Water filtration and water purification are as important in freezing weather as they are the rest of the year. Giardia, bacteria, and cysts don’t go to sleep when temperatures dip near or below freezing, nor do beavers, mice, deer, rabbits, and all …
Read More »Philip Werner
The DryGuy DX Forced Air Boot Dryer Review
The DryGuy DX Forced Air Boot Dryer is a life-changing product that I wish I’d discovered years ago. When you hike and ski as much as I do in winter (4 to 5 days per week), it’s hard to get your boots …
Read More »Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT Review
The Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT is a two-person floorless tarp shelter that requires two trekking poles to set up. Weighing 29.5 ounces, it’s not the lightest weight two-person tarp you can get by a long shot, but it is inexpensive, spacious, and …
Read More »A Good Walking Stick
There’s nothing like a good wooden walking stick, is there? It’s a completely different feeling from using a pair of metal or carbon fiber hiking poles. Wood is far more resilient. It won’t break if you get it caught in some roots …
Read More »Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sleeping Pad Review
The Therm-a-Rest Z-lite sleeping pad (long and short) is a top-rated non-inflatable foam sleeping pad you can buy from a mainstream manufacturer. With an R-value of 2, it doesn’t absorb rainwater and folds up like an accordion so it can be easily …
Read More »Paria Outdoors Zion 2 Tent Review
The Paria Outdoors Zion 2 is a spacious, freestanding two-person tent with two doors ($155) that can actually fit two people with room to spare. It comes complete with aluminum poles, a footprint, and good quality tent stakes. With a trail weight …
Read More »Granite Gear Dagger 22 Backpack Review
The Granite Gear Dagger 22 is a technical daypack that’s equally at home on the trail, for traveling, or on the campus. It’s organized like Granite Gear’s multi-day backpacks with a long front stretch pocket, side water bottle pockets, and compression straps, …
Read More »Ragged Mountain Equipment Gore-Tex Mitten Shells Review
I’m a big advocate of layering with winter gloves and mittens. My go-to winter combination is a fleece glove for warmth and dexterity combined with a waterproof/breathable mitten for warmth and wind protection. The two insulate well when it’s cold and the …
Read More »Hiking North Twin Mountain in January
Every day I get a little bit stronger and my breathing gets a little bit easier. But getting Covid in December really kicked my ass. Even worse was the Covid cough that followed, setting me back a month or two in terms …
Read More »REI Magma Trail Quilt 30 Review
The REI Magma Trail Quilt 30 is a lightweight alternative to a mummy sleeping bag, weighing just 19 oz. It’s insulated with 850 fill power goose down and rated for temperatures down to 30 degrees. The Magma Trail Quilt 30 saves weight …
Read More »Klymit LiteWater Dinghy Review
Don’t let the goofy appearance of the Klymit LiteWater Dinghy (LWD) fool you. This oddly shaped inflatable boat is masterfully designed for flatwater use even though it looks much different from other packrafts. Affordably priced, it provides an enormous amount of value …
Read More »Waymark Gear Lite 50 Backpack w/ECOPAK Review
The Waymark Gear Lite 50 is a lightweight internal frame backpack suitable for multi-day backpacking and thru-hiking trips. Weighing 34.8 oz, the Lite 50 has a standard UL rolltop design with a sewn-on hip belt, a front mesh pocket, and durable side …
Read More »Over-Pronation for Hikers and Trail Runners
< Over-Pronation Defined Pronation occurs when the foot rolls inwards and the arch compresses as part of your normal walking motion. Pronation is necessary for shock absorption to transmit forces up and down our legs. When someone over-pronates, the foot rolls inwards …
Read More »Stock vs Custom Backpacking Quilts: How to Choose
Backpacking quilts have exploded in popularity in recent years and provide a great alternative to hooded sleeping bags for people, particularly side sleepers, who find them claustrophobic or uncomfortable to sleep in. But purchasing a quilt can be much more difficult than …
Read More »