Do Hiking Boots Protect Against Ankle Injuries?

September 23, 2020Backpacking GearNick Gatel

A couple days ago Joyce had surgery for her broken ankle, which I shared in this post, An Epic Trip in More than One Way. As it turned out, she had three broken bones and will have to keep the ankle immobile for six weeks. The surgery included screws to help set the bones.

At the time of the injury she was wearing a pair of Salomon XA Pro 3D trail running shoes, not boots. Had she been wearing a pair of hiking boots instead, could the boots have prevented or minimalized the injury? Some people would say, “Yes,” others say, “No.” Continue reading Do Hiking Boots Protect Against Ankle Injuries? →

Camping in the Time of Coronavirus

September 16, 2020CampingNick Gatel

An Epic Trip in More than One Way

It has been a difficult year for millions and millions of people. Pandemic, stay-at-home orders, economic difficulties on both personal and corporate levels, and large numbers of people struggling psychologically with all that has, and continues, to transpire.

Except for a long protracted illness that resulted in the passing of Joyce’s beloved eldest brother last month, we have fared well. For this we are fortunate.

But it was time for an epic camping trip. Continue reading Camping in the Time of Coronavirus →

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.