Hiking the Dix Range Pt 1 - Adirondacks 3 Day Backpacking Trip | Hammock Camping

Join Sara and I for 3 days of Hiking & Hammock Camping on a Backpacking Trip in the Adirondack’s Dix Mountain Wilderness. GPS Data at http://www.sintax77.com

For this backpacking adventure, I’ll be breaking the hiking trip into two parts. Part 1 covers our hike in to camp, setting up our base camp with our two person hammock camping system, and some campfire chat while we make a campfire, do camp chores, check out the MalloMe camping cookset and cook some backpacking food.

Hiking the Dix Range Part 2 will be comprised of mostly hiking and summits, as we ascend from camp up onto the Dix Range to hit the Beckhorn (a subsidiary peak of Dix Mountain) and the summit of Dix Mountain itself.

For an easier read, check out my full blog post here: http://www.sintax77.com/hiking-the-di...

GPS Data for this trip will be released on the blog post with part 2 and on my Trip Data Page here: http://www.sintax77.com/trip-data/

Trailhead and Parking Location:

Elk Lake Trailhead Parking Lot, 675 Elk Lake Rd, North Hudson, NY 12855
44°01’15.0″N 73°49’40.9″W

Topics Discussed and Things that Happen in this Episode:

Base camping with a ton of camping gear vs ultralight backpacking.
Finding & legal camping spots in the Adirondacks.
Pros and cons of using a bear canister. These are not legally required in the Dix Mountain Wilderness, but we had one anyway, for reasons discussed in the video.
Hammock camping with our dog, Denali.
Outfitting our Dutchware Chameleon Hammocks with the Double Dutch Bugnet system.
Hammock under quilt attachment using of Chameleon hammock’s underquilt hooks.
A look at the MalloMe Camping Cookware Set for backpacking food preparation.
Building a campfire and cooking some of of favorite backpacking appetizers and dinners.
Sara reviews a flashlight…

Maps that I use for hiking and camping in the Adirondacks:
National Geographic Adirondack Park Map Pack Bundle http://amzn.to/2fOhly0

Trails Used Day 1:

Parked at Elk Lake Trailhead Parking Lot. This is a decent sized lot along a gravel road on the way to the Elk Lake Lodge. If the lot is full, you may park for free at the Elk Lake Lodge, a bit further up the road.
Elk Lake to Dix Mountain Trail
Pass the Slide Brook Lean-to . The Slide Brook LT and camping area makes for a popular base camp for hikers hitting the Dix Range. We chose to push on a bit (under 2 miles) to the lesser used Lillian Brook lean-to area, which as some nice, legal campsites that are a bit more secluded.
Pass the sign for Lillian Brook LT and continue a bit further.
Setup camp along the Elk Lake Trail, after the Lillian Brook LT and just before the large bridge crossing Lillian Brook. As of 9/14/17, this site had a yellow “Camp Here” disc, designating it a fully legal spot, despite it’s proximity to a small stream nearby. The stream is probably a convenient water source when flowing good, but we opted to get our water a 100 meters or so down the trail by the Lilian Brook bridge.

Day 1 Total Mileage: 4 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 633 feet
Day 1 Gross Elevation Loss: 339 feet

Notable Camping / Backpacking Gear used on this Trip:

Two Person Hammock System
Dutchware Double Dutch Bugnet
(used on night 1) https://dutchwaregear.com/double-dutc...
Dutchware Bird's Nest (used on night 2) https://dutchwaregear.com/birds-nest-...
Dutchware Chameleon Hammock System https://dutchwaregear.com/chameleon-h...
Dyneem Straps with Beetle Buckles https://dutchwaregear.com/dyneema-pol...
Dutchware Spreader Bar Pole (32" recommended) https://dutchwaregear.com/748-aluminu...

My Hat - Notch Multicam Operator http://amzn.to/2xjZQs5
ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack (we both use this model) https://www.ula-equipment.com/product...
Bear Vault BV500 Bear Canister http://amzn.to/2xYGtbW
Coleman Folding Saw http://amzn.to/2xedvWd
Cheap 10' x 12' Tarp http://amzn.to/2yX2OEC
MallowMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit http://amzn.to/2xRzkrP
Vargo Windscreen
http://amzn.to/2tlGmWm
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter
http://amzn.to/2tUSPxr
Sintax77's Headlamp - Olight HS2 Headlamp http://amzn.to/2khZsch
Sintax77's EDC Flashlight - FourSevens Preon 2 http://amzn.to/2khBAoY
Sara's Headlamp - Fenix HL-23 Headlamp (she's since stolen my HS2 for the longer battery life, though) http://amzn.to/2klEvgn
Sara's Ridiculously over the top Flashlight - Olight Marauder X7R http://amzn.to/2ymuwO9

Our Dog's Gear
Denali's Dog Backpack - "One Tigris Cotton Canvas" http://amzn.to/2tlodYNDenali's Hammock - 2T's Hammock Chair https://dutchwaregear.com/2t-s-hammoc...


Food
Packit Gourmet Queso-Rico Queso Dip https://www.packitgourmet.com/Queso-R...
Packit Gourmet Pasta Bolegnese (Market Pasta Puttanesca w/beef) https://www.packitgourmet.com/Market-...