A Little Closer To Heaven

I recently picked up the Guyot Designs Squishy Bowls because of some excellent reviews from a couple of magazines. I respect magazine’s opinions and I’ m an avid reader of Backpacker Magazine, but I don’t necessarily buy into everything they say. Sometimes I feel like they just pick the more popular brands and rate them high every time. However, I just had to have these and try them out myself. Here’s what I’ve found:

They are an awesome product. They more than delivered what was promised. They’re a little heavier than some products, but the easy cleanup and the fact that you can mash them up and squeeze them into tiny places more than makes up for the few ounces you splurge on. They are perfect for outdoor trips and are surprisingly stable when filled with food. They can withstand a lot of heat. Also…let’s just face it…the product is eye candy!

My only beef…the cup is tiny. More like a very large shot glass. Also, it’s a little too flimsy. But hey…what backpacking cup doesn’t have it’s problems? It makes for a good trail mix bowl, however.

I give this product an A…but don’t take my word for it. You’ve gotta check it out yourself. Some people will like it, and I’m sure the ultralighters who eat out of coke cans that are cut in half will hate it. I think it’s worth having just to see the look of jealousy on all of your fellow hiker’s faces when you pull it out of your pack.

You can find out more about these bowls here .

3 Comments »

I’ve been pretty excited about telling everyone about my latest gear and now that Christmas is over, it’s time to spill the beans. Just like Wade , Santa was good to me this year to. Here’s a list of the gear I got:

1. The North Face Cat’s Meow.

2. The North Face Merino Wool Beanie.

3. Guyot Designs splashguard and squishy bowl set.

4. Steripen and steripen pre-filter.

5. Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Medic.

6. Sea to Summit Pocket Soap Leaves.

7. Sea to Summit Drylite Packtowel.

8. Coleman Xponent Pack-A-Way Lantern.

9. Salomon Boulder Mutation Jacket.

10. Smartwool Adrenaline Hiking Socks.

11. Zippo Slim (perfect for starting fires).

12. Leatherman Skeletool (which isn’t even out yet…it was an IOU from the Mom and Dad).

Well, I think that just about sums it up. I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty stoked. I’m a very spoiled man. I should have a whole lot of gear reviews to keep me busy for a while. I’m curious…what did all of my readers get? Leave a comment and let me know. Maybe I’ll get some ideas for my next purchases.

No Comments »

My wife has fallen in love with wool. She loves it. She especially loves the brand “Icebreaker.” Out of curiosity, I bought a pair of their wool gloves…just the basic midweight ones for $19.95. I must say I have been pretty impressed.

Now, I already knew some of the advantages of wool. Wool is naturally moisture-wicking. It also retains heat even when it’s soaking wet. However, I’ve never really liked wool very much. I guess I had too many itchy experiences when my mom would make me wear wool sweaters on Christmas to my Grandparent’s house that was already 15 degrees too warm. Because of my hatred of itchy clothing (that and the expensive pricetag on most quality wool), I’ve usually strayed away from wool products and stuck with items made of fleece and capilene.

I apparently have been living in the stone age. The gloves I bought fit great and they feel great too. They’re very warm and not itchy at all. I’m still not as sold out as my wife is on wool…mainly because I’m too cheap to dish out $80 for a shirt. However, these gloves are fantastic. One of the best pairs I’ve ever owned. They’re stylish and warm. They’ll make a great liner on really cold or wet days. A great glove for the midwest. They will come in very handy and I’m glad I bought them. Well worth the money spent. I give ‘em an “A.”

No Comments »

After several backpacking trips, and after drinking out of a lot of questionable water, I’m ready for my next review.

The good:

My favorite part of this filter is that it not only filters out cysts, and other nasty things, but it filters out viruses. That is very rare in a filter. It is also convenient to use and nice because you just sip right through the straw without any waiting. It’s also easy to clean.

The bad:

The filtration seems to take forever. As with any filter, you can’t ever tell when it needs replaced, which means you’re more likely to get sick. This filter is very high maintenance. Also, the bottle is very cheaply made and the replacement filters are just as expensive as getting a new bottle.

Bottom Line:

Save your money and buy a nicer filter that filters into your nalgene bottle or a Steripen that kills the DNA of all of the harmful substances. Or, you could save money and weight and buy yourself some tablets. But, this puppy takes up way too much space and I’m pretty sure I got giardia once while using it (I won’t go into any details). It’s been with me on many a trip (my first and only filter), but I’m looking forward to replacing it next month with a Steripen…good riddance.

No Comments »

One of my all time favorite camping, hiking, outdoors pieces of equipment is the Nalgene Lexan Bottle. I have found many uses for it over the years. Some, I’m sure you’ve tried…others…well…maybe not. This is an ode, an expression of my inexpressible love for all of my Nalgene bottles.

Oh Nalgene bottle, how I love thee…let me count the ways:

1. You hold my drinking water.

2. You can be filled with boiling water and shoved in my sleeping bag on a cold night.

3. You can double as a urinal on a cold or rainy night (make sure you don’t drink out of it afterwards).

4. Two of you can separate my filtered from unfiltered water.

5. You can hold my Big Agnes Air Pad.

6. You remove the nasty taste of my treated water.

7. You can double as a trash can.

8. You can double as a small bear canister (well…it’s worked so far…).

9. Your measurements make it oh so easy to cook.

10. You’re unbreakable unless filled with water, frozen, and then dropped out the third story of a dorm window.

11. You can double as my cookware when I sit you on my camp stove (avoid extreme temps).

12. You come in every color that suits my mood.

Nalgene bottle, you’re so very dear to me…

2 Comments »