Editorials

It was foggy and drizzling when I left the house this morning, unusual weather for Austin. Sunrise was still a few hours away, and this Stevie Ray Vaughn lyric popped into my mind… Well there’s floodin’ down in Texas All of the …

Looking for work? Sick of your existing job? Hate what you’re doing? The outdoor industry is hiring, so if you’re looking for work and you like the outdoors, maybe you should consider working for an outdoor manufacturer or retailer. I know many …

My Father celebrated his 90th birthday this week. Pretty incredible, huh? Even more so because he’s still working, he remains very active, and is as inquisitive as ever. I hope I’m in as great shape, when I turn 90. Being 90, my …

I think it’s high time for all outdoor bloggers to disclose whether they’ve gotten free products from manufacturers or retailers in the content they publish online. Written or video product reviews aren’t bad. What’s bad is when you receive financial or in-kind …

We’re trying to live without an air conditioner this summer. It was actually my idea as a way to reduce our electricity consumption and save some money. My wife doesn’t like the sound of an air conditioner and was eager to agree. …

My head leaks knots. I learn to tie them and forget them in a few days. At one time I wanted to study mathematical topology. It’s probably good I did something else. My solution is to learn as few knots as possible …

Durability Does Not Mean Heavyweight In this economy, we all want to buy backpacking and camping gear that is durable and going to last. But as consumers, we need to realize that many outdoor manufacturers overbuild their gear with less expensive and …

Adventures in crafting a 2 person down quilt. For the last two years Sherpa and I have been using a winter weight down sleeping bag opened in a quilt fashion as our nightly backpacking insulation. This allowed us to cut the weight …

Rock climbing is more than just another outdoor sport and another excuse to accumulate an entire closet worth of gear. It’s a way to form incredible bonds with others, an excuse to travel to beautiful places, and a way to learn more …

There was a time, before the advent of cuben fabric, when going ultralight or lightweight backpacking meant taking less stuff on trips and on developing your backcountry skills to make up for the smaller safety margin. The simplicity of the activity was …

A lot of winter campers, myself included, use a down filled air mattress (DAM) for extra warmth as part of our sleep system. With R-values of 5 and above, they really boost your comfort level when it is below freezing. Moisture in …

Bog Bridge in Southern Maine I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation to the Maine Appalachian Club (MATC) for the outstanding work they do maintaining the 267 miles of Appalachian Trail under their stewardship. Last month, we had …

This is satire…When you go backpacking on a long distance trail in the United States and you pop out of the woods near a trailer park or a housing subdivision, you’re bound to have a bad encounter with a poorly trained hiker …

I often bring along a plush (we used to call them stuffed) animal when I go hiking. A surprising number of other hikers and backpackers do this as well. Why? Well it started as a prank that my wife would play on …