Orthotics aren’t something one generally considers when gearing up for outdoor adventures, but what we put under our feet is extremely important for comfort and performance. There are several after-market footbeds on the market these days, but none of them can be custom molded right there in the store. In fact, custom molding usually requires…
Category: Gear Reviews
MSR Surelock UL-2 Trekking Pole review
Trekking poles are a life saver, or more appropriately, a knee-saver. They also come in handy when crossing streams, negotiating tricky talus slopes and slogging through snowfields. The two biggest “must-haves” for any trekking pole are light weight and sturdy construction. The MSR Surelock UL-2 Trekking Poles are designed with those concepts in mind. I’ve…
Patagonia Scree Shield hiking boots review
Patagonia. The name just screams rugged, exotic mountains. So for a long time, I’ve wanted to try out a pair of Patagonia’s suave hiking shoes. Enter the Patagonia Scree Shield. I picked up a pair and was taken by the utter lack of techy-looking doodads that clutter most hiking shoes these days. Instead, the Scree…
Eight flavors of PROBAR review
There are dozens of energy bar brands out there – meal replacement goodies sealed in a wrapper, traveling in the packs of outdoorsy people. But only one comes from right here in Park City, Utah. PROBAR is that company, and they’ve become a huge success in recent years. According to their history, PROBAR started in…
Chaco Tedinho Waterproof Boots review
Break out the alpenhorns! Chaco has turned to an old school look with its new Tedinho (TEH-DEEN-YO) Waterproof Boot. Wear these on a hike and you’ll feel like a 1800s-era Swiss hiker straight out of an illustrated children’s book complete with a felt, feathered cap and lederhosen. I tested the Tedinho on late-summer hikes in…
Mountain Khakis Granite Creek shirt review
Mountain Khakis has a reputation of making great casual yet durable pants and shirts for years now, but this company from Jackson, Wyoming has recently made a big push into technical performance wear as well. The new Granite Creek shirt is one such item that should appeal to hikers, backpackers and fly fishermen alike with…
Achieve 02 Socks Review
Whether it’s hiking, biking, running or just walking around town, we put a beating on our feet. It’s not only about your shoes; socks are a pivotal part of foot comfort, and are far too often overlooked. Achieve 02 makes socks designed to keep your feet smiling all day. I put these socks through the…
Chaco Fathom Flip review
At the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Chaco showed off their new NearGround Collection. Getting in line with minimalist design, these new sandals feature a much thinner, sleeker and lighter weight sole that is far less structured than the burly, hike-worthy soles we know and love from Chaco. While at the Chaco booth, I picked…
Platypus SoftBottle review
No matter what your activity, staying hydrated is crucial. Water-holders are perhaps the #1 accessory for anyone playing outside, and they come in all shapes and sizes. But is your water bottle more burden than its worth? For those of you looking to cast aside your cumbersome metal and plastic bottles of old, behold the…
Switch Tioga Sunglasses review
One of the coolest, most innovative things I saw at the Outdoor Retailer 2012 Summer Market was the Magnetic Interchange System by Switch. These sunglasses seemed to solve the problem of hard-to-install interchangeable sunglass lenses that can sometimes make you worry you’re about to break the frames. Of course, changing lenses can be a necessary…