The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka

Raffle: Signed Copy of The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka

Andrew Skurka’s long awaited hiking gear guide was released last week by publisher National Geographic at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. Named Adventurer of the year by Outside Magazine, Andrew has hiked more than 30,000 miles including the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the 4,700 miles [...]

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Off Trail in the White Mountains

Walking in Circles – Common Bushwhacking Mistakes

I got lost in the woods using a compass a few weeks ago when we were bushwhacking West Field, a seldom visited mountain peak near Crawford Notch in the White Mountains. I know how to use a compass quite well, so this experience was a real eye opener for me, and I’ve been thinking about [...]

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A Deuter AirComfort Ventilated Backpack Frame

The History of Ventilated Backpack Frames

When internal frame backpacks were first developed in 1967 by Greg Lowe (who later founded Lowe Alpine and LowePro), they were designed to be more formfitting than external frame packs, bringing the load closer to the wearer’s hips, and making it easier to scramble or go off trail. However, it wasn’t until 1984, that the [...]

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Easton Mountain Products - Kilo 2P Lightweight Tent

Easton Mountain Product’s Kilo 2P Lightweight Tent – Review

The Easton Mountain Products Kilo 2P is lightweight double-walled tent, weighing just 2 pounds 8 ounces, that features Easton’s latest ultralight carbon fiber pole system and a redesigned exoskeleton over last year’s model. Designed for 2 person camping and backpacking, the Kilo 2P includes a mesh inner tent and built-in vestibule making it suitable for [...]

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Olympia Granola Bar Man

Outdoor Retailer Show Roundup – Winter 2012

I spent this past weekend in Salt Lake City at the Winter Outdoor Retailer trade show meeting with a bunch of different companies to find out what new products they have in the pipeline for next year. Over 1000 gear and apparel manufacturers attend this event from all over the world to meet with their [...]

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Tyvek Sleeping Bag Cover From Tera Ros Gear

Raffle: Terra Rosa Tyvek Sleeping Bag Cover

I am raffling off a Terra Rosa Tyvek Sleeping Bag/Quilt Cover (click for review and complete specs) that I tested and reviewed last autumn. Appropriate for 3 season use, this is a very lightweight and breathable, 5.2 ounce sleeping bag cover, that is large enough to fit a 20 degree down bag without compressing its [...]

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Tripyramids, White Mountains

North and Middle Tripyramid Attempt

Winter peakbagging wouldn’t be challenging if you successfully bagged the peaks you were after every time. That was the case last weekend, when seven of us took a crack at Mount Tripyramid, a rugged and distinctive 4,000 footer  in the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains. We approached the mountain from the north starting at [...]

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