Whenever I go hiking, I am always carrying a light source of some sort. It’s usually a headlamp since they are lightweight and compact (and hands-free), but after testing the Primetorch 1010 from Primus, I know it will always be in my bag. While it may look like a miniature flashlight, it’s a lot more…
With snow falling in the Cascades right now, all I can think about is the upcoming ski season. My mind wanders and I begin to dream up ski vacations. But what boots do you wear when you’re not skiing? This year Chaco expanded their footwear line to include winter boots, so I thought I would…
Winter is just around the corner here in the Pacific Northwest now that snow is falling in the Cascades. While that means that ski season is almost here, it also means that it’s a little colder on some of our favorite trails. So what’s a person to do if they still want to go hiking…
Footwear is always a matter of personal preference, especially hiking footwear, as I have found. While I tend to gravitate towards the light hikers, lo-cut trail runners, and generally lightweight style of hiking footwear for all but the toughest of hikes, others may think differently. With that being said, the Zephyr GTX LO hiker from…
In the world of hiking & camping, there aren’t a whole lot of universal truths. Some of these include: breathable fabric makes the experience a lot more pleasurable, layer your clothing, cheap sleeping bags are heavy, and down bags are expensive. Well, it looks like Kelty is trying to change a couple of those. The…
When on the search for a new watch, the task can be pretty daunting with all the choices that are available these days, especially for women. High Gear is a relatively new brand (started in 1999) compared to other brands in the market, but their combination of technology, style, and price is hard to beat….
If there was ever a trend in outdoor gear this year, retro would be it. Nearly every gear manufacturer has dusted off 40 year old designs and started making them again. The downside to this is that most of them haven’t been updated much. They look retro, but they perform retro too. This is where…
The Tahoe Shoe from Ecco is from that segment of shoes that’s normally really hard to write a review about. They’re shoes you wear on a regular basis, maybe even occasionally to work if you live some place like Seattle. If you get the mood for an after work hike though, they’ll fit the requirements…
Timex is probably one of the most classic watch brands, and in recent years has been expanding their Expedition series for hiking, trail running, and other outdoor pursuits. The Expedition Trail Mate watch is one of the digital Expedition Essentials line, designed for ease of use, and with a lower price point than some of…
You’re planning a trip into the backcountry for a few days, but you know you’ll have some downtime in the evenings, and plan to kick back and relax with some tunes on your iPod, or catch up on that book using the Kindle app. Even if you leave the house with it fully charged, in…
