Jump to content


TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

  • entries
    534
  • comments
    634
  • views
    323,250

Contributors to this blog

  • Aaron Zagrodnick 238
  • Mark Wetherington 76
  • PaulMags 27
  • Susan Dragoo 25
  • Steve Ancik 16
  • tmountainnut 12
  • David Cobb 10
  • Eric 10
  • HappyHour 9
  • jansenjournals 8
  • DustyD 7
  • Karen Garmire 6
  • Cinny Green 6
  • HikerBox 6
  • Daniel Anderson Jr 5
  • AndreaL 5
  • michaelswanbeck 5
  • George Graybill 5
  • SparbaniePhoto 5
  • Wired 4
  • mgraw 4
  • JimR 3
  • JimG 3
  • eliburakian 3
  • Kevin DeVries 3
  • Steven Genise 3
  • sarahtied 2
  • Doug Emory 2
  • Jessica Smith 2
  • Adrienne Marshall 2
  • seano 2
  • MattS 2
  • Jen 2
  • Peter 1
  • Claire Murdough 1
  • DKim and PatriciaV 1
  • Tucker Ballister 1
  • Curry Caputo 1
  • Madeline Salocks 1
  • Greg Jansky 1
  • J. Parascandola 1
  • BSuess 1
  • Adel 1
  • Rob Newton 1
  • Grace Bowie 1
  • Allison Johnson 1
  • SarahLynne 1
  • Barbara 1
  • Isak Kvam 1
  • Ben Libbey 1
  • Tephanie H. 1

Gear | Trips | Food | Technique | Reading

Read more  

Entries in this blog

Gear

MSR WindPro II Stove Review

For 3-season use stove choices are simple: many of us rely on an upright canister stove – with my current favorite choice being the Soto WindMaster. For year-round utilization however and when temperatures fall in winter, and / or melting snow is one’s source of water, modifications to your stove system or a different system entirely are called for. As temperatures drop, performance of upright canister stoves begins to suffer and especially as temperatures approach or surpass the boiling point o
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

MSR Titan Kettle Review

Some of the best things in life are the simplest. For backpackers, there is a pleasure in sipping hot coffee, tea or cocoa from a sleeping bag that borders on the divine. And behind such a simple pleasure is a simple piece of a gear: a kettle, pot or some other means of warming water. I upgraded from a lidless, stainless steel pot leftover from my brief time in Boy Scouts to the MSR Titan Kettle fairly early in my backpacking days and it has proven to be one of the best gear-related investments
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

4
Gear

MSR Quick Skillet Review

Like most backpackers, my cook kit usually consists of a stove, pot, spork, and mug. Sometimes I even forego the mug in a quest for simplicity and weight savings and just drink my tea and coffee out of the pot. And, inadvertently, I’ve left my spork behind once or twice and enjoyed extremely minimal and inconvenient weight savings. However, under certain conditions, I’ve been known to expand my cook kit to include a non-stick skillet and cook up meals normally reserved for car camping
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

0
Gear

MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove Review

An upright backpacking canister stove released by MSR in 2019, the Pocket Rocket Deluxe takes the normal version of their popular upright canister stove (the standard Pocket Rocket stove) and adds an external piezo push start ignition system along with an internal pressure regulator, promising more stable performance across both low canister and in colder weather applications. After utilizing the Soto WindMaster for years that utilizes a pressure regulation system – for more you can see our full
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

MSR Lightning Explore Snowshoes Review

For dedicated hikers and backpackers in snowy climates, snowshoes are a must-have for winter travel. After purchasing a pair of the MSR Lightning Explore snowshoes and having done several backpacking trips and numerous dayhikes with them I’ve probably accumulated around 100 miles on the snowshoes between 2 seasons, in a variety of conditions, and feel reasonably well-qualified to offer my thoughts on this piece of equipment. The MSR Lightning Explore Snowshoes 25” Length Men’s Version
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

0
Gear

MSR Access 1 Ultralight Four-Season Tent Review

The MSR Access 1 tent is conceived as a one person, ultralight, four-season tent suited for winter backpacking, ski touring, and snowshoeing and especially in locations that may be at or around the treeline. It’s also suited for any location that will involve cold, wind, or otherwise winter conditions combined with your overnight activity of choice. In this review I’ll review the MSR Access 1 – the solo version of the tent. There is also a 2-person option and a 3-person variant, also in the brig
Rob Newton

Rob Newton in Gear

0
Gear

Mountain Laurel Designs eVent Superlight Gaiters Review

No matter your outdoor recreation activity of choice, for most any type of winter activity in deeper snow some type of gaiter is desired to keep snow from entering through the top of your footwear and causing an uncomfortably chilly situation, or even eventually worse, predicament for your feet. Although of a shorter design I’ve been utilizing the Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) Superlight gaiter for the past several years as my gaiter of choice anytime snow is present in shoulder seasons, and thr
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

Montbell Mirage Down Parka: Long Term Review

If you’re comparing specifications among commercially available light to mid-weight down parkas, one option will surely start to rise to the top of the list as you compare down fill and overall weights across the board – the Montbell Mirage. As a long-time user of their popular and lighter U.L. Down Inner series, and as a backpacker who isn’t afraid to carry a few extra ounces if the comfort trade-off is worth the weight, the Mirage is tempting option for shoulder season and winter trips, or for
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

Marmot Precip Shell Gloves Review

With colder weather officially in place over the Rockies, I recently found myself plagued with chilly hands again as fall moved to late fall and on towards winter. Normally to combat the issue while backpacking, I’ll go to the waterproof eVent Rain Mitts from Mountain Laurel Designs that we reviewed in Issue #2, combined with a pair of DeFeet Duragloves for warmth as a liner. With the eVent mitts seam sealed and with the liner gloves thrown in, this combination comes in at 3.9oz altogether. (Siz
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

Lixada 10 Watt USB Ultralight Solar Panel Review

While I make every effort to make electronics as small a part of the backcountry experience as possible, I can’t say I’ve ever gone on a trip without taking along some type of electronic item. Whether the old school giant Petzl headlamp that I packed on trips in the 90s, or the smartphone and satellite communicator (along with, thankfully smaller and lighter headlamps) of today, electronics are admittedly a part of every trip in some manner for just about all of us. Even on trips where I haven’t
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

Lightweight Photo Gear and Carrying a Backpacking Camera

Combining cameras with the outdoors and taking one along to document your hiking and backpacking trips introduces a few challenges that must be overcome to take your photos quickly and easily, while still being able to maintain and keep your camera safe from the elements. On the trail, a few key points are worth the most consideration and what follows is the setup that has worked best for me on trips where the hiking is a higher priority than, or at least on equal ground priority-wise, with the
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

6
Gear

Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System Review

If you ask five people when backpacking and hiking season is, you will probably get five different answers. For those that want to extend their own personal season into the fringes of the shoulder seasons and even into the heart of winter, there are a couple things that will be necessary. Warmer gear can only get you so far, and as it gets icy, you’ll need to add something to your footwear to help with traction. Even during the peak of summer, traction devices can make or break a trip
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Gear

0
Gear

Kahtoola EXOspikes Traction System Review

The EXOspikes Traction System is a product from Kahtoola designed to enhance traction in wintry terrain, and is suited both for hiking and trail running. Sharing some similarities with the popular Kahtoola MICROSpikes, the product is available in multiple sizes, each fitting a range of footwear sizes. A stretchy elastomer harness fits over your footwear, and underneath you’ll find a grid of trekking pole-like metal carbide tips on the forefoot and heel – 12 on each foot to be exact. My size XL p
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

How to Select the Best Hiking Socks: Tips from the Trail

Socks have more to do with your comfort while hiking than most of your other gear; however it seems like they sometimes can be an afterthought when packing for a trip. A good sock or a good sock system can prevent blisters and provide you with comfort in nearly any shoe. Selecting the right sock for you means you need to understand the different types of socks that are available. Cotton, polyester/nylon, and wool are the three main types of fabrics used in socks. Cotton has gotten a bad reputati
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Gear

0
Gear

How to Keep Your Pillow on Your Backpacking Sleeping Pad

We all know a better night of sleep leads to a better next day of hiking. While the most ultralight of pillow techniques calls for using extra clothes, stuff sacks, water reservoirs, or anything you can find all stuffed into another stuff sack, many of us are already wearing the majority of our clothing in our sleeping bag, leading to a bleak build-your-own pillow situation. This case calls for a separate (and more comfortable) dedicated pillow, and with many options now weighing just
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

How to Choose the Best Hiking Shoes or Boots

Both a prerequisite for the enjoyment of any day hike and critical for the success of any extended backpacking trip, our choice of a hiking shoe or boot is one of the most important gear related choices to make and dial in prior to any outdoor excursion. Not only does the best hiking boot or shoe depend on fit and our own individual preference, but the best options will also vary widely by season – although many options can also be workable across more than one season, or even with a few caveats
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking Tent Stakes

If you’re not thinking about your tent stakes on your next backpacking trip, it’s probably a good sign that you’ve chosen the right ones. If your stakes aren’t a good match for the ground and conditions at hand however, you could be in for a difficult shelter setup process and perhaps even for a long night. With a myriad of lightweight tent stakes on the market to choose from, there’s likely a specific tent stake for every condition you’ll encounter, as well as others that will perform well acro
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

2
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking Tent

Of all the things we carry while backpacking, a tent or our backpacking shelter of choice is among the most important for a safe and enjoyable wilderness excursion. A shelter provides refuge from rain and snow, cuts down on wind exposure, and often will protect us from biting insects as well. While other shelter options are popular from hammocks to tarps to bivy sacks, the traditional backpacking tent, or perhaps some not so traditional modern tents on the market, remain the most popular shelter
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking Stove

When it comes to backpacking stoves, there are several routes one can take and several different main categories of stoves exist – each with an array of pros and cons. Without a doubt however, no matter which way you go about it the backpacking stove is an important part of any overnight or multi-night gear ensemble. A backpacking stove provides hot meals and drinks, goes a long way towards keeping you warm on chilly mornings and evenings, and for backpacking and hiking a stove needs to be conve
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

6
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking Sleeping Bag

Much like your bed at home, your sleeping bag is a place where you will be spending about one-third of your time in a 24-hour period. Making sure that your sleeping bag is comfortable, warm, and appropriate for the conditions is essential for getting a quality night’s rest so you can wake up the next day ready to crank out some miles, summit a peak, or simply soak up the natural scenery without dozing off. The good news is that there are plenty of options for high-quality sleeping bags, so
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

3
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking and Hiking Headlamp

A good light for backpacking and hiking is a required and essential safety item and a category for which there are no shortage of options available – and considering the convenience and hands-free operation provided, headlamps are the most popular option for your backcountry lighting needs. What follows is an overview of features to consider when selecting a headlamp for the outdoors and thoughts on lighting needs for the trail. A headlamp for backpacking and hiking should be lightwei
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

3
Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking and Hiking Backpack

No matter your approach to backpacking – ultralight, comfort light, traditional, or whatever our own unique approaches may be in the gear department, backpacking in and of itself goes hand in hand with a gear list (whether on paper or simply in our heads), making a way to carry all that stuff one of the most important gear related items we need to consider. What follows is a guide to selecting an appropriate backpack for hiking and backpacking, including an overview of features, technologies, ma
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

How Not to Lose Your Tent Stakes: Heat Shrink Tubing

Although the venerable titanium shepherd's hook stake is an ultralight favorite, if you've ever used a set you know that one of their drawbacks is their ability to blend into their surroundings when loose on the ground. This can make packing up in the morning frustratingly difficult as you search for that last stake that's somewhere on the ground in a very specific area, but seemingly invisible. To assist, there is one way that will help ensure your set of titanium shepherd's hook stakes all sta
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

Hollow Fiber Backpacking Water Filter Care & Maintenance

While many methods for backcountry water treatment exist, hollow fiber filters are quite popular due to their ease of use, effectiveness, reasonable cost, and longevity. While a hollow fiber filter is quite simple – with the filter itself having no moving parts and working through a multitude of hollow tubes (each hollow tube then having a multitude of microscopic pores, which actually filter the water) the filter element will still need to be maintained and some basic precautions should be exer
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

7
Gear

Hiking Wind Shirts and Patagonia Houdini Review

In recent years the popularity and availability of wind shirts or ultralight wind jackets have both increased, and as many have found, these pieces often fit in very well with active outdoor pursuits including backpacking and hiking. These specialized jackets focus on light weight, simplicity, full or mostly single layer construction, and have a design focus on performance in a layering system and in the outdoors. The Patagonia Houdini offers ultralight wind protection combined with w
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

4



×
×
  • Create New...