Review: West Coast Kitchen

West Coast Kitchen Long days on the trail can work up a serious hunger. Sure, small meals throughout the day keep you moving but by the time camp is set, hunger is full bore and h-anger is knocking at the door. We often turn to our dehydrator to provide nutrition while in the backcountry but sometimes adventure invites come when we don’t have time to … Continue reading Review: West Coast Kitchen

Grayl filter horizontal

Review: Grayl Geopress Purifier

Grayl Geopress Purifier Our bodies are around 60% water, depending on age and gender. Some sources suggest you should drink between 2.5 to 3.5 litres a day, and that’s without adventuring and doesn’t include beer. How can you keep up with that regimen while out in the mountains and still safely avoid unwanted bacteria?  One quick answer would be water purifying tabs or drops that … Continue reading Review: Grayl Geopress Purifier

Review: Nomad Nutrition

Nomad Nutrition, a quality backcountry food company that utilizes a unique drying process and lots of herbs to create some fantastic meal options. When working hard in the backcountry you need to keep your body fueled. Not enough calories or the wrong type of calories and you could suffer unnecessarily. A bag of Doritos will keep you full and though relatively light, it’s not the … Continue reading Review: Nomad Nutrition

Review: Patagonia Duckbill Cap

There’s always that one piece of gear that you don’t expect to make a huge difference, but then it does. The Patagonia Duckbill Cap is just that piece of gear. I used to hate wearing hats on the trail but the Duckbill Cap changed all that. It’s light, airy, blocks the sun and looks good to boot. It’s the best hiking hat I have found.  … Continue reading Review: Patagonia Duckbill Cap

Review: Edelrid Swift Protect 8.9

In what’s one of the coolest innovations in the world of climbing ropes for some time, Edelrid’s new Swift Protect has aramid fibers woven into the sheath. What is aramid you ask? Well, it’s a very strong synthetic fiber that’s in the same family as Kevlar. From a functional point of view, aramid fibers have good tensile strength, are lightweight, tough and heat resistant. That … Continue reading Review: Edelrid Swift Protect 8.9

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Review: Hercules Splitboard Hooks

Keeping things simple in the backcountry is always best practice, and the Hercules Splitboard Hooks do just that. With a positive, almost lock-like connection and added stiffness, these hooks my new favourite splitboard goodie.  BACKGROUND: Splitboards have traditionally been held together by Voile Hooks. Two pieces of metal that butt up together and keep the two halves from sliding apart vertically while providing a small … Continue reading Review: Hercules Splitboard Hooks

Review: Spark and Phantom Tech Toes

Splitboard binding technology has come a long way in recent years. This collaboration between Phantom and Spark RnD, the Tech Toes, is one such technological leap and has resulted in the best touring binding around for hardbooters.  Choices There are a lot of choices to be made when you decide to start into the splitboarding world, and few of them are simple. Which is the … Continue reading Review: Spark and Phantom Tech Toes

Comparison Review: High-Top Climbing Shoes

A head-to-head review of the most common high-top climbing shoes on the market. High-top climbing shoes have seen a huge resurgence in popularity over the past few years. This has of course prompted more brands to jump back into the high-top shoe game. Now, where there was once only a few high-top options around, every major shoe manufacturer seems to make a pair. To determine … Continue reading Comparison Review: High-Top Climbing Shoes

Review: Mammut 9.0 Alpine Sender Dry

Mammut 9.0 Alpine Sender Dry (or Crag Sender Dry) Mammut has given their dynamic climbing rope organization / naming structure a complete overhaul for 2020. Hidden in this naming change is a brand new rope called the 9.0 Alpine Sender Dry. Or is the 9.0 Crag Sender Dry? As per the new naming scheme, it’s the same rope under a different moniker, but more on … Continue reading Review: Mammut 9.0 Alpine Sender Dry