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...]
Episode 25: Flip Flop Flippin’
April 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment
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 Alpharetta – Over 800 people waiting in line at 10am
March 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment
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...]
Episode 24B: Rookie Mistakes (B101)
February 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment
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...]
#7 Listen to music
September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment
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...]
41 CAMPING HACKS THAT ARE BORDERLINE GENIUS
January 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment
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...]
Reese Witherspoon Sports Vintage Hiking Look For The Movie Wild
October 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The filming of the movie Wild has begun, and both Cheryl Strayed and Reese Witherspoon are tweeting photos from the set. As you recall, the movie is based on Stayed's best selling book which chronicles her adventures (or mis-adventures) on the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. The wardrobe team got this one right, because they have Witherspoon decked out in a vintage external frame backpack and old school leather hiking boots (complete with colored laces). The movie is set to release in … [Read more...]
