Category: product endorsements

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best camera bag on the hiking trail

Me, I’m a slave to fashion.

My palmcorder / camera is well hung from my fanny pack — like batman’s utility belt — at all times.

But if you are not quite so cool as I. Or have a bigger equipment than I … check out this variation of a bicycle messenger bag recommended by Trailspotting.

Kata T-214 GDC Torso-Pack

Kata T-214 GDC Torso-Pack

… We’ve been testing out Kata’s T-214 Torso Pack for the past six months we love how rugged, secure compact and comfortable it is, plus it’s easy to swing it around from back to front for easy access to the double-zippered top. Much better than other sling-bags we’ve tried. …

Trailspotting

Related: Two-Heel Drive – Fanny packs: who’s got one?

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Lonely Planet walking guidebooks in decline?

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, Questionable Ethics, and Professional Hedonism

A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics, and Professional Hedonism

THE Lonely Planet guidebook empire is reeling from claims by one of its authors that he plagiarised and made up large sections of his books and dealt drugs to make up for poor pay.

Thomas Kohnstamm also claims in a book that he accepted free travel, in contravention of the Melbourne-based company’s policy.

His revelations have rocked the travel publisher, which sells more than six million guides a year – guides that generations of tourists have come to rely on.

Mr Kohnstamm, whose book is titled Do Travel Writers Go To Hell? said yesterday that he had worked on more than a dozen books for Lonely Planet, including their titles on Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, South America, Venezuela and Chile.

In one case, he said he had not even visited the country he wrote about.

“They didn’t pay me enough to go Colombia,” he said.

“I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating – an intern in the Colombian consulate. …

News.com.au

More alarming for hikers is that LP does not seem to be updating any their excellent walking guides as frequently as in the past.

BBC recently purchased controlling interest in Lonely Planet. BBC has their own problems, however. I’m not sure LP can recover.

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Backpacker magazine – find a hike USA

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

    • backpacker.jpg

    I particularly like their QUICK START page:

    Trip-planning tips, gear lists, safety advice, and other essential wisdom ever hiker should know.

    PLANNING
    GEAR
    FOOD
    FITNESS
    SKILLS
    SURVIVAL
    LEAVE NO TRACE
    FIRST AID
    STAYING WARM AND DRY
    BUGS, BEARS AND POISON IVY

    Backpacking 101 – Backpacker

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    Return to the Outdoors

    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 wall climber, author, and conservationist. He shares a vivid memory of one of his earliest outdoor moments and why he is inspired to help conserve the wild places he loves.

    Click PLAY or watch Conrad on YouTube:

    Nice.

    Steph Davis is an elite Big Wall climber, author, and conservationalist. She was the first woman to climb the Salathe Wall on El Capitain without equipment. Steph shares a story about one of the wild places she loves.

    Click PLAY or watch Steph on YouTube:

    Return to the Outdoors – official website

    Conservation Alliance – official website

    Thanks TIMEX.

    timex.jpg

    (via The Adventure Blog)

    Related post: Banff Festival – Where are the Women?

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    walking the Great Wall for Cancer prevention

    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 Paul Mercurio and dozens of other athletes, celebrities and cancer survivors such as myself to walk 228 kilometres on the Great Walk to Beijing, all of us raising money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne. This centre will bring under one roof a comprehensive suite of cancer services, including research programs, an innovative Wellness Centre, and facilities for acute and palliative care patients. …

    olivia.jpg
    Emma and Olivia Newton-John

    It’s a fund-raiser.

    Follow Emma’s journey on their old website: Walking the Wall

    wall.jpg

    And check out the main website: The Great Walk to Beijing

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    Mountain Hardware Scrambler day pack

    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 EVA pack panel adds structure to the pack …
    * Self-healing, silicon-coated 100D Cordura …
    * Front bungee web for external storage and load compression …
    * Top access with draw cord closure
    * Doubles as sleeping bag stuff sack

    scrambler.jpg

    larger image and details on WinterFix

    Pros: Weight, size, appearance. I really like the look. (Mine is black.)

    For day hiking, actually, it is perfect for me. But for trail running or scrambling, it is too unstable without a hip belt. While running, anything near the top of the pack shifts left and right too much. The straps loosen too easily under vibration. And the position of adjustment buckles rub against my biceps at times.

    Other reviews: Trailspace

    Durability is a real question mark. It may not last long if I use if I continue to use it for trail running.

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    more Parks require bear-proof canisters

    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 10,000 feet, proper food storage will still be compulsory in those locations. It doesn’t sound as if rangers will allow you to use the Ursack or UrsaLite food storage systems. …

    Bear-Proof Food Canisters Mandatory for Most Backcountry Travel in Grand Teton National Park

    Steve Sergeant of the Wildebeat is an expert. In a comment on that post:

    Bear-resistant food canisters are also required in most of Sequoia/Kings-Canyon National Park as well. In addition, large areas of wilderness on Forest Service land in the Sierra Nevada also require you to use such canisters.

    We explored the history and effectiveness of bear cans in a two-part edition of the WildeBeat:
    The Story of Bear Cans, part 1
    The Story of Bear Cans, part 2

    Personally, I have learned to love my canister. I often take it on hikes even when not required. The extra weight is often worth the convenience.

    This is the one I use:

    Bear Vault Model BV400 Bear Can

    Bear Vault Model BV400 Bear Can

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    Radical Reels video – Banff Mountain Film Festival

    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 it on YouTube. It features sports including skiing, climbing, kayaking, BASE jumping, snowboarding and mountain biking.

    (via Sierra Blogging Post)

    If you ever get the chance to see the touring Film Festival, or the touring Radical Reels festival, do it.

    Related: 2007 Radical Reels trailer

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    best California hiking guidebook

    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:

    California Hiking (Moon Handbooks)

    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. Stienstra does the same for the San Francisco Chronicle. Both are Bay Area papers.)

    Turns out Stienstra is the “best-selling hiking guidebook author in America”. It says so on his book, so it must be true.

    AND Stienstra’s in the stars with John Muir:

    tomhead2.gif

    Tom Stienstra inducted into California Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2003

    amb1.jpgI don’t want to downplay the co-Author’s contribution:

    Ann Marie Brown has lived in and explored the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. A hiker extraordinaire, she has logged more than 10,000 miles exclusively on California trails. …

    GORP

    Anyhoo, if you are looking for the best overview of hikes in California, this is it. They’ve divided California into 16 hiking zones.

    I wanted to hike the “Southern Deserts”. For that region “best hikes” are recommended including:

    Tahquitz Canyon
    Ryan Mountain Trail
    Mastodon Peak
    Lost Palms Oasis

    I did 3 of these. All excellent

    This guidebook has the guts to recommend “best hikes” in categories including:

    Best Beach and Coastal Walks
    Best Butt-kickers
    Best Desert Hikes
    Best Hikes with a View
    Best for Kids
    Best Summit Hikes
    Best for Wildlife
    … and many more

    The best overview of California: California Hiking (Moon Handbooks)

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    neoprene socks on the trail

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

    Seirus Stormsock Waterproof Sock

    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 speciality water shoes with neoprene booties for the entire hike. They were so bloody comfortable.

    Sure my feet got “wrinkled”. But a quick rinse was enough to remove the sweat. And they dry in seconds.

    Consider this option. One example:

    Body Glove Flipper Slipper Neoprene Sock

    Body Glove Flipper Slipper Neoprene Sock

    I don’t wear neoprene on every hike. But my booties were perfect in Paria Canyon.