Clothing
Since early last month I have run 125 miles in the Salomon Sonic Pro 2, including all of my long runs and hard workouts. This includes distances up to 25 miles, and 1-mile efforts at 5-min pace. I may wear them later this month at the Boston Marathon. (Follow me on Strava.) Review: Salomon Sonic…
Outdoor clothing brands and retailers present backpackers with a paralyzing number of options. The situation is exacerbated by marketing hype and the infusion of “outdoor lifestyle” clothes, which perform relatively poorly in the field. Two years ago I published a series on Core 13 Clothing, and those posts remain as relevant as ever. These items can…
While I was researching for my recent review of the Under Armour Sonic Compression Short, I saw a new (at least to me) model from Nike that looked similar to the original Pro Combat Short, which I had worn before the Sonic. I was disappointed when Nike replaced it with the Pro Combat 2.0 Short,…
For the past three years the Under Armour HeatGear Sonic Compression Short has been my go-to running short. After 500+ runs — including my biggest races like Run Rabbit Run 100, the Colorado Marathon, and San Juan Solstice 50 — I feel very confident in writing a long-term review. I use the Sonic Shorts primarily…
It looks as if Sierra Designs is trying to clear inventory from past seasons and from its spring/summer line, and yesterday began offering 50 percent off its apparel. That’s a damn good deal — about equal to the price paid by a retailer like REI, which then doubles the price and sells it on their floor.…
Eighteen months ago I purchased the Julbo Dirt sunglasses with a photochromic and polarized Zebra lens. This was my second pair, with the first pair being unfortunately lost after a few years of use. Based on product specs and photos, I see no material differences between the original Dirt and current Dirt 2.0. I’m hard on sunglasses.…
Prior to this hunting season I purchased the WFS Upland Hunting Field Vest at my local Jax Outdoor Gear for $20. It’s available on Amazon for less than $30. I knew that it would likely not be a winner when I purchased it. It was only available in size Large, and I’m generally a small…
Prior to the big game hunting season I purchased the blaze orange Yukon Gear Field Vest for less than $30 from Amazon. I was drawn to its price and simple design. After closer first-hand inspection, however, I decided to return it due to concerns over its abrasion-resistance and long-term durability. Fit The vest fits true to…
A reader — Steve B. from Laporte, MN — recently wrote me: Hi Andrew, I used much of your advice on my 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail thru-hike this summer. Many things worked well, like trekking poles, microfiber underwear, and my alcohol stove. One thing that didn’t go so well was getting wet. I used a…
Intro by Skurka. After his recent 100-day thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Garrett contacted me with some gear reviews, some about products I have written about previously. I thought his insights were valuable, due to his extensive use and to his unbiased viewpoint, and asked his permission to share them. If you have questions for Garrett, leave a comment.…