Reviews

MSR Hubba Hubba™ LT 3-Person Backpacking Tent The new Hubba Hubba™ LT-3 tent from MSR delivers an amazing amount of interior space at an impressive weight of only 4 lbs., 13 oz. One gets used to tent manufacturers overstating the roominess of their tents, but the LT-3 genuinely provides elbow room (and sufficient space for wider sleeping pads) for three …

Pacific Harvest: A Northwest Coast Foraging Guide                                                    By Jennifer Hahn, Mountaineers Books (2025) In “Pacific Harvest,” author Jennifer Hahn takes us on an eye-opening journey through Pacific Northwest ecosystems. A teacher of sustainable wild food …

We’ve always said the best adventures start with happy feet. With the retirement of our friends at BBay Running and Boardworks, we’re stepping up to keep the local running and riding scene thriving by adding performance running gear and a brand-new snowboard department to the mix at Backcountry Essentials. Our snowboard lineup is ready for whatever kind of rider you …

Conservation Confidential: A Wild Path to a Less Polarizing and More Effective Activism                                                                       By Mitch Friedman. Latah Books (2025) I’ve known Mitch Friedman since the early …

Teaching in the Rain: The Story of the North Cascades Institute, by John C. Miles. Chuckanut Editions, 2023   The North Cascades Institute has been a fixture of the northwest Washington landscape since 1986. In “Teaching in the Rain,” author John C. Miles tells its origin story, a story with so many moving parts it’s a wonder the Institute was …

In the world of ultra-light backpacking, you rarely get to use the words superior durability, excellent price, luxurious living space, and lightweight all in one sentence to describe a tent.  The Two from Gossamer Gear is all of those and highly recommended for two people. Compared to many ultra-light materials, the nylon tent body with a SIL (silicone) nylon finish …

Helinox Chair One High-Back (Re) The redesigned Chair One High-Back (Re) from Helinox raises the bar on super-portable, super-comfortable camp seating. Featuring (re)Tension Design, which includes a second tension line to distribute weight around the frame, the new Chair One provides a lot of back support in a lightweight, packable package. It packs into an 18” x 6” x 4.5” …

The North Face Women’s Summit Breithorn Hoodie I love my North Face Women’s Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie! It arrived just in time for our winter’s coldest few weeks. I stayed toasty and warm, even without extra layers underneath, thanks to the 800-fill ProDown™ with water repellency (Responsible Down Standard). One of the other features that I appreciate is the slightly …

I’ve always been impressed with any technical garment from Rab and the Evolute Hoody is no exception; it’s an amazing layering piece. Under my ski shell, it manages a comfortable microclimate as few other pieces can. In many ways, this mid-layer reminds me of the Patagonia Nano Air and others of that ilk, but without a wind-resistant shell or an …

Gregory® Alpaca Duffel 60L I loved my last duffel bag. It lasted close to 30 years. It had everything I wanted: lots of pockets, shoulder strap handles, water resistance, and just enough space for medium-sized camping trips and other excursions where a suitcase was not appropriate. It was hard to give up when it finally wore out.  But the Gregory® …