Make Dinner a Priority Part of the fun and challenge of a multi-day bikepacking trip is planning the meals. Some routes let you indulge in small-town food stops where you can resupply or simply eat at a restaurant every few days. But what about more remote routes and the days when you need to be self-sufficient with your food? Packing… Read More
Pack Light, But Not Too Light Carrying a compact multi-tool or a limited collection of bike tools is essential on extended bikepacking trips and remote gravel rides, but the minimalist in me is always looking for ways to carry less. Roadside repairs fit into two categories: bike adjustments/fixes and flat tire repairs. Few tools cover both scenarios, though there are… Read More
Raise the Bar on Backcountry Communication – Rocky Talkie Radios Good communication makes for a good day and safe travel protocol in the backcountry. On the most basic level, good communication is about staying in touch with your ski partner(s) while climbing and skiing. When the terrain splits your group, or different paces cause separation, two-way radios let you stay… Read More
Ortlieb, Osprey and Deuter Seat Pack Reviews The seat pack is one of the largest volume bags in most bikepacking setups. They are also arguably the most finicky to set up and fit to your bike. They require careful packing, correct positioning, snug attachment and enough clearance above your tire to avoid problems down the road. We tested a number… Read More
Bikepacking Route Craft 101 “All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” — JR Tolkien. Gandolf’s words to Frodo as the Hobbit departs in search of Aragorn are equally sage advice for those looking to learn the art of creating bikepacking and adventure gravel routes. Route craft is equal parts map reading skills, curiosity… Read More
Immersing yourself in the rhythm of flowy forested singletrack on a mountain bike takes confidence, faith in your tires and a crisp view of the terrain ahead. Confidence comes with practice. Faith in your tires comes with experience. And a crisp view of the terrain comes with good mountain bike sunglasses. When choosing MTB sunglasses, you need to consider the… Read More
Ortlieb Fork Packs – Convenient Mini Panniers Packing your gear and loading up your bike for an adventure requires a mix of experience, restraint and experimentation. It also takes the right combination of bikepacking bags. I consider a set of fork-mounted bikepacking bags like the Ortlieb Fork Packs to be essential equipment for any multi-day bikepacking trip. Fork-mounted bags are… Read More
Solo bikepacking missions are synonymous with packing light. There’s no one to split group gear with, so gram counting is essential for an efficient load. One of the best ways to save weight and space while solo bikepacking is with a bare-bones shelter, like a tarp tent or a bivy bag. But tarp tents and bivy bags are about compromise…. Read More
How to Store Climbing Skins, Skis and Avalanche Beacon for the Summer As the main ski season comes to a close, it’s worth giving some thought to storing your climbing skins and ski gear for the summer. A few easy steps will make sure your backcountry equipment is ready to roll and easy to find when the snow flies in… Read More
Ski and Bike Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and bike industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features EXPLORE Act status, a new multi-day bikepacking route in Oregon, plus new bike-specific gear from Outdoor… Read More
With bike road trip season rapidly approaching, we take a look at the Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel. The RoundTrip is a purpose-built bike gear travel bag. It’s designed to keep your gear organized and easy to find whether you’re headed for your local trailhead or on a multi-day road trip. Get Organized with the RoundTrip Bike Duffel Like most people,… Read More
A Clean, Functional Ski Pack for Day Tours “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman’s Odyssey Testing ski packs is a little like backseat driving; It’s easy to be a critic. In an effort to come up with fresh designs or innovative… Read More
To the Hills & Back is not your typical ski movie. It’s a story of risk and consequence. What is risk? Risk is the likelihood of something bad happening and understanding the consequences. The new Sherpas Cinema film explores the consequences. It’s a story of loss, humility and resilience. No one heads to the mountains thinking about the worst that… Read More
Ski Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features a new avalanche beacon from Pieps, a new teleark ski boot from Scarpa, how to become a sponsored adventurer and… Read More
PFC-Free GORE-TEX GORE-TEX has been setting the standard for waterproof, breathable outerwear for more than 30 years. Now, they’re shaping the future of waterproof, breathable outerwear, and it’s PFC-free. The GORE-TEX fabrics we all know feature a combination of materials laminated to a thin membrane called ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) — read more about the different types of GORE-TEX. PTFE is… Read More
