Hiking in the Catskills

Hiking in the Catskills

by Kathleen Lisson

Here are a few photos I took on recent Catskill hiking trips. I enjoy living so close to these mountains. Arun and I have spend many weekends together camping and hiking in preparation for Kilimanjaro. When I hike the Catskills, it gives him a chance to spend one day hiking and the other rock climbing.

Advice for Hiking the High Peaks

Advice for Hiking the High Peaks

By Kathleen Lisson

In the article 'How to Hike the High Peaks and not be That Guy,' Casey Normile offers 10 tips for hiking in the Adirondacks. 

My favorite was 'don't hike Mt. Marcy first.' Certain mountains are "friendlier" than others and a beginning hiker can get discouraged when their second or third hike is MUCH more difficult than the first few. 

Read the 'How to Hike the High Peaks and not be That Guy' article here: http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2012/08/06/how-to-hike-the-high-peaks----and-not-be-that-guy

Gear Review - L.L. Bean Duffel Bag

L.L. Bean Adventure Duffel Medium - Hot Coral

by Kathleen Lisson

LL Bean Adventure Duffel

I bought both the medium and large duffel bags from L.L. Bean for my upcoming trip to Kilimanjaro. 

I took the medium duffel bag with me on my recent trip to the Junior League Annual Conference in St. Louis. The bag fit into the overhead bin on my Southwest and Delta flights and the waterproofing came in handy while waiting for the MetroLink outside of the airport. 

• POSITIVE: I could load a lot more items in this duffel than would fit in my rolling carry on.

• NEGATIVE: There is more packing space, so be careful to pack a bag that you can still lift and carry through an airport! 

• SOLUTION: I will use a separate folding luggage cart to easily transport both my medium and large duffel bags on my trip to Tanzania.  

I like the memorable color and added my monogram so I could confidently pick my bag out of a pile of bags on a luggage carousel. I will fly to Tanzania with this piece of luggage as my carry on.

The L.L. Bean duffel bag is online here: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63912