JMA: 4 Picks from Amazon for your Cranberry Lake 50 Backpacking Experience!
Utilizing a bag a friend had lent me, and some repackaged food I had bought from Hannaford grocery store, the only other things I threw in were a few smokes, two bottles of water, a tablet, phone, some clothes, and what’s listed below. The items below were all purchased specifically for this hike to test and review, so you don’t have too waste your time on things that do not work.
Hiluckey Solar Charger 25000mAh Portable Solar Power Bank Waterproof Battery Packs with Dual Ports –
A little bulkier of an item for the trail, but great for bloggers or people who like to film in general on the trail.
The charger folds out into 4 small panels, and can be easily folded back away for storage. The charge itself will last a couple of days, for me it went all four days of our hiking trip though all it was charging was my phone and tablet. The back of the battery pack can double as a flashlight too, I liked hanging it from my tents top net for the night when I needed it.
Forceatt Tent 2-3 Person Camping Tent, Waterproof and Windproof 3-4 Seasons Ultralight Backpack Tent
Probably not the best tent I’ve ever owned, but the tent did hold up through the 3 nights and 1 storm and provided the much needed coverage.
However, when the product arrived I felt like I had bought something from Marshalls or JobLots. The seams were falling apart already and the rain cover was adequate for the storm allowing water to seep through and linger until it dropped down. One part of this could be fixed with a tent water proofer, however I don’t give those seams more than a year or two.
The size inside the tent is also misrepresented. 3 children could fit easily, but 3 adults, not a chance. More like 2 adults under 155 pounds could fit but tight. I don’t recommend actually using this tent, and maybe find another maker as this one seems to be a knock off brand.
Weighing in at 2.0 pounds, this sleeping bag was my choice on the CL50 trail because of its low weight, its ability to be packed super tight, and its temperature range. The bag was a little more narrow than expected, maybe not good for someone on the larger side (< 180 pounds) but perfect for anyone else. The temperature held through the night, and the cushioning from the air pouch filling was great.
I would recommend a warmer bag if you are planning a lean-to stay, as the wind that pushes in will negate anything this bag has to offer. I ended up using the fleece blanket from my inflatable pillow & blanket combo to stuff the bag and help keep warm.
LifeStraw Flex Advanced Water Filter with Gravity Bag
This is a great product for anyone who plans to be on the trail for days and wants to stay healthy & hydrated. whether your looking to cook, shower, or just fill your bottles, this bag holds slightly over a gallon of water and can be hung virtually from any surface as long as it can maintain the weight.
The Life straw which can be bought separately is available for bottles among a variety of other devices. The straw its self is where all the filtering happens, it removes bacteria, protosoa, micro plastics, and even many heavy metals from the water past EPA & NSF standards. The bag has a 500 gallon lifetime, and the capsule where everything is filtered has a 21.4 gallon cap.
If your on the trail for anything longer than a day or two i highly recommend getting a filter and sanitizing tablets, as they could help save your life one day.
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