CAMPOLOGY

There are lots of camp gear lists that tell you what "you need".

Unfortunately many include these three large and bulky items that add extra weight and hassle on the trail.  Worst of all, you don't need them. 

Camping over 60 things change.

By the time you have matured to the majestic age of 60, you have likely been camping for many decades, paddled countless rivers and still think Gortex and cellphones are fancy and new.

As a father, I discovered something my father knew, ALL kids like nature and camping.

No matter how young,  children totally explode with joy when touching mud, splashing in ponds and absorbing the drama of a centipede crossing a leaf.

Campologists know the great outdoors is where the kiddies thrive, flourish, grow and learn. It's not a scary, dark and dreary place at all unless YOU make it that way!

 There are those who believe wilderness camping is a rough and arduous pursuit. Not me!

These cynical camp-less folks often think camping should be an uncomfortable experience. Routinely I am lectured by some know-it-all city slicker - who hasn't camped a day in his life - about how camping is all about leaky tents, cold sleeping bags, and armies of biting insects. My short response ... he's WRONG

After a long yet rewarding day on the trail, it’s so important to get some quality sleep so you can recharge fully for the next day's adventures. Ideally, you want to be relaxed, warm, and smiling as you effortlessly visit snooze-ville. You definitely don’t want a sleepless nasty shiver-fest.

I like freeze-dried meals a lot. They are simple, easy, and tasty.  I do have 4 issues with them, and I will "fix" 3 of them with this hack.

Issues with Freeze-Dried Meals

Portion Size - Most meal packs claim to be a complete dinner for 2,  I find they generally don't have enough food for two, yet too much for one.  

Weight - The packaging is generally designed to be tough and durable in order to protect the contents and to double as a bowl to prepare and eat your food. The packaging is bulky, heavy, and totally redundant if you already have a pot.

Clean Up - The packages are difficult to clean or burn.

Introduction

The Great Divide Trail (GDT) is widely known as North America’s toughest and wildest thru-hike #wildestthruhike. I remained cynical of these claims as I spent months planning and prepping for the adventure.

How bad can it be?

I have 40 years of backpacking experience, thousands of kilometres on my hikers. Covering every Canadian Province and Territory, and most of the American states. How WILD could the GDT be?

To pee or not to pee, is the question.

Deep in the woods and you suddenly wake up to a subtle calling from your bladder, it's time to pee. You resist and try to go back to sleep. You don't want to leave the warmth and comfort of your cozy sleeping bag. It has taken some time to settle in and toast up the bag, and now you must leave it to wander into the cold, dark, bug-infested night to pee. Every bone in your body resists, but your bladder is starting to create uncomfortable pressure. Eventually, you have no choice... nature calls and you must answer.

Planning for the Great Divide Trail is so very Canadian. 

Compared to the big 3 scenic hiking trails south of the border (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail)  the Great Divide Trail is a reflection of Canada's highly regulated norms.  You will need daily reservations for about 1/3 of your camping sites as the trail snakes 1100 km through many national and provincial parks.  You will also need a Parks Canada Discovery Pass just to enter the 5 National Parks en route. 

Going Stoveless is liberating. No fuel, easy to clean, lighter, simple, and easy. I've been going stoveless for the past 5 years and loving it. In this video, I will share what I have learned about going stoveless and more important, my primer on Cold Soaking.

It was a new challenge for 3 keen campers … climb a winter high peak in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains.  However, with our blinded enthusiasm, we never anticipated what was about to happen. We arrogantly assumed we had planned for everything.

In 1993 Dave, Denis, and I was all strong and experienced campers, who had done much and seen even more. So to bag a winter peak was just another thing to do for these self-respecting campologists. 

Although collectively we had ascended dozens of the high peaks in the spring, summer, and fall, a winter ascent was a right of passage for mountaineer wannabes. 

This is about five unusual pieces of camping gear that could improve your next backwoods experience. I am not going to mention very core camping essentials that likely first came to mind like a first aid kit and fire starters for example. This list contains more out-of-the-box items that most campers might not have initially thought of that are usually part of my own camping gear!