Obnoxious, bright colored things are my thing. When I saw the So iLL 20L Dry Pack in all of its highlighter yellow goodness, it was love at first sight. I envisioned taking it all over the trails, the city, to my favorite rocks. But it didn’t quite end up that way.
After a long day of climbing or hiking, cooking is usually the last thing on my mind. I’ve been known to scarf down a backpacking meal or heat up a Fishpeople Seafood pouch to avoid the hassle of prepping and cleaning. Great Grub Camp Food makes gourmet camp food easy, without the hassle. Each entree has the convenience of a freeze dried meal with a little extra that’s more than just boiling hot water.
‘Tis the season for short(er) approaches, shorter days, and lots of try hard. When you’re at a crag with a high concentration of problems, who wants to put real shoes on to move 100 feet to the next route? That’s where the Arc’teryx Arakys approach shoe comes in handy.
No joke, when I think of perfect, outdoor puffy blankets. I think of Rumpl. I think of fog swirling in the trees. Maybe an artfully framed railroad. Beautifully draped over a beautiful person. They’ve got that image on lock. Then I think of the price of that blanket. I think about how my aesthetic is frantically digging poo holes, ripping holes in clothing, and not showering. Then I realize that maybe the Rumpl is not for me. Thankfully Therm-a-Rest introduced their affordable line of tech blankets for 2016.
To me, the name “Merrell” has been associated with dad stuff. Kinda ugly, really traditional, super brown—not the good kind of brown from playing in the dirt, and a little bulky. They’ve never been hip or cool. Until recently. If you showed me a shoe from their new line, I couldn’t tell you it was by Merrell. When Merrell offered to send the #UintasHike16 crew shoes, I was a little skeptical. I worship my Salewas. They are my ultimate shoe. I decided to give Merrell a try; if they didn’t make me a convert, at least I could change my tune about the brand as a whole.
