This site is basically dedicated to sharing the things I’m learning in continuing my faith and trust in Christ. As well as to let friends and family keep up with what’s going on in our lives. I hope as I put my heart and thoughts into this blog you will in some way be blessed and mostly that God would be Glorified.
S
Had our first regular season soccer game last weekend. I have 3 out of 7 kids from last year returning to our team. Gabe, Josh & Xavier. 1 of my boys has never played before, one has not played for two years and is a year younger than the rest of the team. I was a bit worried about this game and I use the term worried loosely, as it is just a U9 soccer game. Last weekend we played in a Jamboree and lost all three games. We not only lost but got schooled pretty much each of the games. We did not score a single goal and had maybe 3 -4 shots on goal for all three games. My worry was mainly that this would be a really long season for the boys. read more…
Hike Summary:
Destination: Sauk Mountain Peak
Mileage: 2 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet
Weather Conditions: Mostly Sunny
This weekend I had the pleasure of going with my son on an AWANA camp out and hike. We left Friday at 5:30pm and drove east for about an out to Rockport. We camped at Howard Miller Steelhead Park. This was the second time I’ve stayed at this camp ground. It is right on the Skagit River so when the weather is warmer it’s fun to explore the river, swim or fish. We rented the adirondacks which have 8 bunks each for a total of 16 bunks. We had 17 boys and 7 Men. We spent the evening getting setup and the boys played games, we then took a hike out the back or west end of the park. The trail we took is probably a 1/2 mile or so and we wanted to familiarize our selves with the path so we could come back and hike it in the dark without lights. We got back to camp from the initial hike and Gene built a fire and we had hotdogs and chips. The boys played capture the flag. Then about 9:30pm we headed out for the dark hike. It was pitch black out, but as our eyes adjusted the walk was not too bad. Andrew did a devotional and gave the message of the gospel. It was neat sitting along the river with the stars and listening to him. One of the boys about half-way through raised his hand. Andrew finished and asked him what his question was, we were all expecting a deep question 
about Andrews devotion. But the boy asked, “what do you think that light is over that mountain?” We had a good laugh. It was an air plane. We saw a couple of shooting stars. When we got back to camp we roasted marshmallows then pretty much went to bed. Gene and I with two boys ended up sleeping out under the stars. It was a beautiful night.
Manufacturer Specs
Tent:
- Dimensions: 85 x 52 in
- Weight: 3lbs 11oz
- Material: Floor – Coated Nylon Taffeta; Canopy – Nylon Ripstop; Fly – Coated Nylon Ripstop
- Packed Size: 7 x 20 in
Pros:
- Light
- Easy Setup
- Bullet Proof against the elements
- Good Ventilation
- Dry’s Quickly
- Packs Small
Cons:
- Not very roomy
I have been looking for a good lightweight tent for backpacking. I came across the QD-UL2 which on REI’s site had a 4.6 star rating with 56 reviews. The main drawback from the reviewers was that it was cramped for a two person tent. But for under 4 lbs and a killer price tag I decided to take the plunge and purchase it.
Yesterday I told you about my quest for a new shelter. On my last trip I had the priviledge of seeing the ill effects of weather on tarp users. We backpacked into Ridge Lake on Labor Day weekend.
In the afternoon a larger group came in and setup camp over by Gravel Lake. I noticed that part of the group pitched a large maroon colored tarp in a stand of trees. I wasn’t sure if that was for their kitchen or what. It turned out part of the group was using it for their shelter.
That night it poured rain, also sleeted and there was ice on the outside of the fly when we woke up, not to mention the wind. It rained all morning as well until about 11:30am. We took off for a hike and happened by the group with the tarp. I asked a gal outside how they faired in the weather. She was said the ones in the tent stayed pretty dry, but the folks in the tarp got drenched.
I’m so glad I got the tent. I do want to try a Hennessy Hammock though. Hopefully in the future.
S
In my quest for lightening up my pack I’ve been looking at the big three. Shelter, Pack and sleeping bag. My current pack is an REI Mars. It is a great pack and I am really happy with it. I bought it for it’s 5,100 cu inches, mainly to help as I backpack with my kids since I carry some if not most of their gear. It is heavy though, around 5 and a half pounds or so empty. So eventually I would like to get a lighter pack for weeklong trips that I go on my own or with other adults.
My sleeping bag is a +20 Downtime from REI and weighs about 2 and a half pounds. My sleeping pad is a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core and weighs under 1 and a half pounds. So my big three prior to this last tent purchase was 16lbs. 8lbs for Eureka Juno including tyvek footprint(I need to double check that), 5 lbs 8oz for REI Mars, 2lbs 8oz REI Downtime. Which puts me far from ultra-light hiking, but with my new tent puts me closer.
The focus of my quest as of late as been on a lighter shelter. I’ve gone over many different options. Single wall 2lb tents, under 2 lb hammocks, UL double wall tents. It’s been hard to settle on what to get. I was really close to buying a Hennessy Hammock, a friend in VA uses them and loves them. (I almost did it Bryce!) But I decided I don’t usually camp alone and so would need one for each person in my family. I looked at the single wall offerings including tarps and felt nervous about the single wall shedding rain and mainly condensation inside the tent as well as the price on those puppies. Tarps I felt don’t give enough protection from the elements or bugs and cost almost the same as some tents, which I don’t get at all.
I finally decided on a UL tent and bought REI’s Quarter Dome UL. It’s a two person backpacking tent. Double wall and weighs 3lb 11oz. I bought it on their outlet site and had an additional 20% off so for $169 I had a nice light tent with a foot print that weighs less than half of my current tent setup.
Now I have enough tent for my whole family to go backpacking with the two I now own. I just wish my Eureka was lighter. I had the opportunity to take my new tent out on what turned into an extreme(at least for me) weather test. Look for a full tent review on it soon.
Now my big three total is 12lbs and I definately felt it on my Ridge Lake hike. I’m looking at the REI Flash 50 to reduce that by another 2 1/2 lbs. But we’ll see.
S
For my last two trips I feel like I’ve really taken my pack weight to task. Before I left for Spider Meadows with Gabe I went through and over every piece of gear we took and scrutinized it before setting it in the pile to pack. I even went as far as repackaging food and other items. For instance I stripped any redundant items and did not bring them. I repackaged my first aid kit in a zip lock back instead of the zippered pouch it came in.
I think Gabe thought I was nuts at first. He said but that isn’t very heavy, but when I took all the stripped items and put them all in his hands he was like oh, okay, then he kinda got into it as well.
I still think I can get lighter. Which I have done since. For Spider Meadows my pack was 46lbs with everything including food and water for me and Gabe and my only backpacking tent, the Eureka Juno 3 man tent that we ended up using as a 4 person tent. It’s about 8lbs. We came back with a few snacks but that’s about it.
On my most recent trip my pack weight was 36lbs with 2 liters of water, snacks and my new REI 2 person tent which weighs 3lbs 11oz. Gene carried the food, his pack was 34lbs.
I’m still working on diminishing my base weight and hope my next hike will be in the 20 lbs range. Any tips for lightening up?
S
I’ll be honest here, I’m a coffee fiend. I love coffee, getting up in the morning and having a nice cup a joe is one of my favorite things. In this post I will review the three methods and coffee making devices I’ve used while backpacking and which one wins out as my preferred method. Keep in mind my rating 1 – 5 is based on my experience and using it for primarily backpacking. So weight and size play an important part in the rating. Rating guide: 1 star = Lame; 2 = Barely Functions; 3 = Functions Well; 4 = Exceeds Expectations; 5 = Totally Rocks
Instant Coffee Packs – Weight: Depends on how many you bring – Rating: **
Pros:
- It has some caffeine
- Simple
Cons:
- Poor flavor
- Heavier to pack out
- Messy garbage
My first experience making coffee while backpacking was instant coffee packs. Like tea bags, except with coffee in them. I think they taste horrible. Like paper and wood with coffee mixed in. Plus you have to pack out the now soaked coffee bag with the added weight of the water. So for me not a good option.
GSI Lexan Java Press – Weight: 8 oz – Rating: ****
GSI Lexan Java Press
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Makes great tasting coffee
- Brews enough for a small group
- Comes with a wrap for keeping coffee warm on cool days
Cons:
- Binds easily
- Weak point where push rod attaches to press
- Bulky
The next experience I had was with a French Press. My friend brought his GSI French Press on one of my first backpacking trips. It works especially well making coffee for larger groups, about 3-4 cups per brewed pot. I picked one up and have used it for 6 or so backpacking trips as well as car camping at the office. It is simple to use and makes great tasting coffee. One issue that I have found common, with mine and the 3 friends who’ve picked them up is they tend to bind fairly easy as your are pressing the coffee, mostly toward the bottom portion of the press. If you keep pressing it can bind completely up and be very difficult to get apart. My first one broke on about the 3rd trip. After in had bound up my friend was trying to pull the press back up it cracked the press where the rod attaches to the wire mesh part. With my new one I try to be very careful with pressing. If it starts to bind, pull back up a little and try continuing. I think part of the binding issue is that grounds get caught in between the press and the body and if you keep going it just locks it up. Overall this is a great solution for making coffee while backpacking. I generally pack my ground coffee plus other items in it to make use of the space inside since it takes up a fair amount of space in my pack.
MSR Mug Mate – Weight: 1 oz – Rating: *****
MSR Mug Mate
Pros:
- Extremely Lightweight
- Makes Great Tasting Coffee
- Small Footprint
Cons:
- Expensive little bugger
I ran across this in backpacker magazine as a great item for coffee or tea lovers. I happened to find one as I was preparing for my Ridge Lake hike and decided to give it a try since there were just two people going. The list price on this is $16.95. Which is close to the GSI Press. But it only weighs an ounce! It makes great tasting French press like coffee. It worked well for the two of us, depending on the size of the group and patience level it could work for a larger group or if you had one for every couple of people. It takes about 3 – 4 minutes to brew a cup of coffee with it. I also found you can get one like it under a different brand name “Finum Teeli” for about half the price MSR charges. I love this item and it is my new favorite backpacking coffee maker.
S
Some old growth with a collection of old man's beard
I forgot to mention a couple of things in the report. First that the Mountian Huckleberries and Blue Berries were ripe and in abundance everywhere. I have never seen so many in my life. We were able to pick them from the trail as we hiked to our hearts content.
Second, I’m not sure why or what it is but the simple fact of being on the PCT was magical and exciting! Not sure if it is was just the thought of being on the trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada or what but it was exilerating for me to hike that small portion of it.
Peace!
S
Ridge Lake
Hike summary:
- Destination: Ridge Lake
- Mileage: 15 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 2,500 feet to Katwalk, trail kinda levels out after that
- Camp Elevation: Ridge Lake around 5,400ft
- Hike Time: 4hrs in; 2hrs out
- Weather Conditions: Wind, Rain, Sleet, Snow
- Trip Length: 3 days / 2 nights 9.5.09 – 9.7.09
- Pack Weight: 36lbs
Hike Details: read more…
This morning, we started with breakfast and then sat in a circle and introduced ourselves. Then we toured the campus grounds. We visited the library, and met the librarian. 
Then we went to the administration building and met Oscar the Dean of Administration, he
is originally from El Salvador. We also met Carlos Lopez, I thought he was American from his looks but he was born and raised in Argentina. I liked Carlos. He was the first Christian in his family and his wife was too. There was no church where he was so he and his wife and two
friends started one. It was like the blind leading the blind. They decided they needed to get some training and decided to come to SETECA. At the time the Argentina $ was worth 4 Quetzals so they came. Then about 1/2 way through the economy went bad and it went to 8 Argentina $’s to 1 Quetzals(Guatemala Money). So they did not have the money to continue studies, they prayed and he told his wife they would have to leave because they had no money, he said not a coin in his pocket. His wife said how will we go home if we have no $. Then God provided. He is now the assistant to the dean of administration and a professor. Everyone hear performs multiple tasks. The Dean for instance Runs the administration office, admissions, he teaches in the seminary, Pastors and runs a reach out to men in the area.
Next we had lunch and I had the pleasure of meeting Adam. A student from Texas. He has a neat story of how he ended up here. But he is taking his masters and has a ministry with some other 
students reaching out to glue abusers. I guess it is a huge problem here. People beg to get enough for a little food and buy glue that they sniff 24hrs a day. So the students come along side them, try to befriend them and disciple them. Then get them into rehab center. They have had a few professions of Christ and gotten a few kids out and into rehab. All the students are also required to be involved in ministry. The 5 boys I sat with were all pastoring and doing all kinds of ministry when they are not studying.
We had dinner and then Sara came and shared her story of feeling God leading her to study the bible and leaving her family in northern Guatemala and coming to SETECA with out any money or support from her family. 
God provided and she has a ministry of visiting the hospitals critically ill people. She has had people tell her not to come back and they don’t want to hear what she is saying, but she goes back and they are glad. Many have come to Christ, some right before they die. Wow. She was a very sweet girl and gave us all hugs and kissed our cheeks.
Love you all,
