Gear Reviews

I’m into freezer bag cooking. It’s fast, it’s easy, you can prepare healthy and hearty meals, and best of all there is no cleanup. So when I cook breakfast or dinner on a backpacking trip all I need to do is to …

In my last post, I wrote that you need a New York Gazetteer in order to find the trail heads in the Catskills. It dawned on me today that many people don’t have a clue what a Gazetteer is anymore. So let …

I bought my first canister stove about 2 months ago and finally tested it out this weekend. I bought the Snow Peak Gigapower Stove with auto ignition. It is simply mind blowing. I’ve been an alcohol stove user for a few years …

This article is intended for backpackers who normally sleep in a tent and are interested in learning more about hammock-based shelters, and specifically Hennessy Hammocks. When I first tried a Hennessy a few years ago, I found that it was very difficult …

I’ve tried hiking pants from a number of different manufacturers like REI and RailRiders, but the ones I like best are EMS’ cargo zip off hiking pants. The price for these pants is $55, but EMS often has them on sale.  At …

  It seems like every outdoor clothing manufacturer or retailer on the planet has their own branded wicking layer. Picking between them is a complete crap shoot and I recommend that you try out a few of the brands available on the …

Ursack is a company that specializes in the manufacture of bear bags made of bullet proof fabric that are far lighter than rigid bear canisters. Weighing only 7.5 oz, the TKO (since renamed the A29 All White) sounded like it was worth …

I am a big fan of Platypus hydration bladders and I normally carry a 3L reservoir with me when I’m backpacking. Platypus bladders are different from Camelback reservoir, which I have used in the past, because they have a much smaller opening screw …

About 3 months ago, I lost my favorite hiking poles and had to replace them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my old poles anymore. I got them a few years ago at Sierra Trading Post and I don’t think they’re available in this …

The Jacks ‘R” Better Nest is an 800+ fill power hammock underquilt that fits under your hammock and provides much-needed insulation on your back when the temperature gets colder. The quilt weighs 20 oz but compresses down quite nicely in your pack. …

Asolo’s 520 TPS boots are fantastic. I bought them after I started to get planar fasciitis in my right foot. I went to REI for a boot fitting with one of their boot experts (these are people are hard to find but …