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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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  • Aaron Zagrodnick 238
  • Mark Wetherington 76
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Gear | Trips | Food | Technique | Reading

Entries in this blog

Gear

Coast FL1R Micro Rechargeable Headlamp Review

I’ve always been a fan of headlamps powered by either 3 AAA batteries or a single AA battery (my current favorite). While these types of headlamps may at first seem a bit archaic – the performance is simply there. When it comes to the ultralight headlamp category, lithium has matched, but not overtaken a single AA battery when watt hours are compared side by side. To avoid throwing away batteries, I use all Panasonic Eneloop batteries – rated for over 2000 cycles. On the plus side, ex
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Closed Cell Foam (CCF): Backpacking & Hiking Jargon

In backpacking circles CCF (closed cell foam) is most often used in relation to your choice of sleeping pad, which often comes down to one key decision – air pad or CCF? Both have pros and cons. A thick air pad is found to offer a more comfortable night of sleep for many and they pack small, but care must be exercised to guard against punctures and carrying a patch kit is recommended. And if you want one that’s both light and warm, they can be pricey. CCF pads are warm for their weigh
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Choosing the Best Backpacking Sleeping Pad

A backpacking sleeping pad very importantly provides warmth by insulating us from the cold ground at night, and ideally a sleeping pad will also provide sufficient comfort to allow for a good night of rest. As an item that’s one of the heaviest and bulkiest core gear items you will carry on any backpacking trip, the sleeping pad requires some thought and consideration when it comes to selection and application. With a multitude of options available there's a sleeping pad to specifically sui
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Casio Pro Trek PRW3000 Watch Review

For several years, I’ve been using Casio watches in the backcountry – specifically the Pathfinder PAW1300 Reviewed Here, and most recently the newer Pro Trek PRW3000. Compared to my older model, the 3000 features an updated sensor promising better usage of power and more accurate readings and a few other convenient features. The form factor is smaller than many multi-function watches and will fit nearly any wrist well, and best of all in my mind it’s a nearly set and forget watch: Aut
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Buzz Away Extreme Insect Repellent Review

No matter if it’s a low snow year or not and even during summer drought conditions, mosquitoes tend to maintain a strong foothold here high in the mountains of Wyoming. As I’ve migrated from DEET to Picaridin to natural insect repellents over the years, I’m always on the lookout for products that either work better or have better ingredients. While I’ve been using Herbal Armor for several years, the best version of their product – the pressurized continuous spray has recently become hard to find
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Brooks Cascadia 13 Trail Running Shoe Review

After making the switch from hiking books to trail runners a few years ago, I’ve been fairly loyal to various iterations of the Brooks Cascadias. At any given time during the hiking season, there is usually at least one Gore-Tex pair of Cascadias and one regular pair on my feet or in my gear room. Alternating between the two based on trail conditions or the season has kept my feet happy for well over a thousand cumulative miles of backpacking and trail running. I’ve found both version
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

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Gear

Black Diamond Firstlight 2P 4-Season Tent Review

Shelter from the elements is a crucial component of a backpacker’s equipment list and having adequate and reliable shelter is of paramount importance in winter. When I primarily backpacked in the Southeast, I was able to get away with using a three-season tent or a tarp for backpacking trips in the winter months without any issues. However, when I moved to Montana and knew I would be backpacking year-round in the Northern Rockies, a dedicated winter tent quickly rose to the top of my “to buy” li
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

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Gear

Best Canister Fuel for Backpacking Stoves

While the physical standardization of backpacking fuel canisters may lead one to believe they’re all the same, the actual contents of each canister vary greatly, and results in a multitude of liquefied fuel mixtures on the market. And if you’ve ever been in the situation – like I have – where you’re trying to boil water by the light of a headlamp on a chilly fall night only to watch the output of your stove steadily drop towards a heat level barely above off, you know it pays to know your stove
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Best Backpacking Utensils and Trail Cutlery Strategy

Although your local or online retailer likely carries an array of backpacking and camping utensils sure to satisfy even the most advanced culinary ideas, most of us that don't work as a chef for a living can attain backcountry mealtime prowess with the simplest of choices and without cluttering or weighing down our pack. Here are my thoughts on the main players in this department and what I've found has worked best over the years. A selection of backpacking utensils The Backpacki
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Best Backpacking Tents by Application and Budget

As one of the most important decisions you can make when it comes to backpacking gear, your choice of a backpacking tent can have quite the impact in regards to your comfort in camp and protection from the elements. Additionally, choosing the best backpacking tent can also have an impact when it comes to weight carried on the trail (as one of, if not the heaviest items in your pack), and a tent decision can have quite the impact on your wallet, as well. With many factors to consider,
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags by Temperature Rating

An important core backpacking gear item, your backpacking sleeping bag needs to be light enough to carry easily, pack small enough as to not take over your entire pack, and most importantly keep you warm and comfortable at night. In this guide we’ll focus on the best backpacking sleeping bags currently on the market by temperature rating. As this is a backpacking focused article weight of the sleeping bag and warmth to weight ratio will be of a paramount focus here, with down bags rul
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Best Backpacking Backpacks & Top Pack Picks by Category

One of the big 3 of backpacking gear choices (backpack, tent or shelter, and sleeping bag), the backpacking backpack you choose will have a profound impact on your comfort during the hiking day. Your pack will also be one of the more expensive items you’ll purchase, and to get the best pack within your budget a little research will be needed as there are a myriad of packs out there on the market. In this guide, we’ll look at the best backpacking packs currently on the market based upo
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Pots and Cookware Selection Guide

Performing a few simple yet vital tasks, our choice of a backpacking pot is one item that the rest of our cooking gear will frequently revolve around, especially if you like to pack your entire cooking kit inside your pot. A backpacking pot serves as a vessel in which we can prepare our backcountry meals and heat or even sanitize water if needed – and despite being such a simple item it is not one easily replaced. In fact, if one were only allowed to take a few items of gear into the backco
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Pillow Selection Guide and Overview

A good night of sleep is always important – but with the physical activity that goes along with backpacking, it becomes even more important on the trail. Getting a good rest after a long hiking day will only help things the next day – whether it’s the physical challenge of a high mileage day, or even a day that tests other things like your sharpness with navigational ability. Not to mention just our general mental outlook – being tired makes everything harder. With our at home pillow system (at
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Jargon: What is a Freestanding Tent?

The default term “tent” is no longer accurate to describe the various shelter options used by backpackers. Tarp-tents, tarps, bivy sacks, hammocks, and tents generally cover the gear used to seek refuge from the elements, but each have further sub-categories that merit examining and understanding when making the best decision about what you will put in your pack. Freestanding tents add convenience, but also add weight. Freestanding & Non-Freestanding Backpacking Tents In
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Jargon: What Are Backpack Load Lifters?

Load lifters are adjustable straps running from the top of each shoulder strap to the top part of the pack body (and ideally to the top of the frame) on many packs designed for overnight carry and beyond. By tightening these straps, the top of the pack is prevented from sagging backwards and a more efficient weight transfer to the hipbelt is achieved by removing weight from the shoulders. An angle of about 45 degrees (running upwards from the shoulder strap to the pack body attachment point) is
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Jargon: ASTM F3340-18 & Sleeping Pad R-Value

The American Society for Testing and Materials F3340-18 standard is a standardized way in which backpacking sleeping pads are measured for r-value, or their warmth and insulation value. As a standardized test this allows one to compare sleeping pad r-values on a level field. The test utilizes a cold plate underneath the sleeping pad being tested, with a near-body-temperature warm plate placed on top. Inflatable sleeping pads are inflated to the same inflation pressure. The amount of energy it ta
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Jargon: 2L vs. 2.5L and 3 Layer Rain Gear

Waterproof / breathable clothing and footwear is often classified depending on the type of layering construction that’s utilized in combination with the actual waterproof and breathable membrane or coating. The layering process is used to protect the more fragile waterproofing layer from abrasions, snags, and from dirt and body oils which will compromise effectiveness. Along with weight and price, when choosing your backpacking rain gear its construction (in regards to layers) should
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Hydration Options: An Overview and Guide

As soon as we set foot on the trail, a way to carry one of the most essential ingredients for a successful hike – water – becomes essential. With a myriad of options available from bottles of nearly every variety to dedicated, and often complex, hydration systems on the market today, when choosing a way to carry your water while backpacking the shopping experience can become complicated quickly. What follows is an overview of options that are available for this task along with my preferences, an
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Gear: Down vs. Synthetic Insulation

Before you begin to narrow down your choice of a sleeping bag or jacket for backpacking usage, there’s one key decision you must arrive at first: the choice of down vs. synthetic insulation. The source of much debate, both options have mostly pros and a few cons. In this post we’ll detail why you might choose one over the other and detail the performance of down and synthetic insulation across various backpacking situations. Down and synthetic backpacking jackets Down Insulation
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking Gear Lists and the T.R.I.P. Process

The gear list. It might be written on a piece of paper, typed into a spreadsheet, read from a book, or all in your head. But most of us probably have one somewhere. In its simplest form, a gear list can really help with those “I can’t believe I forgot that” moments when you’ve just hiked 20 miles from the trailhead and are setting up camp in dwindling evening light. In other forms, a list can help you identify things you really don’t need, help you reduce your pack weight, and help you identify
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking and Hiking Water Treatment Guide

On any hiking or backpacking trip, the ability to procure drinking water during the hike is one of the most important logistical considerations for both pre-trip planning as well as while we’re on the trail. Finding the water is of course the first step, and having the necessary gear to properly process the water so it’s suitable to drink is the second part of the equation. Here we’ll look at the main types of water filters and backcountry water treatment methods that are best suited for ba
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

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Gear

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Shoe Stack Height

With footwear being one (and especially important) component of a successful and enjoyable hike, it can pay to become a bit more familiar with the terminology used to define and classify all the choices that are out there. When it comes to stack height, this is a specific measurement of the distance of the bottom of your foot from the ground and overall height of the shoe underfoot. Generally when comparing footwear in a similar class, most of the differences in stack height will be in the form
Aaron Zagrodnick

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Gear

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Micron (Water Treatment)

A unit of measurement equal to one-millionth of a meter, or a thousandth of a millimeter. You’ll almost certainly hear the term micron used in relation to backcountry water filtration methods. The standard micron size of most popular water filters is usually around .2 microns, but there are filters available with both smaller and larger pore sizes. What’s best? It depends. Most of the things you can actually see in a water source are quite large and will be caught by almost all filters, but it’s
Aaron Zagrodnick

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Gear

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Fabric Hydrostatic Head

At what point will it leak? In the outdoor industry, hydrostatic head (often abbreviated as HH) is a measure of the waterproofness of a particular fabric, most applicable to the fly of a shelter, canopy, and / or floor materials, as well as rain gear. The measurement reflects how high a column of water a secured piece of fabric could support before leakage occurs. This column of water is measured in millimeters, and the test is performed with a special machine or apparatus that applies water pre
Aaron Zagrodnick

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