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Standing Bear Farm at the north end of GSMNP is open. Just called them to make sure before hiking in December.

Thanks everyone.

Could anyone give me information on the parking area at USFS 42 a mile from Springer? Is it safe to leave a car for 5 nights and how full could I expect the parking area to be on a late Friday...

I left mine last summer for 5 days while I hiked the GSMNP. Well worth it.

Thanks everyone. I was on the way home this afternoon with a 1/2 pound of each and got to thinking it might not be a good thing to get sick 40 miles away from the car.

I've used packaged pepperoni and salami many times over the years on the trail, but does anyone know if deli sliced pepperoni and salami will keep over the course of a 5-7 day hike?

I have gotten in the habit of just hanging my whole pack after I eat and set up my sleeping area. I use stuff sacks for everything, so it is just simpler and takes less than a minute to repack the...

LOL. My real name isn't Watson. I just chose that because it finishes Sherlock Holmes' famous saying, "Elementary my dear...." and I'm an elementary principal.

Just curious. When I joined White Blaze, I chose Watson because I was an elementary school principal. You know, "Elementary my dear ________" Now, 3 short months later, I'm moving to a middle...

How do people get their trail names? Do they choose them for themselves or are they given to them, or both? Do trail names change or do they stay with you?

My son and I are going to do the whole GSMNP the first week in July. I've hiked the AT in lots of spots over the years but never really kept up with it, so now I'm gonna keep up with it starting...

You say stuff like that and then come across someone like me who has had eye surgery and is sensitive to light. So I wear sunglasses. Everyone has their own reasons for the stuff they carry. Hike...

I bought a Kelty Cosmic Down 20 last year for $70 and I love it. At a little over 2 lbs it's a great buy for the money. I slept in thermals and a silk liner with temps in the teens hiking over...

Watched it this weekend with my wife. We both like it a lot. It's not really a hiking movie so much as a character study set on a hike. It definitely looked easier than the AT, but my wife said...

Yay Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. $6.88. I always seem to find things cheaper through froogle.com and amazon.

Forgot to mention, in late December, my son and I went on a multi-day hike near Damascus, VA. It was in the teens overnight with snow on the ground. My gear, 2 days and 2 nights of food, and 1.5...

Words of wisdom. I have traded out a lot of gear also over the past year or so. My REI New Star (Which I loved until I climbed Mt. Leconte) was the first thing I replaced, buying a ULA Catalyst. I...

Watched all your vids this morning. Keep them coming. It was good to see Ray Ray at Clingmans Dome, I was beginning to worry that he had ditched you and left you on your own.

Depending on the food, I think. Lipton noodle mixes and other things commercially bought would create more trash somewhere, either at home or on the trail. Transferring that to freezer bags would...

Thanks for the advice. I'll try it out with rice. I'm not really sold yet on FBC versus cleaning the pot yet though. More trash to pack in and out vs. no clean up.

I've tried freezer bag cooking a few times with Lipton instant noodle mixes, various flavors. Every time, the noodles have tasted like the freezer bag (plastic) and had the consistency of wet...

Mini beanie tube pillow. Only weighs about 2 ounces but it does take up a lot of space in my pack.

I would just feed the boy scout to the bear. Then you've solved 2 problems at once.

Well dang, I didn't know the answer had to be a serious one. I see people carrying desktops everywhere.

I think you forgot the desktop with the all in one printer, scanner, copier, fax for all of your business and personal needs while on the trail. That would be a must for the technology section.