Review: Scarpa’s Updated Vapor Lace
Like the Vapor V received last year (2019), Scarpa gave the Vapor Lace a complete redesign for this summer (2020). And while the original was a solid crack climbing shoe the updated Vapor lace is an absolute granite weapon and has overtaken the TC Pro as my personal favorite granite crack shoe! Specifications & Features: Weight: 258g (one shoe, size 43) Rubber: 5mm Vibram XS … Continue reading Review: Scarpa’s Updated Vapor Lace
Review: MSR Thru-Link
Water bladders, commonly known as Camelbacks, are immensely popular. You fill the bladder, place it in your pack, attach the hose and drink whenever you want. There is no need to take off your pack when you want to drink. Â this helps save a lot of time and effort on a longer adventure, but unless you want to carry a 3 litre bladder, you’re going … Continue reading Review: MSR Thru-Link
Review: Mountain House
Review: Mountain House There are a lot of backpacking meals on the market and choosing can be downright confusing at times. Not only are there a lot of new brands but also a lot of new and unusual flavors. A quick trip to your local shop will show you that there are a near innumerable choices. Mountain House has been around for over 50 years … Continue reading Review: Mountain House
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
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? Â 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
Essential Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue Kit
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
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