Fire is an integral part of being human, it warms you up, it cooks your food and provides safety and comfort. When hiking and backpacking it is essential to carry with you. Here are the best lighters. Like a lot of gear items in hiking you can buy lighters for any purpose. Fancy Zippo lighters that appeal to the bushcraft community or the mini BIC lighters that are for the UltraLight hiking community. All lighters have a primary function. Being able to create fire. Some fire lighters are better than others in that regard. And offer different kinds of waterproof levels, resistance to the elements plus many other factors. Affiliate…

Victorinox is one of the first pocket knives people think of when asked about pocket knives. And for good reason. Here is why you should add a Victorinox knife to your backpack for hiking. Not every knife brand can say that they have established themselves as much more than just that. A manufacturer of knives. Victorinox has over the years expanded to many different products. From quality Swiss Watches to luggage designed for years of use. In this review, I am going to be focusing on their Victorinox Spartan pocket knife. A classic in their knife lineup and suitable for all manner of hiking and everyday use. Affiliate links are…

In the choice between a Down or Synthetic sleeping bag there are lots of opinions and differences. Lets shed some light on the one for you. Quick jump guide Use cases for Down sleeping bags Different Down Fill power Use cases for Synthetic sleeping bags Different Synthetic fillings Sleeping bags for thru hiking What is the best material for a sleeping bag? Advice on buying a sleeping bag The mayor differences and upsides for Down versus Synthetic sleeping bags are. Down Sleeping bags Synthetic Sleeping bags Lighter weight Generally heavier Smaller pack size Bulkier pack size Water sensitive More resistant to water Expensive Lower price Requires more care Easier to…

Getting a good nights sleep is important in day to day life and especially on trail. With the Exped Synmat UL I have been sleeping comfortably for 2 years now. Lets dive into the review! Exped is a company that started taking over the traditional self inflating sleeping pads by other companies like Thermarest. I like many started out with an self inflating sleeping mat when I first got into hiking and camping. I always slept alright on that mat but when I got older I needed something a little more than 2.5 centimeters to sleep on. Bullet points Excellent and comfortable sleeping mat at 7 cm thickness Takes 3…

This is a review of the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme Sleeping bag liner. The liner boosts the temperature rating of your sleeping bag and keeps it cleaner. I have owned the Sea to Summit Thermolite reactor sleeping bag liner now for over 8 years and it has come with me on many different hiking trips. Whenever I needed a slight increase in my Sleeping bag temperature rating I grabbed the Sea to Summit with me. The reason why I bought the Sea To summit liner is because of a winter camping trip that I did with a coworker. I was not as experienced a hiker or backpacker at…

Sleeping bag liners are a must have in your backpack when hiking with a tent, hammock or tarp. And even for the hostel travelers that travel the world a Sleeping bag liner is a good thing to take with you. Lets dive in to the reasons why you should add a sleeping bag liner to your gear list for camping, hiking and backpacking! Easy to carry Weight is minimal when choosing the right sleeping bag liner. As is the pack size. Combined with a down sleeping bag and a proper sleeping pad you only should need the bottom compartment of your backpack. These three combinations can keep you warm and…

This is my look at the Meindl Borneo boots, after owning and walking in them for 4 years. The boots for the forest industry and for hiking. The Meindl Borneo boots are for heavier work and hiking, as a class B hiking boot they are targeted more for the mountainous terrain or walking on unsure ground. I have used the Meindl Borneo boots primarily for working in the forest and as hiking boots for in Sweden and the Netherlands while carrying a bit heavier backpack. Meindl is a German hiking boot manufacturer that has been around for a long time. With the start of the company at the end of…

In the present day a lot of people use the gas canister stoves for hiking. Are Alcohol stoves still useful for hiking? Yes they are! Next to Gas canister stoves there are a bunch of different options to take with you hiking. Think off Solid fuel stoves, the newer wood gas stoves and Petrol stoves. But next to that has always been an Alcohol stove. The main advantages of an Alcohol stove are that they: Lightweight Easy to make yourself Cheap to buy Cheap to find fuel for Easy to find fuel for (Does depend on country) Requires no maintenance and often does not have moving parts. My history with…

Watches are useful while hiking long distances or short, it is often handy to be able to roughly estimate how much longer you will need to walk. And a watch gives you that option. The Timex Expedition is my hiking watch now for a 6 months and I could not wait to write a post about it. If your into watches and hiking I hope you can share your favorite hiking watch down in the comments! Short History of Timex Timex started in the United states in 1854 as the Waterbury clock company and evolved over the years to Timex. With popular one dollar pocket watches to high tech electronic…