Welcome! I’m a passionate backpacker based in the Southeast United States. My adventures frequently take me to the breathtaking Pisgah National Forest and surrounding areas in North Carolina, where I embark on multi-day backpacking trips. I also love exploring sections of the Appalachian Trail across Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and New Hampshire. I capture these incredible journeys on video to share with you all. This channel is a space for fellow hiking enthusiasts to exchange experiences, advice, and tips. Your comments and insights are always welcome - let’s learn and grow together as a community. Thank you for visiting my channel. I hope you enjoy the adventures as much as I do. Happy hiking! Disclosure: if you buy something through product “links” in video descriptions, I may get a small share of the sale. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You don’t pay anything extra by using these “links”.
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Thanks so much for your interest in my channel! Water quality is such an important consideration! No doubt you would agree, that any device that measures the safety of drinking water must be rigorously tested. Are your devices certified under NSF Protocol P524, NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and/or NSF/ANSI/CAN 50?
It’s a great hike! This trip was in 2019 and it was my first time hiking this section. The entire length from Hughes Gap to Route 19-E is around 20 miles. We didn't divide it up very evenly, though. We camped at Overmountain camping area the first night which was probably 9 miles in. The second night was on top of Hump Mountain at around 15 miles. I posted videos of this same route from May, 2023 and June, 2024. You can find them here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-c_ILYXM-OOc.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X9JQbZB2iuY.html
You talked about health but just the physical side of it. I'd add mental health also. For me a walk in nature can really boost my mood. There's just something about connecting with nature that makes me feel good.
I was tenting up on Tray Mountain on the AT a couple of weeks ago when a surprise thunderstorm rolled in about 8 pm. We hunkered down for the night in 30 mph winds, pouring rain, and thunder. About midnight, the rain and wind seemed to let up, though the thunder was all around us. We emerged from our tents to find fog (we thought) so dense we could see 3 feet in front of us. Then is dawned on us - this wasn't fog - it was the cloud - all around us - and was still raining from that cloud onto the valleys below. For the next 3 hours - we were camping in a cloud. The things you can't plan that happen on trail are glorious and unique. This is why I backpack.
Good question! A 40F quilt, silk/cotton liner, inflatable sleeping pad and a compressible pillow. I’ll usually start the night with the liner alone and then pull the quilt over me if I feel a chill.
I really enjoyed hearing your perspective on hiking and I suspect many other hikers can relate to everything you said. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.
The first encounter was near Sam’s Knob and Black Balsam Knob and the second was near Shining Rock Mountain in Shining Rock Wilderness. These areas are inside Pisgah National Forest, NC.
Excellent post. IMHO the bulk of a bear can is the only real drawback. Your advice about using the can to pack other items as one's food supply dwindles through the trip is brilliant and becomes a feature instead of a drawback. Would like to add a thought - once you pack non-food items in your can never re-pack these items outside of the can. These items will become saturated with food scent. Additionally pack your food trash in a scent-free bag before packing in the can so you don't possibly contaminate fresh food. The can starts out as a bulky drag but becomes more useful as the days pass. Thanks again for this great post!
Great points! It’s definitely important to be hyper-aware of items that carry a scent and to handle them carefully. It’s so easy to forget and contaminate all of your gear. Thanks so much for sharing! 😄
Thanks for sharing. I’ve lived in Texas all my life, never really thought of bears. Not until my parents bought land in the mountains of Colorado. We go up there to camp every yr. Thats when I had to think of bears. I didn’t know anything. This is helpful.
bears not only associate hanging bags with food, they also associate those big white square things in kitchens with holding food...speaking from experience in my cottage country...
Thanks! It was a great trip. The hoodie is made by Free Fly. It’s their Shade Hoodie made from bamboo viscose. It’s really comfortable and provides a lot of sun protection. We’ll see how well it holds up. Already see a little pilling where my sternum strap rubs, but not too bad. 😎
You’re probably right. No doubt those could make them curious. I would hope that some of the other “human” smells would serve as a deterrent. Always good to be careful with any scented products, though.
Great video, made me laugh as I was that guy 20 years ago with the gigantic rucksack full up with gear I never needed or used. It took an epic fail and an injury to make me re-think my approach to long range hiking. The first thing I did was to get a smaller pack which makes you be more ruthless about the choices you make. The game changer for me was purchasing a dehydration machine and a vacuum sealer. Now I create my own meals to take. Even a vacuum sealer on its own is great because you can take food from the bulky packaging and seal it into smaller and lighter bags which means you can take a little more food. The biggest pack I have now is a 48litre.
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. That’s a smart way to force yourself to pack less-use a smaller pack 😄 I like your food strategy. It has the added advantage of allowing you to choose from a wide range of healthy food options. I find that commercially prepared meals often contain ingredients that I prefer not to eat, or just way too much salt. Thanks for the tips!
Use a waterproof liner and then put your pack cover on when you have a storm. Can't get on in time OK but plan on both. don't have a soaked everything not in waterproof bags that will get really nasty and maybe moldy if can't thoroughly dry them in time.
One of the best hiking videos I’ve seen. For those who are unable to hike-like myself-it offers a rare glimpse of some of the friends and foes you might run across in the wild. A great video with wonderful editing! Beautiful sights and sounds of nature.
Promoting a product without turning your video into an advertisement for a specific manufacturer. The wellbeing of the wildlife and your fellow hikers seems to be your motivation. Well done, Sir!
Thanks so much! It sounds like you are concerned about the safety of fellow hikers and wildlife as well. I really appreciate it when people like yourself are responsible and conscientious when enjoying the outdoors. Stay safe out there ☺️
I carry 14 stakes even though it really only requires 4. 6 Zpacks Super Sonics like you have in the video, which go on each corner and the doors and are always used. And then 8 Titanium shepherd hooks, which I normally use for my groundsheet and door mat, but in a storm I use for the two peak guy outs, one on each flap, and two on the broad sides.
Thanks for the tips. You’re well prepared! Carrying extra stakes is a totally worthwhile weight penalty for the benefits they provide. Carrying a little extra tent cord is a great idea, too. It comes in handy when it’s impossible to drive a stake in the ground and using a rock or another heavy object is the only way to secure a corner or guyline.
Definitely concur. Nearly all of my backpacking is in bear country so canisters are an automatic for any trip. The weight is the biggest dislike - I can make due with the size.
Based on your username it sounds like you might be in the southeast, too. Yeah, I agree. It’s the weight, but that’s a small sacrifice compared to the safety and convenience. Stay safe out there 😄
I have a 60L pack in order to have room for the bear canister. Extra weight, yes. But it's nice not to have to hunt for the right tree to hang a bear bag after a long hike.
