Category Archives: Backpacking Gear

Resurrection: My Chouinard Pyramid Rises From the Dead

Backpacking Gear,

Back in April I wrote,

This shelter is an old friend. It finally died. More specifically, it really isn’t cost effective to resuscitate it.

You can read the obituary here. A few days after that post, just before I was going to lay it to rest forever, I was contacted by Patagonia Worn Wear. They had seen the post and given my Chouinard Pyramid’s  age and place in history, they offered to repair/replace the zipper for free. They also said, that if I didn’t want to take them up on the offer (since they could not renew the polyurethane coating), they would like to obtain it for their private museum. Here’s an excerpt from the email… Continue reading Resurrection: My Chouinard Pyramid Rises From the Dead →

Understanding Layers Using Patagonia Clothing as a Guide

Backpacking Gear, , , , , , , ,

A lot of people struggle with the concept of layering clothes for backpacking. Hopefully, I can simplify it, with some real world examples. Backpacking is a good example (vs. snowshoeing or mountain climbing). The backpacker spends most of the day walking with an occasional rest break. He also spends time in camp doing chores and often a little bit of time just sitting in camp. So we can “define ” these activities as sitting, light work, and heavy work. Impact-Site-Verification: 329d9066-0a94-4b4e-8ff9-65d7ee7893a5

For backpackers the following layers are almost universally accepted as the best way to dress for the backcountry:

  1. Baselayer
  2. Active insulation
  3. Shell (wind and or rain)
  4. Insulated outer garment

Most of the time these are not all used at the same time. Weather, temperature, wind, level of activity, and the individual’s metabolism determined what layers should be worn under what conditions. Continue reading Understanding Layers Using Patagonia Clothing as a Guide →

Patagonia Baggies Shorts: 35 Year Review

Backpacking Gear

Stuff That Works

Have you noticed the trend?

Lately I’ve been reviewing a lot of old gear, which I still use. The reason is, these items work. Much of the new stuff are just iterations of the old, camouflaged by marketing people, created to imply new and improved.

I have been using Patagonia Baggies for most of my outdoor activities for 35 years. Not the same pair, because they do wear out eventually. They do last longer than any other shorts I have used though. Continue reading Patagonia Baggies Shorts: 35 Year Review →

Black Diamond Mega Light Pyramid Shelter: Not A Review

Backpacking Gear, , , ,

Time to write about something other than our house remodel. Since we are forced to stay at home, I can’t go backpacking or camping for a while; thus I can’t share any trip reports. Writing trip reports are a pain in the ass anyway, something I have mostly quit doing the past few years.

This isn’t a review. In my opinion, a review requires several years of use, or a few hundred days/nights of use. For that reason, I find most gear reviews of limited value. Often I find gear reviews useless.

This is a Shelter Comparison

Continue reading Black Diamond Mega Light Pyramid Shelter: Not A Review →