Springer Mountain

We made it. It's just before 1300 and we are at the start of the AT. First white blaze. I will save the story of our Uber ride for another post...for now...let's just say I recommend using an AT trail shuttle service instead.

Atlanta International Airport to USFS 42 - 1 mile from AT trail starting point

0815 Arrival at Atlanta International.

MARTA public transit to the North side of Atlanta (Sandy Springs Station)

Stove Fuel Canister purchased for $6 @ Sports Authority- 5 minute walk from the station. There is an REI a bit further away, but they don't open till 10am. 

Quick Chick fil A stop for breakfast

Uber arrived within 10 minutes.

Our ride  to Springer  started by 1005. We should arrive right around noon....which means we can almost get in a full day of hiking. So far this hike is going very smoothly.

Atlanta here we come.

We dropped our backpacks, safely packed inside of giant thick trashbags. 53 pounds with trekking poles and last minute additions.  (Extra candy bars, some hashbrowns, etc)

   Next stop...Atlanta. 

Springer Mountain through Great Smokies National Park Section Hike- Less than 24 hours until we hit the trail

     Tomorrow morning my daughter and I will fly to Atlanta, catch the MARTA to REI, buy a canister of fuel, and then catch an UBER to Springer Mountain, the start of the Appalachian Trail. We will then spend the next few weeks hiking north, with the hope to make it through Great Smokies National Park. 

  This will be our longest trip by far, both in miles and days on the trail. Our previous longest trips were 65 miles (a shakedown hike heading North out of Damascus, VA in late March 2016) and 45 miles (Middle section of Shenendoah). By the end of this trip, I hope to have over 500 miles of the Appalachian trail completed based on our various section hikes. That's a bit less than 25% of the total length of the trail. I guess I'll be a legitimate "Section Hiker" of the AT at that point. 

   If someone wants to fund an early retirement...I'll be happy to turn this into a through hike. And I know Sage would be happy to keep going. 

Gear and Supplies: 

   It is, of course, not much fun to carry over 20 days of food, so we will typically have 2-6 days of food. I'll need about 2 pounds of food a day, and Sage needs much less than that. We will resupply every few days along the trail. For an example of what a typical hike and resupply plan looks like, see "AWOL's" 12 mile per day average example plan: 

http://theatguide.com/PlanNobo2010-12.html

    While in town, we will also look for the nearest "AYCE" (All You Can Eat) buffet.

    So what will we be carrying on our hike?  Right now, my pack is about 24.5 #s with no water or fuel, and Sage is carrying 21#s. A lot of that weight is food.  I am hoping that our average pack weight with water will be about 20#s or a bit under.  This makes for a very comfortable hike. But...since I'm cheap, I'm bringing a bit of extra food at the start. 

 To ensure I have sufficient gear, I justed check the weather right now on Clingman's Dome (the highest point we'll visit on the hike). 

     Yes, it's 27 degrees right now on Clingman's Dome. On May 5th. Yikes.  Unfortunately, weather like that prompted me to throw some long underwear and a long sleeve top into my kit. My pack should have been 23.5#s.  I'm not worried about Sage, she already has the clothing and a down jacket good enough for weather in the 20's.  And of course, we will watch the weather forecast and make adjustments as needed. It is only at the higher elevations this time of year where the weather can still get really cold.  27 degrees is not nearly as cold as 35 degrees with wind and freezing rain...that's the "worst case" weather I need to ensure we can survive.  

    So what's in our packs:

1) Hammocks, tarps, hammock straps, and stakes

2) Ground pad for Sage and 40 degree Underquilt for me ( I also have a 3/4 length air pad as a "frame" in my frameless pack, so I can sleep in a shelter if necessary)

3) 32 Degree sleeping bag and 20 degree top quilt

4) 2 pair of socks, 1 spare shirt, 1 spare underwear each, down vest (for me), down jacket for Sage, Rain Jackets

5) Rain "Kilts" (sheet of Tyvek, also works for a ground cloth to sleep on)

6) Warm hats

7) 20000 mah battery, quick charger, cables, headlamps

8) About 14#s of food and coffee (way more than we need until the first resupply, but will save a few $ over trail prices. We've got about 2 weeks worth of candy, peanut butter and Nutella, and 3 days worth of meals)

9) 1 Ti mug each, a large ti pot with frypan lid, a small aluminum frypan  6.5oz (not neccessary, but really useful for frying and baking), Ti canister stove (1 oz).  1 Ti Spork each. I could knock a pound off of this kit by dropping the frypan and the large ti pot....but I like to cook real meals on the trail. 

10) A "pour over" coffee brewing setup

11) Camelbacks, Sawyer Squeeze water filter and 2 x 2Liter Evernew Water bags

12) My smartphone and a small smartphone for Sage to listen to books / music

13) First Aid kit with lots of Ibuprofin

14) 1 small shovel

15) 1 Knife

16) Tevas (me) and Flip Flops (Sage) as camp / shower shoes

17) Paper Journal (Sage)

18) Food Bag & cords to hang

19) AWOL's AT Guide ( just the pages we need)

20) Guthook's AT App (on Android) - Weight 0 oz

21) Mittens / gloves

  and perhaps a few other things I've forgotten. 

Or put more simply...about 15#s each, not counting food, water and fuel. As light as that is, there are folks who go lighter. I think we've struck the right balance, as the comfort would go down quite a bit if we cut anything more from our packs.  The next few days weeks will tell if we chose our gear well. 

  That's it for now...will try to post regular updates on our progress and trials on the trail. 

     

Ozark Trail LED Mini-Headlamp Review- Ultra Light, Ultra Cheap but is it Ultra Junk?

    I can't help it. I'm always looking for cheap gear that outperforms the cost. Even though experience has taught me that higher quality gear is usually worth the extra money. It doesn't matter..I"m willing to waste a lot of money and time in pursuit of saving a little money. 

   How about a headlamp that weighs about 1 oz and costs less than $5?  While strolling through my local walmart, I noticed this little gem. I couldn't resist.

Also available online:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20126-Ozark-Trail-Mini-Headlamp-20-Lumens/42424424

    So here it is. 2 little LEDs, a simple switch with two positions - on and off, no angle adjustment and a lightweight, adjustable stretchy headband. Less than 1 oz with no batteries, and 1.1 oz with both batteries loaded. So far I really like this little thing. In fact, I should just stop the review right here and declare this the greatest deal ever. 

    1.1 oz total. Good luck beating that number. That is seriously light. To save extra weight, remove the headband and superglue the lamp to your forehead. This has the added advantage of making it much harder to loose. Added tip- Put the glue on the battery door, that way you can unscrew the light when not hiking, and you'll only have a little plastic circle on your forehead when not in use. You object "Hey...that's stupid...I'd look like a moron!" To which I reply "Yes, and it's practical and cost you almost nothing. Look around,there are plenty of folks with freakish, impractical body modifications...and they paid hundreds or thousands to get them." So skip the nose ring...and glue the battery door of your headlamp to your forehead...save money and weight. 

      Or, if you're one of those heavy battery carrying lemmings, you could just use one of these standard Black Diamond headlamps with 3 huge AAA batteries. 3.2 oz for one of these. (Don't worry, I bought it at the REI Attic Sale...don't start thinking I'm not cheap)

     So there we have it, 1.1 oz for the Ozark Trail headlamp and 3.2 oz for the Black Diamond Headlamp. Clear win for Wal-Mart. Of course, one of you guys might point out that the Ozark Trail lamp is rated for 20 lumens, whereas the Black Diamond is good for up to 130 lumens. To which I reply...it's dark out...the big advantage is 20 Lumens over 0 lumens.

     I suppose the only thing to do is to put them both to the test. If the Ozark Trail Headlamp is sufficient for hiking a trail I've never hiked, then who cares if the Black Diamond is technically brighter.

   Test #1 - Hiking in Daylight

     

   Perhaps no headlamp is even needed. We hiked up to Weaverton Cliffs above Harpers Ferry with no issue. Granted, it was the middle of the afternoon, but there was functionally no difference between the two headlamps during the daytime. 

   As we did this hike on Thanksgiving, we cooked up the traditional General Tso's Chicken with rice, and a few other appetizers. Headlamps were not needed. 

    Sunset was around 4:45, which meant that it got dark before we were back down to the cars. Both headlamps performed terribly, we couldn't see a thing. Careful analysis identified the performance of the headlamps on the trail was impacted by their being left in the car. Either headlamp would have been a dramatic improvement over hiking with no light. But we made it down, and learned a valuable lesson about...um...staying home on the couch for Thanksgiving?

Lesson Learned:  Bring a headlamp.Even if you are hiking in the daytime. All 6 of us could have had an Ozark Trail headlamp on our head for the price of the Black Diamond. If you need a bunch of functional headlamps for a group, and don't want to drop a few hundred dollars...go to Wal-Mart...$5 a headlamp is great. Oh...and don't leave it in the car. 

Test #2 - Hike 18 miles in the dark on mostly unfamiliar trail. 

     Since the initial test was hampered by, um...not bringing the headlamps, I ran a second test. For this test, i was dropped in Penmar on the MD/PA border of the AT, and hiked to the Cowell Shelter, 10 miles south. The next day, I hiked from the Cowell Shelter to the Crampton Gap Shelter, where I left my car, 20 miles total, 8 of them in the dark. 18 miles of headlamp based hiking. The first day, on a section of trail I'd never hiked. 

    

    To facilitate the comparison, I mounted both headlamps on my forehead. I forgot superglue, so I was not able to try the bandless configuration previously discussed.  

    This sign  encountered early in the hike is correct, give or take 100 miles or so. Sort of like this headlamp review. The initial parts of the hike were quite easy, the Ozark Trail lamp throws a nice, broad, glowing light. Fairly similar to the lower setting on the Black Diamond headlamp, perhaps even a bit better. 

      By the time I made it to the top of the first big climb, I had switched exclusively to the Black Diamond Headlamp in Spotlight mode. The reason was simple. While I could hike with the Ozark Trail lamp, it did not have a bright enough beam to consistently spot the next blaze on the AT. Since this section was really rocky, it was sometimes hard to tell what direction the trail was going. While I could hike with the Ozark Trail headlamp, the spotlight on the Black Diamond was much better in these circumstances. 

      Of course...when you compare the switches, the Ozark Trail is a big win. On or Off. You know exactly what it will do. The Black Diamond has 3 modes, and you can even adjust the brightness. How? One button. It's stupid to put that many functions on one button. If I wanted one button...I'd have taped an iMac to my forehead. 

     But...like a Mac...keep mashing the button and sooner or later you'll figure it out. 

  Ah....daylight. The sun has more lumens than either headlamp. My recommendation is to sleep when it's dark, and hike during the day. When it gets dark, set up the hammock...and don't bother with either headlamp. 

The Ozark Trail Headlamp worked really well for this type of section, where the footing was tricky but the direction of the trail was obvious. Of course, the sun works even better. 

   To facilitate additional headlamp testing, I decided to take a slow lunch and made some fried chicken poppers with buffalo chicken rice. Quite tasty. Then I made some instant coffee and ate a snickers bar for dessert. 

   The large tower made of stone, the other Washington Monument, was closed due to a lightning strike. Apparently they are concerned the tower could have been damaged. Um..ok...seems like they  might be overthinking this a bit, but I guess they need to pay an expert to confirm the rocks are still sticking together in a big pile. 

Taking pictures of headlamp beams with your smartphone doesnt work. Didn't stop me from trying though. 

     On the second night, I pretty much exclusively used the Black Diamond headlamp. From about 5:30 pm to 9:45 pm, I hiked with the spotlight beam. I noticed the beam started to fade, and the last two hours I was hiking on a little spot that wasn't as bright as the Ozark Trail lamp. What I liked about this was that the lamp kept going even though the batteries were shot. You can hike for many hours with reduced light when the batteries are exhausted. That's good to know, and might prompt me to skip bringing a spare set of 3 AAAs. 

Conclusion:  Ultra light, Ultra Cheap, but not Junk. I like that little headlamp. 

    Both headlamps have a role. For hiking a familiar trail, as a backup lamp, or for around camp, the Ozark Trail lamp is awesome. If you are hiking with a group (instead of alone) the Ozark Trail lamp would also be more than sufficient to follow the feet in front of you.  But if I'm ever stupid enough to intentionally hike 18 miles in the dark again (and I'm sure I am)...I'll go with the Black Diamond. I think the extra 2.1 oz (and 110 lumens) are worth it. 

BRS Ultralight Camping Gas Stove Outdoor Burner Cooking Stove 25g - Heck of a deal

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NNMF70U?refRID=CGTKVXED2Q6QKK25W901&ref_=pd_ybh_a_70


My new canister stove. 1 oz. It simmers, it blasts, it does everything in between.

$17 on Amazon, the quality is pretty good, and it seems to work as well as my higher end canister stoves. Perhaps better.

12oz canister (8oz fuel, 4oz empty canister) + 1 oz stove......that's alot of heat for the weight. And nothing beats a canister stove for convenience, Great for a quick cup of coffee, or for whatever cooking challenges I want to tackle.

Alcohol stoves are fun to mess with, Esbit is light....but I may just go with this little guy for our planned section hikes coming up.

Another Budget Tarp Option- Hennessy Hammock 10x12 Tarp

So I've been getting alot of questions about tarps. While I'm a fan of the Yukon Outfitters Rainfly, it's hard to find them on sale for $20...they sell out quick on woot at that price. And as a simple diamond shaped tarp, they're really a bit smaller than I'd like for winter camping.

Here is a more expensive and heavier option for $69.99 (current Amazon.com price)



http://www.amazon.com/Hennessy-Hammock-ft-x12-Double-Wide-DOUBLE-WIDE/dp/B0094NLB8E/ref=pd_sim_236_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XNCE8NTDP956EKRN47T

 A few advantages to this one:

1) Much better coverage than the Yukon outfitters tarp. It should be a great winter / heavy rain tarp with the additional coverage it provides.
2) Hennessy Hammock is a good, quality brand.
3) Over a pound lighter than the Noah's Tarp 12' I mentioned in a previous thread. And while the shape of this tarp won't allow you to fully enclose the hammock like you can with the Noah's Tarp, it will still offer good coverage.
4) 12 ft ridgeline will provide good coverage on up to an 11ft long hammock. This would work really well with my 10ft long hammock, there would be plenty of room on either end to hang my backpack, etc.

Or let me put this differently, if any one has one of these...I'll happily trade my Noah's tarp for it. Over 1 pound is a big deal.

  And for the reader who is thinking "$70 for a tarp...wow...that's expensive"....I feel your pain and I agree with the sentiment. Except...it's not. Most tarps of this quality go for alot more money.

  If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are probably some good cottage vendor options that are lighter. But for a mass produced tarp that you can order through Amazon...this is a good looking option for the price.