I began backpacking when I was a scout, lugging around a bargain, classic external frame pack that my parent's found on a closeout deal at a local gear shop. It wasn't pretty, or terribly comfortable, but it held my stuff, and what it didn't - easily lashed on the outside. For two years, I hoisted that thing around and when I was 16, and was working my first job, I saved and scrapped all of my money until I had enough to buy an internal frame pack. Back then, outdoor gear was beefy, made from 1000 denier, kevlar; my new backpack was made to last a lifetime! It even came with a lifetime warranty. And the weight... well, lets just say that pack alone was more than half the weight people are bragging about these days as their BASE WEIGHT. At first it was hard to justify a replacement backpack. I mean... it worked, albeit a bit heavy, and it was near bulletproof. But as my gear got smaller, and lighter... and after packing a full size pillow for a year or so, to fill the extra space...

[image] My Trail Co is a new company from Colorado, currently selling a few packs, tents and jackets with ambitious plans to expand. MTC emanates from the ashes of Golite, a company that was one of the main catalysts for the ultralight movement in the 2000s. I personally still have and regularly use my Golite Bitterroot down jacket, Jam2 50L pack, Feather 40 degree bag (now converted to a two-person quilt), and a few other things. I am very fond of who Golite was, what they made, and how they helped many of us to lighten up. [image] So, it seems like it would be a no brainer to partner with a company making items that are essentially updates of the original beloved items, now under a different brand name. However, there is a bit of a darkside in that Golite went bankrupt a few years ago and left debts of more than $3 million to outdoor suppliers, manufacturers, and real estate owners. Many ULers were unhappy with how Golite went out of business. It wasn't illegal, by any means...

[image] Over the past 3 decades, I have come to realize, that in my pursuit for the optimal outdoor experience, there are many paths to choose from - each with their own pros and cons. As I look back on the changes I've made to my approach each season, the underlying similarity seems to be to find a way to enjoy a new challenge. When I was a teenager, just getting into backpacking, the word that always seemed to float off every retailers tongue was "bombproof". People made purchases based on longevity, lifetime guarantees, and Kevlar was the fabric of choice. Despite the weight differences from the lighter gear available today it made sense at the time. Most of my friends used gear their parent's had when they were young. It was handed down, and to be honest, didn't seem to be all that different from the new stuff on the shelf. With that in mind you generally made purchases thinking about the long term viability of the thing, and passing down this heirloom piece of gear to...

We hope you've been enjoying the last couple of months, with plenty of sun around to get us all up, active, and enjoying the great outdoors! This month, we're happy to share two new features with you. As always, we welcome your feedback! [image] Route Timeline As you plan a route from the trailhead, and set waypoints at campsites and scenic locations along your way, you can now make notes about those waypoints, and legs between those waypoints, in timeline format. This gives you a clear, sequential, visual overview of the route that you've planned. Here's what that looks like: [image] Explore this feature at artofthetrek.com Route Guide Request Improvements In June, we told you about our new route guide feature. We’ve since updated the form so we can get the best information from you to provide you the most thorough route guide. Before you plan your next overnight adventure, let us provide you with a well-researched route complete with photos, trailheads, campsites, scenic...

[image] Over the past 3 decades, I have come to realize, that in my pursuit for the optimal outdoor experience, there are many paths to choose from - each with their own pros and cons. As I look back on the changes I've made to my approach each season, the underlying similarity seems to be to find a way to enjoy a new challenge. When I was a teenager, just getting into backpacking, the word that always seemed to float off every retailers tongue was "bombproof". People made purchases based on longevity, lifetime guarantees, and Kevlar was the fabric of choice. Despite the weight differences from the lighter gear available today it made sense at the time. Most of my friends used gear their parent's had when they were young. It was handed down, and to be honest, didn't seem to be all that different from the new stuff on the shelf. With that in mind you generally made purchases thinking about the long term viability of the thing, and passing down this heirloom piece of gear to...

I began backpacking when I was a scout, lugging around a bargain, classic external frame pack that my parent's found on a closeout deal at a local gear shop. It wasn't pretty, or terribly comfortable, but it held my stuff, and what it didn't - easily lashed on the outside. For two years, I hoisted that thing around and when I was 16, and was working my first job, I saved and scrapped all of my money until I had enough to buy an internal frame pack. Back then, outdoor gear was beefy, made from 1000 denier, kevlar; my new backpack was made to last a lifetime! It even came with a lifetime warranty. And the weight... well, lets just say that pack alone was more than half the weight people are bragging about these days as their BASE WEIGHT. At first it was hard to justify a replacement backpack. I mean... it worked, albeit a bit heavy, and it was near bulletproof. But as my gear got smaller, and lighter... and after packing a full size pillow for a year or so, to fill the extra space...