The day has come and gone for my first overnight backpacking trip, and it was a 100 percent success. Success did not come without some challenges, though. This was a great trip for me to put my gear to the test before heading out on a two night, three day hiking adventure with some friends on the weekend before Thanksgiving. There were only two weaknesses in my gear that arose during the trip: water and foot gear. There was a third oversight in gear that caused a problem with my foot gear, but it’s almost unrelated; I misplaced my pocket knife. Continue reading Solo Hike at Providence Canyon State Park →

Before the Beginning

After being invited to go hiking in November, the itch to go hiking before the big trip has taken over. I love camping, and I am extremely excited to get to go hiking with a bunch of guys. I have been looking for a chance to go on an overnight hike before the big one, and the chance has arrived. The paper planning stage of gathering and purchasing gear for hiking is about to bear the fruit of a hike. Continue reading Preparing For My First Overnight Hike →

For most of my childhood I can remember going on camping trips with my dad, and I remember it being so simple camping as a young man. The stories I can tell of the cold, rainy mornings huddled over coffee or being tormented after dark by my uncles are treasured. The memory of having my eyesight choked out from smoke while blowing on a fresh fire is inescapable. One thing that I can barely recall is how much crap we took with us. I’m almost certain that my dad was a minimalist camper. We probably had the smallest tent, slept on the ground in a sleeping bag, and had just what we needed to cook and eat. I remember it being a no frills trip that was enjoyable. Continue reading Camping Without Being A Pack Rat →

I was recently invited to go on a men’s hiking trip that is scheduled for Mid November 2015, and I naturally couldn’t say no to the adventure. My boss and friend, Eric, invited me and said that I could borrow his wife’s hiking kit to make sure that I’d like the adventure before investing in my own equipment. I was good to go until I started researching things, and I couldn’t stop myself from diving in head first. Continue reading Backpacking With Friends →