SyncPack: Better balance for heavy packs
Thursday, October 04, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
After years of being ridiculed by other hikers for carrying heavy cameras in chest-mounted packs while backpacking, I'm finally vindicated. It seems my front-mounted system not only...

TrekPod: Camera stability, not songs, at the heart of this 'Pod
Thursday, September 27, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Tech is a stout, extendible hiking staff with a camera mount at top, and a tough rubberized foot at the bottom. It can easily and quickly be used as a traditional monopod, but when you...

Climbing boots for Cascade conditions:
Lowa Cevedale GTX & La Sportiva Makalu
Thursday, September 20, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Experienced trekkers know that their most important assets are their feet. Take care of your feet, and you'll likely have a good outing. This is especially true for climbers. The unforgiving...

Swinging in the trees: Eagle Nest Outfitter's Camp Hammock
Thursday, September 06, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Such is the case with the ubiquitous hammock. These sleeping slings have been slung in the holds of ships, under the fronds of palms and over the sands of countless beaches. But campers...

Watches rise to new heights: Casio Pathfinder & Wenger Battalion
Thursday, August 30, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Technological advances have helped create altimeters of remarkable accuracy, yet no one has found a way to fully compensate for the vagaries of the weather. The high-pressure system...

Shades of summer: Smith Optics & Native Eyewear sunglasses
Thursday, August 23, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Like external-frame packs, canvas tents and heavy, wooden canoes, the days of oversized "glacier glasses" are gone. Oh, you can still find those big aviator-style sunglasses with the...

Car camping for us non-Rolls folks: REI Hobitat tent & Kelty Binto Bar
Thursday, August 09, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
There is even a new trend among obscenely rich fashionistas known as "glamping," short for "glamorous camping." You'll see supermodels and celeb-bratties setting up silk tents and portable...

Cargo carrier for compact cars: Yakima SkyBox 16
Thursday, July 12, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
The Yakima SkyBox Pro 16 is tailor-made for the smaller car and SUV. It attaches quickly and easily to any rack. ...

Backpacks made for women: REI Rideline & Arc'Teryx Maia 50
Thursday, July 05, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Watching my partner teetering on the edge of a jagged basalt ledge above Umtanum Canyon, I was nervous. This was no place for an off-balance step. She, meanwhile, was thinking more of...

Don't put away the wool: Arc'Teryx Rho Top & Dale of Norway baselayers
Thursday, June 21, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Truly savvy recreationists, though, take wool a step further. Those in the know understand that not only is this natural fiber ideal for winter conditions, but it has proved to be unbeatable...

Wenger Knives: These Swiss Army knives are cut above the rest
Thursday, June 14, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Here I sat, looking out over the Pacific with a nonfreestanding tent at my feet, while the bag of tent stakes was on the floor back home. No problem. I found a length of broken driftwood...

Lightweight jackets for spring and summer:
Mountain Hardwear Transition & Outdoor Research Contour
Thursday, May 10, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Mountain Hardwear markets the Transition Featherweight Jacket as ideally suited for aerobic activities in cool to cold weather, so that's what we tested. I wore the jacket while snowshoeing...

Outdoor-gear savvy in laptop bags
Thursday, April 26, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Outdoor recreationists don't spend all their time in the backcountry. We sometimes have to go to work. But there's no reason we can't use the best designs of the outdoor market during...

Bright, versatile lights for bikes
Thursday, April 19, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
With that in mind, safety-conscious riders should all equip their bikes with lights. Headlights illuminate your path, but just as important, they make you more visible to other riders,...

A pack designed for seasonal change
Thursday, April 12, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Emotions run high, come spring. Even as the joy of a new summer hiking season looms before us, we mourn the loss of the ski season. Here in the Northwest, we are blessed with a long...

A grown-up way to stash your toys
Thursday, March 15, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Bottom line: The more activities you enjoy, the more gear you have, but the more gear you have, the greater the chance for clutter and confusion. A number of companies today offer organizing...

Waist to toe: stylish duds for mountain folk
Thursday, February 22, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
The designers making our backcountry clothing know what works and what we, the hiking community, like. So it's thrilling to report that those same designers are increasingly offering...

Great-tasting hydration and fuel? It's about time
Thursday, February 01, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
One of the newest innovations comes in the hydration market. Forget sugary powders filled with pseudo-fruit flavors. The newest hydrating drink for outdoor enthusiasts comes in the form...

Rainwear for cameras
Thursday, January 25, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Capturing the full range of Northwest landscapes in photos means getting out in the rain. Unfortunately, the sensitive electronics of today's cameras don't react well to rain. Where...

Wired wear: jacket that's iPod ready
Thursday, January 18, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Apple's iPod puts your entire music catalog in your pocket. The problem is, the music doesn't stay in your pocket. The 'Pod has to be pulled...

Tools to keep you safe in snow
Thursday, January 11, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Playing in the snow can be deadly business. The pure joy of romping through deep snow on snowshoes, or schussing down alpine meadows on...

Small tools to keep you safe
Thursday, January 04, 2007 : Travel & Outdoors
Clichés sometimes become clichés because there is truth in the message. Take the overworked phrase, "Good things come in small...

Insulation fit for Northwest winters
Thursday, December 28, 2006 : Travel & Outdoors
A new battle rages inside the world of outdoor apparel. Synthetic fibers finally offer a serious challenge to down's reign as the king of...

Wind-up toys for big girls and boys
Thursday, December 21, 2006 : Travel & Outdoors
Once upon a time, before batteries became a holiday staple, kids craved toys of the wind-up variety. Those same kids — now responsible...

Kayak designed for Puget Sound paddlers
Thursday, November 09, 2006 : Travel & Outdoors
Puget Sound paddlers don't let a little cold weather keep them from their sport. After all, the deep straits of Puget Sound stay bitingly...

Pocket knives for a new generation
Thursday, November 02, 2006 : Travel & Outdoors
In my rural Eastern Washington hometown, the practice of carrying a pocket knife is a time-honored tradition. Farm kids have long grown...

Fall car camping is about comfort
Thursday, October 26, 2006 : Travel & Outdoors
Car campers in the know get excited when the days turn crisp and cool. Suddenly state parks and National Forest camps quiet down. The crowds thin out...