Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Oboz Switchback Hiking Shoes

by
Oboz Switchback
Oboz Switchback

Hiking Shoes
Oboz Switchback
$120, 2 lbs. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-14, women’s 6-11
obozfootwear.com

What should you look for in shoes for dayhiking? The answer may be more complicated than you think, which might help explain why some hikers struggle to find the right footwear. For most dayhikes, no matter the distance, I want lightweight, low-cut shoes that deliver moderate support, plenty of forefoot flex to allow a natural stride, and as much breathability as possible—to keep my feet cool and comfortable and help prevent blisters. On long dayhikes, those attributes—especially the breathability—become even more critical. On a 25-mile, 11-hour, roughly 4,000-foot dayhike in the Grand Canyon in May, the Switchback came through for me on all of those counts.

Read on

Review: Marmot Crux Jacket Ultralight Rain Shell

by
Marmot Crux Jacket
Marmot Crux Jacket

Ultralight Rain Jacket
Marmot Crux Jacket
$275, 7.5 oz, (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
moosejaw.com

Your relationship with your rain shell can feel a little dysfunctional at times: on again, off again. On numerous trips from early March through May, from backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Royal Arch Loop—including an unusual, full day of rain showers and wind—to dayhiking in the Tetons and Zion National Park, trekking the Kepler Track in New Zealand’s notoriously wet Fiordland National Park, and backpacking five days down Paria Canyon on the Utah-Arizona border, I found the ultralight Crux good for trips where you’re cycling between wearing it and carrying it.

Read on

Review: Gregory Stout 45 and Amber 44 Backpacks

by
Gregory Stout 45
Gregory Stout 45

Backpack
Gregory Stout 45 and Amber 44
$169, 3 lbs. 9 oz. (medium)

Men’s Stout 45 sizes:
M 45L/2,746 c.i., fits torsos 46-51cm/18-20 ins.
L 48L/2,929 c.i., fits torsos 51-56cm/20-22 ins.
backcountry.com

Women’s Amber 44 sizes:
S 44L/2,685 c.i., fits torsos 41-46cm/16-18 ins.
M 46L/2,807 c.i., fits torsos 46-51cm/18-20 ins.
backcountry.com

A weekend backpack that costs just $169—and is made by Gregory? How could I not put it to the test? Backpacking the Grand Canyon’s remote and very rugged, 34-mile Royal Arch Route—considered the hardest established, multi-day route on the canyon’s South Rim—we hiked many miles off-trail, scrambled over and around boulders and up and down sketchy, exposed ledges, made one big descent and a monster uphill slog in brutal desert heat, carried up to seven liters of water each, and even lowered our packs over a 20-foot cliff (that we had to rappel). Through all of that, I have to say, the Stout 45 carried comfortably and stably and tolerated a lot of abuse with no damage.

Read on

Trekkers outside a teahouse on Nepal's Annapurna Circuit.

Ask Me: What Pack Do You Recommend for Hut Treks?

by

Hi Michael,

Hope all is well. I’m looking for your opinion on a 30-liter pack. I am going to Nepal in October on a 15-day trek. I think this would be the perfect size for me, because also I like a little bigger daypack for my hikes in the White Mountains. I have an older Gregory Z30, and I just tried on the new one and like the new details, plus I sweat really badly on hikes. As always thank you in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Mike
Everett, MA

Read on

Review: Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody

by
Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody
Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody

Hybrid Insulation Jacket
Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody
$185, 10 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
moosejaw.com

On cool mornings in May while backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Royal Arch Loop, and in late March on a five-day, family backpacking trip down Paria Canyon on the Utah-Arizona border, I did something unusual: I started the day’s hiking wearing the same jacket I had worn while in camp, OR’s new Deviator Hoody. From cool-weather hiking to skate-skiing in winter, I liked the Deviator as a next-generation, hybrid insulation piece whose versatility is limited only by your creativity in thinking about your layering system.

Read on