Reviews

Crystal Light With Caffeine packets are my favorite way to get caffeine while I'm out and about. The fruit-flavored powder in each packet contains 60mg of caffeine, about two-thirds the amount in a cup of coffee. The single-serving packets are easy to pack and mix well in cold water. Stats Make: Crystal LightModel: With CaffeineModel Year: 2019Measured Weight: 4g per packetDate Purchased: Summer 2019Price Paid: $28.65 for a 4-box variety pack or $0.72 per packetUsage: 2019 - present Mixing Although the directions state that a single packet should be mixed with two cups of water (a little less than half [...]

Pot holder (top) and stove base (bottom) Carbon felt is a soft fireproof material commonly used to make welder's blankets. It's easy to cut down at home using a utility knife and can be fashioned into a pot holder, stove base, or even a wick for an alcohol stove. Stats Make: HanswayModel: High Temp Carbon Fiber Welding BlanketModel Year: N/A?Dimensions: 12" x 12"Estimated Weight: 63gDate Purchased: 2019-04-10Price Paid: $9.99Usage: 2019 - present Pot Holder and Stove Base My cook system consists of an Evernew mug pot and Kojin alcohol stove with a Caldera Cone pot stand. Although the mug's lid [...]

Widely considered to be the gold standard for ultralight backpacking multitools, this 21 gram pocket knife houses 6 tools in a body that's only 2 1/4 inches long. However, real-world usefulness of the tools varies widely and the most useful can be replaced by dedicated alternatives which are more functional and just as light. Stats Make: VictorinoxModel: Swiss Army Classic SDModel Year: 2018Measured Weight: 21 gramsDate Purchased: 2018-05-19Price Paid: $16.00Usage: 2018 - present Tools 1 5/16" non-locking smooth-edge drop-point knife. The knife is short to the point of uselessness and only good for cutting food, tape is best cut using [...]

Short and stout wins the race After using an Osprey Exos 58 for over two years I upgraded to an Opsrey Levity 60 in Q1 of 2019. After using it for the entirety of the 2019 backpacking season I thought I'd share my impressions so far. This review will focus on the Levity but also contrast it with the Exos for those considering a similar upgrade. Stats Make: OspreyModel: Levity 60Model Year: 2019Volume: 60 litersCarrying Capacity: 10 - 25 poundsMeasured Weight: 873 grams (863 main body, 10 compression cord) in size mediumDate Purchased: 2019-03-10Price Paid: $270.00Usage: 13 trips (32 days [...]

Stats Make: ASAPModel: Orange Nitrile GlovesModel Year: 2019Price Paid: $11.91 for a box of 100 or $0.12 per gloveMeasured Weight: 7g per glove in size large When I was doing some maintenance on the Bogachiel Trail with the WTA I got some advice for keeping your hands warm while working in the rain: wear a pair of nitrile gloves under your work gloves. Every volunteer was given a complimentary pair and I can say from experience that it was super effective. Once I got home I ordered a box of 100 off of Amazon and have been bringing them on [...]

Nalgene | Wide Mouth Flexible Canteen 32oz | 2018 | $15.60 | 61g When you're backpacking sometimes you have to get up to pee during the night and sometimes you really, really don't want to (especially if the weather is awful). A pee bottle will allow you to pee in the comfort of your tent (twice with this 32oz bottle) Nalgene

Potable Aqua | Chlorine Dioxide Tablets | 2018 | $0.45 | 0.5g I carry a pair of chlorine dioxide tablets as a back-up method of water purification should my primary filtration method fail. One individually-wrapped tablet will treat 1 liter of water in four hours and is effective against bacteria (giardia), cysts (cryptosporidium), and even viruses. All you have to do is open up one of the little squares, drop the tablet into a container of water, and wait. Oh, and the water tastes just fine. Note that a Sawyer Micro Squeeze, one of the lightest membrane filters on the [...]