I wanted to start doing more day trips but I didn't have a suitable bag and the Atmos 50 was a bit large for a 5-10 mile day. I did use it for such when I first got it just to test out the load and see how things worked before I took in on a weekend trip but, I didn't want to look like a total dork carrying around a large pack for some water and a lunch. So, the hunt for a daypack began.

I started out looking at CamelBak's gear. I am usually drawn to visual appeal from the onset and then begin looking at features. I think a similar thing occurs when looking for a mate in life. It's not so much that you need something that looks good but it's nice to have something you're proud of wearing around. Functionality is a key component though and I don't dismiss it. In fact, after my eyeball appeal is over, if something doesn’t offer functionality then I will discard and start the hunt all over. So, the CamelBak's has the visual appeal and most had the functionality however I was having a hard time finding the size, price, functionality options that I wanted in one bag. I began looking at Black Diamond equipment as well and they had awesome functionality and great pricing but the visual appeal was lacking for me. So I went back to what I trusted, Osprey, and I liked what I saw.

I always scoffed at people using trekking poles.  I hiked almost my entire life without the use of poles or walking sticks.  I didn't want the extra weight and I didn't need to look like a grandpa walking around the mountain.  It wasn't until around 2010 that I was passed by some AT through hikers much younger than me with poles did I reconsider my stance.

I did some research in the usage of them, considered my typical knee pains when traversing downhills and decided I wanted to give them a shot.  I didn't want to spend yet another 100+ dollars on something that I didn't even know if I would use so I waited until I found a sale online (my usual game) and I picked some up.

Warning:  This trail is not for amateurs and will test your orienteering skills as well as your fortitude.

We met up at the Sunburst Campground area and geared up around 8pm for our usual Friday night jaunt of a few miles in.  After gearing up we discussed that this may be an interesting journey and Peter had setup his iPhone with a suitable GPS app.  So we set forth on the fire trail road which was to be about 3 miles before picking up our trail and heading in.  The hike along the road was easy to moderate in ascent and moved along very quickly chatting away.  We came across a sign (pointing uphill) with just numbers on it someone had carved into it TRAIL.  So we consulted the map and assumed that the cut in the road was actually the trail and set forth on it.  It was more like an old overgrown logging road that quickly turned into a trail.  The sound of rushing water quickly grew near and we found some water spilling out of the mountainside and we descended further down to a river.  I only showed a small blue line on the map but this was a large creek and the trail was on the other side.  So, we stripped off the boots and made our way across in front of some falls into some really chilly water.  We booted back up and got back on our way.  This trip obviously was going to have some surprises in store.  What an understatement that turned out to be.

There's not a whole lot to say about a hammock per se but if you're into swinging from the trees, not having to worry about a flat spot to sleep on the trail, and looking for a fairly cheap solution then this might be something for you.

ENO's Double Nest Hammock was my selection to get into hammock camping. I've always enjoyed heading to the beach and relaxing in a hammock so I thought it would be a fun idea to try it on the trail. I could leave the bivy sack at home and enjoy a relaxing swing to put me to sleep at night. The idea was to continue with a lightweight solution that added comfort to end a long day of hiking. There were pros and cons to this though.

I've been backpacking for most of my life. I took about 10 years off trying to reinvent myself and figuring out what I wanted to do in life before I finally got back into hiking. For the majority of my backpacking trips, prior to my hiatus, I had always used an external frame pack. I got along quite well with my Peak 1 frame pack through New Mexico, New Hampshire, and a good portion of the AT in Virginia. Two years ago I decided to try out something new as I was tired of the big boxy external and I picked up the Osprey Atmos 50 after considerable time researching products. Plus I couldn't pass up on a massive deal I found online.