ShareI typically avoid end of the year lists – they tend to be overly subjective and someone always gets upset when their favorites don’t make the cut. This year, I’m making an exception since 2011 delivered some remarkable gear that deserves extra mention before we dive into the new spring lines of products. The following items, [Continued...]
ShareThis fall brings the biggest leap forward in rain-jacket technology since the first introduction of Gore-Tex to the outdoor world in the late 1970s. Whether you’re traveling to the Olympic Peninsula or a Costa Rican cloud forest, here’s news you can use. W.L. Gore offers its lightest, most breathable membrane ever to the market this [Continued...]
ShareWe all have too much shit! With two or three perfectly functional rain jackets in the closet, we go out and buy the latest and great. When the newest fly fish rod comes out, promising to improve your cast by 10 yards, and your accuracy by 10 percent, we go buy it. If a new [Continued...]
Share First published in the Seattle Times, NW Weekend section on November, 18,2010 Initial excursions into the snow are best done on rental gear, but once you decide to actively pursue snowboarding, it makes sense to grab your own gear. Fortunately, the gear you need as a beginner can be used and enjoyed well into [Continued...]
Share(First published in Seattle Times NW Weekend March 10, 2010) It seems spring has arrived early in Western Washington this year, which means we’ll have a longer hiking season in the Cascades. Folks who want to get an early jump on the hiking season need to be prepared for cold, wet conditions. Fortunately, a couple [Continued...]
ShareThe manufacturer’s claims left me skeptical. Shirts and tights that not only supported achy joints but relieved fatigue and strengthened muscles? So I enlisted one of my regular gear testers, Chris Bloomquist of Winthrop, to join me in field testing the Opedix Posture Shirt and Running Tights. Chris has been skiing hard and fast most [Continued...]
ShareCome spring, we never know what weather conditions we might face in Western Washington, so our outerwear must be versatile. We can see dramatic changes not just day-to-day, but hour-to-hour. During one March outing along the 5-mile loop trail at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, as we wrapped up testing of some new softshells, we encountered [Continued...]
ShareOnce chills settle into your bones, there’s little you can do. Whether you’re sitting in camp, or simply eating a long lunch at a frigid summit, having an insulation layer to pull on when you stop moving can make the difference between being comfortable and being hypothermic. There are any number of great jackets to [Continued...]
Share The REI Shuksan proved adept at shedding rain and snow. The durable water-repellent finish (DWR) forced rain to bead up and run off the shell quickly and efficiently, and even in the steadiest downpours no rain seeped in through the eVent membrane. At the same time, sweat never saturated the inside of the jacket, [Continued...]
