Category: Climbing
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Outdoors and Lifestyle
Apgar permit office, 10 minutes after opening, July. Visiting Outdoor Retailer a few weeks ago brought it home to me just how huge a percentage of the outdoor industry is given over to what I’d call lifestyle gear and pursuits. As a dedicated elitist asshole since my teenage years I find it hard to say…
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Tidbits from Outdoor Retailer
Earlier this week we (M, Little Bear, and I) had the chance to head down to SLC and visit the Outdoor Retailer show as guests of Seek Outside. It was a good time, and something I’ve wanted to see for quite a while. As an introvert who is determined to embrace his aversion to strangers…
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Seek Outside Unaweep Divide review
Disclaimer: no way around it, I’m biased as hell about this pack. Seek Outside gave it to me for free, and it is based in small part on feedback I gave on previous Seek Outside packs. Beyond that, I like the folks at Seek Outside a lot, and they’re always a pleasure to talk to. …
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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.…
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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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4th class
The east exit chimney in Rock Canyon in not 4th class. I’m fairly Steve Allen first called it that, in Canyoneering 2, but Allen’s notorious, egregious overgrading can be justified as he was usually the first person publicizing these things. What is less easy to justify is the use of that rating in the Hayduke…
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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…
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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…
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Glacier backcountry permits for 2016
Over the past few years summer backcountry permits in Glacier National Park have been increasingly problematic. An antiquated mail-in reservation system has combined with a sharp increase in applications to create a situation which was no good for anyone. Prospective backpackers were stuck waiting until well into May or even early June to receive confirmation…
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610 pack, the evolution
My best, conservative, estimate is that since 2009 I’ve built roughly 30 backpacks, and owned a further ~20, which were either purchased retail or given to me for review or prototyping. This is a large number, especially considering that at the moment we only (!) have eleven packs in house, a mere two of which…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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