If you are into via ferrata trails, you probably know that via ferrata sets utilize either tear-out webbing or a friction metal plate as an energy absorber/braking mechanism. The energy absorber is what makes a potential fall more tolerable as it stops the fall gradually rather than abruptly, and thus prevents fatal injuries. Even a…
Exercising moderately while pregnant is good for both you and the baby you’re carrying. Daily exercise diminishes back pain, constipation and puffiness, which can be annoying side effects of being pregnant. You should, however, avoid sports which put your stomach in risk of trauma – such as diving, skiing, show jumping, martial arts and team…
Windbreakers have become increasingly popular in the last years and many hikers have switched from rain jackets to these minimalistic shell layers. Windbreakers are lighter and pack smaller than rain jackets and are thus perfect for lightweight hiking. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that a windbreaker performs quite differently than a rain jacket. A rain…
Functional outdoor apparel is much less affected by passing fashion trends than casual wear. This in itself makes outdoor apparel much more sustainable, as such garments are often of a higher quality and thus both lasting and being used longer than ‘fast fashion’ items. There is, however, one area where the outdoor apparel industry has…
In this post in our mini-series on sustainability in the outdoor apparel industry we start to have a look at some of the brands which do better than others when it comes to sustainability. The problem with deciding which brands are the most sustainable lies both in scale and transparency. In terms of scale, it…
In the last few years, the popularity of hiking boots has decreased, and many hikers and backpackers have switched to low-cut hiking shoes or trail runners. These are indeed lighter than hiking boots and often provide better breathability. However, hiking boots also have certain advantages over the lighter alternatives. There has been a lot of…
Most hikers are environmentally aware and follow the more or less (un)written rules when venturing out in nature, such as: “Leave nothing but footprints”, “take nothing but pictures” and “kill nothing but time”. As described in the article Sustainable Outdoor Clothing Materials? it can be hard to be equally eco-conscious when shopping apparel for your…
In 2018, I switched from Suunto Ambit 2 to brand-new Suunto 9. Suunto Ambit 2 was and is an extraordinary watch. It’s durable, simple to use and very accurate when it comes to GPS tracking. Furthermore, the battery life is just amazing. I was using the watch daily for no less than four years and…
As hikers we all get to experience the negative impact of humans in the landscapes we spend our time in – whether it is the pollution of a local lake, an abundance of trash in nature, excessive logging or witnessing how the glacier in a national park gets smaller and smaller over the years. According…
Over the last couple of years, the popularity of fleece jackets has decreased, and many hikers have replaced their fleece apparel with jackets insulated with synthetic fill. While synthetic fill jackets are indeed warmer for the weight and pack smaller, fleece does have certain advantages over synthetic fill. I own a fleece jacket (Mountain Hardwear…
