Technically, the Alpha Comp Hoody jacket isn’t a hardshell, nor is it a softshell. In fact, it combines softshell and hardshell fabrics into one to make a comfortable all-season jacket. The shoulders and top of the arms are waterproof and breathable, while the rest of the body is Schoeller Dynamic, a durable stretch-woven material used in the best softshells.

The result is a jacket that you can wear comfortably in all kinds of weather-from summer showers to mid-winter days-without needing to change layers. And the pocket layout is especially useful: two hand warmers and two chest pockets.

Keep in mind this jacket is suited for those wet situations where you’ll need something more waterproof.  Best suited to Hikers who want more protection than a softshell can provide.

Weight: 0.5 kg, 1.2lbs Price: $500 USD

The Helly Hansen Storm Jacket is a new take on the waterproof/breathable from a company known for its wet-weather sailing protection. The two-layer fabric features stretchy polyurethane on the outside with a knit polyester interior, like a rubber rainslicker with a skin-friendly liner. Unlike Paddington Bear’s trusty mac, this jacket breathes so you don’t drown in your sweat. The soft rubbery feel and threadless seams result in a quieter, more subtle wear than other laminates. Nylon elbow patches add durability for trail use. Keep in mind The cut is fairly roomy, making this best suited to those with decent girth. Best suited to Water lovers who need durable wet-weather protection that can withstand the abuse of salt water and serious rain. This jacket is your friend when the weather get foul.

Weight: 0.5 kg, 1.2 lbs Price: $130 - 190 USD

Keep in mind more features mean more dough, of course. If your jacket spends most of its life at the bottom of your pack, don’t bother. Best suited to Coastal hikers seeking sweat- and restriction-free rain protection for summer adventures.

Weight:  0.4 kg, 1.0 Ibs,   Price: $125 - $190 USD

One little rip in your tent’s gauzy armor, and the bloodletting begins. Thwart biting bugs of all varieties by promptly fixing holes in your tent screens. Here’s how.

[1] If it’s a clean tear, sew it shut with nylon thread, using an overhand stitch.

[2]Jagged holes need more reinforcement. Take a swatch of mosquito netting or a fabric patch from your repair kit. trim it so it’s half an inch bigger than the hole. and sew it into place.

[3] Hate stitching? Try this no-sew repair : Place a piece of paper over the hole and secure it with masking tape-never duct tape, which leaves a sticky residue. Flip the netting over and brush a thin layer of SeamGrip over the paper-backed tear. Let it cure 48 hours, then peel away the tape and paper to reveal a “patch” of SeamGrip. Dust the area with talcum powder to keep it from sticking to other fabrics when packed and stored.

There’s a reason why outdoor enthusiasts take energy bars rather than egg-salad sandwiches on their adventures: it’s that age-old sacrifice of delectability for longevity. But even an energy bar has a shelf life, and that date you see on the label hasn’t just been pulled from a hat.

Brian Baker, national sports manager for PowerBar, explains that his company carefully tests each of its products over time to determine the proper expiry date, “Ingredients in PowerBars do not go bad from a food-safety perspective,” Baker says. “However, the texture changes-products will lose moisture and become harder over time-and there’s a decrease in vitamin and mineral level.”

So, yes, most post-dated energy bars should be safe to eat. But you won’t get the complete nutritional kick of the original bar. And, no, you can’t extend its shelf life by popping a near-due bar into the freezer, like yesterday’s baking or rolls of film. Better to stock up again, And be sure to empty your pack after your next trip.

The Montrail Mountain Mist XCR is a nimble trail runner that allows the wearer to easily cross over to moderate backpacking duty.

Montrail Mountain Mist XCR trail runner is one of the best at moving fast, it is also great for dayhiking, backpacking, even scrambling off-trail. One tester took these straight out of the box on a 6-day trip in California’s Trinity Alps and found them comfortable from the first step. Versatile, too: “They handled snowfields, steep, muddy hillsides, and slippery rocks, all with a 40-pound pack.”

The Montrail Mountain Mist XCR is one of the lightest trail running shoes that marries plush cushioning and excellent torsional stability with good forefoot flex and rocker. Some of us carried 40 pounds comfortably, (hanks in part to a plastic exoskeleton that supports feet from the laces to the ankle. Credit also goes to gel cushioning in the forefoot and a full-length plastic midsole plate.

Waterproofing proved reliable, and breathability is among the best in the bunch. In fact, the shoes never felt damp during back-to-back 16-mile summer dayhikes in Glacier National Park. But the toebox’s tight fit was uncomfortable for some testers, and while the snug collar keeps out sand and stones, it’s so snug you have to force your foot through. Also, after a few hundred miles, seams and toe rands on some testers’ shoes began to unravel. Best for narrow, low-volume feet.

Price: $125 Weight: 1 lb. 15 OZ.
Sizes: Men’s 7-12, 13, 14, 15, Women’s 5-11

You’re doing everything you should to stay toasty all night…warm hat, calisthenics before bed, a hot-water bottle at your feet-but you’re still suffering predawn shivers. You might just be a cold sleeper or you might need a new bag. Here’s how to find one that’s right for you.

Get the right size - An oversized sack feels great in the store, but heating all that extra space can sap your body’s warmth. Mummy bags are the most efficient cut, and a snug fit that keeps you from bringing your knees to your chest inside the bag is best. Most manufacturers now offer women’s bags with a different shape and extra insulation in the feet and chest.

Compare thickness - All else being equal, the single best way to predict a bag’s performance is to measure its loft, or its top-to-bottom thickness when laid flat. More is better, because you’re essentially gauging the amount of warm air that can be trapped around you.

Subtract a few degrees - Over time, all bags lose some loft-and thus their ability to retain body heat. And some nights your tired body will struggle to stay warm. To compensate-and protect against cold snaps-buy a bag rated 10 to 20°F colder than the lowest temperature you expect to encounter. Consider adding a thin closed-cell foam pad to supplement your main mattress on shoulder-season hikes.

Inspect the Insulation - You can often predict cold spots by unzipping a bag and holding it up to the light. If you see bright spots where the fill has shifted. beware.

Pay a premium - High-quality down offers the best combination of warmth, weight savings, and durability among the primary insulations on the market. It’s ranked on a numerical scale called “fill power rating.” The numbers, which range from 600 to 900, refer to the number of cubic inches an ounce of down will fill.

No skis required Most adventurers know the Haute Route as the superfamous (and super-challenging) ski-mountaineering tour. But its lesser known and far less technical counterpart allows backpackers to experience the scenic highlights of the Alps while staying in historic mountain huts. This “walker’s Haute Route” crosses within sight of 12 different glacier systems and ten of the 12 highest Alpine peaks, and connects two historic centers of European alpinism-Chamonix, France and Zermatt, Switzerland. And since the French and Swiss are no strangers to haute cuisine, the huts dish out four-course dinners and the requisite vin rouge.

Route:

Fly to Geneva and take the train to Chamonix; your trek starts in the shadow of 15,771-foot Mont Blanc and treads 100-plus well-marked miles to Switzerland’s Matterhorn. This eastbound trek traverses Valais, a Swiss canton (like a county), then crosses the 14,000-foot Pennine Alps, stopping at slate-roofed farming villages and edelweiss-frosted meadows.

The trail has arguably the best epic-views-to-miles-hiked ratio in the world: Mont Blanc is visible nearly the entire time, as is the densest concentration of 13,000plus-foot peaks in the Alps. You’ll cross 11 mountain passes, many exceeding 9,000 feet. Plan on spending up to 2 weeks, covering 10 to 15 miles with elevation changes of up to 4,000 feet a day.

Everything you need for staying in a hut will fit in a large daypack. Pack warm layers and a shell and a change of clothes for the huts. Some hikers bring slippers in case the huts are chilly. Blankets and pillows are provided (but bring a lightweight sleeping bag to ensure warmth and cleanliness). Stash a set of earplugs to drown out snoring. You’ll also need lunches. And if the dry high-altitude air parches your throat, pop a Ricola, made from edelweiss.

Price:

The Haute Route is hard to pull off on a tight budget, but you can stay in hostels while you’re in town to cut costs and meet like-minded backpackers. And, while tenting on the trail is discouraged, you can camp in the valley towns to save as much as $70 a day.

Season June to mid-July is the quietest time on the route, but you may need an ice axe and clampons for snow on the passes. The trail’s high season is from late July to early September. Make hut reservations before you leave.

Babble In multilingual Switzerland, it’s common to hear German, French, Italian, and Romansh (spoken by about 50,000 people). If it’s chocolate you’re craving, be prepared to know how to say chocolate in those language listed above. Keep your eyes peeled for ibex, with their great sweeping horns. Also look for marmots, red deer, chamois, ptarmigans. and pygmy owls.

An Inconvenient Truth, is Al Gore’s documentary and book on climate change and below are some answers he gave during an interview a while back.

Question: You famously climbed Rainier in 1999. How was that, and what’s the prediction for the Pacific Northwest?

Al Gore: Rainier was a wonderful father-son experience. The conditions were just ridiculous so bad my Secret Service chief, doctor, and military aide with the nuclear football all turned back. The rest of us decided to take it stage by stage, and shortly before dawn the mountain cleared just enough for us to make the final ascent. Regarding climate change, the prognosis for the Northwest is drastic change. Let me quote from a new Oregon State University study: “The coastal ranges are especially sensitive to climate change, because the temperatures frequently hover near freezing, so even slight warming can drastically reduce snow accumulation.” About the Olympics, it says this: “More than 60 percent of the range’s snow-covered areas would become rain-dominated areas.”

Question: How about Glacier National Park?

Al Gore: In 15 years, according to some projections, it’s going to be “The Park Formerly Known as Glacier.” I’ve hiked to the top of the Grinnell Glacier, and there’s a huge meltwater pool where the lower half of it used to be. The scientists would probably say we can’t make changes quickly enough to forestall their disappearance.

Question: What do you say to skeptics?
Al Gore: First, the evidence clearly demonstrates that as bad as you thought the problem was before, it is actually much worse. Second, the top scientists say we probably have fewer than 10 years to make significant changes and still stop the irreversible damage.

Question: Just Ten years?

Al Gore: It’s truly a planetary emergency. The good news is we have time, and we have the technologies we need. The only thing lacking is political will.

Watch the entire “An Inconvenient Truth” below (click play): 

Note:  If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you may have to allow Flash Player or use FireFox. Sorry for the inconvenience.

• Be prepared Women on long trips are vulnerable to urinary tract infections and vaginitis, so pack wet wipes and use one a day.
• Pad your supply With exertion of hiking, some women notice menstrual changes. But these could be positive changes-lighter flow, less pain. Increase your normal supply of pads and/or tampons if you expect your period, and pack a few even if you’re not. And don’t worry about bears; Gray says there’s no proof they seek out menstruating women.
• Pick the right partner Too often, women choose to hike with other women because they assume they’ll share the same goals. But Gray says she’s seen plenty of hell-bent female peakbaggers. Choose a partner based on trip goals, endurance levels, and, of course, safety-not gender.
• Step right up “There’s no research to show that men can carry a higher portion of their body weight or have more endurance in the backcountry,” says Gray. If your boyfriend wants to lug extra weight, let him, but don’t give any guy first crack at a boulder problem or the navigator’s mantle just because you’re female. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you insist on leading when your skills support it.

Below are some mountain biking items that will sure to make your ride more pleasurable.

Source Spinner Pro2

With mesh shoulder strap and vented back, the Source Spinner Pro2 pack at $80 will keep you hydrated without leaving you in a Pool of sweat. The external Pocket can be removed and is compartmentalized to keep tooIS and snacks organized, Inside the main compartment sits one of the best bladders around: it’s taste-free, double-walled for streng , and H two o~nings-an external screw cap for quick filling and a ide rolltop for easy cleaning.

Keeping your noggin intact is one thing, keeping it cool is quite another. The Louis Garneau Oz-zy Helmet at $150 does both exceedingly well thanks to a highly impact resistant bonded shell that’s honeycombed with 22 air-flow vents. An adjustable internal harness keeps it in place on the roughest terrain.

With a low-profile tread, the SixSixOne Dually Shoes at $150 are designed for flat pedals. The high ankle is cut asymmetrically with extra padding on the inside to protect your ankle bone.

For purists who prefer to clip in, the Crank Brothers Triple Ti Egg Beater Pedals at $690 are the ultimate in lightweight performance. They cost as much as some bikes (cheaper versions are available), but they shed mud better and are easier to clip into than any other pedals.

Flashy team jerseys have long been favourites of cross-country racers, but why not flaunt your individ- uality with a Sugoi TecniFino Jersey at $85.  The designs are funky, but the stretchywicking fabric and athletic fit equal pure performance.

One of the most versatile bikes for 2004 is the Norco Six at $2,850. The frame is burly enough for serious freeriding, yet has plenty of stand-over height for riders of all sizes. And even with six inches of front and rear suspension, the Six feels at home on long cross-country trails. In other words, one bike that may just do it all.

Keep track of your vital stats with the Filzer 4LW Wireless Cyclocomputer at $25. Wireless technology means it’s a snap to mount, and since the screen shows four parameters at once, you don’t have to take your hands off the bars and scroll through the functions to see all the data you need .

Fixing and maintaining your bike is actually relatively easy. The problem: you need the right tools. That’s where the Park Roll-Up Workshop at $200 comes in. Packed into the portable nylon pouch are 18 bike-specific tools and space for a few extras of your own .

Bike theft seems to be an unavoidable fact oflife in any city. Thwart those evil thieves with the Bike Guard Lock Jaw 1200 at  $30. It’s lighter and more compact than a traditional U-lock, yet offers the same amount of lockable space. The wide clamp opening design is easy to use, but hard to break into.

First dig a large hole in the ground, then spread your tarp over it. Push down the center of the tarp with your hands, and poke a small hole in the center. Place a bowl underneath the hole in the tarp to collect the water.

Now, use a rock and place it over the hole in the tarp to weigh it down, this way the walls of the tarp slopes downwards. So the water will drip downward. When the moisture from the ground condenses it will from water beads on the tarp and due to gravity will flow into the bowl.