Obnoxious, bright colored things are my thing. When I saw the So iLL 20L Dry Pack in all of its highlighter yellow goodness, it was love at first sight. I envisioned taking it all over the trails, the city, to my favorite rocks. But it didn’t quite end up that way.
It’s basically been raining in the Bay Area for the last 2 months. Save for a couple patches of sunlight here and there, I’m beginning to think I live in the Pacific Northwest. The gloomy weather has made outdoor climbing more or less nonexistent. Our favorite local crag, Castle Rock, is soaked. Yosemite Valley and Bishop have mostly been under snow, or just too wet to climb. Most of my free time has been spent training or hibernating or some combination of the two. Finally, this past weekend, we decided to get out and stretch our legs; rain or shine. Our pick was Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve just south of Half Moon Bay.
After a long day of climbing or hiking, cooking is usually the last thing on my mind. I’ve been known to scarf down a backpacking meal or heat up a Fishpeople Seafood pouch to avoid the hassle of prepping and cleaning. Great Grub Camp Food makes gourmet camp food easy, without the hassle. Each entree has the convenience of a freeze dried meal with a little extra that’s more than just boiling hot water.
Pow shots are cool. V16 is rad. Fog swirling around an artfully draped blanket is neat too. Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful. But do you know what is not cool, rad, neat or beautiful? Our public lands being taken away from us, from you.
It’s time to take a public stand. I know that some of you may have signed OIA’s open letter. Maybe you are working behind the scenes. But what’s next? It’s time to show the public that you care.
When it’s hot then it’s cold, and it’s sunny then cloudy, there’s no better insulation than the Outdoor Research Uberlayer Hoody. With enough insulation to keep you warm and breathable enough to dump excess heat, the Uberlayer is the perfect midlayer for those days when you’re not quite sure what the weather will bring. Snowboarding, climbing, cycling around the city… if you’re working up a sweat, this jacket has your back. This versatile jacket has captured my heart at Little Grunts and the hearts of the folks over at Backpacker and Outside Magazine. For my last giveaway in the #12DaysOfGiveaways, this baby can be yours!