About a month ago Hiking Forward raffled off this Potable Aqua prize pack. Tamara Deane from North Carolina was the selected as the lucky recipient of the prize pack. Just recently, Tamara and her husband were able to get away into Tennessee and use the Potable Aqua products that she won. Here is her review. Tim Deane (my husband) and I have been hiking for several years as individuals and only recently together. We both have used different methods of getting clean drinking water. He has shared with me that the drops and tablets were effective but had left a unpleasant color and taste. So I have steered clear of using them. Recently I was gifted with an awesome opportunity to use the Potable Aqua system that I won from Hiking Forward during a kayak/camping weekend trip on Douglas Lake TN. Not only was it easy to use and easy to pack, it also didn't have the unpleasant taste I was expecting. I am excited to have this product in my pack as a reliable way of purifying my drinking water and am pleased with how easy it was to use. Thank you for my gift and I'll be spreading the word. Congrats again to Tamara Deane on winning the Potable Aqua Prize Pack! Keep Hiking Forward Scott
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So like most hiker and outdoor enthusiasts I bet you spend most of your day wondering about your next gear purchase, or researching an item your going to buy or better yet watching the UPS Tracking screen at work waiting for the box from REI to arrive at your doorstep. SICKO! Its okay, I do the same thing! This my friends is your lucky day. What if I told you that you could get the excitement of Christmas morning, every month. You to can get an awesome assortment of outdoor gear sent to your house for the low low price of $25.00 a month and can get that amazing feeling of wondering... "whats in the box?". So, I have to be honest I got my first Cairn box as a complimentary item from they great people at Cairn who are helping to sponsor Hell Hike and Raft. Rob Little, Cairn's Founder, I think has come up with a great idea for us gearheads who love gear mail. In this little box, I received well over twenty-five dollar's worth of awesome gear. Gear that came in my Cairn Package: Hydro Flask 12oz. Standard Mouth - $20 Old Ephraim StrapGear 10” Blueberry Blue - $9(2pack) Honey Stringer Honey Waffle 1oz package – ($22 –Box of 16) Mosquitno Adult Size All Natural Wristband - $4 Joshua Tree Hiker’s Salve Organic Unscented – ($17- 1.7oz) Want more info about Cairn? www.getcairn.com Ok, so with a new backpacking trip on the horizon I thought about using my new hammock. I also thought that I wanted to stay warm and dry. So a couple weeks back I took full advantage of my REI dividend and their members only 20% off sale and bought my new ENO Pro Rain Fly. The reviews on the large majority of ENO's stuff is always awesome and so is true for this fly. I haven't used it yet, but as soon I put her through the paces I will surely double back for a full review. And then there is my new vintage Coleman stove circa 1976... that has never been used! She is a beauty, I almost don't want to cook on her. But given our recent move from the trailer to real camping I knew we were going to need a good stove. But, I didn't want a new Coleman stove, I wanted something vintage that reminded me of making sausage or eggs when I was a Boy Scout. Where did I find her you ask? Well I looked for months on Ebay and Craiglist and most were very over priced for their "loved" condition. I follow and use a website often called www.shopgoodwill.com. Yes, its Goodwill online. They take all their good stuff and put it in an auction like setting similar to Ebay, but the money goes to a good cause. Check it out. I got the stove with the original box and papers (instructions and warranty from 1976) for $29.00 plus shipping! It's the find of the century. I can't wait to use this and know that one day she will most likely get passed down to the kids and grand kids. My next project is to build a chuckbox or patrol box to store the store and to use as a prep, cooking and pantry while camping. I needed to wait till I found the stove so I had the proper dimensions. Stay tuned for progress and pics of our new chuckbox. Keep Hiking Forward. Last weekend, we sold our beloved travel trailer. I will clean her out and up for the new proud owners this weekend and send her on her way next week to enjoy many more years of adventures. Growing up a Boy Scout I loved the outdoors and today could spend everyday among the trees. We bought the camper years ago to provide our young family with and outlet and a mechanism to enjoy the outdoors. And, I am happy to report, she did her job. Even though we didn't use her all the time, our family style has lead us now to three National Parks and one of them twice. So, this week I feel as though we are transitioning and for me back to my roots. Back into a tent, cooking off the fire, and enjoying the stars not the A/C. The one downside for me always with the trailer was it took so long to set up and put up while on site that I lost time I could have been using to Kayak, Fish or Hike. No longer, minutes to set up our new tent (which will arrive today) and the rest of camp and then right to enjoying the reason we are outside. While my girls are lovers of the outdoors like I am, I hope they fully embrace nature and the joy of this new way of being outdoors with us. My wife, is somewhat apprehensive but I know that years of comfort and the allotment of equipment we have accumulated of the years will provide similar comfort for all. While I knew this day would come, I have been searching for the right tent for our family and finally pulled the trigger last weekend once I had sold the trailer. Today, we will be the proud owners of an REI Kingdom 8 Tent and REI Tech Garage. This two room tent is highly reviewed and provides enough space and comfort for the four of us plus our dog Sid. The Tech Garage will provide a great vestibule for gear, equipment or someplace to sit if the weather turns nasty. I look forward to writing a full review once we have fully tested the tent and Tech Garage, stay tuned for that and pics! Keep Hiking Forward. I participated in my hiking groups annual "Freeze Your Butt Off" camping trip this past weekend at Kickapoo State Park and had a great time. Once again it always amazing me how the right preparations and gear can keep your warm in almost any conditions. While en route to the campground the location was still under a winter weather advisory due to low wind chills from arctic air pushing through the area. Upon arrival my fellow campers had already started a fire, erected our dining area and their personal accommodations. The only time I was remotely cold was when I was putting up my own tent. After my tent was up and camp was set my gear, the fire, warm food and my sleeping bag did the job for the remainder of the weekend. The local news station came out and did a story on the crazy campers out in the woods in the dead of winter and did a little feel good piece on us. Check it out below. As many of you know getting out into the woods and or nature, energizes your soul. For me it re-juices my batteries. And today I feel really good. I got to spend the weekend with like minded people who love the outdoors as much as I do. We of course, tried to solve the worlds problems around the campfire. And I think had we had another day we might have just done it.
I was able to try out my new ENO Hammock as you can see from the video and the pics linked below. Initial results are I love it and so do all my camping mates. I envision the first spring campout we all might be sleeping or swinging in hammocks. I will write up and post a more detailed gear review on it in the coming days. Freeze Your Butt Off Pictures As many friends and family members either in person or via social media exclaimed to me last week prior to my trip "Your Nuts"... yes maybe so. But, we all have one life to live and we all have some place that makes us feel good and right. Mine just happens to be in the woods with good people. So to those who are like me I say again... Keep Hiking Forward. After today's #hikerchat (which by the way if you haven't done yet is a blast! takes place on Fridays at noon eastern) I asked out there on Twitter if anyone knew how to fix a problem with my Leki Khumbu Aergon Trekking Poles. You see the button leg under the Speedlocks kept collapsing even under very little pressure. I have tightened both the clear lock and the Speedlock as much as it can be tightened and still the pole collapses at will. Most of the time it collapses like I said under just walking conditions and others under pressure conditions. (this is not helpful) Well upon sending out the call for assistance I tagged Leki's USA Twitter account and wouldn't you know within a few minutes they suggested an email to their service email. I emailed promptly, and got a detailed response within minutes! I was informed that the company would be sending me two new legs both and upper and a lower and the Speedlock components. I was delighted with the great customer service and the speed in which they responded. I am also happy to know I can depend on my poles again. So this weeks PROPS! go to LEKI USA! The weeks wag of the finger goes to FEDEX! Yes, FedEx. Typically I adore getting packages. I work from home so the UPS, USPS and Fedex folks break up my day. I'm not sure if I am the only one that does this or not but when you order gear online, do you wait impatiently for the tracking number then knowing full well that the package won't arrive for 4 days still check the tracking page to see where it is? No? Damn I am sick! Anywho, due to the generosity of my loving family and wonderful bride I received a host of REI gift cards for Christmas. I spent much of Christmas break researching new packs. I finally settled on the pack I wanted to only find out it was on back order! Ugh! Right? Finally last week I ordered the pack and as you already know, I watched as the pack made its way from the REI distribution center to my house tomorrow (Saturday) via the online tracking system. Or, so I thought. With the anticipation of playing with and packing my new REI Crestrail 70 building I checked it one last time this afternoon in wonder, "hmmm where might it be now?" ... ESTIMATED SCHEDULED ARRIVAL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013!?!?!?!?!?! UGH! So we wait. Will post when the bag finally arrives. Fingers crossed on Wednesday and stay tuned for a full review of the bag. Have a great holiday weekend all. Keep Hiking Forward! Thanks to my friends at the Sangamon Valley Chapter of the Sierra Club for hosting their Annual Stone Soup Hike! It's always a easy way to start the year off on the right foot. LITERALLY! Even though the temp never got above 20 degrees this morning the wind stayed away and the sun was shining! We hiked for about forty-five minutes through the untouched snow and got an early morning peek at the Sangamon River. I am happy to report this morning that the river looks healthy and is flowing nicely (thanks to recent rains and snow). The last year has not been kind to the river nor my paddling opportunities. Hopefully the rain and snow will help keep the river up and navigable in early spring. Oh and can't forget the soup! Nothing like a warm bowl of community made soup to help warm your stomach and your soul after a nice hike and on a cold winter day. Also finally got to use a gift from last Christmas the wife got me but I never go use last winter due to the mild conditions and it was the perfect day to utilize it. My set of Kathoola MICROspikes worked awesome and dug into the solid ice along the roadways and that covered portions of the trail. The metal teeth on the bottom of the MICROspikes kept me on the trail as we approached some slick areas above the river. I also felt that my feet were kept warmed by having the MICROspikes on, maybe because my feet actually were coming in contact with the cold wet ground as they if I didn't have them on. Hadn't thought about this as an added benefit of the system, but on a cold day we all know there is nothing worse then cold feet and toes. I had on good socks and liners today, but felt that staying off the ground even by a fraction or a inch might have helped keep them warm. I hope every is enjoying you day and that you get out to enjoy today like I did as well. Keep Hiking Forward. |
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