BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 43, we talk about the hammock!!! Marc Bohman joins us live from the Teton Hammock Company in Idaho Falls, ID to provide some tips and tricks for sleeping "between the trees". We also discuss some common misconceptions of the hammock and what you can do to be more comfortable in the wilderness. So ground dwellers (aka tent campers) make the jump, and learn the advantages of taking a hammock in to the backcountry. And if you have your sites set on a trip to the … [Read more...]
In Episode 42, we discuss a March 2017 article that appeared in Outside Magazine titled "The 40 Most Significant Tools & Toys Ever Designed". In honor of the magazine's 40th anniversary, the editors choose 40 products that "stood out for their sheer inventiveness" and their general impact on the outdoor community. Tonight we sit fireside on the South Carolina side of the Chattooga River and debate the merits of some items on the list. Our group rarely reaches a consensus on … [Read more...]
In Episode 32, the conversation on Rookie Mistakes continues as we sit fireside on Justus Creek along the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia. In this discussion, Beer Run, PokeyBo, and Therm Rider talk about some classic rookie moves: taking the wrong gear, hiking above your skill level, and taking too much. “Backcountry 201” is the second installment in this mini-series where we sit around the campfire and discuss the fundamentals of backpacking. In this episode, we go "off trail" … [Read more...]
In Episode 28, Sprinkles and NoKey discuss their ultimate summer: Thru-hiking 1400 miles on four major trails along the East Coast - including the Benton MacKaye, Finger Lakes, Northville-Placid and Long Trails. Forewarning, we spend the majority of the podcast discussing their 20 day, ~290 mile hike on the Benton MacKaye Trail - a great alternative to the Appalachian Trail in the South - but there's lots of great tips on backpacking and thru-hiking in general. So listen in - … [Read more...]
In the mid-90', Dana Design was the backpack for thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. I liked mine so much that I bought a second one two years after my thru-hike despite the steep price of $400+ And Dana Gleason, founder of his namesake Dana Designs, has returned to the market! After selling his company and watching a series of outdoor companies fumble with a once dominant brand - Dana is back (and so is the Terraplane). The U.S. Military and U.S. Forest Service "hot shot" … [Read more...]
In Episode 25, Scott "Squatch" Herriott talks about his three part series Flip Flop Flippin'. The films were shot on the Appalachian Trail during the summers of 2011, 2012, and 2014 and they follow the thru-hiker community as they make their way along the nearly 2200 mile trail. In the show, "Squatch" talks about his first ventures in to the wilderness, some of the thru-hikers and trail angels that he met on the A.T., and his experience as a filmmaker in the backcountry. His … [Read more...]
REI opened their 5th store in the Atlanta metro area today in Alpharetta, GA and clearly their marketing folks have figured it out. There were over 800 people waiting in line at 10am when the doors opened. Yeah .... people love free stuff, and REI delivered. The first 200 in the door received a water bottle with a $25-100 gift card inside. I opted to head back to work rather than line up as shopper #804. How in the world did so many people get off work mid-morning … [Read more...]
In Episode 24, we satisfy a listener request for a show on backcountry basics. Recorded at a remote campsite on the Chattooga River, I speak with Therm Rider and The Camel about some of our rookie mistakes in the backcountry and smart things that we've done since our first ventures in to the wilderness. "Backcountry 101" is the first installment in this mini-series where we sit around the campfire and discuss the fundamentals of backpacking. In this episode, we talk about the … [Read more...]
Just read an article at Appalachian Trials on "9 Things A Former Thru-Hiker Wishes She Had Known Before Hitting The Trail". And what was on the list? My personal favorite....#7 Listen to music:" It will help keep you positive in the present as you hike and afterwards the music you listened to will become a time machine back to exact moments on the trail. You may not know the place or even the state but the song will bring back a perfectly rendered memory. "Many go in to the woods to … [Read more...]
Some of these "Camping Hacks" are pretty good. I'm definitely going to try #9 "Make crescent rolls over the campfire" on our next trip... The complete list of camping hacks are at this link.... http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/camping-hacks-that-are-borderline-genius … [Read more...]
