• Adventure,  Adventure gear

    Backpacking Essentials

    Backpacking Essentials     As the excitement of your trip builds up and you inch closer to adventure day you will undoubtedly have a recurring thought cross your mind. Am I prepared? Diligent preparation is key to ensuring you spend time enjoying your adventure as opposed to finding yourself unprepared in adverse terrain. While speaking with my brother about his upcoming backpacking trip to Alaska I decided to create a couple of posts to highlight some items to consider for your next adventure. Starting off we will will focus on short term (<5 days) overnight backpacking and will hopefully help as you narrow your packing list. Of course, all destinations…

  • Adventure

    Adventure: Dientes de Navarino

    Trekking in Patagonia presents a traveler with a number of challenges. With the growing number of visitors year after year it becomes increasingly difficult to find an adventure that sets itself apart from the rest. Being the southernmost trek in the world, the Dientes de Navarino (Fangs of Navarino) trek on Navarino Island, Chile provides a unique and challenging experience for even the most experienced adventurer. Even getting to the southernmost trek in the work is an experience in and of itself.  From the moment you first view the island from the airplane as you fly over the historic Beagle Channel, the scenery and terrain are breathtaking.  You always have…

  • Gear Reviews,  Uncategorized

    Arc’teryx Beta AR: Review

        When you are adventuring in extreme environments you need protection from everything mother nature can throw at you. The Arc’teryx Berta AR is the solution to dry clothing in a downpour. Arc’teryx offers waterproof pants and jackets in various trims and price points. We field tested the women’s Beta AR in Patagonia for two months and it handled all the curveballs thrown at it. While it needed a good washing and DWR rejuvenation it held up well over the coarse of the trip. The Beta AR is manufactured with a Gore-Tex pro shell which is a step up from the regular Gore-Tex fabric offered with the Beta SL.…

  • Gear Reviews

    MSR Windburner 1.8L Review

    Heading somewhere windy and cold? The MSR Windburner could become your new best friend.  Capable of efficient and powerful boils, this stove had water for our coffee and freeze dried meals ready at a moments notice. We traveled to Patagonia this winter with the 1.8 L which actually has a boiling capacity of only 1 liter. In hindsight with it being only a two person backpacking trip the smaller 1 liter Windburner may have been a better option given its more compact size. The 1.8 L is substantially larger and at times was a pain to wrestle back into our packs. We often found ourselves with no need for the…