It's been an interesting year, to say the least (and we still have more than three months to go). The Pacific Crest Trail, officially, was off-limits for most of 2020, but I know that there were/are still a lot of people out on the trail; I even gave a ride to some international PCT hikers from Echo
Glen Pass Guide: Approaches, Crossing, and Snow
Glen Pass, the 11,969 ft / 3,648 m pass named for Forest Service ranger Glen H. Crow, is the second Sierra pass encountered by northbound Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers and the eighth encountered by southbound John Muir Trail (JMT) hikers. It's located 11.6 mi / 18.67 km north of Forester
NEMO Hornet Elite 2 Tent Review
The NEMO Hornet Elite 2 is an ultralight, semi-freestanding, three-season backpacking tent with a single-pole construction, two doors, and two vestibules. It's the lighter (Elite) version of the NEMO Hornet 2 - coming in at 4 oz / 113 g less and costing $130 more. The Hornet Elite 2 has a packed
Muir Pass Guide: Approaches, Crossing, and Snow
Muir Pass, the 11,969 ft / 3,648 m pass named for John Muir, a Scottish-American naturalist, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and nature-enthusiast, is the fifth Sierra pass encountered by northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (and the fifth encountered by southbound John Muir Trail
Kahtoola INSTAgaiter (Low) Review
The Kahtoola INSTAgaiter is a lightweight trail running (or backpacking) gaiter that uses an under-the-shoe band, hook, and zipper) instead of the more typical velcro), to secure to your shoe (or low-profile boot). I've been wearing gaiters when backpacking for a long time now - they're
Pinchot Pass Guide: Approaches, Crossing, and Snow
Pinchot Pass, the 12,093 ft / 3,686 m pass named for Gifford Pinchot, the 1st head of the United States Forest Service, is the third Sierra pass encountered by northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (and the fourth encountered by southbound John Muir Trail hikers). It's located just 9.8 mi
The Definitive Labor Day Sales Guide for Backpackers
Labor Day is nearly upon us (in the United States) which means it's one of the about three times a year we get the opportunity to purchase heavily-discounted outdoor gear (yes, only three, because we all know that one sale a year ends up not actually discounting anything that anyone wants to buy -
Mather Pass Guide: Approaches, Crossing, and Snow
Mather Pass, the 12,093 ft / 3,686 m pass named for Stephen Mather, the 1st Director of the National Park Service, is the fourth Sierra pass encountered by northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (and the third encountered by southbound John Muir Trail hikers). Despite it not being as high
Patagonia Strider Pro Running Shorts (5″) Review
The Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts are a lightweight pair of polyester shorts with a built-in liner, 5 in / 12.7 cm inseam, four stretchy side pockets, and one back zippered pocket. It took me a long time to finally convert to a pair of shorts with a liner, but now that I've made the switch, I