I'm Carl "Professor" Stanfield, and I love backpacking. I studied Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education at Brevard College in North Carolina, then spent about 3 years living and working at a camp in Leavenworth, Washington. After my time there ended, I decided to attempt a thru hike, and in April 2018, I set out on my adventure on the Appalachian Trail, finishing at the end of August 2018. I fell in love with the wondrous life of thru hiking and decided to make it a priority. I had another successful adventure on the PCT in 2019 and currently have my sights set on completing the Triple Crown in 2021.
Posts
Gear Review: Gossamer Gear G4-20 Ultralight 42 Backpack
The Gossamer Gear G4-20 is a new take on one of the classic GG packs with some really cool and unique new features. Most notable are the asymmetrical
Gear Review: Enlightened Equipment Convert Quilt
Over the past few years, quilts have risen significantly in popularity for long-distance backpackers. If you aren’t familiar with them, the basic
Gear Review: TOAKS 900ml D130mm Pot
One of the most enjoyable parts of a long day on the trail can be a hearty hot meal in camp. The TOAKS 900ml D130mm Pot is a nicely sized vessel that
Prof on the PCT: Desert Part 2 and Prepping for the Sierra
I'm writing on day 52 (mile 745) from a motel in Lone Pine after a short night of hot sleep. We weren't planning on staying in town, but we got a
Prof on the PCT: The Cold Wet Desert
Hey everybody! It is the morning of day 25 out here on the trail, and I've finally found a little time to write something. I'll run through a quick
Gear Review: NEMO Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad
NEMO rolled out a new line of sleeping pad options this spring, and the Tensor model tops the list as the most lightweight. The NEMO Tensor comes
Gear Review: Mountainsmith Zerk 40L Fastpack
The Zerk 40L Fastpack is a brand new pack from Mountainsmith designed in conjunction with backpacking athlete Tom Gathman, aka the Real Hiking
Gear Review: Xoskin Long Sleeve Base Layer and Socks
Intro Xoskin is a fairly new company on the market, providing base layers that feature something called RAPIDriCOPPER Technology. Basically, these
The Nitty-Gritty of Gear Evolution on a Thru-Hike
About this time last year, I had just committed to my AT thru-hike, which meant that I was in the early research stages. Having never backpacked with
The Hard and Fast Numbers of the Appalachian Trail
Well, I did it. I started April 22 and finished Aug. 31. In 132 days (four months and nine days), I took every step between Springer Mountain in