Category: Kit & Clothing šŸ§³ (Page 2 of 2)

A guide to backpacking stoves

Something that I had to consider for my upcoming adventures is availability of fuel. I chose a multi-fuel stove over an alcohol or propane/butane stove as they offer me more flexibility.

In some areas of the world, denatured alcohol and ethanol are not available, at least not legally. And when you are in a foreign country, the last thing you want to do is disrespect the rules and regulations of that country.

The same thing applies to propane and butane. You might find yourself someplace that doesnā€™t have your brand of butane canister. Plus Iā€™m not crazy about carrying around pressurized fuels in non-refillable canisters that Iā€™ll have to dump into a landfill.

The GPS wars are here, or why you need to learn to use a compass

It is important to recognise how vulnerable our technology is and how over-dependent we have become to fragile systems, some of which was built during a more trusting era.

Many things we do today, and much of our economy, relies on global navigation satellite navigation and time keeping. Much of the western economy relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS), an aging, fragile, and vulnerable US military project. Turns out that it can be easily be jammed, hacked, and turned off. And has been. Sometimes unintentionally.

All this makes for a good argument to learn how to use an old-fashionedĀ compass and read a map. Continue reading

Former Patagonia CEO asks us to stop talking about ā€˜sustainabilityā€™

Kris Tompkins and Tom Butler, Washington Post:

ā€œSustainabilityā€ may be a worthy goal, but the word has become clichĆ©, now typically deployed in its adverbial form to modify various nature-exploiting activities like ā€œloggingā€ and ā€œfishingā€ or the catch-all ā€œdevelopment.ā€

So letā€™s quit talking about ā€œsustainableā€ this or that and face the overarching question about the future: Can we create a durable civilization in which humans become good neighbors in the community of life? Where our society is embedded in a matrix of wild nature that allows all creatures ā€” from microorganisms to blue whales ā€” freedom to pursue happiness and raise their progeny in a secure habitat?

Smartwool Opens its First Canadian Retail Location

Smartwool has opened its first Canadian retail location in the iconic mountain town of Banff.

The shop will stock a large assortments of Smartwool baselayers, insulated midlayers, outerwear, lifestyle apparel, accessories, as well as performance and casual socks, all made with Merino wool. The store will also carry a selection of Timberland footwear.

ā€œAn iconic international outdoor destination, Banff is the quintessential expression of mountain culture, which makes it the ideal location for our first Canadian Smartwool store,ā€ said Corey Stecker, Canada Sales & Marketing Director, in the company press release.

The new store is located at 126 Banff Ave, Banff, Alberta.

Based out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Smartwool is an American brand owned by the VF Corporation. Sister brands include Eagle Creek, JanSport, Lee Jeans, Nautica, The North Face, Timberland, Vans, Wrangler Jeans, etc.

What you need to know about wool clothing

When I have the option, I prefer wool.

Joe Jackson, writing for Outside Magazine:

There must be hundreds of times that Iā€™ve touted the unparalleled odor-mitigating and moisture-wicking qualities of this wonder material. I stand by the endorsement: For all their capabilities, man-made synthetics are merely trying to mimic what wool does naturally. And for all our technology, nature still does it better. Yet while wool is natural, the myriad ways outdoor companies process, futz with, and incorporate it into apparel can be overwhelming.

 

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