Backpackin'

These sites are recommended because we've used them and found their products to be of good quality, their prices fair and their service excellent.

• Granite Gear www.granitegear.com/ Very high quality backpacking gear. We own several of their products. Richard owns a Nimbus Meridian pack and we are planning on a Vapor Ki for Sherri, on the recommendation of Alpine at Mountain Crossings. Posted at 3:34pm on Mon, Jan 19 2009

• Tarptent www.tarptent.com Henry Shire's incredibly light tents and tarps. We own one of his Double Rainbows. Posted at 3:38pm on Mon, Jan 19 2009

• Zpacks www.zpacks.com Some very cool ultra light stuff, including very light cordage and teeny tiny cordlocks. Posted at 1:32pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• ArmyGear.net www.armygear.net/ag/store/index.html A reliable, fairly priced site we use for inexpensive, used military gear, especially cold weather clothing. Posted at 8:17am on Mon, Jan 05 2009

• Campmor www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Home_ Huge selection of gear from many companies, with excellent customer service and good prices. Posted at 3:37pm on Mon, Jan 19 2009

• Photon Freedom II micro-lights www.photonlight.com/Photon-Micro-Light-II-Keychain-LED-Flashlights-p/p2-keychain-led-flashlight.htm Our favorite keychain lights. We carry them on neck lanyards on the trail. Incredibly bright, tough, dependable little lights. Posted at 3:41pm on Mon, Jan 19 2009

• Zen Stoves zenstoves.net/ "This site is composed of a compilation of techniques and ideas dealing with commercial and do it yourself (DIY) camping stoves that use alcohol and other hiker friendly (as well as unfriendly) fuels for cooking." Posted at 2:20pm on Mon, Mar 02 2009

• High Mountain Outfitters www.HIGH-MOUNTAIN-OUTFITTERS.COM We ordered six Vargo Ultralight titanium tent stakes from these folks. They had the lowest price we could find ($14.62 the set), only charged $4.90 for shipping and got them to us in only 3 days during the Christmas season. Free shipping for orders over $35. Posted at 8:12am on Fri, Dec 25 2009

• White Blaze www.Whiteblaze.net In our opinion the premier website about the Appalachian Trail. Posted at 1:27pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Appalachian Pages www.appalachianpages.com/ Excellent trail guide by the good guys. Posted at 1:30pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Appalachian Trail Weather www.sophiaknows.com/atdb/weather.php This is part of the The Appalachian Trail Database. "The Appalachian Trail Database (the 'ATDB') is a geographical dictionary collecting trail mileage, position, and elevation for over 500 AT Waypoints, inlcuding: Trail Shelters, Post Offices, Features, and Hostels." Posted at 6:28pm on Mon, Jan 05 2009

• The Online Companion www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm Here you will find links to the files that make up the 2008 edition of the Posted at 7:20am on Mon, Feb 02 2009

Good Guys of all types.

• Arf Aid www.arf-aid.org Our friend Sue Smith rescues Austrailian Sheperds and to raise money for them and to celebrate her 50th birthday she is throwing a huge and crazy bash this March and the entire universe is invited. Posted at 4:09pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Mountain Crossings www.mountaincrossings.com/index.asp Mountain Crossings is a don't-miss outfitter-store-hostel-haven at Neels Gap along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. Owner Winton Porter and his staff are famous for going out of their way to help hikers in more way than can be listed here. Go to this Backpacker Magazine story to learn more: http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=2 Posted at 4:13pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• North American Bear Center www.bear.org/website/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 Will you or will you not get eaten. Posted at 4:27pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Change Through Challenge www.changethroughchallenge.org.uk/ Change through challenge is a charity that creates opportunities for people at risk of social exclusion to "change attitudes through challenging yourself". An increasing number of people are at risk of social exclusion in today Posted at 10:25am on Sun, Jan 17 2010

• Wahoohiker wahoohiker.com/ Posted at 1:22pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Travis in The Backcountry travisinthebackcountry.blogspot.com/ Posted at 1:23pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Florida Hikes www.floridahikes.com/ "I'm Sandra Friend, author of eight books on Florida hiking, and this is a work-in-progress drawing on more than 600 hikes I've done and 2,500 pages I've written about hiking Florida. Browse the articles, look for a hike near you, and check out the forum to learn more about Florida hiking." Posted at 4:54pm on Thu, Jan 15 2009

• Leave No Trace Center for Outdoors Ethics www.lnt.org How not to foul our nest. Posted at 4:21pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Leave No Trace www.leavenotrace.org More about not fouling our nest. Posted at 4:24pm on Thu, Jan 01 2009

• Free Cycle www.freecycle.org/ "...a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills." Posted at 12:18pm on Sat, Jan 03 2009

• BackpackGearTest www.backpackgeartest.org/ "BackpackGearTest.org is a site where backpackers evaluate new gear in the field over a six month testing period. We report to BackpackGearTest.org in a setting that encourages discussion. For gear tests, manufacturers provide a set of gear to go to a broad range of testers. For other evaluations, we provide individual reports on our own gear with which we have had significant field experience." Posted at 8:14am on Mon, Jan 05 2009

• Jason Klass Gear www.freewebs.com/jasonklass/index.htm "Since I began backpacking, I have found relying on gear that I've made myself to be not only more ultilitarian, but very rewarding. This site is a humble effort to create a repository for homemade-gear ideas that I've found both progressive and practical. " Posted at 2:56pm on Sat, Jan 10 2009

• Peak to Peak www.peaktopeak.net/ Find trails near you, far from you - anywhere! Posted at 2:43pm on Mon, Mar 02 2009

• Webs.com www.webs.com/pages/features/ We started Backpackin' for free at Webs.com and were so pleased with the fre service we upgraded very quickly. Posted at 11:30am on Mon, Jan 19 2009

• Dry Tortugas www.drytortugasinfo.com Visit Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas National Park, 100% Lowest Price Dry Tortugas Ferry Guarantee! Snorkel, Food, Drinks, Sun, & Get 10% off Dry Tortugas Charter. Posted at 8:31am on Wed, Dec 16 2009

• Pyramid Profiles www.PyramidProfiles.Webs.com Marlyn Black's excellent personal training. Posted at 10:58am on Thu, Jan 14 2010