Category: Backpacking
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One trip in the Bob
Just what it says; if you’re a reasonably experienced backpacker and/or packrafter, and want to do one trip in the Bob Marshall, the following are my current recommendations. One suggestion each, for hiking and packrafting. Good loops are possible, especially for rafting, and car shuttles around the Bob are long with almost no commercial options…
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2016 Bob Open analysis
18 folks started the Bob Open this year, a new record. Near as I can tell, 12 finished. As has been the case in the past, most of the chat has been over at BPL, but posting there now requires a small fee, which may require a change of venue. Point being, anyone can show…
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Rab Novak
For several years now I’ve been looking for an ideal fleece insulating layer, with only modest success. This layer should be warm enough for stand-alone use in many three-season conditions, as light as possible, have minimal to no lycra in the fabric, fit over a baselayer but under a shell, and have a few pockets…
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LaSportiva Bushido review
Never have I bought a pair of shoes with such low expectations, that over a year later ended up being so close to perfect. I purchased the Bushidos, last minute and at full retail, way back in January of 2015, concerned that my Altra Lone Peaks wouldn’t last the trip to New Zealand. This was…
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Small water rafting
Based on my extensive experience locally, and more limited experience elsewhere, in the wilderness there are a lot of waterways which have more than enough to packraft, but not enough water to be consistently free of wood. In a place like Alaska, which generally lacks human-built trails, the calculus is different. But in the lower…
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The 2016 Bob Open: all about me
The Bob Open started undefined years ago, at whatever time in the early to mid oughts I first heard about the Wilderness Classic. That skillset was far enough away that I couldn’t really identify how to get from where I was to where I could go to Alaska and cross 150 miles of wilderness, quickly…
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2016 Bob Open video and lessons
Executive summary: I did more miles faster and had more fun than any previous year, even though my 2015 route is still tops when it comes to scenery. I hope the exuberance is captured in the video. As you’d hope on my sixth consecutive year, I had the equipment pretty well nailed. The weather, far…
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2016 Bob Open gearlist
No video this year. The array of stuff is so familiar that writing it out seems redundant, but folks have consistently expressed value in the video versions, and I like them for future reference. We had a mild winter and early spring in northwest Montana, but the last week has brought record precip, which fell…
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wilderness in Wilderness
The Bob is awesome. Video by Michael Reavis. Anyone who’s been out in the woods a lot and has been paying attention should be aware of this problem; that even the quietest, most fleeting and “natural” of human travel in the wild has a significant impact on the plants and animals who live there full…
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Seek Outside pack buying guide
Seek Outside doesn’t actually make that many packs, but for those who’ve never seen one getting acquainted with the options and choosing well can be daunting. I’ve put serious miles on a Unaweep, Evolution, and Revolution, and am accumulating miles on the new Divide 4500, so I like to think I have something to offer…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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