ONE BAG to Rule Them All—The North Face One Bag Review
So you know how in The Lord of the Rings, 19 rings of power are given to the elves, the dwarves and the race of men, giving them the strength and will to govern each race? “But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made
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
The Truth About Wet Down Jackets
As light as a feather. There is a reason that phrase exits. Because no other material, not even space-age technology from NASA, is as warm, light and compressible as down. Down is backpacking’s miracle insulation. But down has one major flaw. When it gets wet, it looses all its magical properties. It can’t insulate, it gets really heavy, and can even be deadly. And that one fatal flaw is the reason why I spend so much time, effort, and worry trying to
5 Myths YOU Thought Were True About Backpacking
A few years ago, I was on a backpacking trip with my daughter and a few of her friends. She woke me up in the middle of the night shivering uncontrollably, slightly hypothermic, looking for help. And in my half-asleep, been-hiking-all-day, tired stupor, I said, "Did you try taking off a few layers?" Because I believed the myth that you sleep warmer naked. *face palm* Today we're going to talk about five myths you just thought were true about backpacking. Keep scrolling to read,
The Lightest Tent in the World – The New Zpacks Plex Solo
The lightest, fully enclosed backpacking tent in existence. 13.7 ounces of pure ultralight bliss. But is it too good to be true? Let’s take a look at the brand new for 2022 Zpacks Plex Solo. Brand Spanking New This tent very well may be the lightest, fully enclosed tent on the market. This thing is so new. It was released only three ago. For instance look at this picture: This is the build date for this tent. Today is February 10, 2022, and this tent was
Nemo Killer? The New MSR Freelite 2 vs. the Nemo Hornet Elite 2P Tent
Freestanding ultralight tents are my favorite. So when I found out MSR redesigned the Freelite 2 to be eight ounces lighter—coming in closer to two pounds—well, I had to check it out. And I realized, this tent feels a whole lot like another two-pound tent I’ve used for years: the Nemo Hornet elite. Plus, MSR claims their new Freelite is … “More Spacious Than the Nemo Hornet” Which was just begging for a comparison. So this is the new MSR Freelite 2 vs. the
Mountain Hardwear STRATO 2P Tent Review
Backpacking tents are tiny. And when you are just carrying your tent, that’s great. Tiny tents fit better in your pack and reduce weight. But the rest of the time, tiny tents SUCK. And for me, the suckiest part about backpacking tents is
Every Way To Treat or Filter Water Outdoors (Almost)
When you are backpacking you need to be able to treat or filter your water. Even clear clean looking water can contain nasty Parasites that will make you sick. To stay safe you should always treat water or filter water. Thankfully there are a lot of differ ways to do so. Below is a list ranging from least to most expensive. Boil Water If you don’t have any other way to treat water you can always boil it to kill bacteria and
Holy Grayl? Or Major Fail? – Grayl Water Filter Review
What is the Holy Grail of water filters? I can only imagine from the name that Grayl wants to hold that title. But is it really the best? Or is it a huge failure? So you can choose wisely Here are the Grayl Geopress pros and cons. Oh, be sure to check out this video where I see if Grayl can filter out Coke? https://youtu.be/tpd0tHdZGCw Okay I’m going to start with the cons and just a short disclaimer. Since this is a
An Alternative to Expensive Top Quilts – Featherstone Moondance 25 Backpacking Quilt Review
If you are looking to buy a lightweight, warm, high quality backpacking quilt you are probably looking to spend $300-$400. Whether you are looking at Enlightened Equipment, Feathered Friends, UGQ, or one of the other great companies that make backpacking quilts. Your going to drop some cash. But you don’t have to, you could get a lightweight, high quality, down quilt that competes with feathered friends and enlightened equipment, for warmth quality and weight, but only spend $189 (affiliate link). Today I’m talking