The Key To Warm Winter Camping
Winter camping: it's intimidating for one very crucial reason: The fear of being cold. You can buy all the nicest gear and a sleeping bag with a negative-billion-degree temperature rating. But even then, in my experience, you're still missing something that can make a big difference in your winter camping comfort. I believe that this one simple trick is the key to safe, warm winter camping - and you probably already can do it with the gear you already have. Check
LUXURY or LIES? True Two-Person Backpacking Tents?
Look, I know a lot of you use two-person tents like they are one-person tents. But sometimes you want a legit two-person tent, even if it means carrying extra weight. So, I decided to check out three of the top two-person tents, all redesigned for 2022. They are
What a Backpacking Pack Should Be!
They call it backpacking for a reason! Your backpack is probably the single most important piece of gear in your loadout. Because without a backpack, you're just camping, right? But there are thousands of backpacks on the market to choose from: large, small, traditional, ultralight, full-featured, minimalist
This Trend Could Revolutionize Sleeping Bags
What is the best sleeping bag to buy? Well, if you only plan to go mostly in summer, a 45-degree bag will be plenty. BUT if you want to extend your season into the spring and fall, it’s best to get a 20-degree bag. BUT what if someday you want to go in the winter, too? And you only have the budget for ONE BAG? Enter the 3-in-1 bag. The outdoor industry's one-stop solution to 4-season sleeping. This past spring, I posted a blog called, "One
9 Ways to Avoid One HUGE Camping Mistake
When the bottom falls out of your world and the world falls out of your bottom
The KEY to Great Sleep Outdoors
What is the worst part about backpacking? I think most people would say it’s the sleep. I don’t know what it is, but I can hike all day long, be utterly exhausted from a hike
High-Quality and AFFORDABLE Ultralight Loadout
One of the most common misconceptions about ultralight (UL) is that it’s expensive. But in reality, UL isn’t any more expensive than traditional backpacking gear, if you know where to look. To prove it, I set out to put together a UL loadout that is high-quality, from well recognized brands, but still comes in under $850. For everything. Watch this video as I take you through the whole experience, or keep scrolling to read. https://youtu.be/POfHzNiWczU Okay, I’ve been working on this list for a while. As
5 BAD Habits that are DESTROYING Your Gear
Backpacking gear isn’t cheap. But if you treat it right, it will last you a long time. Like this sleeping pad I bought way back in 2009. You probably know it’s not good to leave your sleeping bag in its stuff sack. As I have talked about many times, sleeping bags keep you warm by creating loft. The beauty of down is how compressible it is. But leave it compressed too long, and it has a tendency to want to stay
PRICE vs. WEIGHT—You Can’t Have Both! ZPacks Plex Solo vs. SMD Lunar Solo
So you don’t have $600 to drop on the lightest tent in the world. Well, the Lunar Solo is a very similar tent that is half the price (but also twice the weight). But it's still really light at just 26 ounces. How else do these tents compare? Left: Zpacks Plex Solo, Right: SMD Lunar Solo Zpacks Plex Solo vs. the SMD Lunar Solo You may have seen my blog post or YouTube video from a few weeks back where I took my first look at
Big 3 ULTRALIGHT MAKEOVER—Three Options to Cut Serious Weight!
By far, the heaviest things you carry into the backcountry are your tent, backpack, and sleep system. Depending on your setup, these Big 3 pieces of gear could weigh a combined 10 to 15 pounds on their own. But what if you're tired of carrying all that weight and have decided you want to go ultralight or even just shed a few pounds off your pack? This is the list for you. I have not just one, but three setups that will