Outdoor

Vague Path Through the Woods: Trip Report on MN’s Border Route Trail

The GearJunkie crew is back from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the little-traveled Border Route Trail. This report looks at the crew’s fast-and-light assault…

Written by Stephen Regenold September 08, 2011

Long Hike Ahead: GearJunkie Crew Heading to 65-Mile Border Route Trail

This weekend, we’re heading north to the depths of Minnesota’s North Woods and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. There, we will lace up our boots…

Written by Stephen Regenold September 02, 2011

Great Balls of (Nano) Fire! Tiny Tool Shoots Super-Hot Sparks

Shoot molten metal balls to ignite camp stoves and dry kindling with this new “nano-size” fire-starting stick. Gear Junkie tests it out on a recent…

Written by Stephen Regenold August 18, 2011

Fold-in-Half, Zip-up Backpacking Shoe

This built-for-backpacking shoe offers a zip-in-half option for maximum packability. Gear Junkie takes the modular footwear, which converts to a “shoe pod” during transit, on…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 28, 2011

Ultimate Summertime T-Shirt?

Quick-wicking, sun protective, and durable in the outdoors, the Eco-Speed-T from RailRiders is among Gear Junkie’s favorite shirts for activity outdoors in hot weather.

Written by Stephen Regenold July 25, 2011

Made-with-Bananas ‘Performance Candy’

Growing tired of the mainstream flavors of energy bars and gels? A new made-with-bananas bar hit the market this summer that tastes so good it’s…

Written by T.C. Worley July 14, 2011

Recap: Gear Junkie’s Summer Shoe & Boot Reviews

From minimalist trail shoes to full-leather boots, Gear Junkie offers a roundup of some of this year’s most intriguing footwear makes. Pick out your optimal…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 08, 2011

U.S. Army Bans Vibram FiveFingers

As reported around the barefoot-minded blogosphere this week, the U.S. Army has banned Vibram FiveFingers and all other “toe-shoes” because they “detract from a professional…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 06, 2011

Rx Shades: Costa Del Mar

With the solstice past, it’s summertime now officially! And with it, we’re wearing sunglasses most days, even in Minnesota where GearJunkie is based. This review…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 22, 2011

High on Argon: Q&A with Founder of Inflatable Jacket Company

Handheld cartridge air pumps are usually reserved for bike tires. But Utah-based Klymit thinks it’s found a better way to insulate jackets and sleeping pads…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 21, 2011

Stingrays and Pixie Dust: Columbia Sportswear 2012 Product Peek

Last night, at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, amid dinosaur bones and live stingrays undulating in a shallow pool, Columbia Sportswear previewed…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 15, 2011

Skinny Carbon Trekking Poles

Skinny but stout, the new ultralight trekking poles from Black Diamond borrow tricks from probe poles used in avalanche rescue. Gear Junkie goes on a…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 13, 2011

Quick-Draw Camera Belt

This belt holster system gives photographic cowboys a new and faster way to transport a camera while on the go. Our resident writer/photographer, T.C. Worley,…

Written by T.C. Worley June 10, 2011

Power Pack: Equal to 70,000 Batteries!

Need off-the-grid energy? Our writer, a professional photographer and adventurer, conducted a long-term test of Goal Zero’s portable solar power kit, the Sherpa 120, which…

Written by T.C. Worley June 08, 2011

Off-Grid Family Camping Trip

Gear Junkie founder Stephen Regenold gives a report from his family’s off-the-grid camping trip over Memorial Weekend to northern Minnesota’s Bear Lake.

Written by Stephen Regenold June 07, 2011

Coleman ‘Instant Tent’

Easy-to-setup camping tent strikes out on several fronts in Gear Junkie’s test. As per its name, the shelter goes up with ease. The compromise is…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 06, 2011

Vino for Outside: Clif Bar Wine

Wine in a pouch from the makers of the Clif Bar. That’s what you get with Clif Bar & Company’s “Climber Pouch,” a take-on-the-trail wine…

Written by Stephen Regenold May 26, 2011

Boot up! Wolverine Leather Hiker

A waterproof liner, Vibram’s “Mutant” soles, and a spinning rubber disc in the heel area of the boot make the Fulcrums from Wolverine among the…

Written by T.C. Worley May 26, 2011

Review: Micro Waterproof Pack, Ultra-Sil Dry Day Pack

It packs into a hand-size pouch and weighs scant ounces. But unfurl this pack and you have a roll-top closure waterproof bag complete with shoulder…

Written by Stephen Regenold May 25, 2011

UK Gear Shoes: 1000-Mile Guarantee

Running shoes designed with aid from a British military unit and rated to go 1,000 miles? That’s the claim from UK Gear with its PT-1000…

Written by T.C. Worley May 25, 2011

Torture Test: Olympus ‘Tough’ Cameras

We ran one Olympus camera over with a mountain bike. A small boy taped another one to a skateboard to record. This torture test pushed…

Written by T.C. Worley May 24, 2011

Chimney Stove: Boil Water with Sticks and Grass

The Backcountry Boiler is a camp stove of sorts that combines the functionality of a cooking pot and a stove into one. It eliminates the…

Written by Stephen Regenold May 12, 2011

Break-Apart ‘Micro’ Trekking Poles

New for this summer, the Micro poles from Leki link together with cord like tent poles. The advantage: Full-length trekking poles that break down small…

Written by T.C. Worley May 05, 2011

Primer: Water Purification in the Outdoors

Clean drinking water in the wilderness is never guaranteed. In this roundup review, Gear Junkie looks at a half-dozen purification products made for the outdoors.

Written by Stephen Regenold April 21, 2011

Outside ‘Gear of the Year’

In its next issue, due on newsstands at the end of this month, Outside magazine will announce the Summer 2011 winners of its Gear of…

Written by Stephen Regenold April 17, 2011

Review: Nimbus Trace 62

It’s built to carry loads of 40 pounds or more. A strange, gill-like panel was made to “fit the topography of your back.” Our writer…

Written by T.C. Worley April 08, 2011

Test: 3 oz. Jacket

It weighs about 3 ounces and packs in a tiny stuff sack smaller than a fist. But the Cirrus Pull-On from Rab can add enough…

Written by Stephen Regenold April 07, 2011

Test: $20 Gerber Machete

The $20 Gerber Gator Jr. machete is no heirloom piece. But it does the work of two tools and might make you look tougher, too.

Written by T.C. Worley March 25, 2011

Adidas Enters U.S. Outdoor Market

Athletics behemoth adidas AG is entering the U.S. outdoor marketplace with footwear, apparel, outerwear, and optics. Gear Junkie gets a Q&A with an adidas managing…

Written by March 24, 2011

‘Birdseed’ Energy Bar

A compressed block of nuts and seeds — flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower — make Raw Crunch bars appear to be made for the birds. Gear…

Written by March 20, 2011

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