Do you follow the golden rule of safety for outdoor adventure? Or are you now asking “What’s the ‘golden rule of safety’ for outdoor adventure?!” If the name Aron Ralston rings a bell, you might know where this is going. He’s the guy who had to cut his own arm off with a dull multi-tool/knife [..Read More..]
There were three reasons why I recently decided to start carrying a SPOT II Satellite GPS Messenger; to be able to check in remotely to let my family know that I am safe, to have a way to signal for help in the event of an emergency, and to track the progress of my hikes [..Read More..]
I’m sure you’ve all noticed that every soldier carries vital identification information around their neck in the form of a set of dog tags. Easily discoverable in an emergency, these typically contain information such as rank, serial number, SSN/blood, and religious preference. Well, in my opinion anyone that spends an extended amount of time in [..Read More..]
A few months ago I wrote a mini review of the UST JetScream whistle which, if you recall, I was a little disappointed with. As part of that review, I performed a very unscientific comparison of the loudness of the JetScream to other whistles that I own. By unscientific I mean, just how it sounded [..Read More..]
The Terra Nova Laser 20L pack is a lightweight frame-less backpack designed with a “lightweight-but-full-of-features” approach for day use or overnight hiking trips. Specifications: Manufacturer: Terra Nova, UK Model: Laser 20L Backpack Weight: 11.6oz (328g) Measured Weight: 11.4oz (323g) Capacity: 20L The pack is designed with a single main compartment, accessed by a long, vertical [..Read More..]
Here’s a sneak peak of some pieces of gear that I am in the process of reviewing. From left to right: Terra Nova Laser 20L ultralight pack, Helle Harding hand-made bushcraft knife, and the Terra Nova Bothy 2 superlite emergency shelter. Laser 20L: One of the lightest fully featured packs of it’s size currently available. [..Read More..]
I recently picked up a UST JetScream™ Whistle to see if all of the hype about how incredibly loud it is was actually true. I should note that I have some friends and fellow backpackers who scoff at me carrying a whistle with me when I hike and like to make lighthearted fun of it. [..Read More..]
I thought I’d share with you all some of the very cool backpacking and hiking related gear goodies that I received this year as Christmas presents from my family. Most of these were on my list of ideas as very specific items, but a few were well considered surprises. My family rocks! Black Diamond Orbit [..Read More..]
A friend recently remarked on the brightly colored zipper pulls that I have on several of my jackets, and it reminded me that this would probably be a good subject and backpacking tip to share with everyone else. The photo above shows three of my jackets with some of my DIY reflective zipper pulls made [..Read More..]
