Backpacking, Camping, and Herd Mentality

September 8, 2020Camping, What's Up With That?Herd MentalityNick Gatel

What’s Up With That?

So here we are, 5+ plus months into the COVID-19 pandemic with on and off shutdowns in our lives. Along with this, we now have common words to describe our situation, words that most of us almost never used prior and are now everyday terms, such as “social distancing” or “herd immunity.”

On word that doesn’t get much attention, and should, is herd mentality. Last month herd mentality came to the forefront while I planned and then executed a camping trip for Joyce and me. This herd mentality didn’t harm us or ruin our trip, but, once again, gave me pause to think about how we act out our lives. Continue reading Backpacking, Camping, and Herd Mentality →

Binoculars for Backpacking?

September 6, 2020Backpacking GearNick Gatel

This isn’t a tutorial on binoculars, nor is it a product review. I simply would like you to consider the benefits of making a lightweight, compact binocular a part of your everyday backpacking gear.

I’ve never met a backpacker who regularly carries binoculars. To me this seems odd, because a compact binocular can be such a useful tool. Back around 2008, I stopped taking binoculars on most trips for about five years, because I was too focused on the weight of my gear. On most trips, binoculars were not a critical “keep me alive” piece of equipment. After realizing my mistake, I, again, now carry compact binoculars on almost every trip.

But I am still in the infinitesimal minority. If you never, or infrequently take binoculars backpacking, perhaps this might be a good time to re-consider. Continue reading Binoculars for Backpacking? →

Sea to Summit Alpha Cookware for Backpacking or Camping

August 28, 2020Backpacking, CampingNick Gatel

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.

Continue reading Sea to Summit Alpha Cookware for Backpacking or Camping →

2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 8/22/2020

August 23, 2020Ford F-250 Super DutyF-250 7.3L gas mileageNick Gatel

A while back, I wrote a detailed post about our towing mileage, along with a baseline comparison to our 2012 Ford Expedition towing the same trailer.

We just go back from another ~ 500 mile round trip towing our trailer. This included hills, stop and go, long flat stretches, and some slight wind. I towed in “Tow/Haul” mode all the time, and whenever possible used cruise control. So here is our most current data. Continue reading 2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 8/22/2020 →

Can You Help My Friends Katharina and Chris?

August 22, 2020General TalkGoFundMe, Katharina PieriniNick Gatel

A couple years ago I visited Kat and Chris and stayed with them at their home, this little enchanted cabin in the woods.

Chris and Kat live just north of Santa Cruz, California. They lost their home and most of their belongings in the recent fires. To make matters worse, three of their kids also lost their homes in the fires.