There’s nothing like a relaxing weekend in the Sierra backcountry. Over the 4th of July weekend, my friend Blair invited me out on a girls’ only trip out to Granite Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. I haven’t adventured much off of Sonora Pass, so I immediately said yes!
Sometimes you just need to kickback and relax in the backcountry. What better way than to pack in some libations after a grueling day underneath a starry sky? In desperate need of a lightweight, packable flask last year, I picked up the Vapur Incognito Flexible Flask and it’s been my trusty friend ever since.
Hiking pants are a dime a dozen. Every brand’s got one. Or two. Or maybe even three. Me, I decided to go for the cheapest option, and the most colorful. Lately, my go-to trail and outdoor climbing pants have been the REI Sahara Roll-Up Convertible Pants, like zip pants, minus the zip functionality because the way those are cut are never attractive.
When I signed up for #HellHikeAndRaft, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I imagined long, strenuous days climbing mountains with an epic group of people more fit than me. I’d been rocking the Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot when I said yes to the adventure. They’re still my go-to shoe for a good chunk of my hikes. But I’m the type of person that sprains an ankle while standing still. I wanted something a little sturdier for the unknowns of Idaho, and eventually Mt. Whitney that fall.
After a bunch of perusing and hemming and hawing, I settled on the Salewa Alp Trainers Mid GTX hiking boots.
Photo by Nelson Salvatera
Since moving to San Francisco, I’ve come to realize that space and storage is a premium. There’s only so many backpacks I can own in a space that’s sub 600 square feet. I find that solid, all-around backpacks are hard to find. Most only excel at one thing or another, resulting in a giant collection of packs that you use for one thing, maybe two. This is where the Mountain Hardwear Scrambler 30 pack shines.
