MLD 475 ml Mug

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Mountain Laurel Designs 475 ml Titanium Mug

  • Measured Weight of Mug: 1.4 oz (40 g)
  • Measured Weight of Stuff Sack: 0.2 oz (5 g)
  • Measured Height of Mug: 3-1/2 in (9.8 cm)
  • Measured Diameter of Mug: 3-1/8 in (8.9 cm)
  • Measured Volume: 450 ml (15.2 oz)
  • Material: Titanium

At almost a full 2 cups (maximum capacity) the Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) 475 ml mug is a wee-tinny little thing! It is small enough to serve as a comfortable sized mug, but also large enough to serve as a minimalist cook pot. It is made from titanium which gives it the ability to be both lightweight and durable. The top of the mug features a rolled lip which further increases the mug’s strength and durability. And last but not least, MLD keeps it simple, as there are no handles anywhere on this mug! (This is one of my favorite features!) Continue reading →

Posted in Cook Kits, Cups/Mugs, Gear, Gear Stores | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Olympia Granola Bars

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

I believe that my search for that perfect granola bar has finally come to an end! Recently the guys at Trail Designs threw in one of the Green Tea Zest Olympia Granola bars in a package they were shipping me as an extra “treat.” And boy was it a treat! I will admit that I was a bit hesitant to try it at first…I wrote it off as just another “bar.” But let me tell you, I was wrong. Being that this little bar is a whopping 380 calories, I decided to just go ahead and eat the bar the next morning for breakfast…and that was all it took…

What I found was that this is not those typical hard, packed bars such as the Clif Bars that I am used to eating. And at the same time, they are not the processed to death bars that others are. Instead, this is a granola bar that is made with whole, real, raw ingredients that are lightly held together with pure, yummy, goodness. The bar will oh-so-slightly crumble apart with each bite, but not because it is dried out, but rather because each bite is moist, fresh, and real! Continue reading →

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Meal Time: Fastpack Pad Thai w/ Spiced Olive Oil

Posted on May 6, 2012 by

I recently watched the video above by Matthew Kirk (from Fool on the Hill) in which he presents the fastpack Pad Thai meal. I was immediately impressed due to the simplicity as well of low-cost of the meal. So, I made a note of the (few) items that he included in the recipe and then headed into town… Continue reading →

Posted in Cook Kits, DIY/MYOG, Food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Dealing with Ticks!

Posted on May 5, 2012 by

I hate ticks! And now is the time of year that it has become impossible for me to go for a hike without attracting clusters of these little arachnids! And as most of us already know, these little guys are no joke! They can spread around diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (to name a couple) as well as a number of other illnesses. To make matters worse, a single tick can also carry more than 1 disease, so it is possible for them to transfer more than 1 disease from a single bite… Continue reading →

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Book Review: 46 Days (Keeping up with Jennifer Pharr Davis on the Appalachian Trail)

Posted on April 29, 2012 by

In a recent book order that my wife and I placed, I picked up this book 46 Days (Keeping up with Jennifer Pharr Davis on the Appalachian Trail). I have my own desire to thru hike the Appalachian Trail someday, so I naturally enjoy reading others accounts of doing the same to fill the time. And even though I don’t plan to set any speed records like Jennifer Pharr Davis has done, I was very excited to read this book!

This book is not a record of Jennifer’s first AT thru hike (check out Becoming Odyssa for that adventure) or even her second thru hike for that matter (in which she claimed the women’s record holder for the fastest thru hike ~ a very impressive 57 days and 8 hours). Instead, 46 Days follow’s Jennifer on her third AT thru hike in which she attempts to break the current supported AT thru hike speed record. Continue reading →

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I am the Trail Groove Contest Winner!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by

The Trail Groove web site is a number of things. It is an online magazine, a blog and a forum that is open to the public which was created “to provide a unique online media experience for the backpacking, hiking, and outdoor community.” I first came across the online magazine thanks to a post over on Hike, Bike, Dale! which directed his viewers to the Trail Groove site. Curiously, I flipped through the online pages of the magazine then and was impressed. Then, a few weeks later I came across another post, this time on FaceBook and from the company Trail Designs. They were announcing a Tax Day giveaway that Trail Groove was hosting, and so again I found myself back at the Trail Groove site.

Aaron and Jen from Trail Groove had decided to host a Tax Day Giveaway in which I entered. The rules were simple: Sign up at the site, and then post in the forums. Each post counted as one entry. The winner was to be drawn on 4/17/2012 (AKA: Tax Day) via a randomly selected post. And for the goods… the package that was being given away included a 1.3L Evernew UltraLight Ti cook pot (ECA 253) and the matching Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri Caldera Cone cook system! Sweet!

In the first issue of the Trail Groove magazine is a very detailed gear review of this very system that they were giving away. (Coincidence? I think not.) And even though it is rated 4 out of 5 in the article, it is a much-loved system, and they thought so enough to give one away! Which is where I came in… Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Cook Kits, Gear, Gear Reviews, Gear Stores, Give Aways, Stoves | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Survival Bracelets By COBRABRAID

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

Every since I got into backpacking I have noticed that a fair amount of people in this sport tend to wear “survival bracelets,” both on the trail and not. However, I never really considered wearing one simply because I already wore a watch and I was not interested in having multiple items around my wrist. Granted I do have a second wrist, but I was a-ok not having anything on that wrist either. Continue reading →

Posted in Cord/Rope, Gear Reviews, Gear Stores | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Are You A Camper Or A Hiker?

Posted on April 15, 2012 by

Andrew Skurka has written The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide “from the perspective of an unapologetic Ultimate Hiker” which he defines as a “backpacker who simply loves to walk.” And while he has written this book to be targeted at hikers who would like to be more like an Ultimate Hiker, this book is still very valuable (and personally recommended by myself) for beginner and intermediate hikers as well. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Everything Else, Gear, Gear Reviews, Gear Stores | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Fare-The-Well, Original NeoAir…

Posted on April 7, 2012 by

Out with the old, and in with the new… This is what Therm-A-Rest has recently done with the popular NeoAir series of pads. A few years ago it started with the original NeoAir (as seen in the picture above) and since then Therm-A-Rest has introduced updated versions of this pad. Now it is to the point that there are so many versions of this pad, Therm-A-Rest obviously felt that it was time to start cutting some from the line, unfortunately starting with the original version… Continue reading →

Posted in Gear, Sleeping Pads | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Snow Leopard Original Cooking System by Flat Cat Gear

Posted on April 1, 2012 by

I first came across the Flat Cat alcohol stove a number of months ago thanks to a blog post by Jason Klass. When I watched the video that Jason included in the entry, I thought that the Flat Cat was an interesting stove. Since then I have heard some mention of the Flat Cat here and there at different backpacking forums, and then most recently on Brian Greens blog.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, Jon from Flat Cat Gear contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in checking out one of his stove systems for a while. So of course I said sure! Then, just a few days ago I received the Snow Leopard Original cooking system in the mail. Continue reading →

Posted in Cook Kits, Gear, Gear Reviews, Gear Stores, Pack Towels, Stoves | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments