The hiking season is about to begin, are you ready?

This is something I always ask myself when the weather finally looks like it's going to turn for the better and winter will disappear. I figure now is a good time to begin the conversation, preparing for the hiking season. First though, I think it's appropriate to discuss the off season since that really is where most of my time is spent anyway being that winter is so long. College also keeps me fairly locked into the off season since it's hard to get away being where I am in the Midwest. Anyway, the point is that for a lot of backpackers, hikers, paddlers etc, there's a lot of time spent not focusing on the activity. This down time can really be beneficial for a variety of reasons:

• Educating yourself
• Physical training
• Organizing 

These are just the top reason I am going to discuss, I understand there are many, but it's easier to keep it light here.

Educating yourself
This should be fairly easy to understand, researching whats new in your field whether it be a change in regulation, new equipment out there, or health concerns to be aware of; things are always changing so it's good to stay up to date on important issues.

Know the rules to stay out of trouble...

A great example would be fire danger warnings issued by the state, dry times of the year there can be fire bans in certain areas. I've never depended on a campfire or wood-stove for cooking while backpacking but some people do, so planning ahead and knowing if there is a fire ban is important. Fishing regulations are another good example; sometimes they can change year to year and often times do, so knowing what the current years regulations are could keep you out of trouble.

This also can come back to equipment choice, if something new comes out it might be time to upgrade so staying informed helps. You can never have enough skills, so picking up a few in the off season is a great use of your time. Personally I don't really have any winter hobbies like skating or skiing, so I need to keep busy this way to prevent seasonal depression. I try my best to keep my skills sharp so I am ready to get out there when the time arises. Winter is really my best time for DIY projects since I'm inside most of the time, and it's a great time to re-evaluate gear as well.

Physical training
Now I am no fitness junkie, or an athlete, but I do try to stay fit and for me that means cardio and legs. I don't enjoy the gym one bit, I feel like a hamster running in a wheel, but it's important to stay in shape for certain activities. Fishing doesn't require much cardio, or strength really unless you take fishing to the extreme, but it's important to stay healthy to keep enjoying the sport. Hiking and other sports do require a bit of physical conditioning; hiking up steep inclines is not something you do right after spending six months glued to a couch. I don't mean to disrespect anyone, or demean anyone, but I will say some outdoor sports are physically demanding, and winter shouldn't be an excuse not to stay in shape if you want to enjoy the activity. I learned the hard way that certain sections of the Superior Hiking Trail are steep, so my couch potato life-style changed a bit after that.

I simply recommend maintaining a certain level of fitness that's appropriate to the activity, for me I run and use elliptical machines as well as stair steppers. Going on walks in nicer weather is a great way to keep up leg strength as well as staying heart healthy. Outdoor exercise is immensely better for your health than simply being in a gym, vitamin-D is very important, and just being outside is great for your well-being.

Organizing
For me this is kind of hard, living in a dorm on my college campus I can't really store all of my hiking and backpacking equipment with me. So alas, it is stored in my room at my parents house carefully packed into totes. I cannot say that these totes are organized by any means, but I have a rough idea of what I have. I do plan on attaching new labels to each tote with an inventory list of what I have, this will make packing for trips a bit faster.

Down sleeping bag stored properly, in a roomy dry tote.

Fishing for example requires keeping the ol' tackle box organized which can seem like a daunting task, but fear not it is possible. I personally prefer catching panfish, they're abundant, easy to catch, and taste good. That being said, I know what lures and hooks work best so something I haven't used can be stored elsewhere. I enjoy digging out my tackle box each spring because it marks the beginning of spring for me, which lifts my spirits and excites me for opener.

Preparing trips during this time is also great because it gets you excited about the season. I have had my trip planned for a few months now and I have tried learning everything about the area as possible. Several maps are in my possession as well as weather data, not to mention I've read up on species of trees and animals in the area.

Spring time as well as winter can provide ample time to prepare for the upcoming hiking season, or fishing season if that's your preferred sport. Sometimes people wait till the last minute to get ready for the season to begin which results in scrambling and a lot of missed opportunities. I've always got a project in mind and working on them not only keeps me busy, but it also makes sure I'm ready when the weather is right.  

Lightweight backpacking- It's a Mentality

Having been on some backpacking trips, I can say that experience makes a difference. My very first trip I of course got outfitted in a store that sells the big name brand gear, North Face, MSR, Duetur, and so on. The sales associates were very knowledgeable, and being interested in gear like most hikers are, it didn't take much to sell me equipment. Impressionable me thought the biggest piece of gear meant it was the best, 75 liter pack, fully inflatable air pad, 10 degree mummy bag, you name it I probably bought it. My hard earned money going towards outdoor gear that I did a lot of research on, I knew which brands had the better reviews, those that had the better quality or design, all things the advertising told me. They were the "best".

My Thoughts on Solo Hiking

As a beginning backpacker, I have taken a few trips along the Superior Hiking Trail but these included other people. My first time was actually planned by my school and was sort of like a senior trip that a few of my friends and I signed up for. We had a blast. We knew nothing about backpacking or the Superior Hiking Trail but that didn't stop us from having fun. Our teacher chaperon was my biology instructor, and an experienced "outdoorsman" so we were in good hands. As far as equipment, well, needless to say we weren't very comfortable. My most recent trip which happens to be only a few after my first one, included myself and a close friend who graduated a year before I did. At this point in time I had some experience under my belt with the Superior Hiking Trail and he had experience in the Grand Tetons and famous western trails. I knew the area better than he did, but he had more miles on his feet than myself. Our trip sort of went bad when it rained two inches over night, and early in the morning I suffered from some symptoms associated with food poisoning. We decided to cut our losses and end the trip, no need for me to be miserable out in the bush and he having to care for me when I have a loving mother to do that for me at home. The hardest part about planning that whole trip was finding a weekend that worked for both of us, his work schedule was a bit more strict that my own. This trip was the deciding factor into my choice of planning a solo trip.

Solo hiking-
As the name implies, it's the act of hiking solo, or alone. What comes to most peoples mind is of Aaron the lone canyoneer who becomes trapped at the wrist by a large bolder forcing him to sever his own hand to escape death. First when I tell people I am planning on solo hiking I assure them I will not be near a canyon, and secondly that's not what solo hiking is about. Danger does not propel my life in anyway, I take safety and precaution into account with everything I do. If I truly believed solo hiking would be highly dangerous I wouldn't be considering it.

Things to consider-
For ease of clarity, I will just stick with the Superior Hiking Trail for my example.
-Trail conditions
-Equipment
-Weather
-Personal Skill level/experience
- Personal comfort
-Itinerary

Trail conditions

The Superior Hiking Trail is not exactly a difficult trail, when you're actually hiking it sure does, but in reality it's fairly mild. There are some intense inclines at some sections, but overall the elevation changes are gradual. Some spots do have loose rocks, so rain may cause those spots to become slippery, increasing the chances of injury, and being alone that's usually a bad thing.

Picking a section that is nearest to a town, or even a section that runs through one of the State Parks would be a good start, since the chances of running into another person would be higher. I wouldn't think a GPS is really necessary, since the trail is so well marked, but for personal records it would be nice to know how far you have hiked how fast and what not. A small map of the section you are on is important, and a small compass such as the kind you'd see attached to other equipment, know as a "bubble compass" or "button compass".

Equipment

Hiking with a group means shared equipment, for example, you wouldn't need everyone to bring a stove. If you were sharing a tent or shelter with someone you would be carrying half or part of it. When hiking solo, you carry everything you would need, and if you're smart, and skillful, nothing extra. There is a lot of information out there on lightening your load, so I won't regurgitate any of that information, rather I will just direct your attention to Lighten your load and Part two. I really enjoy this youtube channel and there are a lot of helpful tips if considering lightening your pack weight. Keeping in mind you need to be carrying the ten essentials on every hike. I am sure to carry at least three forms of signaling with me whenever I go hiking, a whistle, signal mirror, and a backup whistle just in case. The things you carry are the only things you have, so knowing how to use your equipment is important, so practicing pitching your tent for example is a necessity. The most important thing you have with you is your head, so skills you bring with you are the most important thing.

Weather

If you are like me, and can leave work at a moments notice then this will be especially important. I don't really trust the week-long forecasts, usually the three day's aren't that accurate either but they're better. Being able to take time off when I want helps, so I can pick the best weather that's been forecast. I know it's impossible to always have perfect weather conditions, but it's better to have a dry trip going solo, then there is no one to share your misery with. As I say, just be able to check the weather conditions, some months are historically more rainy than others, so keep that in mind too. Getting a little wet never killed anyone, but it's just not as enjoyable though it shouldn't prevent you from getting out there. Storms have been known to kill hikers so that's a different story.

Me posing in-front of some fog on Lake Superior.

Personal Skill Level

When it comes to my skill level, its rather low, but I am skilled in particular tasks associated with hiking/backpacking. I am really good an knot tying which is useful, map reading(although not essential for the Superior Hiking Trail), and I know how to walk pretty well, not to brag or anything. I can hold my own basically is what I am saying, and the best way to get experience is by well, experiencing it. Having been on group hikes I know what it's going to be like. I know the tasks associated with getting camp set up, cooking properly and safely, hanging my food bag, disposing of trash properly, etc. I may not be an expert at any one task, but I have enough knowledge to problem solve and complete the things than need to get done. If you are not comfortable with say, starting a campfire, then practice in your backyard or somewhere that will allow you to do so. Mentioned before with the rainy trip, I could not for the life of me start a fire, everything was too wet so I gave up. Now, I know that it is possible to start a fire with "wet wood", I just didn't have the knowledge or right tools. It's always about practice, identify personal weak areas and learn what you can about them, youtube is a great place to start. Reading beginner guide books is also something I would recommend, I started there just for back ground information and after that you can take it as far as you would like.

Personal Comfort

Well this is probably the most tricky part about a solo hike. I for one have not spent enough time outdoors to say that I am totally comfortable with it, especially being alone. After all the big-bad-boogy man lives out there in the dark. I do feel more comfortable in a group, even in day-to-day life I am more comfortable around people, but in reality being alone is good for a person once in a while. Overcoming my fear of the "wild" wilderness might be a momentous task for me, but for someone else they may not think twice about it. I believe the problem lies with the "unknown" aspect of the outdoors, such as, "what made that sound?" "was it a bear?!". Everyone always says, "they're more afraid of you then you are of them", which I believe to be true, but it's hard to see it that way. Not giving a bear a reason to bother you in the night is a good place to start, and this comes down to camp cleanliness, don't keep food out and especially in or near your shelter for the night. A few times I have just before bed pulled a granola bar wrapper from my pants pocket, a rookie mistake but it's something that can be easily overlooked. One remedy I have for my fear of the unknown is to include a "night light", which I will post later at some point, but essentially what it is is one of those solar yard lights without the stake and adding a handle turning it into a lantern. It weighs around 3-5oz so it's not very heavy, and peace of mind outweighs the 3-5oz any day. Plus, it can perform as my second light source so I won't need to carry two flashlights/headlamps.

Itinerary 

This is where Aaron Ralston went wrong, making the mistake of not leaving an itinerary with someone. I have mentioned this before in my Planning a trip to the Superior Hiking Trail post, but I will reiterate the point. Leaving a detailed plan of where you will be, with an estimated time frame is so important. With a group its important, but even more so when you are solo. No one can save you if something bad were to happen if people don't know where you are. Not to say Search and Rescue Teams are not skilled in finding people, but the process is sped up immensely with information provided from an itinerary. Wouldn't you know it there's even an app for that, I am not too keen on this sort of stuff, but for those tech-savy among you it may be useful. Hiker Alert. A note with my mom will prove to be enough I think, and if for some reason the plan was to change, I should be able to call home with new information.  

It's not my place to say whether solo hiking is for you or not, but there are some benefits of doing so.

-A sense for accomplishment

    By this I mean you will be conquering something, be it the fear of the dark, or proving to yourself that you can do it. Being able to rely on your self while out there is a great feeling, starting a fire in wet conditions, reaching that campsite that's further than you'd planned on going, or even finding something that makes the whole trip worth it like a perfect site to watch the sunrise.

Loading up and ending the trip short due to rain/being ill.

-More freedom

    Hiking solo allows you to hike at your own pace, no needing to feel the need to push yourself to keep up if that's the case, or being slowed down by the last group member. I was usually slowing down the group, but with a lighter pack we'll see. You can take a break when you feel like it, rather than pushing beyond your limits if the other group members aren't tired. I remember many times I've wanted to stop and take a picture but the group wanted to make it to camp early, now I can stop and take photos of as many boring rocks as I would like.

-Closer to nature

     Being alone outdoors has always been one of my favorite things, escaping from the noise of other people as well as day to day noise. Allowing your thoughts to drift freely without distraction is very rewarding, and hiking solo would allow you to experience this. (By being alone in my past experiences I am not referring to solo hiking, but rather fishing alone or biking by myself).

I have not yet hiked solo, but I am looking forward to some day hikes and "over-nighters" close to home so I can bail if things get too tough on me. I am by no means an expert, I am just providing you readers with the opinion of one beginner hiker who's trying his best to learn, share, and experience hiking and the great outdoors. If you only take one thing from this just remember to stay safe, and use your head, its your best tool while outdoors and it could just save your life.

Light-weight Cooking kit

Intro
Having only recently entered the world of light-weight backpacking I of course wanted to do a little research about gear. Something that I thought would be kind of fun to work on would be assembling a cook kit. Initially when I first started backpacking I had bought one of those top burner stoves that uses the small canisters of the isoprobutan or whatever it's called, and that didn't last long. They're heavy, the fuel canisters are expensive, and there are many moving parts that could break. Now I know these stoves have there place, winter for example when you need the fuel capacity to melt snow and such, or you really cook gourmet. For summer I typically don't have to melt snow, at least not yet who knows with the crazy weather, so I didn't need that type of stove. I was looking for something light, easy, and cheap above all else. Enter, the famous cat stove.

Cat Stove
Popularized by Andrew Skurka the ultimate hiker, the humble can of cat food has been transformed by many a hiker into a simple stove for boiling water. I will not go into too much detail about this stove since there are plenty of plans on the internet. But strictly speaking it's a two step process, open the can to empty the cat food, and use a paper hole punch to make the "jets". The stove itself then acts at the pot stand so it's multifunctional in that sense. The stove itself weighs just a few grams, hardly noticeable in a pack, and because the can of cat food costs less than a dollar, it wouldn't be the end of the world if you broke it. I will say this however, be sure to practice using this stove, they are really tricky when you first use them so you need to PRACTICE. I made the mistake of not trying this stove out at home the first time I used it, I had used penny stoves from pop cans before which are similar, but different enough that I couldn't get it to work properly. Mainly due to my windscreen being too tight around my pot resulting in poor air supply which just snuffed the stove out.

Cooking Pot
This part of the kit has been a little bit more for me personally. There are a few pieces to this puzzle; weight of the pot, the versatility, performance, durability, and again the cost. The very first pot I had ever gotten was a GSI soloist, good piece of gear which I do recommend for a cooking pot. However, it's a little bulky and heavy for a solo light-weight trip. That being said, I wanted something that was lighter weight than that piece, and smaller in volume. Here is where I had to get creative. I hopped in my car, drove to Wal-Mart, aimlessly wandered through the isles of merchandise, and found myself in the camping section. This is where I found it, a simple stainless steel cup with a folding handle. It can hold around 16oz or so, which is two cups and plenty to rehydrate a freeze-dried meal, and if you like coffee, there ya go. It was something like $5, but since going back into the store I couldn't find it, so I hope it was just sold out. Otherwise there are mugs like that made from titanium, which if you have the money go for it, but I sure don't.

The Kit
Now having the stove and the pot are vitally important in putting together a solid kit, but I felt like I could add more than that. Youtube being the wonderful place it is, lead me to an interesting video by wawhiker in which he demonstrates a canister system he put together out of two plastic food containers connected by their lids. I am not taking credit for originality of the design to this kit, however I have modified it in such a way that I believe makes it unique and more versatile. The hard-sided containers will prevent crushing your stove and windscreen, and since they are water proof if your fuel bottle for some reason were to leak it wouldn't ruin your gear.

 This is the kit in its compact form, from here I will break it down into its pieces.
-Ziplock canister
-Cozy
-Fuel bottle
-Cat stove
-Fish Mouth spreader(Bail)
-Pot
-Lid for pot

 The cozy is simply made from reflectix, it's basically just bubble wrap sandwiched by two layers of mylar reflective material. I bought a bunch from my local Ace Hardware for less than ten dollars for around 2 yards or so. Its really versatile stuff, I would recommend getting some. The reason I have it made to size for the smaller cup is because I will be using that for my bowl to eat from, so the cozy will keep my food hot for longer, and keep my hands from getting burned.

This photo just shows a closer view of the pot itself, which again is just a stainless steel cup with folding handles from Wal-Mart.

 This is the entire kit all broken down into its individual pieces, the fuel bottle is just one of those really small water bottles that come in those mini packs, not sure where I got it. I hot glued the containers lids together, and put a strip of Duct-Tape around it just for making the gap seamless. The pot cover is actually a one quart paint can lid, new of course. Cat stove down there at the bottom, as well as the six inch fish mouth spreader. The paint can lid is missing a tab for the top, but it doesn't fit super snuggly so it won't seal tight in the pot anyways. I do know there is some material on the inside of the lid, but since only water will be in the pot, I think it should be safe, but if you know otherwise please comment!

Fish mouth spreader as bail, drilling two holes parallel to the handle is essential.

Making your own-
Materials:
-The canisters(watch the wawhiker video he explains what brand to use, I bought them from Hyvee)
-Cat food can (Or bean dip, found in the check out lanes of Wal-Mart)
-Fish mouth Spreader Six inch
-Small plastic water bottle
-Stainless steel cup from Wal-Mart
-One quart paint can lid
-Reflectix material and some special reflective metal tape (Hardware store)


Construction
  It's fairly intuitive, just glue the lids together, thankfully the lids are the same size for both containers. I would say this has been the easiest construction I have had the pleasure of completing, gathering the right materials took the most time, and in all honesty it was the most fun part looking for pieces to add. Total cost was probably around $15, I had some of the things already so if you need to buy the tape and reflectix that will make it cost more, but it's useful around the house anyway.

Video Demonstrations
Wawhiker cooking kit
Pot Cozy Construction
Cat stove demo

Conclusion
This is a compact light weight kit that has served me well, as far as weight goes, as is pictured above it weighs 11.4oz. I will need to include my spork, alcohol fuel, a lighter/matches, soap, a bandana, a windscreen, and maybe some other odds and ends. My cook kit prior to this weighed around 18oz, and it included much less than this as well, and I didn't include the stove or canister fuel weight in there either, which I always seemed to carry too much of anyways... I hope this "guide" helps, please if you have any questions leave a comment and I will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible, the videos I have linked should provide the information I left out. Thank you very much for reading.  

Planning for a Trip to the Superior Hiking Trail

As a backpacking beginner, I have limited experience with the Superior Hiking Trail, especially with planning a trip for it. Lately however, I have been making it my top priority to thoroughly plan out every detail I can to ensure a safe, and successful trip. I am sure many of you are familiar with the movie 127 Hours based on the true story of Aron Rolston who became trapped in a canyon after dislodging a rock and pinning his arm. Clearly in Minnesota I don't have to be worried about canyons, but there is a good lesson from this tragic event, planning is essential.

Back ground
  When planning a trip I like to get a little particular, and what I mean by that is I will go as far as looking up historic weather data to know what I can expect during my trip. Having lived in Minnesota all my life I have a pretty rough understanding of what the weather is like, and as they always say, if you don't like the weather wait five minutes. There are some things to take into account with weather and time of year as well, and for the sake of simplicity, lets keep the conversation on the Arrowhead of Minnesota, or the far north.

• Insects
• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Day-length
• Maps
• Itinerary 

Now these are some basic things to keep in mind, but these are significant enough to either make your trip potentially miserable, or unsafe. Insects, now in Minnesota we all know mosquitoes are an annoyance, but as far as I know they don't typically pose a threat of spreading disease here in the US. Black-fly's are another bug that while make your skin crawl, not to mention itch like crazy. Both typically hatch around may and into June. Thankfully during these times, night time lows will be cold enough to make them inactive, 50 degrees Fahrenheit is around the magic number. As far as prevention for insects goes, 100% DEET insect repellent works beset. I know what you're thinking, oh DEET is unsafe and bad for you, and yes that is true. Here's why I recommend it; first, it works the best, second, you need to apply less than lower percentage DEET repellents so your exposure is actually less, and third, you're only using it for a few months out of the year anyway so exposure is limited as is. Tight weave clothing is another option as well as no-see-um mesh for your shelter of choice.

Temperature is another factor that I consider to be very important. I can remember many trips where I was cold the entire time. For getting a rough idea of the temps during your trip I would recommend using Historical Weather Data to plan your adventure, just search the nearest location and month and you'll find fairly accurate information. The link will also show precipitation records which may or may not be accurate. For a more accurate weather forecast I would suggest Wunder Ground, I believe it to be accurate up to the seven day forecast. Wunder Ground also has historical weather data and a neat trip planner feature that is some what helpful with planning. Once you know what the temperatures are going be like for your trip, plan accordingly. Layers is the name of the game, it's much easier to have layers and take them off when you get hot, rather than to be too hot with only a few articles of clothing. It's another topic I could go on about at length, but for the sake of this I will leave that for another post.

Precipitation, a wonderful thing for May flowers, but sometimes can prove to be dangerous. Maybe that was a little dramatic, most often it will just be a little annoying or unwanted. For a few years I thought I was cursed when it came to rain and storms. Five of my camping trips over two years either had rain every day, or there were wall front wind storms reaching gusts up to 60mph. Turns out I just didn't plan very well and as a result have some fun stories to tell about it. Now rain itself doesn't really bother me, its wet, sometimes cold, but what comes with rain is where it's not so fun. Trails can become mucky and muddy, which may lead to slippery trails and rocks become much more dangerous. Not to mention your equipment may get wet which leads to more weight and poor performance from some items. Minnesota is also prone to lightening storms, which I am rather fearful of and for good reason, lightening is dangerous. Along with those lightening events comes wind, now for me its hard to admit, but I am terrified of wind. Trees come crashing down, limbs break and fall, uffda. My greatest fear during a trip is wind, I can easily deal with the rumble of thunder and the pouring of rain, but wind just worries me. Not much to do about wind but be able to hunker down and keep everything tight. As far as preparing for weather, there are some things to keep in mind;

• Get the forecast, trying to use the three day for most accurate results
• Bring appropriate clothing, rain jackets and pants can be a life saver
• Waterproof your gear, line your pack with a trash compactor bag, cheap and waterproof
• Know your limits, understand when enough is enough and evacuate when necessary

Day-Length is a much less important part to preparation but it's another good thing to know. It's obvious to point out that in winter the day is shorter than in summer, but it means a lot. With more day length there is more time for your activity, whether it be hiking, canoeing, or fishing. As a rule of thumb I will typically not hike at night, I have some reasons; its easier to get lost, animals are more active at night and run-ins are more likely, it's harder to set up camp in the dark, and the temperature is colder. If there is one thing I like to avoid it's being caught out in the cold, so setting up camp a few hours before sundown is a priority of mine. Knowing when sundown and sunrise occur is quite important and something I make sure to know. Another use of Wunder Ground, there is a whole section of astrology which can prove useful. Knowing the moons cycle is nice, this allows you to prepare for night-time conditions. Unfortunately cloud cover will prevent a moonlit trip, but it will keep the night warmer.   

Maps. It's safe to say everyone has been told at some point to always bring a map with, and that is sound advice. You should also leave a map with those whom you trust, so they will know where you are. I leave my maps with my mom, she serves as my trusty Base of Operations manager, as well as being my mom so she makes me food and washes my clothes still, thanks mom :) Anyways, leaving a map will allow your trustee to know exactly where you are planning to go in the event something goes wrong so S.A.R will know where to look, it's extremely helpful for search and rescue teams trust me. For the Superior Hiking Trail maps, you can order them from their website SHTA Store, which I have bought the book and believe me it is helpful. By no means am I a paid sponsor, just recommending a valuable resource. Another tool I like to use is Google Maps, trust me, they are amazing and the Superior Hiking Trail actually shows up as a trail. Here is a link to what I am planning on using for my map this summer Summer map, Google allows you to save maps and you can easily edit them as I have done, there is a bit of a learning curve so play around a bit. This is the particular map I will be leaving with my mom, and because it is online she has easy access to it. The only thing with the Google map is that campsites are not listed to that is where buying the maps from the website is nice, and you're supporting a local business which I believe to be important.

Itinerary. As I somewhat eluded to, planning an itinerary is key to your safety should something bad happen. As Aron learned the hard way, leaving a plan can save your life, or in his case a limb. My map does include an itinerary of sorts, it's subject to change as are all plans, but its a good start. They say the average hiking speed is about one mile in one hour for this trail, it's a good base number to plan off of so you can be pleasantly surprised if you're faster than that and can make camp early or stop for more pictures.

I do enjoy using my resources with planning as I may have mentioned, I use applications such as Microsoft Office One-note, Excel spread sheet, and the links I have provided throughout. For you more experienced adventurers I am probably just preaching to the choir and this was a waste of time for you, but for those of you who have never planned your own trip I hope this has been worthwhile and beneficial to your success. I am absolutely open to comments and constructive criticism, we're all learning and I believe everyone has something to teach others. This is just an inside peek of what I do for planning, most of which in this post was just weather and some things out of your control. Later I will be posting about what I do for preparing my gear, myself, and other aspects of my trips. Happy trails. 

About me

I am a young up and coming college student who has a passion for the outdoors, living in the Midwest does prove to be little bit difficult in regards to this. Minnesota being my home state, has always been my favorite place to be and explore. Since I was a young child my parents took me everywhere they went, head waters of the Mississippi, Lake Superior, BWCA, all wonderful places this great state has to offer. Now going to college in South Dakota, I have a Minnesota deficiency. The eastern most side of the state, not more than ten miles from the border, proves to be scarce in topographical features with the exception of Palisade State Park. During the winter months, I am of course dedicated to my college studies with my communications major, so the majority of my outdoor exploring occurs during the summer months. Although this time does allow for me to prepare for summer hiking, especially DIY projects to improve the quality of my gear.

During my younger teenage years, my family and I mainly stuck to car camping, that being driving right up to a campsite and pitching a three season tent. Later in high school, I joined the American Civil Air Patrol which proved to be quite a valuable experience for many reasons. That experience however, is another story, but I will say that I gained many outdoor skills as a result of my involvement. At this same time, I also was introduced to back packing, my new obsession. Since I graduated high school in 2012 I have always had hiking and back packing in the back of my mind. Lately I have been focusing on how to lighten the load of my pack, and being a college student, doing it on a budget. This has been a rather interesting endeavor I have begun, not only because of the lack of finances, but also because of where I am situated. Minnesota has one primary hiking trail, the Superior Hiking Trail, the pinnacle of Minnesota's grandeur. It's got the only "mountains" in the state, it rests on the greatest great lake, and it bisects many famous state parks. Being from the southern part of Minnesota, I can't run up there every weekend, so my actual big trips are few and far between, yet that doesn't stop me.
   

The majority of posts on this blog will be focused on my trips, the DIY gear I make, and the testing of that gear. What worked and what didn't work will be the main focus for me, not only as a way to share my findings, but to use for my own personal improvement. I enjoy sharing what I know about the great outdoors, and what I know about gear and equipment I use. It is my hope that I can inspire others to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, and to help those who want to try more DIY gear to do so. I am still learning, and by no means am I an expert in any field, please do not take my advise or testimony as an experts opinion.