Tagged: Our Gear

Gear Review: Leatherman Skeletool CX (Updated)

My new everyday carry knife / multi tool. It weighs less than my Milwaukee Fastback or Swiss Navy knife. It has a carabiner and pocket clip – which was a must-have for me. The tools include pliers, side cutters, screwdriver (Phillips and flat bits) and, of course, a bottle opener. The only tools I miss […]

More >

Gear Review: Backpacking Cooking System: 2016 – 2018

Photograph of a Trangia stove fitted into a lightweight aluminium pot stand

Note. The article below is out of date. I updated my cooking system in 2020 to make it lighter and simpler, and I’m still using the same system five years later. Read this 2023 article to learn about my current cooking system. In 2016 we took a serious look at why we weren’t getting out […]

More >

Pinch Points – Reviewing our ‘Problem’ Backpacking & Camping Gear

When we stopped hiking / backpacking, we didn’t mean to. It started with a family wedding that coincided with our annual spring break trip, then work got busy, and all of a sudden years had passed. We tried to get out last year. We managed three short day hikes. In marketing you look to removing […]

More >

Our Gear: MSR Dromedary and MSR Sweetwater

I am a microbiologist by training and therefore have a healthy respect for getting horrendously sick from the water. We hike in the Ozarks and that means pretty much everywhere you go there are houses on septic tanks upstream from where you are. We have livestock that drink from streams. As we do not live […]

More >

Gear Review: Montbell Super Spiral Sleeping Bags

Photograph of Gary Allman snuggled up in a Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger sleeping bag.

We’ve bought our Mont·Bell Super Spiral Sleeping Bags back in 2010. They were expensive, but it’s a purchase we’ve never regretted, and we’d buy them again. We wanted bags that would keep us warm three season camping and backpacking and that were warm enough for the occasional trip out in winter. These bags have exceeded […]

More >

Gear Review: Coleman Exponent Multi Fuel Stove

Picture of bacon sizzling on top of a Coleman Exponent stove

We’ve owned our Coleman Exponent multifuel stove since 2010, and it’s our go-to stove for car camping. In this review we explain why we purchased it – not all the reasons were logical, how it’s worked out for us, and we give some hints for using it while camping and backpacking.

More >

Gear Review: MSR Mutha Hubba tent (2010)

Mutha Hubba tent camped by the River Etive in Glen Etive scotland

We spent a long time researching and looking at tents. Each time we thought we’d found the one we wanted we saw another we liked even more. A three season tent was essential for spring and fall camping, some useable vestibule space that would double as a wind break for cooking was also high on […]

More >