Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Patagonia Knifeblade Jacket and Pants

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Patagonia Knifeblade Jacket
Patagonia Knifeblade Jacket

Winter Jacket and Pants
Patagonia Knifeblade Jacket
$379, 1 lb. 2 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XL, women’s XS-L

moosejaw.com

Patagonia Knifeblade Pants
$299, 1 lb. 1 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s XS-XL, women’s XS-L
moosejaw.com

Skiing up Pilot Peak in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, on a day of clouds, light snow and wind, and temperatures just below freezing, I kept my jacket on—something I almost never do when skiing uphill (unless it’s much colder), because I invariably work up a good sweat. And I did it repeatedly, because of the breathability of my Knifeblade Jacket, which moves moisture so efficiently that it never got more than slightly damp inside. I’m updating this review because the Knifeblade once again impressed me so much on that recent day of backcountry skiing.

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Gear Review: Kelty PK 50 Backpack

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Kelty PK 50
Kelty PK 50

Backpack
Kelty PK 50
$200, 50L/3,050 c.i., 3 lbs. 8 oz. (S/M)
Sizes: men’s S/M (fits torsos 14.5-18.5 ins.) and M/L (fits torsos 17.5-21 ins.), women’s S/M (fits torsos 14.5-18.5 ins.)
kelty.com

A cursory glance at the PK 50 tells you this may be the most unusual backpack you’ve ever seen, with its zipper-less design that’s laser-focused on how the user accesses its contents. It’s certainly one of the most unique packs I’ve ever tested and reviewed, so I felt intrigued enough to take it out on a three-day, 41-mile backpacking trip on the Timberline Trail around Oregon’s Mount Hood—to see whether hyper organization would persuade me to recommend a backpack.

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Gear Review: Five Ten Camp Four Hiking Shoes

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Five Ten Camp Four
Five Ten Camp Four

Hiking/Scrambling Shoes
Five Ten Camp Four
$150, 1 lb. 13 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 4-13, women’s 5-11
backcountry.com

Five Ten Camp Four Mid
$170, 2 lbs. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 4-13
backcountry.com

Whether on rugged, rocky trails or off-trail, some hikes demand more from footwear. On a 13.5-hour, roughly 18-mile, mostly off-trail dayhike with about 7,000 feet of vertical gain and loss in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains in July, I needed shoes with sticky soles for scrambling steep rock, but also good traction on every possible mountain surface from sand and scree to snow. Plus, I wanted solid protection for my feet and comfort for walking many hours. The Camp Four Mid delivered on all counts that day, as did the low-cut version on similar terrain when hiking to climbing routes in Idaho’s Castle Rocks State Park.

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Gear Review: Osprey Zip 25 Kids Daypack

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Osprey Zip 25
My son hiking with his Osprey Zip 25 in Italy’s Dolomite Mountains.

Kids Daypack
Osprey Zip 25
$60, 25L/1,526 c.i., 1 lb. 8 oz.
One size, not adjustable (fits children age 8 to 13)
ospreypacks.com

For my family’s seven-day, hut-to-hut trek through Italy’s Dolomite Mountains, I wanted a daypack for my 13-year-old son that’s comfortable, has the capacity and good organization for his water, clothes, and personal items, and that’s streamlined and stable so it wouldn’t encumber him too much. So I had him test-drive a Zip 25.

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Review: Clothing That Helps Me Run and Hike Farther

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Opedix Knee-Tec Tights
Opedix Knee-Tec Tights

Compression Apparel
Bioskin Compression Shorts
$95, 7 oz. (medium)
Sizes: S-XXL

Bioskin Calf Skin Sleeves
$65/pair, $35/one, 3 oz. (XL pair)
Sizes: S-XXL (The size range fits calves with a widest-point circumference of 11 to 20 ins.)
bioskin.com

Opedix Knee-Tec Tights
$225, 10 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
opedix.com

Well into the descent off 9,860-foot McGown Peak in Idaho’s Sawtooths—a dayhike of about 11 miles and more than 3,300 vertical feet, mostly off-trail with 1,000 feet of third-class scrambling and steep scree running—I turned to my climbing partner and said, “My legs feel great.” I’d like to believe that’s because I’m in such incredible physical condition that climbing a rugged peak does not even begin to fatigue my leg muscles. But the reason I felt so fresh at that point was because of what I was wearing below the waist: Opedix Knee-Tec Tights. I’ve been using compression apparel—shorts, tights, socks, and calf sleeves—for a few years, and I’ve found I can trail run and hike farther before getting tired, and feel better that evening and the next day. Clothing that does that almost seems like cheating—but I’ll take any advantage I can find.

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