Outdoor clothing is too complicated. There are too many choices. It’s all too expensive. How on earth can a person expect to make the right choice about outdoor gear when there are so many options? The answer is easy: Simplify.
Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System”
If it’s good, they’ll get rid of it.
Continue reading “Byegone Gear: Marmot DriClime Windshirt Review”
The best sea kayak compass that you’ve never heard of.
Continue reading “Gear Review: Sliva 70 UNE Compass”
This article was first published in Paddling Magazine Issue 58.
Continue reading “The Final Answer on Feather Angle”
Adding a keel strip is a great way to beef up an aging kayak or prepare a new boat for an ambitious trip. Don’t be afraid to tackle this project at home. The results are well worth the effort.
Continue reading “DIY: Applying a Kayak Keel Strip”
A quick project to connect your quilt to your sleeping pad.
Continue reading “DIY: Pad Straps for a Backpacking Quilt”
A straightforward sewing project to create a versatile, lightweight shelter.
Continue reading “DIY: Ultralight Sil-Poly Tarp”
What do you pack for a week-long desert canoe trip?
Continue reading “Simple Clothing System: Clothes for the Desert”
Initial shakedown on a desert river trip.
Continue reading “Gear Review: Outdoor Research Helium Bivy”
The T-rescue is one of the fastest and most effective methods for helping a paddler recover after a capsize. By focusing on a few specific points, a T-rescue can be executed safely and easily, even on heavily loaded boats.
Continue reading “T-Rescue Tune Up”
It’s hard to find a decent synthetic sleeping bag these days.
Continue reading “DIY: Climashield Apex Backpacking Quilt”
A quick and easy way to improve the comfort and fit of your canoe seat.
Continue reading “DIY: Padding a Bucket Style Canoe Seat”
The other day I was checking the Wenonah Facebook account and came across a post asking why Wenonah puts bucket seats in our canoes.
Good question…
Continue reading “Bent Shafts and Bucket Seats”
A lighthearted dive into the wooly world of traditional winter layering.
Continue reading “Retro-Grouch Winter Layering”
A few weeks ago I was digging through the dusty archives of the BWCA.com message board and came across a thread on chest packs.
Continue reading “DIY: Mountainsmith Day Pack as Canoe Portage Chest Pack”
I’ve had a great run of weekly posts for the past few months. It’s time to take a break. Cristi and I are settling into new jobs and new places. Pedro is enjoying his retirement in the country. I’ll try to pick things up again once we’re situated.
See you in a few weeks.
Brian
The other day Cristi and I were talking about how long we’d been in Savannah and what our next plans might be. I told her I was worried about running out of things to write about if we stayed too long.
Careful what you wish for.
I finally fixed our AC and greased the EZ Lube hubs… Continue reading “This Old Casita: Odds and Ends”
A version of this article was first published in Paddling Magazine Issue 57. Continue reading “Sea Kayaks: The Real Problem with Rudders”
Not perfect. Better. Continue reading “Life and the Forward Stroke”
And a potential solution… Continue reading “The Problem with Paddlesports”
I’ve had a pair of Rasslers since they were introduced in 2013. They’re my favorite all-terrain, wet and dry hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and fly fishing boots.
Continue reading “Gear Review: Astral Rassler Water Boots”
Adventures big and small… Continue reading “Everyday Adventures”
A better way to carry your binoculars in the field…
Continue reading “Gear Review: Alaska Guide Creations Kodiak CUB Bino Pack”
A version of this story was first published in the Winter 2018 issue of The Boundary Waters Journal. Continue reading “Return to Angleworm: Solo Winter Camping in the Boundary Waters”
The MSR WhisperLite has been around since 1984. I can’t believe I waited so long to buy one. Continue reading “Essential Outdoor Gear: MSR WhisperLite International Review”
There are a handful of pieces of outdoor gear that legitimately qualify as classics. Continue reading “Essential Outdoor Gear: Patagonia Houdini Jacket Review”
A little planning goes a long way…
Everyday carry for outdoor adventures… Continue reading “Possibles Pouch”
What to wear when you’re living in a tiny house on the road chasing outdoor adventures. Continue reading “Clothes for the Road”
Bad luck comes in threes, doesn’t it? Continue reading “Bad Luck and the Rule of Threes”
We’ve spent the last week exploring the Wind River Range around Pinedale, WY. First, up near Forks Lakes, where we did some backcountry hiking, and most recently near Boulder Lake, where we finally got some good fishing, and an unexpected wildfire.
Two shirts, two shorts, six weeks. Still going strong… Continue reading “Gear Review: Patagonia Baggies and Capilene Cool Daily T-Shirt”
Accelerating… Continue reading “Living in Dog Years”
No room at the inn… Continue reading “Highway 61 Revisited”
In-between order and chaos… Continue reading “In-Betweening”
The past couple weeks have been hectic. Continue reading “Getting U-Hauled”
A simple project that will make your canoe easier to line and track in moving water. Continue reading “DIY: Canoe Lining Holes”
Critical systems up and running. Time for a deep clean.
Continue reading “This Old Casita–Ooooh that Smell”
I sat down at the sewing machine yesterday to crank out a bear spray holster. This simple sewing project will get you a better holster for about $10 worth of materials and an hour of sewing time. Continue reading “DIY: Bear Spray Holster”
Well. That was interesting… Continue reading “This Old Casita–Converter Install”
This thing is warm. Ridiculously warm. Continue reading “Gear Review: Black Diamond Stance Belay Parka”
A sailboat is a hole in the water that you dump money into. The Casita is fiberglass, but she ain’t no sailboat… Continue reading “This Old Casita”
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity… Continue reading “Hitting the Road”
I spent the month of January trying different combinations of clothing from the Simple Clothing System. Here are a few field notes and observations: Continue reading “Simple Clothing System: Winter Field Notes”
Sewing a quick-and-dirty pair of overboots for my Polarguard camp booties. Continue reading “DIY: Overboots for Winter Booties”
Exploring some simple ways to improve the performance of my favorite lightweight water filter.
Continue reading “DIY: Hacking the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter”
Taking a crack at a new stove base for my Whisperlite. Continue reading “DIY: Stove Base for Wisperlite International”
Out with the old, in with the old. Switching Voile 3-Pin Cable bindings from my old beater skis to my new beater skis… Continue reading “DIY: Mounting a Telemark Ski Binding”
The thing that happens when you can’t find a decent pair of mittens…
Continue reading “Hot Hands: A Layering Approach to Handwear”
Building a clothing system that works year round in all conditions can seem like an impossible task. The Simple Clothing System framework outlined in this series of posts makes it a snap. Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Wrapup: Putting it Together Season by Season”
I just completed the first burn on my new Kifaru box stove and had a chance to try out the stove jack I installed in my old Megamid. The stove is impressive, and combined with the Megamid I think I’ve found my new winter solo trip tent. Continue reading “DIY: Hot Tent Project and Kifaru Box Stove Review”
To complete your year-round simple clothing system you need to add a lightweight summer shirt and a pair of quick-dry shorts. You should probably have some undies that don’t suck, too. Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Supplemental: Shirts, Shorts and Skivvies”
The Banks Fry Bake pan is the most expensive backcountry frying pan you can buy. Is it worth the money? Continue reading “Gear Review: Banks Fry Bake Expedition Pan with Lid”
If you’re going to spend time outside in the cold and snow you’ll want to add a compressible high loft jacket and pants to your clothing system.
Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 7: High Loft Insulation”
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain–it happens. When it does, quality waterproof/breathable rain gear can save the day. Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 6: Waterproof/Breathable Shells”
Tippy kayaks are tippy. Stable kayaks are stable. Seriously.
Continue reading “Sea Kayaks: There is No Such Thing as Secondary Stability”
Stretch-woven soft shell fabrics are the best choice for all-purpose cold weather shells. Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 5: Soft Shells for Cold Weather”
Wind shells are about the least glamorous piece of outdoor clothing out there, and the most versatile. Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 4: Wind Shells”
I’ve been digging into podcasts over the past several months and further exploring the origins of the clothing system that I am outlining in this series of posts. One of the things that I’ve discovered is that there are a few people out there who have very deep knowledge on clothing systems design and performance. Many of these folks are connected with the modern backcountry hunting community. Quite a few have ties to the military and some were influential in developing the systems that started as the Protective Combat Uniform and morphed into the current version of the US Army’s Extended Cold Weather Clothing System. Continue reading “A Simple Clothing System: UPDATE and Podcast Dump”
A couple weeks ago I helped somebody put a rubber hatch cover on a Perception kayak and remembered that we did this video a few years back when I worked for Pyranha. Good technique for any tight fitting oval kayak hatch.
The other day I was flipping through old photos and came across a picture of my friend Dana standing on the beach with a couple of Nordkapps, watching the surf. The beach is at the mouth of the Pic River on the Canadian shore of Lake Superior. The surf had just given me an epic beatdown.
A midweight insulating jacket is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can add to your outdoor gear closet.
Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 3: Midweight Insulating Jacket”
Light is right. A lightweight, quick-drying fleece top and bottom are the core of a versatile cold weather clothing system.
Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 2: Lightweight Fleece”
Wicking next-to-skin baselayers are the foundation of any cold weather clothing system. Choices abound. Simplicity beckons.
Continue reading “A Simple Outdoor Clothing System Layer 1: Baselayer”
Kitchi-Gami 