Hiking Dude Blog

As the guy usually taking the photos on group hikes, I have only a handful of shots that I'm in after 8 years and hundreds of days camping and backpacking. This morning, I tried out a Stick Pic so I can get in the picture on my long hikes.

In this photo, you can see that a landscape shot can include the hiker, even if he's the only one around. At least it proves that I was actually there!

This works by connecting your camera to the end of your trek pole, setting the timer delay, and then pressing the button. It looks like you've got your own camera crew along because you don't have your arms out holding the camera.

Getting the whole crew in a photo is now pretty easy and that poor old photographer doesn't need to be left out!

Of course, my first video attempt was spinning around in circles :-) but I'm excited to get more experience with this gear so I can get more interesting shots on the trail. Take a look at the short video below to see how it all works and find out how hot it is here in MN today on my 10-mile hike.



The guys that invented the Stick Pic have given me a few to give out as prizes when I return from my Arizona Trail hike. We'll find out who wins in May.

Hike On

I really, really, really want to be comfortable sleeping on my Arizona hike. Without restful sleep, I'm afraid I'll get worn out much faster. That's where this lightweight pillow becomes a necessary piece of gear. OK, necessary isn't quite true, but highly desired is.

Three things make nighttime more pleasant:

• Warmth - This is the most important, for survival and rest. I told you about my sleeping hat that I made. I've got layers of clothes. And, I'll show you my sleeping quilt pretty soon.
• Safety - actually, it's feeling safe and not worrying about monsters, critters, bugs, and my position on the local food chain. Crawling under the covers will help with this. :-)
• Comfort - rocks, sticks, and cactus don't make a good mattress. I feel it's worth the weight to carry some light sleeping surface. I still need to decide on which to use. A pillow falls in this category, right?

My new ExPed inflatable pillow seems practically perfect for long hikes.
It weighs 2.7 ounces which is a lot less than using a ball of extra clothes. (I expect to not really have extra clothes since I'll be wearing them to sleep or they'll be dirty from hiking.)
As you can see from the photo, there are two parallel lines across the face of the pillow. These are baffles connected through the pillow and they stop that balloon effect that many inflatables have. Your head doesn't always just roll off this pillow.
When deflated, it rolls up tiny and takes very little pack space.
The fabric feel is nice - not like a zip-loc baggie.

I bet it would weight .5 ounce less if it had only one valve, but ExPed has one-way flat valves on their inflatables to ensure full inflation and easy deflation. It also has a little repair kit - identical to inflatable sleeping pad repair, so I won't need to carry two repair kits.

Hike On

Well, it finally happened. On my hiking stick page, I mentioned that some day I'll start using hiking poles when someone gives me a pair for Christmas or birthday. They did.

My sons got me these Outdoor Products trek poles for Christmas and today I tried them out for the first time. Felt kind of like a 2-month old golden retriever stumbling along. I hit my foot with the pole a few times. I kicked the pole with my foot a few times. The tips skidded on the ice a few times.

Now, don't think I'm complaining here - I'm just letting you know that there's a short learning curve for any new piece of gear and gear should be used as it's needed. Today's hike was completely flat on a rails-to-trails style path. There was no need for the extra push or support from the poles - I was just taking them out for a spin. On a long hike over a stretch like this, I plan to just compress the poles and hook 'em on my pack.

When I start my hilly practice hikes, I'll tell you more about how helpful I find these poles to be. Today, I'm letting you know what we've got here.

These Outdoor Products poles are aluminum with rubber handles and cam-locks. I like how the locks flip and hold rather than screw.
There are three sections to the pole so they compress down to 25 inches which makes stowing on a pack pretty easy. The sections come completely apart so I really have 6 short aluminum tubes for emergency improvization.
After removing the rubber foot and basket, they weigh 9.7 oz. each. You can find lighter poles. I'll let you know how it feels to carry a half pound in each hand all day later.
The handles feel good to me, but the dense plastic makes them heavy.
The shafts range from 25 inches compressed to 54 inches completely extended. They have carbide tips, baskets that easily unscrew, and rubber foot covers.
I'll be using these as tarp supports on my long hikes and they seem solid enough for that extra work.
Oh, I also like the metallic green color - fits my style more than a bright red or orange pole.

At first sight, I think I got a great present here! I believe they're a good item for folks like me that haven't used trek poles before and are learning how it all works. Someone with more $$$ and experience with poles coulde easily spend more than the $30 these cost and get poles that weigh half as much.

Hike On

Finally, finally, finally
Snow, snow, snow

Well, it's actually just a dusting but we're supposed to get more tomorrow and it's just super!

When I got back from my morning hike, I just had to do this creative masterpiece in our driveway.

Hike On

I had a friend join me on my hike yesterday. I was very surprised to see him since he's usually just a summer hiking buddy and doesn't enjoy being out at all once it frosts up.
I can't recall if I've ever seen a mosquito out on the trail in January before, but this guy was out and about due to the record high temps this week.
Click the image if you want to see a very short video of his dance moves.

Actually, the weather has been great for getting in more hiking. I'm off now for 8 miles and it's 34°F but snow's expected and the temp drops throughout the day. Back to real January tomorrow. Unfortunately, that's not enough for the scouts going on their Okpik campout this weekend. Looks like no quinzee huts or Zero Hero awards this year. But, they've planned a 5-mile hike as an alternate activity, so that'll keep them moving and warm.

Hike On

A headlamp is a great outdoors tool. It frees up both hands, lights your way or work area, and is convenient. I've got a few different ones (one I even found ontrail at Philmont) that have evolved from incandescent bulbs to LEDs, reducing the weight and power usage. But, I just got a way cool upgrade.

I received a Photon Freedom LED light. It is a single LED but is dimmable so I can choose the brightness, and corresponding power consumption. I can't show you how bright it really is, but this tiny light delivers as much light as my previous 4 LED headlamp.
It weighs just 0.25 ounces and is as bright as my 7.6 ounce headlamp. When I add the clip, it weighs 0.4 ounces. To reduce weight, I removed the keyring, cut the tiny magnets off the clip, and left the lanyard on the table.

I'm impressed (it has a big 'fun factor') and am very excited to use it on my long hikes. I don't expect to do any night hiking, instead using it for a camp light. The clip allows the light to swivel around into any position, and is tight enough to hold it in position.

This one light should last for at least a month of hiking, but I ordered a bunch of CR2016 batteries for cheap online and will take a few, just in case. It's supposed to last from 12 to 50 hours, depending on the brightness I use. Since I expect to be in my shelter right after nightfall each day, I don't think I'll put many hours on it.

I'd prefer rechargeable batteries and Photon has a version that can be recharged. There's also a solar charger accessory which could be useful, but may weigh more than carrying a few extra batteries.

I also received an ultraviolet version from my brother, concerned about scorpions on my Arizona Trail hike - he figured I could use it to see them before stepping outside or into by shoes. :-) For the extra .25 ounces, I'll probably take it along - who knows what I'll find with it.

Hike On