Recently there’s been lots of buzz online about how women’s hiking clothing and gear is inadequate. It’s something I’ve written about before. This great article from Hannah Weinberger explains that historically there hasn’t been much gear designed to fit women’s bodies. In recent years the outdoor industry has tried to fix that, with varying degrees …
Gear
For decades most hikers in the Vancouver area have used 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia to plan their trips. Some have even made a sport out of trying to complete every single hike in a particular edition. It’s been BC’s hiking bible since the first edition was published in 1973. Since then, it’s been …
Getting outfitted for hiking and backpacking can seem overwhelming. When I was first starting out, I felt like there was so much gear on the market and that it was SOOO expensive. Plus I felt like the list of gear you need to buy for hiking and backpacking was never ending. That was over a …
When I was planning Annapurna Base Camp Trek in Nepal, I wasn’t sure exactly what to pack. I had done lots of overnight hiking and camping trips at home in Canada but I’d never trekked in the Himalayas and I wasn’t sure what to expect. What would the weather be like? What kind of things …
I have eaten a LOT of pre-packaged backpacking meals in my days (and nights) on the trail. Unfortunately most of them are full of ingredients I can’t pronounce and don’t recognize. I have also tried my hand at dehydrating my own backpacking food at home, but that can be time consuming. (And despite my best …
If you’ve been shopping for hiking or backpacking gear recently, you may have noticed some women’s specific gear. I’m not talking about clothing or shoes (obviously we need those)… I’m talking about backpacks, sleeping bags and more. Often this stuff seems to follow the same tired formula: “Shrink it and pink it”. Brands make the …
Recently I wrote a post called “You Killed A Bear” that ended up getting way more online attention than I had anticipated. My message in that post was that less experienced hikers should read up about bear safety before they head out for a hike or go backcountry camping. Lots of people asked questions about …
On multi-day hiking trips, having a comfortable backpack is pretty important. On my first ever backpacking trip (the West Coast Trail!) I used a borrowed backpack that was too big for me. The harness didn’t fit, I got bruises on my shoulders and hips and the sternum strap rubbed my collarbone raw. No good! After …
For the last few months I’ve been trying out the new MEC Warm Obsession Hoodie. In order to understand the way I feel about this jacket, you need to know a few things about me: I am a sweaty hiker. I get really cold easily. And I love geeking out about technology in outdoor gear. Technology …
By now you’ve probably seen about a million Instagram photos of hammocks (some of which are set up in insane places) and you’re wondering what all the fuss is about: Are they actually that comfortable? When are they actually useful? Which one should I buy? I’ve owned the Therm-a-Rest Slacker Double Hammock and Suspender hanging …