Uco Candle Lantern Ikea Utensil Holder Shelter Heater

I can't believe it has been just over a year since my last post. Where has the year gone?  I can promise you it was all fun and well done.

Heating inside the Luxe Minipeak II Pyramid tent

As you have read in other posts here, I am very fond of the Uco Candle Lantern.

The little candle lantern has earned it's space as "a must carry" item in my backpack for all overnight adventures.

The Uco Candle Lantern is a favorite of Cooper too.

Cold weather shelter heating options have been on my mind for many past seasons, including this one.  This past season brought another idea, and successful new option.    

Backpacking to and sheltering at a snowy site with warmth and comfort when rested is always thrilling.

This heater powered by 2 Uco Candle Lanterns put out 3,800 BTUs to cut condensation and provide warmth inside a closed 1-2 person tarp, tent or poncho for up to 9 hours.

Add an additional Uco Candle Lantern for more light and boost heat inside the shelter to 5,700 BTUs. (Each Uco candle produces 1,900 BTUs).

You can see the "build" and preview of the Uco Candle Lantern Ikea Utensil Holder Shelter Heater with Cooper and me on the Wawhiker Backpacking YouTube channel. Stay tuned for an overnight.

Vargo Titanium Hexagon WOOD GAS Stove by Wawhiker

There was a time not too long ago when wood gas stoves for backpacking were simply known as the Bush Buddy.  It was a marvel, the best and original.  Now there are every knock-off variations available on any web store street corner.  The same could be said for folding backpacking wood stoves - the Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove has always been my favorite.  I still carry it every time out. 

The benefits of the wood gas stove, especially for backpacking, allows you to get the most efficient fuel burn for what you can carry and gather. Longer burn times, less smoke and a hotter flame make wood gas a clear winner over non-gas wood stoves.

One disadvantage - most wood gas wood burning stoves tend to be a bit too bulky. 

Folding backpacking wood stoves not so.

Ideally, why not a folding backpacking wood gas stove?  I thought I could come close.  Why not visit my old favorite Vargo wood stove and make it work without re-inventing the wheel?

I did.  First time out, on the first test burn.  It was a success!  My past builds and experience with wood gas and wood burning stoves helped.

I simply used a food can insert with the Vargo. A few "specifically-sized" and "specially-placed" holes drilled into the can did the trick.

For the first test burn I used a very stable wood fuel, wood stove pellets.

You can see the test burn and how to build the Vargo Titanium Hexagon WOOD GAS Stove by Wawhiker on my YouTube channel. 

With the Vargo wood stove being fold-able and the wood gas food can insert able to fit into my Snow Peak Solo cook kit, I gain a wood gas stove and lose no space in what I carry.

I'm thinking I might just bring along some wood pellets too - a half cup burns for 20 minutes.  I need to burn up the 20 pound bag of wood pellets stored in my garage some way. 

Hilleberg Akto in the Snow

This season I set out to search for a solo 4 season shelter to add to my winter camping gear.

Why Hilleberg?  Swedish and Local

I really enjoy a fair share of Swedish outdoor gear.  When tools, knives, cooksets and clothing come to mind Swedish backpacking gear has the long standing reputation for being some of the best designed and most well made.

I've considered Hilleberg tents in the past.  Watching several of their tents being shown by Bruce on his YouTube channel Nature Calls Backpacking reminded me of Hilleberg again. Thanks Bruce!

I visited Hilleberg's website and saw that Hilleberg has a USA location, with a 425 area code. That's local!?  Their US offices are located in Redmond, Washington.

Why Akto?

There are many reviews for the Akto in print (and, all over the world on YouTube videos).  I've read almost every review on the Hilleberg Akto - nearly all were positive.

I was finally sold on the Akto by YouTube channel Ascent41 and its content creator Si.  The  Welsh hills and mountains where he backpacks are absolutely gorgeous. And seeing his Akto from inside and outside - cooking in the vestibule, laying under the yellow inner tent with plenty of room for gear and adventurer - got me hooked on the Akto.  Si - thank you!

You can watch my first pitch of the Hilleberg Akto on Wawhiker Backpacking.

I defer a review of the Hilleberg Akto.  As with most of my backpacking gear - I leave reviews to others.  But I will say, I'm very pleased with the Hilleberg Akto and look forward to many years backpacking with it.

Hammock Camping 5 Years With My Dog Cooper and a Campfire Overnight

A special Wawhiker Backpacking hammock camping overnight with my dog Cooper, marking a 5 year milestone at the original hammock campsite.

Processed a good load of firewood with the Bob Dustrude 24 inch Quick Buck Saw and Gränsfors Bruk Small Forest Axe for a rare Wawhiker Backpacking campfire.

This was a second hammock camping overnight with the Warbonnet Wooki full-length underquilt for my Warbonnet Blackbird hammock

Video / Photo Gear
Sony 4K FDR-AX33 Handycam
Sony Alpha A6300 Camera
Sony 18-105mm F4 G OSS Lens
Sony HDR AS20 Action Cam (CooperCam)

See it all on our YouTube channel Wawhiker Backpacking.

Sounds Good - Rode Microphones

Always looking to produce higher quality YouTube videos on Wawhiker's Backpacking Channel, we are working to better the overall sound of the videos. A way to improve audio quality is through the use of external microphones.


Rode Microphones offer a line of alternatives to the onboard mics found on cameras and camcorders. We picked-up two of their's - the Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro and the Rode VideoMic with Rycote Lyre shock mounting.

To reduce wind noise, both microphones were outfitted with the available (I don't like these names) the Rode Dead Cat and Dead Kitten artificial fur windshields.


So far, we like what we are hearing, and you will too, very soon on Wawhiker Backpacking.

Here are the specs and links for each microphone.

















Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro

http://en.rode.com/microphones/stereovideomicpro

Specs include:
Broadcast recording quality on-camera microphone
Matched pair 1/2” condenser capsules in XY stereo configuration
Ultra lightweight, compact form factor
On mic power and EQ controls
Two step High Pass Filter (flat, 75Hz)
Three position level control (-10dB, 0, +20dB)
9V battery powered - over 100 hours use (alkaline)
Integrated shock mounting
Integrated foam windscreen
3.5mm stereo mini-jack output
Billeted metal camera shoe mount with 3/8” thread for easy boompole mounting
















Rode VideoMic with Rycote Lyre shock mounting
http://en.rode.com/microphones/videomic

Specs include:
Studio recording quality
Condenser microphone
Super-cardioid polar pattern
9V battery power
Integrated Rycote Lyre shock mounting
Two step High Pass Filter (Flat/80Hz)
Three step PAD (0, -10, -20dB)
Rugged reinforced ABS construction
Windshield included
3.5mm mini-jack output
Integrated cold-shoe mount (3/8” thread)

All Titanium Backpacking Grill and Stove Cook Kit

It's another backpacking gear post - featuring a cook kit that could cover all my trail cooking needs.

It's not the lightest cook kit on the trail, but it's all titanium, and I know it will do steak and potatoes with all the sides.  I'll show you the steak and potatoes in a bit.

 The components of this cook kit are as follows;

- Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo Cookset

- Snow Peak 450 Titanium Mug

- Evernew Titanium Alcohol Stove

- Four Dog Stoves Titanium Wind Screen for the Snow Peak Trek 700

- Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove

- Lawson Outdoor Equipment Titanium Tent Stakes

Here is the whole kit and kaboodle weighing in at 15 and 3/4 ounces (448 grams).

Using the Evernew Titanium Alcohol Stove, Four Dog Stoves Titanium Wind Screen and Lawson Outdoor Equipment Titanium Tent Stakes, I boiled two cups of water in 5 minutes 44 seconds, with one ounce of Heet denatured alcohol. (Total burn time was 6 minutes and 40 seconds - indoors - garage).

Sometime this backpacking season, I'll use the Four Dog Stoves Wind Screen and Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove as a grill.

As stated earlier, the Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove will grill steak...

...you can see for yourself on this Wawhiker Backpacking YouTube video.

 

I Made Two Pot Stands for the Trangia Backpacking Alcohol Stove

Sitting inside watching the rain, backpacking plans foiled, all geared-up and no place to go, I can still make the best of a rainy situation.

Some of my best gear improvement ideas have come to me on restless rainy days.    

     

The Trangia alcohol stove is hard to beat as a favorite backpacking stove. The Trangia is one of my favorites too, with one minor drawback, no pot stand. There are many nice pot stands made for the Trangia. I've never seen a pot stand I really liked, and made do without one, until now. Restless times call for rainy desperate do-it-yourself gear improvements.  Here are my two DIY pot stands for the Trangia.

Using a left-over section from a tent pole project, (see the Wawhiker YouTube video "REI Tent Poles for the Warbonnet SuperFly Tarp"), I made three 5 1/2 inch aluminum ground stakes. The stakes are stuck into the ground equally around the Trangia stove.  

Three cross members 3 1/2 inches long were cut from a stainless steel rod.  Each end of the rods were bent at 90 degrees.  These cross members form a triangle when placed into top of the ground stakes. The triangle should be 1 1/4 inches high from the jets of the Trangia alcohol stove. 

   

The flower pot imitated dry ground on this rainy day.

A wind screen is needed for this setup.  I found ground stake stability was an issue.

The second pot stand for the Trangia alcohol stove is the one I really like. But all of the credit for the construction of it has to go to Four Dog Stoves. It's based on their titanium wind screen for a Snow Peak 700 cook pot. I've had the wind screen for almost a year, (see the Wawhiker YouTube video "Zpacks Blast Slim Cuben Hybrid Backpack Gear Carry for a Hammock Overnight" for the wind screen first use), and thought of modding it for a pot stand for quite a while.

Using the Four Dog Stoves titanium wood screen as a pot stand meant I would have to drill holes through the titanium wall.  I was always hesitant because I had heard titanium was very difficult to cut.  After some research online, I discovered using a high speed drill and a good quality bit would make drilling holes through this titanium wind screen an easy task - and it was.

Once this rain lets up we will show you both pot stands on Wawhiker's YouTube Channel during our next backpacking adventure. 

ZPacks Blast Slim Backpack Gets A Light Weight Internal Frame

You read it right - my ZPacks Blast Slim Backpack is sporting an internal frame.

The removable frame gives great support, yet it's flexible from side-to-side.  Initial support tests have been positive. 

The aluminum and mesh frame adds 5 1/4 ounces to the already ultralight Zpacks Blast Slim's total weight.

 

The curves on the frame follow the spine and lumbar contours along the back.

  

The frame makes an already great backpack even better.  The added benefits of an internal frame can be felt as stability between the shoulders, down the lower back and from the hips.

You can't order this internal frame from ZPacks. 

 

It's a standard feature on another backpack made by Patagonia.

The Patagonia Ascensionist 45L Pack

When Patagonia recently released the Ascensionist 45L Pack I was all over it.  Weighing in at just under 2.5 pounds, the minimalist look and build appealed to me immediately. It reminded me of my Zpacks Blast Slim - in Beast Mode.  (The color options were a plus too).  I was on the look out for a light weight, rugged, bushwhacking version of the Blast Slim.

The Patagonia Ascensionist 45L Pack is the perfect fit.  I really like this backpack and all the features that come with it.  Stay tuned to my Wawhiker YouTube Channel for a review.

Did I mention - the Patagonia Ascensionist 45L Pack comes with a removable internal frame.

 

Both the ZPacks Blast Slim Backpack and the Patagonia Ascensionist 45L Pack benefit from light weight internal frame.

Low Weight Low Volume Backpacking Overnight

This post introduces a new look and a different direction for this site.

We will continue to post our backpacking adventures in Washington State here. But this site will now become an extension of my YouTube channel videos. 

Think of these posts as detailed description of my videos - with an additional bonus - the best photos from my adventures will also appear here. 

This backpack overnight started with a hike to Lake Ann on the Esmeralda Basin and County Line trail in the Wenatchee National Forest, northeast of town of Cle Elum, off Interstate 90.  The weather was gorgeous with temperatures in the mid-80s.

This hike was to be a test of the weight I shed by carrying lighter, lower volume backpacking gear. The Esmeralda Basin / County Line trail offered enough elevation and switchbacks for the load test.

As for the gear I packed, and the weight I carried, here is a partial list - a list of the "Big 3"

• REI Flash 22 pack (16 oz)
• Thermarest NeoAir pad (19 oz)
• Thermarest blanket (28 oz)
• Equinox 8 x 10 Siltarp (14 oz)
• Bug net (9 oz)

*Big 3 weight - 86 ounces / 5.3 pounds.  *(For shelter, sleeping gear and backpack).  Additional gear - cook kit, Cooper's gear and food, Sawyer Squeeze, LED light, food, water and Leatherman Juice S2 weighed an additional 11 lbs.  *Total weight 16 lbs.

Even at this weight - I can tell you I've never packed this light for any backpacking overnight before.

Same can be said for volume. All this gear fit into a 22 l / 1343 ci backpack.

This load-out test opened my eyes in many ways.

1. Why have I resisted carrying a lighter gear load for so long?
2. No pains during and after this hike - knees, hips and back.
3. Felt completely protected and prepared by the gear carried.
4. Cooper was warm and comfortable.
5. I could have packed less and carried lighter gear.

Stayed tuned as I address these issues and this subject in more detail in the coming weeks here and on my YouTube channel.

Hot Tenting with Wood Stove Winter Camping Sure Is Fun!

You can watch how much Cooper and I enjoy Hot Tenting with an installed titanium wood stove at Wawhiker's YouTube channel.