Outdoor Research is not known for their jackets but I’ve had good luck with their Ion windshirt which I bought for a song at the REI Outlet last year. This is a 2006 product but you can still find it in outlet stores on the web. It should not be confused with the Marmot Ion [...]

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Section hikers are people who hike long distance trails in stages, maybe a weekend or a vacation, at a time. We are the unfortunate majority that can’t take a year off to hike the Appalachian Trail or many of the other fine long distance trails in the US and abroad. But like thru-hikers, we yearn [...]

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I am a big fan of Platypus hydration bladders and I normally carry two, 3L bladders with me when I’m backpacking.

Platypus bladders are different from Camelback bladders, which I have used in the past, because they have a much smaller opening screw top openings. This is important when you are cooking and you need to [...]

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As an Ultralight hiker, I have a real love hate relationship with camp shoes. Often, I just can’t justify the extra weight. For example, a pair of men’s Crocs in size 9 weights 11.5 oz! And so, I rarely bring my Crocs along on weekend section hikes.
Enter Waldies, shown here. These shoes are just [...]

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I’d like your advice. I’m looking to purchase a stove for early spring and late autumn hiking that starts more reliably than an alcohol stove without a huge weight penalty. Alcohol stoves are hard to light when it’s cold out because a cold stove has problems vaporizing the fuel. In order to get it to [...]

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