Nine days ago I posted an article about my several years old NeoAir mattress which had developed a leak. Late that afternoon, June 18, I shipped it to Cascade Designs. The return authorization form had this message, prompted by the ongoing pandemic:
So the wait began. The company’s repair service had been shut down for a couple months and had just opened three days earlier. To be honest, I just forgot about it. Continue reading Cascade Designs (Therm-A-Rest NeoAir) for the Win!
(L to R): Sierra Cup, Rocky Cup, MSR Titan Cup, REI Double-Walled Insulated Cup
I’ve been doing this backpacking thing for over 50 years and have never owned a cup that did what I wanted (or needed) it to do. This fact is my fault. My drinking cup choices have been focused on the wrong attributes. The main purpose of this post is to review my approach to drinking cups over the years — that is, the thought process. I might have finally found a cup that may tick off all four of these attributes. But I haven’t used it long enough to really evaluate it as a solution. Continue reading I Need a Decent Backpacking Drinking Cup
One of my NeoAir air mattresses developed a slow leak. I need to add air to it about three times a night, when it deflates enough for me to wake up, usually when one of my hips is resting on hard ground. I’m a side sleeper. The leak wasn’t easy to find. This seems to be a common complaint: the leak is difficult to locate. Continue reading Is Your NeoAir Mattress Leaking?
The main purpose of this post is to discuss how to maintain leather hiking boots.
First, I’d like to talk about boots in general. For the past eight years, ever since I started this blog, I have been an outspoken advocate of running shoes for backpacking. Not, trail running shoes in particular, but even lighter more gossamer shoes.
I am beginning to change my mind. Continue reading Thoughts on Boots and Boot Care
This isn’t a review. Reviews should entail dozens and dozens of days of use. It would be even more preferable to use a product for ten years before reviewing it. Long-term usage can discover faults or weaknesses in a product.
On the other hand, I’ll be 70 years old in November, so I won’t have many (or maybe even one) ten-year blocks of time remaining. So let’s call this post a first impression. Continue reading Nalgene Oasis Water Bottle