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Hello everyone. I’m Carl, currently operating out of the Anniston/Oxford, Alabama area. Before moving here, worked as an engineer in Florida and was relatively outdoorsy being a kayak fisherman and occasionally camped on the spoil islands, also dabbled in rock climbing (boulder and top rope) for a year or two. However, as soon as I went into the Cheaha I instantly fell in love with the hiking! I'm using the Talladega National Forest and the Pinhoti as my local testing grounds to hopefully launch my backpacking career! I am looking to share information and experience in this community and hopefully get some expedition friends to take on some ambitious adventures in the future. Although if anyone is in the Cheaha, Talladega, or even within the 2.5 - 5 hr range into Georgia, Tennesee, and South Carolina, wants to do some weekend adventures let me know! I just know I do prefer hikes with a little bit more bite and gruel to them haha. Recent hikes I've done since start of this year: Cave Trail - Pinhoti Loop (13.5 mi, 2400 ft) Walls of Jericho (8.2 mi, 1,457 ft) A lot of Lake Cheaha loop rucking These are mostly training trips for an Olympic Peninsula (Hoh, Mt. Ellinor, Rialto) May adventure and Glacier National Park 6-day backpacking trip in July. I'm also eyeing Linville Gorge for a Sept/Oct adventure as well. Thanks for having me, looking forward to meeting you all!

So many great choices for sleeping pads today. I remember in the 80s it was basically the blue foam pad until the original Thermarest inflatible came out. That was an amazing upgrade at the time. I’ve had an REI Helix (4.9 R-value, 3” thickness) for the last couple of years that’s worked well. Can usually find it on sale throughout the year for less than $100.

Yes! There are several entry points into the Pecos Wilderness near Santa Fe, the closest being from the ski area just outside of town, so I do a lot of hiking there. It’s a great area for day hikes as well as multi-day backpacking trips and peak bagging. I’ve also hiked sections of the CDT between central and northern New Mexico. Lots of good choices for sure.

Photography is almost always a priority for me - I plan my hiking destinations based on their photography potential. Therefore, 90% of the time it's a DSLR with a Cotton Carrier harness on my chest. Good system with quick access to the camera. I have added a couple of pockets for lenses and filters to the straps. Works for me!