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Exped Synmat UL Sleeping Pad review
Getting a good nights sleep is important in day to day life and especially on trail. With the Exped Synmat UL I have been sleeping comfortably for 2 years now. Lets dive into the review! Exped is a company that started taking over the traditional self inflating sleeping pads by other companies like Thermarest. I like many started out with an self inflating sleeping mat when I first got into hiking and camping. I always slept alright on that mat but when I got older I needed something a little more than 2.5 centimeters to sleep on. Bullet points Excellent and comfortable sleeping mat at 7 cm thickness Takes 3…
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Getting ready for bed when hiking
You could just crawl into your sleeping bag while out hiking, but there are some steps that you can take to make your night more comfortable and the mornings easier. In this article I will go over the steps that I always take while hiking with a tent or even staying in a hostel with noisy Pilgrims. And some of the stuff that I have seen from fellow hikers and backpackers. Getting to camp and setting up After a long day of hiking the first thing you want to do is plop down and take a rest. I say take that rest but don’t overdue it. The longer you sit…
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Sea to Summit Reactor sleeping bag liner review
This is a review of the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme Sleeping bag liner. The liner boosts the temperature rating of your sleeping bag and keeps it cleaner. I have owned the Sea to Summit Thermolite reactor sleeping bag liner now for over 8 years and it has come with me on many different hiking trips. Whenever I needed a slight increase in my Sleeping bag temperature rating I grabbed the Sea to Summit with me. The reason why I bought the Sea To summit liner is because of a winter camping trip that I did with a coworker. I was not as experienced a hiker or backpacker at…
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Rain protection for your hiking backpack
Water and rain are the enemy while out hiking and backpacking. If your sleeping bag gets soaked your in for a tough and dangerous night. In this article we will cover protecting your gear from rain and water. Hiking is an outdoor activity, unsurprisingly you can get wet while exposed to the elements. Keeping your gear dry is essential to keeping your hiking trip fun and safe. It is true that at some point after a week of solid rain you will never be truly dry. But there are certain steps and precautions you can take to minimizing it as much as possible. Sort of backpack It depends on the…
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Trail Meal | Dutch instant StampPot
A staple in the Dutch cuisine is the Stamppot. Mashed potatoes with some kind of vegetable and meat. Delicious and very filling for hiking! You can make many different variations off this meal while out hiking. Lets go over them and read up some tips from a Dutch guy whose diet mostly exists off potatoes and bread. All over the western world you can find the instant types of mashed potatoes. In America you have the brand Idaho potatoes who does them, and in Europe you have Maggi. These kinds off instant mashed potatoes have the only need to add hot water to make them ready for eating. In nearly…
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Repacking your backpack while on hiking trips
Getting your backpack and gear straightened out is one thing, but being consistent in repacking it and your gear everyday can be a challenge. Here is how I always repack my backpack while on multi day hiking trips. Once you have your entire gear list straightened out and squared away after a couple of outings it is important that you remain consistent in repacking it everyday. When you do not do this and stuff everything in your backpack the following day you will have a tougher time setting up camp, reaching gear you need when you need it and you will be slower than everyone else getting up and going…
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Cooking and eating utensils for hiking
Trail meals and eating out on trail is a subject of many hiker discussions, eating is a necassary part of bouncing back and be able to hike the following day. It restores your energy and gives you a full belly to sleep on. In this post I will go over the different cooking utensils and cleaning up after yourself on trail. Basic cooking kit layout Your basic cooking kit consists of the following items. A cook pot where you boil your water and food in, a burner or stove to do the heating up with and a utensil to shove it in your mouth with. Other items to have next…
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Sleeping bag liners – Are they worth it?
Sleeping bag liners are a must have in your backpack when hiking with a tent, hammock or tarp. And even for the hostel travelers that travel the world a Sleeping bag liner is a good thing to take with you. Lets dive in to the reasons why you should add a sleeping bag liner to your gear list for camping, hiking and backpacking! Easy to carry Weight is minimal when choosing the right sleeping bag liner. As is the pack size. Combined with a down sleeping bag and a proper sleeping pad you only should need the bottom compartment of your backpack. These three combinations can keep you warm and…
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How much should your backpack weigh for hiking
Deciding what to take with you hiking is a question everybody has. In this article we decide for what base weight you need to strive towards. The base weight of your backpack while hiking is important to keep as low as possible. Because you have a bunch of stuff to carry extra. Base weight of a backpack does not contain the following items: Drinking water Stove fuel Food The more you take on your back the more difficult its going to be to go long distance hiking. Generally speaking you should take only 10% of your body-weight on your back to avoid most problems out hiking. If you are a…
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Trail Meal | Veg and Sausage Noodle Soup
Trail meals are easy meals you can prepare and cook within a quarter of an hour. These are excellent to take with you hiking. This article will explain the basics of a go to recipe of mine, feel free to add in any ingredients you like. For the basis of this recipe you will need to stock and prepare the following ingredients. Noodles, take your favorite kind. Dried Cauliflower Dried onions Dried peas Smoked sausage of any kind Your favorite spices or the spice packet in the noodles. The cooking gear you need for this recipe out an the trail are as follows: Mess kit – I carry my Esbit…
Finding Purpose in every Step
