Gear Reviews

Vargo Titanium Non-Stick Pot

Vargo Titanium Pot

Brain Vargo makes some really nice Titanium camping cookware that’s lightweight and very functional. This little pot has a capacity of 0.9 Liters and weighs 3.9 oz on my digital scale, but a 1.3 Liter model is also available for $10 more …

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Under Armour HeatGear Boxerjocks

Wearing long pants can be a challenge when the weather warms up and you start to sweat more. It’s times like these when you need good wicking underwear that will move moisture away from your skin and prevent thigh chafing. So far, …

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Insulated Camping Mugs

Some people will debate whether you need an insulated mug for winter camping and argue that you can use a cook pot instead. This may be true, but it’s not practical. When I get to camp and start to melt snow for …

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Ultralight Snowshoes: Northern Lites

Northern Lites Backcountry Snowshoes

I purchased a pair of ultralight snowshoes this winter designed for mountaineering and winter backpacking that are manufactured by a company called Northern Lites. Weighing just 43 oz per pair, these 30″ snowshoes are 57 oz lighter than 30″ MSR Lightning Ascents …

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Camping Pillows

As a side sleeper, I have a hard time getting to sleep outdoors when my head is not propped up. This is not an problem during the winter when I have enough extra down or synthetic clothing to bunch up as a pillow, …

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Zpacks Ultralight DCF Backpack Cover

Backpack Cover

Over the holidays, my wife gave me an ultralight cuben fiber backpack cover from Zpacks.com. Weighing 1 oz, it replaces a silnylon Equinox pack cover I’ve been using the past few years that weighs 3.2 oz. A backpack cover is an important …

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Marmot Precip Full Zip Pants

Marmot makes two styles of Precip Pants: Full Zip Precip Pants and Regular Precips. The Full Zips are designed for winter hiking, backpacking and climbing. They are sometimes called “New Style” Precips by online retailers because they were introduced after regular Precips (also called …

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Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampons

Black Diamond Sabertooth Pro Crampon

Step-in Crampons After much consideration, I decided to buy a pair of Black Diamond Sabertooth Pro step-in crampons last week that require front and toe boot welts, rather than strap-on ones that can be used with a wider variety of boots. The …

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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 …

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