In the annuls of mountaineering there are a few tents that really stand out above the crowd when it comes to conquering big summits, and one of these is the Mountain Hardware EV2. This is a single-walled tent that means it is going to be a lot lighter than most other similarly-sized double-walled tents. In [...] Read more »
The name of the game among tent manufacturers these days seems to be “how light can you go?”. MSR has been one of the leaders in this particular field and the MSR Carbon Reflex tent takes this almost to what feels like it ought to be the limit for a fully-fledged tent (as opposed to [...] Read more »
I’ve talked previously about how MSR makes a great line of tents, and the MSR fury certainly fits in with its tradition. Yet the MSR fury is also tent that has created some controversy because of the fact that it is not very easy to pitch and is not as user-friendly as it might be. [...] Read more »
A lot of what I keep saying in this site is that you really need to find an ice axe that fits your style and your budget and that you shouldn’t get too hung up on having the perfect piece of kit. Then along comes something that blows that advice away. In the case of [...] Read more »
Mountain Safety Research (MSR) is a great company that makes absolutely fantastic gear and their range of ultralight tents and tarps is unrivalled. On the issue of expedition tents, however, they still have some work to do and the MSR Asgard shows this. It is a great tent with fantastic potential and is well made [...] Read more »
I’ve been a real fan of the Primus OmniFuel stove for a while, so I was really excited to get word that the company’s newest invention, the Primus OmniLite Titanium stove is about to be released in stores this December. I’ve thought for a while that the OmniFuel probably deserves the mantle of being one [...] Read more »
If you ever thought that mountaineering and science were incompatible then you were very wrong. From the very earliest days of formal exploration and mountaineering, expeditions were a partnership between adventurers and scientists. The first big expedition that I went on was intended to be partly scientific with doctors wanting to do some research on [...] Read more »
I’ve previously posted some of the amazing footage relating to the survival of a guy caught in an avalanche wearing an Avalung system. It is pretty amazing stuff and if you haven’t seen it yet I suggest you click through to take a look and come back because it sets you up for the next [...] Read more »
I try to keep the posts in this blog free of commercial garbage, but given the excitement over Icebreaker’s outdoor clothing I thought I’d post a quick heads-up on the fact that there is a huge Icebreaker Sale coming up over thanksgiving. Black is the New Black. 30% off all Black items and 15% off [...] Read more »
If you are looking for a pretty good general purpose ice axe that offers really exceptional value then look no further than the Camp Neve. This is a really simple, yet well made ice axe with a steel pick and adze, a decent steel spike and a package that doesn’t weigh too much and that [...] Read more »