For this gear video, I’ll compare the Sawyer Mini Water Filter & Sawyer PointONE Squeeze water filtration systems for backpacking and camping.
Sawyer Mini Vs Saywer Squeeze Water Filter System
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Camping the Dolly Sods Wilderness – Fall Backpacking in West Virginia
3 Days of Fall Camping, Hiking and Backpacking in Dolly Sods, West Virginia.
For this adventure, we’ll be exploring a very unique area of West Virginia – the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. Being a high altitude plateau sitting at around 4,000 feet (the highest plateau east of the Mississippi river), the Sods offer a stark contrast to the surrounding West Virginian ecosystem. In fact, you may feel more like you’re in Canada than West Virginia.
For an overview and listing of my gear check out my previous Gear List Video, or visit my Gear List Page.
Accompanied by my wife and our two close friends, this was a 3 day, 2 night backpacking adventure. Each day’s track data was recorded to individual GPX data files, available for download on the Trip Data Page for those interested.
Parking: Bear Rocks Trailhead at 39.06352, -79.30326
Trails Used in Order:
Day One (11.5 Miles):
Bear Rocks Trail 522
Raven Ridge Trail 521
Rocky Ridge Trail 524
Blackbird Knob Trail 553 (only for a very short segment)
Big Stone Coal Trail 513
Setup Camp a bit before Little Stone Coal Trail
Day 2 (9.5 Miles):
Dunkenbarger Trail 558
Little Stone Coal Trail 552
Red Creek Trail 514
(Out-n-back excursion on Breathed Mountain Trail 553)
Setup camp along Red Creek Trail between Breathed Mt and Blackbird Knob
Day 3 (6 Miles):
Red Creek Trail 514
Blackbird Knob Trail 511
Upper Red Creek Trail 509
Dobbin Grade Trail 526 – Prepare for mud and thigh-deep sinkholes!
Return to car via Bear Rocks Trail 522
How to Make a Reflectix Pot Cozy for your Ultralight Cook Pot
How to make an ultralight Cook Pot Cozy using Reflectix for Backpacking and Camping.
A simple, lightweight, and inexpensive way to insulate your cook pot, and save your hands from burns. Great for steep cooking dehydrated meals like Ramen noodles and keeping food & beverages hot longer when you’re out in the wilderness.
DIY Ultralight Titanium Cook Pot Alternative
A low cost, ultralight Titanium cook pot alternative for backpacking that you can make yourself? In this video, we’ll take a look at a lightweight, inexpensive (okay, pretty much free, if you like coffee) backpacking cook pot that you can make from a Chock full’o Nuts
Fenix HL21 Headlamp Review
My thoughts and review of the Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp
Manufacturer’s Specifications:
Light source: Cree XP-E LED (R2)
LED lifespan: 50,000 hours
Output: 97 lumens (high); 43 lumens (mid); 3 lumens (low)
Runtimes: 2 hours, 3 minutes (high); 5 hours, 43 minutes (mid); 53 hours (low)
Extra function: SOS
Distance: 93 meters
Intensity: 2158 candela
Impact resistance: 1 meter
Waterproof rating: IPX-8, underwater 2 meters
Dimensions: 2.6 by 1.3 by 1.9 inches / 66 by 33.7 by 48.8 millimeters (LxWxH))
Weight: 41.1 grams (without batteries)
Battery: one 1.5V AA (Ni-MH, Alkaline) battery
Accessories: diffuser lens, spare O-ring
Solo Hiking the White Mountains – Backpacking the Presicat Loop
Join me for 3 days of hiking, backpacking, and stealth camping in the White Mountains.
For this late Summer trip (August), I’ll be going for the full range of White Mountains backpacking and hiking experiences. From the seclusion of rugged wilderness areas, to the tourist laded summit of Mount Washington. Encompassing both the western and eastern sides of Rt 16, the goal is to complete a 3 day loop comprised of the Presidential Range, Tuckerman Ravine, Wildcat Range, and the Carter-Moriah Range before returning to the car.
If you’re interested in the gear, you can check out my full Ultralight Backpacking Gear List Video
The 11lb base weight system seen in that video is identical to my system for this trip with the exception of the following changes which increased the base weight by about 2.5 lbs:
Fleece Sleeping bag
Mont-bell Ultralight Down Parka (9oz) was brought for additional warmth.
I carried around 7lbs food and water (usually only 1 liter), so total pack weight was still around 20 lbs or so.
GPS Tracking Data for Entire Trip is Available for download on the Trip Data page.
**Tracks for each day end on the trail prior to picking a specific campsite. Recording is resumed on the beginning of each day, back on the trail from night before.
Parking: Imp Trail head 44°19’23.40″N 71°13’0.99″W
(**not starting on Imp trail, this will be the finish)
Trails Used (in order):
Day 1
Road Hike to Dolly Copp Campground
Begin on Daniel Webster-Scout Trail
Osgood Trail
Gulfside Trail (passing Madison Spring Hut on descent)
Mt Jefferson Loop Trail
Return to Gulfside Trail
Sphinx Trail
Stealth Camp towards bottom of Sphinx Trail in the Great Gulf Wilderness
Daily Totals: 11.40 Miles, 6,008 feet elevation gain
Day2
Back up Sphinx Trail
Gulfside Trail
Trinity Heights Connector (to Mt Washington Summit)
Tuckerman Ravine Trail
Lions Head Trail
Alpine Garden Trail
Tuckerman Ravine Trail
Grab a drink at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and cross Rt 16 to
Lost Pond Trail
Wildcat Ridge Trail
Stealth Camp before getting to Carter Notch Hut
Daily Totals: 13.80 Miles , 6,755 feet elevation gain
Day 3
Carter-Moriah Trail
Carter Dome Trail
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Totals: 8.77 miles, 2,471 feet elevation gain
Trip Grand Totals: 34 Miles, 15,234 feet elevation gain.
Summit’s for this Trip in order:
Mt Madison, Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington, Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat Mountain, Carter Dome, Mt Hight
Camera Used: Samsung H-300