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{ Category Archives } Technique

My Take on ‘Sleeping Systems’

Having just read a post at the Mt. Whitney and Eastern Sierra Hiking Blog (see “On Backpacking…Sleep System“) I thought I’d add my two cents on this topic.
To my way of thinking, a backpacking “sleeping” system includes several components: sleeping bag, pad, ground sheet, shelter, clothing - and for some, a pillow.
Sleeping Bag - [...]

Breakfast on the Trail

After seeing this morning’s Trailcraft post about breakfast I thought I’d offer my thoughts about breakfast on the trail.
For years I’ve valued simplicity above fanciness when it comes to trail meals, and breakfast is no exception. I’m generally uninterested in spending a lot of trail time preparing food. My standard breakfast has long been [...]

Recent Pack Trip - What I Learned (part 1)

After nearly 40 years of backpacking (starting at the age of 1 month? or not? ;-) you’d think that there wouldn’t be a lot more for me to learn about the techniques of this endeavor. However, after nearly every trip, and certainly after every season, I do discover new things - about the places I [...]

In John Muir’s Footsteps

SFGate:
A Santa Cruz couple are hoping to restore some popularity to one of the classic early views of Yosemite, reopening a 19th century door on what Muir came to regard as a holy vista — the “sanctum sanctorum of the Sierra.”
Donna and Peter Thomas, a husband-and-wife team of artists who spend most of their time [...]

Advice for Newbies…

… and for those taking them backpacking, from Trailcraft:
Less intuitive tips for the new backpacker. Here’s a classic situation. Someone who hasn’t been backpacking (or it’s been a really, really long time) gets invited to go with one or more backpackers that go regularly. The newbie shows up with about two times too much gear [...]

Two From Stienstra

Today’s SFGate features a couple of interesting pieces by Tom Stienstra:
Walking — and other outings — in a winter wonderland. Trying to climb 14,179-foot Mount Shasta in the winter can be like deciding you’re a great-white-shark dentist who scuba dives at the Farallon Islands to administer teeth cleanings. You better bring an assistant to pick [...]

A Food Drop - My First

As I wrote yesterday, I’m taking a 14-day Sierra pack trip later this summer. I was going to try to carry 14 days of food - as I did when I was (much) younger. I know from my 9-day trip last summer that I can definitely carry 10 days of food and I think I [...]