Adventure
Fjällräven Polar is an annual expedition developed to show that with the right knowledge, equipment, and support, anyone can learn to appreciate nature and become an Arctic explorer.
Read more about the Fjällräven Polar 2023 expedition.
Here are our winners! You can jump straight to the jury verdict for each product by clicking the links below.
Best hiking boots: Inov-8 Roclite Pro G400 GTX V2 (Winner), Aku Rock DFS Mid GTX (Highly commended)
Best hiking shoes: Altra Lone Peak 7 (Winner), Arc’teryx Norvan LD3 (Highly commended)
Best waterproof jackets: Montane Phase Nano (Winner), Patagonia Granite Crest (Highly commended)
Best insulated garments: Outdoor Research Superstrand LT Hoodie (Winner), Rab Mythic Ultra (Highly commended)
Best mid layers: Alpkit Woodsmoke (Winner), Salewa Agner Polarlite Hooded Jacket (Highly commended)
Best hiking pack: Atom Packs The Mo VX60 (Winner), Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60 (Highly commended)
Best sleeping bags: Gruezi Biopod Downwool Subzero 185 (Winner), Therm-a-rest Parsec 20F / -6 (Highly commended)
Best tents: Nemo Dagger OSMO (Winner), Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 2P (Highly commended)
Best safety equipment: Lifesaver Wayfarer (Winner), Zoleo Satellite Communicator (Highly commended)
Best stoves: Jetboil Stash (Winner), MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe (Highly commended)
Best navigation device: Suunto Vertical (Winner), Coros Apex 2 GPS (Highly commended)
Best camping tech: Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite (Winner), Rab Ionosphere 5.5 (Highly commended)
Award for innovation (product): Keen WK400 (Winner), PrimaLoft RISE (Highly commended)
Award for innovation (brand): Inov-8 (Winner), Sierra Designs (Highly commended)
Award for sustainability (product): Silva Terra Scout H (Winner), Vango Apex 2 (Highly commended)
Award for sustainability (brand): Keela (Winner), Nikwax (Highly commended).
Dick Proenneke in “Alone in the Wilderness” is the story of Dick Proenneke living at Twin Lakes in the Alaska wilderness.
Dick retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes. He filmed his adventures so he could show his relatives in the lower 48 states what life was like in Alaska, building his cabin, hunting for food, and exploring the area.
Bob Swerer has used some of the footage from Dick’s films and created 4 videos about Dick, “Alone in the Wilderness”, “Alone in the Wilderness part 2”, “Alaska, Silence and Solitude” and “The Frozen North”. They can purchase from Bob Swerer Productions at the DickProenneke.com website.
Below are some excepts from these films.
Some things to do and make sure is working and up to date at the beginning of the backpacking season and periodically thereafter.
More tips at the Section Hiker »
Heather Lea, Expedition Portal »
For many reasons, soft bags are the way to go. They cinch down with less stuff, so, as you’re rolling along, consuming food, you can make your bags smaller.
The lightweight traveler should always factor in bulk as well as weight. You may look at the cost of an ultra-light sleeping bag and think, “I can put $400 of gas in my bike and ride through most of Central America for that price.” The difference—and you’ll feel it after the first sandy road in Baja—is you’re getting a good-quality bag that weighs 19 ounces and packs down to the size of a football, instead of something that, although much cheaper, can weigh more than 5 pounds, and doesn’t even fit in your panniers when rolled up.
Some true diehards out there can ride for a month with a tarp and a match, but that’s not for this Girl Scout.
This Backpacker Magazine article shows us how to prevent and treat some of the most common wilderness injuries and illnesses.
Google has published tips on how adventurers might better use Google Maps »
Do you have the urge to take every fork in the road and leave no trail untraveled? On the road to adventure, Google Maps can help guide the way — no matter where you’re going.
-  Be prepared for all conditions: There’s nothing like a surprise rain storm to dampen adventure. Use the new weather and air quality layers to your advantage. See current weather conditions and temperatures, or check the air quality better plan your fresh-air outings.
- Don’t miss your train or plane with Indoor Live View: Airports and train stations can feel like a maze. Starting this summer in Zurich and Tokyo, use AR cues to see where the nearest platform, gates, elevator and escalators are, as well as baggage claim, restrooms, and ATMs.
- Pedal to your next adventure: Planning a hill climb or beach cruise ride? Check how flat or steep a route will be with biking directions. And if you don’t have a two-wheel companion, you can access bike-sharing stations in more than 100 cities thanks to integrations with CitiBike, Lyft and Lime integrations.
- Tabs are your new tick list :Use the tabs at the bottom of the app to keep track of your travel bucket list and find your next must-see destination! Check out the Updates tab to see trending, must-see spots from local experts and publishers — so you can find the best things to do no matter where you are.
- Remember where you’ve been: From the new trailhead you found to the hidden campground you want to revisit, we love to use Saved Places to view all these spots in one place. It’s perfect for reminiscing and sharing recommendations with friends.
Primus is offering to send users needed parts to repair their Primus stove, for free. They are doing their part to keep stoves out of landfills and to remind users that they can fix things when they break.
The past few decades have introduced a throw-away culture that was strongly influenced by consumerism and the thought that products should be disposable. With the current state of the environment, more people than ever have shown interest in sustainable brands/products and are interested in maintaining and repairing their belongings when they wear out. We never subscribed to this trend and have instead ensured the opportunity to service and maintain our stoves since 1892!
While human life expectancy has increased drastically the past 100 years, life expectancy of the products around us appear to decrease. We know that between 55% and 65% of greenhouse emissions come from the handling of material, resources and products from cradle to grave. By extending the life of our products, it has a substantial positive impact on the climate and environment.
PIEPS and Black Diamond have announced a voluntary product recall of their DSP avalanche transceivers.
Recently, PIEPS, the European producer of the avalanche safety device, and Black Diamond, its North American distributor, came under fire with concerns the DSP avalanche transceiver beacon could inadvertently switch from “send” to “search” mode, rendering the device useless to the wearer should they be caught up in an avalanche.
From the PIEPS website »
PIEPS has conducted extensive evaluations of the safety and performance of the affected products, including internal and third-party testing. The results conclude that the products comply with international standards, are properly designed, and perform as intended.
Nevertheless, PIEPS has recently developed a hardcase carrying system to be used with the DSP PRO, DSP PRO ICE and DSP SPORT that the transceivers can only be used when set and locked in the “send” position.
More information about the product safety recall program can be found at both the PIEPS and Black Diamond websites.
Both PIEPS and Black Diamond also announced the recalls on Instagram.
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