The Woes of Dry Baking!

I have been doing some really fruitful & successful dry baking operations.  3 tests ago, I decided to use my cozy the next time that I baked. I currently use a system of 25 baking minutes @ simmer level.  Then the last 2 times I used the system my goal was to get 10 minutes in the cozy post bake, and that should help heat up the interior that is often still uncooked.  Simply due to the inherant shape of the biscuit.  So the second to last time that I baked, things worked out well.  The biscuit was on for 22 minutes.  The setting for this specific bake was the kitchen counter, and then went into the cozy.  The bake went well, and the result of brown crustyness, and no sign of burnt parts, was amazing.  Some thoughts were given to the outside temperature of the pot. But unfortunately, what was to come, was not forecasted.  The last time I baked, it was an outside scenario.  The last 2 were outside scenarios.  These outside experiments were closer to real world conditions.  The wind blowing and the temperatures are different this time of year also.  In the end, I made a big mess of this pot and cozy.  Obviously, I need a new pot, and I know now to use something that can basically resist probably 600 degrees Fahrenheit.  Enjoy, I will keep trying not to screw things up!  :D

Awesome or OVER-engineering???

I just stumbled upon this article today.  It described this new headlamp from Petzl.  So I searched Youtube for a video of it.  Here is what I found.  Does anyone think this is good?  Or just an opportunity for problems to occur?  What types of headlamps and lumens are you familiar with?  I use a Petzl now, the Tikka XP2 I believe.



What do you think of this lamp?

Interesting Down article...

I would like to offer up this article as a quick read for anyone lacking knowledge on DOWN.  Specifially, Goose Down.  Here is a link to the article and a fabulous picture that I borrowed from their site.  Enjoy the read... it is really a quick overview of how Down is yielded and where we get it.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE AT AMC WEBSITE

I think that I am going to plan a trip to Eastern Europe for a Down run once I learn to sew these baffles.

New Saywer Squeeze Water filtration system has arrived!

I have received the water filtration system in the mail.  Since I am part of a buying club for sporting equipment, I got this unit for $29.99.  Not bad for a 3 oz water filtration system.  I plan on getting it out of the box and getting some data on it as soon as I can.  Stay tuned!  I got one of these also for my cousin Chris.  So I will be sending that off to him to test out as well.

It came with a 64 oz, 32 oz, and 16 oz bag for holding water.  Based on my previous usage of water along the Appalachian Trail, I never carried more than 2 liters or 64 oz of water.  For this kit, I can hold up to 3.5 liters or 112 oz total.  This is plenty of water storage at this time.  I wondered if it would fit onto a conventional water bottle.  I heard the threads were slightly different.  Lets take a look here.  Here is a shot of the Smartwater bottle that I happen to have around.

 These caps are identical.  You can see the matching patterns if you look closely.  More importantly it appears that on the box it states, "Screws onto most drinking bottles to allow you to drink directly from the filter's pop-up cap."  So I would assume it basically fits any and all water bottles that are made within any standard bottle cap, shape, size and thread pattern.

Plus it comes with the 60 cc syringe also.  I plan to always have this on me in the field, just in case.

Camelbak has been replaced under warranty!

I'm very happy with Camelbak for their recent replacement of my free ride/all mountain hydration system. This is my experience with their warranty department. I had a Camelbak called a "Havoc". Shown in photo below:

  I was not sure that they could replace it because this is an older model that they don't make anymore.   I did my research online and found that they have a new bag that has the exact same specs as the "Havoc" it is called "The Don".  I wrote to Camelbak and told them that the CAMERA pocket's zipper broke therefore the compartment remained open all the time.  This is very frustrating when you are mountain biking and you rely on the use of this pocket for quick access.  Well, they took care of me. They sent me "The Don".  Here it is fresh out of the box.  I am cleaning the bladder to get it ready for its first use.  There are some new features with this hydration bladder.  I will read about them and let you know if I think that they are relevant upgrades/selling points.

 Thanks for reading and supporting Hike, Bike, Dale!

Appalachian Trail Hike 2011 - Part 5 of 5

A giant compilation of the videos we made along the Appalachian Trail.  Here they are in a 5 part series.  This should make it easier to catch up in 5 quick parts.



Enjoy!

Appalachian Trail Hike 2011 - Part 4 of 5

A giant compilation of the videos we made along the Appalachian Trail.  Here they are in a 5 part series.  This should make it easier to catch up in 5 quick parts.



Enjoy!

Appalachian Trail Hike 2011 - Part 3 of 5

A giant compilation of the videos we made along the Appalachian Trail.  Here they are in a 5 part series.  This should make it easier to catch up in 5 quick parts.



Enjoy!

Appalachian Trail Hike 2011 - Part 2 of 5

A giant compilation of the videos we made along the Appalachian Trail.  Here they are in a 5 part series.  This should make it easier to catch up in 5 quick parts.



Enjoy!

Appalachian Trail Hike 2011 - Part 1 of 5

A giant compilation of the videos we made along the Appalachian Trail.  Here they are in a 5 part series.  This should make it easier to catch up in 5 quick parts.



Enjoy!

Florida Trail - Oh the joys of Sugar sand!

Just wanted to take a few minutes and post some of the footage/photos that were collected during our Holiday jaunt on the Florida Trail.  This was such a great and memorable trip.  Even though it was short and sweet.  I finally learned that there is hope for a light at the end of the tunnel for our family in terms of backpackers.  So far no one else in the family has even really shown any interest in the sport other than those trying to understand WHY THE HECK anyone would want to go camping.  Speedy and I have stayed the course though.  We see it clear and know why we camp every moment we are able.  There is no "Why do I go camping?" at all!  Nature within itself is more amazing than anything Disney could ever hold!  And while I fully understand this... others are not quite sure... and cannot let the security blanket go yet.

We walked a little bit and decided we would have some lunch.  Quick and easy, we all made FBC lunches.  These were left over from the AT hike.  They were delicious and we appreciated Chris's enjoyment and enthusiasm over our entrees.

Now here is Chris.  I just have to say that Chris is pretty much my "look up to" kind of guy these days.  Family within itself can be tough to deal with.  But when you know that you will have this best friend on the inside... and you are for sure going to have a great time during the holidays, everything changes.  Speedy and myself had just the best time hanging out with Chris.  He believes in us and listens to what we have to say about hiking and equipment and various other personal interests.  This was a real treat to spend our time this way.  Chris is an awesome guy!

We finally arrived at Juniper Springs and got ourselves a campsite for the night.  Speedy grabbed a shower and Chris and I got a few things ready and put up tents.  By the time we got dinner together it was dark and we had a stick fire.  We kept it small and ran it up to the point that we all went off to sleep.  It was cold.  If I recall right, it was supposed to get down near 39 degrees F.  I slept ok, but I could surely feel that cold outside my sleeping bag everytime that I rolled over.

What is that evil look for Chris?  Probably forecasting to the next morning.  So here is a video of Chris and his newly learned lessons on turning your back to the water filter.  Gravity yes, Easy yes, can it fall over???  YES!

"Is that the parking lot?"  Kidding... we had a great time.  Please stay tuned for more trip reports from Hike, Bike, Dale!