Social Hiking and Backpacking
September 4, 2007
One of the coolest things about hiking is the people you meet. Most are wonderful people, motivated and driven to finish. Finding these people off of the trail and meeting them for a day hike is a solid way to build great friendships. Meetup.com has hiking groups for almost all major cities in the US.
Minneapolis’ has 675 members (18 of which participated in the last hike).
Seattle has over 1000 in their hiking group.
Go to Meetup.com and search for your local group. It’s free and fun to meet new people.
Doing Denali Light: Post-Trip Report and Gearlist
September 4, 2007
It IS possible to climb Denali using lightweight techniques! Agnes and Matt discuss their gear and provide detailed gearlists.
by Agnes Stowe with Matt Hage | –
For most people climbing Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) is no easy task. A vertical rise of 18,000 feet makes it bigger than Everest. It is no wonder that Denali means “the high one” in the Athabascan language. With backbreaking loads of 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or more the haul to the summit is grueling for even the fittest climber, but as Matt and I proved on this trip, it’s not so miserable with a lighter load.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- The Gear
- The Regrets
- Conclusion
- Gear Lists
- Matt’s Gear List
- Agnes’ Gear List
- Weight Summary of Matt’s Gear
- Weight Summary of Agnes’ Gear
# WORDS: 2310
# PHOTOS: 1
# TABLES: 4
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Expeditions > Places
Indigenous Designs Terra Sport SPOTLITE REVIEW
September 4, 2007
A performance sweater made from all natural fabrics
by Don Wilson | –
Indigenous Designs Terra Sport line of performance sweaters uses all natural fabrics blended from alpaca, wool and wood fibers. 
Read this article at BackpackingLight.com
View All: SpotLite Reviews > Gear
Podcast: Justin Lichter’s Surprising New Adventure
September 4, 2007
Hiking 10,000 miles last year and completing the triple crown of backpacking in the previous three years has Justin ready for new adventures, this time in a different mode of human-powered transportation.
by Carol Crooker | –
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Podcasts > People
(M) Outdoor Retailer: An Impressive Shade of Green
September 4, 2007
The Outdoor Indsutry Embraces The Green Movement
by Craig Mortensen |
W-hile it might be difficult to pick one color to describe the theme of the Outdoor Retailer 2007 Summer Market, it would probably be some shade of green. Or perhaps bamboo, corn yellow, or coconut brown. While the exact color might be debatable, one thing is for sure: it would definitely be an earth tone. WORD COUNT: 695 # PHOTOS: 6
WORD COUNT: 695 # PHOTOS: 6
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Outdoor Retailer News > Trends
(M) 2007 Black Diamond Enduro CF Trekking Pole REVIEW
September 4, 2007
These poles use a mix of aluminum and carbon shafts with unique FlickLock adjustments and are solid performers for four season use.
by Matt Eckhart | 2007-07-25
The Black Diamond Enduro CF poles are three section adjustable poles with FlickLocks that allow users to adjust poles quickly and provide slip-free stability. A
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s Not So Good
- Specifications: Year/Model, Style, Shaft Material, Tips, Grips, Grip Size, Weight, Pole Length, Basket Type, MSRP
- Performance
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 1150
# PHOTOS: 5
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
(M) Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem REVIEW
September 4, 2007
Innovative snow travel system consisting of an overboot with cleats that click into a snowshoe deck. The design eliminates the snowshoe binding and allows the use of the overboots separately, which allows wearers to use lightweight trail running shoes inside, but there are a few significant drawbacks we discovered from our field testing.
by Steve Nelson and Will Rietveld | 2007-07-25
We previously reported on the Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem for snow travel in our dispatches from the 2006 Outdoor Retailer Shows. The system consists of a FLIGHTdeck and a FLIGHTboot. The FLIGHTboot is basically an overboot designed to be worn over trail running shoes, and its front crampons click into slots on the FLIGHTdeck like the cleats on bicycling shoes. We had an opportunity to test the FLIGHTsystem in the Sierra Nevada and southern Rockies during the winter of 2006-2007, and report our experiences in this review. The FLIGHTsystem is certainly innovative, but is it truly lightweight, and how well does it perform compared to conventional snowshoes?
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s No So Good
- Specifications: Manufacturer, Year/Model, Dimensions, Frame, Deck , Binding, Crampons, MSRP, Weights
- Performance
- Field Testing
- Assessment
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 2330
# PHOTOS: 11
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
(M) Crazy Creek Backpacker Lite AIR Chair SPOTLITE REVIEW
September 4, 2007
For lightweight backpackers who crave the luxury of a chair (10 oz) plus a REALLY COMFORTABLE torso sleep pad (11 oz) - this is worth a look.
by Carol Crooker | 2007-07-24
The Crazy Creek Backpacker Lite AIR chair weighs a whopping 21.7 ounces, so why might it be of interest to a lightweight backpacker? Because it contains the most comfortable 11 ounce sleeping pad I know of.
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: SpotLite Reviews > Gear
(M) 2007 Jacks ‘R’ Better Old Rag Mtn Down Quilt REVIEW
September 4, 2007
A cold weather quilt that can be used in a cold weather hammock system, as a quilt for ground sleeping, or as a winter overbag.
by Doug Johnson | 2007-07-20
Like most Jacks ‘R’ Better quilts, the Old Rag Mtn Down Quilt is a versatile bag. It can be used as a warm top quilt (a bag with no bottom insulation), as an under-quilt in a hammock system (that hangs under a hammock), or as a winter overbag. With the optional Down to Earth Converter, it can even be made into a top bag system (a open bottom bag with an attached foam pad). No matter how it’s used, the Old Rag Mtn provides a good warmth-to-weight ratio a good value at under $300 (size regular).
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s Not So Good
- Specifications: Year/Model, Style, Fill, Loft, Manufacturer, Weight, Sizes, Fabrics, Features, Included Accessories, Optional Accessories, MSRP, MSRP- The Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Set
- Performance
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 1670
# PHOTOS: 10
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
(M) Black Diamond Guiding Light Tent REVIEW
September 4, 2007
Extremely versatile and lightweight four-season, four-person, single-wall, free-standing, breathable fabric tent.
by Will Rietveld | 2007-07-20
Beyond the ultralight one or two person shelter that most of us use much of the time, we also have situations where we need a larger tent - for car camping, youth camping, base camping, and winter camping. For those situations we want a tent that is lightweight, roomy, durable, and very storm worthy. Is there one tent that will satisfy all these criteria and needs? The Black Diamond Guiding Light does it all, with ease.
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
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