The Marmot Alpinist 2 is an excellent single-walled expedition tent from a trusted name. This tent has many of the advantages of the more famous Mountain Hardwear EV2 as well as some of its disadvantages. But in short, if you can spring the kind of cash you need for this tent, it will serve you […]
Black Diamond Raven and Raven Pro Ice Axes Reviewed
It is hard to imagine a piece of gear as mundane as an ice axe approaching something like celebrity status. But if anything has it must be the Black Diamond Raven ice axe family. They are, I guess, the VolksWagen of ice axes. You find them everywhere. They do the job without any fuss or […]
Mammut Lucido TXlite Headlamp vs. the Petzl Tikka XP
Forgive me if I get a little too excited about headlamps, but I really do find that they are such essential pieces of mountaineering gear that I usually end up owning a whole bunch. You may by now have figured out that I am a huge fan of Petzl and love their range of small […]
MSR Twin Sisters Tent Reviewed
I once remember reading a piece about a slogan used by the US Army’s rangers, which went “travel light, freeze at night”. It has kind off stuck with me and I often hear myself repeating it quietly when packing for a trip or expedition. The great thing about the way gear is evolving, however, is […]
Vango Tent Review: The Vango Ultralight 200
Vango makes some great tents, but they aren’t what you want for serious expeditions. Nonetheless I’m including a Vango Tent review here because the Vango Ultralight 200 fills a really great niche and may interest a lot of people. First off, why do I say this tent isn’t for serious expeditions on high mountains? As […]