Category: Bikes and biking
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The Omnibar
A while ago the folks from Omnibar in Missoula contacted me, both about packrafting beta for the Bob and about trying their product. I said yes, a box of bars showed up in the mail, and I’ve been eating them for the last six weeks. The following are my thoughts. When buying day food for…
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The Gossamer Gear Type 2 daypack
Not quite two years ago Gossamer Gear sent me several daypack prototypes for use and feedback. The largest was a copy of what became the Quiksak, which I really liked. It was big but not too big, light but not too light, had great shoulder straps, and was just the right shape to hold quite…
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The 2016 Bob Open
The 2016 Bob Marshall Wilderness Open will start Saturday May 30th at 0800 mountain time, at the Bean Lake campground near the Dearborn River, southwest of Augusta. Finish will be the Cedar Creek campground on the Swan River roughly equidistant between the towns of Condon and Swan Lake. Course area will be any public lands…
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Fighting islands of moisture
“Go for a short walk, and you’ll know if your gear fits. You might notice the stretch, the lightness, the breathability, the warmth. But you won’t really know if it can keep you alive.” -Sitka blog Fire during the 2011 Wilderness Classic, still the coldest I’ve ever been. Photo by Paige Brady. The article/post linked…
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Pack materials redux
This is an update of and the evolution from this post 18 months ago. A good pack fabric, like the well patina’d 1000 denier Cordura above, can do a lot of great work, simply. There is a subtle elegance to something which is easily sewn into a finished product which continues as a reliable, innocuous…
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Apgar Mountains circumpe/adlel
If you’re in the Glacier area with a bike and packraft, and have a hot day to dispense with, this loop is a good way to do it. Something around 35 miles and in the 5-8 hour range depending on the river level and how fast you ride, it has good scenery, convenient logistics, and…
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The ‘mid I’ve been looking for
Disclaimer: Seek Outside gave me the shelter discussed below for free in exchange for feedback. [12/2016 update: the BT2 is now the Silvertip, with modest but significant revisions which make it more friendly to taller folks, and more likely to pitch with one long trekking pole.] It’s illustrative to think back to the first “cottage”…
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Two good gloves
I dislike gloves, and having warm hands I’m often able to get away without them, but that’s not always the case. Skiing, cycling, and hunting are all examples of activities where cold exposure is increased and the demands for dexterity heightened. The following are two examples of gloves which provide maximum weather protection with minimal…
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Altra Lone Peak 1.5: half brilliance, half crap
Disclaimer: I bought these shoes with my own money at full retail, and for the past six months have not used them as the manufacturer intended. I make no apologies for asking a lot from my shoes, nor for emphatic feelings about this most important item. Altra is about to release version 2.5 of their…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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