In Boy Scouting, I learned many valuable life lessons as well as how to survive in the wilderness. On my trail to becoming an Eagle Scout, the one lesson that stuck with me the most was the Boy Scout Motto, “Be Prepared.” The 7 products I have reviewed below are all specifically tailored for avid adventurers and international explorers alike. If utilized properly, they can assist you in following that time honored Boy Scouting ethos.
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Gaiter Trousers No.1:
The Gaiter Trousers by Fjallraven provide you with amazing protection and functionality for adventuring in the great outdoors. They are made of wind and water resistant heavy duty G-1000 and Eco G-1000 that consists of 65% recycled polyester and 35% organic cotton.
The biggest feature of these pants is their ability to convert into shorts with zippers on the pant legs. These pant legs also contain all the capabilities that give these pants their namesake. That is to say that the pant legs also double as gaiters. They accomplish this with a built-in draw cord at the calf to hold up the gaiters on your legs, built-in boot hooks at the front hem, as well as built-in grommets on either side of each pant leg so that a cord could be tied between them under each hiking boot. No cord is included for this feature, so you will have you rig one up yourself.
The next stand-out feature of these pants is the large vertical zipper vents, one on each side, along the cargo pockets. These vents really come in handy for regulating your body temperature when exerting yourself with fun activities or with fluctuating ambient temperatures. However, they do go up fairly high along your leg, so if you are wearing boxers or boxer briefs you might end up showing them off to the public if your vents are open. This isn’t really a problem at all considering these pants are made for use in remote areas where someone seeing the corner of your underwear isn’t that big of a deal.
On the front of each pant leg, there is a large cargo pocket that can hold one of the folded up zip-off pant legs each. Even with the pant legs in the pockets, there is still plenty of room to hold a map, compass, GPS, several granola bars, mini water bottle, box of matches, and a pocketknife all at the same time. With these cargo pockets situated on the front of the pants instead of on the sides, it makes accessing your vital gear much easier when doing activities such as kayaking, biking, motorcycling, or just plain ole driving in your car. If you still have more gear that you would like to store in this pair of tough trekking trousers, then you can still cram the two regular front and back pockets with your remaining small essentials.
The knees, gaiters, seat and pockets have heavy duty G-1000 fabric that is thicker and more durable than the rest of the pant fabric. This insures that those high use areas have a better likelihood of surviving the rigors of adventuring in the wilderness, (not to mention better protection for the person wearing them).
During my testing of the Gaiter Trousers, I utilized them on a backpacking trip and while kayaking, mountain biking, and on day hikes. During each excursion, I found these pants to perform above and beyond all other pants I have ever utilized. That’s saying a lot considering I have been going camping my whole life, not to mention the countless backpacking and snow camping trips during my 14 years as a scout and adult leader in the Boy Scouts of America. If you are looking for an amazing pair of pants that laugh in the face of rugged terrain, then I recommend you take a good long look at the Gaiter Trousers No.1 by Fjallraven.
Designed in Sweden
Made in Hungary
Price: $300
For more information, please visit the following web-links:
http://www.fjallraven.com/outdoor-equipment/trousers/gaiter-trousers-no1
http://www.thesportinglodge.co.uk/shop/products/fjallraven-gaiter-trousers-no-1.htm
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Julbo Vermont Mythic Limited Edition Mountaineering Glasses:
If you are serious about backcountry adventuring, then you need a proper set of rugged sunglasses. What better brand to pick than the one that has been designing mountaineering glasses for the last 125 years? The Vermont Mythic Mountaineering glasses by Julbo have been resurrected to commemorate the anniversary.
The Vermont Mythic recaptures the traditional mountaineering sunglasses look with its durable metal frame, round lenses, leather side shields, leather nosepiece and rubberized flexible wrap around ear loops, all weighing in at 46g. With only 4% visible light transmission and a protection index of 4, these are some of the darkest sunglasses I have ever worn. They have highly scratch and shock resistant Alti Arc mineral glass lenses. The lenses also have an anti-reflective coating, flash finish to eliminate glare and strengthen filtration.
The dark lenses are great for bright days and especially useful for preventing snow blindness. However, they will start to hinder visibility in any low light scenarios. I found the leather side shields great for protecting against sunlight coming in the sides of the sunglasses. While mountain biking, I learned that the leather side shields are also extremely effective at keeping tree branches from poking out my eyes as they sneak up and smack you straight in the face like a forest ninja. The leather side shields have ventilation holes to prevent the lenses from fogging up. I did have some issues with the lenses fogging up, but it only happened a couple times. (It is possible, however, that this was due to the glasses being too tight against my face while exerting myself during outdoor activities.
When I let a few other people try them on while outside in direct sunlight, several of them complained about how the small rays of light coming through the leather side shields was distracting. Personally, I didn’t think it was distracting at all. One thing I think everyone would agree on with these glasses is that they are not very safe for driving due to the reduced peripheral visibility caused by the leather side shields. Obviously, these shades are designed for climbing mountains and not for driving in traffic. It would be nice if there were the option for these shields to be removed for activities that require unobstructed visibility, such as driving any kind of vehicle. On the flip side, if the side shields were removable, I think many people (including myself) would probably misplace them.
I have owned a large quantity and wide variety of sunglasses over the years, and so far these are my favorite. Wearing them on a recent backpacking trip made me look and feel like I was ready to summit Everest. I especially enjoyed how well they blocked the setting sun and its blinding reflection on the water while on an exploratory kayaking trip. If you want to protect your eyes from the many harsh environments that could potentially be encountered on any expedition, then I highly recommend the Julbo Vermont Mythic Mountaineering Glasses. They are an exceptionally rugged, dependable and well-suited for any outdoorsman or explorer seeking serious gear for serious adventures.
Made in France
Price: $200 - $280
For more information, please visit the following web-links:
https://www.facebook.com/julbo.eyewear.international/app_123037474540454
http://www.amazon.com/Julbo-01014125-Vermont-Mythic/dp/B00BJ8TGVG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_3
http://www.altrec.com/julbo/vermont-mythic/
http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=20309486
http://www.backcountry.com/julbo-limited-edition-vermont-mythic-sunglasses-alti-arc-4-lens
http://www.exoticeyewear.com/julbo-usa/
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Teva Mens Riva Waterproof Winter Hiking Boots:
Be prepared for chilly weather this season with a pair of boots that will not only keep your feet toasty warm but nice and dry as well. The Mens Riva Winter Mid WP hiking boots from Teva will do that and more with ease.
Never before have I worn a brand new pair of hiking boots that fit so well and felt like they had already been broken in. With boots this comfortable, I feel like wearing them around the house everyday. Yet, even with all that comfort, they also provide a tremendous amount of ankle support. It’s very protective against harsh environments as well. Around the toe of the boot is a thick layer of rubber, which stands up to the elements and protects your toes when you bump them into stuff.
The soles of the boots have rubber that’s a bit softer than your average hiking boot. This provides much better traction and, in turn, stability while walking in icy conditions. Furthermore, these boots stand up to wet conditions like a champ. Every single time I was near water while wearing them, I would go out of my way to step into every puddle, stream, creek, lake, or ocean I came across in my travels. Not once did I have any water leak in through the wall of the shoes. nor did my feet get cold at all during my testing in winter conditions. Just be sure to wear a good pair of wool socks if you plan on being out in the cold for an extended period of time. I never kept them underwater for very long periods, just a few seconds of dunking every couple minutes while walking along various freshwater and saltwater shorelines to replicate their intended use.
Even though these boots are designed for cold weather, I felt I should try them in some heat as well. I wore them on a backpacking trip this summer and they were perfectly fine. I found that the extra traction from the soft rubber soles came in handy for scrambling up and over boulders.
After using these boots in the winters of Northern Idaho, on the rainy beaches of the San Juan Islands, while kayaking the various inland waterways of the California Bay Area, on many day hikes and a backpacking trip, several all day long mountain biking adventures, a two week camping trip, and even a trip to Australia, I must say these are an amazingly durable, comfortable, and weatherproof pair of hiking boots. They are probably the best pair I have ever owned. The next time you need a new pair of boots, go try on a pair of Teva Riva Winter Mid WP hiking boots. I bet you will like them as much as I do.
Made in Thailand
Price: $112 - $160
For more information, please visit the following web-links:
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Alti-XT Negative Digital Triple Sensor Wristwatch:
When it comes to keeping track of your location on good ole terra firma, things have gotten pretty easy with the advent of GPS devices and smartphone apps. Unfortunately, GPS devices need a clear view of the sky and smartphone batteries don’t last very long. Not to say GPS isn’t great for navigation. However, it’s never a bad thing to have an alternate means of navigation such as a compass, altimeter, and map as a backup. Just incase your GPS batteries happen to fail.
The problem is few people are willing to carry a compass and altimeter with them frequently. The Alti-XT Negative by HighGear makes carrying these instruments less of a burden by combining a Digital compass, Altimeter, Barometer, and Thermometer into a reasonably sized wristwatch.
After properly completing the calibration process for each sensor, I compared each mode to various other digital and analogue altimeters, barometers, thermometers and compasses. I found each of these sensors to be very accurate and reliable. My only recommendation is that they be recalibrated before any big trip just to be safe.
The digital compass has adjustable declination, 16 Cardinal Point Bearings, and directional heading lock. The Altimeter displays in feet or meters, has a range of -1,640ft to +29,527ft, resolution of 3 feet, min./max. Altitude mode, total ascent/decent, graphic display of altitude, and stores 80 altimeter logbooks with data recall. The Barometer displays sea level & absolute pressure in Millibar (mbar), Hectopascal (hPa), or Inches of Mercury (inHg), with a range of 300mbar to 1,100mbar, a resolution of 1mbar, a graphic pressure trend display, and even a graphical weather forecast. The thermometer displays in Fahrenheit or Celsius, with a range of +14°F to +140°F and a resolution of 0.1°F. The following standard watch features are also included: 12-hour or 24-hour format, time / day / date, world time with daylight savings, sunrise / sunset times, 3 advanced alarms, and hourly chime.
The watch lens is made of Mineral Glass, the case is made of a durable plastic, and is water resistant down to 50 meters /164 feet. The bezel is also plastic, doubles as a rotating compass bearing ring, and has North, South, East, & West markings in yellow. I am not entirely sure why, but there are also compass markings engraved into the steel back of the watch as well. The band is a flexible rubber and is adjustable along the entire length, allowing it to fit nearly any wrist. The watch screen is a negative LCD display with a greenish electroluminescent backlight. The battery compartment door is also steel and is opened with a large coin. (Much more convenient than those silly little screws on countless other watches.)
The ability to easily open and replace the battery will come in handy if you heavily use the various sensors of this watch. They drain the battery much faster than when it’s in clock mode. When done using a sensor be sure to deactivate it. Forgetting to do so can quickly draw you closer to needing a new battery.
Which brings me to a feature I would like to have seen in this watch. A tiny solar panel embedded out of sight behind the watch display. This would eliminate the need to risk the integrity of the waterproof O-ring of the watch when replacing the battery. Solar powered watches are becoming more and more wide spread. Especially in watches with higher power demands. Maybe this is something that can be added in a future version of this very cool watch. Luckily, this watch does have a feature that helps make up for the lack of solar power, the ability to manually turn on and off the entire watch display. This capability helps conserve the battery if you only use it on outings.
Personally, I think this watch is awesome. It’s rugged, reliable, comfortable to wear, and easy to read. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys going on adventures off the beaten path. Just make sure you know how to effectively navigate with a map, compass, and altimeter before venturing out into the great unknown.
Made in China (Swiss made pressure sensor)
Price: $90 - $140
For more information, please visit the following web-links:
http://www.rei.com/product/842880/highgear-alti-xt-multifunction-watch-black
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Stuffa Jacket:
The Stuffa Jacket is actually a vest. This vest has a classic/old school down vest styling. To the untrained eye, one might think it to be a simple vest just like the thousands we see on people all the time. However, lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly unassuming and “normal looking” vest, lies an ingenious design that rockets the Stuffa Jacket (vest) leaps and bounds ahead of all the competition. 12 large pockets line the inside of the Stuffa along both the left and right inside as well as along the inside back of the vest, not to mention the two nice zippered outer pockets. The Stuffa comes in black for men in sizes small, medium, large, and extra large. It also comes in red for women in sizes small, medium, and large.
I recently brought the Stuffa with me on a trip to Australia, and I was able to simultaneously pack the following items into it: zip off pants, windbreaker, long-sleeved vented button up shirt, 2 T-shirts, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs underwear, my Scrubba Wash Bag (for washing clothes), sunglasses, iPhone, USB battery pack, iPhone cable, Satellite emergency beacon, Android tablet, paper maps, solar powered LED hat light, first aid kit, small water flask, headphones, and a partridge in a pear tree. Just kidding on the last one there.
Needless to say, you can definitely stuffa a lot of stuffa into the Stuffa. The internal pockets unfortunately have no way of fully closing. They do, however, have overlapping flaps that help keep your gear in place. Just make sure your expensive gadgets and/or other valuables are tucked all the way to the back of the pocket so they don’t fall out. If your pockets are overflowing with gear, another way to keep them from shifting and falling out is to zip up the vest. The other option is to keep your valuables in the outer zipper pockets. Having zippers, Velcro, buttons, or snaps on the inner side pockets would have been a nice addition to the Stuffa.
I found the Stuffa jacket to have superb build quality. It easily survived the rigors of a two-week camping trip. During which time it kept me nice and toasty warm on several cold nights. If you are shopping for a high quality vest and you like having plenty of pockets, then this is definitely the vest to get, especially if you like to travel light.
Made in China
Price: $57.36
For more information, please visit the following web-link:
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PowerCap LED flashlight hats:
After a long day of backpacking, setting up camp and preparing a meal as darkness falls can prove difficult in low light. Yes, a handheld LED flashlight will work, but that leaves you with only one hand to work with. A mini LED lantern also works okay, but the problem is you then have to carry the lantern back and fourth as you set up camp and make dinner. However, having your flashlight built into you hat means that you are ready for the night without having to unpack your headlamp, handheld flashlight or mini lantern. The PowerCap line of LED hat lights from Panther Vision gives you the freedom to work hands free while effectively illuminating everything you are working on in your immediate vicinity.
Of their line of PowerCap products, I was fortunate enough to have the privilege to test Panther Visions PowerCap 25/75 Solar Powered Microfiber LED Hat as well as the High Performance PowerCap EXP 200 LED Hat. Both of these hats have LEDs and button control under the bill. Where they differ is how they are powered and the brightness of their high beam modes.
The Solar powered hat has 4 LED’s under the bill with two low- beams and two high beams. The power button allows you to switch between low beams, high beams or both sets simultaneously. With all four LEDs turned on, the hat light provides 22 lumens projecting light up to 59 feet. When fully charged, you should be able to get around 21 hours of light output before needing to recharge. The solar panel will fully recharge the NiMH battery when left in direct sunlight for 8 hours. This means that you can easily use the hat light all night as long as you wear it outside all the following day. To top things off, there is an auto cutoff battery saver feature that shuts off the LEDs after they have been on for 15 min. This feature really comes in handy if you accidentally bump the light on during the day.
The High Performance PowerCap EXP 200 has some of the same features as the solar powered model, such as 4 LEDs under the bill of the cap, single button on/off, and the auto off feature. The difference is that all 4 LEDs under the bill on the EXP 200 are low beam LEDs. On the bright-side (much pun intended) the single high beam Ultra Bright 3-watt LED on top of the bill puts out 171 lumens and illuminates up to 200 meters away and can even pivot up and down. The one downside is that the Uber-bright LED on top of the bill is fairly large and stands out quite a bit. This isn’t a problem while camping but might draw some strange looks if worn in the civilized world. Powering all these LEDs is a battery pack on the back of the hat, which contains 3 AA alkaline batteries that are included with the hat. The battery pack is a little awkward at first, but I got used to it fairly quickly. Rechargeable NiMH batteries as well as lithium’s can be used in the AA battery compartment as well. When using brand new alkaline batteries you can expect up to 294 hours of usage before needing to replace batteries.
If I had to nitpick about theses hats, I’d have to say that I would have liked them to have a little more water resistant design so as to better protect the electronics during extended exposure to heavy rainfall.
Overall, I really enjoyed these hats. I tested them on a backpacking trip, while doing night photography, wore it under a bike helmet on a night ride, used it on a 2-week camping trip, while working on projects around the house, and around town running errands. These hats frequently came in handy for all kinds of situations where a little light was needed. I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t benefit from having one of these hats, so I highly recommend them.
Made in China
Price:
For more information, please visit the following web-links:
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JakPak All-In-One Rain Jacket, Tent, and Sleeping Bag:
Avid backpackers and world travelers are always on the lookout for smaller, lighter weight gear that can serve more than one purpose. The JakPak jacket easily fulfills each of those sought after gear traits. Weighing in at 2lbs/15 oz., it is quite impressive considering it simultaneously fills the duties of raincoat, sleeping bag and tent.
The JakPak’s built-in, sleeping bag folds out from the inner lower back of the coat. Technically, it’s not a sleeping bag since it has nearly zero insulation. Luckily, like the coat and tent, the sleeping bag is also made of waterproof material. A more accurate description would be to call it a bivouac sack. There is ample room in the bivouac sack, easily enough space for a blanket or lightweight zip up polar fleece sleeping bag liner if needed.
The JakPak’s integrated mini tent deploys from its large storage pocket on the upper back of the jacket. The small tent has two built-in rust-resistant curved metal rods that make up the tent poles, and a large area of bug netting. The tent also has grommets if you choose to stake down the tent. Fortunately, staking down the tent portion is not mandatory. The tent holds its shape due to an elastic strap with Velcro that connects the two halves of the tent together behind the users back. Just remember that this tent is probably the smallest tent ever designed to have half a human in it, so if you are even a little bit claustrophobic you are probably not going to feel very comfortable in this tent. Fortunately, I don’t get claustrophobic at all, so I found the built-in tent feature to be quite comfortable.
Both of the tent and bivouac sack portions of the JakPak are completely removable due to zippers and Velcro connections. Being able to remove a little bulk from the coat comes in handy if you would like to utilize it strictly as a rain coat or wind breaker in urban or metropolitan areas where the need for survival sleeping shelters are not usually necessary. There are even suspenders built into the JakPak to help distribute the weight of the sleeping bag and tent. Personally, I didn’t think the JakPak is very heavy at all, even with everything attached, so I didn’t see much need for the suspenders. It’s a good thing I didn’t feel the need to use the suspenders since one of the clamps randomly lost a few plastic parts while I was walking around with it on during testing. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it until I returned home so the parts were permanently lost. Hopefully, the manufacturer can replace them.
The JakPak also has some of the features that are fairly standard on such jackets. It has a rain hood with built-in visor/bill, adjustment straps on the wrists, waist and hood, large ventilation zippers under the armpits, two external zipper pockets and one internal zipper pocket. Storm flaps cover pockets and zippers to keep out water, and there is even a small internal bungee loop for your headphones.
The JakPak is amazing at keeping water off of whoever is using it, however with this waterproof material one drawback does exist and that is poor ventilation. Yes there are armpit vents and you can unzip the entire front of the coat and loosen the Velcro around the wrists. All these tactics help reduce heat built up, but they certainly do not stop it completely. In cold and rainy conditions, the JakPak really shows its worth. With its ample room the JakPak can easily fit nearly any heavy insulation vests, sweaters, or jackets. In wintertime, I recommend you use a heavy wool full button up or zip up sweater beneath the JakPak.
In my testing, I also noticed that the waterproof fabric of the JakPak is not nearly as rugged as I would have liked it to be. I would have preferred that it utilized some form of material that’s as durable as a tough canvas or GORE-TEX. This way it would be less prone to damage when used in harsh terrain. If you plan on frequently using the JakPak as a sleeping bag/ bivouac sack or tent, then I highly suggest you use a mini ground cloth of some kind to protect the JakPak from getting torn up from being in direct contact with the ground. Even with its little quirks, the JakPak is still an amazing piece of adventure equipment/outerwear.
If you are into packing ultra-lite on your various outdoor excursions or you just want to be prepared for bad weather or emergency situations, then the JakPak won't disappoint.
Made in China
Price: $200
For more information, visit the following web-links:
