100 Degree Hammock Camping - Thunderstorms on the Black Forest Trail

3 days of Backpacking, Thunderstorms & Hammock Camping in Heavy Rain on a section of Pennsylvania’s Black Forest Trail. Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/sintax - Enter promo code SINTAX for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE! For this adventure, I headed out for a 3 day, 2 night solo backpacking trip in Pennsylvania’s Tiadaghton State Forest. The full Black Forest Trail is a rugged 43 mile loop with 8,550′ of elevation gain that I’ve done in the past and really enjoyed. Facing a July forecast in the triple digits with thunderstorms, and the fact that my last solo hike was a pretty intense one, I decided to scale the mileage back this time. My general plan was to simply go into the woods and use the network of connector trails to come up with a route on the fly, based on how the weather played out from day to day. For an easier read, more info and downloadable GPS data, check out my full blog post https://www.sintax77.com/hundred-degree-hammock-camping-with-thunderstorms-black-forest-trail Trailhead Used: Pine Creek Rail Trail Access Area by Wolfe’s General Store 41°28’15.6″N 77°30’05.8″W Slate Run, PA 17769 The trailhead is on the other side of the auto bridge, behind the Hotel Manor inn / pub. Parking immediately at the trailhead is for day use only. No overnight parking is permitted in the hotel’s parking lot by the actual trailhead. Trails Used Day 1 Park at the Slate Run Rail Trail parking lot Head over the auto bridge and make a right. Begin the loop at the Black Forest Trailhead, located in the lot behind Hotel Manor. Black Forest Trail Setup camp along Red Run Creek on the Black Forest Trail This is a large campsite with a fire ring and room for several tents or hammocks located right by the creek. This is the first water source I encountered all day. According to the guide book, there is a spring on the ridge about 2.75 miles in, but I didn’t notice it on my hike. Day 1 Mileage: 6 miles Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,499′ Day 1 Gross Descent: 1,193′ Trails Used Day 2 Continue on the Black Forest Trail Old Supply Trail (this shortcut leaves the BFT shortly after reaching Francis Rd) Reconnect with the Black Forest Trail BFT crosses Slate Run Road Setup camp along Slate Run Creek Day 2 Mileage: 6 miles Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,430′ Day 2 Gross Descent: 1,594′ Day 3 Continue on the Black Forest Trail Return to the Slate Run Rail Trail Recreation Area Parking Lot Day 3 Mileage: 2 miles Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 152′ Day 3 Gross Descent: 295′ Grand Total Mileage: 14 miles Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 3,081 https://www.sintax77.com/free-stickers/ https://teespring.com/stores/sintax77-official-merch-store Notable Backpacking Gear Black Forest Trail Guide https://amzn.to/2W3ogII ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/ohm-2-0/ Dutchware Pack Cover https://dutchwaregear.com/product/waterproof-pack-cover/ Dutchware Gear Chameleon Hammock with Beetle Buckle Suspension https://dutchwaregear.com/product/chameleon-hammock Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premium-burrow/ Hammock Gear Phoenix 30 Underquilt https://hammockgear.com/premium-phoenix-custom/ Hammock Gear Dyneema Hex Tarp https://www.hammockgear.com/dyneema-fiber-hex-tarp/ DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove Vargon Aluminum Windscreen https://amzn.to/3BPUOFl Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker https://amzn.to/30S3rxm Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork https://amzn.to/3lBguOW Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets with PA Plus https://amzn.to/3uYZ1TP Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Jacket https://amzn.to/2BiSnB1 Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants https://bit.ly/36Hd85J La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoes https://amzn.to/3hyKrMi Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/2YVsp0A Benchmade Bugout EDC Folding Knife https://amzn.to/2JVfBS5 Casio ProTrek F-30 Smartwatch https://amzn.to/3dtY7Xj Packit Gourmet Backpacking Meals https://www.packitgourmet.com/ Spot X Satellite Messenger https://amzn.to/3adSjBr Camera Gear used for this episode GoPro Hero 8 Black https://amzn.to/2D8n6lL GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip https://amzn.to/2MPhGOM 128GB Sandisk Extreme Memory Card https://amzn.to/2YWsFIB FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.