A Grand Canyon rafting trip requires that you bring all the gear, food, and poop containers you're going to need for the entirety of your time on the river from the start; there are no gear shops or resupply points along the way. After scoring my permit, I learned a lot on my trip through the
Western Mountaineering AstraLite Quilt Review
The Western Mountaineering AstraLite Quilt is a 19.1 oz / 542 g, 850+ goose down, three-season backpacking quilt with a 26° F / -3° C rating. It's the warmer of the two quilts currently manufactured by Western Mountaineering, the other being the NanoLite - rated at 38° F / 3° C. The AstraLite has a
Ridge Merino Solstice Hoodie Review
The Ridge Merino Solstice 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 Mammoth Lakes, California (a Pacific Crest Trail resupply
HOKA ONE ONE Speedgoat 4 Trail Runner Review
The HOKA ONE ONE Speedgoat 4 is a lightweight trail running shoe with a 4 mm heel-toe drop, Vibram Megagrip outsole, breathable upper mesh, zonal rubber with 5 mm lugs, and a moderate amount of cushion. I don't experiment much with new shoes, but when a shoe is released in a wide version (as the
Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket Review
The Feathered Friends Eos is a premium lightweight down jacket made in the USA/Canada. At 10.6 oz / 300 g with 3.7 oz / 105 g of 900+ goose down, it's an ultralight package that will keep you warm in three-season conditions (and sometimes into that chilly fourth season). It has two handwarmer
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Review (WingLock Valve)
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite from Cascade Designs is a three-season 12 oz / 350 g inflatable sleeping pad with a 4.2 R-value (the measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material). It's essentially become the default ultralight, three-season inflatable sleeping pad (it's
Bluffworks Ascender Chino Pants Review
The Bluffworks Ascender Chino is the sequel to the Original Chinos put out by Bluffworks a couple of years ago. Since my wardrobe still consists of primarily Bluffworks clothing whilst I'm not on the trail (but even sometimes when I am), I was excited to adopt a new pair of pants into my
Thrupack Summit Bum Review
I was first introduced to the Thrupack Summit Bum at the end of my Continental Divide Trail thru-hike and it's a real shame I hadn't known about it beforehand. It was as if I had just finished digging an enormous hole (you know, for a body or something) with my hands and along comes some asshole