Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Chris on the Hike Alberta blog has been researching the dangers of Nalgene bottles leaching bisphenol.
Goodbye to my Nalgene Bottles | Hike Alberta
Click through if you want to see the details.
It’s the first I’ve heard of this hazard. I normally carry one Nalgene, one soft drink bottle.
UPDATE: Turns out Sarah on the Freezer Bag Cooking blog has already debunked this myth.
Leave a comment if you are throwing away your Nalgene bottle. But first read the other comments.
Circumnavigate the world by bike and boat?
… better them than me.
Simon Evans and Fearghal O’Nuallain are planning an adventure called Revolution Cycle 2009. Team Geared Up has the details.
But I’m always looking for state of the art technology I might use for updating hiking trip report and blogging from the trail.
Here’s what Revolution Cycle is planning to use:
As the expedition will cover over 25,000km and last for over 14 months, durability is the key requirement for our bikes and equipment. All of the kit used en route will have to be of the highest quality as it will have to function in extreme and varied environments- from the subzero Andean passes to the baking heat of the Libyan desert and everything in between. …
Revolution Cycle – gear page
Too heavy for hiking. Ideally, I’d want to take a photo on something like a satellite camera iPhone — and have it automatically posted on this blog.
Any suggestions? Leave a comment.
Rocky Thompson linked to a Treehugger post about an MP3 player that can be recharged manually with a crank.
It’s got a voice recorder for trail notes. Can store and display hiking photos and video on removable SD cards.
This looks interesting! (Is Christmas coming?)
… the Eco Media Player would be a great option for PCT hikers or anyone who spends a lot of time in the backcountry and likes to bring music. One minute of cranking this MP3 player gives you 40 minutes of audio play time while a full charge from a wall socket gives you 20 hours of playback. It only has 2GB of internal storage, but an SD slot lets you add more slow jams and books on MP3. The Eco Media Player also has an FM radio, LED flashlight, memo recorder, and it can recharge your cell phone. Not bad. The rig is only available in the UK for now, and it costs about £155.
Backcountry.com: The Goat » Blog Archive » Wind-Up iPod Replacement
Oh, oh. Looks like it’s not Mac compatible. That’s a deal breaker for me.
… might have to wait for a wind-up iPhone.
My hiking buddy Mark Glaser invented “InstaGaiters” years ago. He wears modified women’s nylon stockings.
Looks like he should have patented the idea. This is similar:
From the Happy Feet blog:
Gaiters are an important for trail runners, and for that matter, hikers, adventure racers, and even walkers. They cover the top of the shoe and prevent debris from going inside the shoe. It is this debris, between the shoe and sock, which leads to hot spots and blisters. A simple pair of gaiters can help prevent problems.
For my money, I like the gaiters made by Chrissy Weiss, called Dirty Girl Gaiters. Chrissy has a lock on gaiters that make a statement. They are bold and colorful. They are in-your-face patterns that inspire. Most of the runners yesterday wore Chrissy’s gaiters. They are made from soft, comfortable four-way stretch spandex unisex with gaiter hooks under the front shoe lace and secures to the back of the shoe with a self-adhesive Velcro strip. They are dirt-cheap for $13 per pair, including postage.
And, yes, guys are wearing them too. A lot of guys.
Dirty Girl Gaiters – photos
(via Two-Heel Drive)
I really should get a new bag. Perhaps -5C.
Ewen from Outdoor Video Magazine recommends a Canadian company, Kluane.
He describes his good experience getting them to make him a custom down jacket.
As for their sleeping bags:
Kluane built its reputation on the quality of its sleeping bags and Kluane down sleeping bags are, we believe, the finest obtainable anywhere. No other sleeping bag offers all the design and construction features found on Kluane bags.
Consider the following: Hot cutting (we use heat to cut our material so the seams will not fray); 1.9 oz. ripstop nylon (not as light as others, but it will last a long time)
800 loft Canadian white goose down; heavy duty YKK delrin two-way zips; nylon tricot baffles (again, not as light as others, but we have never had a returned product because of baffle failure); heavy double zipper baffles, channel block baffle and differential cut (except Inner, Summerthought and rectangular bags) and hidden stitching (there are only two exposed seams in the whole bag).
Sleeping Bags – Kluane
I will be up at their home base in Edmonton in a couple of weeks to check them out.
Warren Long suggested this knife to lighten your pack yet some more:
Joel sums up: “Atwood’s multitools, unlike the common flip-out models, tend to be made from just a single piece of metal with various nubs that enhance the functionality. For instance, the ‘Mini Son of PryThing‘ above has a prying tool, a blade, and a bottle opener, wrapped with a simple cord around the hilt that is easily replaceable.”
Oh … taped to the meal package. Of course!
Thanks Jason!
One thing I’ve tried to do over the years is to simplify my in-camp procedures by reducing the number of odds and ends I carry. Something that’s always bothered me is fumbling through my Ziplock of condiments to dig out that one specific spice I need for the meal at hand. Then, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of it before†moments last week.
Simply put, I figured I could tape meal-specific condiments to their respective packages with masking tape, thus eliminating one more storage bag from my pack. Now, I plan ahead so when mealtime comes, I have exactly what I need all in one place.
… Here you can see salt packets taped to the top of dehydrated eggs.
Jason posted a video of this so-simple-I-never-would-have-thought-of-it-on-my-own idea on his Gear Talk blog.
I am planning to head out to Banff for the festival, my first time ever.
Though films are at the “heart of the festival”, there is much more happening. The Mountain Book events, for example. And the Adventure Trade Show for gear.
The 32nd annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, presented by National Geographic and New Balance, brings you the world’s best mountain films and speakers. Experience the adventure of climbing, mountain expeditions, remote cultures, and the world’s last great wild places — all brought to life on the big screen. …
Banff Mountain Festivals 2007 SCHEDULE
I am still trying to decipher the ticketing page. They need fewer options.
Leave a comment if you are going to be there.
I’m fed up with traditional water filters.
Are any of the too-good-to-be-true innovations worth trying?
If so, leave a comment below this post.
MSR Miox Water Purifier with Batteries – Amazon
iStraw – official website
SteriPEN products – official website
(via Darren Barefoot)
Janet Wilson, as part of her 50th birthday fitness program, decided to walk our #1 hike in the World.
She did the research, bought the gear, finished a series of training hikes (adding 5lbs each time), grabbed her husband … and headed for the wild Shipwreck Coast.
… I suggested to my husband that for my birthday he give me, not some extravagant present or party, but his support and partnership in tackling a big physical goal: hiking the West Coast Trail.
It was something I had always wanted to do, but now I was not at all sure my aging carcass could withstand the training, let alone reach a point where it could carry a 40 pound pack over rough terrain for 7 days. But I decided to try. I read every book and web account on the trail I could find.
… we bought all the rest of our gear: the Mutha Hubba tent and footprint, Exped 7 Downmats (a bit heavy, but I knew I needed a great sleep to recover at nights), MontBlanc DownHugger sleeping bags, a SilTarp II for the inevitable rainy days, MSR’s Superfly stove and fuel canisters (3), hiking poles (purchased last and on impulse, but one of the best purchases we made) and a Katadyn Vario MicroFilter …
See Janet’s entire trip report – WesternWilson – The West Coast Trail, September 2007
Congratulations. We are proud of you Janet!
We’ve linked Janet’s trip report to our West Coast Trail information page.
besthike.com 