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Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

Winter Backpacking Gear List for the Very Cold Sleeper

Discussion forums are an incredible resource for the beginning backpacker.  I either participate or lurk on several different forums for years, notable Hammock Forums, Whiteblaze, and Backpacking Light, just to name a few. The information gleaned from more experienced backpackers is invaluable. Learning from the mistakes of those who have trod the forest before me!
Crossing a semi-frozen Seneca Creek in January; 0*F

Whenever contemplating a new piece of gear, the forums are the perfect place to find firsthand reviews.   Find hiking partners, ask about the "best" campsites on a specific trail, and (my fav) get some new recipes.  My husband appreciates the fact that I have meaningful discussions with other people and don't discuss backpacking or hiking with him morning, noon, and night. When talking about camping, what he hears is "blah, blah, blah."  Forums are the perfect place to hang out with "my people."

Pennsylvania's Black Forest Trail - Thrills, Chills, and Spills: A "Plan B" Backpacking Weekend on

Known as the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania," the Black Forest Trail (or BFT)  in the Tiadaghton State Forest in north central PA lies three hours south of the Great Lakes.  Blazed orange along its 42 miles, the BFT features about 8000' of elevation gain, lots of streams, and lovely views.  The trail also features rugged wilderness terrain, treacherous stream crossings, and bears.  The name supposedly comes from the dense coverage of hemlocks and pines that once prohibited full light from penetrating the trees, hence the "black" forest.

Hiking the entire trail at once meant we would have to hike 20 miles on Saturday in order to fit the trip in a weekend, not to mention a 12 hour round trip drive.  I know there are some very hardy souls who think 20-30 miles a day with a loaded pack is a blast, but when backpacking, I usually hit my "fun threshold" after about 14 miles.  The posting mentioned that I had never been on this trail, so a sense of humor and a great attitude was a prerequisite to RSVP for this hike.

Craig and Becky at the Trail head
The Mid-Atlantic Hikes Website (which is an amazing resource for backpacking and hiking trips in the area) outlined two different backpacking trips for the trail; the BFT North and the BFT South.  The northern route is the roughest with 5000' of elevation gain, but offers the best views.  The southern route is slightly less challenging with total elevation change of about 3500' up and down.

We originally planned to hike the northern circuit, but after some emails back and forth with someone who already hiked the trail, and who described the potential for a very hairy stream crossing over Slate Run during periods of high water, we opted for a southern circuit.  The total mileage would be about 23 miles, with a breakdown of seven to eight miles each day.

Being early spring in the mountains, and only three hours south of the Great Lakes,our group prepared for the worst, but still hoped we would have the warmer spring weather we craved.  The week prior to the hike, the weather report turned ominous; instead of 50* days and 35* nights, the outlook was

MLD Mountain Laurel Designs Gaiters Long-Term Review





I love these things. For anyone considering gaiters in general, or the MLD gaiters in particular, here is a video for you!  Please leave any comments regarding your thoughts here.  Happy Hiking :-)

Trail "Pancakes" with Maple Syrup; Wheat-free, Healthy Trail Comfort Food!

Note: This is my first attempt at this yummy trail breakfast.  I have since come up with a much better recipe for real train pancakes (at least IMHO).  This post is still a great way to enjoy dried bread, whether for croutons or a base for other meals (bread pudding, anyone?).


 Good nutrition is so vital to our well being, and nothing starts the day better than a nutritious breakfast. Car campers tend to take breakfast very seriously;  drive through any established campground around breakfast time and your sense of smell will be positive assaulted by the scent of sizzling sausage and bacon and freshly brewed coffee.  Pancakes with syrup and scrambled eggs round out the feast.

On the trail, however, breakfast tends to be Boring with a capital B.  Oatmeal. Oatmeal with blueberries.  Oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins. Cream of wheat.  Blah, blah, blah. And I am sure that backpackers need waaayyy more nutritious calories than the car camping bunch.


Paleo Bread; Wheat free, made with Nut Flour
Hikers with a little more pack space and money may opt for something like freeze-dried Mountain House meals.  I find them delicious (YMMV!) but they are expensive and loaded with sodium and additives. Now that I am older and more frugal, I dry my own concoctions.

One food I am experimenting with is pancakes and syrup.  A very easy way to have pancakes on the trail is to simply dehydrate some cut up homemade pancakes, rehydrate in a zip lock with some boiling water, and add a pouch of syrup.  Yummy and almost like homemade.  But I liken it to junk food. Empty calories with no nutrition.

Since I am swearing off traditional flour-based foods, I had to find another option.  I found this bread recipe from Elana's Pantry and realized it would form the basis for some great healthier trail meals.  I followed the recipe and made the most delicious nut-flour bread ever.


Paleo Bread Crackers
The bread is a little denser than whole grain bread, and the recipe makes a small loaf.  A little small for anything but finger sandwiches, I thought this would be the perfect size for crackers.  Then I started thinking dried bread things with some kind of topping.  That led to the idea of a pancake-y trail food.  So I sliced up the bread extra thin and dried it on my fabulous Excalibur Dehydrator.  A few hours later I had nice, crunchy, yummy flour-free crackers.

The rest is easy!  Just toss some crackers in a quart-sized freezer zip lock bag and add a Tablespoon or two of real maple sugar.  When in camp, add a very scant amount of boiling water to the bag and cozy.  Within a few minutes you can enjoy something that is very similar to SAD dried pancakes, but without the guilt!

Happy Hiking!

The Ten Backpacking Essentials

I really don't like to watch much TV. I really think it dumbs people down. Need proof?  Swamp People.  'Nuff said.

OTOH, I do use the tube to keep up on current events.  I don't like to read newspapers, because they take too much time; if I have some free time I would rather be playing in the kitchen, chatting up my Internet friends, or working on my blog.  So I listen to Headline News with Robin Meade in the mornings on my days off while I do housework or play on my computer.  She is just so perky.  And pretty. And I love how she walks on a treadmill while working at her desk.  I wish my job was that cool.

Anyways, I was listening to Robin discuss yet ANOTHER story of a day hiker getting rescued because they got lost in the woods without the proper equipment.  Really people, hiking in the woods is no joke! 

Foraging Resources Continued: Determining Plant Families and Genus with Tom Elpel's "Botany in a Day"

Outdoorsy types are a breed apart from your "average" person. I have had some lengthy discussions with non-outdoor folks about why my idea of "fun" involves giving up the creature comforts of home in exchange for a camp outdoors. A camp that is hopefully not being invaded by the creatures of the forest. Like the bumper sticker says "if I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand anyway."


Joey and Jag sampling Spruce needles in Roaring Plains, WV

Foraging Resources

Foraging for Spring Greens
A frequent question I get when discussing wild edibles is "where can I learn this?"  Unfortunately, the short answer is to do your homework, but this takes some time to accomplish.  You can't learn plant identification overnight.  However, you can learn it at night. When the rest of the family is watching TV, good foragers are looking through plant identification books. For fun. Boring, huh? 


 The good news is that a wealth of information is literally at your fingertips.  In addition to some really amazing books, there are cell phone apps, and websites that make plant identification easy and fun.  The internet makes meeting fellow foragers much easier, albeit still a little difficult in some areas of the U.S.