We completed 500 miles / 800km from SJPP to Santiago along the Frances Camino on June 7, 2023. I posted a follow-up Lessons Learned on the Camino and our polarsteps photo journal. The Camino de Santiago started out as a Christian pilgrimage, but as interest … “Camino de Santiago”
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Bugforce Scale as proposed by Paul Wagner is an attempt to describe how annoying mosquitoes are from a qualitative perspective. An example of one of my level 9 experiences was descending into the basin around Dick’s Lake is Desolation Wilderness. While walking down the trail … “Bugforce Scale”
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The following is a reference I use when selecting the next hiking or backpacking destination with a bias toward Northern California. I make it in 2002 and just now am updating in because many of the links were out of date. Each year I say … “Hiking Destinations”
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Every Saturday Jackie and I take at least a couple hours to walk in one of the parks in our area or we might be further afield at some state or national park. Within a few minutes of beginning our walk I can feel myself … “Get Outdoors”
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Flashlights and headlamps let you continue your activities once it is too dark to see. The ability to expend the hours that we can do things is invaluable. Today, virtually all flashlights and headlamps use LEDs to produce light. I strongly encourage people to retired … “Flashlights & Headlamp”
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Many activities benefits from having some sort of sharp object to cut things. Examples of this include food preparation, opening packaging, trimming material to cover a blister, preparing kindling, or hacking branches to build an emergency shelter. My Choice My every day carry (EDC) knife … “Knives and Other Sharps”
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Next to staying warm, the most important survive and comfort factor is to make sure you drink an adequate amount of safe water. This often means you need to carry water and be prepared to treat water. Not all locations have a continuous supply of … “Water Treatment & Containers”
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In extremely cold vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing or sleep system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when … “Vapor Barriers”
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I recommend clothing that can be comfortably worn day after day for a wide variety of activities. My clothing is typically made from technical fibers or merino wool which provides good mobility, decent durability, is light weight, fast drying, and odor/stain resistant. I use mostly … “Recommended Clothing”
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Today there is a wide range of ultralight shelters including traditionally designed tents using exotic materials to move them into the ultralight weight classification. Many of the ultralight shelter designs came from people’s experiences on long thru hikes combined with a desire to find the … “Tarp-tents and Other Ultralight Shelters”
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Review Item: ZPacks HexamidOptions: Cuben with NettingManufacture Year: 2010Listed weight: Cuben shelter, guylines, and bag 8.9ozWeight as delivered: tarp+attached guylines 8.3ozMSRP: US$259, no longer made I have a first generation which uses three zippers that meet at the top peak. Joe has now switched to a single … “ZPacks Hexamid”
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When I started hiking as a child everyone knew you should wear hiking boots, ideally made in Italy with Vibram soles and leather.uppers. Only stupid people wore tennis shoes while hiking, though often they were brought for river crossings and for relaxing around camp. This … “Boots or Trail Runners”
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In colder weather, people often struggle with their feet getting cold. There are a number of reasons for this Feet are the furthest point from your core which is generating heat. Feet are subjected to conductive cooling through the soles of your shoes/boots. Feet sweat … “Feet in Snow and Cold”
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One of my footwear posts. In general you want to keep your feet dry. There are a variety of ways you feet can get wet. The most dramatic are river crossings, followed by rain, snow, and slush. The final issue is sweat from your own … “Feet in Wet Conditions”
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Thought it would be interesting to see how my primary items have changed over time: I am ignoring items that were used briefly or for testing purpose. For a while I was regularly purchasing new gear and trying it our. When I found something that … “Goto Backpacking Gear”
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Every year I help organize several backpacking trips for the communities I participate in. Typically we will have several first time backpackers. I often get the question “What should I buy?” Everyone expects the first thing I will suggest is a good pair of boots … “Backpacking on the Cheap”
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Part of Mark’s Backpacking Guide Getting Started Individuals’ Notes / Sites Books Online Communities Orgs Research Articles
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There is a saying that an army runs on it’s stomach. The same could be said for most backpackers and outdoor adventurers. For most, food is not only fuel for the journey, but also a source of enjoyment, comfort, and motivation. There is a wide … “Food for Backpacking”
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If you want to cook food, you need something that holds the water and/or food as you heat it up. They best cookware will vary depending on the size of a group and the type of cooking. My Choice When I am traveling solo I … “Cookware for Backpacking”
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