Aquamira Filter/Bottle and Chlorine Dioxide Review

This is the second season I have been using Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide drops in combination with the Aquamira water bottle filtration system. This system is very light weight and extremely effective.

The drops basically kill everything in the water. However, it takes 4 hours to kill Crypto. This is one reason I use the filter system in combination. The filter will get rid of Crypto, and many other things including metals, pesticides, etc... It also gets rid of the chlorine from the drops.

The drops also kill viruses, which the filter cannot get rid of. I feel the combination of the drops and filter system is one of the best systems on the market.

There are several reason's I prefer a bottle over using a bag while backpacking. One issue I have is that I never know how much water is left in the bag without taking it out of my pack, which is a pain in the neck. A bottle is much easier to fill than a bag too. I have not come across a decent filter system for use with a bag, other than the larger bulky styles sold at REI.

I am considering getting a Steripen, or MIOX for next season. That is if I can come up with some extra cash. I am leaning more towards the Steripen because it kills everything in just a couple of minutes, whereas the MIOX takes 4 hours to kill Crypto. The Steripen may eliminate the need to carry a filter. However, it will not get rid of pollutants, metals, pesticides, etc... Thus, carrying a filter may still be a good idea.

By the way, I have the 22oz. bottle and the 32oz. bottle. The 32oz. bottle seems to leak around the top. I have to use it more to determine if the top was just on too loose, or it is truly a poor seal. However, I don't have any issues with leaks in the 22oz. bottles.

I like the Aquamira water bottle filter system and the Chlorine Dioxide drops. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for a great water treatment system, which is also light weight.

White Oak Canyon - Shenandoah

I finally had the opportunity to hike White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park this past weekend. Unfortunately, we were only able to hike to the first waterfall because we got on the trail very late. Also, we had two young children with us; ages 3 and 5. The people who attended the hike were: Nick, Z, Brooke and myself.

Overall this was a great hike, and had some beautiful scenery. However, if you are going with younger children, be prepared to carry them, for a little while, on the way back. Z, 3.5 years old, did a great job and hiked 90% of the time on his own. I had to carry him up a few hills as he was getting exhausted. He carried a small backpack with his water.

Brooke fell and cut her knee, so I bandaged it up for her, and she was as good as new. She did not complain at all about being tired, or not having fun. She was smiling during the entire hike. She was asking many questions, and was identifying plants. Z was also doing a great job identifying plants.

We saw several deer, in several different locations, during our hike. The deer in the park do not spook easily, and will walk right up to you; within about 3 feet. Z got a little nervous when a deer approached us. He turned and ran, then came over to me, and latched onto my leg. It was absolutely adorable.

Here is a great informational for the White Oak hike:
White Oak Canyon

2x4 Hammock Stand Stake

The ground seems to cause the stake, which holds the hammock stand up, to act as somewhat of a lever. My mission is to find a way to minimize, or disburse the forces on the stake by creating some sort of top plate, or something.

I am playing around with different types, sizes, and shapes of stakes to see as well.

Speer Hammock Construction Review

I recently made a speer hammock. However, the hammock was for someone else so this review will not comment on the use of the hammock, but on the construction.

This was my first DIY (Do It Yourself) project, which included sewing. I felt this was a great first project because the hammock has minimal sewing. The tarp on the other hand has a bit more sewing, but is still minimal.

The Hammock Camping book does a great job teaching how to make this hammock, and tarp combination. This is a relatively simple project by most standards and the majority of people should not have any difficulty completing this project.

If you have some sewing experience this is still a great project to do.

The most difficult part of this project was sewing the velcro onto the bug net. The bug net tends to stretch and mess up your seams. Someone recommended putting tape on the bug net side while sewing so it cannot stretch. I have not tried this, but several others claim it does work well. I will do this on my next project with netting.

I highly recommend this project for people wanting to learn how to make your own gear, or in need of a good hammock setup.

This is a great way to break into hammock camping and backpacking.

Good Luck, and have fun!!!

MSR Pocket Rocket Review

In my opinion the MSR Pocket Rocket (MPR) is one of the best stoves on the market today. It is extremely light weight, and works unbelievably well. The flames come out like that of a jet engine.

A wind screen is not necessary, nor is it recommended for this stove. A screen can actually end up being dangerous and causing the stove to over heat and explode. However, I have heard of people using them without incident.

The fuel for the MPR is reasonably priced and comes in a variety of sizes. The larger fuel cans are more stable when cooking, but are much heavier. I am not sure how many meals/boils you can get from a small fuel can. I have been able to use one on several multi-day trips without running out of fuel. I do mostly boil-in-a-bag meals.

This stove is great and I highly recommend it for any serious backpacker; especially ultralight backpackers.

Even after using this stove and giving it a great review, I still prefer my home made Penny Stove. Maybe it is because I made it myself.

2x4 Hammock Stand 1st Night Test

I used my new home made 2x4 hammock stand, through the night, for the first time last night. This stand rocks............. I was bouncing and moving around a lot through the night and this thing held up extremely well.

I had an air mattress under the hammock and a backup safety line tied loosely to a tree just in case I came crashing down. This would prevent the stand from crashing into me or the ground.

I decided to use a second stake in my line just for extra support. I will continue to use the two stakes, but not the mattress, or safety line. I now have enough confidence in this stand and the double stake system.

I don't feel the extra stake is 100% necessary. However, I feel more comfortable with it. Especially in the rain.

I plan to carry this stand, and a 2x4, with a notch, on all of my camping trips for now on. The purpose of the 2x4 is in case I need to employ the single pole hammock method. In combination with my new stand, my setup is completely versatile. I should no longer have issues setting up at campsites with cleared spots; so long as there is at least one tree.

Home Made 2x4 Hammock Stand

I built another hammock stand, but with treated 2x4's instead of 2x2 Oak posts. I found a nice 16" hex bolt and used it as my anchor stake. I attached a good size clip and chain link to the bolt. The weight ratings are 2000lbs.

The overall feel of the new stand compared to the previous is about the same. The only difference is that the 2x4's tend to squeak when you first get into the hammock. The total cost of this hammock stand was $20. This solution is probably the most cost effective. However, this is a much stronger solution than the previous.