Top 10 ‘Weekend Warrior’ Photos
From ice caves to Grand Teton National Park, here are the Top 10 reader photo submissions for this week’s installment of our “Weekend Warrior” feature.
Destination: Conundrum Hot Springs
Hot springs of the American West range from the pristine to the skeezy. Happy to report our recent trip to popular Conundrum Springs near Aspen leaned to the former, despite the dead cow bones and ample exposed human flesh.
Hiking Boots go Minimal, Get Weird
The trend of minimal footwear is not lost on hiking boot manufacturers. After years of boots getting lighter and more flexible, a few companies are now going to the extreme.
‘Bells and Whistles’ Backpack Humps a Large Load
Uber-engineered the German way, the AirContact packs from Deuter GmbH have all the features you need to haul gear on big trips into the wilds, and then some. Straps, pockets, and touches like an air-channel back panel and “pivoting hip fins” set the lux pack apart.
‘Barefoot Boots’ new Trend at Merrell
The barefoot craze has made its way to hiking boots. Merrell will offer multiple “barefoot-influenced” boot models with lighter weights and low-drop, flexible builds beginning in 2013.
Kayaks, Waterfalls, Fjords: A Norway Pictorial
Think of any cliché of wilderness beauty and it’s nearly certain to fit in with the fjord region of Norway. Last month, our writer took a week to tour part of the region. Here’s a peek at what he saw along the way.
Iceland and ECCO Shoes: High-Latitude Trip
Iceland! This week, a GearJunkie editor jetted to Reykjavík for some high-latitude adventure + to see the debut of a new footwear line from Danish shoemaker ECCO. Here are a few images from the action so far. . .
Best OfView All
Grand Canyoneering: First Descents Into Uncharted Slots
“Out of the bright light and into the dark — once we pulled the rope we were committed to going down.” That’s a snippet from this adventure tale, where GearJunkie contributor Ryan Stuart explores an uncharted set of slots off the Grand Canyon.
Father of GearJunkie, Age 63, Treks 96 miles Thru Badlands
This week, Chuck Regenold, age 63 and the father of GearJunkie editor Stephen Regenold, hiked the 96-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail in western North Dakota’s Badlands. He went solo and carried all food and water for the trek, battling blisters, vague trail spurs, and free-range steer not happy to see him along the route.
Into the Depths: Canyoneering ‘Gravel Canyon’
A three-day canyon descent in Utah provided an optimal gear test venue for our writer, who shouldered a 50-pound pack to climb down, crawl, stem, rappel, and otherwise scramble into the depths on a famous desert route.
Launch! ‘Off The Map’ Video Series
The adventure is on! This year, the GearJunkie crew heads “off the map” to iconic outdoor destinations around North America. Follow us on an exclusive five-part video series that starts today.
GearJunkie Crew Back From ‘Lost Coast’
Sore, soggy, and a bit wind-burnt in the face from constant north-blowing gales, the GearJunkie team is back from California and an adventure on the state’s infamous Lost Coast.
GearJunkie Off-Grid on ‘Lost Coast’
GearJunkie is going off the grid. This week, to film the first episode of a new video series, a few of us here at GearJunkie will be trekking a lonesome and infamous shoreline route in northern California on a backpacking trip.
Ersatz Outdoors: Hike National Parks on Your Computer Screen
A website unveiled this week at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference lets you “hike” more than 300 miles of trails on your computer screen. Explore Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone with the click of a mouse.
Hydration Hack: Converter Turns Disposable Bottles into ‘Bladders’
Screw on your Coke bottle and hook up the hose. The JetFlow is a simple threaded converter that comes with three feet of hose and can work in a backpack with a disposable bottle to make an ad hoc hydration system.
Rare Handcrafted Pocketknife is Sleek, Not Cheap
No type-o, this pocketknife, sold on boutique Kaufmann Mercantile, costs an astonishing $330! But for that cost you get a rare handmade piece in an era where cheap goods and mass production are the norm.
Intelligent Illumination? Headlamp ‘Self-Adjusts’ its Beam
The Petzl NAO, a new headlamp, uses sensors to adjust its beam “instantly and automatically” depending on what you’re looking at. GearJunkie got a sneak peek at the potentially game-changing technology.
Push Button and Go! No-Fuss GPS Tracker
As GPS devices come, we’ve not found a simpler or less expensive product than the AMOD Data Logger. Made originally for photographers looking to track where pictures were taken, the AMOD has outdoors applications for anyone in need of a no-fuss GPS tracking device.
‘Fast & Light’ Backpacking Gear put to Test
Gear Junkie editor Stephen Regenold breaks down the equipment he used on a recent “fast and light” hike in New York’s Catskill Mountains. Carbon trekking poles, arms warmers, and a “bottom-less” sleeping bag were among the items in his kit.
Video: ‘Fast & Light’ Gear Episode
Foot lube, a titanium spork, boots, trekking poles, and an ultra-light pack. These are a few of the items highlighted in our latest “Fast & Light” video, an episode made to give a peek at the equipment used on Gear Junkie and crew’s treks this past summer and fall.
Wooden Hiking Stick Review
Long live the humble hiking stick! Brazo’s Walking Sticks of Waco, Texas, makes a range of trek-ready wooden staffs. We give the company’s Twisted Oak model a trail test.
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!
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.
