The ULA Photon is a 35L pack. It is the little brother to the ULA CDT pack which is a 54L pack. Other than size the main difference is that the Photon is J straps and the CDT pack has S straps. It is frameless with roll-top closure. There is a Y-strap on top to carry large items such as bear canister. There are 2 hip belt pockets but they are a little smaller than we would like. It will not hold our cell phone. The large front pocket gives easy access to items such as a tarp or snacks that you may want to have access to prior to arriving at camp. The pack has ice axe retention loops that will hold trekking poles. The front and side has large mesh pockets that hold large water bottles. The side and top has compression straps.
The pack weights 1lb6oz. It has a base weight of 10-12lbs and max weight of 18lbs. Base weight includes everything you carry except for water and food. The back pad is removable and weighs 1.9oz.
The main body of our pack is made of xpac material. With this pack, you have the option of xpac material or ULA 400 robic. The base price is $160. You can customize the color and fabric for an additional $70 and add embroidery for $15. We chose x50 multicam alpine with lemon tart shock cord and buckles. There is no hydration sleeve but you can add that on later.
The pack is 100% made in the USA. The company is located in Logan, UT. The customer service is outstanding. I was looking at a few different packs and actually decided on this pack because of the customer service. The company never took more than 15 min to respond to questions I had. Others took weeks.
We had a kid-free long weekend so we decided to backpack at Cumberland Island.
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
We headed down after work and stayed at a local camping spot we found on hip camp. Hipcamp is like the AirBNB of camping. The listings are by individuals and you can find most anything from a remote spot on top of a mountain to a yurt to a field on someone’s farm. This was the first time we used the rooftop tent. It worked great. Smalls even set it up in the dark.
We woke up early on Saturday and made our way to St. Marys, Georgia to get on the ferry to take us to Cumberland Island. Keep in mind that the only way to get to Cumberland Island is by ferry or kayak unless you have boat or plane with private access. The island is pack-it-in-pack-it-out. We reserved campsites at Hickory Hill, 5.5 miles from where you get off the ferry. The Island has 5 different campsites. Sea Camp is 0.5 miles from the ferry. It is tent camping that you can bring a cart to and you have access to running water and bathrooms. Stafford Beach is 3.5 miles from the ferry. It also has running water and bathrooms but you must carry all your gear on your back. The other campsites on the island, Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise, and Brickhill Bluff, are wilderness campsites that are 5.5 miles, 7.5 miles, and 10.5 miles respectively from the ferry. Everything you need while you are there must be carried on your back. They do have water around the island, but it must be treated and even then still have a strong sulfur taste.
Once we arrived on Cumberland Island, we rode our bikes with our 30# backpacks to Hickory Hill and set up camp. We stayed in hammocks for this trip. We had not been riding much prior to this trip and adding the back pack to our backs lead to bicycle butt. What we did not realize was that you can ride your bike on the main trail, but not the side trails that take you to the campsites so we had to walk our bikes from the main trail to camp. If I had to do it over, I would leave the bikes at home. Once camp was set up, we hiked over to Plum Orchard for sunset. This is where we got an up close look at the horses. While we stood on the beach watching the sunset, one of the horses came around a tree and almost bumped into Smalls. It was absolutely gorgeous. The mansion was closed due to covid but we would love to come back for the tour. Afterward, we hiked back to camp for a warm dinner and to settle in for the night.
We woke up Sunday morning to a visitor in camp.
We got moving and started hiking over to Roller Coaster Trail. This was my favorite trail because we were surrounded by all the beautiful trees and palms. The trail is 3 miles but it was a few miles to get there from our camp.
We made our way to the beach and hiked 2 miles up the beach. It was so pristine. We saw tons of seashells, crab, birds, sand dollars, and horse prints.
At this point, we hiked over to the First African Baptist Church. We sat on a bench to enjoy our lunch. This was the first time that day that we saw other people on the island. All the campsites were sold out but we rarely saw other people while we were there.
From there, we continued on to the northernmost point of the island and down through Brickhill Bluff. Brickhill Bluff is definitely where I would want to stay when we go back. I think we would still start at Sea Camp the first night to do the things there, head over to Hickory Hill or Yankee Paradise for the next night and then spend 2 nights at Brickhill Bluff.
We finally got back to camp after dark and hiking over 22 miles. It was well worth it but we were tired. We woke up before sunrise and headed back to the ferry. We dropped our gear off and went to explore Dungeness Ruins before we had to catch the ferry back to head home.
My brother has always said that Cloudland Canyon is his favorite GA state park. So, as a newly single woman looking for some adventure when the children were away, I chose to go here first. I used to hike alone but I was not comfortable camping alone. I convinced a friend of mine to go with me. We drove up on a Friday night in October and had reservations for a standard campsite. It was dark and misting rain when we arrived. Also, these sites a little bit of a walk from the parking lot and we had a lot of gear to haul in. It went pretty smooth and we had gotten some hacks from Pinterest to help us out. I think my favorite thing was a large water jug with a headlamp for a lantern. Our headlamps and rain boots were perfect.
We had a 6 man tent with air mattresses and mummy style down sleeping bags we borrowed from my friend’s brother-in-law.
Saturday morning we woke up early to get the fire going and I made a bacon, egg, and hash brown scramble that has become a favorite. From there, we headed to the Interpretive Center to access hiking trails. We completed the waterfalls trail, Sitton’s Gulch, and finished with part of the West Rim Trail. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches on the trail were just right. It was amazing. I took my Cannon Rebel camera. I’m sure I was extremely annoying with all the pictures I was taking but it was so beautiful! I had the best time. If I wasn’t already, I was hooked from here.
Sunday was even more exciting. We went spelunking with G3 Adventures. I believe they closed the next year. We paid for the 1 hour required trip and added on more time once we got going. We had a lot of rain recently so there was water up to our waist as we walked through. There was only 1 area that was so narrow that we had to crawl and that was the exit. What a unique and exciting adventure! I loved the challenge as I wasn’t sure if I would feel claustrophobic.
After spelunking, we had some time before we had to leave so we took another look from the Overlook and then a bit of the Meadowlands Trail. The sun was finally peaking out giving a better view of the fall colors. It was an incredible trip!
We decided to give it a try for the kids’ winter break. We split the trip between Jekyll Island for 3 nights and FD Roosevelt state park for 2 nights. It was February and it was forecast to be cold and wet. We didn’t want to get the annex muddy and we wanted to be able to run the truck in case we needed to get inside, so we did not use the annex this trip. We used 1 hammock and 1 GIANT tent with cots in addition to the roof top tent. There are lots of bike trails so we had 5 bikes and only a 4 bike bike rack. We also brought a propane gas stove, firewood, camp table, food, coolers, and clothes and shoes for all 5 for anything. We were hopeful that we could fit everything into the truck. That was a pipe dream for our first trip. We barely fit everything between the truck and my, also new, 2020 Ford Explorer 4WD. There is some potential there for off roading, but I’m not ready yet. My husband-that typically throws a Kroger bag with a change of clothes in his car that is always equipped with a small camp stove, hammocks, and mountain house meals-had a typed categorized list that we checked twice before we could leave on this adventure.
After a long 5 hour rain filled drive, the roads were starting the flood, it was getting dark, and cold, we chose to stay at a hotel the first night and get going in the morning. Jekyll Island Campground was very well cared for and clean. We got set up within a few hours and minimal cussing despite the 10-12 person tent. We made tacos on the stove (pre-made meat) and then went for a bike ride.
We went to the Sea Turtle Center later that afternoon as the rain started to move back in. We had a pretty good storm that night but everything hung in there well. The rooftop tent did great. The hammock drained great under the tarp.
The next day was gorgeous. We had my signature camp dish, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and cheese scramble. We were able to use our French press for the first time and it was good. We went for a nice ride around the Island—very similar to scenery from Cumberland Island. We had hotdogs at camp and then went for a dolphin tour, hiked to shark tooth beach, and out to dinner at the Wharf. It was great! The boys were dolphin spotting experts. We also got to see a bald eagle. Shark tooth beach was full of shells. Dinner was great. We went back to camp for a good nights rest. I must say that we had raccoons at our camp both nights and then even unlocked our Tupperware container with dry food and were able to steal a few snacks.
We woke up in the morning, ate cold cereal, packed up and made our way across GA. We stopped at Providence Canyon on the way to hike. It is really pretty. We did the 2 mile loop trail. It was muddy but not as bad as we thought it would be with all the rain we had gotten. It was the first time that we had been there at sunset and it was pretty. We made it to our campsite at FD Roosevelt state park in Pine Mountain, GA around 7:30. We set up the tent and roof top tent. No canopy or hammocks this time because wind was brutal and it was dark. The boys took the cots and the littlest used a sleep pad. They slept well despite the torrential downfall. Again, everyone stayed dry.
The next morning we had boiled eggs, toast, sausage and more camp coffee. It was cold and a little misty so we decided to check out the Wild Animal Safari. It is amazing! We rented one of their vehicles, a must do, and drove through. We were one of the first that day so we were swarmed by all kinds of animals except the giraffes, it was too cold for them. We all loved it! We went out to lunch and back to camp for a warm campfire.
We are a blended family of 5. Originally, smalls and talls originated with father and son hiking. When our son would get tired hiking a tough hill, he would call out “You’re killing me smalls”. And so, the first 2 trail names stuck. Smalls started a youtube channel to highlight their trips.
Later, what started as a request for advice on hiking trails, Smalls went hiking with a new partner.
As more time passed, they decided that it was serious enough to introduce everyone. The other trail names followed in stride with the original. Now we have Smalls, Wonderbread, Mediums, Talls, and SnackPack.
Smalls and I had 2 kid free days and we really wanted to get away and do some hiking and camping. It was Labor Day weekend and as usual, we had no plans set in stone. Fall is always crazy with school starting back and football along with all the other kids’ activities. Smalls packed for us to either camp or backpack. We jumped in the car and headed north. This is one of the things I love most about Smalls is that he flies by the seat of his pants and things always work out. I’m a planner so this was difficult for me to adjust to and now I don’t worry about it. Clayton, GA and Franklin, NC are some of our favorite places so we headed toward Clayton because the restaurants are great. Franklin seems to shut down at 8pm.
We stopped to eat on the way up to Clayton so we headed straight to find a place to stay. Smalls was starting to panic because it was Labor Day weekend. We decided to ride down to Warwoman Dell where we had hiked earlier in the summer. We kept driving and saw a turn for Warwoman WMA. It was a check-in area but decided to keep going and shortly after spotted a campsite. We continued on. There were several closed off roads but when it ended there was another campsite so we decided to do something we almost never do. Smalls and I were at camp and set-up by 6pm. It seems like we are almost always fighting sunset if not already in the dark setting up camp. The weather was perfect! Highs right around 80 and lows in the mid 50s. Smalls and I really enjoyed some quiet time just hanging out by the campfire. Smalls was finally able to do his first gear review and I learned to set-up the roof top tent. No other car ever came down the road. For full time working parents of 3 children, this is so important for us to be able to have time just the two of us with nothing on the agenda.
The next morning, we took our time getting up and heading out to hike. Smalls and I decided to go to Rabun Bald and take the shorter route from Beegum Gap making it 3.4 miles instead of 8 miles on the Bartram Trail. Both trails are moderate. The trail from Beegum Gap is just over 1000 feet in ascent while the Bartram Trail is over 1800 feet. Our trail was a steady incline the entire time. There were some nice coverage from the rhododendron. A lot of people were on trail that day but again it was Labor Day weekend. The views were incredible and we could not have asked for better weather. On the way down, we took the loop around the alternate on the way down. It looks like it used to be a forest service road that is impassable. The alternate appeared that we were walking through river bed most of the way. It was quite rocky and wet.
Once we returned to the truck, we decided to go into Clayton to get a nice meal at Universal Joint. Great burgers! We had the best of intentions to go onto Glassy Mountain Road to Fire Tower. However, we ended up going down further on Warwoman Road and exploring more of the WMA. We landed at another campsite, not as secluded as the other. We had a relaxing night and decided to hammock camp. The weather report that we found on the radio was pre-recorded and inaccurate. We made the decision to leave the tarps off and ended up having to put away the hammocks and open up the roof top tent around 3 am. Not the most restful night.
After doing both Rabun Bald and Pinnacle Knob, Smalls and I really want to do a backpacking trip of the entire Bartram Trail. Its 34.1 miles. There are multiple views and waterfalls with campsites all along the way. We’ll save that adventure for another kid-free long weekend.
Smalls and I have waiting to get out and do some serious hiking. We had a kid free weekend coming up and Smalls didn’t have to work so we planned a backpacking trip. All week, the weather reports kept increasing chance of thunderstorms up to 85%. We decided to stay at home Friday night and get up Saturday morning and see what we might get into. Saturday morning, the rain chances dropped to 15% and there was not a cloud in the sky. We hit the road and headed to Clayton–definitely one of our favorite spots.
We chose to do Bartram Trail to Pinnacle Knob. The trail is listed on AllTrails as moderate difficulty at 7.8 miles. We got going around noon. The trail is awesome! There were multiple waterfalls including Becky Branch Falls. It was well marked with great terrain and several campsites along the way. The views at the top were great! Smalls used the new drone to get some great views. We enjoyed it until a storm camp upon us and we started back down due to lightning. The trees sheltered us for a bit until the rain got so heavy and then the lightning and thunder got us running downhill for about a mile. The rain felt so good! Drenched is an understatement though. The trail started to flood due to all the rain. It stopped for a bit. I can’t describe how gorgeous the woods are after a good rain. All the foliage is bright green, the waterfalls were roaring, and there is an eerie fog that highlights the sunlight peering through the trees.
All in all, it was over 9 miles. It was definitely on the difficult side of moderate but well worth it. We made it back to the truck and put on some dry clothes before heading back into Clayton for dinner. We went back to one of our favorites, Rumor Hazit. Get the trout–you’ll thank me later.
We really had no idea where we would stay so we got a tip from one of Smalls’ friends. We’re sworn to secrecy on where this spot is located, but it was great!
Sunday morning we took our time getting going. Riding around some forest roads led us to Charlie’s Creek Road Trail which is part of the Georgia Traverse Trail. It has recently been graded removing most of the rock climbing. We had a great time! There were water crossings and mud puddles.
On the way home, Smalls took me to Mountain Crossings and spoiled me with my very own backpack. I have been using Talls Zpacks Scout, which I love, but I needed my own. I got the Gossamer Mariposa 60. I’ll do a full review once I do an overnight trip with it. It fits great but it also has a ton of storage including 2 large pockets on hip belt along with 5 other pockets. The back is foam and ventilated. It has a pocket inside the main storage where I can put water bladder and thread tub to shoulder straps. I am so excited to use this pack!
After our first overlanding trip that required 2 vehicles, we knew that we had to find a way to both condense what we bring and capitalize on the space we do have. Our goal the entire time was to be able to camp off grid for up to 5 days without having to resupply. The bed cover that the truck came with was fantastic, however it significantly limited what would fit under it and then seemed to waste the space between the cover and the rack.
It was difficult to get rid of the truck bed cover, but Smalls installed the Decked Drawer System and honestly its amazing. I think we doubled our storage space because we can put things in there without having to put it in a separate container and then in the back of the truck.
Its definitely an ongoing organization project as we try to decide what needs to always be on hand in the truck. It is water proof so thats wonderful. It is not dust proof but that hasn’t been a big issue in the southeast US. I definitely recommend the drawer boxes. We learned that dry foods need to be in the box to prevent critters getting inside. A mouse somehow got into our snacks so we had to throw some things away and rearrange.
We still plan to get drain plugs to install so that we can empty the drawers and spray them out for easier cleaning.
For Christmas, we try to give the kids more experience gifts rather than toys and such since they never seem really use it much. Mediums got a trip to Screaming Eagle Zip Line, home to the longest zip line in the world. The age requirement is 10 so we chose a weekend that Talls was with his mom and sent Snack Pack to hang out with her grandma. It just so happened to be close to Pop’s birthday so we invited him to join as well. It was Smalls’ first ever zip line.
We had a blast! After the “IQ test” where we learned the do’s and don’ts, we hooked in and headed up the rope bridge to the first zip line. This zip line course was unique in that there was a bit of an obstacle course on the way to each zip line. There were 12 lines where we hit top speeds of 45 mph. We chose to do the levels 1 and 2. There are 4 total with the final one being the Screaming Eagle which goes up to 75 mph! Lets just say we are definitely going back to do all 4.
There is a ton of stuff to do at Historic Banning Mills including hiking, rock wall, free fall, horseback riding, and so much more. They even have place to stay there including cabins and tree houses. We will be back!
Happy Anniversary! For our 1 year anniversary, we hopped in the car and started driving north. Smalls wanted to drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so that’s where we went. I love how he has taught me to jump in the car and enjoy the ride trusting that it will all work out. It always does.
We started at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We had an awesome surprise with a large group of elk hanging out. We did learn though that the BRP was closed at that section, so we had to detour and find a way to get on further up.
It was so worth it! The views were absolutely breath taking. It was early April so it was still pretty cool out. There were icicles all over the place. It was so hard not to stop at every overlook. There was another closure that took us on a detour through Asheville which was nice. Refusing to give up, we got back on the BRP and got all the way up to Craggy Gardens and it was closed again. We saw a gravel road to the left and decided to take that instead of turning around. I highly recommend you use the nps.gov website to see current closures. This would have helped us out.
Either way, the detour was fun! We ended up north of Mount Mitchell and came back south. The drive was amazing! The road up to Mount Mitchell was pretty too. My dad completed the bike ride up to Mount Mitchell, affectionately called Assault on Mount Mitchell, a few times when he was younger. Driving up that rode definitely gave his patch that I stared at on the back of his riding jersey much more meaningful. He said that many people would not be able to clip out once they got the the top so they would just fall over. It is so steep that you cannot ride down once you go up.
We made it to the top in time for sunset. The temperature was dropping quickly. While we enjoyed the views, a ranger came up to take in the view. He said that the reason many sections of the BRP were closed because they had 2 ft of snow this past week.
The views were amazing and the drive was so much fun! I highly recommend.
Smalls and Talls Outdoors 