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The North American Odyssey Book Release
Back in 2010 shortly after Amy and Dave Freeman got married, they left on a three-year honeymoon odyssey across North America. They called it the North American Odyssey. They recently completed writing a book about the trip. Itโs title shares the expeditions name, North American Odyssey: 12,000 Miles Across the Continent by Kayak, Canoe, and Dogsled. The book, their second, documents the trip across the continent by sea kayak, backpack, dogsled, and canoe. The trip started in Washington on Earth Day and took them by sea kayak up the Inside Passage to Alaska. From there they backpacked and canoed north to the Arctic Ocean. They then switched to a dogsledโฆ
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Eezycut Trilobite Knife First Look
The Eezycut Trilobite Knife is an effective, easy-to-use tool for cutting ropes and webbing, offering safety and versatility.
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Cross Bands by Grifiti: When is a stuff sack not a stuff sack?
The Cross Bands by Grifiti, costing $1.79, are heavy-duty rubber bands that hold a pot and lid together, reducing weight by 0.3 ounces. They prevent lid rattle and fit items like the Vargo Titanium Ti-Lite 750 Mug. This gear enhances efficiency and reduces small annoyances on trips.
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Sea to Summit Spark 15ยฐF Sleeping Bag First Look
Iโm excited that I get to test the Sea to Summit Spark 15ยฐF (-9ยฐC) sleeping bag this season. They sent it for review. If you havenโt heard of this bag, itโs an lightweight down sleeping bag made by Sea to Summit. Itโs claimed weight is 1 pound 9.7 ounces (730g). At that weight, it is in the weight range of quilts. This is my initial impression after using it for two short trips. Later this year, Iโll post a final review after I get about 30 nights on it. Unboxing When I pulled this bag out of the shipping box, I got excited just from the storage bag. Usually, sleepingโฆ
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Simple Plate for Front Country Camping
The 10" Plastic Kids' Square Divided Plate by Pillowfort, sold at Target, costs $1 and is now $0.85 on sale. Itโs lightweight, BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and microwave safe for reheating. Available singly or in sets, it effectively separates food. Its limited colors and separate spork purchase are drawbacks. Highly recommended for camping.
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Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Two Pot Cook Set First Look
Sea to Summit released an updated collection of cookware earlier this year, and I got my hands on a review copy of the new Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Two Pot Cook Set (Get it direct from Sea to Summit). Iโll be using this over the summer on family camping trips. To make that work, they also sent me an extra Passage Bowl and Cup. This is my first look at the system. Iโll follow-up with a full review after using them for the season. Sea to Summit has been making some interesting gear that has peaked my curiosity. For example, last year the new Sea to Summit 50L Bigโฆ
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Rocky Talkie 5 Watt GMRS Radio First Look
Rocky Talkie has a new GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radio that has IP67 waterproofing, which means itโs waterproof to 3 feet (1 meter) for one hour. It also claims a long battery life of five days and offers 5-watts of power, which in theory will give a range of over 35 miles in optimal conditions, but more likely two to eight in the real world. For paddlers, the claimed range on a river is a half to three miles. Rocky Talkie sent over a pair for testing and Iโll be testing these over the paddling season. Here are my initial impressions. Unboxing the Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio Theโฆ
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LaCrosse Grange Boots Review: Best Boot for Canoeing?
For the last couple of years, Iโve been using the LaCrosse Grange Boots for canoeing when I want a rubber waterproof boot. If youโre a long-time reader, you may remember that back in 2019 I wrote The Best Boots for Canoeing. I recommend the Xtratufs boots, and I still think thatโs a good recommendation. But I found that after a couple of trips that they didnโt fit my feet well. I sold them and then bought a pair of LaCrosse Grange Boots. To make this review short, these are the boots that Iโve been using for canoeing, shoulder seasons around town, when going into wet areas for photography, and forโฆ
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Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Review: Lightweight Tent for Paddlers
My Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 review will explore my experience with this tent over the last couple of years and why I always come back to it.
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Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform Tarp Review
The Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform Tarp is a lightweight, shaped tarp designed for lightweight trips when you only need a minimal shelter. Here's my short review.
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Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy Review
The Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy is a lightweight sack to put your sleeping bag, sleeping pad and self into while you sleep. How else do you describe a bivy? Itโs designed to shelter you, protect you from splashes and drafts and add a little warmth to your sleeping bag. It also has bug netting above your face to help you breath and keep the bugs out. I bought it to provide a little extra protection when sleeping under a small tarp. I used this in 2023 on a ten-day bikepacking trip, and I would call this a limited review. That said, I probably wonโt be using it often due toโฆ
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Bikepacking Gear is Nearly the Same as Canoe Camping Gear
If youโve followed this blog for awhile, youโll know that in addition to canoeing and kayaking I love biking and specifically bike touring or bikepacking. You may even remember the Aprilโs Fools joke that I did on this topic. The joke was that this website was going to change to a biking website, but I digress. This year, in leu of a big paddling trip, I did a long bikepacking trip across the proposed Minnesota ORV Border to Border Route. I basically used the same gear for this trip as I would have for canoe camping. I made a video about the gear that I used. There were a lotโฆ
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KรHLโs Renegade Pant (the perfect paddling pants) and Fall Collection
Earlier this fall, KรHL sent over a few of pieces from their fall collection. That included the Renegade Pant, Interceptr Vest and the Invigoratr Merino 1/4 Zip shirt. Together they create a warm and cozy fall outfit that functions well during the shoulder paddling seasons. It also looks great. When wearing them, I feel like Iโm living up to my Appalachian Trail thru-hike name, which was Fashion. All kidding aside, I love KรHL clothing and have written about their clothing before here. One of the things that I love about the clothing is the thought that goes into the design of the features and the fit. As an example, Iโฆ
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Paddle Pocket and Tether Tabs by RedLeaf Designs
Having been in the paddlesports industry for over 26 years, Iโve become jaded by new products. There isnโt often something that I see where I say immediately, โI need one of those.โ Well, wipe that jade off of my eyes, because I have serious GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) when it comes to RedLeaf Designโs new Paddle Pocket and Tether Tabs. These new products offer a simple way to store your spare paddle in your canoe or to stash a paddle while portaging. I canโt say that Iโve ever seen anything exactly like it before โ maybe there are products similar to it that I havenโt seen before. The second Iโฆ
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FLEXTAIL ZERO PUMP Review
Recently, FLEXTAIL sent over a beta version of their new ZERO PUMP for me to test out, and I have to say that Iโm excited about this little pump. If youโre an ultralight backpacker or paddler looking for a lightweight, compact, electric pump to inflate your sleeping pads, then read on. Even if youโre not, you may be interested after reading my impression of this little device. It makes inflating a thick sleeping pad easier than with the pump bags provided by pad manufacturers. What is it? The FLEXTAIL ZERO PUMP is the worldโs smallest pump for sleeping pads, weighing only 1.2oz (about 34.02 g) without the battery and measuringโฆ
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