Hillsound makes three different types of winter hiking traction aids, which unlike traditional mountaineering crampons, are primarily designed for use with flexible-soled winter boots and shoes. Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra Hillsound Trail Crampon Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro Unfortunately, Hillsound chose to name …
Read More »Philip Werner
The White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid
The White Mountains 4000 Footer Grid, called The Grid, requires hiking all 48 of the mountains on the White Mountains 4000 footer list, once each calendar month. That equates to 48 x 12 or 576 climbs, although you can climb multiple peaks …
Read More »Orvis Ultralight Wading Boots Review
Orvis’ Ultralight Wading Boots are rubber-soled wading boots that I wear with stocking foot waders when I fly fish rivers with a rod and reel. On wider streams and rivers, a rod and reel, waders, and wading boots give you the extra …
Read More »Zpacks Ultralight Dyneema Packing Cubes Review
Zpacks Packing Cubes are brick-shaped packing pods that come with compression straps so you can shrink the volume that gear takes inside your backpack. This can allow you to carry a lighter weight, smaller volume backpack, or carry more food, so you can …
Read More »Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor Backpack Review ’23
The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor is a top-loading backpack with a unique top lid and compression straps on the sides and front that let you modify the pack’s volume or strap bulky gear to the outside. This is complemented by a stiff …
Read More »REI Trail 25 Backpack Review
The REI Trail 25 is a multi-purpose panel-loading backpack good for day hiking, urban use, and travel. While it’s easy to discount it as a hiking pack, it’s surprisingly functional for just that purpose with lots of strategically located pockets, trekking pole …
Read More »Osprey Mutant 38 Backpack Review
The Osprey Mutant 38 is a versatile alpine backpack that’s equally at home on winter hiking trails, ski mountaineering tours, or ice-climbing routes. It’s an internal frame pack that is loaded with external attachment points that make it easy to haul bulky …
Read More »Tenkara EZ Keeper Line Management Hack Using Paper Clips and Electrical Tape
I like to keep the line rigged on my Tenkara Rod when I go fly fishing, so I wrap it around a pair of EZ Keepers that are attached to the outermost segment of the telescoping rod shaft. I wind the line …
Read More »MSR Evo Ascent Snowshoe Review
The MSR Evo Ascent is a bomber snowshoe that excels in mountainous terrain both on trail and off. Its unibody plastic decking makes it extremely rugged with aggressive crampons for purchase on snow, ice, and rock. It has a snowshoe binding that …
Read More »Six Moon Designs Wy’east Daypack Review
The Six Moon Designs Wy’East Daypack is a 30-liter daypack that’s good for all-day hikes, commuting, and travel. While it’s made by a company that specializes in ultralight rolltop backpacks for thru-hiking, it has a top-lid pocket and internal security pocket that …
Read More »NEMO Sonic 0 Sleeping Bag Review
The NEMO Sonic 0 is a down-insulated sleeping bag that can be comfortably used from zero degrees Fahrenheit up to 40 degrees. (This is the 2022 version which has been significantly updated from previous models.) While the Sonic 0 can be used …
Read More »Osprey Stratos 36 Backpack Review
The Osprey Stratos 36 is a ventilated and adjustable length backpack that is suitable for long day hikes, multi-sport adventures, and even lightweight backpacking trips. It has a suspended mesh back panel and seamless wrap-around hip belt that make it cool and …
Read More »Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody Review
The Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody is a lightweight windshirt (wind shell or windbreaker) that can be used for multiple sports from hiking and mountaineering to climbing and trail running. It’s very barebones, with a one-way adjustable hood, stretch cuffs, a zippered chest pocket, …
Read More »Winter Water Bottle Insulation and Hydration: A Simple Approach
There’s an art to winter water hydration and creating an insulation system that keeps your water from freezing, but still maintains it at a drinkable temperature. Like any art form, there are many different systems and gear combinations that you could use …
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