Category: Bikes and biking
-
Managing condensation: a shelter case study
The new Sierra Designs High Route tent, which manages condensation via interior air volume and venting, at the expense of vaguely compromised weatherproofing. Photo by Andrew Skurka. Condensation is a fact of life when camping in the backcountry. Under certain circumstances condensation will occur in any shelter. The art is in mitigating and avoiding condensation,…
-
Concerning broification
Broification: a trend in outdoor adventure sports/activities, which results in an increase in the perceived average level of mastery within a given pursuit, thus dissuading novices from pursuing any nascent interest. If you don’t already read Hansi Johnson’s Universal Klister I’d suggest you start, as it’s one of the most authentic outdoor blogs around. Mr.…
-
Bear aware, maybe
Last week a Forest Service law enforcement officer, Flathead native, and longtime recreator in bear country was killed by a bear near West Glacier. According to rumor, and the local paper, the bear was probably a Grizzly, and the gentleman collided with the bear while going quite fast down a gentle, tightly forested descent on…
-
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…
-
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…
-
BD Alpine Start hoody: the final word
Black Diamond’s Alpine Start hoody hasn’t changed much in the two years it’s been on the market (and since I first wrote about it). The material, a light and tough softshell with excellent breathability and darn good weatherproofing, is unchanged and remains the heart of what is (still) the most versatile and all-around best outdoor…
-
Nine years of fear
I learned a while ago, and have re-learned many times since, that fear before a trip rarely has much to do with conditions or hazard, and has everything to do with the concern that you’ll soon have to do something difficult. To perform close to the known ends of your abilities. The sooner that fear…
-
The most important backcountry skill
The above is a screen grab from the latest episode of Meat Eater. Whats significant here is not the episode itself, which is an excellent one, but what Steve Rinella is doing here. A few minutes prior he shot a large-antlered, mature mule deer, fulfilling a decades long quest with a perfectly placed 392 yard…
-
The closest I’ve come
This post the other week got me thinking about the fact I’ve never called for or thought about calling for a rescue, on what occasions I’ve been closest to doing so, and what things prevented me from doing so. The following is a fairly hasty and not especially hierarchical overview of the incidences which came…
-
Oversnow travel tools overview and update
This is a brief revisitation and update of an article I wrote for BackpackingLight three years ago. We’re having a proper winter here in NW Montana, and having Little Bear has significantly changed when and how we go outside, so discussing recent changes in the tools for oversnow travel seems relevant. It’s worth emphasizing that…
Bedrock & Paradox 
You must be logged in to post a comment.