Bringing In The New Year On The AT

Every year on New Year's Eve, Americans crowd around TVs and flock to New York City to watch celebrities perform and a giant ball slowly drop for 60 seconds.

With no desire to spend New Year's Eve in front of a television watching celebrities twerking, I wanted to start the new year differently than I have in previous years.

For the past four years around this time of year, some friends and I take a trip to the mountains for few nights on the trail. So, when planning the trip, we decided to bring in the new year in the backcountry.

With both the Smoky Mountains and Appalachian Trail in mind, on December 31st, the seven of us set out for Newfound Gap, the lowest drivable path through the Smokies (16 miles SE of Gatlinburg, TN).

From left to right: Waylon, Brent, Nolan, Blake, myself, Joe, and Brad.

The Head-To-Toe Winter Wish-list

Christmas day is fast approaching, and many of us are still scrambling for gift ideas to give our loved ones. If you don't know what to get someone who spends an excessive amount of time outdoors, or who would like to spend more time outside but lack the proper tools to do so, here is a head-to-toe breakdown of the best gear for the colder months.

Shell: Outdoor Research Axiom™ Jacket

• Top-of-the-line storm shell
• 2012 winner of Outside Magazine's "Gear of the Year" award
• GORE-TEX® Active Technology
• Highly breathable
• Perfect for high-aerobic winter activities
• Available in 4 color combinations
• Available only in men's sizes
• Ladies, check out the OR StormBound Jacket!

5 Reasons You Should Buy a Sleeping Pad

A sleeping pad can make all the difference on how you sleep at night, whether in a tent, privy, hammock, or on the open ground.

Here are 5 reasons why you should invest in one:

1) It will keep you warm.

Even with an expensive, down sleeping-bag on a cold night, you will still get the chills without a sleeping pad under you.

The cold ground will absorb your body heat right through your bag, and anyone who has slept in an ENO on a cold or windy night knows how the cold and wind rips right though the hammock's fabric.

Sleeping pads will stop the wind and keep body heat inside your sleeping bag.

2) It is more comfortable than the ground.

Strange Gear: The JakPak

Companies are going above and beyond these days with multi-purpose gear, and this is definitely one of the most interesting combinations I have seen.

Introducing: the JackPak, all-in-one rain-jacket, tent, bug netting and sleeping bag.

It is a great idea, but I am not so sure I want to be "wearing" my tent and sleeping bag while I hike, especially on hot/rainy days. I prefer my sweaty gear to be outside the tent, not all around me.

Also, if you catch the jacket on a sharp rock or tree limb, not only is your coat messed up but there goes your tent too.

This is a great idea but a little much if you ask me.

The Marmot Limelight 2P Tent

An important piece of equipment to most campers/backpackers is shelter.

I have a hammock and don't mind sleeping in it under a tarp, but I prefer the luxury of a tent.

Being able to spread out all my gear across the floor of a tent is much easier that keeping the gear in a pack overnight. Especially for those times when you get into your sleeping bag and realize you forgot to get or do something, like changing your clothes.

It is not easy to change clothes, or do anything beside lay still, in a hammock, believe me. I have fallen out of the hammock twice while trying to reach for something. Once was onto another hammocker below me, but that is a story for another day.

When I was searching for a tent, I had three requirements: light, easy to set up, and made by a reliable brand.

The EmberLit

This is a pretty cool concept to a camp stove. It takes up barely any room and only weighs 11.3 ounces.

Courtesy of EmberLit

Just four pieces of stainless steel and some wood and you have a stove!

For Backpackers and "Preppers" Alike

What are some things that you actually need when you are out on the trail for a few days?

Shelter, (clean) water, and food are the first things that come to mind.

While I have yet to find a way to use amy stove for shelter, it can take care of the other two necessities: clean water and food.

Some people prefer the alcohol stove or the classic MSR WhisperLite. I, on the other hand, reach for my Jet Boil every time I head to the wilderness for over-night stays.

A Toolbox In Your Pocket

Photo Courtesy of Wenger®

If you are one who thinks you can never be too prepared, this multi-tool might make you wet your pants.

With 87 tools and 141 functions, this multi-tool might should be considered an "every-tool." 

From a magnifying glass to nail clippers to a laser pointer, it has everything but the kitchen sink. But it can fix the kitchen sink so that may indeed count.

Petzl Core Rechargeable Battery

Does your headlamp seem to always be out of power or on its last limb, even when you swear that you just put in new batteries?

If this punch to the chestnuts is not enough, now you have to go to the nearest store and spend a small fortune for another set of AAA's that will likely treat you in the same way as your old ones.

The guys, and gals, at Petzl have overcome this battery brawl with a rechargeable battery that is relatively cheap and easy to install on your Petzl headlamp.

Hammock Basics

My friends at Gear-Report found this great model for all of you hammock junkies. Whether you have an ENO, Hennessy, or a homemade hammock, here is all you will need to know about having the most comfortable views.

Illustration by Derek Hanson at http://dejoha.com

Where was the coolest, craziest or most dangerous places that you have hung from?

Here was a cool place that I love to go to at Table Rock, SC.

FunFact: Matches

Some moisture is all it takes to make your basic, probably free, box of wooden matches last almost twice as long. 

Picture courtesy of Diamond® Brand Matches

Wether it is river-water, wet grass, or saliva, a damp match will last almost twice as long as a dry one. However, there are some exceptions for usable liquids (ex. lighter fluid or jet-engine fuel). Those might have different reactions to fire, so stick to H20 or some extra drool.

Don't believe it? Try it and tell us how you tested this simple experiment.

#FF

A stove for water, food, and iPhones?

BioLite Campstove™

Solar-powered energy only comes in handy when if is sunny. So how can I charge my phone if it is going to be raining for the next five days on my trip?

BioLite has the answer by using wood instead of the sun, and not only on the trail, but at home too.

By converting heat from renewable resources, like twigs and pine-cones, into electricity you can charge your phone, lights and other gadgets while cooking up tonight's meal.

Are You Bad At Tying Knots? Learn A Couple Tricks

I am no knot expert, but I bet I could tie a good enough knot to strap you to a tree for the night. Try out a few knots that you can use on your gear, pestering friends and just about anything else.

Prioritize what you will carry on your next trip.

Backpacking is not only a hobby, it is also a science. The difference between what equipment you will need and what you can do without can help save your back on those long hikes. Every ounce can make a difference. Check out this excellent checklist that Outdoor Pros created to get you on track for what you should bring on your next trip.