besthike.com - the blog

Through besthike recommendations, people have bought hundreds of Lonely Planet guidebooks. They reinvented the genre, in my opinion. Never buy any other company without first comparing against LP.
Sadly, for the past 6-7 years I’ve started to notice problems.
LP author Thomas Kohnstamm has a new book coming out this week:

A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, […]

Their choices are a bit of a random hodge podge but include some good calls:
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Mocqui Canyon via Lake Powell
San Francisco: Bear Lake/Emigrant Wilderness
Appalachian Trail: Flume Visitor Center to US 302
Moab: Morning Glory Arch
Canyonlands National Park: Horseshoe Canyon

I particularly like their QUICK START page:
Trip-planning tips, gear lists, safety advice, and other […]

Timex is sponsoring a contest where you and I can share our stories about why we love the outdoors.
I like the concept: Return to the Outdoors. It flies in the face of statistics I keep hearing about decreasing numbers in the outdoors.
A couple of celebrities inspire:
Conrad Anker is a world renowned mountaineer, big […]

Recall that great blog of the Aussie couple walking the Great Wall of China. One of the best hiking travelogues in recent years.
Well … Emma is going back. And this time bringing some friends:
From April 7-29 I will be joining Olivia Newton-John, Sir Cliff Richard, Dannii Minogue, singer James Reyne, actress Sigrid Thornton, dancer […]

I’m giving a mixed review to my new $55 day pack:
Weighing only 10 ounces, the ultra-lightweight Mountain Hardwear Scrambler is the perfect approach bag to stash in your pack. Ergonomic S-curve shoulder straps and a removable EVA back panel make the Scrambler comfortable for peak ascents and long day hikes.
Details
* Removable […]

From National Park Traveler:
Grand Teton National Park … beginning this Saturday, March 15, all backpackers camping below 10,000 feet in the park’s backcountry will be required to use approved, portable bear-proof canisters for food storage—except at certain designated backcountry campsites where food storage facilities are provided.
Although food canisters are not required for areas above […]

I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival in November and gave it a mixed review.
It took until February before they posted the trailer for the current Radical Reels World Tour.
But, it was worth the wait. Very well edited … even if it is partly a commercial for the sponsors.
Click PLAY or watch […]

Once again I went to California, unsure where to hike.
There are too many choices. Too many good guidebooks. Here’s the one I ended up buying:

One of the authors is Tom Stienstra, sometimes called “the other Tom” in relation to Tom Mangan of Two Heel Drive. (Mangan reviews hikes on the San Jose Mercury News. […]

I’ve always been suspicious of “waterproof socks” for hiking:

Seirus Stormsock Waterproof Sock
Crow confirms “they stink”: Waterproof socks: A bad idea
She likes neoprene socks. As do I.
It was an accident that started me wearing neoprene, actually. I took normal hiking footwear and water walking shoes on the West Coast Trail. And ended up wearing my […]

A review by Jeffrey Hunter convinced me to add a book to my “to read in 2008″ list.

Let me start by saying that The Ordinary Adventurer” Hiking Vermont’s Long Trail; A Primer for Baby Adventurers and Other Musings on the Nature of Journey, is no ordinary book. It is a gem!
What makes this book […]