Several months ago, I was contacted by the folks at 45N68W (the coordinates of the northern terminus of the AT) to test a new insect repellent they have on the market. I took it with me to the Everglades in May, but wouldn’t you know … no mosquitoes to speak of! I’ve done my best […]
45N68W: another success!
I’m so impressed with this product … but if I could only remember the coordinates! While speaking at Bill Jackson’s this Monday I had the inevitable question about what bug spray I recommend, and I immediately could picture the spray bottle in my mind, and the fact that neem seems to be the magic ingredient, […]
45N68W: beating mosquito swarms
45N68W does it again for Florida’s mean mosquitoes. An unintended field test comparison this week pitted a Deet-based product against swarms of oversized mosquitoes in Volusia”s Wiregrass Prairie Preserve against the all-natural 45N68W on the big loop at Wekiwa Springs. I’d forgotten to pack the bug juice for the first trek, so I borrowed what […]
Clif Bars Sierra Trail Mix
After finishing a bike ride, I tried one of the Clif Bar new flavors: Sierra Trail Mix with peanuts/chocolate/raisins. They’d sent a box of bars for us to try out and share the results with you. It was really good! It tastes more like a home made soft cookie than an energy bar. I have […]
Dorcy 41-2093 Headlamp
After months of using my Dorcy headlamp as just an everyday flashlight, the opportunity finally came to give it a real test. I headed off on the Florida Trail with the Dorcy 41-2093 as my do-everything light. Winter is the best time to hike in Florida. Cooler, and often with less bugs. But with winter […]
LightStar LED Flashlight
Before we left for the AT, I gave John a few pieces of gear to test for us, which were sent along for my inspection by the manufacturer. Here’s one that we used while backpacking in Florida but it didn’t make the cut for our AT hike – we stuck with headlamps instead. For our […]
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
A made-in-Florida product that we first saw on the Appalachian Trail two years ago, the Sawyer Mini is a lightweight filtration option we highly recommend after our trials.
SmartShield
Last spring, I received samples of a sunscreen product called SmartShield. Now for years, I’ve used whatever was on sale, but knowing how important sunscreen is, decided to try out SmartShield to check its claims. I’m duly impressed. I’m fair-skinned and burn easily, especially on my face and arms. My existing tubes of Coppertone Sport […]