The Marked Tree

Backpacking, Wilderness Survival, and Martial Arts

Amazon’s Kindle Ebook Reader — Better Than Moby Dick

JTHats | June 12, 2010

More reasons to consider the Kindle for the trail are the many options which some consumers don’t realize are a part of the device. Advertised as a Ebook reader, the Kindle is much more that. Wireless connectivity and a built-in simple web browser give access not just to your Kindle account at Amazon but to many other important web services as well.

Zatoichi Sword/Sticks for Hiking

JTHats | May 29, 2010

The Zatoichi sword stick is mainly for the collector of weapons and wouldn’t practically be a concealed blade today, although it is one legally. Most passers-by would recognize it as unusual, and no one with any degree of professional experience would miss it even without a metal detector. The days when these things were surprises are past. But it’s so cool!

Jimmy’s Blood-Red Raspberry Energy Bars

JTHats | May 23, 2010

With one type of sugar you get all the sugar results in one short rush, a surge up and a crash down, which isn’t fun. A good trail food will have simple sugars, complex sugars, carbohydrates and proteins, all of which are digested at different rates and available as steady energy for the long haul.

Solar Backpacking Ovens and Stoves: LightStoves

JTHats | May 13, 2010

With some ingenious arranging of the pole frame from your Coleman tent you create a parabolic mirror from the space blanket, fill your cooking pot with the last of your water and a packet of ramen noodles, and inside of an hour you’ve got food slightly hotter than that sand dune.