"Didn't Expect This"

I think it's safe to say that the cold winter months are behind (at least in the midwest). This past winter was a great experience. I did much more camping and learning this winter than ever before. Winter camping can be a challenge, but a fun challenge. From keeping a fire lit, to hauling extra gear, to keeping warm at night. More thought has to be put into winter camping along with the extra gear required. Each year, when I winter camp, I run into unexpected problems and have to learn how to overcome them. Since this year I had more camping in, I thought I would share some of the things you may not expect on a winter camp.

Winter camping requires exprience to detemine what gear you need. When I first started winter camping, I would take my entire gear closet. Now I take the minimum amount needed. However, there is still extra weight and what seems to add the most weight is the sleep system. The sleep system is the most important piece of gear for your winter camp. We found that not having your sleep system well put together will make for a miserable night. It's important to, before the winter comes, find out what exactly you need to keep warm. I found that the particular sleep system I used works best if I put my coat inside and around my feet. I have a problem with my feet getting cold and that was one thing I had to learn to compensate for. While in our hammocks, my camping partner had troubles keeping his butt warm and had to find how to compensate for that. So before you go on a full blown winter camp, you should find what works best for you to keep warm. If you camp all year long, late fall is a good time to get out and discover what you need to improve on.

If you are starting out with winter camping, it's easy to over pack for the trip which adds unnecessary weight to your pack or pulk. That's why it's good to find out ahead of time what exactly you need for the winter camp so you aren't over packing. Some things, though, are good to have an excess of. it's good to have some extra fuel. I found that the cold weather, especially sub-zero, significantly decreases the pressure in fuel cans, limiting how much you can use. An extra stove is also a good idea in case one decides to quit.

Since there was only two of us camping, we narrowed it down to two stoves. Our first trip this winter, we started with three. With multiple people in your party, it's much easier to have each person cooking a different part of the meal. In our case, I was browning the meat as he cooked the noodles, then mixed the two into both pots. After dinner, we used one stove to heat water for hot chocolate while the other was used to heat water for our Nalgene bottles.

Our first camping trip this winter, we had a hard time keeping a fire going. In the sub-zero weather, or even around zero, the fire seems to go out quicker. With that being said, it's important to have enough fire wood for the night. I cut enough wood to overfill my pulk and that seemed to be enough for one night. If the fire goes out, it can be difficult to restart. I found that the fires started easier by using LOTS of little twigs and a fire starter. For a fire starter, we used cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. This works exceptionally well. As you collect wood, be aware that if it is frozen and has even minimal snow on it, you will have a hard time starting it. I found that the best wood to use is branches cut from dead trees. They seemed drier and started easier. You can also precut and store wood, then haul it in your pulk.

Fire is an essential tool for keeping warm in the winter, though proper dressing will provide adequate warmth. However, it's difficult to keep a fire going overnight without monitoring it. To keep warm in the sleeping bag, it helps to stuff your clothes in with you. This not only helps to provide insulation, but keeps your clothes warm for morning. We also boiled water over the stove and filled our Nalgene bottles. By putting the bottles in your sleeping bag about an hour before going to bed, you will have a very warm sleeping bag. We also boiled the water right before bed to keep them warm. We crawled in our sleeping bags around 10:00 and my Nalgene bottles stayed warm until about 5:00 AM. I used two Nalgene bottles, but I think this winter, I will use three or four. The one downside to this method is when the bottles cool down, they can actually make you colder than you would be otherwise.

In addition to the bottles, I found that placing a large space blanket between the hammock and underquilt helped to keep the hammock warm. I had enough blanket to also pull it over me to trap the heat. The downside is that space blankets are not breathable and can accumulate condensation. Condensation can be a problem with hammock camping. I found that in the morning, my sleeping bag and hammock was covered in frost. One way to combat this is to make a frost shield. This can be done by taking an old t-shirt and cut out the neck hole and a large square from the front. The neck hole can be placed around the neck and the end of the square can be tied to the ridgeline. This way, any condensation will accumulate on this and not the sleeping bag. 

This year, I also started bivy camping. Bivy camping is an experience if you have never tried it. I will post on bivy camping later, but what I do want to convey is that bivies trap heat really well. I did an open bivy camp this winter and found the bivy adds significant warmth.

When you camp in the cold, remember that your body burns more calories to keep warm. Therefore, it's important to eat at least one good meal a day. Eat something with high calories and protein. Throughout the day, it's a good idea to also snack on high calorie and protein snacks such as nuts or ClifBars.

Lastly, I want to cover hauling gear. I started out with my usual Teton pack. I pack my bag the same every time and found it convenient to pack it the same as I do in the summer, then pack all of my winter specific gear (sleeping bag, extra fuel, wood, etc.) in the pulk. It didn't take long for me to realize this gets very heavy. I eventually refined my gear list to just the essentials and used only the pulk. A pulk is so much easier to haul gear than a pack in the winter. In all reality, I don't take as much for winter as I do summer.

Even though these tips are intended more for winter, I decided to post them now and primarily for two reasons. One: because they are still fresh in my mind. Two: because they can also be used in summer months. Some summer months can get cold at night and for those living in colder regions, these tips will still apply. Remember that the best way to improve on your camping skills and learn these little tricks is to get out there and camp often.

Packing the Pulk

There's just something about winter camping. Sleeping in the cold air, the element of survival, and opportunity to use skills you wouldn't use otherwise. I thoroughly enjoy winter camping. One unavoidable area, though, is the excess in gear. Extra blankets, thicker (and heavier) sleeping bag, extra fuel, dry wood, etc. Unfortunately, that means your pack won't quite cut it. Fortunately, you can use a pulk!

This post is strictly how to pack and use a pulk and not so much on building one. Though, I may throw in some things I added to mine to improve the function of it.

The first step is to make sure the pulk will work for you depending on your need. There are different sizes and the length of the poles depend on whether you are skiing or snowshoeing. If you are skiing, the poles may need to be longer. Also, if you are a heavier person and need bigger snowshoes, be sure they will clear the poles. Make sure to find a harness or belt that will work well with your pulk then go out and test it to make sure it will be suitable. The poles should be secured on the sides of the harness for added stability. If you will do a lot of turning and maneuvering, you can hook the poles to the middle of your back. Just be sure to have the poles crossed and in an x-shape. This will help stabilize the pulk, keep it from tipping, and makes it easier to control it. 

As you test out your pulk, there are some things to consider. Something I didn't take into account when I first used mine is the fact that it can be top heavy and can tip over easily. Sometimes it's dependent on how you walk or ski, but this problem can be mostly solved by placing a metal ring or carabiner to hold the 2 poles together (where the poles cross). I noticed that it will often tip over when the poles separate. You will see what I mean when you first go out. 

Now on to packing! Packing a pulk is very similar to packing a backpack or panniers. Balance is key! As you pack, try to keep heavier items in the center and balance everything out from there. If there's too much weight in the front, the front will dig into the snow. If too much weight is in the back, it will feel like dead weight. It's essential to get a good balance. 

As I mentioned earlier, the pulk can become top heavy fast which makes it easier to tip over. So you want put heavy stuff in first and as close to the bottom as possible. When you have few items, you can be more flexible. As you see in the picture below, I put the heavier sleep system toward to back and everything else in front to balance it out. If you have a lot to pack, put heavier items on the bottom and the lightest on top. 

Try not to overload the pulk. First of all, if it's overloaded, it may get too heavy for the poles. Second, the pulk will begin to feel like dead weight going up hills and will try to push you down hills. If it is an extended trip and you will be hauling a lot, balance the load between a pack and the pulk. 

If you hike all year long and have your gear list and pack perfected, you can do nice little trick I learned. I have some winter specific gear. If my pack is set up perfect for year round hiking, I will put my winter specific gear in the pulk and leave everything else in the pack. My bigger sleeping bag, shovel, extra blanket, dry wood, extra fuel, etc. You can strategically pack winter specific gear in the pulk. However, if you're an ultralight hiker like me and going for an overnight trip, you may be better off taking the pulk only. 

So, you have your gear in your pulk. Now what? You want to try to waterproof your gear because there's a good chance that your gear will get snow on in. I built my own pulk and I riveted a medium tarp to the inside. With this, I can fold the front and back in, then the sides and secure it. This works very well to keep gear dry. If your pulk doesn't have a built in tarp, you can set a tarp on the pulk floor and wrap your gear to keep it dry. I also have paracord running along the pulk and it pulls up on 4 points along the sides and one point in the front. I can secure the cord with 2 carabiners on top and cinch it tight to keep my gear compressed. You want keep your gear compressed as tightly to the pulk bottom as you can. This will not only keep your gear lower and the center of gravity lower, it will keep gear from shifting which could cause the pulk to tip over. 

Something else that the pulk is good for is storage. I love hammock camping and something you always run into is storing your gear overnight. I used to place my pack on one side of my ground cloth and fold the other end over to keep the pack dry. If I use a rainfly that goes all the way to the ground, I can just set my gear on the ground cloth. But with a pulk, you can wrap up your gear in the pulk and not have to worry about where to put your pack (if you take a pack). Otherwise, all of your gear is already in the pulk and you don't have to worry about organizing camp. For my last camp, I used a bivy and it worked really well to have the pulk. Since I didn't have a shelter per se, all my gear was stored in the pulk. I also, generally put my boots in my sleeping bag to keep them warm. But with the pulk, I just stored them in the pulk and used hand warmers in the morning to warm them up. 

Overall, I think pulks are an awesome investment of time and money. They are easy to use (for the most part) and make hauling heavier gear a breeze. I think pulks are probably the best way to haul gear in winter. Hopefully this has helped in your venture into pulk-pullin'. 

Gear Review: Teton Sport Tracker sleeping bag

This winter has been quite harsh. Even though here, in Southeast Iowa, we didn't get a whole lot of snow, it has been bitter cold. I have been camping a lot more this winter than I did last winter, so I decided it was time to start looking for more cold weather gear. As I was looking for a sleep system, I came across the Teton Sport Tracker. I am quite biased to Teton. They make some really good products from sleeping bags, to tents, to packs. In fact, my first pack was (and still is) a Teton. 

This is very comfortable sleeping bag. It has a 7 denier woven fiber Innovative Polarlite insulation. This is a very warm fill and even though it is a warm fill, it is still thin and lightweight. It's compressibility is quite impressive seeing as how it is synthetic rather than down. The bag is rated for +5 degrees, but sleeping bag ratings are for survivability and not so much comfort. I camped in 9 degrees and it was a little chilly. I would say about 12-13 degrees would be a comfortable temperature for this bag. It has extra fill in the foot box as well. The feet are usually the first part of your body to get cold, so this nice addition is a must. The bag is good for people about 5'6" but anyone taller than that would feel constricted. I'm 5'4" and am comfortable in it. It also is more for skinny built people for it is a thinner bag. 

The interior of the bag is actually a soft, synthetic material. Most sleeping bags have a diamond weave interior, same as the exterior. That kind of material can get cold and takes some time warm up after you crawl inside. The material in this bag stays warm so you don't have the initial shock of the interior being cold. The downside to this material is that it does not allow for much movement when wearing clothes to bed. The slicker material allows you to roll around inside with ease, whereas this material clings to clothes which is uncomfortable. 

The hood of the bag is pocketed and fits comfortably on the head. There is a single drawstring to tighten the face of the hood. Last time I was out, I was able to tighten it until the opening was almost completely closed, which is beneficial in cold weather. The bag also has a thick draft tube to keep the warmth in. 

This bag has a duel zipper system that can be opened and closed from the inside and outside. A Velcro keeper is also added to hold the zipper shut. As with most bags, it also has loops at the feet to hang the bag up to air out. A nice, final addition is a small gear pocket on the inside of the bag that zips closed. This is a great pocket for a phone or iPod. 

The bag also comes with its own compression sack. It has 4 compression straps on the sides to compress it lengthwise and 2 on the open end as well. The bottom end has a handle to assist with pulling the bag out. It compresses small enough to fit in a medium sized day pack and weighs about 4.1 pounds. 

This is overall, a great bag. In the negative degree weather, it works great with an additional sleeping bag. I hope this post helps you in your decision on choice of sleeping bag. Please comment any questions or comments. 

The Winter Storm

Snowed in again! Buffalo, New York is receiving another hit from the lake affect snow, resulting in roof collapse, snow in, closed highways, and even some deaths. Many of these people were unprepared for the nasty storm and that is one reason these people are negatively affected by it (in addition to the inconvenience). But there are some things you can do to prepare for such a storm.

The news covered a case where Niagara University women's basketball team was stranded for 24 hours in a bus. They survived off of a few snacks and by melting snow into water. They were later rescued and given more supplies. This is not the only incident of someone being trapped in vehicle, but the question is... would you be ready for a blizzard like this?

With winter approaching, and even upon some of us, we should be preparing for severe weather. The first step is to have supplies in your vehicle for such an event. It is common to have an emergency kit in your vehicle containing jumper cables, a flashlight, gloves, and such. But it is a good idea to also have a fully stocked first aid kit, spare blankets, water, some food, and maybe even a spare coat. You should have enough supplies for each person for about 24 hours. Some people like to also have some cat litter for gaining traction when your vehicle is stuck.

So you have your supplies for a disaster, but how do you respond in such an instance? If stuck in a winter storm, it is imperative that you leave the vehicle running! If you shut off your vehicle, it can cool down quite fast and you may not be able to get it started again if snow builds up near the exhaust. This also implies that you should prepare by keeping a full fuel tank. This is the best way to survive a winter storm.

If your vehicle does get turned off and is unable to be restarted, stay in your vehicle! In a blizzard, you have a higher chance of survival in a vehicle than outside. Not only that, but a vehicle is easier to spot than a person and more than likely, there will be first responders looking for people stranded in their vehicles. If your vehicle does die, be sure to start bundling up. The quicker you heat up your blankets and jackets, the better. This also implies that you have enough blankets for everyone in the vehicle. If there is more than one person in the vehicle, share body heat. To many people, this may seem awkward (especially with certain individuals) but shared body heat is the best way to stay warm. If you are bundled up with someone, you not only share body heat, but also the blankets that you're using. 

In the event your vehicle shuts down and it's below freezing, try to also keep your water warm. You don't know how long you will be there and you don't want to risk having your water freeze on you. You will want to do your best at conserving water. Like I said, you don't know how long you will be there and want to have enough water to last through the storm. When it stops snowing and the wind dies down, it would be safe to open your door to collect some snow. You will have an abundance of snow to melt and drink.

Be sure that you have enough food for everyone! In the winter, you burn more calories to stay warm and you need to replace those calories by eating. If you are cold and shivering, those calories burn up even faster. Dried foods and canned foods are the best to have on hand, and something that does not need to be cooked. MREs are a great choice for food to have on hand. Dehydrated meals are also great because they can be kept for a while and you just need to add water before eating. Like water, be sure that you conserve your food because you don't know how long it will be until you can get free.

After the storm has subsided, don't try to get out and free your vehicle. Chances are, the roads are still un-drivable and you won't be able to go anywhere anyways. All you will do is burn up calories and cool yourself down. Your best bet is to stay in your vehicle and wait for a plow to come through and clear things up. However, if you're in a town and nearby a house, you will probably be safe (depending on the situation) to get out and see if you can warm up in the house. But you must be sure that the owner is home and the door is clear, otherwise you will be wasting precious energy.

It is a smart idea to also have your house, or apartment, winterized. Be sure that the doors and windows seal well to not only keep the heat in, but to avoid drafts and possible snow blowing in. You should also be sure that you have a well insulated house to keep from high heating bills. With the cases in Buffalo, New York, some roofs are collapsing from the weight of the snow. This can be a real danger. So, if the weather is feasible after a blizzard, you may consider clearing the snow off of the roof. Just be careful to not fall through the roof, yourself. You already have that massive weight of the snow and your added weight may be the breaking point. 

Lastly, the most important factor in surviving a disaster: keep your cool (no pun intended). The worst thing a person can do in these situations is to panic. When we panic, we lose all rational thought and can no longer make the sound decisions that we need to. Stay calm and think through the problem. My philosophy is "panicking won't make your situation any better". If you're stranded in your car, leave it running and stay calm. If your house gets snowed in, stay calm and try to clear the snow after the storm is passed. If it helps, try saying the alphabet or counting to 30. For some people, listening to music will mellow them out. Find whatever keeps you calm. Remember that when we panic, the other person panics, then you panic even more. 

Surviving a blizzard or winter storm can be a frightening experience for some. For others, it may not even cause them to bat an eye. In either case, everyone should be prepared for the possibility of a disaster. Follow these guidelines and you may have a better chance of not being miserable in a storm.

Preparing For This Winter: Tips and Tricks (layering pt. 2)

Last post, we learned a lot about layering and conditioning for the winter trips. In this post, I would like to continue some of that and give some tips for hiking and camping in winter that will make your trip more enjoyable. These will simply be some tricks and techniques that you may find beneficial.

Electronics such as phones and cameras hate cold. The cold will eat up batteries and if the electronic is on, the battery will suck down quicker than you would think. Something else I learned recently is that iPhones REALLY don’t like cold and the battery can be very fickle. I started my hike with a full battery to take a short video. After 5 minutes of taking video, the phone shut off. I found that even if the battery is not dead, it will shut off when cold. After I warmed it up and turned it back on, it had 60% battery left. After 2 minutes of video, it dropped to 20% then shut off and was dead. If you don’t need to use the electronic while hiking, put it in your pack, wrapped in clothes to keep it warm and turn it off when not using it. If you will be using it on the trail, put it in the pocket of the layer closest to your body. It my case, I would put it in my jeans pocket, or my fleece sweatshirt pocket. This will help keep the battery warm. If you are using it while hiking, you can put a hand warmer on the back side of it to help warm the battery. Something to remember is, when hiking, you warm up and don’t feels the cold, but it’s still there and can hurt your electronics.

If you wear glasses, you can buy anti fog spray to keep them from fogging over. This can be found in sports stores, dive shops, paintball shops, etc. If it is cold out, you will want to have a neck gator or balaclava over your face which will fog up your glasses (or ski goggles). This spray works very well. Also, if you will be in a wet area, you can put RainX on your glasses to allow the water to run off.

If you layer just right for our hike, you may want to add an extra layer in your pack. When you stop to set up camp and fix dinner, you will cool down significantly, so you want that extra warmth. I suggest building a fire first thing, before you cool down. You can put your pack close to the fire or hang a clothes line nearby and put your extra layer on your pack or line. When you begin to cool down and need that extra layer, it will be nice and warm.

If you haven’t read some of my previous posts, you may learn a cool idea for space blankets. If you place a space blanket on the ground and stake it down, between the fire and your shelter, the heat will reflect into the shelter to warm it up. You can also place your pack on the edge of the space blanket nearest the shelter and the fire will keep your pack warm.

When hiking, the general rule is to take your first break after 30 minutes of hiking, then every 50 minutes after that. But in winter, it is crucial that you keep sweating to a minimum. If you start feeling yourself heat up or sweat, you can start by opening your layers to cool off. But I suggest taking a short break once you start feeling like you’re about ready to sweat. Sit down, get a drink, unzip your jacket, and hang out for about 5 minutes before continuing. When you feel it is starting to get too cold to leave your jacket unzipped, it’s time to keep going. Remember, too, that if there is more than one person in your party, you need to accommodate to everyone. You should take your break when the first person needs to. As soon as one of your buddies says it’s time for a break, take a break. You may feel fine, but if he is starting to sweat, it’s time to stop.

When hiking in snow, I recommend only having one bottle of water with you. You don’t really need any more than that. Yes, you burn more calories in the winter and water consumption goes up, but you really only need one bottle. Keep a Nalgene bottle in an insulator and this is your drinking water for the hike. When you need more water, you can pull out your cook pot and melt snow. Not only can you melt snow, but you can heat it up and add hot cocoa or tea! You already carry more gear in the winter than summer and that extra water only adds unnecessary weight. Not only that, but if you are on a long hike and don’t have insulators for all of your bottles, they could possibly freeze.

Speaking of freezing, you want to carry your water bottle upside down when on long hikes, especially when it’s REALLY cold out. I have an insulator that goes on the outside of my pack, but is still keep the bottle upside down. If your water starts to freeze, it will freeze on top first. If your bottle is right side up and begins to freeze, you will have an ice layer to break through. But if the bottle is upside down, the water will freeze in the bottom of the bottle. Also, another word of advice: leave the Camelback at home! You can get insulators for the bladder and hose and keep the water warm, but it’s more work than needed and a bottle works just as well. If you use a Camelback, you have to blow that water that’s in the hose, back into the bladder to keep it from freezing and even then, the bite piece can freeze.

These are just a few tips to start off the winter. There will be plenty more during the season along with specifics on hiking, packing a gear sled, building a gear sled, skiing, snowshoes, and more. I hope you are ready for your first winter hike and if you are a seasoned hiker, I hope you can take something away from this post. Please comment any questions or suggestions.

Preparing For This Winter: Layering

Well, winter is approaching and so comes the time to start winterizing our gear and preparing for the cold. Yesterday, I began my conditioning for the cold as well as swapping out gear in my pack for the winter. For those who are not used to winter camping and hiking, there’s a lot of learning to do to avoid being miserable on the trip.

First of all, let’s talk about conditioning. To condition for the cold, the best thing to do is start hiking in the cold in growing intervals. Go out and maybe hike for 20 minutes. Then next time, hike for 40 minutes. This is the best way to condition if you aren’t used to being in the cold. However, you might find it a shock that, even in 10 degree weather, you will warm up quite fast when hiking.

If you are going to start going on your “conditioning hikes”, I suggest taking your pack with an extra jacket liner or sweatshirt, extra hat, extra gloves, hand warmers, and water and snack. You could also bring a thermos of coffee. As you hike, you may find that you need to shed layers. If you are cold blooded, you may find that you need to add that extra layer to start out. My hike yesterday was about 12 miles in about 21 degrees. I ended up shedding all of my layers except my base layer, shell, and one insulation layer.

When I mention to people that I hike and camp in winter they respond with an “are you crazy?” But in all reality, most of those people haven’t hiked long distances before. I’m always asked if I get cold. Well, when you are hiking, you are generating heat and will be surprisingly warm. This depends some, too, on how you layer, what materials you wear, and how often you taken breaks. Since you are generating heat when hiking, you will stay relatively warm. To be honest, if you have your camp set up right and a good sleeping bag, you will even stay warm during the night. The only part you have to worry about is when you are setting up camp and fixing dinner. This is when you begin to cool down and are out in the elements. If you have sweated at all, you may cool down pretty rapidly, but that comes back to how you layer.

While we are on the topic, let’s discuss layering. Layering is the best way to regulate your body temperature and avoid getting too hot or too cold. I know people who ask if I have a thick, warm coat and my answer is “no I don’t”. A single, thick, heavy coat will cause you to heat up and you if you take it off, you will cool down in a hurry. Instead, having a lighter coat and multiple insulation layers, you can shed layers to cool down, but not worry about being too cold. If you want to be most effective in your layering, follow these guidelines. You can alter this after you figure out what works, but this is a good start.

You want to, first, have a base layer. This is also called the wicking layer. The base layer will not only keep you warm, but will wick the sweat away from you. When we sweat, evaporation takes place and cools us down. This layer will pull the sweat away from you before it starts to cool you down. A synthetic material is your best option for this. I would go even further to say the some type of thick spandex would be best. I wear spandex for my shirt and leggings. I would also recommend a synthetic sports sock. Your feet will be the first to start sweating, so you want a good wicking material for your base layer socks. And not only does your base layer provide that protection, it also makes great sleepwear which prevents you from having to change before bed.

Next is the insulation layer. This is really what keeps you warm. This layer can be anywhere from a sweatshirt, to a jacket liner. This layer can also be anywhere from one item, to several, depending on the climate. For my insulation layer, I wear a polyester shirt with a half-zip. Then for additional layers, I have a fleece sweatshirt and wool vest. For legs, I just wear jeans. Your legs don’t need quite so many layers because they are almost always moving and staying warm. Something else to consider is thermal underwear. I will generally have a full layer of this over my base layer. If you use thermals, don’t make it your base layer. This material will soak up sweat and just sit there, becoming a wet and soppy mess. These also make great sleepwear. When you are selecting your insulation layer, find some with full zippers. When you hike and heat up, you may want to unzip your jacket and insulation layers to cool down a bit.

The last layer is the shell. This is what really protects you. You will want a waterproof, windproof jacket. I have a Columbia winter jacket that I took the liner out of. It has enough warmth to just wear that for your cool down, but also keeps the wind and snow off of you. I also have some winter pants. They are a waterproof shell with a fleece liner. They also have cargo pockets on them to store items.

I recommend wearing wool socks when hiking. Even if it gets wets, wool will still keep you warm. I wouldn’t use more than 2 layers for the socks though, just your base layer and your wool. When you get more layers or tighter socks, they squeeze the feet which slows circulation and cools your feet.

Because you are only using 2 layers on the feet, you want a good snow boot or shoe. I use a Garmont GTX boot which is well insulated. If you are skiing, you should already have a good boot. Just make sure it’s warm or else, your feet will not like you. Something to also consider when looking for a winter hiking boot is for a little ring on the front. Some people are baffled by what the purpose of this ring is, but it is so you can hook the front of your gators to your shoe. And I highly recommend gators if you are in a snowy area.

You should always have a glove liner for any type of glove you wear. Just a thin, wool liner will work. You want something warm, but will be easy to manipulate small objects such as knots. This will keep your hands from freezing when setting up camp. You should also have your shell. The shell depends on how cold it is outside. In early winter, you may just need a thin winter glove. In colder areas, you will want ski gloves or mittens. Mittens are good because they keep the fingers together which keep your hands warmer.

I will usually wear a beanie for a hat. Where I live, it doesn’t usually reach arctic temperatures so this works fine. I pair this with a neck gator (a balaclava works even better). If you suspect a lot of wind and cold, a hood is also good to have. I have a warmer hat with rabbit fur on the inside, but your head is where all the heat escapes your body and if you wear a too warm of hat, you will begin to sweat very quickly.

To lastly sum up this post, I want to stress the importance of waterproofing your gear. Most new boots don’t come waterproofed so you will need to do it yourself. You can buy a cheaper waterproofing spray from a shoe store and use it on your shoes when they are clean and dry, and about 2 times a year. You can also use this spray on your jacket, pants, or anything else that may get wet.

That is a good basis for layering. Again, alter this list to match your needs. I hope this was a help to you and stay tuned for part 2.

Travelling Abroad

I recently took a trip overseas to a third world chain of islands and learned a few nuggets of wisdom while I was there. It had been a while since I last traveled outside the country prior to this trip and I not only learned some tricks to get around in a foreign country, but also how to seamlessly get through customs and the airports.

My family and I traveled to St. Lucia and then sailed down through the Grenadines. Being how this is a backpacking blog and not a sailing blog, I will not go over points on sailing. As we went there, we passed through customs and security seamlessly. However, on the way back, we had a few hangups.

First of all, I will cover how to travel abroad. Before going, as with any trip, you want an itinerary. You will want to have the trip fully planned out to avoid having hangups when you arrive. I suggest knowing where you are going to travel, how many days at each location, where you will stay, and how you will obtain food. In addition, you should already have your plane tickets purchased and know when your flights are and whether or not you have any layovers. As in our case, we had no layover between two flights and had to rush to get to the next gate. In another instance, we had a four hour wait. Be aware of how long you have between flights so you can plan accordingly. Having your tickets already purchased  will minimize the hassle of getting through the airport. In my opinion, airports are already a pain to get through without any additional problems.

When you are at the airport and traveling internationally, you will go through customs, ticket check, passport check, and maybe a few other checkpoints where you will need your passport. Keep your passport handy! If you put it back in your bag or traveler's wallet, you will spend that extra time digging it out each time you you hit a checkpoint. I advise to keep your passport in your hand at all times with your boarding pass in your passport. This will ensure no one can swipe it from you. And something else I found helpful is to have a fanny pack. I know they aren't really socially acceptable anymore and really make you stand out as a tourist, but if you just keep everything in your fanny pack (phone, wallet, etc.), you know where everything is. I also found it helpful to have everything in a fanny pack because when you go through security, you only have the fanny pack to take off and don't have to worry about digging everything out of your pockets, which will take you through security faster. Speaking of going through security, you will also want your electronics handy, maybe in the top of your bag. Some airports will require you to turn on your electronics and having them handy will ease the process.

I have found it easier to only bring a carry on rather than checked baggage. Most airlines will allow one checked bag, one personal item (such as another small bag or laptop), and misc. items. Misc. items can be anything from a book, fanny pack, purse, or anything small that you can carry. My advice is to keep it to a minimum. When going through checkpoints, it's a real hassle to have an arm full of stuff. However, you may be on your way to a backpacking trip in which a carry on is not feasible. If this is the case, I recommend your carry on be your day pack so that you will not have any excessive bags to carry. Also, if you are checking your pack, I suggest putting it in a bigger duffel bag. That way, the straps and such won't snag on things and keeps your pack from getting damaged. 

As you look into flights consider this: plane tickets are like the stock market. One day, a ticket may be $700 and next day, may be $1500. So just keep your eye out for the best deal. I also highly recommend using a travel site like Kayak or Expedia. These make it a little easier to find a cheaper flight. If it will be an extensive, involved, or expensive trip, it may be beneficial to hire a travel agent. 

Moving away from flying, let's look at being in a foreign country. You want to try to minimize looking like a tourist, especially in poorer countries. I know that having your pack will make you stand out a little, but do what you can to minimize this stereotype. In third world countries, locals can spot a tourist from a mile away and will be right on you to sell you something. 

Speaking of selling you stuff, always be on guard. What I noticed is that in touristy areas, people can sell you stuff before you even realize it. They put the item in your hand, talk about how good it would suit you, then ask for the money. Theses "business people" really know how to get you to buy what they have to sell. "Here, hold this bracelet. Put it on. WOW!! It really compliments your eyes. Try this necklace, it will go great with this bracelet. Take these back home and really show your friends what it's like here." And before you know it, they have sold you the necklace and bracelet. 

Also be on guard for services. Some people will help you with something then charge an outrageous price. When we were mooring in a harbor, a young man came up and tied off our boat for us without our permission (actually we told him that we didn't need his services), then charged for it. He refused to leave until we pay him. After refusing to pay, we stayed on guard all night to make sure he didn't untie us. On another occasion, we docked our dingy and a couple guys hung around the dock to look after the dingies. Then one guy guides us to a restaurant. When we returned, they charged us $70 EC (about $40 USD) for their service. Then one local told us about a beautiful waterfall and said that if we paid him $20 a person, he will guide us to it. After refusing, another local came up and tipped us off that if we just walk up the road a couple miles, we would come to the waterfall. All I can say is be sure you ask for the price of the service before accepting and be sure that you actually need the service. They will naturally avoid the question, but do not accept any services without first knowing what it's going to cost. These are only some examples, but the key is to be aware that in poor countries, you will be scammed if not on guard. 

This goes back to keeping from looking like a tourist. Some vendors (in most countries) will charge tourists almost twice the original amount for a product.  My advice is to go to stores with marked prices. Where we were at, some stores did not mark their prices so they could charge you whatever they wanted. However, fresh fruit from a local vendor is absolutely delicious. If you go to one of these, know the prices before agreeing to buy. If they think you may go somewhere else to buy, they will often lower their prices. In some places, it could benefit you to have good negotiation skills to lower the prices. 

Also before going overseas, be aware of the exchange rate. If you don't, it may shock you. In our case, it worked in our favor, but for some countries, it may not. Also be aware of the economy. A bad economy will have higher prices. Where we went, a box of cereal costed $12 USD. 

If you are going to a country that is not predominantly English, it wouldn't hurt to learn the basics of their language. In the area of the Caribbean we were at, the native language is Creole which is a broken French. If you can speak French, you can sort of speak Creole. The whole time I was there, I had wished I knew some French. The first language down there is English, but they all also speak Creole. I believe if you learn some of the language where you are going, it will be more enjoyable. 

If you are in a country of different culture, it's a good idea to have a friend or two with you to watch each others backs. Some countries are crime ridden and you want to avoid being the victim. Don't travel when dark. Stay in public areas. Don't get in a vehicle with someone you don't know. Just be aware that it is possible to be a victim of crime, especially in Europe or countries stricken with poverty. 

In the event that you are approached my a robber, don't argue, give him the money. In these places, most robbers won't have a problem killing you. I suggest wearing a money belt or keeping a majority of your money in your shoes, but keep like $5 in your pocket. That way the robber gets something and won't suspect you are holding back. If they try to take your pack, let him. It's better to lose your gear than to end up dead. If you are robbed of just money, it's not worth going to local authorities, but if it's your pack, it would be worth going to them and they may be able to catch the robber and return your pack. That's why it's a good idea to have your name, country, and phone number on your stuff. Don't put your address on anything because if they get ahold of that, you may return home to an empty house (mostly a problem in countries with organized crime such as France, England, etc.). 

Also be on the lookout for pit pocketing. I suggest keeping everything in your pack. I mean EVERYTHING. That way, they can't swipe anything from you without pulling your pack off. If you know that you are going somewhere that this could be a problem, bring a pack without outside pockets. But remember to keep a little money in your pocket in the case someone tries to rob you. In some countries, it is common to have children pit pocket people. There can be groups up to 40 kids with cardboard who will swarm you and push cardboard up against you so that you don't feel them pulling stuff out of your pockets. In this case, or any other case, don't be afraid of being aggressive and pushing them back, yelling at them, and getting away. Sometimes these groups are good enough to swipe money belts and neck lanyards, so be aware. 

Moving away from money, let's talk about sleeping accommodations. Your sleeping accommodation may change thought the trip but here's some tips. 

1.  Don't use provided linens at a hotel/motel in foreign countries. Use your sleeping bag to avoid bed bugs. Also, some places don't wash their linens. If you suspect bed bugs, sleep on the floor.  

2.  If you are staying at a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, or a hostel, don't leave your pack. If you go out sightseeing or to dinner, take your pack. Otherwise, it may not be there when you get back. 

3. If you are staying at a hostel, don't leave anything out. Wear your clothes to bed, put everything in your pack, and possibly snuggle with your pack or use it as a pillow. Oftentimes in hostels, there may be 20 people sleeping in the same room. If you don't keep your belongings close, they may be missing the next day.

4. Unless you are "wilderness hiking" to a hostel, try to get sleeping accommodations in a busy, public area. This may avoid someone breaking in. 

5. It's a good idea to reserve your sleeping accomadations before the trip. This will ensure that you have a place to sleep. Don't want to end up sleeping at a bus station. Hosteling International is a good place to start for reserving a bed. 

I think this a good start to traveling abroad. If you are going somewhere completely foreign, I suggest really researching and buy a guidebook for that area. That would be your best bet to maximizing your trip.