As a gear tester, I sometimes find myself having a hard time trusting new brands or online stores that aren’t the REIs, Patagonias, North Faces, or Columbias of the world. Don’t get me wrong, I have gear from most of those companies that I love. But one of the great parts about running my own …
Up to this point, I’ve focused my backpack review efforts on packs used for hiking or backpacking. But there are, of course, many different functions for backpacks and I recently upgraded the everyday carry backpack that I use for work. In this review, I’m going to show you the features and comforts of my new …
There’s quite possibly nothing that bothers me more than finding single-use plastic water bottles lying on the beach or at the trailhead. It’s especially troubling when those bottles still have 90% of the water remaining after whoever used it only took a sip or two. While I still love my HydroFlask, Nalgene, and Tree Tribe …
I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a place with such easy access to the backcountry. Living in Truckee, CA, it’s absurdly easy for us to get on a trail and get away from town in under an hour. I recognize that this isn’t the case for many, many people out there living …
In this article, I’m going to be introducing the idea of Custom Chacos and explaining how to create custom sandals. I’ll also take through the story of how I created my own custom Chacos for a full summer of guiding on Lake Tahoe! About Custom Chacos Chaco allows you to customize your very own pair …
So you want to get into sleeping elevated, do you? From experience, it takes some time and requires a degree of trial and error to dial in your hammock camping gear list and perfect your setup. Getting a good hang (as die-hard hammockers call it) takes some experimenting and can require different considerations depending on …
I’ve gone through a number of sleeping pads over the years. While I’ve previously found some comfort in inflatable sleeping pads, I’ve also had some that just didn’t hold air. All of a sudden I’d wake up in the middle of the night with a rock jabbing me in the back. So, I’ve pretty much …
Hammock camping is my preferred method of sleeping for any trips under a week in length. And I find myself leaning towards a hammock set-up that can function for even longer trips (like the JMT or PCT!). But for many hikers and backpackers, sleeping all night in a hammock either sounds uncomfortable or impractical. Today, …
I’m fortunate to have grown up in a place where most summer nights are clear and dry. Because of that, I’ve gotten to spend a considerable amount of time sleeping out under the stars. Over the years, I’ve really come to appreciate the benefits of carrying a hammock for backcountry sleeping, as opposed to lugging …
For experienced backpackers, the process of putting on a pack is probably second nature. But for all of you just getting into backpacking, it’s important to know that there is actually a preferable technique for putting your backpack on and adjusting it for comfort. In this article, I’ll cover some easy tips on how to …