BackpackingVideos.Com
by Jason Klass
Links
Rather than re-inventing the wheel and trying to create an all-encompassing list, I've tried to narrow down my "obligatory" links page to some of the more "off-piste" sites in an effort to promote some less-recognized, yet high-quality and well-deserving websites. These are some of my favorites and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. If you have a site or know of one that deserves attention and would like me to add a link, please feel free to send it to me via email. All links are listed alphabetically to avoid discrimination. Backcountry Cooking
Freezer Bag Cooking
Minimus
If you haven't tried it, you're missing out! Free yourself from the bland, overpriced commercially-available freeze-dried food and make your own tasty meals with ease. This is THE website to learn about the benefits and techniques of dehydrating your own back country recipes. I like this site because Sarah also has a lot of vegetarian recipes. If you're serious about making your own lightweight meals, buy the book too--it's well worth it!
Minimus
You don't have to lift ketchup and salt packets from McDonald's anymore! Get individual restaurant-style packets of your favorite condiments and personal-care products here. The best part is that you don't have to order in bulk-you can buy individual packets that are perfect for backpacking for a reasonable price and they have a much better selection than your local fast-food joint.
Backpacking Information
An awesome resource for every backpacker--detailed backpacking information with help on choosing backpacking gear, weekly backpacking tips, trip reports, and backpacking forums.
Blogs
Tinny's Blog
My
favorite! You'd better check it 2 or 3 times a day or you'll miss
something! Tinny updates it constantly with new videos and inside
glimpses of his latest stove projects (interspersed with shots of his
cats and chickens of course).
DIY Gear
Homemade Backpacking Gear
Zen Alcohol Stoves
My old, text-heavy and clunky website. Still, there's a lot of useful information there. This was my first attempt at making a website and was a great learning experience. But, you move on and hopefully this one is a little better.
How do you make a stove without any tools or materials? How do you tell time without a watch? This site by J. Falk has all kinds of survival techniques and homemade gear ideas that any backpacker would find interesting (and possibly life saving!). My favorite is the "dirt stove".
Zen Alcohol Stoves
If you have any questions about building alcohol stoves, this is the place. Simply put, there's nothing closer to a Bible for stove builders than Zen Alcohol Stoves. Beginners and experts alike find useful information and ideas about the design, construction, and workings of alcohol stoves here. There is no more comprehensive site than this and it's definitely worth bookmarking. I find myself referring to it time and time again.
DIY Materials
Flamma Aeterna
The Wick Store
E-Bottles
This
is where I buy my Kevlar wick and Kevlar tape. It's actually a
fire-dancing company but they sell a lot of materials that are useful
to a stove builder. Very good customer service. One of their
employees once spent half an hour on the phone with me to advise me on
the best wick to use even though I was only buying about $10 worth.
The Wick Store
Here's
where I get my fiberglass wick. You can buy it in large spools or
smaller hanks and they have almost every type and diameter you can
imagine. Easy ordering and fast shipping.
E-Bottles
Looking
for a plastic fuel bottle that's just the right size? Need an aluminum
canisters of a certain dimension for your latest stove design? Look no
further. This place has a huge variety of every type of bottle
imaginable.
Forums
Club Tread
Gear Addicts
Hiking Forums
Outdoor Adventure Canada
Practical Backpacking TM
A
Canadian forum with a different and refreshing perspective from many
US-based ones. This forum might be especially of interest for you
hardcore winter campers. Traffic is low sometimes but the posts are of good quality.
Gear Addicts
Think you've got a gear addiction? You haven't met these guys! They post complaints if steepandcheap.com hasn't listed a new product by 12:01 a.m.! Fun and friendly, this is a
small but growing community of hardcore gear heads with a great sense of
humor.
Hiking Forums
A
small but friendly and helpful community without all the baggage of
bigger ones. Sleek and user-friendly design and layout with some
really cool user features others don't have. You'll instantly feel
welcome here.
Outdoor Adventure Canada
Another
Canadian forum with a cozy, yet very dedicated following. You'll get
great feedback here and the site also has a lot of other great
resources. The owner is a back country gourmet and this is THE place
to post if you want to exchange ideas about cooking in the field.
Practical Backpacking TM
Tired
of feuding members and political posts? This forum always stays on
topic and attracts experienced members who only want to exchange
serious backpacking ideas without messing around. A lot of good advice
for beginners as well as veterans. Also, lots of great,
professionally-produced podcasts with big names in the field that you
won't find anywhere else.
Gear
Adventure16 Extensive selection and great deals on top-end gear. Seriously, if you know what you want and are searching for the best price, check here first--even before eBay! They also have a bunch of retail stores and free clinics in California.
Anti Gravity Gear
Gossamer Gear
Minibull Designs
Trail Gear Trading Post
Home of the Trail Stik--a cleverly-designed hiking staff that stores survival gear inside it's hollow aluminum shaft. I haven't tried one of these yet but think it's a brilliant concept. Imagine never forgetting any of your essential survival items again because they're with you every time you hike.
Ultralight Adventure Equipment
Anti Gravity Gear
Want to lighten your back country kitchen without taking out a loan to buy the latest titanium gimmick? This is the place to get lightweight and highly-practical kitchenware and other accessories without spending a fortune. I own several of their pots and have been impressed with their durability and features. Their pot cozys are also great.
Gossamer Gear
Home of the famous G4 backpack TM, Gossamer Gear makes UL accessible to everyone by offering innovative gear at affordable prices. They even show you how to make your own! Lots of unique UL equipment you can't find elsewhere like the Sitlight Pad TM and the White Box alcohol stove TM. Also great resources and tips for the UL backpacker.
Minibull Designs
Simply put, Tinny is the most creative and prolific stove designer to date. With a machine shop that would make any stove-maker's mouth water, he consistently produces innovative alcohol-stove designs that meet almost every specific cooking need and sells them at a very generous price. I own several of his stoves and am more than jealous of his workmanship. Be sure to check out his "my adventures" page as well to see his latest projects. Here's the coolest part: his entire workshop is powered by a windmill he made himself!
Have you ever said to yourself, "I wish someone made a pack with XXX and had a XXX on the hipbelt with 2 XXXs"? Well, someone does. With their design laboratory, you can choose from an extensive range of options and features to create your own, 100% customized pack. Don't see the features you want in the design lab? They'll help you develop it! If you can dream it, they can build it. This has got to be the coolest concept in backpack design yet!
Taiga Works is an outdoor gear & sports clothing company producing leading edge outdoor gear including waterproof Gore-Tex jackets, down jackets, fleece apparel, cycle wear, gaiters, hats, gloves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and kayaks.
Trail Gear Trading Post
Home of the Trail Stik--a cleverly-designed hiking staff that stores survival gear inside it's hollow aluminum shaft. I haven't tried one of these yet but think it's a brilliant concept. Imagine never forgetting any of your essential survival items again because they're with you every time you hike.
Ultralight Adventure Equipment
Do you have hip-belt pockets on your pack? It's probably because the major companies copied pack-building pioneer Brian Frankle's famous semi-custom "ULA" packs. Known for their comfort, quality, thoughtful features, and outstanding customer service, ULA packs have created their own cult following (of which yours truly is a proud member).
Personal Sites
Cloudwalker's Basecamp
This site has everything! Homemade gear instructions, videos, photos, tips & techniques, free wallpapers, trail journals and more! Also, lots of great resources like trail information, checklists, and advice any backpacker can benefit from. You could spend a lot of your weekend here and still not see everything.
Cloudwalker's Hiker Profiles Page
Ever wonder what some of your favorite forum junkies look like? You can see their pictures here along with some basic stats.
From the inventor of the famous Supercat stove, this website features many other innovative ideas on DIY gear including the Kite Windscreen. He also does uber-thorough analyses of commercially-available gear. Great insights from a truly seasoned hiker.
Podcasts
Backpacking Light
Practical Backpacking Podcasts TM
Wildebeat
A UK based site that has some interesting podcasts. They may be a few
steps behind the US when it comes to UL but are catching up quickly. I
always like to get other cultures' perspectives on our sport and these
podcasts are great when you're in the mood for something a little
different.
Practical Backpacking Podcasts TM
Chances
are, you'll recognize most of the names interviewed in these
high-quality and well-executed podcasts. Bernie intelligently probes
the thoughts and expertise of some of the biggest players in
backpacking today. I like to listen to them while I'm punching jets in
my latest stove designs with my Whitney punch!
Wildebeat
Great bunch of podcasts covering a variety of back country issues from gear to survival.