Andy from Germany while in New Zealand:
I found this toilet when I was camping at the start of the Cass saddle track and thought it would make a nice picture …
Light Backpacking says abandon Swiss Army Knife
Sacrilege! They say:
I have two beautiful Swiss Army Knives and love them.
BUT they weigh four ounces each and I don’t need all the extras they offer.
So I purchased for 99 cents a small knife with plastic handle I found in a clear plastic bin on the counter of my local hardware store. It was put there to be an impulse buy. But it’s been a trusty little friend, weighing a half ounce. Great for cutting cheese, salami, or cord.
LightBackpacking.com Make Your Backpack Light in 2007 – One of the “Ten Essentialsâ€
Personally, I can’t bear to leave behind my Swiss Champ.
In fact, I may upgrade to the Wenger Giant Collector’s Swiss Army Knife. (Let’s see a bear try to swallow this.)
why you should you take condoms on the trail
So you’re out in the woods hiking alone, and you want to cook some Ramen.
Dang, you forgot your matches. And your lighter. But you’ve got a condom and some water. Think you can start a fire?
This guy can.
hiking Hollywood – the M*A*S*H trail
OK, it’s not one of the world’s great hikes.
But if you loved M*A*S*H as much as I did, …
It’s not so often that one can combine Hollywood sightseeing with a hike in the mountains. And yet, if you happen to be in Los Angeles (naturally) there is a wonderfully challenging and beautiful hike that takes you deep into the Santa Monica Mountains and into the heart of Korea.
Well, actually, the hike takes you to the location where the classic M*A*S*H television series was filmed. Remember all those tents, jeeps, and helicopters dropping off wounded American GIs? Yep, Santa Monica, California. Not Korea.
The movie location is located in Malibu Creek State Park. The 4.5 mile hike follows Malibu Creek past Rock Pool (where Planet of the Apes was filmed), Century Lake and eventually onward to the M*A*S*H site itself where fans of the series can reminisce over a stripped-down jeep and ambulance. Not much else remains from the show.
movie – A Walk in the Woods
Essential reading for all hikers is A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson.
It’s the hilarious, somewhat fictionalized recounting of a failed attempt on the AT. Everyone loves Bryson’s buddy, the anti-hiker Katz (Matt Angerer).
Without question the immense popularity of Bryson brought thru-hiking to the attention of the world and even increased numbers on the AT.
There’s been a bit of buzz about a movie:
In 2005 Robert Redford announced that he was interested in adapting Bryson’s book into a film, and in playing Bryson himself. He also hoped that his erstwhile co-star and friend, Paul Newman, would team up with him to play the role of Katz, although he jokingly expressed doubt as to whether the health-conscious Newman would consider putting on enough weight (and eating enough donuts) to accurately portray the rotund Katz.
Personally, I would cast John Hodgeman as Bryson, and Jack Black as Katz.
gear – “kitchen sink” for hiking
Over at Backcountry.com, Rocky Thompson’s making fun of hikers who want to haul the “kitchen sink” with them on the trail.
… But I have friends who would buy this.
Get two of Granite Gear’s Kitchen Sink and you can haul them from the creek to your campsite by balancing them on a stick over your shoulders. Better yet, get your kids to do it. You can tell them it’s “ninja training†after they see Kill Bill. Or you could just get one Kitchen Sink and end up spilling water inside both your shoes while trying to scramble back to camp with an awkward bucket.
GRANITE GEAR OUTBACK KITCHEN SINK – BUY IT NOW (and prove me right)
Scoutmaster: The World of Spoons and Sporks
My only utensil is a metal spoon which I keep handy in my hip pack. (Of course I have the Swiss Army Knife too for slicing.)
Scoutmaster posted a comic round-up of more expensive alternatives if you want to impress others at the campground:
… a spoon is a spoon – one of the few things in life that cannot be substantially improved upon- although we try. Do we really need this many sporks (or over priced specialty camping spoons) in the world?
(via Two-Heel Drive)
why hike nude?
On a recent post I made fun of nude hikers — but added the disclaimer they were all German. Maybe the odd Brit.
What then pops up on flckr?
A nude hiking group in California.
who will be first to the lunar South Pole?
National Geographic, amongst others, are reporting that NASA has announced plans to build a base at one of the moon’s poles. The base will be solar powered, and is scheduled to be permanently staffed by 2024. By 2025 someone will announce the first solo, unsupported trek to either the North or South Lunar Pole I’m sure. Odds are, right now, that that person will be British.
With tourists going into space soon, and a permanent base on the moon announced, how long before I’m blogging on adventures from space? Or IS space the next big adventure? I can just see reports of summit bids on Mount Olympus on Mars, which for the record stands 15 Miles high. I’m guessing it won’t be done without bottled oxygen.
besthike.com 