A Review of “Walking With Spring” by Earl V. Shaffer

Walking With Spring is a memoir by Earl V. Shaffer that tells the story of his hike of the Appalachian Trail. His was the first recorded thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and took place in 1948. Shaffer had returned from World War II and was looking for a way to deal with the trauma he […]

Making a Cooking Pouch

Following up on my last post about Making a Pot Cozy, I wanted to share directions for making a cooking pouch. This pouch has the same purpose as the pot cozy in that it conserves fuel and frees up time that would otherwise be spent tending a stove. This pouch is perfect for many popular trail meals that can be cooked right in their own packaging. It’s perfect for Knorr sides, Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, and other similar foods. Simply heat your water, pour it into the package, seal it in a ZipLock bag, and cook it in the pouch for 15 minutes – food time!

Making a Pot Cozy

I’ve read a lot about ways to save fuel while on the trail as a means of keeping down the cost and weight of the fuel on a long distance hike. I will be covering two methods – a pot cozy and a cooking pouch – in this and my next post. Both of these […]

Winter Hiking

Just because it’s really cold outside doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and hike! With the right preparation, hiking in the winter can be very enjoyable. Snow cover lends a hush to the woods that completely changes the experience. I love the peace and serenity in the wilderness at this time of year. Sure, […]

Hiking at Night

If you’ve never tried night hiking, you should! Hiking after dark is completely different than hiking during the day time. The trail is completely new – everything familiar is suddenly gone, the forest sounds completely different, and it is exciting! There are a few things you should know before venturing out at night. Being prepared […]

Soapstone Mountain Hike

A week or so ago, I wandered into Shenipsit State Forest in Connecticut to climb Soapstone Mountain.

Gear List

As hikers generally love to talk gear, I’ve added a Gear List page that I’ll be using to track the gear I’m using and some of my backup / older stuff. The list is always available right from the top menu.

Bear Mountain Birthday Hike

Last weekend was my 40th birthday and my wonderful wife took me to Bear Mountain in NY for a beautiful day hike.

Hiking in “Bad” Weather

A lot of folks shy away from hiking in bad weather. They find it generally less pleasant when its too cold, too hot, too rainy, too windy or whatever. While there are certainly extremes, I quite enjoy pushing the boundaries and getting out in all sorts of weather. It gives me an opportunity to test […]

Hiking with my Dad

My dad, Cliff, is the person who introduced me to hiking. From the time I was very little, he instilled a love of the outdoors in me.