The Outdoor Research Turbine Shorts are a pair of shorts I would never pick up for myself. Probably. So when the crew at Outdoor Research sent me these as a part of #ORInsightLab, I was pretty skeptical. I mean, they have built-in underwear! And from my experience as a child with built-in underwear, it was not comfortable nor something I ever wanted to experience again.
Hike: Mt. Lassen
Where: Lassen Volcanic National Park
Trailhead: Mt. Lassen
Level: Moderate
Duration: 2 hours and 54 minutes
Length: 5 miles up and down
Gear: REI Sahara Convertible Pants, Triple Aught Design Artemis Hoodie, Outdoor Research Ignitor Tee, Patagonia Women’s Nano Puff Jacket
, Outdoor Research Women’s Helium HD Jacket
, Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot, Boreas Topaz 25 Daypack
, and Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Poles
Cost of Parking: Free
Took a few days off work to extend my 4th of July weekend and headed up to Lassen Volcanic National Park for the first time, ever. I’m super jealous of all the families I saw camping around me; I wish my parents were more into that when I was younger! We spent a few days exploring as much of the park as we could. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of my Lassen adventures! But first, my favorite adventure… hiking Mt. Lassen on the 4th of July!
We woke up bright and early at 4am to the sound of bears growling in the distance by Drakesbad and shoveled food down our throats as fast as possible. The goal was to get to the trailhead as fast as possible to catch the sunrise as we headed up. The trail is still under renovations, but it was open for the long weekend. We weren’t sure how many people would be attempting to summit and aimed to beat the crowds and heat.
The Farm to Feet Boulder sock is one of the company’s most highly lauded socks. Lightweight, merino wool with full density cushion, this sock keeps you comfortable on the way to the office and on the trails.
I reviewed the Farm to Feet Madison previously here. The Boulder is the Madison’s younger sister with a looser weave. Like the Madison, the Boulder is designed for adventure hiking and trekking. The thickness of the socks are the same, but if you’re looking for something a little more breathable and less restrictive, the Boulder is for you.
Otherwise, these mirror the Madison in terms of quality and construction. This sock is serious business; it won’t sag on you when you need it. It keeps out dirt and unwanted debris. It’s made of high-quality merino wool. You can wear these over, and over, and over, and over, and over again without getting a weird multi-day sock funk. These babies feel fresh every time you put them on.
Hike: Junipero Serra Peak via Santa Lucia Trail
Where: Ventana Wilderness
Trailhead: Santa Lucia Trail
Level: Strenuous
Duration: 4 hours
Length: 4 miles
Gear: Outdoor Research Ignitor Tee, REI Sahara Convertible Pants, Boreas Topaz 25 Daypack
, Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Poles
, and Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot
Cost of Parking: Free
Drove down this past weekend to Los Padres National Forest with every intention to bag Junipero Serra Peak. (For the record, the drive down at night is gorgeous with millions of stars as far as the eye can see, so that was worth it in itself.) Did I bag it? Not even close. I underestimated the scorching sun, unforgiving heat, lack of shade, and desolate dryness of this side of the Santa Lucia Range.
When the Chums Vortex Utility Keychain showed up in my mailbox, I really struggled with how to use it. I’m not really a bulky keychain person. Over the years, I’ve gone from carrying bags stuffed to the brim to only going places with my wallet. Sometimes I even ditch the wallet.
The Chums Vortex Utility Keychain is a stylish carabiner, form over function. Please keep in mind that this is not designed for climbing and will not hold any load worth your weight. The lip of the gate functions as a bottle holder.
The Vortex Utility Keychain has two key rings. I actually do not prefer to keep my keys on this. Instead, I use it to hold and keep track of all my dangling camping items that have no designated place in my pack: sporks, pack-towel, whistle, and more. In this sense, I find that the keychain would be more functional with little thin carabiners so I can easily clip and unclip items as I use them. I find it to be a pain to thread them through the key rings each time I need to use an item that doesn’t have it’s own ‘biner. However, this is most likely not the way Chums intended this to be used.
If you’re a fan of neat looking, semi-functional keychains, this is for you. If you prefer to be more minimalistic, this is probably not for you.
This was sent to me for review.