For the next three weeks, we’ll help you fill out your list for Santa with suggestions for gear that’s not in your pantry, but should be. Today: backpacking. Next week: camping and paddling. After that: hiking.
Blue Ridge Camping Hammock
A little reality check as we head into the holiday season.
For those of us who like to get out and explore, it truly is about the experience. Hiking the three balds out of Carvers Gap on the AT under a full moon. Wading into Schoolhouse Falls after two hours of sweaty hiking in August. Watching the sunset from your campsite atop Tennent Mountain.
But we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t also acknowledge that it isn’t also about staying nice and warm on that full-moon night on Jane Bald. Or wearing zip-off pants as you give yourself up to Schoolhouse and continuing on through Panthertown Valley. Or getting a good night’s sleep after watching the sun set over Shining Rock.
Yes, to some degree it is also about the gear. And what better time to talk gear than at a time of year when others may be interested in getting gear for you. Perhaps gear that you’ve pined for, but, for whatever reason, have yet to buy yourself.
Take that chilly night under a full moon. The key to warding off cold starts with a solid base layer, and there’s no better base fabric than Merino wool.
Why isn’t it in your arsenal?
Because it’s pricey (at upwards of $100). But it’s oh-so-worth it. The Smartwool NTS (Next-to-Skin) Mid 250 works fine on its own in cool weather, or as a solid foundation baselayer when it’s cold. As its acronym suggests, it’s snug to the skin, but the fabric is soft to the touch. It’s a pro at wicking sweat from your activie body and perhaps best of all, it doesn’t retain body aroma. If you have but one gift to receive this holiday season, request that this be the one.
Now, because we are heading into the coldest part of the year, you likely will need to top your new Smartwool NTS Mid 250 with another layer. Here’s a test: think back to your last really cold day in the woods. Think about the lunch break you took, then think about who who was shivering with enthusiasm to get back on the trail, and who seemed content to settle in and nosh a bit longer. Odds are the latter were wearing the Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket. The featherweight (11.8 ounces) jacket looks like it couldn’t possibly keep you warm. But slip it on and —
Mmmmmm.
Windproof, water-resistant, stuffed with compressible 60-g PrimaLoft Gold Insulation with cuffed sleeves and a drawcord-adjustable hemline — you might as well strap a space heater to your back. Hands cold? Stick ‘em in the front handwarmer pockets. Retro PowerBar frozen rock solid? Stick it in the inside pocket and achieve chewability in a jif.
Another area where we bet you scrimp: pants. As long as you aren’t wearing jeans (you aren’t, are you? Cotton kills!), you probably think those threadbare polyester floodies are just fine. And you’ll continue to think that way until you slip on a pair of truly functional backpacking pants.
The Kuhl Liberator Convertibles, say.
These pants get high marks for fashion, and I reckon they are good looking. But it’s function that makes these the only pants you’ll need on the trail, starting with a plethora of pockets. A pocket for your map, a pocket for your knife, one for your smartphone, one for your energy bar, one for — who knows what these other pockets are for. It’s just good to know they’re there. Plus, they’re of a durable but not heavy, are water-repellent, and come that refreshing pool on a hot summer day, they zip off (thanks in part to zippers up the ankles) in a flash. They also incorporate “mobility-enhancing spandex strips,” which sounds especially good to those of us in need of mobility enhancement (especially around the backside).
OK, how many times has this happened to you. It’s morning, first thing, and your backpacking buddy is happily into his first cup of camp coffee, the sluggishness of sleep quickly giving way to the anticipation of another day in paradise. You, meanwhile, continue to manually pry your eyes open as you wait for your water to boil. When I try to sell skeptics on the joys of backpacking, one thing in particular wins people over: the assurance that you can have hot coffee within three minutes of waking.
And you can, with the MSR Windboiler Stove System. Usually in less than three minutes (depends a bit on the outdoor temperature) you can bring a half liter to boil, enough for both coffee and your oatmeal. Covet your neighbor’s coffee no more; score a Windboiler.
We conclude with the item you most secretly covet: a camping hammock. Admit it, you’ve been on trips where someone shows up with a hammock and declares it the best thing since the internal frame.
When this happened to me the first time, I looked at my contemporary and said, “Oh, come on! How can your back take that sloop-bottomed thing at your age? Our age?” I clarified.
He did a double — no, triple — take. Jaw dropped, he replied. “I gave up backpacking 10 years ago because my back couldn’t take sleeping on the ground. I’ve spent a week on the trail in this with nary a problem.”
“This” being the Blue Ridge Camping Hammock by Lawson Hammock, winner of a Gear of the Year Award from 50 Campfires Magazine.
For starters, there’s the comfort factor: when Hollywood wants to portray the perfect nap, where do they plop their idol? In a hammock. (If you’ve ever timed-out in one, you know that’s not acting, that’s genuine relaxation.) Sure, you’ll need cooperative trees, but swayback shouldn’t be an option.
(Actually, you don’t need trees: another beauty of this hammock is it doubles as a bivy.)
It’s easy to put up, comes with a rainfly, and at 4.25 pounds is lightweight, especially considering you don’t need a ground tarp or a sleeping pad; heck, in summer you can sub a light blanket for your bulky sleeping bag.
Also, at $169 it’s considerably cheaper than most tents. And versatile as well: good for a section hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail as well as a backyard nap on a Saturday afternoon.
Stocking stuffer
How often have you uttered an “Uh oh” upon arriving at your campsite and setting up camp?
Probably just about every time you set up camp, because remembering everything on a backpacking trip is a rarity. But if you’ve ever uttered that “Uh oh” in ALL CAPS, chances are it’s because you’ve forgotten your torch. Make sure that doesn’t happen again by requesting a Gizmo in your stocking. And by Gizmo, we don’t mean some convoluted lighting contraption, we mean the simple Black Diamond Gizmo headlamp that sends out 60 lumens, more than enough to see you through a dark night in camp. Great as a backup or in your starting lineup. And lumen for lumen, you can’t beat its $19.95 price tag.
