Kelty Redtail 1600 Daypack Review

This is the review that has been years in the making.  I bought my rugged and reliable Kelty Redtail Daypack because I needed a hydration capable daypack for a summer camp that I worked at in 2005.  The same year I left on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I took my trusty bag with me.  That bag went from Ft. Lauderdale to the Florida Keys, and all over Miami with me.  It survived rain, sun, sweat and all sorts of conditions, including some great mountain biking. (Yes, it does exist in Florida).  Coming back to my wonderful mountains, it went with me for three more summers of Boy Scout Camp, a year as my school bag, mountain biking in Utah and Colorado, and is still my go to daypack for local day hikes.  Many of my adventures, it has been there with me.

It has a decent sternum strap that does the job without any bells and whistles, and just enough pockets to hold what you need.  It is hydration capable and has two water bottle pockets that are handy for your bottle or any sort of quick stash of small parts.  Two straps on the side aid in compressing the pack to a nice small size when needed, or for lashing a jacket, or other things, to the outside of your pack.  A handy daisy chain is sturdy sewn on, as are two lash points on the bottom.  I havn't had a problem with the stitching anywhere on the pack.

After almost eight years of use, you can expect some wear and tear in a pack, and my pack is showing some, but is still good to go.  One of the shoulder straps was beginning to frey, but a quick hit with a lighter fixed that.  The elastic on the water bottle pockets gave up the ghost about two years ago, but are still very sturdy, just stuff won't stay in them.

Overall, I love this tough little pack and recommend it to anyone needing a good daypack for school, work, a get home bag for your car or any sort of adventure needs.

Pictures to follow.

My weekend adventure

This weekend, I was going to have an adventure.  I was planning a hike up a wash near my house.  For those of you not in the know, a wash is a dry canyon.  I didn't go.  Instead I went grocery shopping and to the public library with my wife, the Hobbit.  Not in that order.  So we were at the library Saturday Morning, and the place was a mess.  On an usual basis, the library sells off old and or extra books, and last Saturday morning was the sale.  People were crammed into a small basement room, just to browse a collection of used books.  It was worth it.  The Hobbit and I picked up a bag full of books, for only 3 dollars.  Included in the bag was a guidebook of day hikes, a healthy cookbook, a medicinal herb book, and a good selection of novels.

Following our adventure at the library, we had another by heading to a new grocery store that we haven't used before.  Well, I had a 6 dollar gift card, and I bought the Hobbit some chocolate covered pretzels on my way home one day.  I liked the store, checked out some of the prices, and liked what I saw. 

My point is, even though this blog is about outdoor adventure, if we go into life with the right attitude, we can change every day experiences like going to the store or getting books at the library into an adventure.  The more adventures we choose to have every day, the more we will enjoy our lifes.

Go choose to have an adventure.

-Ranger

Capitol Reef Trip 10-13 November 2011

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Capitol Reef Field Station, ran in conjunction with Utah Valley University and the National Parks Service.  The Field Station is located on a bluff near Pleasant Creek within the park, looking out between two mountains at a wonderful view of the beautiful Henry Mountains in Southern Utah. 

One thing that makes the station so unique is the fact that is is self sufficient for ta majority of its consumption needs.  It relies on a solar panel bank for it's electric needs, and can draw water from a local creek for water.  The buildings were designed to use passive solar to assist in the heating of the buildings, and they were able to stay 20-30 degrees warmer than outside temperatures without additional heating.  With a small propane heater, the buildings stayed quite comfortable for the time I stayed there.  Jane, the station caretaker, shared how the buildings use a passive cooling design with windows and heat towers in each of the buildings that allow them to remain cool even in the hot desert summers of Southern Utah, without any power to assist in the cooling.

Aside from the Field Station, there is so much to do and see within the Park.  A quick trip to the visitor center to learn about the local history, both prehistoric and modern, can give you a start.  A walk in the area of the visitor center can allow you to take in the views of the historic pioneer village and orchards.  If you visit in the main season, take a swing by the Ripple Rock Nature Center, especially if you have young ones with you.  There are a number of hikes in the area that you can take, and I won't share them all, because finding which ones to take is part of your job in planning your own adventures.

With my friends, we visited the petroglyphs carved by the Fremont Indians that are located near the road, as well as the historic Fruita School House.  A short way up the road, we parked at the trail head and went on a hike to Hickman Natural Bridge.  Carved by running water over thousands of years, it towers over the wash where it formed.  Our group took a few minutes after some scrambling to the top to reflect on the beauty and quiet that can only be found now in places like the national parks.

We also took the Cohab Canyon Trail, located near the visitor center, and had a wonderful time working on some basic canyoneering skills in a small side slot canyon.  After journeying a bit farther, we returned to the station.  The rest of the trip was involved in classwork and discussion, and some games at night.  I learned that some people have the odds to make it in Vegas at the poker tables, and that poker is not my game.  But the desert is defiantly my home, and I can't think what I will do if I had to live without the outdoors to refresh me.




Photos by the author