Author: Heath McConnell

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My Backpack Contents of Equipment for Two

image of backpack contents
Image of backpack contents

Equipment in my backpack when I hike with my friend:

Anyone who is new to backpacking may wonder what to carry in their backpack. I know I wished I knew where to find a list of what to carry; however, since that was before pagers, cell phones, and the internet, I made do. My first backpack weighed in at about 75 pounds! Luckily for me, I wasn’t adventuring very far out into the Mojave Desert where I lived that day.  I have learned a little since then. My pack is extremely minimal compared to this on solo trips (I use a Warbonnet hammock instead of tent, Solo Stove instead of canister stove and Titanium cup instead of GSI pot setup); however, I make up that lost weight and more with lots of camera gear.

When I hike with my best friend, I want them to enjoy the trip so that they will want to go backpacking more and more. I only ask that they carry their personal items, which I consider to be:

  • Toiletries
  • sleeping bag and pad
  • Snacks
  • Clothes.

In my backpack, I carry everything else. My pack for the last trip weighed in at 30 pounds, and I could have left all the extra clothes at home; however, I have issues with climbing in my sleeping bag at night in dirty clothes. Below is a list of everything in my pack that I took on my last trip:

  • Osprey Aether 70 Backpack
    • Rain cover
  • REI Half Dome 2 plus
  • REI Lumen 20 degree Sleeping Bag
  • Term-A-Rest Sleeping Pad
  • GSI Two person Set
    • 2 insulated Cups (with lids)
    • 2 bowls
    • 2 Sporks
    • Stove
    • fuel can
  • Snow Peak GigaPower Stove
  • MSR Fuel Canister
  • Food
  • Mesh Bag-O-Lights
  • Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer (This is also my “Every-Day-Carry” bag)

    • Snow Peak Titanium Spork
    • Straw (for Sawyer water filter)
    • Leatherman Tool (unknown model)(not shown)
    • First Aid bag
    • Sawyer water filter bladder
    • Trusty Silva Ranger CLQ Compass in Bearings (Have used in the field for 27 years)
    • Write-in-the-rain Weatherproof Journal
    • Sawyer Water Filter
    • Fox 40 Whistle
    • Mini toothbrush
    • Tiny toothpaste
    • Tinderbox
      • Vaseline soaked cottonball (in a tiny medicine ziplock)
      • lots of Birch bark
      • Light My Fire mini Flint and steel
    • 8 Starbucks instant Italian Roast Coffee single servings
    • 2 Yerba Mate tea bags
    • lotion
    • Sea To Summit HeadNet (for mesquitos)
    • Survival Bracelet (usually worn in the field)
  • Garmin GPS 60
  • Gerber Sheath Knife (instead of 9mm Taurus)
  • 100 ft of paracord
  • 1.75x Reading glasses
  • Canon G16 Camera
  • Ultra-Pod 2 Tripod
  • Canon Cable Release
  • Oregon Pinot Gris in a 1 ltr Platypus bladder
  • Boonie Hat to hold up the Mosquito HeadNet
  • Clothes
    • Socks, 1 pr
    • underwear, 1pr
    • Thermal “long johns”, 1 pr
    • Switzerland Military issue wool sweater (From military surplus store)
    • Pants with zip off legs, 1 pr
    • Long sleeve sports shirt with zippered chest, 1
    • Fleece gloves, 1 pr
    • “beanies” or “skull cap”, 2
  • Collapsible fleece pillow

There were a whole heck of a lot of things I didn’t need in my pack this trip. I could have left out the Wool sweater, pants with zip off legs, 100ft of para cord, AlpineAire food, Tent rainfly, tent stakes, long sleeve shirt, and a few other things. Hope this helps someone out there.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

UPDATE: You have to take into consideration many factors when backpacking. One thing I was unsure of is what the temperature where we were backpacking to was going to “feel” like overnight. The reason I said I could have eliminated the aforementioned items is because  I didn’t use them, however, that is hindsight.

Cost of equipment: I am a firm beleiver in buying what I can afford and upgrading from there. I do want to say, on the other hand, There have been many times I have purchased some piece of equipment and immediately after the trip replaced it because it sucked frog lips! That being said…You get what you pay for; however, buying a $39 collapsible bowl that cooks on the stove may be replaced by a cheap a$$ 5 pound Goodwill pot and a $0.50 plastic bowl. That doesn’t mean that someday when you find an extra 40 bones in an old pair of pants you wouldn’t want to buy that collapsible pot/bowl…It would be worth it… IMHO.

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Stir fry Noodles and Chicken


I had two bundles of udon noodles pre made in the fridge and decided to make something tonight with them. Basic Stir fry noodles with shrimp and chicken. 

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (I didn’t use the shrimp)
  • 1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 large jalapeños, diced
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 7 ounces enoki mushrooms
  • 4 ounces oyster mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons NAM PRIK PAO (THAI CHILI PASTE
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 18 ounces frozen precooked udon noodles, thawed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • scallions, for garnish, chopped

Notes / Directions

  1. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry over moderately high heat until curled, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate. 
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and stir-fry until white throughout, 3 minutes; transfer to the plate with the shrimp.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the jalapeños, cabbage, onion, carrot and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, shrimp and chicken; remove from the heat.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the udon in a pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and add to the skillet. Stir-fry over high heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with scallions and serve.

As far as mushrooms go, I have found that mushrooms can totally change the flavor of a dish. Choosing the right mushrooms is a point of personal preference and mood. That being said, experiment a bit.

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Vivian Lake from Salt Creek Falls Trailhead

Vivian Lake from Salt Creek Falls Trail Head

This hike has multiple waterfalls to enjoy!

Basic Information (from GPS)

  • Driving Distance – 1.45 minutes
  • Hike Distance – 3.85 miles
  • Hike Duration – 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Elevation Gain – 2048 feet (guidebook says 1600ft)

Why Vivian Lake

I had tried hiking into Vivian Lake some 17 years ago from the top down, however, we never made it that far due to the attacks of what seemed like trillions of mosquitoes. The farthest we made it was Notch Lake…sad, I know. Last month, I decided I would hike to Vivian Lake after work on a Friday. I began planning the overnight backpacking trip. There were two requirements that had to be met that eliminated a myriad of beautiful choices. The first was based on having a clean car – I really didn’t want to have to drive miles and miles down a gravel forest service road, even though that would lead to an easier hike. The second condition was that the drive distance from door to trailhead needed to be under 2 hours, especially since I was leaving after work. Vivian Lake met the requirements.

The Trip

I am a pretty active individual and I felt that hiking the 1600 foot elevation gain (as stated in a trail guide) would be no problem. I knew I would make it there pretty close to dark, so I made sure I had the headlamp within easy reach in my pack. I arrived at the trailhead at about 7pm and started hiking. The parking lot was pretty empty, which was interesting because the parking is also for Salt Creek Falls, which is the second highest waterfall in Oregon. Trailhead at Salt Creek Falls

I ended up skipping Salt Creek Falls and Diamond Creek falls on the way in because I wanted to get to my destination. I hiked about 1.2 miles in the woods and arrived at a set of active train tracks. I stopped to take a few pictures, but looked dumb in them, so I only kept the one of the tracks themselves. Once I crossed the tracks, I pressed on until I came to a road. The trail didn’t cross the road this time. I followed this road to our left using a topo map on my iPhone to find the actual trail. It turned out that immediately on the west side of the tracks, the trail forked in an unnoticeable way. It wasn’t to far off course, however, it made my skills at navigation, from 24 years of being a Surveyor, appear quite weak. Railroad Tracks at trail trossing

I moved onward and upwards, still in the deep woods, until I came to Fall Creek Falls. I took a quick peek and moved on. It was shortly after this that it was dark enough to put on the headlamp. I hiked for some time and almost looked for anywhere to camp when I came upon the Vivian Lake Trail that leads down to the actual lake. I started walking through an area of bear grass, which seemed really weird at night by headlamp. image of bear grass by headlamp

I made it to a large camp area, at 9pm, at the beginning of the lake where I set up camp. I tried to take a time-lapse video of me setting up the tent, but it was just to dark for it to be worthwhile to post. Once the tent was setup and the food was hung over a branch way up in a tree, I climbed in and had a little wine and immediately fell asleep. At 11pm I was woken up to a guy and girl talking and shining their headlamps all around. For some reason, they decided to set their tent up close enough that i could throw a rock at them. That was kind of weird. image from within the tent

In the morning, who knows what time, I got up and made a fire with the flint/steel and birch bark from my tenderbox. There was plenty of wood that someone previously had collected near the fire pit. Once I had a really good solid fire going, I boiled water, made an Italian Roast cup of Joe and enjoyed it, next to the fire, as the sun rose, thinking about the hike, life…and the tent that was 20 yards away.  I started boiling some more water for the Mountain House Breakfast Skillet meal I was going to have. While I waited, I took a bunch of pictures of the lake and then ate breakfast.

Vivian Lake - Diamond Peak Wilderness

Once I was done eating and taking pictures, I lazily packed up camp and started the journey to the car. On the way back I stopped at Fall Creek Falls a little longer and stopped at a few other spots along the way to take pictures of the creek. I finally came to the place on the trail where I had made that detour. I kept hiking as I should and came out in such a way at the tracks, it was no wonder we missed the trail on the way in. image of fall creek

When I arrived at the side trail to see Diamond Creek Falls, I opted to see Salt Creek Falls and get on the road. When I arrived at Salt Creek Falls, there was quite a few people and cars there. I headed to the car, put away my pack and went back to the falls for some pictures. I had been here before, in the winter when everything was frozen. I hiked to the bottom of the falls then. That was cool. After I got my big waterfall fix, I headed home, driving off into the beautiful Oregon sunset… image of Salt Creek Falls

Gallery of pictures from the trip…

image of bear grass by headlamp
image from within the tent
Vivian Lake - Diamond Peak Wilderness
image of fall creek
image of Vivian Lake
image of Salt Creek Falls

Map and GPX File

[sgpx gpx="/wp-content/uploads/gpx/VivianLakeFromSaltCreekFalls-Copy.gpx"]

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Feta Salsa Recipe


I was making some carnitas tacos the other night and decided to make a complimentary salsa for them.  I decided to add feta to my base this time. I use a 2 cup Pyrex glass bowl, which is perfect for two people (a I eat most of it). The flavors went very well with the smoked Carnitas tacos. 

Ingredients:

  • Half of a small white onion, chopped
  • 1 large jalapeño, chopped (include seed for any kind of heat)
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped
  • Handful of chopped Cilantro 
  • Palm full of crumbled Feta cheese
  • 3 scallions (green onions), sliced thin. 
  • 1/4 – 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in bowl, squeeze lime juice all over mixture and let sit, covered,  for at least an hour or more before using. 

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Thai Spicy Noodles, Pork, And Seafood Salad

Source: Heath McConnell
Servings: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

100 grams glass noodles, dried 

100 grams ground pork, minced 

2 small squid, sliced into rings 

6-10 prawns, uncooked, peeled and deveined 

1 large shallot, sliced lengthwise 

handfull cilantro, chopped coarse 

1 cup chinese celery, cut into 1/2″ length pieces 

1 tomatoes, sliced 

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

1-1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar 

4 bird’s eye chilies-red, chopped 

1-1/2 teaspoon pickled garlic juice 

3/4 cup cashews (1/4 pound), crushed 

Notes / Directions

Soak the glass noodles in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, or follow directions. Drain, cut, set aside. 
Cook the pork in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes until cooked, then drain and set aside. 

Cook the squid in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes until cooked, then drain and set aside. 

Cook the prawns in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp change color, then drain and set aside. 

To make the spicy sauce, mix the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chilies, and pickled garlic juice together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved, set aside. 

Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes until soft and cooked. Drain and rinse in cold water and drain again. Transfer to a bowl, add shrimp (prawns), squid, pork, onion, cilantro, celery, tomato, and the sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with the cashews and serve. 

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Largemouth Bass and Noodles

Largemouth Bass And Noodles

Makes: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1-2 pinches crushed red pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 shallot, sliced fine

2 fillet largemouth Bass, decent size

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 ounces rice noodles

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup cashews

1 Jalapeño, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 to 1 cup mushrooms (flavors vary, so choose wisely!)

Notes / Directions

Mix lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and crushed red pepper until sugar is dissolved. set aside.  

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic, shallots, cashews, and fish chunks. Cook until fish if opaque. Add 2 lightly scrambled (pre-cooked) eggs.

Turn heat to low and add sauce then noodles. Toss until well mixed. Add bean sprouts. Toss well.  

Garnish with jalapeño, scallions, and cilantro.  

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Coconut Serrano Shrimp Sauce/Soup on Rice Noodle 


It’s a cross between a soup and a noodle dish, but definitely needs a bowl. 

It’s been FOREVER since I’ve made shrimp at home for the kids. Today I decided to make them some. 

Serves: 4

Time: 30min
Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of shrimp (I used 71/90), deveined and tails removed 
  • 1 Tbls chopped garlic
  • 2 Lrg green onions sliced (4 if regular size)
  • 2 Lrg Serrano Chilies, chopped (seeds included)
  • 1 Tbls Cilantro, chopped 
  • Dash of lime
  • Brown sugar (I used a palm size amount)
  • 1 Tbls butter
  • Rice noodles

Directions:

  • Boil enough water to cover noodles and soak them for 20 minutes. 
  • Sauté the garlic and shrimp
  • Add can of coconut milk, brown sugar, green onions, chilies and cilantro
  • Bring back to a boil and stir 1 minute
  • Place noodles in bowls and ladle shrimp and sauce over noodles 
  • Serve

This could make a wonderful soup with the shrimp and some crab added. Your choice. 
Enjoy. 

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What does love look like?

It’s amazing the awakening that trials can bring. I’ve been begging God to speak in my current situation, crying out to him every second of the day and this is what I have asked and his reply, via music, as is usually the case:

What does love look like?

Let Your fire burn consuming me,

Let Your jealous flame

Come take away everything!

Let Your fire burn consuming me,

Let Your jealous flame

Come write Your name upon my heart,

Until all that remains

Is the Light of Your countenance

And I will be satisfied when I awaken

As a lover of You!
“What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been pondering

“What does love look like?”

“What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been asking of You

I once believed that love was romance, just a chance
I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful

I once believed that love was a momentary bliss

But love is more than this

All You ever wanted was my attention

All You ever wanted was love from me

All You ever wanted was my affections, to sit here at your feet

Then I sat down, a little frustrated and confused
If all of life comes down to love

Then love has to be more than sentiment

More than selfishness and selfish gain

And then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me

I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me

He was looking at me, looking at Him, staring through me

I could not escape those beautiful eyes

And I began to weep and weep

He had arms wide open, a heart exposed
Arms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding
Love’s definition, love’s definition was looking at me
Looking at Him, hanging on a tree

I began to weep and weep and weep and weep

This is how I know what love is, this is how I know What love is
And as I sat there weeping, crying
Those beautiful eyes, full of desire and love

He said to me, “You shall love Me, You shall love Me
You shall love Me, You shall love Me”

With arms wide open, a heart exposed
With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding

If anybody’s looking for love in all the wrong places
If you’ve been searching for love, come to Me, come to Me

Take up your cross, deny yourself

Forget your father’s house and run, run with Me

You were made for abandonment, wholeheartedness

You were made for someone greater, someone bigger, so Follow Me

And You’ll come alive when you learn to die

(Lyrics by Misty Edwards)

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Because love loves to love and the reward of love is love

What would a man give for love If a man gave for love all the wealth of his house

He would utterly dispise the recognition

If a man gave all that he had for love

He would count it all as nothing in the end

Because love loves to love and the reward of love is love
-Misty Edwards
I love to love, it’s who I am, it consumes me to the core…

Love for the reward of loving!

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Jumping Spider

 I saw something the size of a rhino, out of the corner of my eye, on my Jade plant…it turned out to be this dude.  

For reference, the leaf the spider is standing on is the size of my thumb.  Every time I went to press the shutter, he would act like he was going to jump on me.