http://jwbasecamp.com/index.html An Internet stop for wilderness travelers. en-us http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html The Super Cat alcohol stove was first shared with the online backpacking community in January, 2005. Since then, it's become one of the most popular do-it-yourself alcohol stoves among hikers worldwide for probably two reasons: it works exceptionally well and it's very easy to make. This major update to the original article incorporates many of the design ideas that Super Cat users have contributed over the years, while also significantly expanding the scope to include new information about materials, build methods, fuels, windscreens, stands, accessories, and real-world usage techniques. It's also being published concurrently with another article, "The Fire Bucket Stove System", which introduces an important new companion product (see below). http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Fire-Bucket/index.html This article discusses a new high-performance windscreen for alcohol stoves (especially the Super Cat) that can also serve as an efficient, stand-alone stove for burning wood and solid-fuel tablets. In its lightest implementations, it weighs only about two ounces. The Fire Bucket can be constructed from a variety of easily-obtained, inexpensive materials in either collapsible or permanently assembled models using simple tools. When used together, the Fire Bucket and Super Cat form an integrated, lightweight stove system that's easy to build and fun to operate. http://blog.jwbasecamp.com New to the Base Camp is a companion blog created to share snippets of information about a variety of backcountry-related subjects. I'll be making brief entries from time-to-time on topics that probably don't warrant the kind of in-depth attention that's devoted to the longer articles posted on this main site. http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/MugMods/index.html This new article discusses three easy do-it-yourself enhancements that can help you reduce pack weight and improve the utility of your backpacking kitchen gear. You've probably never seen anything quite like the first two enhancements before, while the third includes an updated technique for building an old favorite. http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/KiteScreen/index.html The KiteScreen is a do-it-yourself backpacking stove windscreen that represents a very different approach to solving an old problem. Constructed from ultralight, windproof fabrics or films (rather than the usual sheet aluminum) the KiteScreen offers a number of compelling advantages over conventional designs. Of particular interest to top-mounted canister stove users, who thus far have had few appealing windscreen options, is the fact that the KiteScreen reflects almost no heat back into the cooking area, making it safe to use with butane/propane cartridges. The original article was published in April of 2005, but with the experience that's been gained by myself and others over the past 3+ years, I thought that an update was in order. This significantly revised article discusses new materials, tips and techniques that were not included in the original. http://jwbasecamp.com/maps/index.html I've been experimenting recently with several free software technologies that allow for the creation of interactive trail maps that are based upon either planned routes or upon actual tracks that have been downloaded from a GPS receiver. A few sample maps can be found using the link above. Cool stuff. http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/DryGear/index.html One of the most popular Base Camp articles, "Keeping Your Critical Gear Dry" has been updated with test results for the new Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil dry bags. Ultralighters have been eagerly awaiting the general availability of this innovative new line of products, but poor water resistance (very disappointing) will probably limit market appeal.