I’ve been posting a bit less on the site here because I’ve been spending a lot of time writing up reviews over at Trailspace  Despite another week of Winter here I know it will be time to get outside soon so I’m trying to get last year’s gear written up so I can go out to play when Spring finally arrives!

The Gear Review page here has been updated with links to seven new reviews including Keen Erickson PCT boots,  Smartwool Trekking socks and some nifty little Vivitar binoculars.  Check out the Gear Review page for a list of my reviews with links to the full reviews on Trailspace.   These are all items I’ve bought and used so they are reviewed base on real life experience.  Hopefully you’ll find them useful.

Some folks never leave the safety of their couches.  They will never know the joy of wondering what lies over that next hill or the joy of wandering over that next hill to find out.  Some of us do leave our couches though and even with years of experience and the best gear it seems wise to recognize that we are taking on risks when we head out there.

If you’re smart you’ve already analyzed the risks and tried to mitigate them.  You plan ahead, know your intended route, have the right gear and know how to use it.  All these things will help ensure things go right and that you’re prepared in case they don’t.  Making sure your body and mind are ready for where you’re headed are just as important as having the right gear.   Even casual trails can be dangerous if you aren’t focused and half way across a narrow stone ledge is no place to find your legs getting tired.

This post is really for the folks who already understand all of that.  The ones who have confidence in themselves built on a foundation of successful adventures and have that drive to go on in the face of adversity.  I want to remind those folks of indomitable spirit that sometimes it is OK to give up and turn back.  The mark of success is not reaching the peak, but rather just returning safely.  That above all else should be the goal.

Now I am not suggesting taking no risks.  I’d much rather die falling off a mountain than falling off my couch, but either way I’m in favor of putting it off as long as possible.  Actually I take on additional risk because I enjoy adventuring solo quite often.  I do that fully aware that I have no one else to rely on but myself and am greatly motivated to focus on safety.  Rather than count on getting myself out of trouble I focus on not getting into trouble.

That requires that thing I’ve discussed before; Situational Awareness.  Being mindful of your environment is where it starts in this case.  You can only avoid the potential injury you see coming.  That means still seeing trees and rocks even after days or weeks of looking at nothing but trees and rocks.  It means remembering where that kettle is coming to a boil as you dance into your wet trail clothes in the morning so you don’t knock it over.  It is a constant and fluid analysis of everything going on around you.

With that in mind I want to talk about recognizing that turning back is an option.  All too often people focus on pushing themselves to go on without fully thinking about the consequences.  That sounds great for a character in a novel or film, but in real life consequences can go beyond painful to deadly all too easily.  I love to push myself to my limits in that wonderful test of will that a good adventure can bring, but only so far as I can be reasonably sure of coming back to tell the story.

So what is reasonable?  When should you turn back?  That is something only you can answer at any given moment on your adventure and the only way you can be prepared to make the right choice is by being aware of your situation.  The choice to turn around should rarely, if ever, come up suddenly.  It is generally something that becomes increasingly obvious as the right choice to make.

I had two trips last year that resulted in turning around.  One was a simple case of logistics as weather got me off to a late, slow start.  At the end of day one of what was supposed to be a four day loop I knew I had to abort because I had no hope of finishing in time.  Tough it out and go for it?  That sounds good but given the weather and terrain trying to go faster would have pushed the risk into unacceptable levels.  My family lets me go on these trips only with the promise that I will come back and I do my part to make sure that happens.

The other trip that involved turning around was also weather related, but on a much grander scale.  Attempting an early season Freezeout/Wadleigh loop in Baxter State Park we were set upon by a deluge.  This rain started as a good soaker and steadily increased to a downpour which didn’t let up for about 36 hours.  The brook our trail followed was a roaring brown and foamy beast.  The up and down hill sections of the trail were like creeks, ankle deep in flowing water and mud.  The bottom sections were either lakes or channels feeding the brook depending on drainage.

We hiked all day in these conditions and as the afternoon waned were all looking forward to reaching our camp for the evening.  Then we ran into a wide area of flowing water coming down from the hills and into the raging brook.  Not daring to attempt the crossing so close to the brook we began bushwhacking our way up this stream looking for a place to cross.  It had climbed over its banks spreading across an area a hundred yards wide or so that was only knee deep, but somewhere out there was the original channel.

Finally after a quarter mile or so of bushwhacking we found another trail coming up out of the creek.  This was our intended trail out of the area in the morning to our next night’s camp.  Already looking at the situation and determining that going forward was looking like a really bad idea we decided to see if we could skip ahead to the following night’s camp.  We didn’t get far before finding that this trail was also blocked headed in that direction by another branch of this same creek.  We stood there calf deep in flowing water pondering our next move.  Water roaring all around us made us shout to talk it out, but all agreed that pushing on in either direction was the fool’s option at this point.  We headed back the way we’d come and camped at the shelter we’d stopped at for lunch earlier.

In the morning we all agreed that despite the longer distance going back the way we’d come made more sense than trying to forward.  The rest of the route would have taken us into what is normally a bog and after the rains was now probably a lake.  So did we leave feeling defeated and somehow lesser for the experience because we didn’t finish our loop?  Absolutely not!

This trip was one of the most fantastic experiences I have ever had.  We were already taking on a loop that very few people make every year and then in the face of an outrageous storm we went to the limits of all but the most foolish of men and returned to tell the tale.  Before we left that spot I shouted something to my partners there as we stood in a foot of moving water between two deep flowing channels.  I said, “Remember this moment well, because no matter how many times you tell this story, and you will tell this story, no one but us three standing here will ever know what this was really like.”

Would we have died if we had gone on?  Maybe, maybe not.  That question never really bothers me because what matters is we were smart enough to not find out.  What more could possibly have been gained than we did by going as far as we did?  Two paths submerged in a yellow wood, we turned around rather than go forward to drown and that has made all the difference on the path less traveled by

There is that moment, maybe just before you fall asleep, maybe just after.   All is peaceful with your body and mind at rest.  Then…SNAP!  Somewhere in the dark something has broken a branch, or was that a whole tree‽  In an instant you go from peaceful rest to full adrenaline rush.  Eyes trying to see in the dark, ears straining to hear something other than your pounding heart.  Slowly you get your self under control and then just as you are about to fall asleep again…SNAP!

We’ve all been there, but this came to mind today after reading Racoon Travel’s post today asking how folks deal with being alone in the woods at night.  It got me to thinking about how I’ve changed over the years in my feelings about the noises in the night or just being alone in the woods for that matter.   As social and communal animals just the act of going into the wilds alone can be unsettling.  With no conversation to distract us from it we become acutely aware of how alone we are and how small we are in the face of nature.

Growing up on a farm I was used to being outdoors alone from an early age.  Whether working in a distant field or tramping through the woods there was never any concern.  I think the first time I recall feeling any sense of fear in regards to nature was on a trip to the Tetons in the early 80s.   Day hiking alone on a trail through very thick forest I came upon some monster sized bear tracks.  These were not the black bear sized paws I was familiar with.  There was no doubt that a pretty good sized grizzly had made these prints.  My resolve lasted only a few minutes more as I followed them in the same direction I was headed then I turned back and at a pretty good pace as I recall heh.

In the years since I have done a lot of solo camping, first on my motorcycle and now on foot.  While going alone into the wilderness brings challenges, facing those challenges can bring great rewards I’ve found.  Looking back now I can see how things have changed and how some of them have stayed the same.  I may not turn around as easily, but fear is an instinctive emotion that travels quicker than logical thought so often arrives first heh.

Back in the 90s I used to visit Mt Palomar near San Diego on a frequent basis.  Camping there I had one of the most disturbing and hilarious brushes with nature.  I was in my tent laying down for a late afternoon nap.  Staying up late to watch the stars was a favorite activity on Palomar so naps were not uncommon the next day.  As I lay there I began to hear something approaching through the underbrush.  Slow stealthy steps to be sure, but the sound was unmistakable.  As the sounds grew louder and louder my heart began to race.   Peeking out from my tent to see if I could spot this great beast I noticed movement.  There, just outside my tent, was a half inch long beetle scuttling through the dry grass and leaves.  His tiny legs just inches from my head were making the sound that had me so scared.

Spending more and more time alone out there I have fewer and fewer of these moments.  Even the noises in the night don’t have the same effect.  Sure that initial adrenaline shot will get my heart pounding for a minute, but now I’m just as apt to roll over and go back to sleep as I am to stay up wondering what that was I heard.  Maybe I’m just getting old, but I seem to be more at peace with nature than in fear of it.  I have plenty of respect of course, but see myself as working with it rather than fighting it.

Last Fall on my aborted Grafton Loop trip I hiked in a cold rain all day then set up camp below Sunday River Whitecap.  Filtering water and eating a rushed dinner got me out of my wet clothes and into my tent as the temps began to dip into the 30s.  Dark came early and the night was going to be long so I started napping pretty fast.  Then in the darkness there came a snort.  That is a noise generally reserved for your larger animals.  Chipmunks don’t snort and neither do sparrows.  No, a snort usually comes from something pretty good sized and this one sounded pretty close.

The sound came again and as logic had caught up with instinct I burst out laughing.  All I could think of was that one of nature’s majestic beasts, be it a bear, deer or moose, had just gotten a snoot full of my wet socks and was likely snorting in horror.   Still chuckling to myself I heard a few more snorts but was soon asleep again.  That trip had to be cut short due to weather and logistics but definitely not due to snorts in the dark.

Maybe I’m just getting old but those moments of sheer terror don’t come as often.  I’m ok with less terror, not so much with the getting old, but I do enjoy going farther out there alone than ever before.  The challenges to be faced and the rigors to be endured are well worth the effort to be able to soak in the sights, smells and even the snorts on the path less traveled by

What comes to mind when you think of camping weather?  Sunny days?  Starry nights? Blizzards, gale force winds and pounding rains?  Maybe it is just me, but that last group is what I think of.  It probably started out of necessity because  it seems that most every trip coincides with some major meteorological event.  My early camping memories are of the sound of fat raindrops on canvas tents.  The smell of wet canvas still comes easily to mind despite the many years because it filled those tents both small and large long after they had dried.

My tents have gotten a lot less smelly and a lot less leaky over the years not to mention a lot lighter.  My clothing and sleep system have also come a long way from my first Smokey Bear sleeping bag and the days of blue jeans and t-shirts.   As my gear and methods have improved weather has gone from being something to avoid to something to get out into.  If I know 8 inches of rain are going to fall I’m going to stay home rather than risk my life in a flood, but I’m not about to let the average storm keep me off the trail and sometimes I make a point of getting out into the more exciting forms of weather.

Weather has to be respected of course.  You may have noticed one of the few links to the right leads to the .gov weather site.  Their tools allow you to get spot forecasts based on specific GPS coordinates which take elevation into account.  Elevation changes weather a lot at times so going by the local airport forecast may be very misleading if you are headed to a mountain top.

I have many of my favorite spots bookmarked so I can easily get an idea of what to expect if I head out.  Of course just because the forecast says something before you leave doesn’t mean that is what will happen.  If you are heading into the back country it only makes sense to come prepared for a wide range of weather surprises.  It also helps if you can learn to read weather patterns so what happens next is less of a surprise even if the forecast is wrong.

There’s just something both exhilarating and comfortably relaxing about being out there in foul weather and knowing that you are just fine.  The sound of rain or snow on a tent is magical as far as I’m concerned.  While a flapping tent can be annoying the majestic roar of a big piece of air moving past or just near by, even if it jolts you awake, is an exhibition of nature to be savored.  Yes a perfect sunset is perfect and a starry night is one of the best reasons to drag your butt up a mountain, but I think so long as I don’t take a whiner along with me, foul weather is just fine by me.

Living what I preach I headed out the other night into a minor blizzard.  Setting up camp in gale force winds after stomping through close to a foot of fresh snow was interesting to be sure.  I got lucky on my wind direction guess and though the lee side was flapping like a loose sail I didn’t have any drifting from under the fly.  Not bad for a three season tent set up in the middle of a storm without using a lantern.

The snow turned to sleet about the time I got the tent up and a couple of hours later turned to freezing rain for a while.  My old TNF bomber rides out pretty much any weather but using my hiking poles to set up deadmen and setting up stern to the wind with some snow prepacked on that side seemed like a good idea.  There was some tremendous roaring going on out there but things were pretty calm inside.

There wasn’t a lot of ice build up in the morning but enough to make me glad I was only out for one night.  I set up the stove outside the front door and had my cocoacino before I got out of bed.  My footprints from the night before were hard to follow in spots and completely gone in others.

Now they say another potential big storm is coming tonight.  I think my gear is dried out but I’m not sure if my legs have recovered from postholing through the deep snow.  Oh well, nobody said it would be easy, but there is plenty of  adventure to be found on the path less traveled by

“One of these days I’m gonna get organizized” is how Travis Bickle put it in Taxi Driver.  These late Winter days give us a great chance to rethink, or perhaps really think for the first time, about how we organize our pack. I’ve talked before about Situational Awareness in a general sense and this is a concrete example of that.  Knowing where your gear is when you need it can literally be a life saver.

The first part of knowing where to find your stuff is actually pretty simple in theory at least.  If you always put things where they belong they will be there when you need them.  This is one of those things that is easy to say but much harder to do.  There are really only two places an item should be; in its storage place or in use.  In the real world there is a third place which is where you set it “just for a second” while you grab something else.  This is fine so long as you keep track and of course isn’t fine when you realize the next night that you’ve left your stove or water filter, or god forbid both, miles behind on the other side of a mountain or three.  That’s why I try to resist that urge to set things down and take the extra time to tuck them away where I’ll expect to find them later.

OK, but where do things belong?  That is the second part of knowing where to find your stuff and the only person qualified to answer that question is you.  The key to this step is developing a system so you have one to follow back there in step one.  There are some basic concepts to keep in mind and some things you’ll probably want to avoid, but ultimately it comes down to what works best for you.  The type of pack you  are using and type of gear you carry may have an impact on your choices as well so what works on one type of trip may need to be altered as things change.

Keeping the weight centered and close to the spine will help with balance and fatigue.  If the load is shifted too high you become top heavy which means you will be fighting your load more than you need to and risk losing your balance on trail.  If the load is shifted too low or away from the spine it will put a strain on your shoulders as the pack  pulls your whole body backwards.  That can be especially dangerous on steep climbs but even on level ground forces you to work harder to carry your load.

It can help to think of your pack in terms of thirds when considering balance.  Split horizontally the top and bottom should be lighter with the center containing the heaviest items by volume.  Split vertically the left and right sides should be lighter with the center again holding items with the most mass.  If you have heavier items that make sense to carry in a zone outside the center try to counterbalance with additional weight on the opposing side.

When looking at how I use the things I carry with me I also find it can be useful to think in terms of thirds.  Dividing things by when and how I use them lets me group them together and prioritize access to them logically.  I put shelter and sleep system in one group, food, fuel and mess kit in another with clothes and incidentals in the third.

Shelter and sleep system are only used in camp so they don’t need to be easily accessed on trail.  They also are relative low weight items so work well as the bottom third of your pack.  Some packs have a specific compartment for this at the bottom.  Even if your pack doesn’t you can just load these items first.  You can loosely pack them to maximize space or use stuff sacks but keep your expected water exposure in mind.  You’ll need to keep your sleep system dry for it to work properly and you may have to put your tent away wet if drying isn’t an option so dry sacks or plastic bags may be a good idea.

Food, fuel and cooking equipment tend to be some of the heaviest items people carry.  These things generally aren’t used on the trail unless you are stopping for a hot lunch or taking hot beverage breaks on a Winter trek.  That along with their density makes the center of the pack a good place for them.  Spreading items around can allow you to maximize space but storing food in a stuff sack or using nested mess gear make it easier to take things out of the pack when you need access.  I prefer the latter approach so smaller items aren’t swimming towards the depths of my bag.

The upper third and outer pouches of my pack I use for clothes and incidentals.  I have a primary dry sack that holds my strategic reserve; sleep wear, sleep socks, extra trail socks and usually an emergency sweater or fleece depending on conditions.  These are clothes I don’t expect to need to access on trail and are very important to keep dry.  If everything else fails and all my other clothing is soaked this is the stuff that will save my butt.  This sack also serves as my pillow with varied results depending on how fully stuffed it is.  Clothes that might be needed on trail are either on top of the main compartment or in external pouches for fast access depending on how likely I think they’ll be needed.

Keeping things you might need on trail in places you can reach easily means you are more likely to use them.  My regular pack has belt pouches that I make good use of.  One side has three Clif bars and hard candy which I can access without breaking stride.  The other side has my bug dope, head net, sun screen and lip balm all of which again can be in my hand without stopping if I want.  Being able to access them easily means I don’t wait until it is too late to add some fuel or put on sunscreen.  I use a water bladder and tube for the same reason; easy access means it gets used.

The top lid pouch on my pack contains small but important items such as my lantern, first aid kit, maps, sanitary wipes, a small spindle of string and another of paracord.  These pouches are easy to access on trail as well as in camp so perfect for corralling smaller items and anything you can’t afford to waste time looking for like the first aid kit  or light source.  The side pouches on my pack work great for longer items so I put my tent pole in one along with my fishing rod while the other side holds my rain gear.

Once you come up with a system and stick to it for a while it really doesn’t take much effort to keep it up.  The benefits keep coming though.  Whether you are throwing together a pack for a last minute trip and don’t forget anything or find yourself getting out on the trail faster in the morning because your hands seem to know where to put everything even before the instant coffee kicks in, it really helps to have a little bit of organizization.

So that is a bit on how I do it and my thoughts behind it, but really that isn’t what is important.  What matters is that you have a chance now to think about how you do it.   Are there things that you might want to rethink?  A little thought now can take us a long way on the path less traveled by.

This young man didn’t have the most organizized of packs but he enjoyed taunting me by ducking under blow downs I can’t dream of limboing under any more.

The extended January thaw offered much appreciated respite from this Winter’s frequent bouts of arctic chill.  A thaw like that is a double edged sword though it seems.  It gives us a break from the emotional and physical clenching that comes with below zero temps, but in that loosening we give up some of the firmness that allows us to maintain our resolve.

Sometimes a lull can make us feel like the worst is behind us even when we know better.  The eye of a big wind producing storm, the slight lessening of the grade in the middle of a long climb or in this case a long mid-winter thaw all can lead us to let down our mental guard.  It is a very human thing to hope though I can only imagine animals do it too.

Such hope can be dangerous though if embraced too fully and then found to be false.  The flock of robins in these pictures appeared near the end of the thaw.  Likely following the warm air north they had enough time to get this far before Winter closed back in around them.  Now their hope of an early Spring appears to have turned into a resolve not to freeze to death before it gets here.   They are in almost constant motion, flitting from branch to branch in effort to keep warm.

We people too felt some of that hope of Spring and now perhaps to spite the lingering Winter or perhaps flitting about to keep warm like the robins, activities seem to be on the rise.  I am seeing more and more of this year’s thru hikers talking of their plans, finalizing their gear and counting the days until they start their migrations northward.   Much like the robins, getting carried away with hope and heading north too early can lead to getting caught in the snow unexpectedly.

Even once the snow is gone patience is still something I try to hold on to.  The mud season here in Maine is a terrible time to be on trail.  No matter how warm the sun or how sweet the air trying to get out there too early can do a lot of damage to the trails.  A few days of slick mud trail can do a lot of mental as well as physical damage to us as well.

Winter will turn to Spring, snow will turn to mud and eventually the trails will dry out just in time for the black flies to come out…each when they are ready.  Our need to hurry them along won’t change them a bit though the stress of it might change us.   Better to go with the flow of nature than to try to fight it.  Let it be as it is now and enjoy each day of each season for what it is.

Of course I admit I have trips planned and unplanned I’m looking forward to.   The anticipation is bittersweet like the smell of Thanksgiving turkey an hour before its done.  It is far too early to let the excitement carry us away, but it is never too early to dream.  I’ll bide my time and try to remember that some things can’t be rushed in life and especially on the path less traveled by