Category: gear

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Best Gear Shop in Canada – GearTrade.ca

I was shocked on arrival at the GearTrade warehouse in Okotoks, Alberta near Calgary.

I made the trip to try on the new Hyperlite Unbound 55 Backpack.

Loved it. Bought it.

A big upgrade from my current Hyperlite 3400 Windrider.

Most of the GearTrade.ca business is done online. But you can make an appointment to visit in person if you want hands-on before making payment. It’s a terrific place to ask for advice.

Click PLAY or watch on YouTube.

Kane tours the store. And interviews Jesse on the most popular equipment they sell. And his recommendations for any new hiker who wants to get properly set up for overnight hiking.

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EcoFlow Power Hat

USD $129.00 right now.

Your hat as a solar panel?

MIGHT work well if hiking many hours in a very sunny location.

EcoFlow says it’ll output a maximum of 5V / 2.4A, so you can expect it to keep your phone or tablet topped up rather than producing anything too life-saving. There’s no battery on board, naturally, so you’ll need to keep a long wire handy to run from your cap down to whichever pocket you keep your devices near.

Engadget

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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My Drones CRASHING Montage 😀

I can laugh now — but each was traumatizing in the moment.

My first drone was the inexpensive Mavic Mini SE.

Though careful, I crashed it a LOT.

And finally killed it completely flying into the restaurant doors … twice.

Upgrading to the DJI Mini 4 Pro, I’m unlikely to crash. Often.

It has VERY good obstacle avoidance.

This montage includes perhaps half of my crashes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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50 Tips from an Experienced Hiker

Mowser lives in Tasmania, a very challenging hiking climate.

Over his 30+ years hiking and guiding, he’s made many mistakes. And seen many more.

If you watch this entire video, I guarantee there will be some tips you’ll take to heart for your next adventure.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If you like those, here are a few more.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Durston X-Dome 1+ Tent

In 2024, the cool gear brand is Durston out of the Canadian Rockies.

They sell direct — saving you money that would normally be kept by the retailer.

For example, their Kakwa 55 backpack is much less expensive than comparable top end packs.

Durston has long had some of the best trekking pole supported tents. As I don’t use trekking poles, I wasn’t much paying attention.

The X-Dome 1+ (just now shipping late 2024) is Durston’s first free standing tent.

A loyal MSR Hubba fan, here’s WHY I might be soon switching to Durston.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. The MSR tent poles are much weaker.

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Have you Hiked in the NUDE?

I’ve done it only once — on a dare.

I was on the John Muir Trail in California.

Camping in a remote spot — far from any other people — I took off for about 45 minutes wearing only my hiking shoes.

Nude hiking, also known as naked walking or freehiking, is a sub-category of the modern form of social nudity. More popular in Europe than anywhere else.

Personally, I didn’t particularly enjoy hiking naked. And have not yet been tempted to try it again.

But if you want to know more, there’s an article on Planet Nude that explains the benefits:

Freehiking through a watched world



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Undeniably THE BEST Backpacking Gear TODAY

#Clickbait 😀

If — like me — you are currently shopping Black Friday for Christmas, Steven’s video by will be of interest.

If in Canada, I recommend you browse GearTrade.ca — easily the best high quality gear shop in the nation.

In the USA, Steven recommends Garage Grown Gear.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.