Move over Starbucks, there’s a new kid on the block when it comes to instant coffee: Alpine Start. Since the Starbucks Via came on the market it’s become a staple of fast-and-light adventures everywhere. And like cigarettes in a jail house, these little packets of caffeine are the currency of the backcountry. However, much of the popularity of the Via stemmed from the fact that … Continue reading Review: Alpine Start Instant Coffee
Like much of life, a day of climbing is best kick started by a heavy dose of caffeine. The performance and mood enhancing effects of caffeine greatly increase success rates by supplying the necessary motivation for the climber to get up and then, once imbibed, lubricate synapses whereby headaches are avoided and speech becomes possible. After a few more cups, there is a buildup of … Continue reading Backcountry Coffee Brewer Face Off
The GSI Outdoors Fairshare Mug has been a staple of back-country enthusiasts for over a decade. Basically a measuring cup with a screw on lid, it’s a favourite of alpinists, backpackers, climbers, skiers, etc. The reason: It works! It’s the perfect size to dupe an unsuspecting cook into giving you an extra scoop of grub, it’s easy to clean and it’s very multi-functional working as … Continue reading Review: GSI FairShare Mug II
Exped is known for making some of the best sleeping mats available anywhere. However, like many people I’ve only every tried their down fill mats, never a synthetic fill. To find out how their synthetic mats perform we decided to test out the SynMat Hyperlite. This tapered, 3-season mat is sold as the lightest mat for its warmth which I take to mean that it’s … Continue reading Exped Synmat Hyperlite Review
Like many back-country enthusiasts I do a lot of camping to facilitate my addictions to skiing, climbing and alpinism. This can involve easy car camping where I drive right up to the camping spot (Indian Creek, Red Rocks, Yosemite, etc.) to locations where I take a helicopter or plane into a camping area (Tantalus, St. Elias, Ruth, etc.) to where I actually need to hump … Continue reading Helinox Chair One
While camping spoons may not be as sexy as new ice tools or cams it’s still nice to have a well thought out and functional food delivery apparatus when you’re in the backcountry! So when I saw the new GSI Outdoors Essential Spoon (long version) at the Outdoor Retailer show last summer I was intrigued. Needless to say, when it hit store shelves I grabbed one to … Continue reading Quick Look: GSI Outdoors Essential Spoon
Modern canister stoves like the MSR Reactor work great and have deservedly become very popular with alpinists and ski tourers. The reason for this popularity is simply because they work really well. The Reactor for example is extremely fast (a key consideration when making coffee in the am!), fuel efficient and works well in the wind. However, the fatal flaw with the Reactor (and other … Continue reading Canister Stove Freezing Fix
Many of the most exciting and memorable trips, expeditions and vacations include a flight or two requiring heavy, gear laden bags to be hauled though airports. While most travelers have color coordinated suitcases that strap together into a tidy package that is easily rolled around airports, almost eliminating the requirement for any physical exertion, climbers are not most travelers. Climbers can instead be spotted at … Continue reading Review: Osprey Shuttle Wheeled Duffle
Cots have the reputation of being heavy, bulky and not always all that comfortable. Not really something that you want to take into the backcountry, right? But wait, Helinox, a company that’s been creating some amazingly light and comfortable camping gear such as the Chair One, has created a matching cot, the Cot One. Lightweight, portable and comfortable, I’m going to miss having this unit … Continue reading Review: Helinox Cot Lite
