An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog

Category: Gear

  • Hanging Out

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    For a few seasons I slept on the ground. After a particularly uncomfortable night’s sleep, I decided to investigate other sleep systems to soothe my aching back. Car camping isn’t an option when you are miles into the woods. A fairly lightweight solution was needed. I decided to investigate the world of hammock camping. I…

    Written by

    snowpackjack
    two brown hammocks covered by brown tarps are set up in the woods surrounded by rocks and shrubs.

  • Sleeping Outdoors

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    My dearest would confirm, if you were able to ask, that I have a particular skill. That is the ability to fall asleep in most any space regardless of my surroundings. The steady hum of a ship’s engines, or the clackety- clack of a fast moving train makes my eyelids droop, putting me to sleep…

    Written by

    snowpackjack
    two brown hammocks covered by brown tarps are set up in the woods surrounded by rocks and shrubs.

  • Finding My Footing

    A month ago, I began experimenting with minimalist, zero drop shoes. My constant quest for the holy grail of footwear continues. I spend a lot of time on my feet, averaging 8 to 10 miles a day. As an obsessed hiker, what you put on your feet matters, and I will never be done searching…

    Written by

    snowpackjack
    A closeup of the soles of a pair of black cross training shoes, showing a hexagonal pattern.

  • Emergency Beacon Angst

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    In my preparation for hiking some bushwacks in the mountains, I knew I would have to pull the trigger and purchase an emergency beacon. Deciding which one I needed was another story. Hiking in the mountains means spotty cell coverage. For years I had been hiking in the mountains of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.…

    Written by

    snowpackjack
    A hiker standing on a helicopter pad on top of a mountain. his back is to the camera. he is looking at a cell phone communications tower that has been destroyed and is bent and collapsed.