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!
Nowadays cellphones, or more precisely smart phones, are considered an important piece of equipment for backpackers. They are often included as one of the Ten Essentials.
If you feel one of these devices is essential then by all means carry one. It is not for me to tell someone what he or she should or should not carry with him or her on a backpacking trip.
On the other hand, cell phone users might be curious why I exclude it from my gear. Continue reading Why I Don’t Take a Cell Phone Backpacking
(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?
As the title states, this is a guide for beginners. Given this, the author accomplishes this goal in an easy to read, compact package.
In this age of Internet experts, we often are bombarded with information from dubious sources and of questionable expertise. So the first place to start with this review is the author’s credentials as a backpacker and expert. Continue reading Book Review — How to Survive Your First Trip in the Wild: Backpacking for Beginners