Earlier this year, I bought a Montbell UL. Spiral Down Hugger Thermal Sheet (down sleeping bag) and I’m really pleased with its versatility for summer and autumn camping. Rated at 50 degrees (F), I’ve used the Montbell comfortably to 40 degrees with …

I saw a Fisher (also called a Fisher Cat) on my hike up Mt. Passaconaway a few months ago. She was loping down the trail toward me until she noticed that I was standing still about 25 feet away. We regarded each …

I discovered a new cottage backpacking food company a few weeks ago called Outdoor Herbivore. You should check them out, especially if you’re on a vegetarian or vegan diet. I tried two of their meals last weekend on a section hike and …

Bog Bridge in Southern Maine I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation to the Maine Appalachian Club (MATC) for the outstanding work they do maintaining the 267 miles of Appalachian Trail under their stewardship. Last month, we had …

I am completely serious about this. Why are stuff sacks round instead of block shaped? For example, most of the backpacks I own have one large compartment that is rectangular in shape. Given this, wouldn’t it be more efficient to pack them …

I just got back from a short section hike on the Connecticut Appalachian Trail where I finished the northern half of the state, hiking from Bear Mountain to Rt 7. Autumn is past its peak here, but hiking in the woods was …

Do you remember the orange tag that was attached to your eVent jacket when you bought it? The one that said, Please Wash Me Often. It sounded like a good idea then, but I never seemed to get around to it.  That …

The Gerber Octane Multi-Tool features a pair of pliers and a wire cutter, in addition to a partially serrated, full-sized stainless steel locking knife blade, a Phillips-head screwdriver, 2 standard screwdrivers, pry bar, plastic retail packaging opener, and a bottle opener. This …

Every backpacker or hiker should carry a fire steel with them in their emergency gear repair kit. This is one emergency preparedness and survival tool that you should never be without. If you’re not familiar with fire steels, they consist of two components …

A new updated edition of David Miller’s classic Appalachian Trail memoir, AWOL on the Appalachian Trail will be available on October 18th, 2010. Published by Amazon Encore, it will be available in paperback and as a Kindle edition. I’ve just finished reading …

I took a 75 mile section hike on the Maine Appalachian Trail last week and it was simply divine. The autumn color was in full glory and I had 50+ mile views for days on end. This hike had everything: drama, magic, …

Every time I go hiking in the close vicinity of Mt Washington, I’m on the look out for lenticular clouds like these near Mt Isolation, near Mt Washington, This set looks like stacked pancakes. They are shown here hovering on the northern side of Mt …

Hiking is meditation, for me at least. It’s one of the main reasons I run off into the mountains and woods whenever I can. I first learned about meditation about 10 years ago when I took some classes and workshops on sitting …

Last week, I finally finished section hiking all 161 miles of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. Now that it’s done, it’s hard to believe that it was only 161 miles. I’ve probably hiked twice that just to reacquire the AT each …