A few years ago me and a couple of close friends decided to backpack a section of the Appalachian Trail. That experience open my eyes to combining the hiking and camping that I've enjoyed ever since my time in the Boy Scouts. Wanting to learn more I discovered a hiking and backpacking community on RU-vid. After watching many videos I was inspired to start making some of my own. I've been making videos for about five years now and the response has been great. I enjoy all your comments and suggestions. I'm looking forward to learning more and showing others my outdoor experiences.
I enjoy hiking, backpacking, camping, Mt. biking, rock climbing, bushcraft and basically anything outdoor related. My interests include ultralight backpacking, hammock camping, DIY and survival tips. I hope you enjoy.
No laziness, sir. I added the zipper pull. After a year of using it, I noticed every time I used this mod in the dark of night in the woods, I would have a grateful thought for your genius. Thanks for posting these ideas!
The purpose of this pack is to be packable and lightweight. After your modifications the pack just falls in a different category. You could have bought a bit heavier pack with all the modifications you have done...
Love my warbonnet blackbird! I like the string on the zipper idea. It is a stretch at 2 in the morning and you have to get out to piss. It always sucks when its cold out there LOL. For shoes I use a cheap 5x7 "Outdoor" tarp (I believe its called) and stake it off as a porch under my hammock for shoes and whatever else you want clean. Cheers! Happy camping!
Good on you for paying attention to your body and your safety. I have two failed attempts at this traverse due to insane quad cramps. Hopefully third times a charm! This traverse is no joke! Thanks for sharing 🍻
I’m over down. The maintenance costs is the deciding factor for me. The special soap required for down is very expensive. Then, if you dry your gear at the laundromat, it takes Forever and costs $20 at least. Forget it. I’ll only buy synthetic from now on.
shady company selling dangerous crap gear with ZERO support. Bought a premium incubator 30 and spent 2 nights freezing in 35-40 temps in my hammock. Emailed them and the response; "you set it up wrong, no one guarantees their temp ratings, best of luck". Don't waste your money on Hammock Gear
No failure here, good sir! You hiked part of the Presidentials. You had beautiful weather. And you were wise enough to know when to stop to keep you and your hiking buddy safe. To me, you succeeded in every way possible. Well done. Thanks for posting this video.
Thank you sir! Just tried your idea for the zipper pull cord on my warbonnet blackbird. Problem solved! I used the extra shock cord from my mosquito net since I’m using the winter top right now. Hooked the snap hook into zipper pull and other end to ridgeline with a prussic knot to keep it up and out of the way.
I just found your site and am learning a lot. In a bit of an odd question, how tall are you and when you made this ridge line video what did you weight? The reason I ask is that in all the videos I have been watching it appears, unconsciously it seems, that once a hammock is in place the height of the ends of the hammock appear to be at or just below shoulder height and the bottom of the hammock appears to be at belt level. As you sat in the hammock it appears that your feet are at the ground. At 6’1” and 270 lbs I am curious if this is a good and fast rule of thumb to consider? Thanks for your videos, the instructions are clear, simple and useful.
Just ran across your channel this a.m. I really enjoy your videos so far (I viewed four), I really like the one about your tips. I just purchased my first hammock (an eno doublenest) so the tips are helpful. Greetings from Texas
I know that I am really late to the game on this, but you need to understand the basic science behind composting and biodegradability. Moisture and bacteria are needed for breakdown. This is why the section under your rock broke down rapidly but the section left exposed to the air didn't. In a real-world test with urine or fecal matter (in a proper cat hole) the results would be much closer to the section under the rock. The timeline of the rock results was actually quite impressive. In a real-world test, your cat hole would be much deeper and the moisture would necessarily be retained longer, providing the ideal conditions for detritus-eating organisms to break down the wood pulp of the wipe. Honestly, the hole from the rock was really the best part of the test. For reference, standard toilet paper biodegrades under IDEAL conditions in about 6 weeks.
id be worried about that hole from the pillow holder ripping all the way down the hammock, 4 years since posting is that hammock still in good condition?
Omg that shoe thing is a game changer I used to put my socks fitted over my shoe opening so no spiders or scorpions could crawl in. but this system would be great to dry shoes even if it rains cuz they will be under the tarp and the mesh keeps out buggies wow
Cool mod 👍 To my mind though you don’t buy this pack for day hiking,it’s basically an ‘emergency’ pack you can have on you at all times for say a bit of shopping or putting a jumper in when out for a walk for a couple of hours.It’s not designed to replace a normal daypack. Not a criticism,just an observation so people choose the right pack 👍
Cool hacks! I especially like the underquilt hooks! I'm actually thinking about getting this same hammock. It's a little pricey still in 2022 but people still love it.
Great hammock but the quilt hooks concern me since they create a semi-sharp protrusion and when the hammock is put up in the sack it could cause a perforation, just a thought
But this defeats the major advantage this unit has and that is the packability and small size. I use mine clipped to my car keys so when I go to the supermarket I am never without a bag as I refuse to pay for bags until they stop using thee excuse no free bags is to help the environment. The day they say it is to increase profits I will pay for bags. Of course I'm not carrying much or for very long, just to the car so I get why you want to improve the straps.
Hey, I stumbled across your videos and something was really familiar....then I recognized where you were and that confirmed it! Your kid had mentioned you did outdoor gear videos way back when. I'm glad I found you, RW! Looking forward to more content!
No such thing as being "lazy" out in the woods. Were out there to smooth it, not rough it. Anything we can do to make things as simple and hassle free as possible is fair game.
10 pounds in a pack that small sounds like it'd be uncomfortable. Just by looking at it anyway. I'd wager that modification is a necessity in that case 😅
The mark of a true hiker, especially in winter, is knowing when to turn around and live to fight another day-literally. Kudos to you for camping on the mountain overnight. Real men!
Appreciate what you have there; not everyone is that fortunate. It’s such a beautiful view from the top and the frogs are nice, too. I can’t walk very far, so I’m enjoying this through your videos. As I said, appreciate how lucky you are. Be safe!
The zip modification and the closing hook . It's not lazy, its smart. Although with the shoe bag - a little concerned about how close the shoes are to your head... the aroma can be uncomfortable ^_^ but I gues you can move them closer to your legs.
