Rust Proof your DIY Cook Pot!

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For this Backpacking Gear Tip, I’ll show how I upgraded my DIY cook pot with some rust proof treatment.

So far I’ve testing this on my coffee can DIY cookpot, but it should work great on just about any item in your DIY backpacking cook set.

First Look – Hammock Gear Incubator 40 Underquilt

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Unboxing my new hammock underquilt, the Hammock Gear Incubator 40 Under Quilt.

This is just a quick look the latest addition to my hammock camping gear list. I plan to take this down under quilt on my next multi-day backpacking trip video, so look for more to follow!

Winter Hammock Camping in the Adirondacks

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Three days of Winter Hammock Camping and backpacking in the Adirondacks High Peaks Region.

GPS track data for the full trip was recorded using my new Garmin 650 gps unit, and can be found on the Trip Data page, for download in GPX format. (All photos in this post are geo-tagged as well)

Parking Location: At the end of Upperworks Road 44°05’20.6″N 74°03’22.7″W

The Upperworks Trailhead Parking Area

The Upperworks Trailhead Parking Area


Trails Used in Order:

Day 1 (Hike In)

  • Begin at Upperworks Trailhead
  • Calamity Brook Trail
  • Cross frozen Lake Colden towards the Ranger Station
  • (If lake is not frozen, the Algonquin Peak Trail can be taken instead)
  • Take Avalanche Pass Trail to visit Avalanche Lake
  • Reverse course on Avalanche Pass Trail back towards Lake Colden
  • Camp near intersection of Ranger Station Spur Trail and Cold Brook Trail
    Campsite coordinates N44 07.494 W73 58.912
    Mileage Total: 9.16 miles

    Elevation-Winter-ADK-Day-1

    Elevation Profile for Day 1

Day 2 (Above Treeline Excursion)

  • Avalanche Pass Trail
  • Algonquin Trail via Lake Colden
  • Enjoy the views (or summit fog) and head back down towards campsite
    Mileage Total: 4.16 miles
Elevation Profile for Day 2

Elevation Profile for Day 2 (Ouch)

Day 3 (Hike Out)

  • Head out across frozen Lake Colden back towards car
  • Calamity Brook Trail
  • End back at Upperworks Trailhead
    Mileage Total: 6.38 miles

    Elevation Profile for Day 3

    Elevation Profile for Day 3

    Returning to the Upperworks Parking area, via Calamity Brook Trail

    Returning to the Upperworks Parking area, via Calamity Brook Trail

    Mileage & Elevation Profile for Full 3 Day Trip

    Mileage & Elevation Profile for Full 3 Day Trip

For a look at my winter gear, check out my Winter Gear List Video. Notable changes: Hammock instead of Kelty Salida 2 Tent, MSR Rapidfire Stove instead of generic upright canister stove, and I picked up another pair of fleece lined hiking pants as an alternative to the backup sleeping pants I used to pack.

 All video content, photos and music are original works by myself, Sintax77.

Renovo TRIO Water Filter – Sawyer Squeeze Killer?

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Taking a first look at the Renovo TRIO Water Filtration System. Has the Sawyer Squeeze / Mini met it’s match? Time to do some testing…

UPDATE:  Following a large amount of comments and feedback on the YouTube video, I reached out to my contact, Bastian, at Renovo to share some of the feedback and questions that everyone was sharing.  In response, he created a FAQ page to address the most frequent questions at http://www.renovowater.com/pages/faq

Specs and Water Filter Description as per Manufacturer:

Continue reading →

RAVPower 10,400mAh Power Bank – USB Battery Charger Review

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In this gear review video, we’ll check out the RAVPower 10,400mAh Element Series Power Bank, model RP-PB07.

Manufacturer’s Specs:

Capacity:  10400mAh
Output:      5V / 3A
Input:         5V / 1A
Weight:     8.04oz
Size:         4.4 x 2.76 x 0.83 inches

Comes with 2 Micro USB Connectors for compatibility with:

  • SmartPhones: Samsung / HTC / LG / Motorola / BlackBerry / Nokia / Google / Sony
  • Tablets & eReader: Google Nexus 7 / Nexus 10 –
  • Other cell phones, MP3 players, and digital cameras that use DC 5V input
  • iPad 4 3 2,iPad Mini, iPhone 5S 5C 5 4S 4,iPod (using original 8Pin / 30Pin Cable from Apple)

I’ve been using and testing this USB battery charger pack to keep my gear charged up in a variety of backpacking and hiking conditions, in in both warm, indoor conditions as well as several multi-day cold weather backpacking trips – a worst case scenario for those battery powered gadgets we love so much.  So far It’s proven itself to be a reliable workhorse without breaking the bank!