Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
We’ve linked to a number of Jeffrey’s impressive photo journals.
Check 9 months of 2006 adventures through South America and S.E. Asia on his travel blog. It links too to his pics from the Galapagos, the Amazon and much more.
Jeffrey at Fitzroy, Argentina
Details on this trek — besthike.com Around Monte Fitz Roy
I am packing for the first ever meetup of outdoor activity bloggers. Not surprisingly, it is in California.
During my lifetime most of the great outdoor innovations began in California. The first mountain bikes were built there, for example.
Yet when the Get Outdoors blog called California “the center of the outdoor universe”, there was dissent. Even I chimed in claiming that Queenstown, New Zealand was a better outdoors base than anywhere in California.
But, on balance, I agree with Get Outdoors. California is awesome.
Unparalleled Breadth of Outdoor Activities
Ecosystem & Geographic Diversity
National Parks & Wilderness Areas
Environmental Stewardship
Outdoor Visionaries
Center of the Outdoor Universe – Getoutdoors.com Outdoor Blog
But since the California grizzly on the state flag has long been extinct, I feel a new image is needed.
Another wonderful travel photo from gadling.com
Is this a spokesmodel for an ice axe manufacturer?
HiMountain Dhaulagiri Expedition 2006 – Now it’s Sylwia Bukowicka Time
No, it’s 28-year-old Polish climber Sylwia Bukowicka.
She’s headed for Dhaulagiri (8167m) this Fall.
She has already summitted two eightthousanders: Cho Oyu and Gasherbrum II.
And Ama Dablam, Alpamayo, and Khan Tengri.
And in August she summitted Korzeniewska Peak (7105m) with a sprained ankle.
What have you done lately?
I still chuckle thinking back to the hilarious A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. His outrage at finding out he needed also buy a “pack cover” along with his new expensive pack is something to which many can relate.
The new Arc’teryx Naos packs are getting good reviews.
Arc\’teryx Naos 55 Backpack 3420 cu in – Men\’s Cobalt, Short
After longer use we are not quite as thrilled as during the honeymoon.
The air valves are tricky. To close properly you need twist the valves so far to the right that you worry about breaking them. Valve problems have been common I was told at a gear shop in Canada.
And if low weight is your main concern, stick with the lightest Therm-a-Rest. Our ExPed 7s are 27.9oz (790gms).
On the other hand, I LOVE this decadent, thick mattress. In fact I’ve added a $35 chair attachment for those times when weight and bulk are not an issue.
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Our original post July 10th, 2006
New technology has made your old sleeping pad obsolete.
Last week we tested the Exped sleeping mat — it’s a winner! The best new gear innovation in years.
High insulation value with low bulk & weight, insulated with 700-fill goose down — this is the best sleeping system we’ve ever seen.
The only down side we can report is that it takes longer to inflate than a therm-a-rest.
Swede Renata Chlumska is one tough gal. Already having climbed Everest, this time she set out to see the edge of America. All of it.
Renata was fiance of the late, great Goran Kroop of Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey fame.
After 439 days circumnavigating the continental United States — thought to be the first time this was accomplished — kayaking through ocean swells, biking through desert conditions, witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Chlumska was overjoyed to have reached her journey’s end.
It took her 439 days to kayak and bike around U.S.
More on Renata’s trip blog.
I had never heard of Mammatus (breast) clouds until contributor George Novak sent in these amazing photos. They are associated with tornados.
A larger version of this photo and more
These photos were taken by Jorn Olsen from Nebraska. <official website>
We’ve been awaiting a new book on our favourite hike, the West Coast Trail. It’s here and we can hardly wait to get our hands on it.
It’s called The West Coast Trail – One Step at a Time.
The author, Robert J. Bannon, sells it directly on his website for C$20. Or you can pick it up in book and gear shops in Western Canada.
“Using a light-hearted style, Bob invites readers to experience the adventure of a lifetime as he and his hiking partner don overweight backpacks, traverse root and mud covered pathways, climb and descend countless ladders, camp on white sand beaches and generally experience a richness of life that most of us only dream about.”
The West Coast Trail: One Step at a Time was a 2005 finalist for the Heritage Group Writing Award.
The West Coast Trail is one of the best hikes in the world. Climb up to 50 huge ladders, ford rivers on cable cars, short-cut the trail at low tide — it’s a glorious wilderness hike 75km (47mi) long with no easy exit to civilization. Carefully regulated, it can be almost impossible to get a permit during high season.
Read more — Besthike West Coast Trail.
UPDATE 2 – The Winehiker did some research into the much acclaimed JETBOIL stoves. His conclusion:
Until JetBoil and other campstove manufacturers adopt product policies that incorporate zero waste and a more open design approach to fuel type, canister reuse, and fuel distribution systems, I cannot in good conscience buy or endorse their nonrefillable products.
Dropping the eco-ball: camp stove manufacturers – Winehiker
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UPDATE 1 – after a couple of trips with my new Jetboil Personal Cooking System my experience is “thumbs up”. It’s the easiest stove I have ever used.
A couple of cautions though. Do NOT fill the pot above the “fill line”. If it boils over you are in trouble since the pot is physically attached to the stove.
Also, I found it very difficult to find fuel canisters, even in large cities. And since I was flying between destinations I had big problems. You need small canisters with valves made to the EN417 specification. Only JETBOIL and Snowpeak canisters fit, so far as I know.
The JETBOIL website is not exactly up front on this point. Bad JETBOIL.
=== original post July 14, 2006
Upstart JETBOIL took the Backpacker magazine award for best stove in 2006.
I went to order their Group Cooking System with 1.5 Liter Cooking Pot from Amazon. Built-in igniter, 1.5 liter pot, weight 1lb 3oz. Packed size: 7 x 4.5 inches.
Ultra-efficient, it looks great. (Note: it still suffers the same decrease in performance in cold weather as other propane / iso-butane canister stoves. You are advised to keep the fuel in your sleeping bag at night.)
Problem. Amazon will not ship this product to Canada. When I contacted the manufacturer they told me they have not yet found a distributor.
besthike.com 