Cottage Industry Highlight: Katabatic Gear

Katabatic Gear Quilt

Aaron Martray set out to hike the Colorado Trail in 2007.  While planning the trek he spent a lot of time thinking about how to reduce weight and began to focus on the sleeping system.  Aaron liked the basic idea of quilts as but was unhappy with what the current market had to offer.  He then did what a lot of thru hikers end up doing: making their own gear.

Gear Review: Sea to Summit TravellingLight Travel Accessories

Sea to Summit TravellingLight Line

Travelling is a stressful venture at the best of times, but traveling with adventure gear can be even more challenging. Sea to Summit has designed a number of useful items in their TravellingLight line that makes organization a snap as well as keeping dirty items away from clean items.

Gear Review: Bridgford Ready to Eat Sandwiches

Bridgford Ready to Eat Sandwich

One question that perplexes a lot of outdoor enthusiast is what to eat when in the backcountry. Almost everyone I ask what they eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner all have completely different answers. I admit it’s hard to pack in food that tastes as good in the backcountry as it does in the front country.

Gear Review: Talus ColdAvenger Pro Facemask

Talus ColdAvenger

Anyone who spends substantial amount of time in the winter backcountry will usually tell you that’s it is better to stay warm than try to re-warm. One way to help stay warm is to reduce the amount of exposure to cold air. The Talus ColdAvenger was designed to protect your face, neck and ears from cold temperatures.

Gear Review: Sea to Summit Delta Series Dishes

Delta Series Plate and Insul-Mug

I generally hate to use my pot to cook food in and eat from. I would rather cook in a freezer bag or the bag the food comes in just to avoid the messy pot clean-up. The Delta Plate from Sea to Summit is actually great for eating out of both from a clean up point of view and not getting my fingers dirty on the food bag.

Gear Review: Henry Shires' Rainshadow 2 Tarptent

Henry Shires' Rainshadow 2 Tarptent

Henry Shires makes a 3-person Tarptent dubbed the Rainshadow 2. The Rainshadow 2 is an adjustable Tarptent that can adapt to a number of different situations. The Rainshadow 2 comes in a stuff sack with four 6-inch aluminum stakes and a rear tent pole. One or two substitute poles can be purchased for the front of the tent if the user prefers not to use trekking poles in this fashion.

Gear Review: Shred Alert Hippy Beanie & Hippy Color Beanie

Shred Alert adjustable beanie

Keeping your head covered in cold weather is a great way to reduce heat loss and stay warm in cooler weather. The Shred Alert Hippy Beanie and Hippy Colors are great options for covering your noggin while keeping a sense of fashion. The Beanies are a part of Shred Alert’s Global Collection Line. They are adjustable to fit a wide range of head sizes. The headwear has a drawstring with a cord lock to loosen or tighten it accordingly.