Category Archives: Backpacking

Zpack 20° F Classic Sleeping Bag: 10 Year Review

Backpacking

I bought this sleeping bag in 2012. Since then, it is the sleeping bag I have brought with me for over 50% of my backpacking trips.

Today I have two sleeping bags and one quilt that I use for backpacking. All are over 10 years old. Which one I bring is decided by the environmental conditions (temperature) I expect. Temperature is the only determining factor.

The Zpack sleeping bag does what I need to do, with the caveat that is does have some limitations and faults. So let’s delve into this piece of gear.

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Exped Air Pillow: 10 Year Review

Backpacking, Backpacking Gear
neither the pillow or mattress are inflated in this picture, which is why the cord looks so long

This has been my go-to backpacking pillow for over 10 years. I am a side sleeper, so a pillow is required for me to get a good night’s sleep.

An air pillow is a compromise of sorts and at first I just hated this pillow because it was difficult to make it stay in place and during the night would slide off my air mattress. Back in 2012 it flew away during a windstorm, but I later recover it.

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How Long Are You Willing To Drive?

Backpacking, Camping

How long are you willing to drive for a backpacking or camping trip?

Over the decades I have observed many people arriving at a campsite on a Friday night well after dark. Frequently it is a family with children and they spend considerable time setting up tents and other camping gear. On Sunday morning they are up early packing up and often leave the campground before we even get up. Seems like a lot of logistics and time for a 64 hour camping trip.

I will share some thoughts on the subject and outline my strategies.

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A 4-day Backpacking Trip in the Anza Borrego Desert

Backpack Trip Report, Backpacking, Backpacking Gear,

A couple weeks ago I did a wonderful little desert trip.  

Something that I haven’t done in years is share a backpacking trip report gear list. This post will break that trend.

I want to share how I planned this trip, what gear I took, and why I selected each piece of equipment.

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Sea to Summit Alpha Cookware for Backpacking or Camping

Backpacking, Camping

This collection of cookware from Sea to Summit has been available for a couple of years.

I have been mostly using freeze-dried and instant foods for quite a long time and have been an advocate of freezer bag cooking, which is the lightest and quickest way to carry and prepare meals.

I am slowly going back towards actually cooking meals on the trail to improve the quality of foods I eat. For those who want to cook food, the Alpha series of cookware is hard to beat.

So much thought and effort went into the design, that if one is in the market for new cookware they should check out the Sea to Summit Alpha series of pots and pans.

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