NEWS: 29 2000 JUL 2001

Today I made Beta 1.0 and 1.1 of the "SGT Rock's Wood Stove". It is a home made zip stove design I came up with while testing a real ZZ Manufacturing Sierra Stove. Next week I'll try to find the right parts to make Beta 2.0. If you want to try and build one, feel free and send me some feedback. My goal is a 4.9 ounce stove 3 1/2" x 4".

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 28 1500 JUL 2001

Another update this month, I am getting better at keeping up with the page.

Today I started testing the Zip Stove provided by Hog on Ice (thanks HOI) and it is fun doing stove tests again. If you have been thinking about getting one of these, I'll try to give some good recommendations. Final tests will probably not come until I've had a chance to field test it in early September.

Last bit of news. Although it isn't 100% official yet, I've got a new assignment in the Army. I should be going to Hohenfels, Bavaria, Germany in March to become an Observer Controller at the CMTC there. I'm really looking forward to it, as well as adding some Alpine trip reports from the area. Hohensfels is near the Check republic, Austria, and Switzerland.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 23 1530 JUL 2001

Another update today. I just finished making a Cat Stove for Backpacker Magazine's Homemade Stove Contest. With a couple of new modifications, I was able to get my stove down to 1.9 ounces! I'll be mailing it in next week, so hopefully you'll see old Sarge's stove in the pages of Backpacker soon.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 23 1100 JUL 2001

Yesterday was gear cleaning and repair day. Backpacking can really mess up some gear.

Today I did some folder and site clean up, probably nothing you would notice. I also tried to set up a re-direct at the old NBCi.com site, but they aren't accepting uploads.

I've also added some links on the packing lists to the reviews on my site, or to the manufacturers in the case of planned gear purchases.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 22 2100 JUL 2001

Another update today. This one is changing my packing lists to reflect the changes I made during and after my AT hike to my packing list, and lightweight list. I also updated all my equipment pages for the new stuff.

Another update was to change my AT thru hike planned list. I'm starting to look at some other stuff for my gear changes.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 22 1300 JUL 2001

I fixed some links on the Links Page, added the Thru-Hiker website, and organized the gear manufacturers.

Additionally I've added gear reviews and updates to reviews for the following: Mt Washington Pad, Nunatak Backcountry Blanket, and Safewater Anywhere In-Line Filter.

Today I started writing the review for "Walking With Spring" by Earl V. Schaffer. In case you never heard of him, he is the man who was first to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Now all I have to do is finish the review, do some stove tests, and finish the compass pages to catch up...

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 21 1500 JUL 2001

Today I added my ICQ number and fixed some problems with my hit counter. You may have logged on today and found the site down for a while during the fix. I'm still trying to figure how I did it wrong, but it is good now.

I also finished writing my review of "A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Bryson. If you haven't read the book, check out the review. If you have, then tell me how much my review sucks.

Today and tomorrow's project is to fix the links page.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 20 1900 JUL 2001

I'm Back! (again)

I just got out of the field and started back on my site again. I finished putting my trip journal together, except for photos which aren't back from the developer's yet. Tomorrow I'll try to finish up the "Walk in the Woods" book review.

I've also been offered the use of a Sierra Zip stove for gear testing. I hope it works out so I can add it to my page. Looking through my list of things to do, I'll also need to do the review for the Mt. Washington Pad.

Next month I have a trip planned to the Land Navigation course, so maybe I'll get finished the compass use page.

SGT Rock!

NEWS: 10 2100 JUL 2001

I'm Back!

Great hike! It was great getting up to the cool mountain air and away from the hot, humid swamps of Louisiana. The mountains were beautiful and the trail was in great shape for the most part. I'm waiting to get my photos developed to see how they come out, and I'm transferring my journal to an on line format to share here.

I'm also working on my book review for Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods". After recently finishing most of the southern part he walked, and visiting some of the spots or people he mentioned, I feel I can write a decent review. So look for that in the upcoming weeks.

I'm heading out to the field at the end of the week for 4 days, but after that I don't go out again foe a while, so I also plan to try and get out to the Land Navigation course and finish up the necessary picture to finish my Compass Pages as well as play with some stove stuff.

Other news about the site is I need to fix some of the links over on the links page, and the major news is that NBCi will no longer be handling personal web sites, so change your bookmark in your favorites over too http://sgtrock.50megs.com. This will make my back up site become my primary site. I don't know when the change will occur, or if they will give me a re-direct page, so start going there ASAP.

SGT Rock!