There’s nothing worse than having a having a stubborn rain jacket zipper that won’t zip when it starts to rain heavily. To prevent this, I lubricate all of the zippers on my hiking coats, sleeping bags, and shelters at least once a year using McNett’s Aqualseal Zip Tech. Application is easy. You simply run the [...]

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Golite’s Reed Pants are one of the lightest waterproof pants available today. At 6.4 oz for a men’s large, they are significantly lighter than both the old and new versions of Marmot Precips that weigh in at 9 oz. or more depending on size. These pants also compress down to the size of an apple [...]

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The Long Trail is really tough on ultralight backpacks that have a lot of external mesh pockets. I’ve already snagged a few pockets this year on protruding branches and roots, tearing holes in them, that can leak critical gear if they are not promptly mended. To counter this issue, I decided to try find a [...]

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I use a bladder and hosed based hydration system to carry water when I’m hiking because it’s easy to drink without stopping and it helps me stay better hydrated.

However keeping your bite valve clean can be problematic on when you put on and take off your back several times a day during rest breaks or [...]

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