Introduction

Hi! I would like to introduce myself and the reasons you might like to follow this blog.

I am a backpacker, hiker and wilderness aficionado of 35 years. I remember my father taking us hiking in rural Connecticut when I was 8-10 years old. I hiked by myself or with friends for a few years, then in the early 70's I began backpacking with some friends. I never looked back.

I remember the beginning of BackPacker Magazine. I still own BackPacker #'s 6, 8, 11, 12 up through 35 and some scattered issues up till 1984. My pride and joy, first new technology pack was a Wilderness Experience external frame. I saw the introduction of internal frame packs, and did some extensive, extended backpacking with a Gregory Snow Creek. I have backpacked around New England, the Mid-South and the West. I have spent weeks in the Sawtooth Wilderness up the Middle Fork of the Boise River. I am by no means an expert, but I have closely followed all the new-tech. I rememeber getting my first Gore-Tex sample from Early Winters and watching in fascination as the steam escaped through the fabric, then bought a jacket made with it. I have been around long enough and with enough interest to see every cool new gadget and innovation in backpacking come along. Presently I am a lightweight-style backpacker, using a Hennessy Hammock and Jacks-R-Better quilt system, with an ultra-light Moonbow Gearskin pack.

My purpose for this blog is to share my experiences and reviews of all my equipment and techniques as I try out new things and re-evaluate my old things. I will be sharing the adventures in backpacking that my daughter and I are having as we get in shape for some longer trips on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Arizona Trail, among others. I have made over two dozen homemade alchohol stoves and extensively characterized their performance, so I could carry and use the most efficient one. These are the kinds of things I will be sharing here, as well as lots of trip photos and trip journals.

I ask for feedback and discussions, thoughts and ideas on what we are doing. For me, that is the best that blogging has to offer, when it is not just about me, but about the larger dialogue with the community. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find enough value in these pages to subscribe.