I'm pretty psyched about my new Superlight Bivy Bag from Mountain Laurel Designs (6.8 oz) and I'm looking forward to using it in Scotland next week in combination with my Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid pyramid tarp. I got this bivy bag because …

Hooked on Yoga Again I'm hooked on Yoga again. It's been about 2 years since I had a regular practice but in the past month I've gone to several classes per week and I am hooked on the feeling again. This past …

I think beavers are really cool animals and I’m always fascinated by their lodges when I come across them on backpacking and hiking trips in New England. It’s not uncommon to come across lodges that are enormous mounds of wood in the …

Connecticut Appalachian Trail My work-hike balance has been seriously off kilter the past few weeks, but I got back into the groove this weekend with a 1 night backpacking trip on the Connecticut Appalachian Trail, my first foray into the state. Spring …

With just 4 weeks to go, I've been very busy this weekend pulling all of my gear and resupply packages together for a 2 week unsupported hike across Scotland in the 2010 TGO Challenge. That includes finalizing my gear list, which I've …

Calories with Crunch When engaged in hiking or any other sustained strenuous activity you need to be able to give yourself a quick calorie and blood sugar boost without taking a break to prepare a full meal or elaborate snack. Many people …

Trail Runners for Hiking I bought a pair of Inov-8 TerRoc 330 trail running shoes (left) to compare against the Inov-8 Roclite 320’s (right) I reviewed recently (you can check out that review of mine on shoe hero). A number of you …

Humphrey Weightman convinced me to try wool sock liners. Well not exactly, but that was the end result. We were having an email exchange over  New Years about the gear and clothing he thinks is best suited for hiking across Scotland in …

I did a long hike approach snowshoe (7.2 miles round trip) over the weekend to the base of North Hancock, including 16 water crossings. We still have snow on the ground, but I figured that doing the crossings wearing my Inov-8 trail …

Climbing Mt. Hancock Naturegirl and I climbed the Northern Peak of Mt. Hancock (4,420 ft) on Saturday. We had gorgeous weather with highs somewhere near 70 F, despite the fact that it's still early April in the White Mountains. Trail Conditions While …

Chris and I headed up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire on Sunday to bag Mt Whiteface (4,020 ft), another 4,000 footer in the Sandwich Range. While winter is officially over for peakbaggers trying to finish their winter 48, winter itself …

Trail Shoe Epiphany I love my new Inov-8 Roclite 320 trail running shoes. Having endured hiking in wet leather Gore-Tex lined boots for years, I can’t convey to you the freedom that I feel being able to splash through any puddle or …

Ultralight Rain Mittens I like to go backpacking in the early spring, but cold spring rain can really be murder on your hands if you hike with trekking poles on multi-day trips. So, this year I’ll be using a pair of ultralight …

Fashionable Fleece? I’ve never really understood why people are willing to pay such a premium for Arc’teryx gear. But when I saw this Arc’teryx Covert Zip fleece sweater on sale, I decided to buy it and try it out. The truth is, …