Gear Guide: 46L Outdoor Products Arrowhead Technical Pack

This is the first pack I've ever owned. I got it on Amazon in the U.S. for fairly cheap, and have gotten two 4 day portage trips out of it so far. The fabric is thin and I have one little rip where my fork went through a pocket, but I've put a piece of Gorilla Tape over it and haven't had a problem since.

I think this is a great beginner bag, it cost me about $35.00 and it holds quite a bit. You can tell the quality of it isn't the greatest though, the orange fabric is quite thin, and the buckles feel pretty flimsy. I do love how many pockets there are on the outside, during those 4 day canoe trips, I would rarely have to open the large section of my pack as I could fit all the items I would need during the hikes and while we were out on the water in the front pockets. Sizewise, it suits my frame perfectly (I'm 5'7" and thin build) and would work on most sizes. I find 46L enough to hold everything I need for 3-5 days, with the exception of food and cooking items.

(here)

As I mentioned, I love the amount of pockets this pack has. That gray stripe closest to the writing on the top of the pack opens a huge pocket that allowed me to fit my glasses case, sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, chapstick, and so much more with tons of room to spare. As well, the gray stripe running down the center with the handle, has a zipper on the side that also provides you with tons of storage. There are also the two side pockets you can see. Inside, the pack does have a spot for a bladder and an opening to allow the tube to feed out and click onto your shoulder strap. 

The pack is quite comfortable on my back, and both buckles help distribute the weight across my hips and back to prevent any discomfort.

The boy ordered a new pack from MEC this winter, so once we've done our hiking trip I will be able to review and show that pack. What pack do you normally use?

Hiking Ottawa - Mer Bleue Bog #53

Easter Sunday was gorgeous here. It was sunny and had a high of about 12, but when we went hiking in the morning it was 5. We dressed in layers to accommodate the weather, by the end I was just wearing my base layer.

This was our first hike using our new Lowa hikers. I can safely say these are the greatest hiking boots I've ever owned! The boy purposely stuck his foot in a puddle to see how the boot would react and it didn't even look wet on the outside. It was our first wear, so I was concerned about  breaking them in, but they didn't really need any!

The trail itself was pretty easy, it was mostly flat but had some small up and downhill sections. Since there was still snow on the ground in some spots, I feel like it took us way longer than it should have to complete the 6.7 km trail (it took us just under an hour and a half.) I wouldn't recommend doing the north side of Ridge Road, it was super flat and there's nothing to look at. Maybe it's different in the spring or summer, but the bulk of that section was walking a trail about 20 feet from the road. The section heading into the bog that eventually brings you to the Boardwalk is beautiful though, I would recommend doubling back on that side.

There were so many birds along the trail, bring birdseed!

What trails do you love at this time of year?

Summer 2016 - Trip 1.5 La Mauricie National Park

I have spent a ridiculous amount of time lately looking up new hiking routes, backpacking trips and canoe trips, so it was inevitable that our Cape Chignecto trip get something added to it. We've altered the Chignecto trip and are now going to stay in a tent on campsites rather than the cabins like originally planned (official route to follow once we've booked it.) After reading this blog post (here), I decided we had to cap our trip off with a day hike at La Mauricie National Park in Quebec.

We're planning to spend the day driving, camp the night at Riviere a la Peche campground and then get up the next morning and hike Lac du Pimbina (here). It's listed as a moderate hike on the Parks Canada website and is 13.1 km long. Check out this view!

(here)

Have you been to La Mauricie National Park?