PROTON FL HOODY Arcteryx recently released the Proton FL, a soft-shell hoody that moves with you, sweats with you and packs away when you don’t need it. It uses a Fortius Air 20 fabric which gives it light air permeability and has good breathability from the Octa Loft, the 100% polyester breathable insulation. This good looking hoody will make a great addition to a mountain … Continue reading Review: Arc’teryx Proton FL
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 vs. the Deluxe The name says it all. This compact, lightweight, butane powered jet stove is well known in the outdoor world. Not limited to just climbers or hikers, the Pocket Rocket is perfect for anyone. You might be a fisherman who needs a small stove for your boat, or a tree planter who wants a lightweight stove in your lunch … Continue reading Comparison Review: MSR Pocket Rocket 2 vs. Deluxe
Mountains are a place we go to get away from it all. No cell service, less people, just you and maybe a few close friends to get up to some adventure. Over the past few years, social media has had a large influence on what happens in the mountains. Not to get into that too much, but what we wear is something most people take … Continue reading Review: Mountain Hardware Exposure/2™ Jacket and Pants
The Petzl Nao+ is my lighting tool of choice for any mountain missions that start or end in the dim hours of the day. With 750 lumens, it’s so bright that Petzl had to include a warning label not to shine it in someone’s eyes up close! Using Reactive Lighting or Constant Lighting the burn time will vary from 6.5hrs (at 750 lumens) all the … Continue reading Review: Petzl Nao+ Headlamp
I can be picky when it comes to ski touring pants. I’ll spend countless hours trying on different pairs in different stores before ever getting close to that one pair with that seemingly elusive mixture of features I want: a good fit, a few functional pockets, vents and a fabric that breaths. I know, I’m asking for a lot! But it’s not always easy to … Continue reading Long-Term Review: Patagonia Descensionist Pants
Osprey’s new Kamber line of packs replaced the familiar Kode line and features a trio of pack packs specifically designed for the needs of the male ski touring or splitboarding crowd. The female version of the packs are found in the Kestra line. This review focuses on the largest of the Kamber packs, the Kamber 42. A cavernous pack that’s meant for multi-day trips but can still … Continue reading Review: Osprey Kamber 42
MSR’s new Dynalock Carbon Ascent poles are lightweight, sturdy and quite versatile. With a folding design they collapse down to a small package that can easily be stashed inside a pack when not needed. But when deployed the well thought out poles are a fantastic option for both winter and summer. Great for winter skiing, riding and snowshoeing with the powder basket but swap it out … Continue reading Review: MSR Dynalock Carbon Ascent Poles
Move over Uberlayer, there’s a new put-on, leave-on layer in town called the Ascendant. This new active insulation layer from Outdoor Research takes advantage of some newer tech to make a more breathable and lighter hoody without changing the overall warmth offered by its predecessor. Features: Facing fabric: 20D Pertex® Quantum Insulation: Polartec® Alpha™ Direct (95g/m2) Pockets: 3 Fit: Trim Weight (L): 370g Water & … Continue reading Review: Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody
The Patagonia Micro Puff is a super lightweight zip up hoody that should be highly considered by anyone who is going into the outdoors! The warmth to weight ratio is outstanding for a synthetic jacket. Specs: Insulator: PlumaFill 65g 100% polyester Shell and lining: 0.7-oz 10-denier 100% nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum with a DWR Pockets: Two welted zippered pockets Stuff sack: Yes, Pocket stuff sack … Continue reading Review: Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody
The new Descensionist ski touring / ski mountaineering pack from Patagonia is based on the design on the popular Ascensionist, an alpine / mountaineering pack. This means that many of the attributes that made the Ascensionist such a hit are present on the new pack, just with a focus on back country skiing. The Descensionist has the key features required for touring in a light-weight … Continue reading Review: Patagonia Descensionist Ski Pack
