why I carry an integrated stove system

In recent years I use either my Jetboil Minimo or MSR Reactor.

There are pros and cons to both.

I long ago gave away to a friend my dirty, fussy, problematic MSR Whisperlite International. (My friend is still using it. He loves to tinker.)

For me the efficiency, speed, and ease of use make it worth extra weight and space.

Never too cold to cook.

related – MSR – 5 REASONS YOUR BACKCOUNTRY STOVE SHOULD BE A STOVE SYSTEM

 

 

NEW – The Adventure Podcast

 I’m subscribed. 🙂

An extension to the excellent Adventure Blog online.

Kraig Becker:

… The first episode is now available to download through iTunes or can be accessed directly here.

… weekly news from the adventure world, discussing major topics of interest, talking about gear, and having interviews with interesting guests.
It is co-hosted with my friend David Adlard, who has a rich background in the world of outdoor adventure as well having competed in several Ironman events and numerous adventure races, as well as working as a mountain guide and race director himself. …
We have also set up a few social media outlets for those who would like to share feedback and learn more about the podcast. Our Facebook page can be found here and we’re active on Twitter at @adventure_pod. We can also be reached by email at theadventurepod@gmail.com. …

proposed – Escalante Canyons National Park, Utah

Most in the hiking community hate what Donald Trump and his minions have done in Utah– shrinking the Bears Ears National Monument by 85%.

But here’s some good news out of Utah.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, plans to introduce legislation to create a new national park in a piece of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. …

The proposed Escalante Canyons National Park …

The size and exact location of the proposed park is unclear.  …

Only Congress can set aside land for a national park, while a president has power under the Antiquities Act to designate a national monument.

 

Rep. Chris Stewart proposes national park in Grand Staircase-Escalante

It could be that this is just a GOP diversion to deflect criticism.

On the other hand, some future Congress could move on this proposal to right the wrongs done by the Trump regime.

 

 

We hate Donald Trump

If you love protected wilderness, oppose Donald Trump and the GOP.

PCT Thru-Hiker Survey (2017)

It’s here.

Mac’s annual resource compiled from Pacific Crest Trail hikers.

  • 566 completed surveys (up 48% from last year)
  • 57% Male, 42% Female
  • AVERAGE AGE 34 
  • USA 67.44%, Canada 6.98%, Germany 5.9%

Essential reading if you are planning a PCT hike.

If not the most interesting statistics are on gear.

The Annual Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker Survey (2017)

Outeniqua Trail, Garden Route, South Africa

Stingy Nomads did the hut-to-hut Outeniqua:

The trail is well-balanced, easy to follow, doesn’t require good fitness level or hiking experience. In fact anybody relatively fit can do this hike just choose your own pace and go. We were pleasantly surprised by the trail conditions and the service level.

The trail has signs, distance marks, names etc., the huts are very clean, freshly painted with good ablutions and the park rangers are great very friendly and helpful. …

All huts have bunk beds and basic facilities, three have electricity and hot showers. It makes the hike easy you don’t need to carry a tent or mattress only a sleeping bag. …

Windmuelnek hut

The scenery on the hike changes all the time; from forest to top of the hills, from river banks to fern jungle.

Outeniqua trail hiking guide. A hidden gem of the Garden Route

We’ve added the Outeniqua Trail to our list of best hikes in Africa.

You could do the Otter Trail on the same trip to the Garden Route.

LetsWalk can improve your hiking and fitness goals

Guest post by Javier Vega:

Here’s an iOS application specially design for tracking walks and hikes.

LetsWalk allows you to track your daily steps, count calories and record your hikes. It also has social features so you share your hikes with friends and review other people’s hikes. It is very similar to having a Fitbit but it is free and and works directly with your phone.

Currently, LetsWalk has over 50k users from all around the world, and they are growing very rapidly. They plan to add features to create hiking groups, to share hiking experiences, to read hiking blogs within the app and to add a web portal.

We would like you to invite you to try out LetsWalk by visiting this link:

LetsWalkApp.com