Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
Your hands, head, and feet constitute your body’s initial warning system when temperatures start dropping. Due to their high surface area to mass ratio, these are the places that you are likely to feel the cold first. You may be decked Read More …
Thinking about reducing your pack weight, but not exactly sure where to begin? Before you start cutting the labels off your clothes, the edges off your maps and the end off your toothbrush, it’s worth noting that the most significant Read More …
Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that quite a few hiking blogs are coming out with “Great Ideas for affordable Christmas Gifts” posts. You know the ones I’m talking about. Useful items that you can pick up for $25, $50, Read More …
Looking for a lightweight, well designed rain jacket that doesn’t cost the earth? Coming in at 9.1 oz and retailing for $175, the Montbell Peak shell represents a good option. Before diving into the review, let me state the following Read More …
Since 2011, I have used two sleeping quilts on all of my backcountry trips. They are the Katabatic Palisade 30°F and the Katabatic Sawatch 15°F. Below is my long term review for both products. Field Experience Time: More than 600 nights in the Read More …
Summer in the Colombian Andes can be a meteorological crapshoot. Dry and clear periods, mixed with torrential rain, snow and high winds. Temps often hover around freezing during the day, but subsequently drop well below zero (celsius) at night. Virtually Read More …
Since 2009, OPSAK bags (made by LOKSAK) have been an integral part of my backpacking kit. Irrespective of the season or environment, I’ve carried these odour proof storage bags for more than 900 nights in the backcountry, including the entire 18 month, 14,300 mile, 12 Read More …
To a certain degree, blisters are to hikers what carpal tunnel syndrome is to court reporters – an occupational hazard. The primary cause of these little bubbles of fun is friction. Long hours on your feet combined with ill-fitting footwear Read More …
“If you can’t ride two horses at once you shouldn’t be in the circus.” – James Maxton (1885-1946) Items that can fulfill more than one purpose are a great way of decreasing your base weight, as well as simplifying your packing list. Read More …
A well loaded pack can mean the difference between being comfortable and uncomfortable out on the trail. It is one of the simpler backpacking skills to learn, yet it seems to be a process that many hikers overlook. There is Read More …
Since the early 2000s, frameless backpacks have been my rucksack model of choice for the majority of hiking trips that I have done. While by no means an ideal option for all hikers and all types of journeys (see below Read More …
With all the hullabaloo in the hiking community about Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, I couldn’t resist sneaking in at least one post with “Wild” in the title. 😉 Truth be told, this list is just a fun exercise to see how much Read More …
This is the gear list from my 2012 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. It represented the tenth hike of the 12 Long Walks series. I began at the Mexican border on May 6 and finished on July 29. In Read More …
The perfect rain jacket is waterproof, breathable, lightweight, durable and affordable. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist. Bummer. Choosing a rain jacket basically comes down to two main criteria: Suitability for the conditions into which you are venturing. Something that is in Read More …
I hiked the CBT in August/September, which is “dry” season in the Central Andes of South America. It is also winter,however, due to the fact that the Cordillera Blanca is situated so close to the equator, temperature fluctuations are relatively Read More …
One of the coolest things about my recent trip to Colorado, was having the opportunity to sit down and chat with the folks from Montbell and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC). The Japanese based gear company will be entering into a new and exciting Read More …
A few months ago I posted about a prototype tent that I was taking to the Peruvian Andes. The ProTrail is a one-person, single wall silnylon shelter. It represents the latest offering from Henry Shires and the folks at Tarptent. Read More …
On an upcoming trip to Peru, I’ll be taking along a prototype from Henry Shires at Tarptent. Weighing in at just over a pound and a half (including stakes), the front end is similar in design to the Tarptent Contrail. Read More …
In the relatively short space of 135 miles, the L2H goes from the salt flats of Death Valley (280 ft below sea level) to the summit of Mt.Whitney (14,490 ft). From a gear perspective, this means packing for everything from Read More …
I hiked the Appalachian Trail between October 17 and December 28, 2012 (72.5 days). It was the 12th and final thru-hike of the 12 Long Walks. The lowest temps encountered were in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains (7°F / -14°C), and Read More …