Trail/Campground Review:

The East Fork trail at the end of Burrells Ford is quite an easy trail!  It's 2.5 miles one way from either end of the Chattooga Picnic Area adjacent to the Walhalla Fish Hatchery and at the end of Burrells Ford and following the Chattooga River.  The terrain is at times muddy with the natural streams cutting through, rocky with the many river rock stones lieing around, and just good ol' natural dirt.  There were some hard spots from fallen trees we had to travel over, and at one moment i thought i would tip over by the weight of my bag - but everything stayed put!

The Burrells Ford has several different camping options... you can drive in and park and hike a small bit to a spot near the river (this parking lot has a community pit toilet), you could go past that to the trail head where you park on the side of the road and hike in to MANY hiking spots off the trail (just stay on established trails!), or you could follow the road through and find several pull off drive in camp sites along the road.

We choose the hike in and we didn't have to hike far before we found out perfect camping spot on the river.  After looking over the area we set up camp and got our fire started for the many meals we had packed in (one thing is for sure camp food is the best!!).  We tried our hand at some fishing but the fish just wasn't biting that day - maybe some other time.

A little backpacking tip for those looking for cheap DIY fire starters: cardboard egg crates, dryer lint, and candle wax. it's still the same concept as the toilet paper rolls stuffed with dryer lint, but you're using the egg crate as your holder. Granted it won't burn the same as the original but it's still great for starting fires!

It was just so perfectly peaceful!

Product Review:

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test out new gear that I might find useful for my upcoming trip.  For my trip I purchased the Gregory Women's Jade 53 in Mayan Teal.  This bag couldn't have been more perfect!  It was just the right size in size XS/SM for me.  I'm 5'6" tall and probably about 140 pounds give or take.  I've provided a photo to show how it sits on me.

I loved how the whole inside of the bag is just one large opening that can be accessed from THREE different points= top, middle, and bottom.  A bonus feature I didn't know of until I started to pack is that there is a detachable shelf that will separate the bottom section from the rest of the bag but still remain accessible if needed. This came in handy as I was able to keep my shoes separate from my spare clothes. 

Another thing I really loved was the many pockets and straps and bungees that were easy to put stuff in and strap on.  Nothing fell off even as I was hitting branches!!

My husband is very jealous right now and is searching for his own very soon!!