Hiking Gear Archives - 国产吃瓜黑料 Online /tag/hiking-gear/ Live Bravely Wed, 02 Jul 2025 19:43:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cdn.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/favicon-194x194-1.png Hiking Gear Archives - 国产吃瓜黑料 Online /tag/hiking-gear/ 32 32 I Used to Suck at Packing for Outdoor Trips. Then I Found Kitworks. /outdoor-gear/hiking-gear/kitworks-review/ Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:42:21 +0000 /?p=2708274 I Used to Suck at Packing for Outdoor Trips. Then I Found Kitworks.

For years, our articles editor packed his outdoor stuff into grocery bags and plastic bins. Then, he discovered Kitworks, a new customizable travel system for gear.

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I Used to Suck at Packing for Outdoor Trips. Then I Found Kitworks.

My wife and I used to follow the same annoying ritual on Friday afternoons.

In the hour before our daughter got out of school, we would frantically stuff our clothing, toiletries, food, and outdoor gear into reusable grocery bags鈥攖he cloth kind you can buy at Whole Foods for a buck. There was no rhyme or reason guiding what stuff went into what bag. We’d then cram these bulging sacks into several cracked and stained Rubbermaid tubs, which I’d shove into the hatchback of my Subaru in a demented game of Tetris.

We’d then battle rush-hour traffic en route to the mountains.

The process was stressful and jumbled, and the only activity I enjoyed less than loading the car was unloading it at the family condo or campsite, exhausted from the commute, often in the dark. My packing system regularly failed: Bag handles broke and fabric tore, spilling oatmeal, Legos, cosmetics, and whatever else into the bins or onto the floor of my car.

You’d assume that we would have abandoned this unruly system long ago. But no, it went on for years.

Then, this past January, I discovered .

OK鈥攖o be fair, Kitworks discovered me. Perhaps the biggest perk of working in outdoor journalism is the opportunity to test and then write about outdoor gear. And when a PR rep told me that there was a self-described “customizable gear-management system” that purported to bring order to even the most scattershot outdoor enthusiasts, I signed up.

So Many Storage Options

The outdoor industry is rapidly learning that many of its most passionate customers maintain a level of chaos that would make Marie Kondo shrivel up and die from anxiety. I am one of these people. My best efforts at living a systematic, controlled lifestyle are usually undermined by three familiar culprits: a lack of time, zero budget, and my fruit fly-like attention span. Cue the grocery bags.

In recent years, brands have addressed customers like me by pumping out a vast array of travel and storage products. Gregory sells its hard-sided ; Yeti makes a massive ; and even and 听now produce totes and soft-sided luggage.

The Kitworks Gear Box

Kitworks joined the fray in 2024. The brand is the brainchild of Greg Mills, a Portland, Oregon-based ecommerce veteran,skier, mountain biker, and trail runner. He describes himself as “a little obsessive about organization and gear” on the company’s website.

Mills wanted to create a gear storage system that catered to a wide range of outdoor activities, was built using sustainable materials, and didn’t suck. In 2022 he began checking out prototypes.

At first glance, some the products Mills eventually created aren’t dramatically different from those that were already on the market. Its Everyday Tote and Gear Cubes will look familiar to anyone who owns a Yeti Camino 35 carryall or REI’s branded luggage organizers.

But during his R and D journey, Mills came across a way to set his products apart. “I realized that the power in this solution had to come from being adaptable to everyone’s gear management needs,” Mills said.听“A gear box isn’t the right answer for every pursuit. Sometimes a tote format is more appropriate. Or a duffel when air travel is involved.”

And sometimes those boxes and totes and duffels should be customizable听for each user and his or her favorite activity. And the customer鈥攏ot the manufacturer鈥攕hould do the customizing.

What Is Kitworks?

Kitworks’ secret sauce is most evident in its Gear Box, a 22-by-17-by-14-inch cavernous rectangular box. The thing is made from an ultra-tough ripstop TPU shell, carries up to 250 pounds, and collapses down flat. Double Velcro rails line each of the four interior walls.

These rails contain the brand’s proverbial magic. You insert a series of hard-sided dividers into the box, connect them to the Velcro via Velcro tabs, and voila, you have created an organizational layout to fit your stuff. Don’t like your setup? Just undo the Velcro tabs, move the dividers around, and poof, you have a better fit.

Yep, it’s so simple it’ll make you slap your forehead and wonder why didn’t I think of this?

Prior to a recent camping trip, I got out the Gear Box and built long and narrow chambers to store our plates bowls. I then built two wider sections for the Jetboil, Aeropress, and cups and water bottles. I left one third of the box as a massive open chamber to fit the 鈥攖he smaller cousin to Kitworks’ 55-liter . In this tote I placed our dry goods for the trip: oatmeal, gorp, dried fruit, and snacks.

Two different trips, two different Kitworks setups. (Image: Fred Dreier)

On the inside of the Gear Box’s lid, I used the small straps and mesh bags to store cutlery, wipes, dish soap, cloth towel, a sponge, and some hand sanitizer.

For a ski trip, I built an entirely different setup: Two walls divided the box into thirds, and in each one I stored gloves, hats, parkas, and even my ski boots. For a weekend getaway in the spring, I left the dividers out entirely and filled the entire box with my daughter’s blankets, stuffed animals, and picture books.

Three trips, three different setups, zero grocery bags.

Kitworks also sells add-ons that connect to reinforced tabs that line the box’s interior and exterior: pockets, utility pouches, ID labels, organizers, and small gear cubes.

I’ve also utilized the 55-liter Gear Tote and smaller Everyday Tote, both of which are made from burly, recycled ripstop polyester and a TPU laminated shell. Both bags made my grocery sack system seem utterly pathetic.

What鈥檚 the Price of Being Organized?

The Kitworks system totally upended my previous way of packing鈥攖hank God. And in the months that I’ve used the products, I have noticed that packing the Subaru is a little less frantic than it used to be.

And yeah, building a custom setup for a trip is also kinda fun鈥擨 now give myself an extra few minutes to create the Gear Box of my dreams prior to a trip. No, Kitworks hasn’t totally converted me to KonMari. But hey, I’m making strides.

Throughout my testing of Kitworks, I’ve often wondered if an enterprising outdoor fanatic could create their own DIY system like this using store-bought plastic tubs, ad-hoc dividers, a hot glue gun, and cheap bags. Like other gear storage systems, Kitworks isn’t cheap. The Gear Box retails for $289, and the divider set is an extra $47. The Gear Tote is $149, and the Everyday Tote is $49.

My conclusion is that yes, you could absolutely build this鈥攁nd I encourage anyone with Type-A tendencies and some crafting savvy to try. But there are more than a few luxuries tied to the Kitworks that, in my opinion, make it a worthy investment.

When you’re not using the Gear Box, you can collapse it down to the size of a big cutting board and store it under a bed. Replicating that feature is a tough ask for even the most enterprising DIYer.

And the recycled material Kitworks uses in all its products is bomb-proof and water-resistant. If the peanut butter jar wasn’t quite secured, or the carton of oat milk sprang a leak, you wouldn’t听be left with a sticky mess for long. Hose it down, scrub it clean, leave it outside to dry.

Sure, you can try that with a grocery bag, but take it from me, you won’t like the results.

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Video: Smart Layering Kept Me Cozy at Mount Everest Base Camp /outdoor-adventure/everest/mount-everest-base-camp-layers/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:36:50 +0000 /?p=2707012 Video: Smart Layering Kept Me Cozy at Mount Everest Base Camp

In his latest video, Ben Ayers discusses the base and midlayer garments that kept him warm and dry at Mount Everest Base Camp, where temperatures fluctuate between balmy and below zero

The post Video: Smart Layering Kept Me Cozy at Mount Everest Base Camp appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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Video: Smart Layering Kept Me Cozy at Mount Everest Base Camp

The trek to Mount Everest Base Camp is the ideal setting to test gear, due to the rugged terrain, tough living conditions, and massive fluctuations in temperature. In May, our reporter Ben Ayers completed the 11-day hike to Mount Everest Base Camp, before spending a month living at 17,500 feet.

During his reporting mission, Ayers tested a wide range of gear. He says that smart use of base layer and midl ayer garmets kept him warm and dry amid the temperature changes. In his latest video, Ayers discusses the often overlooked clothing that helped him thrive.

The post Video: Smart Layering Kept Me Cozy at Mount Everest Base Camp appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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My First Thru-Hike Wrecked My Feet. Now I Never Trek Without Toe Spacers. /adventure-travel/advice/toe-spacers/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:00:21 +0000 /?p=2692150 My First Thru-Hike Wrecked My Feet. Now I Never Trek Without Toe Spacers.

When our trail columnist first started sliding silicone spacers between his toes, friends who saw his feet understandably chuckled. But now these little separators are getting the moment they deserve.

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My First Thru-Hike Wrecked My Feet. Now I Never Trek Without Toe Spacers.

In a previous lifetime, my idea of a long-distance hike was a music festival. For four days, I鈥檇 parade across dusty fields or clotted city streets, traipsing from stage to stage in pursuit of the next show. Who knows how many miles I clocked in those peripatetic bursts, but at that extended moment鈥攁 music critic in his 20s, way more committed to partying than pulmonary fitness鈥攊t was the exercise I knew best.

Not long after I crossed the threshold into 30, though, that lifestyle caught up with me. Headed west on Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, I sank onto the sidewalk and pulled off my boot, squeezing my left foot as though trying to force it back together. It was broken, I knew, a stress fracture from all these steps; why else would each step now feel like another new knife fight, as though someone were jamming a blade between my bones? I endured, switched into a pair of sneakers and limped around Tennessee until the festival鈥檚 end.

Back home, my symptoms suddenly subsided, appearing only sporadically during the next few years as I became obsessed with distance running. But in 2019, soon after I entered Maine some 2,000 miles into a northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, that old ache returned. Was my foot broken, my hike done? Nope.

After staying up late one night in an AT lean-to for a tailspin into online medical sleuthing, I realized it was cuboid syndrome, when the pointy joint on the side of your foot shifts slightly out of line for a spell. With just enough bandwidth to stream a , I learned something called the cuboid squeeze and fixed it myself.

But now, I don鈥檛 even need that technique. After 11,000 miles of hiking and countless more miles of road running in almost every state in the country, I simply never leave home without a 1.5-ounce piece of sculpted silicone that鈥檚 changed my fitness and the way I travel: toe spacers.

grayson haver currin wearing toe socks and toe spacers
Grayson Haver Currin shows us just how ridiculous these may seem鈥攂ut how effective they are for foot pain. Seriously. (Photo: Grayson Haver Currin)

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Want more of 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 Travel stories?

Wait, What Are Toe Spacers鈥擜nd Why Are They So Popular?

Toe spacers are having an unexpected moment. There are, right now, some 38 million that mention them. The Wall Street Journal has suggested they鈥檙e a panacea, and the notes they are 鈥渢ransforming people鈥檚 lives.鈥 Neurosurgeon and frequent TV medical commentator , Philadelphia Eagles star , body-positive model : They鈥檝e all become advocates for a fitness craze I never expected to work, in late 2019, when I was desperate for anything to help me run again.

After finishing the Appalachian Trail, my first long-distance hike, my body was a mess鈥攅very attempt to return to running felt like another litany of physical insults. I鈥檇 already gone to multiple physical therapists and yoga classes, trying to recover, when a young pedorthist building custom inserts for my shoes took one look at my feet and told me I needed toe spacers. Bunions were forming on the sides of my feet, and my little toes were starting to scrunch into claws, or hammer toes. I needed, he said, to spread my toes back out after years of stuffing them into running and hiking shoes that squeezed them together. He pulled a clear zippered pouch from the wall and asked me to try them鈥, curved ribs of silicone with three holes through which your middle toes slide.

For the next several months, I wore them almost everywhere, tucked between the toe socks he鈥檇 also recommended and inside shoes with wide toe boxes, like Topos or Altras. I winced when I had to take my shoes off anywhere, knowing someone would inevitably exclaim 鈥淲hat are those?!鈥 when they saw my spacers. But in the best way, my feet have never been the same again.

Which Toe Spacers Should I Buy and Try?

grayson haver currin stands in the snow with toe socks and toe spacers
The author gives his sore toes a little cool down in the snow (Photo: Grayson Haver Currin)

As best as I can tell, Correct Toes鈥攄eveloped by a podiatrist and runner named Ray McClanahan, who I interviewed for 国产吃瓜黑料 in 2022鈥攁re the most expensive models on the market, at $65 per pair. They鈥檙e also the only ones I鈥檝e ever needed, because they haven鈥檛 warped or ripped after five years of sporadic use. (More on 鈥渟poradic鈥 in a bit.) I鈥檝e never once resented what I paid.

But there are more affordable options now: There鈥檚 a on Amazon, though some reviews there suggest you indeed pay for what you get. PrimalStep鈥檚 version for the same price looks more rugged, and I am certainly entertained by the idea of black toe spacers to match my endurance-black toenails. Correct Toes occasionally slip out from between my digits, so I like the way the and The Foot Collective鈥檚 wrap around all five. (The inclusion of an exercise band is a welcome bonus, too.)

You can even try with built-in toe spacers from Happy Feet, though I am slightly suspect of the oversized spacers that look more like toe bracelets from for a reason I鈥檒l get into right now.

So, How Do I Use Toe Spacers?

At the start, slowly. Have you ever stretched a muscle for the first time in a while, maybe because you noticed a new stiffness in your body? It was uncomfortable, right? That鈥檚 how toe spacers will feel for a bit, as you begin the business of prying apart bones, tendons, and ligaments that have been stuck inside narrow shoes for most of your life. I started with 15 minutes a day and gradually increased until I was wearing them almost all of the time, taking care to remove them before I fell asleep. (There is some suggestion that they restrict blood flow, especially at night; my toes simply feel stiff when I wake up with them still on.) Yoga Toes aren鈥檛 appealing to me, because they鈥檙e too big to slip inside shoes.

These days, I don鈥檛 use them all the time. My feet feel better, because I鈥檝e changed my entire routine鈥攆oot socks always, Topo tennis shoes with wide toe boxes unless I鈥檓 鈥渄ressing up,鈥 and a regimen of toe exercises using resistance bands. But whether I鈥檓 hiking across the country or going to another music festival, I always have a single toe spacer in my bag, ready to slot between my toes if my cuboid slips its position, as it sometimes does, or my arches begin to ache as though they鈥檙e on fire. I rarely travel with two toe spacers these days, because both of my feet generally don鈥檛 hurt at the same anymore. I鈥檝e spent years learning how to manage them, after all.

During a recent 1,200-mile trek along Wisconsin鈥檚 Ice Age Trail, I would often end 30-mile days by wearing toe spacers in my tent, letting my toes stretch as I massaged my legs and made my dinner. I don鈥檛 think you need to use toe spacers for the rest of your life; I do think, however, they can be crucial for taking care of the body part that actually makes contact with the ground and supports the rest of the body in the process.

Do Toe Spacers Actually Work?

man wearing toe socks sitting back with cat
Toe spacers: the author’s perma-fix for sore feet, knees, and legs (Photo: Grayson Haver Currin)

Toe spacers have reached such a critical mass of popularity that you can easily find opposing answers to this question, bandied about from the to . I鈥檓 not a doctor or a foot-health researcher, so I won鈥檛 pretend to tell you anything prescriptive or definitive.

But in the last five years, or since I started using toe spacers, I have logged close to 20,000 miles on my feet, whether hiking long trails, running on roads, or, yes, attending music festivals. I also turned 40. But I have rarely felt stronger as a hiker or a runner than I do right now, and I鈥檝e had no substantive problems with my feet in a long time. My knees are better, too, and knee pain was often linked with the foot woes I experienced.

Again, I鈥檝e never seen toe spacers as a cure-all; I massage my feet, strengthen them, stretch them. But when they ache, whether I鈥檓 on a long hike or a reporting trip in another city, a day with toe spacers is my first line of defense. It鈥檚 perhaps the best $65 I鈥檝e ever spent on a piece of fitness gear鈥攕o much so, in fact, that I bought a second pair in an alternate color so that I can mix and match them as I travel. Hey, I鈥檝e got to keep them looking surprising and ridiculous, since so many people now seem curious about what toe spacers are and if they can change how you feel, too.

Or Here, From PrimalStep

Grayson and Tina Haver Currin on a beautiful peak in Appalachian Mountains
The author and his wife on a beautiful peak in the Appalachian Mountains (Photo: Courtesy of Grayson Haver Currin)

Grayson Haver Currin is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 thru-hiking and trail columnist. He finished the Triple Crown in November 2023, ending with the Continental Divide Trail, and has written about his and others’ adventures on trails across the country since 2019鈥攊ncluding, most recently, how you’re hiking downhill wrong, as well as the woman who smashed the Appalachian Trail record, and ridiculously expensive hiking shorts that chafed him anyways. He still takes toe spacers to music festivals and on his adventures.

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Need Hardcore, Durable Outdoor Apparel? Don鈥檛 Sleep on Hunting Brands鈥. /outdoor-gear/clothing-apparel/hunting-apparel-best-technical-clothing/ Mon, 28 Oct 2024 04:01:16 +0000 /?p=2685596 Need Hardcore, Durable Outdoor Apparel? Don鈥檛 Sleep on Hunting Brands鈥.

Just because you鈥檙e not a hunter doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 take advantage of some of the best outdoor apparel technology in the industry

The post Need Hardcore, Durable Outdoor Apparel? Don鈥檛 Sleep on Hunting Brands鈥. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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Need Hardcore, Durable Outdoor Apparel? Don鈥檛 Sleep on Hunting Brands鈥.

When I started hunting nearly a decade ago,听I balked at the absurd expense of hunting apparel. I was a lifelong penny-pinching minimalist. Did I really need a $400 jacket, $250 pants, and socks that rang in at $28 a pair? It seemed like overkill (pun intended).

But, on one hunting trip in Montana in 2017, winds and snow blew at rates far exceeding 40 miles per hour. Thankfully, a full set of truly windbreaking Sitka gear kept me comfortable鈥擨 moved easily across the open mountain ridge, completely unaffected by the gusts. Beneath the burly outerwear, First Lite鈥檚 merino layers wicked sweat and kept me warm. My feet were toasty and dry in wool hunting socks, and they remained blister-free in my well-fitted boots for all six miles of the loop hike. Eventually, I took one shot on a legal mule deer buck that I later field-dressed and packed off the mountain alone. It was my first solo big game animal tag, and if it weren鈥檛 for my gear, I would have turned around long before I ever had the chance to spot it.

Much of the hunting apparel in my camouflaged closet continues to perform year after year. Its durability surpasses that of most casual outdoor brands I鈥檝e tried, and I find myself using my hunting gear for many unrelated outdoor activities. It鈥檚 certainly kept me comfortable enough to hunt in conditions I鈥檇 have avoided before becoming a hunter.

Over the past ten years, I鈥檝e cross-country skied, snowboarded, snowshoed, ridden my horses, hiked, backpacked, traveled, and bundled up chilly friends in my hunting apparel. Below are the hunting-specific pieces that I’ve relied on most. The other good news: Hunting brands are starting to wake up to the versatility of their gear, so you鈥檒l find that every piece below is offered in solid colors in addition to camouflage.

A woman hunting
Cindy Stites hunting in eastern Montana, wearing Sitka outerwear (Photo: Lindsey Mulcare)

At a Glance

  • Best base layers:
  • Best rain gear: and
  • Best pants for women:
  • Best pants for men:
  • Best socks:

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.听Learn more.


(Photo: Courtesy First Lite)

Best Base Layers

First Lite Kiln Base Layers

I bought my first pair of Kiln baselayers eight years ago, and I still wear the same ones today. After hundreds of wears and washes, the wool continues to hold up. We even featured the most recent edition of the Kilns听in our 2025 winter gear guide, because they’ve held up so well over the years. This 250-gram base layer is both the perfect weight for fall and winter hiking and backpacking, but it’s also the best-fitting base-layer legging I鈥檝e found for women. The very high waist provides maximum coverage and keeps seams above pack hipbelts, and the wide band resists rolling down and sagging over the miles. The Kiln line comes in a crew, quarter-zip, hoody, and for men, as well as hoody and long-jane options for women.


(Photo: Courtesy Sitka)

Best Rain Gear

Sitka Gear Dew Point Jacket and Pants

I’ve tested dozens of other brands, but I’ve yet to find one I trust more than Sitka for wet weather.听That’s especially true for the Dew Point. This three-layer Goretex jacket is lightweight, packable, and supple enough to move quietly鈥攚hich means no crinkling or swishing when you’re sneaking up on wildlife for a photo-op or trying to avoid waking your partner in camp. The packability is also ideal for many scenarios, like backpacking long miles when you need gear that won’t take up too much space in your pack.Pit zips allow for dumping heat, and it鈥檚 the most breathable rain gear I鈥檝e worn to date.


(Photo: Courtesy Ditale)

Best Women’s Pants

Ditale Sofia 国产吃瓜黑料 Pant 2.0

Ditale is a boutique brand that鈥檚 newer to the hunting apparel scene, but that under-the-radar status isn’t likely to last long. Last year, I wore the Sofia 国产吃瓜黑料 Pant for everything from hiking and hunting to cross-country skiing, and I fell hard for them. It鈥檚 the best physical fit I鈥檝e felt as a curvy athletic gal thanks to the wide range of sizing and smart features like the full running crotch gusset and articulated knee darts. Compared to other brands, the waist is both stretchier and higher-cut, but curved like a great pair of jeans. They’re actually flattering. This, to me, is the best all-around hiking pant for spring-to-fall temperatures, and the DWR makes it a great option for rain and wet flurries, as well.


(Photo: Courtesy Stone Glacier)

Best Men鈥檚 Pants

Stone Glacier De Havilland Lite Pant

Stone Glacier specializes in gear for men only, and the guys I hunt with are all clamoring to get a pair of听the De Havilland Pants. Offered in both a Lite and ($189), these pants boast all the technical details you need for three-season hiking, backpacking, and adventure travel. DWR-treated fabric, side zips, roomy side pockets, and a patented contour waist system听mean these pants can take whatever you throw at them鈥攁nd stay in place without slipping or chafing. The modern cut and neutral colors mean that you can wear them to work听or a casual dinner, and then hit the hills for an evening hike.


(Photo: Courtesy Farm to Feet)

Best Socks

Farm to Feet Ely Socks, Full Cushion

Like many four-season adventurers, I have an obsession with wool socks. My favorites are the Farm to Feet Ely hunting socks. I have to hide them from my mother because she tries to steal them anytime she comes within striking distance. The light cushion version beats out every boot or ski sock I鈥檝e ever used, and the full cushion version keeps me warm and comfortable over long miles during the cold season. Gentle compression in the foot prevents blisters, and my Elys are stepping into their fourth year of use without any holes or threadbare patches to speak of. For under $30, I recommend treating yourself.

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Is the Uberlight Gear Experiment Over? /outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/is-the-uberlight-gear-experiment-over/ Sun, 21 Jul 2024 08:00:02 +0000 /?p=2675030 Is the Uberlight Gear Experiment Over?

Over the past 15 years, ultralight gear has gone mainstream鈥攁nd gotten a bit heavier, too

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Is the Uberlight Gear Experiment Over?

Fifteen years ago, ultralight hiking gear was truly edgy. Every cottage brand had a 12-ounce silnylon pack. Half-length pads and body mapped designs were a compromise between full-on misery and smart packing. (or better yet, ) instantly marked you as a hardcore ounce-cutter. Critically, these experimental kits allowed thru-hikers astonishingly low baseweights.

. Ultralight hiking gear is still at the bleeding edge of the industry, featuring fancy new fabrics, bold innovations, and plenty of carbon and titanium bling. For the most part, it鈥檚 more durable, easier to use, and more comfortable. But is it actually lighter?

Gossamer Gear Murmur 36
Gossamer Gear鈥檚 Murmur 36 is one of the few silnylon packs still on the market. (Photo: Courtesy Gossamer Gear)

Those silnylon packs, so popular in the early 2000s with brands like Gossamer Gear, Six Moon Designs, and Mountain Laurel Designs, have been wholly replaced by heavier, more durable fabrics like (though a few products like are keeping the tradition alive). Minimalist pads are a rarity these days, with Therm-a-Rest cutting production of its lightest inflatable pad, the Uberlite. (Dedicated tinkerers sometimes cut and resealed the 8.8-ounce pad to save further weight.) The brand鈥檚 NeoAir Xlite weighs 4 ounces more, but is far more durable and warm enough for fall backpacking. Ultralighters have spent decades slowly boiling water with , but the best 鈥渓ight-enough鈥 canister stoves now perform so well that methenamine cubes are little more than a sideshow.

Does that mean we鈥檝e moved beyond the uberlight experiment? I think so. The industry has shifted in a way that mirrors the average ultralight hiker鈥檚 own experience dialing in their kit. I know my own experiments with gear followed a similar path. When I first decided to 鈥済o ultralight,鈥 I focused on a 10-pound baseweight as an easy-to-track goal. Once I achieved that, I set my sights lower. Could I swap out a lighter sleeping bag? Yes, but some nights I would get too cold. A lighter pack? Sure, but it wasn鈥檛 as comfortable. A lighter pad? No鈥擨 slept terribly. After a few years of trial and error, I had cut weight in a few places and added it back in others, and ended up roughly where I started. For me, more experience didn鈥檛 mean a lighter kit, after all.

Writ large, we鈥檝e all cast our votes for what is worth going ultralight for, and it turns out many of us have the same preferences. For most of us, it鈥檚 not silnylon packs. It鈥檚 not sleeping pads with cutouts to save weight. It鈥檚 not rain gear that can unfold into a tarp.

Esbit stove
The slow but extremely lightweight Esbit stove (Photo: Courtesy Esbit )

With the ultralight industry more competitive than ever, it seems like fewer brands are willing to experiment out on the fringes. A likely culprit is the growing size of the average ultralight gear company. When you鈥檙e a one-person operation making gear for a handful of dedicated customers, taking chances isn鈥檛 that risky. But if you have a dozen people on the payroll and a well-honed production line, a product that doesn鈥檛 land is a serious misstep. A bigger customer base comes with less patience for gear that breaks鈥攁nd more warranty claims.

To be clear, this is largely a good thing. The fact is, today鈥檚 ultralight gear is so good that most attempts to reinvent the wheel are going to fail. But that also means that in a decade鈥檚 time, we might see an industry that鈥檚 mostly unchanged outside of newer, even more expensive fabrics and materials.

As a longtime ultralight gearhead, I鈥檒l be disappointed if that future comes to pass. I grew to love the ultralight community for its bold personalities who were more comfortable charting their own path than following trends, even if some of those paths were dead-ends.

Maybe it鈥檚 inevitable that there鈥檚 less room for wild ideas as the community matures. But if the door to technical innovation is closing, that could mean other doors are opening. Maybe the way for a modern ultralight company to take risks isn鈥檛 with featherweight fabrics, but with , an ambitious sustainability goal, or engaging the community in a new way. Personally, I trust that the cottage ultralight community is creative enough to figure it out.

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How to Recycle Your Old Electronics /outdoor-adventure/environment/e-waste-recycling/ Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:46:20 +0000 /?p=2657453 How to Recycle Your Old Electronics

Two ubiquitous mega retailers will accept virtually all consumer electronics for free, responsible recycling

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How to Recycle Your Old Electronics

In the corner of my basement sits a dusty Rubbermaid bin crammed with a decade鈥檚 worth of outdated and obsolete electronics, otherwise known as e-waste. It鈥檚 a tangle of cords, cables, clickers, cameras, camcorders, components, as well as graveyard of outdoor gear. There are wonky headlamps and dead camping lanterns, an old avalanche beacon and outdated GPS, some walkie talkies, and a couple of digital pocket cameras.

You probably have a similar bin. We know in our guts that this stuff doesn鈥檛 belong in the landfillI so we hoard it because a) we don鈥檛 know what to do with it, and b) it was expensive and maybe we鈥檒l need that random cord someday.

E-waste has become an enormous problem for our planet. It’s the fastest growing waste stream in the world, even larger than plastic, yet only 12 percent of it currently gets recycled. This unfortunate fact has huge ramifications for the environment, and for people living near areas where the items get dumped, says Justin Stockdale, director of zero waste hauling at , a nonprofit recycling center in Boulder, Colorado.

鈥淗idden inside all the random cords and contraptions are valuable and finite resources like lithium, copper, gold, silver, lead, and palladium,鈥 Stockdale says. 鈥淲hen these materials are disposed of improperly鈥攚hich they often are, in disadvantaged communities鈥攊t can be a disaster for the soil and groundwater and the health of the people nearby, particularly children.鈥

Because e-waste contains so much valuable material, a shady form of 鈥渞ecycling鈥 has emerged. Companies pose as recyclers, luring consumers to donate their electronics, which are then packaged and shipped to developing countries. Basel Action Network, a nonprofit that champions global environmental health and justice, calls it 鈥,鈥 and explains why on its website.听鈥淎s a result of this massive, global flow of e-waste, former farming villages in countries like Vietnam, China, and Nigeria are now e-waste dumps. In these impoverished communities, recycling鈥 often means burning circuit boards, soaking microchips in acid, and burning plastics to sort them by order. In short, it means poisoning people and the planet.鈥

The good news: proper recycling of any and all consumer electronics is free and simple, as long as you know where to take them.

Before You Recycle E-Waste, Ask Yourself This

Is there still life left in that item? Does it still work, just not as well as you鈥檇 like? Does it just need a minor repair? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, your goal should be to find someone who will keep using it until it鈥檚 end of life. You could donate it to a local charity, resell it, or for outdoor specific items, send it to 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 program. Just print out a free shipping label and send it off to our repair partner, Gear Fix, which will make needed minor repairs and resell it. We donate 100 percent of the proceeds to charity.

E-Waste Recycling Near You

Some communities have excellent local options (like Eco-Cycle in Boulder). The key is to look for a recycler that鈥檚 This designation听ensures that the valuable materials, like gold, silver, copper, lithium, aluminum, and palladium, as well as toxic materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium are extracted and put back into the marketplace.

Electronics Recyclers International (ERI) is the largest e-Stewards recycler in the U.S. The company processes 100,000 tons of e-waste each year.

Thanks to ERI鈥檚 partnership with two of America鈥檚 mega retailers, recycling our e-waste responsibly is as simple as a drive to the nearest or . Both chains accept virtually any consumer electronics at no cost. This collected e-waste gets shipped off to one of ERI鈥檚 eight facilities around the country, where the recycling process听begins.

Conveyor belt with recycled e-waste
Whether it’s an old computer, cracked phone, busted fitness watches or rings, or outdated personal locator beacon, ERI can recycle and repurpose the resources inside thanks to its proprietary shredding and sorting technology. ERI is the largest e-waste recycler in the world and to date has diverted from the landfill and recycled more than a billion pounds of old tech.
(Photo: ERI)

鈥淥ur first step when we receive materials is to sort out the items that may contain private data and immediately destroy it,鈥 says John Shegerian, chairman and CEO of ERI. 鈥淎fter sanitization, items are sorted to determine if there is still a useful life for a device through repair or re-use methods. This amounts to 2.3 to 3 million devices per year that we鈥檙e able to put back into use.鈥

For items that can鈥檛 be repurposed, ERI removes all batteries, which are recycled separately. 鈥淲e鈥檙e left with what we call the electronic carcass which includes all the plastic, metals, glass, and precious metals,鈥 says Shegerian.听 This material goes into a series of proprietary e-waste shredders (check out the video below), which turn it into what looks like coarse gray flakes flecked with colored bits, but is actually a valuable commodity.

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Once shredded, the material flows into a complex sorting apparatus that uses robots, artificial intelligence, magnets, and ocular technology to divide it into various and specific reusable commodities, which then get sold to smelters and manufacturers who put them back into the circular economy.

鈥淣inety-eight percent of the material we receive gets repurposed,鈥 says Shegerian. 鈥淟ess than two percent is waste and is diverted to landfills.鈥

How to Recycle Batteries

Never throw a battery in your trash or a single-stream recycle bin. 鈥淚t will eventually lead to groundwater contamination,鈥 Stockdale says.

Although Shegerian says that ERI they can handle any batteries鈥攕ingle-use alkaline or lithium鈥攖hat remain in any devices that make it to them, some retailers (like Staples, currently) ask that you remove them before recycling. So, what should you do with your used batteries? Call2Recycle is an e-Stewards certified battery recycler with more than . Alkaline and lithium are often different waste streams, so before you drop your batteries in a bin, check the signage to make sure you’ve got the right one.

Call2Recycle collection box for recycling e-waste at Staples
This Call2Recycle drop box at my local Staples accepts only rechargeable batteries. But you can search the Call2Recycle website by zip code and filter out alkaline drop spot. (Photo: Kristin Hostetter)

The bottom line, says Shegerian, is that there鈥檚 no reason any electronics should go to the landfill. 鈥淓veryone in the country has access to a Staples or Best Buy. Get your e-waste there, and we鈥檒l take care of the rest.鈥

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 head of sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

 

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Ask the Gear Experts /collection/ask-the-gear-experts/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:02:39 +0000 /?post_type=collection&p=2628239 Ask the Gear Experts

Looking for new trail running shoes, ski boots, or the latest backpack styles? You came to the right place.

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Ask the Gear Experts

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Six Outdoor Brands to Support This Women-Led Wednesday /outdoor-gear/clothing-apparel/woman-led-outdoor-brands/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:27:15 +0000 /?p=2653683 Six Outdoor Brands to Support This Women-Led Wednesday

These are some of our favorite gear brands led by badass women in the industry

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Six Outdoor Brands to Support This Women-Led Wednesday

Women are everywhere in the outdoor industry, but few occupy owners鈥 offices at outdoor companies. These six standouts in the surfing, cycling, camping, and hiking sectors buck the trend. All six brands bring fresh products and perspectives to the male-dominated market and demonstrate how gender parity enriches the industry for everyone who recreates outdoors. Shop at the below brands this

Wild Rye

Cassie Abel, co-founder and CEO

Cassie Abel, the founder of Wild Rye (Photo: Courtesy Wild Rye)

When her business partner left Wild Rye as a fledgling apparel brand to pursue personal interests, Abel assumed full ownership and squeezed the throttle on company growth and development. A brand that began with a couple of ski and mountain bike pieces expanded into a complete active lifestyle collection, spanning Youth size 8 to Women鈥檚 size 24. 鈥淥ur goal is to bring women beautiful, technical, and well-fitting apparel pieces that inspire confidence and welcome more women into the outdoors,鈥 Abel said. Now a certified B-Corp, Wild Rye achieved Carbon Neutral certification and contributes financial support to various women鈥檚 initiatives, including giving $20,000 to Planned Parenthood after the Row vs. Wade reversal and sponsoring women-led ski films and Ladies AllRide cycling camps.

ToughCutie

Brittany Coleman, founder and CEO

Women wearing ToughCutie’s products (Photo: Courtesy ToughCutie)

鈥淚 hope to inspire more women and people of color to be confident in getting into 鈥榦utdoorsy things,鈥欌 explains Coleman, who hatched the idea for her hiking sock company in 2019 and launched it in 2021. She envisioned a company that practiced inclusivity in ways she hadn鈥檛 seen as a business analyst for the apparel and hosiery sectors. So, working primarily with female designers and high-quality domestic yarns, ToughCutie launched Eve, a lightweight hiking sock in three heights. Now, the company is developing offerings for winter sports and runners. 鈥淭here are so many ways to get outside and we want to play a role in helping our community get there,” Coleman said.

Shredly

Ashley Rankin, founder and owner

A pair of Shredly’s shorts and tank top (Photo: Courtesy Shredly)

When they hit the market in 2012, Rankin鈥檚 wildly patterned women鈥檚 mountain bike shorts enjoyed instant popularity because they raised the bar on fit and aesthetics. Here were bottoms designed by women for women, with bold graphics that helped riders feel emboldened, too. Now, Shredly produces a full line of mountain bike apparel (including a jumpsuit) for youth and women size 00 to 24. Along the way, Rankin learned that the bigger the challenge, the greater the gratification. 鈥淎s a female owner of a women鈥檚 specific outdoor company,鈥 she says, 鈥淚鈥檓 now able to appreciate 鈥榟e challenge and approach it as an opportunity.鈥

Hotline Wetsuits

Brenda Scott Rogers, founder and owner

The Womens UHC 5/4mm Hooded Wetsuit Ultra Hot Combo in black (Photo: Courtesy Hotline Wetsuits)

An elite surfer at a time when few women attempted the sport, Brenda Scott Rogers won the 1978 World Cup at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, then founded Hotline the following year. She began by importing surf booties from Japan, then expanded to producing wetsuits鈥攚hich Scott Rogers designed for women as well as men. After launching the market鈥檚 first women鈥檚-specific wetsuits, Hotline expanded into products for various other water sports, including kids鈥 gear.

Good-To-Go

Jennifer Scism, co-founder, head chef and CEO

Good-to-go pouches in action (Photo: Courtesy Good-to-Go)

As a professional chef who trained at The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and defeated Mario Batali on The Food Network鈥檚 Iron Chef competition, Jennifer Scism sought the finest ingredients and used sophisticated cooking techniques to dazzle diners at the top-rated restaurant that she ran with her business partner, chef Anita Lo. Her backpacking meals continue that commitment to quality food: Good-To-Go uses real foods, often preserved using methods that Scism pioneers herself, to make yummy camp dinners and breakfasts (such as the brand-new Ranchero Scramble). Next up: Carrot-Ginger Power Bowl and other salads that don鈥檛 require boiling water and let hikers enjoy quick, veggie-laden lunches with virtually no prep. Scism credits her strength and success to female collaborators who challenged and nurtured her: 鈥淭here is no lack of strong women,鈥 said Scism, 鈥淎nd once you create that dynamic group around your shared mission, you each become stronger.鈥

Carve Designs

Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester, co-founders

Two women wear Carve Designs suits (Photo: Carve Designs)

While on a surf trip in Mexico, Hinton and Sylvester lamented the lack of board shorts that fit their bodies and handled real-world rigors鈥攁nd the duo determined to change the scene. Since 2003, the pair has produced sustainably-made apparel for surfing and now, swim and beach lifestyle. Each item is still designed and tested by women, and they strive to support their employees by offering flexible schedules and financial backing for other initiatives, like SheJumps, Brown Girl Surf, and the Send It Foundation.

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I Finally Found the Perfect Bottle for Plastic-Free Travel /adventure-travel/advice/best-plastic-free-bottle/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:56:47 +0000 /?p=2648855 I Finally Found the Perfect Bottle for Plastic-Free Travel

Functional, non-plastic water bottles for travel are rare. CamelBak's MultiBev stainless steel bottle is the perfect exception.

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I Finally Found the Perfect Bottle for Plastic-Free Travel

For years, I鈥檝e been searching for the best water bottle for travel鈥搊ne that lets me avoid plastic and single-use materials at every leg of every journey. This elusive bottle of my dreams needs to be leakproof and insulated. It needs a wide-mouth for easy filling and cleaning, but it also needs to be easy to drink from without dousing my face.

It needs to be compatible with cup holders. And it needs to be versatile鈥搒ometimes I want water, sometimes I want coffee, and sometimes I want a cocktail or glass of wine on the plane. One thing I never, ever want: to drink from a single-use container that will end up in the landfill shortly after I empty it.

CamelBak MultiBev makes travel more sustainable
CamelBak’s new MultiBev bottle is an elegant 4-piece solution for preventing single-use beverage container waste while on the go. In the background is my old system–a bottle and a separate cup, which is more finicky to pack and use. (Photo: Kristin Hostetter)

In order to achieve this听goal, I鈥檝e historically had to pack two containers: an insulated bottle for water and coffee and a cup for in-flight beverages.

But no longer. ($52, 1 pound, 5 ounces) is the bottle I鈥檝e been searching for.

Things I Love About the CamelBak MultiBev

It holds 22 ounces, making it the perfect size for me. Not too big to lug around, not so puny I need to refill every 20 minutes. The slim profile means I can slip it in the side pocket of my pack and every cup holder I鈥檝e encountered. According to my tests, it keeps tea hot for 12+ hours and water chilled for 48+.

Still, you might say, many bottles do these things.

The CamelBak MultiBev has four components and makes travel more sustainable
Multipurpose is the holy grail of travel gear, and reusable is the holy grail of sustainability. CamelBak’s 4-piece system nails both. Clockwise from upper right: 16-ounce cup (it screws onto the bottom of the larger bottle), a foldable silicone sipper lid (it stores inside the bottle cap), the bottle lid, and the 22-ounce insulted bottle. (Photo: Kristin Hostetter)

The clincher for the MultiBev is that the bottom screws off and becomes an elegant 16-ounce cup鈥損erfect for a cocktail or glass of Merlot at 40,000 feet or ideal for a bedtime peppermint tea in my hotel room. Speaking of that peppermint tea, the cap of the MultiBev hides another neat feature: a foldable silicone sipper lid that fits neatly onto the cup for dribble-free drinking.

On a recent campervan trip in new Zealand, I discovered that the cup also doubles as a coozie for a beer can! I like a nice cold beer on occasion, and when I slip a can into the cup, it keeps it cool for a good long time, even in the hot sun.

CamelBak MultiBev as ber coozie
If you’re a slow beer sipper like me, drop your can into the MultiBev cup and it will stay chilly till the last drop.
(Photo: Kristin Hostetter)

I also like the little details: the easy-to-carry to handle, the non-slip rubber base, and the fact that the whole shebang is dishwasher safe.

The Impact of Using the CamelBak MultiBev on a 3-Day Trip

On a recent business trip from Boston to Boulder that involved air, bus, and Uber travel, I packed the MultiBev. I estimate that it allowed me to refuse about 34 single-use containers in 72 hours: six coffee cups and lids, probably 20+ plastic water bottles, and eight plastic airline cups.

Aside from travel, the MultiBev has become my daily bottle for around town as I try to avoid putting any single-use plastic to my lips. We all know plastic is everywhere these days. I鈥檝e written about some of the sneaky ways (like through laundry detergent and cutting boards) it gets into our environment and our bodies. Plastic is even .

But one thing鈥檚 for sure. From now on, I won鈥檛 be drinking it.

The author, Kristin Hostetter, with CamelBak MultiBev during travel
The author setting off on a plastic-free journey with her CamelBak MultiBev. (Photo: Kristin Hostetter)

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

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The Most Versatile Base Layer You’ll Ever Own /outdoor-gear/clothing-apparel/most-versatile-base-layer/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:10:39 +0000 /?p=2649452 The Most Versatile Base Layer You'll Ever Own

Plan on wearing this smartly designed merino top for the next six months straight

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The Most Versatile Base Layer You'll Ever Own

I can remember my first ski coat clearly: a purple anorak made by Columbia that I got when I was 11 years old. It was the coat that kept me dry and warm as I learned to ski and, in my mind, it became an essential force field for the chairlift. I wore the damn thing until it shredded. I can also easily recall my first pair of higher-end ski pants. They were made by The North Face and were with me all through high school until they completely fell apart.

However, if you asked me to tell you what base layers I wore as I grew up skiing, I鈥檇 laugh in your face. Base layers, while essential, are totally forgettable. Up until last year I had a bucket of random base layers that I picked through when I would go hunting, hiking, or skiing, but none of them left any kind of impression. I would just choose a merino top if I knew I was going to sweat a lot, and a thicker, synthetic layer if it was really cold.

Then last fall, I came across the from Stone Glacier. At first it seemed like just another base layer top with a hood. My opinion changed, however, when I was forced to live in the Chinook for four days straight after getting caught in a storm while hunting in New Mexico. It snowed hard for the first two days, so we ended up tent camping, hunting, hiking, and cooking outside in foot-deep snow. I wore the Chinook under a midlayer, a down jacket, and a waterproof snow jacket as we hiked into camp and then never took it off for the entire four days, not even when sleeping. Wearing the top for nearly 100 hours straight made me realize that the Chinook stood out strongly in an otherwise boring sea of base layer tops.

The Chinook isn鈥檛 just a standard merino shirt meant to insulate and vent sweat in cold conditions like the other base layers in my pile. Thanks to clever, well-thought-out tailoring and design features, it鈥檚 a versatile, comfortable, and now essential piece of my outdoor kit.

To start, other base-layer tops tend to be hemmed like t-shirts, so when you raise your arms the shirt comes over your belly. The short hem on these shirts also tends to get pushed up by hip straps, so you鈥檙e constantly pulling the shirt back down. Thanks to a longer cut on the Chinook, I never had either of these problems. I also loved how it stayed tucked into my ski pants while skiing so I never got snow down my waistband.

Because it鈥檚 designed as a hunting layer, Stone Glacier offset the shoulder seams lower than normal so that they won鈥檛 rub your shoulders raw while carrying a heavy pack. This matters to backpackers and backcountry skiers as well, even if they carry less weight in their packs, since they haul those packs for long distances.

Stone Glacier chose a 17.5 micron merino wool, which is thick enough to work as your only layer when you鈥檙e huffing in temps near freezing. But it鈥檚 also thin enough to dump all your sweat and vent the majority of your excess heat. I鈥檝e worn it as my only top layer when climbing up to a glassing point to look for animals and for dawn patrol at my local ski area.

Last month I wore the Chinook while climbing the 14,000-foot Handies Peak in Colorado, and it was the only top layer I needed for a full morning of hiking in temps ranging from 38 degrees up to above 50. Not having to stop to add or shed layers made the trip easier and significantly more enjoyable.

The Chinook isn鈥檛 the only base layer with a hood, but the hood is better than any other I鈥檝e ever tested. Cut to snugly hug your head and cover your mouth when the front zipper is up, the Chinook hood is like a built-in balaclava. I regularly wear it under a ball cap while hiking and skiing to keep the sun off my face but not risk freezing my ears. It fits well under a ski helmet as well, and the face covering comes in handy when the wind is whipping and I need that extra bit of protection. The hood is so useful, in fact, that I often leave my beanie and neck tube at home, which means less gear to manage while out adventuring.

Finally, even after several hundred hours of use, the Chinook shows no signs of wearing out. Stone Glacier mixed the merino with a small amount of reinforcing nylon so I鈥檝e been able to get it stuck on tree branches, grind it under backpack straps, and generally abuse the material without ever worrying that I was going to put holes in the fabric. I know the Chinook will eventually shred like my other gear, but when it does I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l remember it as clearly as my trusty purple anorak鈥攁nd I鈥檒l run out to buy a new one.

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