Hey there, time to layout some of my personal goals and thoughts on some of the latest and greatest swag out there. Please note on gear reviews, plenty of people post stats, do analysis, etc. Tangible things are all well and good, but not within the scope of this blog, check the title. Checkout outdoorgearlab or cold thistle or gear 30 for some real down and dirty reviews. This blog is all about my gut feeling on pieces, heed my thoughts at your own risk. Also, I'm Joe everyman, I pay for everything I own. No loaners or freebies here. Scroll to bottom if you want to skip the nerd out session on gear and check out my upcoming objectives.
Latest gear:
Topo Athletic Ottero trail running shoes. Initial thoughts: flipping sweet. Roomy toebox for my fat pizza slice feet. I went with my usual 1/2 size up that I do with most running shoes. Only owned and ran in for two days, but quite pleasurable to run in. Quick lace system stays lock in well, no looseness after a 50 min run. Will do a ten mile in them tomorrow to see how they hold up. Will report more info as they get miles. Gear Institute did a review on them and rated them highly. I snagged on Sierra trading post for a sweet deal.
La sportiva hellos Sr. Trail Running shoes. Initial thoughts: socklike upper (glove like fit) minimal but noticeable cushion and a 2mm drop, a fun ride. Appears very narrow. That's because it is. But...and a large but at that, the upper is unique in the sense that it conforms to different foot types. Upon looking at it from the top down I was like, no way in hell with these fit. Wrong. Not only do they fit my fat feet, but they fit comfortably enough for probably up to half marathon or couple hour distance. They are made for trails high in the mountains and although they can fit most foot types they will fit narrower feet best. I up sized a 1/2 more than my normal trail runners. Surprisingly cushioned for the weight. You'll still feel rocks but they definitely have some play. I've hiked in them too for several hours with 20 lbs and several thousand feet of elevation, no issues and felt nice and speedy. Great for technical trails. I ended up running some of the down with my pack on because these shoes don't wanna go slow. Recommended. Been wearing for several hundred miles, like a lot.
Altra lone peak neo shell.
Just came in the mail. STOKED to do some runs in the snow and mixed conditions in these bad boys. Only fit impressions currently. Great fit. Wide toe box, no weird stitching that I can feel. That's all I got, I'll give report after I've taken them for some spins.
Patagonia everlong. Owned for over a year now. One of my favorites. Preferred use, 1+ hr runs or runs when my legs are tired. Will do road or trail. Low drop. 4mm I think. fit not anatomic like altra and Topo but fits my fatties just fine. They stopped production, get a pair while you still can. Worth it.
Lots of jackets
Arcteryx squamish wind jacket 2015 version and montbell tachyon anorak. I won't bore you explaining what a wind shell is. Ogl does a good write up on that. I'll sum it up and say that a windshell is an adventurer's most used and arguably most important piece. I have owned patagonias houdini, the 2014 version of the squamish, and currently own the 2015 and the montbell tachyon anorak. The squamish is the polar opposite of the montbell anorak. Both are excellent but at extreme ends of the definition of windshell. The montbell piece is Extremely water resistant And fully windproof. Stupid light. I think it lists at like 1.6oz. Less than a candy bar. I would wear this in a light drizzle. Even a short medium one. Best protection for weight on the planet, no dispute. I've worn it running in a deluge. I also pack it if I'm going for pure minimalism or as my only shell in summer. But, remember what I said, opposite ends of the spectrum. No creature comforts whatsoever. Which is beautiful and some may say a downside. I like it for what it is, the best lightest protection available. It's fabric is not very breathable, it gets clammy, and it has no pockets. But it will keep you warm. The squamish is the opposite. It has a pocket and full zip and in comparison is not fully windproof. Maybe like 95% windproof. At least in feel. It's more than double the weight of the anorak. (in context though we are still talking candy bar type weights). The key to the squamish is the fabric. This is BY FAR the most comfortable on skin windshell fabric available. It's super comfortable. If I am not being super controlling about needs or for everyday wear, I use the squamish. It gets worn most of the time, because most of my life isn't that extreme. Both jackets are legit. If I had to own one if would boil down to purpose. The anorak is the performance survival piece, the squamish is the daily driver. The large anorak fits like the medium squamish fyi.
Haglofs gram comp pull gtx active shell. I think this is still the lightest gtx active shell on the market. It's a fun piece. If you need a waterproof shell that's skimmed down and can double as a windshell this could fit the bill. I've worn it riding my bike in pissing rain in spring temps. Gtx active breaths better than pro, but no where near polartec neoshell. This jacket is another minimalist king. Fit is tight. It's an anorak, super minimal adjustment cords and chest pocket. Well designed, unique but very effective string hood adjustment. Pared down. Short in the body and small hood. No adjustment on cuffs. Idk how I feel about it. I use it when it rains and I'll probably use it until I can't anymore. I like the simple design. For a pure minimalist who values performance over durability ( although I've had no durability issues in light use so far) it's a good deal. I personally love anoraks so I dig it. Still a niche piece. Not enough length for protection in severe use. But for a day outing in bad conditions or for something like and fast, it's a contender. Just by the weight of the fabric though it won't last long.
Upcoming: arcteryx alpha fl jacket, psiphon sl pullover, and the acto mx (maybe compared to patagonias dual aspect) jottnar bergelmir and hymir, rab's flashpoint and every one's favorite, tons of massive puffies. To include rab neutrino plus, crux plasma pullover and Magma, arcteryx nuclei, solo and dually, jottnar fenrir and fjorm, montbell permafrost, ex light anorak, and sport thermawrap, and various from brooks range. Mentions of gear I have used and sold like montbells mirage. Patagonia m10, nano puffs etc. Also trying out nw alpine and jottnar salopettes.
Other pending reviews on shoes: salomon x alp pros vs scarpa tech ascent.
Goals
Now back to reality, and for some, the end or beginning of the post. I feel need to lay out some objectives, partially because the mental exercise of putting my intent into writing helps to solidify my plans. In other words, I'm a flake. I need you to call me out.
Tomorrow I will run my last ten mile time trial for the army ten miler. I ran my last, a month ago, in around 62:30. I felt like doodoo. Tomorrow I would like to be around 61. I have been running strongly since, including adding two a days into my routine. All the while dealing with reoccurring foot and hip issues. I will report on my time and feel tomorrow. Upcoming running events include the portage Bay 10k, and beginning to train for some bigger personal goals like speed attempts on rainier and mt. Olympus. Those might end up being next summer depending on how the season (both for my body and the mountains) plays out. Also eyeing some epic link ups/skyline traverses in the Olympics.
Climbing is my motivation for running. Supposedly, every pound lost can shave off 2 minutes on an ultramarathon distance. And every pound lost for climbing can do more for you than a 6 week training cycle. In other words weight loss is beneficial to both of my sports and comes naturally from both. Both cause you to eliminate any extraneous body mass, provided you eat clean. Anyway, it's a vicious cycle. Running makes me lose weight which makes me climb better and makes me run faster which makes me climb and run more. Still seeing how much I can lose while maintaining healthy body fat percentages and wellbeing. So far have went from 195 to 167 in 6 months. We will see how deep the rabbit hole goes before I no longer see performance increases.
I haven't been cycling much lately but want to do the passport to pain, an 80miler around Vashon island with 10k ft elevation gain. And possibly repeating the ride the hurricane race up hurricane Ridge in port Angeles.
Climbing goals for the rest of this year include cleanly leading 5.10 trad, and some long alpine rock routes in the 5.6 to 5.8 range. Been bummed on my lack of access due to distance and gas/laziness. Looking at cabins in goldbar/index/Stevens pass area to get me close to Leavenworth and index so that I can get after it next year. They say that mastery of a sport requires 10000 hours. Obviously genetics has something to do with mastery but 10000 is the approximate number for you to reach near your highest potential. My whole goal for the latter half of next near is to become a crag dog, and start racking up hours. I want to test the 10000 hour theory. I may be a third of the way there for running. It'll be about a ten year process at minimum. Stay tuned...let me know if you have any questions on any gear I've mentioned.
