Vasque St. Elias GTX Hiking Boot

Vasque St. Elias GTX Hiking Boot: http://youtu.be/lrDvzVgkJPM

How to Pack a Backpack

Ticks : Information to Know About Them

Although ticks are commonly thought of as insects, they are actually arachnids like scorpions,spiders, and mites. Ticks are among the most efficient carriers of disease because they attach firmly when sucking blood, feed slowly, and may go unnoticed for a considerable time while feeding. Ticks take several days to complete feeding.
Ticks wait for host animals from the tips of grasses and shrubs (not from trees). When brushed by a moving animal or person, they quickly let go of the vegetation and climb onto the host.

Ticks can only crawl; they cannot fly or jump. Ticks found on the scalp have usually crawled there from lower parts of the body. Some species of ticks will crawl several feet toward a host.
Ticks can be active on winter days when the ground temperatures are about 45 Fahrenheit.

It is important to remember that although ticks are thought of as being a threat during the warm weather months of spring and summer, they may also be prevalent during the cool weather of the fall and have even been observed during unseasonable warm weather during the winter. Despite
the time of year, if you are going to be involved in outdoor activities, precautions should be taken to avoid tick bites and tick-borne diseases.
Although at least 15 species of ticks occur in Tennessee, only a few of them are likely to be encountered by people: American dog tick, lone star tick, blacklegged (deer) tick, brown dog tick, and winter tick.
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

One of the most frequently encountered ticks is the American dog tick, also sometimes known as the wood tick. The larvae and nymphs feed on small warmblooded animals such as mice and birds. The adult American dog tick will feed on humans and medium to large mammals such as raccoons and dogs.

Unfed males and females are reddish-brown and about 3/16-inch long. Females have a large silver-colored spot behind the head and after feeding will become ½-inch long or about the size of a small grape. Males have fine silver lines on the back and do not get much larger after feeding. Males are sometimes mistaken for other species of ticks because they appear so different from the female.
In Tennessee the adults are most active in April, May, and June. By September the adults are inactive and are rarely observed. The American dog tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and possibly ehrlichiosis to humans.

Ticks





Band Aids And Blister Treatment

Watch this video on a hikers biggest enemy blisters and how to take care of them . Band Aids and duct tape can be a hikers best friends on the trail .



Backpacking Health: Band-Aids & Blister Treatment -- powered by Atti's Hiking

Hillsound Stretch Armadillo Gaiters

With SuperFabric at its base, providing the ultimate anti-abrasion and slash resistant technology where you need it most, the Super Armadillo Nano Gaiter can withstand and endure the adventures we encounter. When comfort is your saving-grace on the mountain, the Schoeller C-Change with Nanosphere will give you a snug, breathable, barely-there feel hugging your calf. It allows you to flex and move without restriction, pinching or pressure points.


For more information about Hillsound products, please visit
http://www.hillsound.com

Warning To Hikers In GSMNP Hiking Above 5,000 Feet

The Snow from Hurricane Sandy that has fell on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in some words just unbelievable . Mt.LeConte totals are nearing 40 inches of snow with snow drifts at the lodge and going up the trails over 5 feet of snow . Trees are down everywhere on the mountain and trails due to the weight of all the snow on trees and branches . The National Park service of The Great smoky Mountains is going to attempt to clear Rainbow Falls trail today so that the guests that are still up at Mt. LeConte Lodge will be able to make it back down safely . Wind and snow have hindered any sort of clean up  and inundated all  efforts to clear any trails so far . Snow totals in the elevations above 5,000 feet are unheard of in the smokies and this time probably record breaking from Sandy .

                                                                                                       A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind has virtually stopped, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes off toward the surface on the windward side of a large object. On the leeward side, areas near the object are a bit lower than surrounding areas, but are generally flatter.

The impact of snowdrifts on the trail can be more significant than the snowfall itself, Snowdrifts are many times found at or on tree beds or tree lines or a turn in the trail against a embankment, as the crest of a hill  or the furrows along the trail create the disruption to the wind needed to shed its carried snow. Snow fences may be employed on the windward side of the trail that intentionally creates a drift along the trail which can blind a hiker to cause one to walk off a cliff or over hang .

 Allyson Virden the manger of Mt. LeConte Lodge is asking that ;" Once again, I can not stress enough, please do not attempt to hike up in these conditions. We are asking all overnight guests to call our reservations office and make alternative plans. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is for your safety. We look forward to seeing all of you at the lodge in better conditions" .

This being said I will put my two cents in on this : I am not by any means the best hiker in the world or in the smokies but I have done many hikes in the winter and the snow . I can't stress enough that if you have not hiked in snow before over 12 inches DON'T  ! Your first trip could be your last , i have seen so many people hiking in the snow in jeans and a cotton shirt . We have all been beginners in hiking but trust me when i say this " This is not a snow for a beginner to be hiking in , it could cost you your life " I am not hiking it till tomorrow after the park service works on Rainbow Falls trail and clears some of the trees . A few pretty pictures are not worth anyones life so please hike smart . With snowfalls of this magnitude you can fall into a snow drift or snow bank and become trapped especially with the cold temps at above 5,000 feet . Just to let you know it took some people 12 to 16 hours to hike up to Mt. LeConte yesterday to check in for their cabins some not getting there till 11 pm last night .

Use your head and hike smart under these conditions ! Happy Hiking !
Atti ' s Taxi
Matt

What Is a Sleeping Pad's R-Value?

A major consideration, when considering a sleeping pad purchase, is its temperature rating; the seasonal use for which it is designed. Some manufactures will provide a true temperature rating while others refer to an R-value and that R-value references a pads ability to retain warmth, specifically the warmth of your body during the night. More simply, the higher an R-Value the warmer a sleeping pad will be and the warmer you’ll stay throughout the night.

 The materials, the construction and design of a sleeping bag, or pad, directly impact that R-value. An inflatable, un-insulated sleeping pad is designed for summer use and probably has an R-value somewhere in the range of 1.0 maybe even 0.7, a lower number and that’s fine for summer and warm weather usage. A 4-season pad with foam insulation perhaps has an R-value as high as 9.0 or even 10.0, which you’ll need if you’re looking for winter usage. Somewhere in the range of 3.5 to 4.0 is probably worth considering if you’re looking to have a true 4-season pad.

If you’ve got a 3-season pad that you’re fond of and prefer to sleep on year round you may want to consider combining it with something like this very low profile, lightweight closed cell foam pad, which will go a long way to increasing your R-value and keeping you warm enough for 4-seasonal cold weather usage.

How to Take a Torso Measurement for Backpack Fitting

There’s certainly a number of factors to consider when selecting the appropriate backpack for your next outing or adventure. That can include size capacity, pack weight and you intended usage of that pack. When it comes to fit however, the starting point really should be taking your torso measurement and making sure you’ve got a pack with the appropriate torso fit range.

 

Taking your torso measurement is not difficult; in fact it’s pretty easy. It’s that much easier if you employ a second set of hands. Standing upright as you would as though you just put on your backpack and are ready to take off, lower your chin towards your chest. When you do that a vertebra will protrude from the top of the shoulders to the base of the neck, can’t miss it; Right here. Using a flexible tape measure, and that’s important, follow the spine, the contours of the spine, right down to a point that is even with top of the hip bones, the iliac crest. That’s important; the top of the hipbones and not further down the leg. As Liz is doing here, pointing her thumbs inward, that helps me identify exactly the point I should be measuring at the bottom of the spine and see a 17 ½ inch torso.

 

Keep in mind that torso sizing can differ in regards to backpacks in relation to torso measurement as it might be spoken of with clothing. Men’s torso lengths with backpacks often fall between 17 and 21 inches. Women’s, on average, maybe 14 inches to 18 inches but that range can differ dramatically, we’re all different. It’s important to actually take that measurement. Height feels like it should be a determinant and isn’t necessarily so. You could be 6’ 6” and be all legs with a short torso; 5’ 2” and have a longer than average torso measurement. Again, important to actually take that measurement.

Kahtoola MICROSpikes Traction System

We're here today taking a look at the Kahtoola MICROspikes. Kahtoola MICROspikes are comprised of an elastomer rubber harness that fits around your footwear so it doesn't need any harnesses or straps. This elastomer harness can stretch to fit all kinds of different footwear – everything from heavy insulated winter boots, standard regular hiking boots, down to even trail running shoes. Let's take a look at how easy it is to put the MICROspikes on. Because I'm not sitting in a chair here, I've already started the front.

 

The front of the MICROspike is clearly labeled. There is no left or right on the MICROspike, so really what you do is just loop it over the front of the shoe. Make sure to line up that bail bar in the center of the toe. And then in the back of the MICROspike you've got a nice pull-tab. So you can just pull it right up over and around the shoe, everything will seat right in. And you're ready to go. You may need to make a couple of small adjustments, maybe slide the back up or down a little bit and make sure it's fitting comfortably on your piece of footwear. MICROspikes are available in both red and black and their sizes run from Extra Small, which will cover youth sizes 1-4 all the way up to an Extra Large which will cover a men's size 14-16 in a shoe. It's a little bit smaller if you're using a very big boot. The Extra Large will cover an 11-13.5. Of course one of the great things about MICROspikes is how small they pack up. So you can pop them in your pack for anytime that you think you may need some more traction out on the trail.

 

Kahtoola also sells a small tote sack as an accessory. This can be purchased separately to store your MICROspikes in your pack. The teeth of the MICROspikes consist of a 3/8 inch stainless steel spike and chain. What's nice about this system is that none of these teeth are locked into a static position, so they can have kind of a camming action when they bite into ice and snow. While we're taking a look at the spikes and the chain, it's important to take a look at this other feature here in the front which is the bail bar. This bail bar keeps these chains together and it keeps your foot from blowing out the front of the MICROspike when you're descending on a slope.

Black Bear Information You Might Need To Know

Black bear fur is usually a uniform color except for a brown muzzle and light markings that sometimes appear on their chests. Eastern populations are usually black in color while western populations often show brown, cinnamon, and blond coloration in addition to black. Black bears with white-bluish fur are known as Kermode (glacier) bears and these unique color phases are only found in coastal British Columbia, Canada.

Diet
American black bears are omnivorous: plants, fruits, nuts, insects, honey, salmon, small mammals and carrion. In northern regions, they eat spawning salmon.
Black bears will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves.

What's for Lunch ?  A Hiker ? ....Lol

Population
It is estimated that there are at least 600,000 black bears in North America. In the United States, there are estimated to be over 300,000 individuals. However, the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolu) and Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) are threatened subspecies with small populations (see Legal Status/Protection).

Range
The American black bear is distributed throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico and in at least 40 states in the U.S. They historically occupied nearly all of the forested regions of North America, but in the U.S. they are now restricted to the forested areas less densely occupied by humans. In Canada, black bears still inhabit most of their historic range except for the intensively farmed areas of the central plains. In Mexico, black bears were thought to have inhabited the mountainous regions of the northern states but are now limited to a few remnant populations.

Behavior
Black bears are extremely adaptable and show a great variation in habitat types, though they are primarily found in forested areas with thick ground vegetation and an abundance of fruits, nuts, and vegetation. In the northern areas, they can be found in the tundra, and they will sometimes forage in fields or meadows.

Black bears tend to be solitary animals, with the exception of mothers and cubs. The bears usually forage alone, but will tolerate each other and forage in groups if there is an abundance of food in one area.

Most black bears hibernate depending on local weather conditions and availability of food during the winter months. In regions where there is a consistent food supply and warmer weather throughout the winter, bears may not hibernate at all or do so for a very brief time. Females give birth and usually remain denned throughout the winter, but males and females without young may leave their dens from time to time during winter months.

Reproduction
Mating Season: Summer.
Gestation: 63-70 days.
Litter Size: 1-6 cubs; 2 cubs are most common.
Cubs remain with the mother for a year and a half or more, even though they are weaned at 6-8 months of age. Females only reproduce every second year (or more). Should the young die for some reason, the female may reproduce again after only one year.

Height: 2-3 feet (.6-.9m) at shoulders
Length: 4-7 feet (1.2-2m) from nose to tip of tail
Weight: Males weigh an average of 150-300 lbs (68-158 kg), females are smaller. Exceptionally large males have been known to weigh 500-600 lbs .
Lifespan: Average lifespan is around ten years, though black bears can live upward of 30 years in the wild.

 

How To Maintain External Locking Trekking Poles

Trekking Poles with external locking systems have a lot of versatility. They’re great for use in the summer and in the winter, ah you can adjust them with gloves on or you always have that visual confirmation that your poles are locked in.

 

After you’ve used your poles for a while, you may find that you need to adjust the external locking mechanism to keep the pole section tight when you lock them in. Backcountry Edge stock three brands of poles that use external locking mechanisms and here’s how you adjust them. Easton’s locking mechanism is called the Rock Lock. I really like this mechanism, you know it’s very simple to open and close and if you do find yourself needing to make adjustments on the fly, you don’t really need anything to do it. You just stand up the locking mechanism, twist it to the left to loosen it, twist it to the right to tighten it, flip it back over and lock it in. Black Diamond uses the mechanism that they call the Flick Lock. What the Flock Lock does is it pulls these two plates right here together, to lock the pole section in place. If you need to make an adjustment to the Flick Lock, just turn it right here, you can see we’ve got a Phillips head screw right here. Get your screw driver in there, tighten it up a quarter of a turn and everything is good to go. A little bit more tension to lock it in and you’re set for the trail. Leki’s external locking mechanism is called the Speedlock.

 

So you’ve got this red lever here, that’s how you unlock and lock the pole. What that does, is there’s a couple different steel plates sandwiched back in here. When you clamp it down it pulls everything together. You get that nice click to let you know that you’re locked in, and if you need to adjust this one you’ve got kind of a knurled screw, right here, you can just twist that a little bit, make your adjustment and lock the poles in. So if ease of adjustability and use find their way to the top of your list or you’re just working on poles that you already own, these three locking mechanism are easily maintainable and give you a secure lock every time.

 

How To Build A Campfire And The Preparation

If you plan to build a campfire, be sure that the area you are hiking in allows fires and if they are required to be built in developed fire pits. Before beginning to build your fire, be sure to have water available nearby and a shovel to throw dirt on the fire if it gets out of hand. Next, there should be a proper fire pit. If there isn’t one already, build a small fire ring with rocks. To prevent wind from blowing your fire out, create a depression in the ground 3-6 inches deep inside the fire ring.

If you plan to make a traditional wood campfire, the next step is to search for and gather 3 types of materials:

Tinder: Small materials that will ignite easily with a spark kindling such as dry grasses, shredded bark, fungus, or mosses. To spark, this material needs to be as dry and finely shredded as possible.

Kindling: Medium sized materials that will catch flame from the tinder quickly such as dry leaves, small twigs and sticks, or larger pieces of bark. For the kindling to catch fire, it must consist of small, dry items.

Wood logs: This is the large, sustainable material used to keep the fire going once it has caught flame from the kindling. The wood should be as dead and dry as possible to catch on fire faster. Find various sized logs to use once the fire gets larger and use an axe or knife to cut the wood into more combustible pieces.

Remember, only you can prevent wildfires!

 

Types of Water Treatment for Backpackers

There are generally five ways to treat your water, so you've got water filters, water purifiers, you've got UV light treatment, chemical treatments and of course, you can also boil your water. With filters and purifiers you have a couple of different options. In this case we have a synthetic cartridge. So these style filters usually pump water very quickly, so you get a lot of water output for not as much work time. They are not field maintainable and they tend to clog faster because of that synthetic material that's not able to be cleaned. And you end up replacing the filters more often, but they do pump a lot of water very quickly. Then you have a ceramic style filter. And this is basically a piece of clay here. These pump a lot slower than synthetics, however they are field maintainable. As you can see on this piece, you can use a Brillo pad and kind of scrub the outside and clean off any dirt that's built up on there and put it back in the case and start pumping water again. So they're field maintainable and they last a really long time. You're not going to be spending perhaps as much time or money replacing them. However, they do pump slowly and they are a little bit more brittle and delicate than a synthetic. This is a piece of ceramic, so if you were to drop it really heavily or if it were to freeze in the wintertime, it could potentially damage that cartridge. A third option is going to be a filter or purifier that offers you the best of both worlds. So in the case of this model, we have a ceramic filter here at the top.

You’ve got the best of that and then underneath here you can see you also have the synthetic, so this is a combination version that basically gives you the best of both worlds. There are also models that have systems that allow you to back flush them. What this means is you can kind of rearrange how this system works so the water is going the opposite direction and forces water back through that filter system and cleans up some of those built-up contaminates in it. So it extends the life of those filter systems as well. So UV light is another form of water treatment and this is a technology that is frequently used in urban municipalities to treat large quantities of water, so it's not just an application that's being used for backpacking. It consists of this lamp here that the UV light comes through, which can be very delicate. Most models come with a protective covering to keep that safe. The upside to these models is that they are extremely small, compact and lightweight. They also will treat your water for different forms of bacteria – protozoa, kryptosporidium and viruses. So you're good there. The downside to them is that they do run on batteries or are going to need to be charged after multiple uses. so potentially you could be out in the field and have this item stop working on you. And they don't give you an option with just the model by itself for cleaning particulate matter out of water. That would be things like leaves, mosquito larvae and chunky stuff that gets in the way. So you would want to strain your water or run it through a pre-filter of some sort before using this. Chemical water treatment options have some upsides and downsides to them. The upsides to them are that they're going to be really affordable.

 They're really lightweight and barely take up any space in a pack or emergency kit. The down side is that you typically need a lot of them to treat water especially over a longer period of time. And a prolonged period of time needs to pass for chemical water treatments to break down viruses and other bacteria and other contaminates in the water. A couple of these treatments would be iodine which is an extremely common one that has been used frequently by backpackers in the past. It does have a pretty bad taste with it and there are studies that show long term side effects to using this over extended periods of time and quite a few people are also allergic to iodine. So it may not be as easy to find in shops as it once was. Another good chemical option would be Katadyn MicroPur tablets. This is a product that is based on a chlorine treatment that's really similar to what you might find in your tap water. It has very little taste and is also affordable and lightweight. So your fifth option is boiling water, which will remove all of the things we discussed in this video from your water and can be used in conjunction with all of the methods that we talked about here.

Eagle Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Hammock

This is the Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Hammock. The DoubleNest is a hammock that is made large enough for two people so you can relax with anybody that you, ah, want to be that close to. It’s a nice parachute nylon material and packs down to a pretty small size with this compression strap that wraps around it. You’ve got extra space on the side, again, to fit two people in and it’s tied off here, at the end, with a very strong cording that gathers all the material together for strength. They also have a steel carabiner, that’s included, this clips right into your ENO (Eagles Nest Outfitters) SlapStrap or SlapStrap Pro or whatever other suspension system you may come up with climbing rope or another nylon cord of some sort. So that’s the DoubleNest. I have this hammock and have used it several times and love it better than tent camping especially when backcountry camping alone .

Common Fire-Starting Methods

Even if you find yourself without matches while hiking or backpacking, there are plenty of ways to start a fire without them. Below are a few of the most common methods of starting a campfire without the help of matches or a lighter.

 Flint and steel:
 Using flint and steel is one of the most primitive ways of starting a fire. There are multiple ways of using it and making your own kit. For an in-depth look, see CampfireDude’s Flint and Steel article.

Lenses (magnifying glass or eyeglasses):
 If it is a sunny day, angle your lens toward the sun. Put a ball of tinder under the lens as you concentrate the light into the smallest area possible. If you add water to the lens you will be able to intensify the beam.

Steel wool and batteries:
With a nine-volt battery and a strip of steel wool, simply touch the contacts of the battery to the wool. Blow on it gently to encourage flames and add it to your tinder.

Household items:

 Common items that can be found at home can be used as a quick and easy fire starter. Items include clothes dryer lint (which is extremely lightweight), candles, insect repellents and alcohol hand sanitizers.

Putting Out The Camfire :

Even if you may think your fire is completely out or can burn itself out, wind can come up and reignite the embers and make the fire start up again. As a safety precaution, drown the campfire with water or dirt once you are finished. Stir the fire’s remains to uncover any hot embers and throw on more water or dirt. Remember, only you can prevent wildfires!

How To Fit A Hiking Boot

This is a helpful video on how to properly fit your hiking boot or hiking shoe from the wonderful and experienced people at backcountryedge.com . Which if you have never had the chance to check them out do so . Great customer service plus great prices but the best thing about them is your purchase is guaranteed for life .

How To Dry Leather Hiking Boots

This is a video on how to dry out your hiking boots or shoes after hiking in the rain .

How To Care For Hiking Boots And Shoes

Quality boots are an essential element of hiking equipment. Taking care of your hiking boots will help ensure foot comfort and protection while out on the trail. Additionally, cleaning and storing hiking boots properly will help keep your favorite pair durable, reliable and supportive for a long time.

 

How to Pack a Backpack

There’s a lot of different packs and a lot of different equipment on the market and every company has their own design and every backpacker has their own likes and dislikes and preferred way to do things. So this is going to be some tips and ways to pack basic backpacking gear into a backpack that’s going to make that process logical per items you need throughout the day versus items you need to have in camp, as well as a way to distribute weight in your pack that’s going to work with the packs suspension and general backpack design. So, we’ll start with the bottom of the pack here and a sleeping bag is an excellent item to stow in the bottom of you backpack. They are typically bulky and heavy but they are usually not the heaviest group of items that you may be carrying so it’s usually a good thing to stow in the bottom here. Some backpacks have a zippered compartment at the bottom that you can easily access, some don’t but either way I would put that sleeping bag in the bottom of my pack. This is going to do a couple of things. One, it’s going to give you a nice sturdy base for setting the pack down as well as building a foundation for all the other items that you’re going to stack on top of it. It’s also something that you’re probably not going to need until you get to camp and go to bed so stowing it away in the bottom where you might not have access to it is fine because you’re probably not going to need it. Ok, now we get into the main pack bag, or the main body of the pack, and the next item is a tent. Tents are also going to be fairly bulky and heavy items. If you are going with someone else and you can split it up so one person gets the fly and one person gets the tent, that’s going to be the best way to pack it. You can distribute weight that way better as well.

In this case.....
 I’m going by myself and I’ve got my one person tent that came in a long, skinny sack that really wasn’t conducive to fitting in my pack in a way that allowed me room to pack other items. So what I did was purchased another stuff sack of a size that I liked better. You could even purchase a compression sack if you wanted to compress it and make it even smaller. So don’t limit yourself to the stuff sack that your product came in and consider other shapes and sizes. I’m going to take my tent which is also a bulky item and isn’t too heavy, maybe two pounds, and stick that in my pack next. It’s going to add to the foundation that the sleeping bag has given me and note that I did not pack the tent poles and tent stakes in with the rest of the tent. Typically the heaviest set of items you’ll be carrying are your food and cookware, water set aside. So here’s my bag of food. You do want to think about putting your heaviest items in this mid, center area of the pack and as close to your back as you can get them. You want those heavier items to be right between your shoulder blades. I’m going to take my food, and I’ve kind of got it packed in a way here that it’s long and skinny, so it’s going to sit right up against my back there. Then I’m going to take two other items that fit in here, and instead of laying them long-ways I’m going to stack them in here vertically. Here’s my sleeping pad and here’s my stove. They’re almost the same shape, this longer, cylindrical shape, so they pack in their nicely and they also weight about the same. I’ve also got a little cup and bowl set that I’m going to stack right on top to give me an even platform to finish out my packing. The last items I have that take up a lot of room are my clothes. I’ve got my bag of clothes here and they’re really lightweight but they’re sort of bulky and I want the up high in the pack because they weigh so little compared to everything else. This does make it a little inaccessible for me to get to my food so I’ve made a point to pack all of my dinner and breakfast meals that I’ll eat in camp in here where I don’t need to access it though out the day and I’ve taken out my snacks and what I’m having for lunch and I can putt hose in another smaller bag in an easier to reach spot. So here’s my clothes and they fit right on top here and take up the rest of the room but they weigh almost nothing so they don’t add weight up high in the pack that might throw me off balance. Now I just have a few remaining items and most of them are small. I am going to take my tent poles and stick them in this side pocket.

It’s long verticality is going to make it fit well against the side of the pack so it makes a safe place to put them where I won’t worry about them getting bent and I’ve got a compression strap that will secure those on there. This pack happens to have some other zippered side pockets here. I would take my tent stakes and put them in whatever outside pocket you have available and in this case I put them opposite the poles so the weight can balance out. I’ve got a few more comfort items here. They are both relating to sleep. I’ve got a soft sheet set that goes with my therm-a-rest and I’ll stick that down here with the sleeping bag, as well as a little pillow. With both of these items, if you don’t have extra space down here, I would say you should go ahead and tuck them in inside the pack someplace and try to fill in some of those nooks and crannies that get created when you put bulkier items in. At the top of the pack here, which is fully loaded, I’ll put a rain jacket or wind jacket. I might need them it during the day and take it off as I go up hill and warm up and then take it off as I go down the other side. So, I’m going to stick it here underneath the hood. That way it’s in a place where I can grab it quickly if I need to or if I’m hiking with someone else I can ask them to grab it out of there pretty fast. Let me get the hood adjusted snug here so that jacket it secure underneath of there. It’s out of the way here with quick and easy access and not taking up more room inside my pack bag. Another important item I have here is my Steripen, I use this to treat my water with, and I’m going to keep that either right here in the top pocket or potentially, this front mesh pocket. This makes it easily accessible for me and it can dry here well.

 If I was carrying a larger water filter with me, Steripen is pretty small, I would keep it up here in the top pocket where it is out of the way and protected but I do have quick and easy access to it so when I get to stream crossings I can pull it out, filter water and stick it back in without having to dig into my pack at all. I’ve got a little bag here with some odds and ends in it. A first aid kit, bear bagging line and headlamp and I’m going to tuck that any place on the outside of the pack I can fit it. I might need to get to the first aid kit in a hurry or I might need my headlamp in a hurry if it’s late in the day. That puts all of those items in a easy to get to spot. They could just as easily have gone in one of the top pockets since they don’t weight very much. That leaves me with a side pocket here for my water and there is plenty of room to tuck some of my snacks for the day in there. I also have an extra water bottle and some other odds and ends that I’m going to eat throughout the day as well that I’ll put in these top pockets. And that’s how to pack a pack. These are some basic tips on how to pack a backpack.

They aren’t going to work for everybody and there’s a lot of different packs and equipment out on the market but hopefully it gives you a better understanding of where to put items in a pack and hopefully it makes your next trip a bit smoother and more comfortable. 

Information from :backcountryedge.com

The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast: There are some that would argue that the Appalachian Trail is getting a little too crowded. So if you’re in that camp, and maybe looking for a little more solitude, or possibly just some new places to explore, I thought I would present long distance hikers with some other choices in the southeast - some you may not be aware of. The following represents the top 10 longest trails in the southeast:

The Florida Trail: At 1562 miles in length, the Florida Trail is the southeast’s longest trail. As one of only eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Florida Trail traverses through a diverse landscape as it extends from Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida's panhandle to Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida. Along the way it passes through some of the state's most picturesque areas including the Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceola National Forests, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and several state parks. In addition to the poisonous snakes, panthers and bears, keep a look out for alligators!

Appalachian Trail: Although the A.T. runs for a total of 2179 miles from Georgia to Maine, only a thousand of those miles actually pass through the Southern Appalachians (the section south of Harpers Ferry), thus making it the second longest trail in the southeast. The A.T. arguably offers some of the best hiking in the southeast, passing through places like the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks, Big Bald, Roan Mountain and Mt. Rogers. As a result of its popularity, some of these sections attract a lot of hikers.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: The Mountains-to-Sea Trail stretches roughly 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. Although only 500 miles of footpath are built right now, people can still hike across the state using temporary connectors on back roads and state bike routes. The trail is a showcase for North Carolina’s diverse landscape. Thru-hikers will experience mountains, rugged gorges, small Piedmont farms, coastal swamps, colonial towns, and barrier islands. It climbs both the tallest mountain peak and the highest sand dune in the Eastern United States, passes through three national parks, two national wildlife refuges, three national forests, seven state parks and three lighthouses, including the nations tallest.

Pinhoti National Recreation Trail: The Pinhoti National Recreation Trail is a combination of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail and the Georgia Pinhoti Trail. Its southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain just outside Weogufka, Alabama, and stretches 335 miles to its northern terminus at the intersection with the Benton MacKaye Trail near Ellijay, Georgia. From here hikers have the opportunity of extending their hike all the way to Maine by heading southeast on the Benton MacKaye Trail for roughly 70 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Completed in early 2008, the Pinhoti Trail is characterized by heavily wooded forests, far reaching ridgelines, countless creek crossings and spectacular views. Part of the trail includes dirt and paved roads, but otherwise provides ample solitude.

Benton MacKaye Trail: Nearly 300 miles in length, the Benton MacKaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. For those looking for a large loop hike, you can combine the Benton MacKaye with the Appalachian Trail. From Springer Mountain, the Benton MacKaye heads off in a westerly direction, while the A.T. traverses eastward. The two cross each other again near the Shuckstack Fire Tower in the southern Smokies.

Palmetto Trail: The Palmetto Trail is South Carolina’s mountain-to-sea trail. When completed, the cross-state, multi-use trail will take hikers from Oconee State Park in the western mountains, to its eastern terminus at the intra-coastal waterway at Awendaw Creek. With nearly 290 miles of trail open to the public, roughly two-thirds of the eventual 425-mile Palmetto Trail is now complete. The Palmetto Trail features maritime, sandhill, and piedmont forests, knife-edged mountaintops, and two Revolutionary War battlefields. Some sections of the trail are urban bikeways, greenways and rail-to-trail conversions.

Sheltowee Trace: The Sheltowee Trace is a 269-mile multi-use trail that traverses the length of the Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Kentucky. The trail is named in honor of Daniel Boone. Sheltowee, meaning Big Turtle, was the name given to Boone when he was adopted into the Shawnee Indian tribe as the son of the great war chief, Blackfish. Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, the Trace passes through Cave Run Lake, Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park, Laurel River Lake, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and the Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Along its course hikers will see waterfalls, arches, panoramic ridge-top views and massive sand­stone cliffs.

Cumberland Trail: The Cumberland Trail in east Tennessee follows a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau. When completed, the trail will stretch more than 300 miles from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga. In between it will pass through four Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas, a National Park Wild and Scenic Area, two State Parks, and two protected State Natural Areas. Designated as a Tennessee State Scenic Hiking Trail, hikers have access to numerous waterfalls, scenic overlooks and deep gorges. Right now there are roughly 175 miles of hikeable trails, and it’s estimated that it will take another 8 to 10 years before the entire trail is completed.

Bartram Trail: The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of naturalist William Bartram who traveled throughout the southeast from 1773 to 1777. During his travels Bartram wrote vivid descriptions of the plants and animals he saw, as well as the Native Americans he encountered. Designated as a National Recreation Trail, the 115-mile Bartram Trail crosses over some of the most scenic mountains in North Carolina and Georgia. Starting from Cheoah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest, hikers will cross over Wayah Bald and Rabun Bald before reaching the southern terminus of the trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest near the Georgia-South Carolina state line. One of the more interesting aspects of the trail is that hikers have the option of canoeing a nine-mile section of the Little Tennessee River, near Franklin, in lieu of walking the nearby roadway here.

Foothills Trail: The Foothills Trail offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Appalachian foothills along the GA, NC, and SC border area. The 77-mile trail stretches from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. Along the way hikers will visit Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina’s highest peak, the Cantrell home site, the massive granitic dome at Table Rock, and the cliffs and ledges atop Pinnacle Mountain that contain petroglyphs believed to have been made by ancient Native Americans.

Pine Mountain Trail: Although the Pine Mountain Trail currently ranks as only the 11th longest trail in the southeast right now, I included it here because it will move up to number 10 once the trail is finished. Once completed, the long distance trail designed for backpacking and hiking will span approximately 120 miles from Breaks Inter­state Park, to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, and will pass through several natural areas such as Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, Kingdom Come State Park and Blanton Forest along the Pine Mountain range in eastern Kentucky. Currently, 44 miles of hiking trails are open.

By: Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com