Field use only
Tested, not unboxed
Nothing gets a score until it has been out in real conditions, cold, wet, long days, and at least one situation where I regretted a decision.
Equipment notes
Gear Reviews
I make gear videos on YouTube. Mountaineering, trail running and backpacking kit, tested by someone who actually carries it uphill. No affiliate links, no free samples, nothing I haven't personally abused. The most popular one so far argues that the best winter gloves cost twenty dollars, which I stand by.
The Videos
14K views
The best winter gloves are $20
My most-watched video, which tells you something. Cheap work gloves versus the expensive mountaineering pairs, for ice climbing, mountaineering and backpacking. You can probably guess the ending from the title.
Gloves · 8 min
7.3K views
Battle of the ice axes: Petzl Gully vs Petzl Ride
Two very similar ultralight axes from the same company. I bought both so you don't have to, then picked one.
Ice axes · 4 min
7.1K views
Best lightweight running belts: Arc'teryx Norvan vs Salomon Pulse
The two belts that actually stay put on a run instead of slowly migrating up your ribcage. Head to head.
Running · 8 min
1.5K views
My favorite insulated pullovers: Nunatak JMT and Enlightened Equipment Torrid
Two small-shop puffies that go everywhere with me. Warm, absurdly light, and neither one costs what the big brands charge.
Insulation · 14 min
1.3K views
Rainier gear guide: under 30 lb, still comfortable
My whole Rainier kit, item by item, under thirty pounds. Going light does not have to mean being cold and miserable at camp, which is the part most lists skip.
Full kit · 21 min
1.1K views
Brand spotlight: Cold Cold World
The Chaos, the Valdez and the Ozone. Packs sewn one at a time in New Hampshire by a guy who has been doing it for decades. Not for everyone. Very much for me.
Packs · 11 min
1K views
How to layer for mountaineering, backpacking and hiking
Why you are always either sweating or freezing, and the layering system that mostly fixes it.
Clothing · 12 min
993 views
2-day mountaineering packing list
The kit I have taken up Shasta, Adams, Whitney, St. Helens and Elbert. One list, a lot of mountains, very few regrets.
Packing · 19 min
02
Rating criteria
The Method
No incentives
Bought with my money
No affiliate links and no sponsored placements. If that ever changes, it gets labeled at the top of the review in plain language.
Failure modes
What broke, and when
The useful part of a review is where something failed and how far from the car you were. Every score gets the specific reason it lost points.
Tell Me I'm Wrong
Genuinely, tell me what I got wrong, or what I should test next.