The 4 (not 10) Essentials for Hiking and Backpacking

Backpacking Gear

Where I live and hike, each year dozens of people are rescued because they lack the skills, experience, common sense, brains, or equipment to stay safe. And almost every year some die. And each year it gets worse, because people read about places to hike on the Internet or in trail guides and head out without the skills, experience or gear that could keep them alive.

Here I am hiking up the Desert Skyline Trail. Picture by Craig Wisner.
Here I am hiking up the Desert Skyline Trail.
Picture by Craig Wisner.

Gear and equipment is important, if you know why you need it, how to use it, and when certain items are necessary.

If you hike or backpack, then you probably have heard of the 10 Essentials that should be carried on every trip, even day hikes.

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Camp Chef Pro 60 Double Burner Stove

Camping

Cooking in a camper is different than when on an ultralight backpacking trip. UL backpackers usually try to pare down the weight of every item, so small stoves and instant foods are the typical fare, not to say the backpacker can’t get fancy and prepare some outstanding foods from scratch.

The LiteTrail Titanium Solid Fuel Cook System has a pot that can only hold ½ quart of water, but is perfect for the lightweight backpacker.
The LiteTrail Titanium Solid Fuel Cook System has a pot that can only hold ½ quart of water, but is perfect for the lightweight backpacker.

But camping lends itself to gourmet cooking.

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On Deserts…

Backpacking, Camping, General Talk

You may wonder why we camp in deserts so often and why I prefer to backpack in them too.

You may deduce that since we live in the desert, it is close and easy to pursue outdoor activities there. That is partially correct – but the desert destinations are by design. Back in 1977 I moved to Palm Springs because I wanted to camp and hike in the desert, along with several other reasons. So I thought I would pontificate On Deserts.

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Desert. Again. and Again.

Camping, ,

THE WEATHER IS HERE, WISH YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL.

A variation of the popular post cards that are sold in Palm Springs gift shops; which proclaim, “The weather is beautiful, wish you were here.”

Many people I know who are campers and/or backpackers are winding down their camping and hiking activities as we head towards winter.

So this past week I headed out to camp with my beautiful wife in the high desert area of Joshua Tree National Park. Unfortunately, it didn’t dawn on me that Monday the 11th was Veterans Day and all the camp grounds were full.

So we headed to the lower Colorado Desert to a place I knew would not be crowded, where we enjoyed our fourth consecutive week of desert camping.

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Lighting Solutions for Your Camper

Camper Upgrades, , ,

If you don’t camp in full service campgrounds (I hope you don’t) then you are forced to power your camper with a 12 volt battery bank. You may have charging solutions such as solar (preferred) or maybe a generator (I hope not — too noisy).

Milan 2013-10-05 -01415

Camping off the electrical grid requires monitoring your power consumption and in most cases conserving energy to some degree. Most campers come with automotive-type incandescent bulbs, which aren’t very efficient and are power hogs.

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REI and the Demise of Western Civilization

What's Up With That?, ,

What’s Up With That?

REI-logoRecreational Equipment, Inc., one of the country’s largest outdoor gear retailers (nearly $2 billion in annual sales) has been around since 1938. Actually it is a co-op and members receive approximately 10% of their purchases in a yearly dividend.

REI has been well known for its no-questions asked return policy. And the strategy worked – at least until recently. It appears that those who put the long running 100% satisfaction guarantee policy in place, failed to anticipate the decay of the public’s integrity and morals.

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