Ryan Jordan
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2019 REI Sale (11/15 – 11/25) – Recommendations, anti-recommendations, and other ideas
The biggest REI sale of the year is going on right now - November 15 through 25, 2019. It's called the GUGO sale - "Gear Up, Get Out". Here are some resources to help you save money on decent gear.
Publisher’s Blog: Unlimited Members No Longer See Banner Ads
This post is available for Unlimited Members only. As of today (October 30, 2019), we've turned off all network banner advertising for Unlimited Members, providing a faster, less cluttered, and less intrusive browsing experience - this post provides the details.
2019 Highlights + What’s Coming (Video Podcast for Unlimited Members)
This blog post is available only to Unlimited Members.
How Much Food Should I Pack? (How to save weight on backpacking food based on the energy-mile theory)
A mathematical model to calculate how much food to pack for your trip based on terrain and mileage with minimum weight carried in the pack.
Maceration, Immersion Foot and Backpacking
A short, detailed discussion on immersion foot and maceration, how to deal with it in the backcountry and when not to.
Lightweight Backpacking Gear for Mountain Travel (Case Study)
In this video, I walk through my gear during a 9-day summer trek in the high mountains of the western US. This was a trip with friends and family - 3 other adults and four children ages 7-11. We moved camps every day but one, and spent 70% of our miles off-trail, with camps up to about 11,600 feet. Scroll down for gear notes and trip photos!
Lighten your pack, and your body
I'd like to address what I do in each of these areas at some point in the future, but for now, I want to expand on why I believe a lean body weight - in addition to carrying less weight in your pack - is really important for a backpacking lifestyle.
Crossing Rivers and Water Shoes
Crossing rivers "ultralight style" - that's when you simply walk through the water wearing your hiking shoes and keep walking on the trail once you get to the other side.
What is ultralight backpacking? (how we talk about ultralight)
To me, ultralight backpacking is the idea that one should solve a problem using as little as possible, but that which is used to solve the problem should be as effective as possible. Defined as such, the actual weight of individual pieces of gear, or one's pack, matters less, and takes a back seat to the performance-to-weight ratio of a piece of gear.
How to choose backpacking footwear so you can keep hiking until you die
Most advice about minimalist footwear can be rejected outright. Often, the advice is given by hikers who haven't put in the time required to understand the complexity and depth of foot biomechanics and the long-term effects of overuse that is endured by walking for decades. Here are some guiding principles if you want to keep hiking into your sunset years, so you can delay the inevitable onset of overuse conditions like hallux rigidus.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction Backpack Review
This Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction Backpack Review features a pack with a lightweight Dyneema Composite Fabrics body, Hardline woven fabric side and hip belt pockets for durability, and a mesh back pocket for storing wet gear.
Episode 11 | Upright Canister Stove Reviews
This episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast features highlights from our recent round of canister stove reviews.
Field Notes: Wet, Snowy, Cold – Spring Backpacking with my Son in Wyoming with Lightweight Gear
Unseasonably cold May temperatures and a winter storm warning were too much to pass up, so we set out for an overnighter in SE Wyoming.
Lightweight Backpacking Chairs: REI Flexlite Air Chair vs. Helinox Chair Zero
The purpose of this article is to review the Helinox Chair Zero to the REI Flexlite Air Chair and see if there are any meaningful differences.
REI Quarter Dome SL 1 Review
The REI Quarter Dome SL 1 is a single person, side entry, single side vestibule, double wall, mostly mesh inner, semi-freestanding tent.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 Tent Review
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 is a two-person, hybrid single/double wall, two-vestibule Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF) tent that can be pitched with two trekking poles. This review assesses wind loading, snow loading, rain, condensation resistance, ease of setup, livability.
Field Notes: Retreat from a Spring Alpine Storm
On the leading edge of the last bomb cyclone storm cycle that hit the Rockies and Midwest this spring (April 2019), I was hoping to get in a quick 24-hour trip up in the high country of Wyoming's Snowy Range.
Tarptent Aeon Review (First Looks)
The Tarptent Aeon Li is one of the lightest solo (1-person) backpacking tents available. Made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF), the Aeon is a single-wall design featuring a zippered side-entry with a vestibule. The Aeon requires 4-7 stakes and is pitched with a single trekking pole.
24: Idaho (Video – Couples Backpacking)
Ryan and Stephanie Jordan venture into Idaho's Sawtooth range for a couples backpacking trip.
Field Notes: Winter Backpacking in Southeast Wyoming
Lightweight backpacking in winter: field notes from SE Wyoming - tarp camping, firebuilding, wood stove cooking, and more (VIDEO).
