Mt. Greylock (3,491 ft.) is the highest peak in Massachusetts. Located in the Berkshires near New York State, the Mount Greylock land form is composed of a north-south oriented central ridge: Saddle Ball Mountain (3,247 ft ); Mount Greylock, the high point (3,491 …
Read More »Philip Werner
Asolo AFS Evoluzione: Plastic Mountaineering Boot
This weekend, I rented a pair of plastic mountaineering boots to try out in preparation for my upcoming Introduction to Mountaineering Course. This is a 3 day class that I’ll be taking with the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, NH …
Read More »Becoming a Naturalist
For many years, my primary motivation for hiking and backpacking has been to experience a form of meditation practiced by Buddhists called walking meditation. This differs from sitting meditation because the practitioner is moving outdoors with their eyes open, paying close attention …
Read More »Mountain Hardware Phantom Down Jacket
I bought the Mountain Hardware Phantom Down Jacket on sale about 2 weeks ago because I needed an exceptionally warm coat for winter camping and mountaineering. Since then, I’ve worn it everyday and I am amazed at how warm it is. The Phantom’s …
Read More »How Big is your Backpacking Knife?
This article is in response to Jason’s Klass’ post In defense of the knife. Jason believes that a knife is important to carry in the backcountry. His preference is a 2.6 oz. Spyderco Delica 4. A perfectly logical choice, except maybe the …
Read More »Vegan Sleeping Bags
I have a reader, named Randy, who contacted me recently seeking advice on 3 season synthetic sleeping bags. He’s adopted a vegan lifestyle and doesn’t want to use a goose down bag. This will be his first sleeping bag so I volunteered …
Read More »The Human Burrito
This is NOT a backpacking recipe! It's a technique I learned for warming an hypothermia victim during my Wilderness First Aid certification class in Vermont recently. The Human Burrito is based on vapor barrier survival techniques that I've written about in the …
Read More »Outdoor Research Cornice Gore-tex Mittens
If you go winter backpacking, snowshoeing, or mountaineering, you are going to want to bring at least one pair of mittens. Some people will even bring two pairs in case one gets wet. Personally, I bring a pair of mittens for warmth …
Read More »Wilderness First Aid Certification
I just got back from an inspiring certification course on Wilderness First Aid taught by SOLO and sponsored by the Green Mountain Club in Vermont. SOLO is one of the leading wilderness medicine education groups in the US and has trained over …
Read More »Backcountry Survival and Rescue Skills 101
I hope you never have to deal with a life and death situation in the wilderness. But the odds are good that you will, sooner or later, if you spend significant time in the backcountry by yourself or with groups of backpackers, …
Read More »High Gaiters, Low Gaiters
A lot of hikers contact me about gaiters, so I thought I’d write a post about high and low gaiters, when they’re appropriate to use and why you might use them. First off, there are high gaiters and low gaiters. High gaiters …
Read More »Cold Cold World Backpacks
I was out today doing some gear testing, trying to figure out the best way to carry snowshoes on one of my existing backpacks. It looks like the system shown here is pretty workable: I’ve stowed the bottoms of my Atlas 830 …
Read More »Mountain Hardware Cohesion Pants
It was Thanksgiving day and the weather was a bit chilly so I decided to test out a pair a Mountain Hardware Cohesion Pants for showshoeing this winter in Vermont. I put on a pair of Patagonia 1 Capilene long underwear underneath …
Read More »Montbell Thermawrap Jacket
The Montbell Ultralight Thermawrap Jacket is a lightweight insulation layer (a size XL is 9.1 oz.) that is exceptionally warm. I wear it directly over a base layer, replacing bulkier garments like a fleece pullover. It’s also windproof, which means I can shed an outer shell layer …
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