A buddy noticed an article on Backpacking Light Geo Coffee Review* reviewing a trail friendly coffee product, the Little Red Wagon Coffee Roasters’ Geo. I ordered a 12-pack of the neat little packets in the Panama – Camiseta Estate offering. I decided to test out the coffee in my office. The process was simple: hook the paper … More Coffee on the Trail: Little Red Wagon Geo Review
Last fall, a couple buddies and I hiked the Border Route Trail, an amazing 65 mile wilderness hike along the Minnesota – Canada border. One of my cohort created a couple of videos documenting our trip. It’s a bit delayed, but look out for a write-up in the future.
I’ll admit that I’m pretty much a coffee addict. I love a couple cups in the morning, and on cold mornings it practically transcendent. My go-to coffee solution has been Starbucks Via packets. While I’d prefer a french press, I don’t want to deal with that on the trail. Via packets taste (not great, but) … More Coffee on the Trail
I love preparing for backpacking trips. Making lists, assembling gear, thinking about new gear… Watching Youtube videos has become a standard part of that preparation. Shug’s videos are a favorite in our crew. Getting ready for our Sioux Hustler Trail trip in a month, Shug’s hike of that trail was a must watch. And any … More Preparing is Half the Fun
You would think after my last camping trip, I had enough cold camping. But when you find a group of like minded individuals, things start to sound like a good idea. And that’s how I ended up sleeping in a tent on top of a bluff on a -17 degree (Fahrenheit) night. It was a … More Afton Cold Camp, January 2014
(this has been sitting in my drafts for far too long…) Read Part 1 Going to bed cold sucks. But if you can get dry, and if your gear is warm enough, you can get comfortable and sleep well. There are other things that you can do. I think it’s good to get warm and get … More Falling Into Winter: Backpacking in November, Part II
It started off like most camping trips: talk of gear and schedules, repeated trips to REI, and sugar plums dancing through our heads. We had 4 guys, gear, and a plan. Originally, we had picked a section of the Superior Hiking Trail for this trip, but the deer hunting opener was the same weekend as … More Falling Into Winter: Backpacking in November, Part I
One of the few things the GORUCK GR1 is lacking is a sternum strap. A sternum strap is a key feature when carrying heavy loads for an extended period of time. It allows your shoulders to relax a little and stabilizes the load. Add-on sternum straps are actually kind of hard to find. I was … More GORUCK GR1: Sternum Strap and Grimlocks
Last weekend, a GORUCK Challenge veteran was awesome enough to take a group of us rookies through the paces for about 4 hours. It wound up being a great fitness check and gear test. The weather was going to be challenging, probably my least favorite condition: precipitation and just warm enough not to snow. It … More GORUCK Training: Organized “Dry” Run
Late winter is a wonderful time in the northern Midwest: temperatures rise, the roads clear, and the clouds give way to the sun… but not yet. March began with a 9 inch snowfall, on top of the foot or so of snow already on the ground. I decided that the additional snow warranted the (not … More NB MT100 and REI Gaiters, Revisited… and Pants
Monkey with Chainsaw 