet to sporting a twenty dollar Petzl LED headlight on the A.T., but we're not made of money and our family is fairly happy when we use our modest salary to purchase food and electricity.

So how does the little six dollar Timber Creek mini LED headlight perform? Fairly well. The LED headlight comes partially assembled with two button batteries and an elastic head band. The batteries are already installed, but one must remove a small piece of plastic which blocks the circuit. Also, one must thread the headband onto two small clips on either side of the LED headlight.

Once assembled, the LED headlight is very comfortable to wear. Its light weight and the elastic headband acts as a cushion against the forehead. No hard cold plastic, but rather a warm, soft cushion. The LED headlight is turned on and off by a push button along the rim of the headlight. Depending on the position of the LED holder when screwing back together, the button will be either at the top or the bottom. The button is encased in a rubber boot that provides a good degree of water resistance. The plastic case attached to the headband also includes a built in hinge so the LED headlamp can be tilted from forward to almost straight down. This was a very useful feature when sitting at a picnic table in the dark cooking.

We've since used the Timber Creek mini LED headlight on several backyard hammock camping shake downs. The LED headlight has never disappointed us. Due to its inexpensive cost, we plan to purchase several more for family members and to keep around the house for power outages.

TIP 1: When arriving in camp, put on your headlight and wear it around your neck as a necklace, Then, you'll know exactly where it is once darkness begins.

TIP 2: Wear your headlight around your neck when sleeping. Then, if a midnight cat hole calls, you can quickly find your light and take care of business.

Backpack Cover: Cabelas Blaze Orange

One of the items that comes up on most through hiker gear lists are backpack covers. As most of our backpacking trips have been under fair skies with only a handful of thunderstorms, we have largely backpacked sans cover for several decades. We have never needed a cover as we have been diligent regarding encasing everything dry in heavy duty trash bags sealed with doubled goose necks. Those few time that rain was heaped upon us, we simply pulled out an extra plastic bag and pulled it over the pack. Often, we have been the only person in a large group with a dry sleeping bag and clothes in the morning.

As we have never hiked in pouring rain and due to the abnormally cool wet weather this spring, there is a good possibility of our needing a backpack cover. Looking through the catalogs, there is no shortage of backpack covers. Prices usually ranged from twelve to twenty-five dollars depending on material and brand. Most are black or green. A few are bright blue. Only one backpack cover stood alone in blaze orange - Cabela's Blaze Orange Pack Rain Cover.

As we have long performed search and rescue on the ground and in the air, we are big believers in "see and be seen" in emergencies and to prevent emergencies. So, it was with some concern that we discovered that this year's section hike would take us through Pennsylvania state game lands during turkey hunting season. We have a lightweight mesh blaze orange vest that we wear on ground teams, but with a backpack covering much of our reverse, a blaze orange backpack cover seemed just the thing.

Our online order from Cabelas was swiftly delivered well before the estimated delivery date. The cover is well made from one large piece of blaze orange nylon. A cord with lock runs around the perimeter of the cover. The online reviews said this cover was large and large is an understatement. Its huge! While its an easy match for our large Camp Trails 5,000 inch pack, we were able to cinch it down to fit our smaller 3,100 inch Outdoor Products Arrowhead backpack. We were able to fold the cover into fourths and roll the cover into a small roll that easily fit into the undersized top pocket of our Arrowhead backpack.

We did note that when we put the cover over our backpack straps and waist belt ("the "wrong way") that we were able to cinch the cover down small enough that only the handle on our backpack was protruding. This should help protect our backpack straps while our backpack rides below on the Greyhound bus. The nylon seems too light for our pair of protruding poles, so we plan to hand carry our trekking poles onto the bus and store above or below our seat.

The Cabelas Blaze Orange backpack cover isn't for everyone, but if you want a large cover or a very visible cover, then this may be the backpack cover for you. For $15 plus another five for shipping, we consider a blaze orange backpack cover cheap insurance against not only rain, but flying wads of lead.

Freezer Bag Cozies

If you read our earlier post on Disney Freeze Dried Real Sliced Apples, you know that we tested "cooking" our trail food breakfast in a freezer bag cozy. For those not familiar with freezer bag cooking, we're talking about putting a dehydrated meal into a quart freezer bag, adding hot water, waiting several minutes, and then nooshing right out of the plastic bag. No plates. No bowls. Just one small plastic bag with a messy inside that you deflate, zip close, and pack out to your home trash can. The one flaw in this system is that your hot water may cool down before your dried noodles or rice have had the opportunity to fully hydrate or soften. Thus, the cozy.

Making a homemade cozy

For our freezer bag cozy we selected a standard manila bubble padded envelope that a papperback book had arrived in. Ignoring the labels and the shipping tape, we trimmed the torn parts of the bag off and then trimmed one side of the bag to be about 2-3 inches shorter than the other. (Just remove a rectangle from one side at the opening end.) This provides a flap that can be folded over to trap the warmed air inside. We weren't sure how well an ordinary padded envelop would work. Would the plastic bubble wrap inside melt from the heat? Would the envelope distort causing our meal to suddenly pour out across our desk? Inquiring minds wanted to know.

Using a freezer bag cozy

Again, if you've read the freeze dried apples review, you already know we put a quart ziplock freezer bag into our modified envelope, dumped in two packets of oatmeal and a packet of apples, dumped in a cup of boiling hot water, zipped up the freezer bag and closed the flap on our "cozy". After a few minutes we opened everything up and give our oatmeal a short stir with a spoon. (Caution, do not use forks or knives inside your freezer bag. The heated plastic is extremely pliable and very easily punctured.) A few minutes later, we opened up the cozy and the freezer bag and dug in. HOT! Too hot!

Eating out of the bag while inside our cozy was a bit ackward. Taking the freezer bag out and putting the bag inside a small bowl proved more satisfactory. (Warning: do NOT take the hot freezer bag out of your cozy without having somewhere to put it. Its way too hot to hold in your hand.)

So, our hastily improvised bubble mailer cozy worked. The plastic bubbles did not melt, pop, or otherwise distort. The air withing the plastic bubble wrap provided extremely good insulation and kept our meal hot. We didn't need to line the bag with aluminum foil or anything.

As our cozy weighes next to nothing and packs very flat, we'll probably take it or an upgrade along on our section hike. While picking up some small plastic flip top bottles at The Container Store, we noted that they also carry Bubblope mailers, a bright foil version of our manilla mailer but with a velcro resealable flap. Bubblopes come in various colors of silver, gold, red, blue, and purple foil for just under $3. At that low price, we may shell out a few dollars for some trail bling.

UPDATE

We bought a $3 red Bubblope and used it on a two week Appalachian Trail section hike. The bubblope held up well and did not leak. There was some separation of the outside plastic from the envelope at the end of our hike. The bubblope was plenty deep and the velcro closure was extremely useful. Enjoyed some very hot oatmeal with apples and some wonderfully hot instant mashed potatoes.

Backpack Alcohol Stoves: Super Cat Homemade Stove

Making an ultralight backpack alcohol stove was one of the most fun things we've done this year. After researching alcohol stoves, we knew that this was the path if we wanted to backpack farther. We first thought we'd like to switch to Vargo's Triad XE, which offers the ability to use both alcohol and solid fuels. But, after considerable research and watching several YouTube videos, we decided on the Super Cat alcohol stove for our upcoming backpack trip. The Super Cat alcohol stove is the cheapest and simplest to build. While an alcohol stove, one can also use solid fuel tablets by first lining the stove with aluminum foil and then using a V-shaped wire grate to rest a pot, mug, or beer can.

The Super Cat alcohol stove starts with a 3oz cat food can, like Fancy Feast. For the catless, the same sized can is used for Armour potted meat.

After removing the lid and contents, the next step is to flatten the inside of the top lip of the can. We used a socket wrench extension and slowly rotated the can while flattening with a back and forth motion. You can use anything from plier handles to , as long as the object can take the exerted force. You're probably looking for something steel and round that you can easily grip.

Next, we marked off 16 points along the rim with a permanent marker. We started with 12 o-clock, then added 6. Then 3 and 9. Keep dividing segments in half until there are 16.

Third, we took an ordinary hand punch from the office supplies section of your local discount store and punched a hole about 1/4 inch below the marks on the rim. The holes punched easily. However, you will likely have to wiggle and jiggle to get the hole punch back out of the newly made hole. It won't spring free as with paper.

Once you've got a 3oz can with one row of 16 holes, you are now the proud owner of a Super Cat alcohol stove (simmering version).

To step up the simmering version of a Super Cat alcohol stove to a fast boiling version, simply add a second row of holes, offsetting them just below the first ring of holes. You should end up with a zig-zag pattern of holes.

Congratulations! You're done. Let's fire this baby up!

(Standard disclaimers: flammable fluid, metal container, ignition source, own risk)

We grabbed a steel sierra cup of water, a small piece of aluminum foil, and headed to the back yard. We put the foil down, set the Super Cat stove on top and squirted in some denatured alcohol. (We also could have used Everclear from the local liquor store at $4/pint. Denatured alcohol sells for $4-6 per quart.) We also squirted a wee bit of alcohol on the foil around the can and lit it with a mini Bic lighter. (One can also use a match and skip the alcohol around the can.

Be careful at this point as there is little, if any flame, with this stove. Always assume your alcohol stove is lit.

Give the stove about 20-30 seconds for the alcohol to start boiling before sliding your pot on. The flames should switch to the holes in the side of the can.

In a few minutes we had a cup of boiling hot water, ready for tea, cocoa, or soup.

The Super Cat alcohol stove was so simple and easy to make, that we made several and will probably make a half dozen more to build up a stockpile for friends and family. Know someone lugging propane bottle into backcountry? Make them a Super Cat stove and show them how to use it.

(If you liked this short article on the Super Cat alcohol stove, watch for the upcoming article on making a Heinekin cooking pot system. We're mid-build and awaiting a side-opening safety can opener.)

Hammock Camping: ENO SlapStrapMICRO's

As part of our new hammock camping system, we purchased ENO SlapStrapMICRO's for our hammock suspension. We like the idea of wrapping a thin, lightweight strap around a tree, quickly threading the tail through a loop, and clipping our hammock to the straps. Its very appealing.

We bought our SlapStrapMICRO's at our local outfitter. The straps are well made and seem to comply with the best practices for sewing climbing harnesses and accessories. The two straps come in a small stuff sack. We dispensed with the stuff sack as we plan to store our SlapStrapMICRO's in our Grand Trunk Lightweight Hammock.

We tested our SlapStrapMICRO's in the backyard using an apple tree and a 4X4 wood post. The straps were easy to wrap around the tree and we wrapped twice around to eat up some of the length. The straps easily fed through the loop as advertised. We were able to hook our hammock onto the straps quickly.

Settling in to our hammock we heard considerable creaking and stretching. Our hammock bottomed out. As we had set the straps at about eye level (just under 6 feet), we raised the straps to about arms length (about 7 feet). Sitting down a second time, the hammock slowly lowered to within a foot of the ground. The addition of 2mm ridge line seemed to reduce some of the stretching from the hammock itself.

We left the hammock suspended under a tarp as a rainstorm was pending in the forecast. Fortune was with us and the rain eventually came down in buckets. The dangling remainder of the straps served to direct rain down and away from the connected hammock. Typically, hammock campers use a shoe string wrapped around their suspension to accomplish the same.

In summary, the ENO SlapStrapMICRO's worked as advertised albeit with considerable stretch. As we haven't a good alternative solution at this point, we'll pan to go with the SlapStrapMICRO's. But, first chance we get to implement a no-stretch suspension, we're probably going to make the change.

Camping Hammocks: Grand Trunk Lightweight Hammock

So, a pair of Grand Trunk Lightweight Hammocks arrived from Amazon.com, about a week earlier than expected. Eager to try out the new camping hammocks, we carefully cut open the box lest we shred the enclosed treasure. The GT Lightweight Hammock is a good choice for an ultralight camping hammock. The hammock comes packed in a zip lock bag and folded into the hammocks own side pocket. Two hammock suspension ropes were also enclosed.

We immediately grabbed the ENO Slap Straps Micro and set out into the yard to test drive our new camping system. We attached the straps to an apple tree and a post and connected the hammock using the two hooks provided. Carefully we lowered ourselves onto the hammock, holding on to the edge as directed in the instructions. Lots of creaking and stretching, but everything held.

The GT Lightweight Hammock consists of a single layer of strong, yet thin nylon. We found ourselves enveloped in smooth nylon. The hammock is plenty wide, so there is little opportunity to flop out.

We made a trip to the local outfitter to purchase some low stretch 2mm rope and some elastic cord. After tying a figure 8 knot in one end of the 2mm rope, we measured out 93 inches and marked the rope. The GT Lightweight Hammock is 113 inches long (9.5 feet) so 93 inches was about the magic length of 85% for a ridge line. Tying the second figure 8, we forced the hammock end of the attached S hooks open enough to slip the ridge line on to both ends. Rehanging the hammock, we found that while there was slack, a shorter ridge line would allow us to lie even flatter. A quick, retying of the second knot and we found ourselves lying relatively flat.

We then located a bug net that we had purchased for use with a cotton garden hammock and discovered the shorter ridge line allowed us to connect the bug net to the S-hooks with no extra stretching - a perfect fit. All we needed now was a tarp.

After a quick trip to Harbor Freight to pick up an 8 X 10 camo tarp, we busied ourselves with tying a nylon line between the two points, attaching two prusiks made from the stretch cord, and clipping the tarp beneath the tarp suspension line to the prusiks. We jammed our hiking poles into the corner grommets and ran a length of cord to the ground at about a 45-degree angle to ensure we would have enough tie down on the trail for various tarp configurations.

As it was a weekend evening, we tossed our short air mattress and sleeping bag into the hammock and went hammock camping in the backyard. The GT Lightweight Hammock performed well as a camping hammock. No tears, good support, plenty of room for a big guy. We did have a few cold spots due to the short and narrow air pad. We'll repeat the experiment this coming weekend with a longer and wider military solid foam pad.

Overall, we'd recommend the GT Lightweight Hammock as a camping hammock to others. The price is right at less than $20 per hammock. Amazon tossed in free shipping, making the deal even sweeter.