The holidays are quickly approaching, and the challenge of finding the perfect gift is creeping ever so near. Thankfully, I’m here to help. I’ve put together a hand crafted list of gift ideas that anyone who thrives in the outdoors is sure to love. The best part? I’ve considered every price point. Of course, I’ve…
I’m always whittling away at that ever expanding bucket list. Thing is, it’s getting longer faster than it’s getting shorter. The locations to explore far outweigh the amount of time most of us actually have available to travel to them. For this reason, I’ve put together some tips to maximize the use of that time, while enhancing…
Backpacking is a sport that as much requires knowledge as skill. That being the case, I find beginners often repeating the same mistakes as those who came before them. It’s almost a rite of passage, a ceremony of sorts. Thankfully, I’m here to help skip that phase of your career. Here are the 5 most…
There’s nothing worse than running out of energy on the trail. A blood sugar dump just before a long climb has never been a friend of mine. I’ve been experimenting for years looking for the perfect snack that I can eat while moving without weighing me down, and I may have finally found them… They’re…
Anyone backpacker unfortunate enough to develop tendonitis in their patella tendon knows the pain of hiking with it. Descending and climbing both result in a surprisingly sharp pain that cuts through the knee and only worsens with each step. Luckily, there is equipment that can ease or even eliminate that pain. The Zamst JK-2 is an excellent option. Patellar…
I have a lot of people ask me about footprints. The most common question isn’t which to buy or what to make one out of, it’s why do I not carry one. The simple reason? They’re non-sense. Let’s think about this for a bit. Why buy a footprint in the first place? Well, the idea,…
Frankly, the instant slop that comes out of paper packets is garbage. Flat, tasteless, texture-less and drowned in sugar and preservatives, it lacks the very essence that is oatmeal. Oatmeal should be three dimensional, exciting, tasty, and filling. This is how you can make that happen, easily, in the back-country. First things first, you’re going to…
Getting into backpacking is hard. Not only is gear expensive, there are infinite choices for all the equipment that you’ll need, and everyone has differing opinions on what is best. I’ve devised my recommendations based on years of experience and years of hands on testing. The products you’ll find in this article are what I consider the…
The Luxury Map camping mattress from Thermarest is a generously designed self-inflating sleeping pad conceived with one purpose; Pure, unconditional comfort. Designed for front-country adventures, the Luxury Map removes consideration of weight and pack-ability, and instead focuses on the bests possible nights sleep. The large, 3″ x 20″ x 72″ mattress is wrapped in a durable…
I spend a lot of time on the trail. Little known fact, I’m a bit of a tenderfoot. That causes problems for me, and finding a sock to suck up the impacts of miles of abuse is difficult. The Comfort Hikers get the job done where nothing else has. A blend of 67% Merino Wool,…
