Large and Light: Granite Gear ‘Crown’ Pack
Lightweight yet rugged and large, the to-be-released Crown 60 is set for fully-geared weekend backpacking trips or minimalists who are loaded with the bulk of food to trek long and far.
Interview with a Bear: Grylls on Survivalism, Knives, and Rabbit Snares
British survivalist star Bear Grylls of “Man vs. Wild” television fame has a namesake line of knives and survival products made by Gerber Legendary Blades. We caught up with the Bear to talk machetes, snare wires, and tiny kits built for extreme scenarios outdoors.
Video: ‘Hardest Hike in the East’
Our third video episode this fall on fast-and-light adventure debuts today. The video, “The Hardest Hiking Trail in the East,” covers a journey that starts in New York City and includes, literally, planes, trains, automobiles, hiking boots, and a bike at the end to complete!
Bear Grylls ‘Ultimate Fine Edge Knife’
For a limited few days only, Gerber is shipping a new knife in its Bear Grylls series, the Ultimate Fine Edge Knife, which promises a sharp edge from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade.
Gear for Outdoorsy Dogs
Active dogs require specialized equipment to run, ski and play outdoors. In this column, Gear Junkie editor Stephen Regenold looks at a few pieces of canine equipment that have been crucial for outdoors fun with his dog, a 100-pound Weimaraner who runs like a machine.
‘Hardest Hiking Trail in the East’
The Gear Junkie crew is back from the Catskill Mountains of New York and the Devils Path, the “hardest hiking trail in the East.” In its 27 miles, the trail climbs six major peaks and ascends thousands of cumulative feet.
Video: ‘Fast & Light’ on Border Route Trail
In our new video, “24 Hours on the Border Route,” Gear Junkie and crew traveled to northern Minnesota to traverse a renowned 65-mile wilderness route. Drama ensues when the group gets lost in the night, their compasses malfunctioning due to high quantities of natural iron in the rock. Get ready to trek!
Best OfView All
Mesh Jacket Cited as ‘Bug-Proof’
We test Columbia Sportswear’s new airy bug jacket in the depths of the Great North Woods, a.k.a. Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Our intrepid reviewer bravely offered his mesh-covered limbs to swarming mosquitoes in the test.
Easy Access: Pockets and Pouches for Backpacking
Writes Gear Junkie, “In the gear-that’s-changed-my-life category, the line item of ‘small accessible pockets on backpacks’ may seem odd.” This post details a half-dozen products that offer a simple upgrade in backpack accessibility to keep gear always at the ready on the go outside.
Travel to Patagonia: Feature Story on Chile’s ‘End of Earth’ Region
Since 2010, Gear Junkie founder Stephen Regenold has spent almost two months of his life in Chilean Patagonia near the tip of South America immersed in the wilderness. This travel feature provides a guide to the region as well as Regenold’s recommendations on the best sites to see in Patagonia’s “end of the Earth” environment.
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 through the day and night on the 65-mile route. Moose, magnetized rocks, and getting lost all a part of the fun!
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 (no canoes this time!) and head west to east on the Border Route Trail, a 65-mile hiking path that traverses the BWCA!
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 mountain trip where flame was required to cook a hot meal at high altitude.
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 a trail test.
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.
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 being sold as “performance candy.”
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 shoe and lace up to hit the trail!
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 military image.”
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 covers a pair of lux sunglasses with a prescription lens from Costa Del Mar.
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 with tiny cartridges or argon gas. Our contributor interviews the company founder and CEO.
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 its spring 2012 product line. Gear Junkie gives a run-down of the ceremonies and the company’s unique new wares.
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 test trek.
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, gives the holster a multi-month test.
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 is touted to offer the equivalent output to tens of thousands of AA batteries. Plug it in!
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.
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 a poor-performing design.
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 vessel filled with 1.5 liters of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. We take a taste test.
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 more interesting hiking boot introductions of late. Our writer gave the to-be-released boots an out of the box test on a backpacking trip this month.
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 straps. GearJunkie reviews Sea to Summit day pack.
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 running shoes. Our writer puts some miles down for a test.
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 Olympus’ “Tough” series of cameras nearly to their breaking point.
