Can you get a backpacking tent under $100 that’s actually waterproof? I looked through a ton of cheap backpacking tents on Amazon, and based on their design, material, and hydrostatic head ratings, I found a handful that will keep you dry when camping in the rain. I further read through their reviews to make sure they actually kept their owners …
Guide to Easy and Cheap Camping at Topanga State Park
Welcome to my guide on budget Topanga State Park camping! The park has one small campground, Musch Trail Camp, located on the Musch Trail, which is part of a larger, thru-hiking trail called The Backbone Trail. We’re focused on easy camping here, so we’re no going to go into thru-hiking the Backbone, but I’ll let you know up front, you …
How Much Weight Do Water Bottles Add When Hiking?
I recently watched a video of a man who was going to be hiking and camping for several days, out and back, on a trail that had no water access. That meant he and his friends had to carry their entire excursion’s water in their packs, for food prep (backpacking meals), and hydration. One guy on the trip elected just …
El Capitan State Beach – Car and Tent Campsite Review
I’ve car+tent camped at El Capitan State Beach, CA a total of 3 times in unique campsite locations, and have day-visited half a dozen other times. So I think I’ve started to get enough of a feel for the place to say something about it, in a review. Here’s what I’ve found so far. Where is El Capitan State Beach, …
What’s Up With the 30 Day Duro Lantern for Camping – Review
Welcome to the 30-Day Duro lantern review! I’ve been using a 30 Day Duro Lantern as my main camp lantern for the last few years. I’ve also used it for night hiking, stapling attic foil in the attic to reduce solar load on the ceiling members, switching out old light switches and outlets at my place during renovation, and just …
How To Score Campsites on Reserve California
Grabbing your favorite camping site on the days you want on Reserve California can be notoriously difficult, since demand often exceeds supply, which creates hording behavior in the California camping community, this then exacerbating and perpetuating the supply issue. Here are my tips for tilting the chance of reserving a good spot in your favor. Understanding The Basics of Reserve …
Assessing Yourself for Malnutrition When Thru-Hiking
Failure to Meet Increased Daily Energy Demands With consideration to thru-hiking and malnutrition, we’re mostly focused on the energy imbalance created from not taking in as much energy as the body needs, to pull off the enduring work of the hiking venture. The below table provides the six pillars of malnutrition exclusively from environmental circumstances (does not apply to malnutrition …
Best Protein Supplement To Take After Hiking
What’s the best protein supplement for hiking? It’s important to get enough protein around your hikes to optimize muscle recovery, get stronger, and for older adults, to reduce age related muscle wasting. I recently wrote an article called Protein Requirements For Day Hiking, where I applied the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s (ISSN) 2007 and 2017 recommendations, regarding protein and …
EWG Best Face Sunscreens That Can Be Purchased on Amazon
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of safest sunscreens for you and the environment, based on scores they assign to each ingredient, which they use to create an overall score for each product. They have subcategories for their sunscreen list, that include ‘best recreational sunscreen’ and ‘best daily use’ sunscreen, the latter of which contains products for the …
EWG Best Sunscreens for 2023 That Can Be Bought on Amazon
Which Top Environmental Working Group Sunscreens Can Be Bought on Amazon? The EWG publishes a list of their top rated sunscreens (score of 1 out of 10; 1 being the best, and 10 being the worst) which they consider to be the least likely to cause health problems (least likely to cause cancer or reproductive harm), and least likely to …