Owlbebak

Backpacking Southbound  from Bly Gap to Neels Gap Back in the month of December, 2011, the JaxTal Adventure Club embarked on a 45 mile backpacking trip. We had transport up to the closest drop-off point we could get to Bly Gap and started our hiking  just below Bly Gap at Blue Ridge Gap, hiking southbound to Neels gap on the Appalachian Trail. We visited most of the shelters, enjoyed mountain vistas and rugged trails.  We planned out our itinerary before starting, allowing plenty of time to complete the trek. Here is a video account of our trip.

Back in February of 2011, I, along with my friend Shawn, did a sectional hike on the Appalachian Trail from Three Forks to Neel's Gap. The video is about our hike. The North Face Solaris 40 Backpack - Black (Google Affiliate Ad)

My Super Cat Alcohol Stove A few years ago I decided to try to make a Super Cat Alcohol Stove so I could test it and potentially take it on some backpacking trips. Alcohol stoves are very popular with Thru-hikers due to their lightness and simplicity. They are also very cheap to make! The can used to make the stove typically cost under a dollar which usually is a cat food can or potted meat can. In my case I bought a Hormel potted meat can since I don't own a cat.  Making the stove is very simple and I chose the most basic design. This stove, I believe was created by Jim Wood and all the information is at his website. The method I used to do the holes was to make a heavy construction paper template, copying his hole design, marking on the circular template and then using a paper punch to punch the holes. I then wrapped the template around the can, taping it and then using a magic marker drew the circles. Once drawn, I removed the template and used my paper punch to punched the...

I finally got around to making the video of my backpacking trip hiking on the Bartram Trail in Georgia. The complete story of the trip can be found at this LINK with photos. Read and post comments | Send to a friend

After Thanksgiving, my son and I went day hiking on the A.T. in North Carolina to Cherry Gap shelter. The day before we got some snow and for Florida boys, it was very exciting. The wind was howling, but we had planned for the cold so we were pretty well protected from the elements. Unfortunately the wind wreaked havoc on the video sound which was disappointing.  Cherry Gap Shelter Hike Read and post comments | Send to a friend

...the approach trail to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The approach trail starts at Amicalola State Park in Georgia. We plan to sleep at the AT shelter AT Shelter at the base of the approach trail then hike up to Springer mountain passing Amicalola Falls. Amicalola Falls From there we will hook into Benton MacKaye Trail Benton MacKaye Trail and hike a loop that will reenter the AT, then loop back to the start. At this point the t...

We went backpacking on the 20 plus mile Pine Mountain Trail located in Georgia earlier this year. The trail is a great three day trip with very easy access for drop-off and pick-up staging. The trail was very rocky with most of us suffering from hurting feet. For the written report with photos, check out JaxTal Adventure Club's trip report at this  link. Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I made a video of my backpacking trip to Providence Canyon State Park located in Georgia. This was earlier in 2009 before the spring foliage. I made this with my Flip Ultra Camcorder. This is not the newer HD version and as you can see it doesn't have stabilization technology. For the money and size it does a pretty good job though. I just have to remember not to move around too much and pan slow. Providence Canyon State Park, GA Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Initially we planned to go hiking and camp on the Panther Creek Trail in Georgia, very near to this trail. We switched to the Bartram Trail about  three weeks prior to our trip, thinking this hike would be the greater challenge and learning experience. We were proven correct. This trail tested us, our equipment, and taught us important lesson in our quest for backpacking experience and knowledge. My friend, Shawn, spearheaded the trail logistics and most of the information gathering for this trip. He acquired a detailed map created by the Georgia Bartram Trail Group , which I highly recommend purchasing. Another informative source is the  Georgia Trails . Also contacted and utilized was the drop off and pickup service of the Chattooga Whitewater Outfitters . Mike, an owner of the service, is a great guy and their restaurant makes a mean pizza. We arrived on Friday afternoon, in separate cars, driving through steady rain showers, at Tallulah Gorge Stat...

Here are a few photos of our rain soaked Bartram Trail backpacking trip. We had to cut it short after two days due to our underestimating  the trail difficulty for tough little 12 year old dude. It was a little too much for him, but he was a true trooper and didn't whimper or carry on as you might expect an overstressed  kid to do...or weak adult. P1090453 P1090456 P1090457 ...

Here is a link to my current equipment list and also my meal plan on a recent backpacking trip. Equipment list with weight Backpacking menu list with comments. Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I keep trying to lighten up my backpack. I have an ultra light pack, a super lightweight down sleeping bag, and a one person light weight tent. Even with all that lightweight gear, I still have a full backpack weight, without water, of 33.25 pounds. This includes 6 pounds of food for about 4 days and 2.5 pounds of clothing. I have to add a few extra items due to the potential cold. I spent a good hour reviewing all my gear to get rid of everything I figure is unneeded. It amazes me when I read of backpackers with 20 pound packs. I guess I could save some weight by not taking any extra clothing, getting an under 2 lb sleeping pad, trimming pack items and removing a few clips, but I  don't think I will do that. I will just have to deal with it. Read and post comments | Send to a friend

In my younger years when camping, my body could stand the discomfort of sleeping on the ground without a pillow. Those days are long gone. After trying  wadded up clothing , stuff bags and a few other pillows that never gave me the comfort I needed, I discovered the Therm- a- Rest Compressible Pillow . Because my form of camping is backpacking, I require a pillow that is light and compressible since weight and space is critical. The Therm- a- Rest Compressible Pillow meets all of my requirements. It compresses to 25 % of the expanded size, provides nice head support, while also giving that nice cozy, head enveloping feeling, and the medium size weighs only 9 oz. I prefer to camp when the weather is cool to cold and I discovered this pillow tends to capture some of the heat of my head, which helps to keep me warm during the night. I can't say how it might be during a hot night since I have never tried it in the summer. A pillow is a very personal thing. What works for one is terr...

Do you love hot, fresh brewed coffee while on the trail? I certainly do. I have tried both instant coffee and the "tea" bag type and while they are ok, I still yearn for fresh brewed without toting a big coffee pot.  While shopping for an alternative method that will work for backpacking I spotted this product made by GSI Outdoors. They make a product called H2JO that is used to brew coffee by screwing it to a typical wide mouth bottle such as a 32 oz Nalgene . First I grind my fresh coffee beans to a medium grind at home and put in a zip lock bag. Out on the trail I then put the coffee in the H2JO, pour the hot water into the bottle, which is a 32 oz Nalgene, screw the unit on, then the bottle cap and shake. After the coffee steeps, the unit is removed and I enjoy fresh coffee. Afterwards, I screw the unit back on the bottle for storage. The bottle is still usable for any other beverage as the liquid will pour through the mesh. For under $15.00 this is a great ...

In about 12 days JaxTal Adventure Club will be heading to Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia to backpack to their backcounty camping area. We understand this part of the park is primitive, meaning without bathrooms, water or shelter. We were told that there are many vadosity streams and the water is very bad tasting for drinking. We will pack in as much water as practical and will test out a new water filter and also a new water chemical called PUR . I have read that the man made canyons were really interesting and we should be ready to trudge through clay mud and to wear some good boots.   Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Torreya State Park is located about 60 miles west of Tallahassee, Florida in the “Big Bend”. This park is noted for its varied terrain, ranging from hardwood to swamp wetlands and an area we Floridians could call “canyons” (large washed out clay hills). It’s the closest thing we can find around here that is similar to the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. The park has a nice network of trails to explore. My 13 year old son and I arrived at the park on Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm, the first day of spring. We had made reservations ahead to ensure our sites in the primitive camp areas. Because our region had been receiving abundant amounts of rainfall, we knew the mosquitoes would be in full force. We were not disappointed. We came prepared with plenty of bug repellent.  This trip could be called an "Introduction to Backpacking" for me and my son. We have done car camping, but yearned for a taste of “true” camping. Having enjoyed accumulating our assortment...