Few tents out there come even close to being as tough as the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2, a tent that really is built to be bombproof. The Trango is not exactly light, nor is it compact, but it is tough and roomy and makes a great first mountaineering tent that will see you through a […]
Patagonia Pullover: The R1 Masterpiece and its Hoody big Brother
A lot of tops and pullovers promise warmth without weight. And to be fair, most of them deliver on the promise, whether they are made from Polartec, company specific fabrics such as Patagonia’s own brand of fleece or even cheap no-name fleece. The difference between the various products is firstly cost: a no-name fleece will […]
Smartwool vs Icebreaker Merino
Once people decide to change from synthetic base layers to ones made from merino wool they get hung up on which brand to choose. A lot of people wonder whether Icebreaker or Smartwool is a better choice. Frankly I think that the bigger decision is the one you’ve already made, namely to invest a bit […]
Primus OmniFuel: The best mountaineering stove?
I guess mountaineering stoves are a lot like cars or dogs; you always have a soft spot for the first one you ever owned. So although I haven’t used it for year (in fact my father nabbed it back) I still have happy feelings for my old Optimus Svea. This was a real jet engine […]
Mountaineering stove efficiency: MSR DragonFly and XGK vs Optimus Nova vs Primus Omnifuel
How efficient is your stove? Four of the best mountaineering and backpacking stoves are put to the test: MSR DragonFly, MSR XGK, Optimus Nova and Primus Omnifuel When you are humping your way up a hill, and every ounce in your pack feels like it is trying to hold you back, I often find my […]