Category: Skiing
-
Seek Outside Revolution review
For the two years that I’ve had it the Seek Outside Revolution frame has been absolutely indispensable. A solid, comfortable load hauling frame is very nice to have for hunting, and this fall I put it to particularly good use, but for family backpacking a true hauler has been something I cannot imagine us living…
-
Mounting problems
My first rule of skiing is that my gear has to do a lot of things, in the backcountry. I don’t go outside to be around people, and recent events have confirmed that for me serious ski mountaineering is simply too dangerous. Therefore I’ll inevitably be drawn to longer, moderate, backpacking-type routes that feature plenty…
-
Understanding the Sperry fire
I must confess, now with some guilt, that I was excited when I heard about the Sprague Fire. Anyone who has hiked the trail from Crystal Ford up to Sperry, the Snyder Ridge trail, or especially been anywhere off trail in that neighborhood will understand how profoundly old that forest is. Or rather, was. Fire…
-
The best packs of the last five years
On several occasions and in several places I’ve written that one only needs three packs: a daypack, a 40ish liter light framed pack (for light backpacking and heavy day things), and a big load hauler. At no time in the last five years have there been fewer than 10 packs in our household, even if…
-
Cairn Carto maps
Disclaimer: M knows that the 4th or 5th fastest way to my heart is via a free and nifty-looking trucker hat. A while ago the folks at Cairn Cartographics asked me to take a look at their new Glacier/Waterton map before it went to print. In exchange they gave me a few free maps and…
-
The enchanting wind
One thing I only touched upon a few months ago, during our final search for a new and hopefully permanent home, was weather and climate. At the time the human components loomed larger, prioritization whose efficacy has been born out in the ease with which we’ve strollered around Helena’s convoluted streets over the last four…
-
Bob Open 2017, the final countdown
There’s not much anyone can do now, aside from show up tomorrow morning and walk across the Bob. Fretting about conditions only does so much good. A warm and sunny Tuesday sent melt across Montana into a temporary frenzy that is only just subsiding. It looks like rivers will be down to a manageable, but…
-
Your mid wants a liner
The two biggest complaints folks have with floorless pyramid shelters are lying with the creepy crawlies in the dirt, and rubbing up against condensation on the walls. The first complaint is largely, though not entirely, a matter of changing context and expectation. The second is a serious issue that can be both a nuisance and…
-
Rab Windveil, windshirt evolution
I’ve written a lot about windshirts over the years, because they’re the most versatile piece of outdoor clothing. When it comes to the range and frequency of appropriateness, nothing else comes close. Until waterproof breathable laminates make vast strides in breathability, this will remain the case. The only question is which windshirt will suit you…
-
Backpack problems, and answers
In the last few months I’ve had impetus from several directions to hit the reset button on backpacks as completely as possible. Shake off and re-examine as many assumptions as possible before I put them into practice. This bag, and this post, are only a first step towards that end. Problem 1: Seams are the…
Bedrock & Paradox 
You must be logged in to post a comment.