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Science of Ultra Podcast: Five must-listen-to episodes

By Andrew Skurka / December 4, 2017 /
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Last week I sat down for an interview with Dr. Shawn Bearden of Science of Ultra. Lace up, pop in your ear buds, and stream it via iTunes, Google Play, IHeart Radio, or Stitcher during your next hour-long run. Or listen to it here: I’ve known Shawn since 2014, when he joined me on a guided…

Review: Hoka One One Cavu || Light, responsive & fast road trainer

By Andrew Skurka / December 3, 2017 /
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The Houston Marathon is less than six weeks, and for all of my tempo workouts and hard long runs — including multiple 10K’s at race pace and distances up to 24 miles — I have been wearing the new Hoka One One Cavu. The Cavu is a neutral lightweight road trainer that is moderately cushioned, responsive, and…

Giveaway: Sierra Designs Tioga & Sierra Insulated Jackets

By Andrew Skurka / November 29, 2017 /
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Recently Sierra Designs released four new insulated jackets: the Tuolumne, Tioga, Sierra, and Whitney. They are nicely designed and featured, and priced very competitively (starting at $100). Read my full review. This FREE giveaway will be for the two jackets used for the review: Tioga Hoodie: men’s Medium, synthetic insulation, hood, red Sierra Jacket: men’s…

Reader Q: Do I need an ice axe or crampons on the Pfiffner Traverse?

By Andrew Skurka / November 27, 2017 /
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A question from reader Stan P. of Alexandria, Virginia: This is a great question, because the answer is both nuanced and consequential. A multitude of factors are at play, and you want to be right — or else you’ll be carrying several pounds of unnecessary equipment, bailing off your intended route, or exposing yourself to excessive…

Five strategies for hunting elk & mule deer in Colorado

By Andrew Skurka / November 20, 2017 /
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You can’t shoot an elk or mule deer until you find one. Duh. And for a beginner DIY hunter, learning to find one is probably the biggest challenge — at least, that was my experience. Where will the big game be, given the location, season, current and recent conditions, and time of day? Otherwise, hunting is…

Notes for next elk hunt: Tips on strategy, location, shooting & dressing

By Andrew Skurka / November 14, 2017 /
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I hunt just a few days each year, and don’t invest significant time or thought during the long period in between. Among a few smaller things, here are some takeaways and learned lessons that I want to incorporate into our 2018 plans: Hunting The best advice we received on hunting strategy was from a Craig…

Reviews: Sierra Designs F17 Puffies || Well designed & priced, but heavy

By Andrew Skurka / November 13, 2017 /
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On our recent elk hunt in the Colorado Rockies, Steve and I wore two new Fall 2017 puffies from Sierra Designs, the Tioga Hoodie and Sierra Jacket. These two pieces share nearly identical features with the Tuolumne Jacket and Whitney Hoodie, so I will dare to extrapolate our experiences and include them in this review…

Elk Hunt Report: Filling my freezer & ending the era of cluelessness

By Andrew Skurka / November 11, 2017 /
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This was my fifth year of elk hunting, and finally I may be getting the hang of it. While I’m pleased that my chest freezer is full again (thanks to a four-point bull that mistakenly skylined himself at 2:30 in the afternoon, more details below), I’m perhaps happier with other things that went right. Specifically,…

Stay warm when it’s wet: How to protect down insulation from moisture

By Andrew Skurka / November 7, 2017 /
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When shopping for a sleeping bag, insulated jacket, or insulated pants, you will have a choice of insulations: Down, which is a commodity product measured by fill power, e.g. 800-fill; or, Synthetic, which is normally made of interwoven plastic fibers and which may be marketed as Primaloft, Climashield, or a proprietary version like TNF Thermoball.…

Review: Showa 282 Gloves || Preferred cold & wet solution, but imperfect

By Andrew Skurka / October 30, 2017 /
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When hiking or running in cold and wet conditions, keeping my hands comfortable has been a chronic challenge. On multiple occasions I’ve pulled into a campsite, trailhead, aid station, or my house with inoperable and painful fingers. To minimize (or perhaps even, to end) this suffering, this summer I looked beyond conventional rain mitts like the REI…