All Entries in the "Hiking" Category
Montana Wilderness Training, Part 2
With our base camp established somewhere over 8,000′ and a well earned night’s sleep behind us, it was time to get down to the business of training. The next several days were spent on alpine travel and rescue, avalanche awareness, climbing, and some good old winter hiking.
Montana Wilderness Training, Part 1
In May 2007, my squadron sent a team to Montana for cold weather and high altitude training in preparation for an Afghanistan deployment. This was truly one of the highlights of my Air Force career.
Review: Insight Firearms Training
Well, I had the opportunity to do something a bit different last week. I was invited to attend the Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Course at Insight Firearms Training in Prescott, AZ, and since I’ve always enjoyed shooting and firearms I could hardly turn down the offer! We used Insight for marksmanship and basic tactics training [...]
Cool Video for Adrenaline Junkies
Great, one more thing I need to try before I die! Here is a cool white water kayaking video.
CLICK HERE!
Homemade Stoves
For those of you interested in history, Tomahawk has an interesting post on his site concerning homemade stoves. You can check it out by CLICKING HERE. The rest of his site is pretty good too.
Hiking Report (Nov 26, 09)
Here is a quick comparison of my backpacking stoves. Super Cat, Svea Optimus, MSR Dragonfly, and MSR XGK.
Lost Hiker Does it Right
Here is a link to the story of Ross Mason, a hiker that got “lost” in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico earlier this month. Ross was a little unprepared for the trip, had a little bad luck, and took one wrong turn on the trail. Like most hikers unfamiliar with the desert, he underestimated [...]
Tanque Verde Wash
One of the great things about Tucson is that there are some fantastic places to walk. During the summer, the washes (dried stream beds for those of you from wet places) are pretty unbearable but now that the weather has cooled they are a great place to put in some miles. They are easy walks [...]
Seven Tips for Starting a Campfire
Fire making is an essential survival and backcountry skill, and like any skill, you need some basic knowledge and lots of practice! Here is video and a few tips to help you get that campfire going.
A Dog’s Life
I’ve been a bit busy lately, so here is a short video of Saja showing what is really important in life.
Wanderlust
The fall has always been a special time for me. A time to hit the road and travel. Here is a short post to try to capture my mood.
Reddington Pass by the Numbers (Miles 5-7): Shooting Ranges
Heading east on Reddington Road, you hit a series of tight switchbacks just past the Upper Tanque Verde Falls trail head. There are no significant trails on this section of the road. To the south the terrain drops off steeply as you climb to the first pass, while to the north a gentle valley flows [...]
Tanque Verde Falls Water Level
We’ve had a couple of good, strong rains over the past week in northeast Tucson and I’ve seen an increase in search hits for water levels in Reddington, so I thought I’d give a quick update on conditions in the Tanque Verde valley.
Packing for a Day Hike Revisited
My recent day hike into Redfield Canyon Wilderness highlighted that not all day hikes are created equal and safety considerations dictate that the prudent hiker will pack accordingly. A couple of months ago I posted Packing for a Desert Day Hike. The article outlines the gear I carry for a typical out and back hike, [...]
Redfield Canyon Wilderness
What a wonderful soreness a strenuous hike brings! I love it but have a sneaking suspicion that Saja doesn’t share my feeling! She’s exhausted after our weekend romp and slept most of the day today. I can’t blame her. Climbing out of the canyon was the toughest mile I’ve hiked in a long time. But [...]
Field Test: Osprey Kestrel Backpack
I’ve been anxious to give my Osprey Kestrel some field time, but I’ve been unable to break away for an overnight trip. This weekend I planned to make a day trip to Redfield Canyon Wilderness so I decided to pack the Kestrel as if it was a two day trip and see how it did. [...]
Must Have Hiking Gear That Never Leaves the House
It sounds counterintuitive at first, but some of the best hiking gear I have never leaves the house. No, I’m not talking about tents, packs, or boots. I’m talking about those things that I use at home to make my field experience safer or more enjoyable. Here is my Top 5 list of Must Have [...]
Gear Review: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer
I’ve only been using my vacuum sealer for a couple of days and I’ve already decided that this is a “must have” item. My wife picked up a FoodSaver V3840 at Costco last month and I unpacked it this week during my latest food drying marathon. The sealer was selling for around $140 at Costco [...]
Reddington Pass by the Numbers (Miles 0-5): Tanque Verde Falls
Reddington Pass is one of Tucson’s most accessible recreation areas and provides for a wide range of activities from hiking to shooting to four-wheeling. Most of the pass falls within Coronado National Forest’s jurisdiction but there is also a fair amount of private land. As always respect the rights of the private land owners, leave [...]
Gear Review: Nesco FD-35 Food Dehydrator
Let’s face it, store bought camping food is expensive and a bit dull, but weight is a constant factor on the trail. So what is the alternative? Dry your own food! Here is my review of my first dehydrator, the Nesco FD-35.
Survival 101
How do you pack for a hike? Survival principles provide a good guide for gear selection and insure that you are properly equipped if something goes wrong.
Osprey Kestrel Backpack: Initial Impressions
Shedding gear weight has become a primary focus for me. I’m not obsessive, yet, but reserve the right to become so later. In my last post I outlined how I shed close to two pounds with a Super Cat alcohol stove. Today I lost two more pounds by purchasing an Osprey Kestrel pack. It may [...]
Super Cat Alcohol Stove
After my trip up Mt Lemmon last month I realized I had to cut some gear weight. The first target was my stove, so I decided to build a Super Cat alcohol stove. This is an easy project for any hiker looking to lighten their load.
Mt Lemmon Fire Update #2
According to the Forest Service office, the Guthrie Fire is now 65% contained and has burned over 4,800 acres. They are still treating it as a prescribed burn and have an engine and two crews assigned to keep it under control. They are calling in a helicopter as needed.
I was told that none of the [...]
