Hiking with Camera

It’s been a couple years since I first wrote my “What’s in My Bag” post, and since then, I’ve gone through a lot of changes, so I felt it was time for an update. As you may have noticed, for many years, I have carried a very heavy camera gear setup, ranging from 6 pounds […]

In the past few months, I’ve shared what I carry on my overnight trips, however, I have a finely tuned system that works for me. Not everyone can get away with what I bring and leave behind. I highly recommend that every backpacker have their own checklist for what to bring. I can’t tell you […]

Gem Lake is an oft overlooked destination for hikers. Snow Lake is a busy trail, which tends to dissuade serious hikers, and Gem Lake can be a long day for those less than serious. But, the escape from the crowds at Snow Lake, and the beauty of this subalpine pond make it a perfect destination. […]

As most backpackers and avid outdoors folk know, traveling in the backcountry holds certain risks. For many, that risk is managed through adherence to bringing what were originally known as the 10 essentials. The original essentials list has morphed and grown over the years, but it comes down to the main concept, bring what you […]

I tend more towards backpacking than car camping, yet the ability to bring a basecamp—a home—with me on trips has always been appealing to me. I am lucky enough to be married to a wife who has shared that appeal, and so a little over a year ago, after watching the progression of small camping […]

If you’ve followed our journey on the TAXA Trailer Owner’s Facebook group, you’ll probably know we’ve struggled a bit with our tow vehicle. What you probably don’t know is how painful this decision process has been. We started the search in February, well before our Mantis was delivered, so we had plenty of time. We […]

One of the steepest learning curves when we first started using our camping trailer was learning how to manage our power. Camping used to be fairly simple. You had certain items that needed power, and when they ran out, you couldn’t use them. But with our camping trailer, suddenly we had large, expensive batteries that […]

I have been following a little company called TAXA Outdoors since they first introduced their prototype Cricket Trailer. Then, one year ago, Amy and I finally bit the bullet and purchased our Cricket. One year and 26 trips later, TAXA introduced it’s new larger camper, the Mantis, and Amy and I couldn’t wait. After a […]

Over the years, I’ve carried my fair share of heavy gear. On backpacking trips, my record is in around 14 pounds of camera gear alone. Though I know folks who’ve carried more than that. Still, my goal is not to have the heaviest load. Especially as I left my 20s, carrying a lot of stuff […]

One of the most common questions I’m asked is about hiking with a camera. What do I bring? How much does it weigh? And how do I carry it? The short answer is, it depends, but let me take a bit to explain how I carry my camera in different situations. General Philosophy I know […]

Adobe recently released a new version of Lightroom that included two new hallmark features: HDR and Panorama. I’m still experimenting with the HDR tool and have yet to get any really good results, but the Lightroom 6 Panorama merge tool has quickly blown my mind away. Series of photos that would have taken hours to […]