Gossamer Gear came out with some hip belt pockets this year that will fit any pack they’ve every made, including the Mariposa Plus, which is one of my working packs for mutli-day trips.

The pockets themselves are very functional. The zippers work reliably and the pockets hold a lot of gear, even in the medium size […]

Popularity: 5% [?]

continue reading.....

I’ve hiked a lot of trails in New England where the trail blazing is erratic. Sometimes this is due to a shortage of tail maintainers and sometimes it’s deliberate, in order to create a greater sense of wilderness. Regardless of the cause, it can be unnerving, particularly when bad weather or nightfall is approaching.
Here are […]

Popularity: 24% [?]

continue reading.....

On Sunday,  I spent a few hours in the woods by my house practicing setting up tarps in a variety of configurations and it’s fair to say that I need a lot more practice. I’d read about setting up tarps before trying it today, but it seems like I had to rediscover some of the […]

Popularity: 11% [?]

continue reading.....

If you’ve thinking about getting yourself a single-walled tent, I highly recommend that you look at the entire Tarptent product line. I’ve owned a Squall 2 for about 2 years and it’s a classic, suitable for one or two people, that only weighs 34 oz, including a bathtub floor, collapsible rear pole and stuff stack.

The […]

Popularity: 5% [?]

continue reading.....

If you look closely at my gear list, you’ll see that I carry 3 hats: a buff bandana, a mountain hardware polypro beanie, and a billed golite mesh hat. They all have a specific purpose. The Buff Bandana is soaked in permethrin and useful as a head stocking if the bugs are biting. The Mountain […]

Popularity: 7% [?]

continue reading.....