Hands-free umbrella rigging
Joan shares her techniques for using an umbrella hands-free. Bonus: She also shares some unique, and colorful, alternative uses for an umbrella, too! Read More …
Category: Gear
The most popular topic of the outdoors it seems.
Gear Review: Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow carbon umbrella
Joan reviews this 6.8 oz (193g) carbon fiber shaft umbrella after many miles of hiking in Utah, Nevada, and on the PCT. Read More …
Gear Review: Toaks titanium alcohol stove cook system
A light and efficient stove system suitable for solo use. But it is the Siphon Stove itself that most impressed me. Read More …
Food Review: “Eat Your Coffee” snack bars
Snack bars; with a caffeine buzz. Read More …
Road trip gear all-stars
Some useful items for our Summer 2019 road trip. Read More …
Lorpen socks – good quality on a budget
Lorpen light hiker wool socks are a quality budget minded item. Read More …
A sorta history of modern ultralight backpacking
Lightweight or even “ultra-lightweight” backpacking is nothing new of course. But when did the term as we now know it come about? Read More …
Gear review: Kuhl Renegade Pants
Time to put up or shut up. How much better do I find the $90 hiking pants vs. the $30 pants I’ve worn for many days and miles over the past two years? Read More …
Long term review – Nazaroo Performance Insoles
The Nazaroo insoles are $15, work well, and also have similar quality and construction to more expensive options. Read More …
Long term gear review: Montbell Superior Down
A well-designed three-season puffy with a hood that is under 9 oz. Read More …
Re-thinking long gaiters
I don’t use long gaiters for three-season backpacking. But I know people who do. And here’s why. Read More …
One year review – Fenix UC02
The Fenix UC02 is a replacement for the Photon II that is part of my everyday toolkit. Read More …
All about the lumens and some real world use
What the heck is a lumen? And what does this rating mean for real-world application? Read More …
20 Year Long Term Review: Discount Store Running Shorts
I’ve seen 50+ comment threads on shorts to get for hiking. So here’s my suggestion. Discount shorts. Sub-$20. They work. Read More …
Long Term Review: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer
A look at a mundane, but important, article of clothing. Read More …
Gear review: Latitude 40 Moab Maps
The “Lat 40” maps are a good tool in my trip planning kit for the Moab and nearby area. Read More …