The gear required for a hike of the Sierra High Route (SHR) needs to strike a balance of functional and lightweight. Typically, I am happy to tell people that "if you're happy carrying it, then carry it", but since the SHR calls for a lot of scrambling up loose talus and/or boulder fields, it's nice
SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger Review
The SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger is a satellite messenger (not a personal locator beacon, PLB) intended for tracking, communication, and calling emergency services. It weighs 4 oz / 114g (this includes the required 4 AAA batteries) and uses GEOS satellite technology (more on this below). SPOT
Voormi River Run Hoodie Review
The Voormi River Run Hoodie is a long-sleeve, lightweight wool blend hoodie with thumb loops, a relaxed fit, and a 30 UPF rating. It's great for shielding you from the sun whilst enjoying and frolicking in the outdoors. Based in Colorado (but expanding into Montana), Voormi makes a wide selection
Western Mountaineering UltraLite Sleeping Bag Review
The Western Mountaineering UltraLite is an 850-fill down, 20ยฐF / -6.67ยฐC, three-season, mummy sleeping bag weighing 29 oz / 936 g. Western Mountaineering has a reputation for being conservative in their bag ratings (meaning that you can trust a 20ยฐF / -6.67ยฐC bag to be a 20ยฐF / -6.67ยฐC bag), and the
The Sierra High Route (+ the Southern SHR)
I've spent a lot of time in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains - hiking through them twice on the Pacific Crest Trail (in both snow-free and snow-covered conditions) and making countless other (shorter) trips in via both the eastern and western slopes. The 400 mi / 640 km long range is home to
Sawyer Micro Squeeze Water Filter Review
The Sawyer Micro Squeeze is a 2 oz / 57 g hollow-fiber membrane water filter that removes bacteria and protozoa from water. It's a common choice of water treatment for hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail and is worth considering for shorter backpacking trips as well
BearVault BV450 Bear Resistant Food Canister Review
The BearVault BV450 is a polycarbonate (plastic), 7.2-liter, bear-resistant food canister (i.e. a bear canister or bear can) weighing 33 oz / 936 kg. It's approved for use to ward off both black bears and grizzly bears, and it is approved for use (mostly) everywhere you are required to have a bear
Guide to Hiking Mount Rishiri (ๅฉๅฐปๅฑฑ) in Japan
Mount Rishiri (ๅฉๅฐปๅฑฑ, Rishiri-zan) is a 5,646 ft / 1,721 m stratovolcano on Rishiri Island (ๅฉๅฐปๅณถ) off the northwest coast of Hokkaido (ๅๆตท้). The entirety of Rishiri Island is essentially Mount Rishiri and the peak is near the island's center. It is one of Japan's hyaku-meizan, but it is
BearVault BV500 Bear Resistant Food Canister Review
The BearVault BV500 is a polycarbonate (plastic), 11.5-liter, bear-resistant food canister (i.e. a bear canister or bear can) weighing 2 lbs 9 oz / 1.162 kg. It's approved for use to ward off both black bears and grizzly bears, and it is approved for use everywhere you are required to have a bear