Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
Gear review: Geigerrig "The Rig" hydration pack
Gear review: Geigerrig "The Rig"
Cost: $115, I scored mine for $30
Rating: 8/10
Pros: Well built, you WILL go through more water, easy to clean, accessories available
Cons: Cost if you pay retail, and as I said before you will go through more water (may run out.) Also nozzle freeze in cold weather.
This is a great pack, lightweight, and breathable straps and back support, and is made with a durable (but not super light weight) 840 ballistic nylon. The pack is a perfect Spring/Summer/Fall hiking pack. Enough to hold some basics, and food. Not really suitable for winter hiking because there would be no room for a jacket, spikes, etc.
For those of you not familiar with the Geigerrig's "Hydration engine," or reservoir , this thing is a work of art. It is a 2l (available in 3L) pressurized water reservoir. Why is that useful? The water carried in a hydration pack is now usable for many more purposes. Spraying the sweat off of your face, spraying the dirt out of a wound, spraying mud off of your gear, makes sharing water easier/cleaner with hiking partners, and the most important reason for me; is you use about 50% more water on your hikes. I heard that claim, and was amazed when it actually happened, every time since I bought it.
Going through that much water is great for your system and energy, but when your using that much, you tend to run out a lot quicker. There are two options for this, upgrade to the 3l, or purchase one of Geigerrigs inline filters, they have both bacteria, and virus versions, so you can fill up on the go. The filters work because of the pressurized system, easily pushes the water through the filter and down the tube.
My only issue with this pack, was on my Snow lake hike the nozzle tried to freeze up a few times, even with an insulated tube. The pressure was enough to push through the ice and keep water flowing, but for a longer hike could have been an issue. Geiggerrig does offer a "Insulated tube garage," that hooks to any hydration pack to insulate and product your drink tube and bite valve. Inside the garage is an internal pocket to load hand warmers to help reduce the possibility of your bite valve freezing in very cold weather. I may have to try this for cold weather hikes.
Last but not least, the ability to clean the reservoir is second to none. No more messy, complicated cleaning kits. The Geigerrig has a slide top, and easily pulls inside out, and is dishwasher safe. This makes clean up a non-issue, and is a very useful feature.
From their website:Geigerrig.com
Reservoir: 70 oz. hydration engine. Quick-release valves for drinking tube and pressurization tube for easy refill and reservoir removal. Slide top for easy refill, cleaning and drying. Reversible reservoir that is dishwasher safe. Spray to cool, clean and share.
Filter ready.
Fabric: 100% Heavy Duty 840 Ballistic Nylon
Weight: 1.95 lbs
Length: 17.5"
Width: 9"
Zippers: Diagonal Pack Zipper and Top Horizontal Zipper for easy access to the hydration system.
Non-Removable Waist Strap
Shoulder Strap: Terraced Overlay for Adjustable Tube Configuration and Power Bulb Configuration. “Quick adjust” pull tabs for easy in-and-out.
Additional Features: Plug & Play Reservoir Tube Connectors, 5 in by 7 in internal mesh pocket, able to hold a 3 Liter engine if desired, magnetic tube holder, adjustable (Velcro) power bulb holder, waffle mesh padding covered with breathable mesh for the should straps and back plate, adjustable chest strap (vertically and horizontally), emergency whistle on the chest strap.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Well?
The snow hike was something I though that I would never have any interest in. I thought hiking in the snow would take away from all of the colors that nature had to offer. Well taking that step and trying something new was one of the most rewarding things that I have done in a long time. Get out there!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Day hike nutrition
Finding the proper food/supplements to take for a day hike can seem like an impossible task. Eat too much and you will be drained trying to digest the extra food, don't eat enough and you could end up lethargic and angry! Luckily for me I have been into weightlifting for years, so the transition hiking nutrition wasn't a hard leap.
Keep in mind I am an active 215lb male so adjsut accordingly if you follow this.
Morning of the hike: (5am) I have a homemade protein shake consisting of: 1cup oats, 1tbsp honey, 1 scoop protein, almond milk, 2tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp peanut butter. All of that goes into a blender, and makes an easy high calorie meal.
On the drive to the hike:1 peanut butter sandwich. I'm lazy so I have a wheat/honey smuckers uncrustable.
During the ascent:Cliff Shotblocks, 1/2 for an easy hike. I will use the whole thing for 3000+ gain. Also in my water I use the Camelbak elixir tabs. I like them because they have electrolytes and caffeine (available without caffeine for sensitive people.)
At the top:1 uncrustable, and 1 cliff bar.
Post hike:Whatever you want to reward yourself with. Just make sure its high protein, so you can rebuild those worn down muscles!
As you can see its not a very big list, its enough to keep you full and with enough energy to get the job done. You dont need all of the extra weight, and to waste space bringing a whole picnic on your hike, unless that's what you want to do of course!
Happy hiking!
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Gear review: Kahtoola microspikes
Gear review: Kahtoola microspikes
Cost: $64
Rating: 10/10 MUST have
Pros: Didn’t fall off, awesome traction, ease of use
Cons: Cost, but you get what you pay for!
I bought these after my Mt. Pilchuck ice disaster. I attempted to cheap out on that hike and bought the $20 alternatives, and in turn did not finish the hike.
The Kahtoola Microspikes are irreplaceable for winter hiking in compact snow/ice conditions, like I faced at snow lake. I never once second guessed my traction while wearing these. I even jogged in a few places on sheet ice!
If you are hiking this winter save yourself time/money/injury and grab a set of these.
These are super lightweight, and pack-able, and perfectly fill the gap between hiking and snowshoeing.
MICROSPIKES® Footwear traction spikes:
3/8 inch spike length (1 centimeter)
12 Spikes per foot on small-extra large
10 Spikes per foot on extra small
Spike material: Heat treated 400 Series stainless steel
Pack sizes (5 X 5¼ X 2¼) 59 inches 3
Weight per pair:
Small 12.2 OZ.
Medium 13.6 OZ.
Large 14.4 OZ.
Extra large 15.6 OZ.
2 year warranty
Gear review: Tubbs gaiters
Gear review: Tubbs Gaiters
Cost: $29
Rating: 7/10
Pros: Price, ease of use
Cons: Had to re-affix the Velcro a few times on my descent.
Gaiters are a waterproof/breathable material that g over your boots to prevent snow/rain/debris from entering your boot.
These ran me $29 and did the job excellent. I fell in the snow knee deep at Snow Lake, and came out dry as a bone.
Snow lake hike 12/02/14
Hike: Snow Lake Alpental WA
Date:12/02/14
Distance/Gain: 7.2miles, 1800ft. of gain
Highest Point: 4400ft
Rating: 10/10
Pros: Views+ lake, relatively easy/quick hike
Cons: None!
This was my first ever “snow hike.” I always thought thy would be boring because you would not be able to see all of the colors of nature…Let me say I was wrong.
Snow Lake was one of the most beautiful hikes that I have ever done. The silence, cool air, it actually felt like a winter wonderland.
Overall it was a very easy hike. There were some steep spots and a lot of compact snow/ice but I didn’t even notice with the Microspikes.
This is a must do hike in the winter.
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