Hiking Packs
SKYSPER 30L Daypack Review: Months of Real Trail Use
Months of real trail use on a 30L daypack that carries its weight. Honest pros, cons, and who should skip it.
A practical, first-person look at what a lightweight 30L daypack actually does on the trail, and the trade-offs worth knowing before you buy.
Months of real trail use on a 30L daypack that carries its weight. Honest pros, cons, and who should skip it.
A side-by-side comparison of the SKYSPER 30L Daypack and the Osprey Daylite, tested on the same trails. One is built for full days, the other for light ones.
Ten honest reasons a lightweight daypack made my day hikes easier, from a hiker who switched after a season of carrying too much.
A practical, first-person look at what a lightweight 30L daypack actually does on the trail, and the trade-offs worth knowing before you buy.
A step-by-step method for packing a daypack so the weight rides on your hips instead of your shoulders, tested on the trails around Bellingham.
Six months, twenty-five hikes, and one honest verdict on the budget daypack everyone is talking about.
A 55-liter pack that has carried weekend loads through a full season of Pacific Northwest weather. What six months of real trail use taught me.
A practical side-by-side of two packs that look similar on paper and behave very differently on the trail.
Ten honest reasons the TETON Sports 55L Scout earned a permanent spot in my car for weekend trips in the North Cascades.
How TETON Sports Scout 55L changed my weekend hikes. Practical, honest guidance for day hikers and weekend backpackers.
The order matters more than the gear. Here is the exact way I pack my TETON Sports Scout 55L for two nights out, with the reasoning for every layer.
After a year of weekend trips in the North Cascades, here is what the hype about the TETON Sports Scout 55L gets right, and what it leaves out.
A long-term look at the Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles after a season of hiking in the North Cascades, with honest notes on what wore out, what held up, and who should buy them.
Two popular budget trekking poles, tested side by side on the same trails. Which one belongs in your hands?
Practical, honest guidance for day hikers and weekend backpackers, from someone who hikes the North Cascades with a bad knee and a good pair of poles.
A retired science teacher on the knee injury that sent her looking for answers, and the pair of poles she now won't leave the trailhead without.
A practical, honest guide to using trekking poles on steep climbs and descents, from a hiker whose knees need them.
An honest, first-person review of Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles after months of trail use, including what the hype gets right and what nobody tells you.
I carried the Nevo Rhino 18L on North Cascades trails for months. Here is what holds up, what does not, and who should buy it.
I carried both packs on the same North Cascades trails for a month. Here is the honest breakdown, including where the Camelbak genuinely wins.
After years of day hikes with a bottle in one hand and a camera in the other, I finally switched to the N NEVO RHINO hydration backpack. Here are the ten reasons it stays on my back.
A retired science teacher's honest story about switching to the N NEVO RHINO 18L hydration pack, and why the last mile of the hike stopped being the hard part.
A practical, honest system for staying hydrated on the trail, built around the Nevo Rhino 18L hydration pack.
I bought the N NEVO RHINO 18L hydration pack that everyone was talking about. Here is what six months of real trail time taught me, including the parts I wish I had known before I clicked buy.
I carried the Maelstrom 40L through a full season of North Cascades hikes. Here is what held up, what surprised me, and who should buy it.
Two 40-liter packs, one budget-friendly and one premium. After three weeks of testing both on the same trails, here is which one you should buy.
Ten practical reasons a 40-liter pack earns its spot in the car, from a hiker who has carried one for two seasons.
A retired science teacher on the pack that finally put the weight where it belongs.
Torso length, not height, is what actually matters. Here's how to measure yours, plus the five steps I use to pick a pack that fits.
I carried the Maelstrom 40L through a season of North Cascades hikes. Here is what the glowing reviews leave out.
Months of real trail use on a 30L daypack that carries its weight. Honest pros, cons, and who should skip it.
Six months, twenty-five hikes, and one honest verdict on the budget daypack everyone is talking about.
A 55-liter pack that has carried weekend loads through a full season of Pacific Northwest weather. What six months of real trail use taught me.
After a year of weekend trips in the North Cascades, here is what the hype about the TETON Sports Scout 55L gets right, and what it leaves out.
A long-term look at the Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles after a season of hiking in the North Cascades, with honest notes on what wore out, what held up, and who should buy them.
An honest, first-person review of Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles after months of trail use, including what the hype gets right and what nobody tells you.
I carried the Nevo Rhino 18L on North Cascades trails for months. Here is what holds up, what does not, and who should buy it.
I bought the N NEVO RHINO 18L hydration pack that everyone was talking about. Here is what six months of real trail time taught me, including the parts I wish I had known before I clicked buy.
I carried the Maelstrom 40L through a full season of North Cascades hikes. Here is what held up, what surprised me, and who should buy it.
I carried the Maelstrom 40L through a season of North Cascades hikes. Here is what the glowing reviews leave out.