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Closure options for large packs
A good, simple, light closure for a big (top circumference in excess of 40 inches) pack is somewhat difficult to do well. Volume in a big pack can fluctuate significantly, and pack height above the frame needs to be controlled so it does not go bobble-headed and flop around. Additionally, weatherproofing and easy access for…
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11 months
The skiing this Satuday was almost certain to be terrible. Temperatures barely below freezing make for wet, sticky, slow snow; and poor visibility removes the other element which might compensate with appeal. I had promised myself that if Little Bear woke early Saturday we’d go skiing, regardless of all but the most horrid conditions. I…
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At the lake
While backpacking with the baby has been an unqualified if strenuous success, we’ve been avoiding it at home. For 11 months now. M has bearanoia far greater than mine, but it took me a while to square the burden of fatherhood with the abiding worry that Grizzly bears engender. He is still tiny and helpless,…
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BD Alpine Carbon Cork 2013 v. 2016
The Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles have been the rugged hiking pole of reference for quite some time. They are lightish (~8 oz per pole), stiff, very durable, and quite compact. They are what I recommend to those who prefer long-term investments, hike off trail, are hard on gear, or value having one…
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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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Bedrock & Paradox 
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