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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Archives for Column

Standards Watch: Mike Cecot-Scherer on Tent Design

Jan 26, 2021 by Rex Sanders

Mike Cecot-Scherer on a ski trip

Rex Sanders interviews long-time gear designer Mike Cecot-Scherer about tent design. This is part two of a three-part series.

coatings, condensation, cuben fiber, DAC, dcf, design, Durability, dyneema composite fabric, features, guylines, laminates, Mike Cecot-Scherer, nikwax, nylon, poles, polyester, rex sanders, seam taping, shelters, silnylon, silpoly, stretch, tear strength, tents, The Deuce, the tent lab, trowel, ventilation, vents, waterproofness, wind resistance, zippers

The Overlook: Backpacking in a Time of Uncertainty

Jan 19, 2021 by Ben Kilbourne

animus river

Is backpacking suddenly…hard? Ben Kilbourne understands, and discusses how to deal with it during uncertain times.

Animas River, Ben Kilbourne, Colorado, colorado trail, covid-19, pandemic, quarantine, San Juans, The Overlook, Uinta Highline Trail, Weminuche Wilderness

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Learning Curve: Learning to Suffer

Jan 12, 2021 by Maggie Slepian

BPL columnist Maggie Slepian unpacks suffering in endurance sports.

blisters, endurance, foot care, foot pain, Learning Curve, long-distance, Maggie Slepian, Ouachita Trail, suffering, thru-hiking, yellowstone national park

Unpacked: When Gear Owns You

Dec 29, 2020 by Mark Wetherington

A recent multi-sport adventure got BPL columnist Mark Wetherington thinking about gear and our relationship to it.

20 F sleeping bag, 30 F sleeping bag, canister stove, climbing, gear, inverted canister stove, multi-sport, multi-use, ralph waldo emerson, rei co-op flash air 2

Standards Watch: Tent Designer Mike Cecot-Scherer Talks Standards

Dec 22, 2020 by Rex Sanders

Rex Sanders interviews long-time gear designer Mike Cecot-Scherer about a range of common gear standards.

chemicals, CPAI 84, design, Deuce, flame retardant, flammability, gore-tex, mike cecot-sherer, MoonLight tents, rex sanders, shelter, sleeping bags, standards, Standards Watch, tent, tentlab, trowel, volume, warmth, waterproofness

The Overlook: Understanding Livestock Grazing in Wilderness Areas

Dec 15, 2020 by Ben Kilbourne

BPL columnist Ben Kilbourne uses a close encounter to examine the practice of livestock grazing on public land.

Ben Kilbourne, blm, cows, grazing, land management, livestock, pasturelands, public lands, rangelands, The Overlook, usfs

Learning Curve: A Shoulder Season Reminder

Dec 8, 2020 by Maggie Slepian

BPL columnist Maggie Slepian reminds new and old hands alike to prepare for shoulder-season backpacking accordingly.

alpine lake, gia gps, Learning Curve, Maggie Slepian, navigation, route-planning, shoulder-season, single wall tent, snow, tent stakes, trekking pole supported shelter, trip planning

By the Numbers: Patagonia Worn Wear Micro Puff vs. New Micro Puff

Dec 1, 2020 by Stephen Seeber

In his new column for Backpacking Light, Stephen Seeber runs thermal testing on used and new Patagonia Micro Puff jackets.

active insulation, Columns, fleece, insulation, micro puff, Patagonia, plumafill, smaller pack, thermal imaging, worn wear

Unpacked: “Free Outside” by Jeff Garmire Book Review

Nov 23, 2020 by Mark Wetherington

BPL columnist Mark Wetherington reviews the book “Free Outside” by fellow BPL member and author – and Colorado Trail FKT holder – Jeff Garmire.

arizona trail, book review, calendar year triple crown, colorado trail, fkt, free outside, jeff garmire, long trail, pinhoti trail, self-published, thru-hike, unsupported

Learning Curve: Breaking Loose

Nov 17, 2020 by Maggie Slepian

I fell into a rut, like many of us when an activity is familiar and comfortable. It took connecting with a more experienced backpacker to show me I had the knowledge and skills to push myself into new territory.

Backpacking, bears, beginner, jeff garmire, legend, lost, montana, navigation, off-trail, road walking, route finding, The Learning Curve, topographic map

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