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Brooks Range Vacation II - Glory Days
Three days later found me at ‘Camp Mud’, on a silt beach along the Kongakut, some experiences richer. I was beginning to feel the rhytm I was reaching for. This was the first night I was not exhausted....
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Brooks Range Vacation III - Rain and Shine
The rain had started again by mid-afternoon, when my descent ended at the Sheenjek river bed. Things did not look too bad. There was no lake, just a wide valley almost filled with gravel bars...
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Brooks Range Vacation IV - Steep
With a considerably lighter pack than when I started out from Joe Creek some ten days ago I kept a good pace, walking into the gate of the mountains on my way to the pass that would take me across the...
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Brooks Range Vacation V - Re-booting
During the steep traverse, described in chapter IV, I lost my pack when it tumbled down a rocky slope. I hoped I could find it at the bottom of the gorge, otherwise things could get difficult.By Jörgen...
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Brooks Range Vacation VI - End of summer
This is the last blog entry, retelling the story of my 500 kilometer summer solo hike through the gigantic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge of Brooks Range, Alaska. I am on my way down to the Ribdon...
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Article 11
Lightweight clothing for winter tripsSome years ago I decided to test the theory that you could use the same lightweight baselayers and shells in winter as in summer. The only difference should...
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My Current Clothing for Winter Trips
The fact that I have proved to myself that I could use the same baselayer and shells in winter as in summer does not mean that I find this ideal. But they do add the perspective that even a very...
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Top mounted canister stoves in winter
After having used alcohol stoves for decades I have for more than 10 years used top-mounted canister stoves both summer and winter.By Jörgen Johansson These canister stoves are much more useful in...
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Water in winter
In winter you have to melt snow or ice for water. You also have to carry reasonable amounts of water in order not to get dehydrated during the day. I use a system with one large container and two small...
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Light up your winter nights
I just stumbled across a lightweight, solar powered lamp that looks interesting for winter camping. A brief video describes the functionality well. Worth testing?By Jörgen Johansson
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To shovel or to claw?
I have used a number of different snow shovels while winter camping during the decades. None are perfect for everything. If you are serious about camping in the snow and building your shelter in the...
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Hands warm in winter
I am a bit shamed to admit that I have for more than 30 years used the same setup for protecting my hands during winter trips. Well, the setup is identical but 50 percent of the components have changed...
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The Incredible Rulk revisited
One of my absolute favorites for transporting gear and food when travelling in snow, is the Rulk. It derives its name from a combination of rucksack and pulk. It has the advantage of working (almost)...
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Double up or not?
It is usually a good idea to save weight by sharing gear with a team mate. But not always. On our Finnmarksvidda trip a couple of years ago, Joe Newton and I did not share any gear, simply because with...
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Skis in transit
Travelling with skis, especially on airplanes, can be a hassle. And my old bombproof ski bag is not something I want to lug around in the backcountry. A couple of years ago I made a ski bag from some...
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The beginning of mummies
I am rereading Dick Turners book Nahanni, one of the inspirations for my own backpacking and packrafting trip down this marvelous World Heritage river in Canadas Northwest Territories. Dick Turner came...
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Shelter for forest
As Coast to Coast Sweden looms nearer I have begun to think about the kind of shelter I will use this year. Last years event was cold and damp, moisture was literally dripping from both the inner and...
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Shelter for the cool forest part II
During 2015 I used a Hilleber Enan on Coast2Coast Sweden in May. The weather was cool and nights were usually only a couple of degrees above freezing. So I was not surprised that condensation was...
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Gear at Coast2Coast Sweden part 1
I have just completed Coast2Coast Sweden for the 4th time, and it was a great experience, walking through spring across Sweden with a bunch of dedicated hikers. I will comment on some of the gear I...
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Gear at Coast2Coast Sweden part 2
The second piece of gear used on Coast2Coast Sweden in 2016 that I would like to comment on is my homemade tent. It had some good sides and some bad sides. The goal was to have a dry and comfortable...
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