When the winter snows melt and the days get longer, mountain ranges formerly inaccessible due to snow suddenly open up to those willing to hike miles to see their beauty. I’m talking places like the High Uintas of Utah and…
The Petzl Reactik+ headlamp is a Bluetooth enabled 300 (max) lumen headlamp that makes illuminating camp a breeze and regulating the light you need a snap. I exclusively used this headlamp while traveling to The Balkans in Eastern Europe for…
Salewa has come up with a good match for the mountains in the Ultra Train. The idea is a locked-in comfortable fit, precision, grip, protection and ventilation–its that simple, but that hard to get a mountain shoe right, and I…
Is the Petzl Tikka headlamp up for the tallest mountain in Montana? I decided to put the Tikka to the test on a two-day trip to Granite peak. The Absaroka – Beartooth wilderness are some of Montana’s wildest mountains; the…
Whether backpacking long distances over multiple days in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest or getting out for a weekend adventure to the Three Sisters Wilderness, every time I began packing, the two things on my mind were bulk and weight of…
When I go backpacking, it’s typically to reach a highpoint. I’m going to be covering a lot of ground and gaining a lot of elevation, I’m going to carry my overnight essentials along with my summit assault necessities. I’m looking…
The Salewa Firetail 3 is a superb women’s approach shoe that excels on long approaches and performs well in fifth class terrain. The Firetail 3 is burly yet low profile, comfortable on trail and secure while climbing, and has Vibram™…
This summer I got to check out the 5.10 Approach Pro shoe. A lighter approach shoe that definitely holds its own against other “cruiser” style approach shoes. Saving weight on your feet while not sacrificing stickiness. Since I am picky…
Over nine months ago, my girlfriend and I started planning a month-long summer bouldering trip to the Rocklands of South Africa. While not remote, it is still a trip of considerable distance and travel, requiring 30 hours of flight, renting a…
When Astral decided to expand its product lineup to include footwear a few years ago it made waves in the kayaking community. The first few shoes released, the Brewer and the Rassler, were designed with kayakers in mind, and made…