Stories, experiments, and lessons from the backcountry. Browse the posts or look for a favorite place or piece of gear.
Review of the McHale Critical Mass Backpack McHale Website I've pretty much abandoned large backpacks for backpacking and climbing. With modern, ultralight gear, I very seldom carry…
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These binoculars are marketed as the Leica Geovid 10 x 42 HD-B EDITION 2200 model. Leica's "Geovid" range of binoculars all feature integrated laser rangefinding. The "10x42" indicates…
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The Primary Arms 4-14 x 44mm rifle scope is something of an anomaly. It retails for less than $300, but it has a number of features that…
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This is the tale of my recent elk hunting trip to the Uintas. Spoiler alert! I did not get an elk. This story does not have a…
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Since I wrote my last knife review, I've picked up a couple of new knives. Both are fixed blade knives, but they are somewhat different in their design.…
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The Backcountry Boiler is an updated version of a very old design, often referred to as a Storm Kettle, Chimney Kettle, Shepherd's Kettle, or a Kelly Kettle.…
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It's good to have a knife with you when you're climbing. I use a knife for making V-Threads, cutting away old rap tat, cutting slings, and…
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Chalk bags are a pretty generic piece of climbing gear. It's hard to get excited about a chalk bag. They are really just a bag that holds…
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Some folk built like this, some folk built like that But the way I'm built, Don't you call me fat Because I'm built for comfort, I ain't…
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In 2014, I had a trip to Alaska planned, to climb the Ham & Eggs route on the Moose's Tooth. However, icefall closed down the glacier landing…
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Guided Hut to Hut skiing in Idaho's Sawtooth Range with Sun Valley Trekking March 16-20, 2015 For the past few seasons, I've done a multi-day backcountry ski trip…
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Ice Screws: Salewa Quick Screw and Petzl Laser Speed Light The winter of 2014-15 was something of a disappointment for those of us living in the Mountain…
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