Short version: Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra XL are great for those doing winter hikes in varying conditions. YakTrax Hiking Cleats are fine for light duty use but I destroyed my pair on my first wearing (12 miles, 3900’). They are, however, much cheaper and lighter. Other brands such as Kahtoola MICROspikes are also excellent based
I’m working from home more and my $20 crappy keyboard just isn’t cutting it. But I can’t just go out and purchase any random keyboard because while my preferences are simple, they are unique, making finding a comfortable and affordable unit difficult. For the impatient: Cherry KW9100: Straightforward business layout, flat as flat can be,
I can’t say I’m an expert fisherman nor a novice, but I do constantly feel a need to go fishing. After this summer’s endless repetition of coming home with burnt shoulders, arms, cheeks, and the back of my neck. I decided to consider Columbia’s P.F.G. (Professional Fishing Gear), because Columbia has a reputation of
Fearing I didn’t have enough space on my DR650 to carry all my junk plus more junk on top of that in my Mosko Reckless 80 bags I started looking into other options, of which there were effectively four: Backpack Tank bag Fender bag Handlebar bag Gas tank saddlebags You probably counted five instead of
There comes a time in an adventurer’s life where he gets tired of eating pre-made foods like 7-11 sandwiches, energy or protein bars or McDonald’s $1 menu items and wants to branch out into something cooked, and not soggy. Or when he’s out camping and just wants some hot cocoa but first must pump up
I’m a sport bike rider so buying helmets is rather simple. Snell/ECE certification and best reviews and I’m basically on my way. I previously had an Arai RX-7 Corsair which served me well for quite a few years, with the only problems being their ridiculous side-pod, ADSIS or Super ADSIS or some other
I ride two bicycles, have one car and two motorcycles – okay, I had two motorcycles but had to sell one to finance a trip but will hopefully be buying another next year so I still consider myself having two. Trying to attach my increasing amounts of electronics to these vehicles while maintaining some semblance
I’m a bit of a shoe snob, I’ll admit it, but with good reason. I’m extremely hard on shoes and can destroy a cheap pair in months – weeks if they’re a bargain-basement brand. I recall in high school buying my first pair of modern-style cowboy boots, a fancy pair of grey bonded leather, rubber
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Well, about two brands of cooking pots, really: G4Free 4 Piece Camping Cookware & the Optimus Terra HE. As with almost everything these days, there is an overabundance of often confusing and contradictory information for an overwhelming array of choices for backpacking gear. This includes something as seemingly simple as which pot
What happens when Sherman Pass gives you a gash on your new KO2 tires? You figure out how to use a high lift jack. Fortunately Joe and Jeremy used it before and were able to quickly change my flat tire. I personally had to YouTube how to use a high lift jack a few times
The name Calscadia came from a portmanteau of the CAL from California where I reside and SCADIA for the Cascades, where I’m from originally as well as in reference to Cascade Locks where I adopted a beloved Bernese Mountain Dog. I started this website and social media as an outlet to talk about the adventures I take, the people I meet and the gear I abuse along the way. When I talk about gear, I’ll tell you what works, what doesn’t and why I came to that conclusion. I purchase my own gear, am not sponsored and won’t put ads on videos because I hate that as much as you do. I may get money from affiliate links but you’ll always know that in advance. Hopefully I’ll see you out there!