Monday, June 25, 2012

2 Girls and a Minibus - Part 1







Once upon a time, there were two girls named Baihley and Sarah whose mantra was “Never Stop Exploring.”  A shared love of adventure brought them together, and soon a friendship bloomed.



One bright summer weekend in June, Baihley and Sarah embarked on an adventure that would test the limits of their trusty TNF gear. Clothed head-to-toe in TNF apparel, and armed with a Minibus 23 and two Angstrom packs, the girls took on a 15-mile stretch of the Little Miami River in Oregonia, Ohio (Don't let the "Little" fool you).



They could not have picked a better pack for their needs. Neatly packed inside the Angstroms was their water supply (a hydration pack and two water bottles), climate protection (sunscreen and rain gear), and most importantly, cooking supplies and food.


It didn’t take long for the girls to develop a system for transferring supplies from one kayak to the other (See video for demonstration.)


This was their first solo trip; although they were no strangers to the outdoors, having previously backpacked in several states and in all seasons. With all of their expertise, they were able to easily set up the Minibus 23 in record-breaking time.


The awesomeness of the Minibus was taken to the next level as the girls discovered the sheer number of features it contained. It had enough inner pockets to make any gal happy, and the double doors – with glow-in-the-dark zippers – made convenient access a breeze.

They came home sunburnt and content, with mud-coated gear, waterlogged shoes and blisters on their thumbs from paddling, perfumed with the smell of campfire smoke and river. To some this may not sound like a well-spent weekend, but to Baihley and Sarah it could not have been better and only made them thirsty for further adventures.



DISCLAIMER:
For dramatic and narrative purposes, none of the people, places, or events in this story were fictionalized.  The characters’ zeal for the outdoors was not exaggerated and any resemblances to actual TNF employees are not coincidental.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

LOST CREEK WILDERNESS

               MY TRIP BEGAN ON MAY 28TH AND WE RETURNED THE 30TH.  6 OF MY ROOMMATES AND I EMBARKED ON A BACKPACK TRIP IN THE PIKE NATIONAL FOREST TO KICK OFF THE SUMMER! IT WAS AWESOME BECAUSE WE MADE IT AN ALL GIRLS TRIP AND WE HAD EVERY TYPE OF GIRL ON BOARD. SOME OF US HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE CAMPING OR SPENDING TIME HIKING OUTDOORS AND SOME HADN'T DONE ANYTHING OTHER THAN CAR CAMPING. EVERYONE WAS GAME TO GIVE THE LOST CREEK WILDERNESS A FAIR SHOT FOR THE TRIP. 
               I DEMOED THE ALTEO 50 PACK AND THE PHOENIX 2 TENT.  THE PACK WAS THE PERFECT SIZE FOR THE 2 DAY TRIP.  I HAD NO PROBLEM FITTING 4 LITTERS OF WATER, PLENTY OF FOOD, MY SLEEPING BAG AND SEVERAL LAYERS.  THE MIDPOINT ACCESS ZIPPER WAS PRIME FOR ACCESSING MORE LAYERS WHEN I NEEDED THEM OR WHEN I NEEDED TO TAKE SOME OFF AND STUFF THEM AWAY.  THE WIND TUNNEL BACK PANEL SYSTEM WAS PERFECT FOR KEEPING MY BACK COOL AND VENTILATED.  AFTER ABOUT 4 1/2 MILES ON THE VTE TRAIL WE SET UP CAMP ON A RIDGE THAT OFFERED PLENTY OF ROOM FOR OVER 3 TENTS.  WE SET UP CAMP AND 5 OF US GRABBED OUR WATER AND KEPT HIKING TO THE SUMMIT OF MT. BISON.  THE TRAIL ENDS ABRUPTLY AND THE TOP OF THE PEAK IS A FIELD COVERED IN WILDFLOWERS AND CRAZY ROCK FORMATIONS. ITS SAFE TO SAY WE HAD DISCOVERED MARS IN COLORADO. I SCRAMBLED AROUND THE ROCKS IN MY HEDGEHOGS WHICH KEPT MY FEET SAFE WITH THOSE SWEET VIBRAM SOLES. WE MADE OUR WAY DOWN AND ENJOYED SOME MEXICAN FOOD AND SMORES! 
                I SHARED MY TENT WITH MY ROOMIE ALEX, WHO IS FROM THE BAY AREA AND BLESS HER HEART IS NOT INTO ROUGHING IT.  WE WOKE UP TOGETHER IN THE PHOENIX 2 AND SHE ASSURED ME SHE HAD SLEPT LIKE A BABY!  THIS TENT WAS GREAT, I HAD NO PROBLEM PACKING IN ALL 3LBS AND SLEEPING UNDERNEATH THE 1/2 MOON IN GREEN AND STEAL COLORED ROOM  MADE ME FEEL LIKE I COULD POSSIBLY BE IN A SPACE SHIP! IT WAS ALSO AWESOME NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT A RAIN FLY BECAUSE IT IS A DRY WALL TENT!  I MUST SAY WHAT A WAY TO SPEND OUR FIRST FEW NIGHTS OF SUMMER TOGETHER! GOOD COMPANY AND AWESOME GEAR MADE IT POSSIBLE. THANKS TO THE NORTH FACE FOR THE PACK AND TENT, WE COULDN'T HAVE HAD SUCH A BALLER TRIP WITH OUT IT!!
-JESSI HACKETT