Hiking Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Patagonia Black Hole Daypack

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Patagonia Black Hole
Patagonia Black Hole

Patagonia Black Hole Daypack
$149, 2 lbs. 4 oz.
35L/2,136 c.i.
One size
patagonia.com

If I decide to become a big-city bike messenger when I grow up, this will be the pack I carry. But that’s just a statement about its indestructibility; however, it’s way more versatile than that. I used it for everything from a carry-on when flying and an around-town pack when biking errands, to hauling quickdraws and personal climbing gear for sport climbing at Idaho’s Castle Rocks State Park, and on a five-pitch route on Steinfeld’s Dome in the City of Rocks National Reserve. I could toss it onto rocks and the pack showed not a scratch.

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Gear Review: Outdoor Research Throttle Short

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Outdoor Research Throttle Short
Outdoor Research Throttle Short

Hiking and Running Shorts
Outdoor Research Throttle Short
$59, 6 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
outdoorresearch.com

With the variety of shorts for trail running and hiking out there, what distinguishes one from another? When I’m going fast or far on warm days, I want shorts that keep me cool and comfortable—like the Throttle Short, which I wore this summer on dayhikes in Idaho’s Sawtooths with my family, trail runs of up to seven miles in the Boise Foothills, a two-hour hike-run (6.4 miles and almost 3,000 feet up and down) on the Eagle Peak Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park, a 28-mile, nearly 8,000-vertical-foot dayhike in Idaho’s White Clouds Mountains, and numerous, sweaty gym workouts.

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Gear Review: Black Diamond Sonar Daypack

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Black Diamond Sonar
Black Diamond Sonar

Daypack
Black Diamond Sonar
$140, 2 lbs. 1 oz. (S/M)
Sizes: S/M (24L/1,464 c.i.), M/L (26L/1,587 c.i.)
blackdiamondequipment.com

What causes your body to get tired and achy on a dayhike? Well, aside from the obvious factors—how far you walk, the terrain’s ruggedness, and your pack’s weight (we’ll leave your physical condition aside for now)—don’t overlook the importance of how your pack fits and behaves on your back. When we walk, our bodies move a lot, arms, hips, and torso included. On several dayhikes, including a climb up Mt. St. Helens (10 miles, 4,500 feet), starting out with about 20 pounds (including food, water, and clothes for my family), and a 28-mile, 8,000-vertical-foot loop through Idaho’s White Clouds Mountains in just over 10 hours, I found the Sonar’s fit and suspension noticeably reduced the level of fatigue and soreness I felt at the end of each day.

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Gear Review: Julbo Rookie and Tina Kids Sunglasses

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Julbo Rookie sunglasses
Julbo Rookie sunglasses

Kids Sunglasses
Julbo Rookie (boys) and Tina (girls) sunglasses
$40-$55
Ages: Rookie, eight to 12; Tina, 10 to 15
julbousa.com

My kids spend a lot of time outdoors, regularly at higher elevations, where there’s less atmosphere protecting them from the sun’s UV rays. Just as much as I try to keep sunblock on them to protect their skin, I want them wearing good-quality sunglasses to protect their eyes from the damage that can result from long-term UV exposure. That’s why my 12-year-old son has worn the Rookie sunglasses, and my 10-year-old daughter the Tina, on hiking and backpacking trips from southern Utah to Idaho’s White Clouds Mountains, and will wear them on all of our family adventures until they’re big enough for high-quality adult sunglasses.

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Gear Review Update: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Shoes

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La Sportiva Ultra Raptor
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor

Hiking/Trail Running Shoes
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor
$130, 1 lb. 10 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: Euro men’s 38-47.5, women’s 36-43
sportiva.com

For a recent 28-mile dayhike through Idaho’s spectacular White Clouds Mountains—partly off-trail, with a cumulative elevation gain and loss of nearly 8,000 feet, including a steep, very loose scramble of several hundred vertical feet over a pass—I wanted the lightest shoes possible, yet ones with plenty of support, comfort, and traction. It didn’t take me long to decide on the Ultra Raptor, which I had worn a lot and reviewed previously. Not only did they perform as I’d hoped they would throughout this long and rugged hike, but afterward, my feet felt fatigued but otherwise not like I’d just hiked 28 miles.

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