Shelter

Backpack Gear Tour

By |April 25th, 2015|Current|Comments Off on Backpack Gear Tour

Come check out my backpack tour. This video is about 20 minutes long, and I go into detail about why I brought what I brought on the Bigfoot Trail. I explain things like my layering system, water treatment, shelter and sleep systems, and everything else that makes up my gear for a 400 mile summer walk.


Choose Gear Wisely
Nothing weighs nothing, but some things are essential to bring with you on a journey. Even if you aren’t shooting for an ultralight backpack, there are always a few items you can change or ditch. My hope with this movie is to share my packing process and shed some light on what I bring and what can be done without.

If you want more help whittling down your gear, please contact me at info@sageclegg.com

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Snow & Woodsmoke

By |January 7th, 2015|2015 posts, Current|Comments Off on Snow & Woodsmoke

Snow & Woodsmoke

2015 started off so normal I didn’t even notice the new year had crept in. Waking on January 1st, 2015 Adam and I had big ambitions… to get the heck out of town & properly ring in the new year on a ski trip. Instead a whole day whizzed by in the chaos of small errands and the tying of lose ends. We decided to step away from the endless home life business and re-start 2015 in the backcountry. It was time to head out into the Cascades on our skis & breath in a bit of woodsmoke tinged mountain air.

After a nice Friday night of car camping in a parking lot, we stuffed our sleeping bags, packed our packs, stuck skins on our skis, & struck out onto a snow covered trail. Our plan was to ski to the furthest of two shelters for Saturday night & loop in to the closer shelter for Sunday night. The route can be found on the Oakridge Oregon TrailMap by Adventure Maps.

We found ourselves on the frozen shores of Waldo Lake after hours of skiing through snow coated forest.

Settling in to the South Waldo Shelter for the night we fired up the wood stove, cooked some dinner, & snacked on christmas cookies, hot cocoa, and bourbon.

I had forgotten how refreshing it can be to spend 12 hours in a sleeping bag, & how challenging it is to get out of that bag in the chill of the morning. We woke to a gray sleety drizzle, & were thankful to be in a wooden shelter rather than our little tent. The three sided shelter with it’s sleeping platform and hooks for hanging packs reminded me […]

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12 Gifts for Hikers, Day 7.

By |December 18th, 2014|12 Gifts, 2014 posts|Comments Off on 12 Gifts for Hikers, Day 7.

12 Days of Trail Gifts For Under $50
Gift 6: Gear for rain & shine

Give your hiker a rain suit and an umbrella this winter. Protection from the elements is very important on the trail, and it can be so simple to provide. These are two low cost gifts that can help your hiker trim weight from their packs and give them some sanity and safety during nasty storms and relentless sun.

Driducks rain suits are super light (~ 10oz for top and bottom), super cheap (under $30), and they actually WORK! The pants can be kept as rain pants or easily converted to a rain skirt. At first it was hard to believe a jacket that looks like it’s made out of paper would function properly, but after a few storms on the Grand Enchantment Trail back in 2008, I was sold on the silliest rain gear ever. Driducks sizing is pretty huge, and there is no women’s cut. As long as your hiker doesn’t mind looking like they are wearing a bag, this rain suit is for them.

Umbrellas are multifunctional tools that provide shade, hope, and precip protection. On desert hikes my umbrella has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. The first time I ever carried an umbrella was on my wintery southbound hike of the Appalachian Trail. After getting soaked in a hurricane offshoot in the Mahoosucks I sloshed into town and picked up a pink purse sized umbrella. I used it most days of the AT until it shredded in the Smokies, and figured out how to strap it onto my pack so my hands could be free. Umbrellas don’t work too well in strong wind, but if you are […]

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12 Gifts for Hikers, Day 1

By |December 12th, 2014|12 Gifts, 2014 posts, AT, Bigfoot Trail, Current, PCT|Comments Off on 12 Gifts for Hikers, Day 1

12 Days of Trail Gifts For Under $50
Gift One: Cheap Good Sleep

A new floor:

Window Film Groundsheet (or polycryo from Gossamer Gear)          Weight:2oz               Cost: $5-$15

If your hiker likes to sleep under a tarp (floorless shelter), or is a cowboy camper (out under the stars), they need a ground sheet. My favorite ground sheet is a rectangle of Window Film. It looks like saran wrap and it’s super light weight, about 2 ounces will cover 4’x6′.

Window film isn’t super durable, but if treated gently a piece can last 500-1000 miles. It’s always nice to have a fresh extra waiting in a bounce box though, so you might want to splurge and get the multi window pack or a roll when you head to the hardware store. ACE has “cut to fit” window kits, which are nice because you can choose the dimensions of your floor.

 

A mattress enhancer/ seat/ yoga mat:

1/8″ Thinlight pad from Gossamer Gear           Weight: 2.5 oz                Cost: $16

Your hiker will be stoked to have a little extra insulation from the cold ground at night regardless of if they sleep in a tent or a tarp. This full length pad has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. I sit on it at almost every break, I put my shorty mattress on top of it at night, and it’s great for stretching & yoga. In winter this matt works great to insulate air mattresses from the snow. It can be folded and packed on the top of your pack, adding rain protection & helping to keep your perishables and water a couple degrees cooler.

For more substantial […]

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