Checklist: Vehicle Preparedness Kit

Enjoying the great outdoors inevitably means hopping into a vehicle. In addition to running into trouble on the way to or from the trailhead (flat tires, dead batteries, etc.) you may also find yourself in trouble due to exceptional circumstances or just plain ol' poor planning (running out of food or water, soaked to the bone, etc.). Over the years I've built up a vehicle preparedness kit to help alleviate some of these issues. Here's what's in it: Digital Tire Gauge A flat tire is obvious, a leaky or under-inflated tire less so. The first step towards diagnosing a tire [...]

By |2020-08-23T03:17:32+00:00August 23rd, 2020|

August 2020 Loot!

Sadly, gear purchases have slowed to a trickle lately. Here's what I'm testing out this month: Nitecore NB10000 10,000 mAh Power Bank Nitecore's recently introduced line of carbon fiber-ish power banks (there's a 5,000 mAh flavor as well) are incredibly light for how much power they pack. The NB10000's 3.85V nominal voltage nets 38,500 mWh whereas my old Charmast 10,400 mAh (with the usual 3.6V for lithium ion cells) yields a total of 36,144 mWh. Dividing by their respective weights of 150 and 200 grams, we end up with 257 and 181 mWh per gram, meaning that the Nitecore is [...]

By |2020-08-22T23:25:42+00:00August 22nd, 2020|

Trip Report: Loowit Trail

An erosional canyon formed by the Muddy River The Loowit Trail is a 26-mile loop circumnavigating Mount Saint Helens, which famously erupted in 1980, in southwestern Washington State. It's been on my bucket list for the past few years and earlier this month I made my first attempt. Unfortunately it was also the first trip I've had to cut short in recent memory due to injury. The northern face of the mountain was destroyed in the eruption and the devastated area immediately north of it is known as the blast zone. Although slowly recovering, it is, for the most part, [...]

By |2020-08-22T21:29:26+00:00August 22nd, 2020|

Gear Review: Oboz Sawtooth Low

The Oboz Sawtooth Low has been my hiking shoe of choice for the past two years. I picked them up from REI on the recommendation of Person B, who found their increased toe box width, availability of wide sizes, fancy insoles, and overall comfort to be just as captivating as I now do. In fact, the moment I slipped them on they felt more comfortable than any outdoor footwear I'd ever used before, something which still holds true to this day. Stats Make: ObozModel: Sawtooth Low (non-waterproof)Model Year: 2018Date Purchased: September 8th, 2018Price Paid: $110Measured Weight: 454g per shoe in [...]

By |2020-08-02T16:17:08+00:00August 2nd, 2020|

Book Review: Ultimate Navigation Manual

The Ultimate Navigation Manual is the Bible of outdoor navigation. I'm not exactly a navigation wunderkind but I know my way around knowing my way around the outdoors: I was an assistant instructor for a navigation course during which I managed to accrue an error of only six feet after a one-mile straight-line navigation challenge through a forest thick with deadfall. Throughout the years I've picked up various navigation tidbits and techniques not just from taking or teaching classes but from trip companions, the musings of outdoor luminaries, and of course books on navigation. Little did I know that I [...]

By |2020-08-01T01:38:57+00:00August 1st, 2020|
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