I finally had a chance to put the new Exo Mountain Gear Daypack to work for a weekend scouting trip and was pleasantly surprised at how much gear I was able to fit inside.  It may be deemed a "daypack," but it's so much more than that when you start adding in all of the available space that's not accounted for.  It's a perfect size for the backcountry hunter who may need to spend a night or two out in the field without having too large or too small of a pack.

Never in a million years did I think I'd find myself backpacking alone with a handful of chicks, but that's exactly what happened this past May when four of my friends wives were the only ones to roger up for an overnighter on Mount St. Helens.  Whatever guy tendencies I had going into this trip would need to be checked at the door because I was outnumbered 4 to 1 and I figured that maybe this was a good opportunity to see the outdoors through the eyes of the opposite sex.  As it turns out, it was a trip I'll never soon forget.

Hiking 33 miles with any pack will quickly bring out the gear skeletons hiking in the closet.  Sure, most packs feel pretty good at first, but what about on the second long day of a hike?  How about on the third day?  Does the pack still ride the same?  Do your hips feel like someone took a bat to them?  All these questions I'd find answers to and more when I hiked the Loowit Trail with the Exo Mountain Gear 3500.

My second time out with the Seek Outside Redcliff was simply awesome.  This tent continues to redefine what backcountry living should be like.  

Compared to my 2015 Loowit Hike, 2016 was pretty much the opposite.  Instead of low hanging clouds and cool temps, I was met with clear blue skies and 80-90 degree heat.  No matter what the conditions, the Mount St. Helens never disappoints and I think I might be even more infatuated with her now that I have two Loowit Trail hikes under my belt.

I've looked forward to owning a Kuiu pack for a long time.  Last fall I had the opportunity to pick on up and couldn't wait to give it a whirl.  While it's no doubt a great product, I didn't fall in love with it when I finally hit the hills for an overnighter. 

Transitioning from a traditional backpacking tent to an ultralight tipi can be somewhat of a daunting task.  I've known about these tipis for a while now and had contemplated purchasing one for myself but just didn't know if I'd like not having a floor.  I continued going back and forth on the matter in my head and finally realized that if I were to spend a week in the backcountry during hunting season, I wanted to be as comfortable as possible and that was only going to happen in an ultralight tipi.  With that, I purchased the Seek Outside Redcliff and began my journey into this new style of tent living.

I don't like writing a review on a piece of gear until I've had a chance to actually use it, however I recently purchased the Kuiu Teton Insulated Jacket and can't help but write at least something about it.  We'll call this my "initial impression" of the jacket.

If you currently own a backpack but have never taken the time to fit it properly to your body, there is a chance that you think your backpack sucks, or at the very least, that backpacking sucks.  Truth be told, it's probably you that is the issue, and not the pack.  

The Kuiu Peloton 240 Full Zip Hoodie has become one of my favorite pieces for backcountry hunting and backpacking. It can break the wind, give you an added layer of insulation, act as a lightweight softshell, and keep up with the toughest of hunts. After a few years of use, it’s now become a must-have!

The Kuiu Alpine Pant has become one of my favorite pieces of gear to date simply because of the fit, form, and function they provide.  I've been thinking about how to discuss these pants in a way that will convey the right message so I have decided I'm going to keep it short and sweet, tell you about the features I like, and show you images that others may not show in their reviews.  If you want to know the technical specs, I suggest heading over to www.kuiu.com to learn about them.  This review will simply cover the features I like and why I like them.

Nearly all of my outdoor knowledge comes from trial and error.  With this in mind, I'm going to begin writing a reoccurring post called "Backcountry Blunders" where I tell you all about how I've screwed up and what I now do to avoid making the same mistakes.  First up, "water crossings."

Before you head into the backcountry, just remember that water doesn't grow on trees.  It's important to plan accordingly, but how do I know how much to bring?  This post will help clear that up!

One of the most important ingredients of a good backcountry kit is a water filtering system.  I'll admit that prior to my Sawyer Mini, I had no experience with water filters of any kind.  There are so many designs out there to choose from such as pumps, squeeze styles, and gravity fed systems, that it can be a little overwhelming at times.  Though I haven't owned them all, I can at least speak intelligently about how my Sawyer Mini works and show you why it is I love it so much.

I didn't know it at the time, but I wasn't getting what I needed out of shooting a compound bow.  No matter how much I would shoot, nothing seemed to excite me about it until I got it in my head that maybe I needed to change it up and try a traditional bow.  Just a handful of arrows later and I was hooked.  

Up until a just a couple of years ago, I never once questioned whether hunting was an ethical thing to do or not.  Though I'd continue to obsess over the coming seasons and the adventures that await, I would begin to ask myself if it was really that necessary to make such an effort to kill a wild animal when I could very well just go to the store for meat.  This is my story of redefining what it means to hunt and why I continue to do it year after year.

2010 was a year I'll never forget.  I not only harvested my first mature Blacktail, but I learned that my energy in the forest may actually play a much larger role than I ever before realized.

I love finding ways to organize myself in the backcountry.  The Kuiu Dry Zip Bag has become a regular partner of mine in doing so and I'd highly suggest picking up some of your own.  Find out why by reading this post!

While hiking over 30 miles in the fog isn't what most people call ideal fun, I've learned to love my experience on the Loowit Trail and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Reviewing a backpack is a daunting task because of how complicated it can be.  There are as many packs out there as there are body types and each one serves its own specific purpose.  Some are built for ultra light hiking while others for heavy load hauling.  Some are meant for a lifetime of abuse while others will last but a few years.  If you ask my close friends, they'd tell you that I have a minor obsession with backpacks of any kind and what my obsession has taught be over the years is that unlike the Lord of the Rings, there is not one backpack to rule them all.  With that in mind, though daunting as it may be, I’m so pleased with my Exo Mountain Gear 3500 that I can't help but tell of how great it is.