The Hensons' Hideaway

Henson's Hideaway is located between Weaverville, CA and Trinity Center, CA, along Highway 3 on the west side of Trinity Lake. It is centrally located to a number of the Trinity Alps trails, as well as boat access to the lake. Also, it is an easy drive to get food, supplies, beer, etc in either town. The road is plowed year round and the cabin is only a few minutes off of Highway 3.

**Cabin Review:** Henson's Hideaway is bookable on VRBO [https://www.vrbo.com/300244](https://www.vrbo.com/300244)) and Michelle is very easy to deal with, and very accommodating. Prices vary depending on the time of year and holiday weekends, so check with the listing page linked above for up to date info. The cabin itself is fantastic. There is a large deck downstairs that opens into a garage that has been converted into a bonus room with TV/Satellite, a pool table, extra full bathroom, and additional sleeping areas. The pool table was a fantastic unexpected bonus for a cabin in the woods. Upstairs is a very comfortable main living area with a bathroom, bedroom, full kitchen, dining/living room and a deck outside with seating for at least 4 adults. It was a very comfortable cabin with plenty of creature comforts, the kitchen was well stocked with cooking/cleaning/silverware etc. It was plenty of room for two couples, two toddlers, and two labs. The only downside was that it doesn't have a bbq. They don't keep one around because it attracts mountain critters, but people are allowed to bring their own if they would like. As always though, check with the owners for the latest info. I have posted a few pictures I took, there are more at the link above.

**Product Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At the Henson's Hideaway, I tested the Renogy ELumen Multi-funtionial Flashlight ([https://www.renogy.com/renogy-e-lumen-multi-functional-flashlight/](https://www.renogy.com/renogy-e-lumen-multi-functional-flashlight/).)

The flashlight comes equipped with a flashlight (obviously) with three settings (high, low, strobe), a recessed seatbelt cutter, a glass shattering hammer, a compass embedded in the butt of the grip, a solar charging panel built into the flashlight handle (here is where you can insert the old joke about solar powered flashlights, but it does work thanks to a built in lithium ion battery), LED side lighting (both red and white lights, including a strobe function), a magnet for mounting/storage and USB input/output to charge the flashlight or charge electronic devices off the flashlight's battery. Enough of the specs, on to the review. This flashlight rocks. It is plenty light for nighttime wandering around a camp/cabin. The LED side lighting is great for illuminating a small space without blinding anyone, similar to a lantern, the red strobe LED side lighting is great for roadside emergencies or to use as a beacon. I haven't had to test the glass shattering hammer or seatbelt cutter, knock on wood, but they both look like they will do the trick, and the flashlight is living in the center console of my truck for just such emergencies. It charges quickly via USB and seemed to charge quickly enough from a fully dead battery to work fine, I just set it on the dash of my truck while I drove to the cabin and when we got there it worked all weekend. The only downside is the compass, I have tested it a few different times and places and it is always a few degrees off from my other compass and the one on my smart phone. Close enough to be useful in general, but I wouldn't trust it trying to route-find.

Henson's Hideaway receives 5 stars and the Renogy Flashlight receives 4 1/2 stars due to the minor issue with the compass. Overall it is a fantastic item that is light enough to backpack with, especially given the multi functionality of the product. I highly recommend car campers and backpackers alike get one for their travels, especially given the very reasonable price of $25.