Part 1: The Preliminary Test

Part 2: The Intimacy Test

Part 3: Waking Up

wax paper = sleeping bag

I woke up feeling like I was a hamburger in a ski hill cafeteria: hot and soggy. In my inebriated state, I hadn’t thought of placing my tent in the shade. I’d also slept-in, so the sun had time to warm me to the point of a light simmer.

I laid there for a while, trying to piece together the evening. It was only after a few minutes that I remembered my late night visitor. I slowly peeked over my shoulder. He was gone, but had forgotten his fanny pack. That’s right… his fanny pack.

the fanny pack

I reached up and opened all the vents. Within a matter of seconds, a cool breeze had swirled its way through the tent, flushing out all the hot air and humidity. I felt refreshed. Outside, the wind was raging but I wouldn’t have really known it without peeking out the window. The guys were keeping the Hammerhead 2 steadily in place. Also, because the tent uses clips rather than sleeves to attach to the poles, the air is permitted to circulate. This means less resistance, so the tent doesn’t shake.

I sat down in one of the vestibules (comfortably, I might add) and made myself some tea using my Jetboil. I stared out at the whitecaps and thought of how it was a perfect day for sailing.

my favorite activity

I found my way to the lodge where Fletch was already busy in the kitchen. “I made you breakfast”. Strange, I thought. What did I do to deserve this? What did WE do? Do I leave him my number, or do I pitch my tent in a new location? “Just go with it”, I thought to myself.

I can’t remember what we ate that morning, only that all of it tasted like bacon. He came down to the beach with me for his fanny pack. That’s right… his fanny pack. We took down the tent together and I went on my way.

“I’ll call you.”

the hammerhead 2

All in all, it was an eventful weekend. I've known many a hoser in my life and can proudly say that I have a bit of hoser in me too. It's a good thing. But throughout the whole experience, I can honestly say that what stuck with me the most was the Mountain Hardwear Hammerhead 2 tent. It's an all-round great shelter and I would recommend it to anybody seeking a two person, three-season tent.

Later.

As you'll see, it was a beautiful day at the Outdoor Festival in Montreal. Perfect for learning about custom molding for hip belts, changes in the Atmos and Aura lines, as well as a new pack for children.

Happy viewing

Juan

Part 1: The Preliminary Test

Part 2: The Intimacy Test

the hammerhead 2

Let me set the scene. It’s late, I’ve just spent the past few hours with friends staying in nearby cabins deep in the woods, and I’m heading back to my campsite on the beach. I’ve had a few. I stumble towards my Hammerhead 2 bag (of course it wasn’t set up yet, it’s part of the test!). It only took me a few minutes to assemble the tent in the moonlit darkness.

I began stocking one of the vestibules with my remaining gear. This consisted of my trusty Jetboil, a backpack full of clothes and random supplies, my shoes, a case of beer, and the open beers I was double-fisting when I got to the site. There was tons of room for other stuff and I didn’t even need to use the other vestibule. I got into the tent, slipped into my favorite sleeping bag (The North Face Orion), and slowly began to fade away.

common loon

Now it could have been the cool breeze sneaking in through the vents, or the fact that the moon was full that night and the inside of the tent was actually glowing, or it could have been the fact that I was sleeping on the beach sandwiched between the gentle lapping waves of a lake and the amphibious symphony of the swamp, or it could have also been the fact that the loons were calling out to each other all night. It could have been a lot of things, but in any case, I fell in love with the Hammerhead 2.

Jason Voorhees

I was awakened by the slow drag of the tent zipper. Who could it be? A friend? A stranger come to steal my kidneys? A really hot lonely woman that just happened upon my tent? Jason?

“Hey Dave! Move over!” – a hoser
Not the same hoser, another one, let’s call him Fletch.
“Wow, this tent is great inside!”

not that there's anything wrong with that...

I checked my watch and asked him why he was in the tent with me and what he had been doing for the past few hours. He gave me some sort of long winded response that that left me feeling confused and vulnerable. He had no sleeping bag and said my body would keep him warm. I was scared. Flashbacks of Brokeback Mountain and a bumper sticker I once saw that read “Three Beers and I’m Gay” flashed though my mind.

It was at this moment that I was happy about the second entrance/exit and vestibule.

stay tuned for part 3

Sweet Potato Hash

Sunday morning was gloriously warm and sunny. Appropriately, Leigh Partington, (another loyal altitudiène), Carie, one of Leigh’s friends, and I brought our picnicking equipment, i.e., camping stoves, fuel, coffee, food, blankets, cutlery, cups, plates, bowls etc., to Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal where we proceeded to cook ourselves up a delicious little breakfast. Trying to recreate the most authentic camping scene that I could, I wanted to think of a recipe that would be appropriate for folks spending some time out in the trees, or along the beach, or in the mountains, and that wouldn’t be too difficult.

There are many kinds of hash, but from what I gather, there are two kinds: wet and dry. Wet hashes use gravy in their preparation and dry ones use the fat rendered from butter or meat. (My recipe will be for a dry hash, but if you’d like to experiment by adding gravy, or searching for other recipes on the Internet, please, be my guest.) I am of the opinion that you can throw whatever the heck you want into hash. Maybe you want to add other ingredients such as spinach, cheese, dried herbs, and spices, to name a few. The main point is that you want your hash to have lots of crusty crunchy bits that will contrast silky yolks of fried eggs, or light pillowy scrambled ones. To avoid waiting an hour for breakfast to be ready, use pre-cooked potatoes that you have left over from the night before. That way the hash will heat up and cook quickly to a golden brown.

MSR Whisperlite International

You can use almost any stove to cook this meal because it involves quick sautéing and browning. I have a MSR Whisperlite International stove, which has two settings: high and low. It’s a hearty, lightweight little machine meant for expeditions and simple cooking. Using this as my number one weapon of choice, I have every intention on becoming a master, backpacking chef (even though I heard that the heavier MSR Dragonfly is the Rolls Royce of camping stoves….)

It’s also nice to have a friend like Leigh along who will bring her Jetboil and make you coffee while you cook. The Jetboil Personal Cooking System (PCS)is the ultimate solo hiker’s dream. It boils water at a rapid-fire speed, is insulated with a neoprene case so you can pick it up with your hands and everything fits into the canister! The real bonus is if you buy the French Press attachment, which you can also store inside the pot, it’s a real one-pot operation.

The Jet Boil (PCS)

For actual cooking I’ve however heard that it’s a bit tricky. Leigh said she burned a perfect black sphere into her pot of oatmeal when she left the pot unattended for 30 seconds. Next time I’m going to give it a go, so you can look out for an update. For now, here’s the recipe.

Sweet Potato Pesto Hash

Make this recipe after a night of fire-roasted potatoes and any meat you have left over such as, hamburger, hot dogs, other sausage, bacon etc.

For four hungry hikers/campers/picnickers

2 eggs per person
2 C diced cooked potato (or raw)*
2 C diced cooked sweet potato (or raw)
1 C chopped meat (can be uncooked)
1 C chopped onion
A couple TBS of pesto
Salt and Pepper

*If you use raw potato, this will take much longer.

Fry your onion and meat (I used bacon) together in a frying pan until it’s tender and brown.

Frying the onions and bacon

Then add your potatoes, sweet potatoes and pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until crunchy and crispy, it’s okay if some parts are almost burned.

Hash cooking

Set the hash aside in a pot with the lid on to conserve heat.

Cook eggs according to preference. I fried mine over-easy, but scrambled would also be delicious.