Gear Review - Gossamer Gear QuikSak

QuikSak at Cherry Pond, NH

General description:
The Gossamer Gear QuikSak is an 8 oz day pack best used for light-minded day hikers or for hauling a few light items around town. It has no internal structure or padding, hence the need to keep it light and free from pointy, hard edged objects. It has two large, mesh water bottle pockets (9" tall), a haul strap, a top lid with a small pocket and an internal back pocket for a water bladder or sit pad... and not a whole lot more.

Top Lid/Fold-In Pocket
The pack is designed to stuff into its own zippered top lid, making it ideal for travel as a summit pack - and in my opinion, works far better than a convertible top lid...which has an awkward waist placement and no water bottle pockets. There is a small tab to hook a key ring inside the pocket, which is easy to access and useful for an assortment of small things like sun screen, key, map, etc. I like that the zipper isn't set sideways, and that I can reach into it without stuff falling out. Attached to the lid is a buckle, which snaps together with the other end to secure the pack and keep it closed.

Folded into their own pockets: Gossamer's QuikSak & RikSak size comparison.

Back

Front

Body, Front, Back
It's made with a lightweight, 50 Denier ripstop nylon, which is rather slippery at first blush. There is no pack padding or structure within. The pack itself measured about 23" long inside. A drawstring cord keeps the closes off the top - and the top pocket folds over, clasping with a daisy chain webbing strap and buckle closure to keep it shut. There are several tiny webbing tabs on the front and sides to lace cord through (as well as 3 more inside the top neck of the pack, not sure why exactly). The water bottle pockets are big & secure enough for 1 LT plastic bottles and a pole can squeeze in there too. There's a reflective stripe on the front as well.

Shoulder Straps
Perforated padding touches the skin on each strap, a stretchy, darker material faces out. The straps are 2.5" wide. There is a small horizontal fabric strip on each strap to latch on a biner, a watch, etc. 

Stabilizing Straps
There is the usual sternum strap on this pack, as well as what I like to call, a "Belly Belt". Gossamer is the only pack maker I know who has this strap, and after thinking it quite odd at first, its starting to grow on me. It's placed right over the belly and helps keep the pack in place. Since most loads in this pack will be minor, there is no hipbelt, so the Belly Belt is there instead.

Internal
Not much here except the large pocket against the back, which could hold a water bladder or small sit pad.

Testing in the field

Testing
City: I took this pack out to the street s a few times and found it comfortable yet slippery. The pack, if not full, would slip along my lap in the subway abd onto the floor if I wasn't watching or with a sudden bump in the train. However when the pack is full, it holds itself mostly-upright as a structured pack would.

Side view

Country: I hiked for several days in the White Mountains this May with it not-quite fully loaded. I hardly noticed I was wearing it...it was light and comfy. The shoulder straps worked well on my 5' 4" frame, distributing the small amount of weight I carried (maybe 8lbs?) I stuffed a Kumo sit pad inside for better stabilization and a little cushion. Without the sit pad it may not have been as comfortable to carry for 25 miles over 2 days, especially if I had anything pointy in it, but with a little foam it was a perfect fit and just the right size for a day hike. I had strung some extra stretch cord through the side tabs to stabilize a hiking pole (or a tall bottle), which worked perfectly. It's good to have the tabs there, not an issue if you don't use them, they're tiny enough. If you don't use a sit pad for a little structure, it's still a nice pack to carry, so long as you keep your load light and hard-edge free.

Conclusion
Overall I really like this pack for a variety of uses and I can see it replacing my old REI Flash Pack 18 easily - actually it already has. I plan to use this pack some more this summer and will return to review it again. It's simple, no fuss, a great size for me, and just the right amount of pockets. My only gripe is superficial... the color: two tones of grey. What happened to the fun moments of orange GG?

Thanks to Gossamer Gear for sending me this pack, as well as the Riksak and others, for testing.

Crawford Notch to Jefferson, NH - Cohos Trail Section Hike

A Section Hiking Adventure 
Section #2, May 2014

Crossing a farm field to the Presis

Spring has finally sprung in New England! While there is still much snow in the upper reaches of NH's White Mountains, Chris and I set out on a rainy Friday night for a 2 day section hike of the Cohos Trail, a 25 mi low valley jaunt we missed last summer. We camped at Zealand Falls where the rain fell hard, relentless. But I couldn't have been much happier listening to the rain. I was in the woods where it always feels like home away from home, a place I hadn't visited in several months due to catching a nasty cold, getting ready to move from my residence of nearly 12 years, and planning several hiking trips for the spring and summer.

Cherry Pond

While the rain continued, we decided to eat a leisurely breakfast and hike the shorter of the 2 sections, from Cherry Mtn Trailhead on Rt 115A to Jefferson Village. The rain ended by 1pm when we spotted my road bike in the village and drove the starting trailhead. We hiked along the old B&M train line and through the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw many, many ticks (on us!), a diving snapping turtle, lots of frogs, a garter snake and had a surprisingly fantastic day on this little used section of trail. At a viewing spot on the pond you can find a little cache with a notebook for writing down your thoughts and a stamp and inkpad for your own notebook. We enjoyed a lovely stop on a farm's flatbed truck before walking a section of road to Jefferson to finish up the day. The weather was perfect and the day bright, a far cry from forecast and day before.

Red Roof Inn

Our second day consisited of 15mi, starting at the Edmunds Path Trailhead on Mt Clinton Rd. A new taxi/hiker shuttle, Notch Taxi Service, got us there that morning (friendly service, call to make your reservations in advance). We crossed through the trails of Bretton Woods XC Ski area and through the backyard of Mt Washington Hotel where we enjoyed a late breakfast on the veranda. We soon passed the gushing Upper Falls of the Ammonoosuc River, where we couldn't help but to stop and admire the sheer power of water as it bubbled in and out of the giant pothole known for it's swimming and sometimes tragic endings.

Upper Falls

Pushing on we walked along more old B&M rail trails to Old Cherry Mtn Rd which after a 3 mi slog  lead us to Cherry Mtn Trail up Mt Martha. The views of the Presi's from Mt Martha and Owl's Head are not to be missed, so quiet and lovely, we only shared it with one other for a brief moment. After a little nap, we made our way down to Rt 115A, tumbling past scores of wildflowers, included Red & Painted Trillium, Bluets, Star Flower, violets, and one of my favorites, Spring Beauties.

Sassy on Martha

For both hikes I carried a lightweight backpack from Gossamer Gear called the QuikSak. Review to follow.   

Thank you GG for sending this pack along, and thank you C. Osgood for sharing all your photos from the day!

Bluets

Lighten That Pack - Slideshow & Potluck

I volunteer for the Appalachian Mountain Club's Boston Chapter, as a 4-season Trip Leader, and for the past 5 years, as a Volunteer Coordinator of a slideshows & potluck series called the AMC Boston Slideshow Series. Through word of mouth, email and online, I gather friends, acquaintances and strangers to do all the hard work of going out on a great trip, making a coherent slideshow and telling us all about it. The slideshow attendees, or enthusiasts as I like to call them, bring a food to share... and all together we have a nice monthly event. I host about 9 shows a season, with as varied topics as a hiking trip to Japan, using only public transport to get around, a trip by bicycle across Mongolia, skiing first tracks skiing through desolate areas of Canada, an expedition to climb Mt. McKinley in the 1970s, a movie about a blind hiker's achievement of hiking all of NH 4ks in one winter season... among other inspirational trips taken by local Bostonians and New Englanders alike.

Last night was the final show of the season, which runs from Sept - May. As a real treat, I was not only the hostess but also the speaker. I've only presented 1 or 2 slideshows before, but despite that I wasn't nervous. The title was "Lighten That Pack", and I intended to discuss my own embarrassing story of lightening my backpack weight from a heavy 39lbs to 19lbs over the course of 5or so years. I thought if I can do it, anyone can lighten their load, by a little or a lot, through being efficient, creative and earnest with yourself.

Don't let this be you. Heavy!

I met up with Philip, Ryan and Allison at the auditorium, all 4 are local Trail Ambassadors for Gossamer Gear. Between us, and especially Philip, we amassed a load of lightweight gear to display including lightweight stoves, tarps, tarp tents, a hammock, water purification methods, and lots of day packs and backpacks. The crowd of about 50 ate, socialized, and inspected all the gear before the show, which lasted about an hour. My presentation also discussed the finer points of Light/Ultralight principles (simplify: rethink, repackage, replace), the key notion of multipurpose items, DIY stuff, places to go online to shop, gather info and discuss light hiking ideas.

Lighter, better!

After the talk we answered a few questions, and people were let loose to see the gear up close and try some packs on for size. The fact that we had a 20% discount for Gossamer Gear packs might have helped give them a boost to try lightening their load, or at least let people know these small companies exist and have big fans! I hope the hikers that were there last night will like GG packs and going lighter as much as the 4 of us do.

From those attendees that reached out to me after the show, I got the sense that hikers just need a little knowledge, a little encouragement, and a few tips to get the ball rolling to a lighter, happier hiker. If we can do it, you can too... its not so hard (though it may take a few years and some trial and error, ok... maybe alot of that!)

If you missed the show or are interested in downloading it for yourself, see the link below to the PPT or PDF:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y7rwtrv9l6d3fet/FJNKiiJ4Jy



 

Blue Hills Spring Training Hike

When spring has finally sprung in Boston, I take to the local hills for a 9 mi hike of the Skyline Trail, which traverses the Blue Hill Range of the Blue Hills Reservation just south of Boston, MA. The hills are truely small, the highest is only 635 ft above sea level. But when you combine 12 of these hills together, it turns into a quality day out in the woods. So after hiking the one way traverse with a friend this March, we determined we could easily turn around and walk back, making it a double traverse of about 18 mi. So a few weeks later, we did just that.

But first, a little history....
The Blue Hills Reservation has a long history of usage & settlements, including the Native American Massachuset tribe, who called this home for over 9,000 years before the early European settlers came in the 17th century, building homes, logging and clearing the woods for farmland. The quarry industry came in the 1800s to extract granite rock used in buildings across the nation. And scientists came as well, building one of the first weather observatories in the US, atop the park's highest point, Great Blue Hill.

Originally purchased by the Metropolitan Parks System (MPS) in the 1890s, the reservation is now cared for by the MA Department of Recreation & Conservation (DCR). The area is the widest swath of green space in the Boston area, about 7,000 acres, spanning 5 towns, and is truely and urban oasis park, never too far from a road and used by countless people in the region for a variety of activities including hiking, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, x-c skiing, downhill skiing, softball and more! Highlights include the Blue Hill Weather Observatory (still in operation today), the Charles Elliot viewing Tower, the Trailside Museum explaining the cultural, natural and historical history of the area w/a live animal display, a cedar bog walk on Ponkapog pond, the Blue Hill Ski area in winter, and of hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

Skyline Trail noted in blue, parking in purple. Full size map

So in early April, a group of 5 gathered for the double traverse at the far east end of the reservation, at the Shea Memorial Skating Rink parking lot. We left a car here containing extra water, food and clothes which we would access at the midpoint of our hike, and piled into another car to drive 10 min to the west end on RT 138. This parking lot isn't located at the true end of the Skyline, there's about a mile of wet marshy trail to the west, which dead ends at Rt 95. Which we decided to skip that section and head east, in the direction of our midpoint. (If you want to do a true Skyline Traverse, your best bet is to start at the east end of the park at the Shea Skating Rink, head west to the far marshy area, and then turn back around).

Heading east from the Rt 138 parking lot, the Skyline Trail crosses the road takes you straight up the rocky steps to the highest hill, Great Blue, where you can visit the Blue Hill Weather Observatory & Science Center, which offer public tours on Saturday, and walk up the granite Elliot Tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, for excellent views of the reservation, Boston Skyline, the Harbor Islands and beyond.

Charles Elliot Tower, , named after the landscape architect & founding father of the Metropolitan Parks System

The Boston Skyline from the Elliot tower

Here the trail splits into a North or South options. Both bring you to the Reservation Headquartersm where you can refill on water, use the restroom and buy a trail map. We took the longer North trail, going up and down Wolcott, Hemmingway and Hancock hills, where you can gaze back at Great Blue, looking distant. We stopped briefly at the headquarters, crossed the road and continued over Tucker Hill, past some large glacial erratics and up Buck Hill, a fan favorite, where we stopped for more great views, a breeze, and early lunch on its rocky open top. The trail tumbles down the rocky backside of Buck Hill, crosses Rt 28 and makes its way up Chickatawbut Hill, where there's an fenced off, solar-powered Education Center. The crowds begin to thin and views of the harbor islands become clearer as you approach the east end of the park. Crossing a road again, you head up Wampatuck hill, which holds a little pond often overfilled with spring runoff. The final climb is up Rattlesnake Hill, an steep and fun scramble up a huge tumble of granite. This is a well known rock climbing area, used by locals as well as the Appalachian Mountain Club Mountaineering Committee, who teach fledgling rock climbers various rock climbing skills. Somewhere in here, either before or after this hill, is a small stagnant pool of water, which appears to be a very small quarried area. Inside the pool you can spot minnows, tadpoles and hear peepers in the spring. The path then cuts through the two St Moritz Ponds, where you might spot a few deer and ducks on the shore. Up a small rise and through some tall pines, we were suddenly at the parking lot of Shea Skating Rink, where our food, water and dry socks waited.

Small quarry area

A few of our party left at the midpoint, taking one of the cars home, while the other 3 of us carried on & back to the start. I had never done the traverse in this direction before, and it was fun to see landmarks and views we hadn't seen going the other way. I was feeling tired by the time we got to Buck Hill again, the unofficial mid point in either direction. But after a brief rest and second lunch, we were bouncing along the rocky trail once again, up the Great Blue Hill and down to our car. If you have 8 hours to spare on a nice day, I highly recommend the 16-18 mi double traverse (with our without the 1ish mile of marshy trail to the west).

If you go: I find trail running shoes to be best for gripping the rocky, sometimes steep trails on the Skyline. Maps can be bought for $3 at the Reservation Headquarters on Chickatawbut Rd, which is a small house next to the State Police barracks. There are various parking lots to start and end your hike, whatever milage day you choose.

ADK Visit in Winter

View from Big Slide towards the High Peaks

I've been trying to hike in the Adirondacks for a number of years, only to be thwarted by an early spring snowstorm this past Memorial Day, and an early fall snowstorm several Septembers ago. So this time around, I planned a 4-day visit in February with the help 4 other friends. Surely a snowstorm would be a welcome event on this trip! As luck would have it, it snowed about 12" the week before our visit adn stayed nice and cold all week.

We started our trip with a big breakfast at the Noon Mark Diner in Keene Valley, just a mile or so from our trailhead parking lot. (If you're hiking in the area it's a must-stop eatery for a cheap & filling meal. Don't miss the pie, turnovers donuts, they have it all!) Soon after we were loading up our backpacks & polk sleds for the first leg of our trip, a 3.5 mi trail to Grace Cabin, owned and operated by the Adirondack Mtn Club. The location of this cabin in the High Peaks Wilderness is a perfect jumping off point to hike the following ADK 46 peaks: Big Slide, Lower & Upper Wolfjaw, The Gothics, Armstrong & Haystack... and if you're up for a looong day, Mt. Marcy & Skylight. Other lodging in the area, also run by the Adironack Mtn Club include John's Brook Lodge (summer only), Peggy O'Brien Cabin and several lean-tos.

Larry & his sled

Crossing John's Brook, approaching the cabin nearby

The cabin turned out to be a warm & welcome haven for hikers of all seasons like us, as well as backcountry skiiers & ice climbers (as we detected from the log book). While it has no running water or electricity, this one room structure for six features two sets of bunks beds, a kitchen table w/ benches, a 2 burner cooktop, refrigerator, water buckets, gas lamps, propane heat controlled by a thermostat, and all the cooking utensils, pot and pans you need to feed six. Cubbies made it easy to store gear, and two hanging lines helped to dry our clothing. Two food lockers were useful for storing dry goods, though we found no evidence of mice. We did find many decks of cards, checkers, maps and a few books neatly arranged by the kitchen table. A large front porch was helpful to de-ice our hiking gear, and a small outhouse was located a short walk from the back of the cabin. There was also a binder of instructions for the cabin's many appliances, This turned out to be very helpful,  as we had to replace the propane gas tanks that ran empty (thanks Jeff!). But if you want to stay here, you better prepare in advance, the cabins regularly book up a year in advance.

Grace Cabin

After we arrived at the cabin, we left our overnight gear inside and headed up Big Slide, our first hike of the trip, and my first 4K in the  ADKs. The trail was tracked out from previous hikers and made for good footing. The views were lovely from wide ledge on the top. We stood and pointed at the distant High Peaks we would hike in the following days.

In the weeks before our trip, hardly anyone had reported using snowshoes on the unusually low snowpack this year. The Adirondacks are well known for its wet trails in summer, which in winter usually translates into lots of ice walls & ice bulges under the and rocky ledges. Snowshoes are required if the snowpack is 8" or more in the ADKs, so for this trip we wore snowshoes almost the entire time.

NY State trail marker

View of Upper Wolf Jaw, from Lower Wolf Jaw

Sliding down the steeps

After the hike to Big Slide, we returned to the cabin to cook up veggie soup and shrimp stir fry (and to devour Emily's homemade dessert). We felt lucky to eat so well and stay in a heated lap of relative luxury in the woods. By 9pm we had crawled into our respective bunks and settled into a routine of early to bed, early to rise, hike, eat well & repeat.

New Olympic Sport - ice climbing in snow shoes

Upper Wolf Jaw Summit

The following morning we arose to another cold and sparkling sunny day and ham, egg and cheese sandwiches (yay!) Our hike took us to Lower WolfJaw &  Upper Wolfjaw. A few obstacles were made easier with the use of an ice axe and a short rope, but overall it wasn't  technical or difficult with the correct gear. Crampons would have been helpful, and even though we had them, we stayed in our snowshoes and made it up the obstacles just fine. Views were had from both the Wolf Jaws, and hile Armstrong lingered nearby, we deicided to save it for the next visit. While this meant another hike for next year, it also meant more time to eat appetizers, nap and cook another big dinner (pasta in a hearty veggie & meat sauce). The stars were out among the tall pines surrounding the cabin. The moon, which appeared to be full for several nights, lit the way to the outhouse without a need for a headlamp. (Well yes, you did need one INSIDE the outhouse).

The third day was a rest day for me, as I felt usually nauseous by morning (possibly my overeating of the yummy pasta?) The rest of the group ate oatmeal with fixings and soldiered on to Haystack, the third highest in the park, enjoying a 11 mi hike with some above-treeline views and exposure.

Lean To

Bunny on the bridge

Back at the cabin, I slept in, read a magazine and felt alot better by the afternoon. I took a walk in the surrounding area to get some fresh air, taking note of the various lean-tos, John's Brook Lodge and the many bridges that crossed the brook. I saw only one other pair of human tracks that weren't part of our group, and many animal tracks including deer, mice and rabbits. Later I hauled a few buckets of ice water from the brook back to the cabin (a daily ritual usually completed after each hike). The rest of the crew soon arrived and told stories of a very cold, yet successful summit of Haystack. That night we ate homemade chili, soup and rice from previous meals and homemade dessert of course! Our final day was nearly upon us, so all our extra food had to be eaten...and we easily took on the challenge.

On our last morning we ate homemade granola, cleaned up and hiked quickly through the bitter cold woods. We soon found ourselves at the Noon Mark once again, enjoying a big lunch & pie, discussing plans for our next winter trip to Grace Cabin.

Grace Cabin - Beds, cubbies and food locker

Grace Cabin - kitchen side

Grace Cabin - table area

Triple-level bunks

Cook top

 

Gear Review: Kammock Hammock & Evo ProNest

Hanging Around with the ProNest and ROO 

Kammock (orange) and ProNest (blue) hang side by side

Hammocks have been on my radar for a little while now, but not always for camping. About 15 years ago I got a mexican style one as a gift and hung it on my front porch which faced west for lovely sunset views and general relaxing in warm weather. Eventually I moved to a less-hospitable place for a hammock, but never forgot at how wonderful a near-weightless nap can be. Fast forward a few years and hammocks became a popular trend on the backpacking scene with a number of options, including Hennessy, Clark and Warbonnet hammocks including fly for rain, bug nest, stogage underneath and more. And now, hammocks are back on the rise with brands like Eno & Kammock made for general use and relaxing while car camping, backpacking, climbing and whatever your outdoor pursuit preference.

Over the course of the summer, I had to chance to test out two hammocks, an Eno ProNest, and a Kammock Roo.

Kammock's Roo
Weight: 24oz
Size: 5'7 x 10'
Fabric: "Lunar Wave", Smooth, textured weave, has a bit of shine
Packing: Packs into it's own pocket/compression sack
Price: $99.00
Straps: Sold separately (more on that below)

Likes: Overall, I like the Roo very much for what I bought it for, casual hanging around for 2 people, on day hikes, backpacks, or just a day at the local park. This may be considered a single hammock for large or tall people, but for two smaller sized people like me and my BF, this is a great fit. But you pay for the extra fabric in weight: the Roo weighs about 2x the as much as the ProNest. However it's larger in all dimensions. Kammock only has one size, so if larger is better, than this may be a good fit for you. I like the feel of the fabric, different from the Enos as it has a textured, diamond weave. Its very comfy overall with plenty of extra fabric to wrap myself in or cooler days. It also works great if you lie on it width-wise, using it as a swing. The Carabiners are rather large on this hammock, which are attached to dyneema slings, one on each end.

What I don't like: Stuff pocket/compression sack. While its nice to be able to make it smaller by compressing it, the straps and buckles add unwanted weight and bulk.

Do-gooder effect: With every Roo purchase, Kammock & their partners Malaria No More provides Malaria treatment for 5 kids in Africa. Also, their unbleached paper product tags are have wildflower seeds in them that should sprout when you plant them in soil.

If and extra 2.25 lbs in your pack (including straps) makes you gasp with horror, read below for a lighter option.

Loving the Roo

Kammock's Roo is long and wide, great for couples or tall folks

Roo's diamond weave fabric

ENO ProNest
Weight: 12.8oz
Size: 4.6' x 8'
Fabric: Smooth, has a bit of shine
Packing: Packs into it's own pocket with drawstring
Price: $64.95
Straps: Sold separately (more on that below)

The ProNest is a better choice for smaller individuals or the lighter-weight backpacker/hammock lover who want to travel with a sub-2 lb hammock/strap system. The important details here are the lighter weight of the hammock parts and less fabric overall bring it to 1/2 the weight of the Roo. The size is truely a one-person hammock, so this won't do if you're trying to squeeze in two. The set up is very similar to the Roo, with 1 lighter, aluminum carabiner on each ends and a no-fuss pocket to stuff it into, helping with the lower overall weight.

Eno's ProNest is great for small individuals and weight-conscious relaxers.

Hammock Strap Options
For both models, the straps are sold separately. The nice thing about that is you can buy a ProNest Hammock, but use the Kammock Straps, as they all work interchangeably.

Kammock's Python Tree Straps
Weight: 12 oz
Size: 10' x .75"
Fabric: Silver UVA treated polyester
Weight bearing: 500lbs (250 each)
Cost: $29.00

While both strap systems are easy to use, but I like the way these are made (which may happen to add weight and strength). The strap is made of two dyneema webbing straps sewn together as small points (they call this tubular webbing), allowing for many loops to clip into (vs extra loops sewn into each strap). It does make for a bulkier strap, but I also think it makes for more clipping options, 18 in all, and adds strength. It also has reflective strip sewn in, a nice thing at night when you're wandering back from the privy. Overall this is the heavier strap system by 4oz, they are a bit longer as well.

Roo's Clip system and built-in dyneema slings

Eno's Slap Strap Pro
Weight: 8 oz
Size: 9.4' x .75"
Fabric: Black, UVA treated Nylon
Weight bearing: 400 lbs
Cost: $24.95

I haven't experienced any problems with these in the short time I've used them, but there are many complaints online about nylon stretch with longer durations, so that the hammock needs adjustment overnight or after long periods of use. So this is something to consider when buying straps, as you may find yourself waking up very hanging low to the ground. These are 2 ft longer than the original Slap Straps, a big improvement on length, and the strap stuff sac is very simple and low weight with just a drawstring closure. Overall the straps are lighter 4 oz lighter, $5 cheaper, a few inches shorter, and are rated 100 lbs lower than the Pythons.

Perfect Combo?
Depends on what floats your boat...combination and weights:

Eno ProNest + SlapStraps Pro = 1.25 lbs.
If you're looking for a inexpensive system, a snug fit, and the lightest system between the two, this might be the best bet, though complaints about the straps linger online.

Eno ProNest + Kammock Python Straps = 1.55 lbs. 
Maybe a better choice for lightweight hammock lovers (due to the strap)

Kammock Roo + SlapStraps Pro = 2.0 lbs.
For a larger hammock with lighter, yet stretchy straps.

Kammock Roo + Kammock Python Straps = 2.25 lbs
For a larger hammock and longer straps that no one complains about.

One more: Eno also makes a DoubleNest, which is just a hair shy less in weight than the Roo at 22 oz and one foot wider at 6.6' x 9.8' for only $69.95. While I haven't tried it, it sounds like it might be the best double hammock option of all.

Both hammocks were bough with the reviewer's own money. We are not endorsed in any way by either Kammock or Eno.

Cohos Trail Continued

A Section Hiking Adventure 
Section #4, September 2013

Roger's Ledge

After missing two section hikes over the summer, I was back on track and happy to be on the path northward. The last time we were on the Cohos, we were hiking through the well traveled the White Mountain National Forest. On this trip we finished the Whites while the Nash Stream State Forest waited just ahead.

Our weekend started at the Cedar Pond Campground, an excellent place to stay north of Berlin, in Milan, NH. At this time of year we campers had the place to ourselves. The sites are large, lightly wooded between sites, and if you stay at site 11, you'll be convenient to the tiny bath house with a hot shower, water and flush toilets and electricity. Luxury! We were serenaded by loons from the namesake pond across the road and by the owls in the woods all around us.

We decided to start the hike at Unknown Pond trail west entrance, and spotted a car at the South Pond Rec Area. Our hike took us through lovely, easy walking woods to Unknown Pond, a quiet pond and campsite with view of the Horn. We continued on the trail through more gentle trail, including some boggy sections, to Rogers Ledge, an outstanding, large ledge with distant but lovely views of the Northern Presis.

Mike crosses the bog

Michele and Mike

Continuing on, we ventured into the Devil's Hopyard, a narrow notch between rocky cliffs. The air along this trail was cool and damp, the moss grew thick and everything we stepped on was slippery. A large wall of shingled rock loomed above us just before we reached the end of the trail, as marked by a wooden trail sign. We turned back at this point and headed to our final stop, South Pond Recreations area - a lovely spot with a large pond, picnic tables, parking lot, bathrooms and shoreline to walk around. We searched a while for the Cohos which was supposed to be on a tail in the woods to the right of the road. We never did find it, so we walked the road instead and then took the trail that did exist to the end. Laura had decided not to walk the road and helped us out by picking us up. The other car was retrieved and we all met up at the campground for a filling pot luck meal of tacos, fresh pasta, beans, veggies, chicken and various teas and desserts. The night finished with a amazing full moonset.

Devil's Hopyard Wall

The End

Taco at the Potluck

After we nestled in our tents, stuffed of good food, the rains came down until 7:30am. The wet weather had deflated our interest in hiking, especially since the peaks ahead, The Percys, are composed of slick, slabby rock faces at the summits, which can prove to be very dangerous when wet. We decided to fold this section into the next hike, and hopefully the rescheduled date will be a dry day for safe summitting.