Editor’s note: this page was updated on 1/15/2021 Ah, the eternal hiker question. Which are better, gloves or mittens? There are benefits to both gloves and mittens. Some would say that gloves are better because they allow you to do things with your hands that you can’t with mittens that require more manual dexterity…
Category: Gear
Survival Hax Camping Cooking Kit Review
The folks at Survival Hax asked if they could send me one of their Camping Cooking Kits in exchange for a review on my blog. I wasn’t sure I need a cooking kit because I usually go “stoveless” but since I have been thinking about getting a backpacking stove and may even make one myself,…
PCT Days 2016
I had SO much fun carpooling with my friend Rudy over at North Cascade Hiker down to PCT Days in August! We both signed up to volunteer at the ALDHA West information booth for one day, leaving us the rest of the weekend to walk around and join in the festivities. My friends Jay and…
I Prepare for Failure: The Ten Essentials
If you operate heavy machinery while mixing medications, don’t usually wear your seat belt or life jacket, and enjoy using the hair dryer while lounging in the bathtub, this post is NOT for you. This last Friday I left work around noon and headed up Highway 2 for a few short hikes now that the day…
Take a Load Off
When someone asks me how I started to lighten my pack and change my backpacking game, the very first thing I tell them is… …go and buy the book found at this blog: Ultralight Backpacking Tips. You can also go to the library like I did, read it ferociously, glean as much as possible and then…
How To Make Your Own Trail Map Storage Case
Yesterday I had an urge to do a little shopping and it was going to take either gear or chocolate to satisfy. Since I already had a stash of chocolate in the pantry and some gear on my shopping list, I felt safe in rationalizing a trip out to REI. Over the last few weeks of hiking…