The mask is made from a UPF 50+ sun protective, chemical-free cooling fabric. It has a contoured shape and soft mesh liner and straps to make sure the mask fits securely and comfortably over the nose and mouth. The fabric is also moisture-wicking and breathable.
This last point is probably the most important. As COVID-19 picked up speed in 2020, it became more and more important to have a mask with you at all times. With other masks when I hiked, biked, or ran it was noticable how hard it was to breath when the mask was up. With Sunday Afternoons UVShield Cool Face Mask, I can easily breath when having the mask up. And with their elastic ear loops, I can easily keep the mask connected while being active, pulling the mask up or down, depending on if people were near.
Now that I have a gravel bike, Showers Pass has become a staple of my daily commute. Gloves, jacket, hat—always. But now that it’s summer, their new Gravel 10” Shorts that Showers Pass sent to test, have replaced them.
Showers Pass Gravel Shorts
What I love most about them is that I can wear them comfortably all day. My commute is short, so it’s great to wear a pair of cycling shorts that I can keep on.
One thing I do want to call out, though, is that I found their sizing inconsistent. Across every brand I wear, I’m a 32-inch waist. Always. I also ride in the Showers Pass Cross Country Shorts and I’m a 32-inch in those as well. Even though the Gravel Shorts have an internal micro-adjustable waist cinch, I couldn’t loosen the 32-inch enough to fit my dad bod into them. I had to go up to a 34-inch, but once I did, there was no looking back.
The fit is pretty snug, but with the multi-directional stretch of the fabric, I found them extremely comfy on and off the bike.
Showers Pass Gravel Shorts
Unlike the Cross Country Shorts, the pockets shifted to the outside of the leg. I would put the occasional wallet or phone in those pockets, but I discovered just how versatile the angled zippers were when I was putting in and taking out headphones. They can also serve as vents as well on hot days or long rides.
Gear Review: Showers Pass Crosspoint Beanie and Gloves
Jason Nelson | April 2020
Yesterday was a great day for some product testing. It was cold, wet, and I was going a little stir crazy with the state-wide stay-at-home order due to the Coronavirus.
For the last month I’ve been testing two new products from Showers Pass: their Crosspoint Waterproof Beanie and Crosspoint Wind Glove TS. The way temperatures have fluctuated this Spring in Colorado, I’ve been wearing both on my morning bike commutes to the office and just the gloves for mid-day runs or bike rides back home.
Crosspoint Waterproof Beanie
Crosspoint Waterproof Beanie
The Crosspoint Waterproof Beanie uses a three-layer construction that places a seamless waterproof, breathable membrane between two knit layers. It feels like your standard beanie until you take it out in the elements and realize that your head is dry and warm instead of wet and cold.
Because of the waterproof membrane, it doesn’t have the standard beanie stretch, but that doesn’t bother me. The way it sits on my noggin is pretty darn comfortable. There’s no squeeze, but I’m also not worried about it falling off. When it’s underneath my helmet, it feels really comfortable.
With it’s breathable material it is pretty comfortable on longer rides when I’ve worked up a decent flop sweat.
Crosspoint Wind Glove TS
Crosspoint Wind Glove TS
The Crosspoint Wind Glove TS (the TS stands for Touch Screen), is made with three bonded layers: the exterior is a wear resistant knit, a waterproof-breathable membrane, and a moisture-wicking antibacterial knit lining. It’s a combination that’s perfect for cycling during most of the year.
The glove itself is comfortable and allows you to move your fingers easily. I could easily pick up items, zip up my backpack and Hi-Vis Torch Jacket, and turn on my bike lights. They’re not bulky, so being able to fish out my house keys from my pants pocket is easy with the gloves on.
On colder rides, one of my key tests for gloves is nose wiping ability. Can I wipe my nose easily and is the fabric soft enough to not scratch? With the Crosspoint Wind Gloves it depends on which section of the glove you’re wiping with. It’s soft enough to use when desperate, but don’t wipe too intensely.
The Touch Screen technology works, as well. I don’t have to pull the gloves off during a snowstorm to message family or change music.
Very quickly, the Bison Ultralight became my go-to jacket in the winter. It was perfect for my commute to work in sub-freezing temperatures, hikes, or going sledding with the kiddos. Even though it’s touted as an ultralight jacket, as light as it is (only 15.8 oz.), it performed well in all temperature conditions.
The interior is 50% BisonShield and 50% wool insulation.
BisonShield is made from Bison down and recycled polyester. Bison down usually will end up in landfills as a bi-product of the ranching industry. United By Blue, true to their sustainability mission, acquires the material before it gets to the landfill, combs and cleans it before blending it.
United By Blue’s Men’s Bison Ultralight
The other cool thing about the Bison Ultralight is that it has a large interior pocket that you can use to pack the jacket into for easy travel. I took this jacket on a work trip and it was great. Because it was warmer in Denver than my destination I was able to compactly store it in my carry-on and easily pull it on when I arrived at my destination.
I am 5’11” and the jacket I am wearing is a Large. On their site, United By Blue notes that the jacket runs a half size small, so please consider sizing up for an optimal fit.
Please note that United By Blue is an affiliate to Huck Adventures, and at no additional cost to you, Huck earns a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the links above.
United by Blue’s Men’s Flannel-Lined Salvaged Hemp Shirt Jacket
United by Blue is one of our favorite companies. Not only do they create amazing, durable clothing, but they also have an amazing mission: for every product sold, they remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways.
This jacket has become a favorite on cold days. It pairs well with other flannels, henleys or other long-sleeved shirts. It is perfect for working outside on the house, wearing on a hike, or layering in the office.
The Salvaged Hemp Shirt Jacket is made from—you guessed it—hemp. If you aren’t familiar with hemp, it’s a hardy crop that can grow almost anywhere and uses a fraction of the amount of water that cotton requires. It is a plant that also absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees and when harvested, nothing is wasted. Seeds are used to make oil while the stalks are transformed into fiber.
Also, the buttons on the jacket are nuts! Literally nuts. They use nuts from the Tagua Palm, which grows in Central America. They are hard, durable, and look pretty darn sweet.
United by Blue’s Men’s Flannel-Lined Salvaged Hemp Shirt Jacket
I love how functional this jacket is. It doesn’t skimp on pockets, including an interior workwear pocket with an additional tool slot pocket; perfect for the pencil I’m always misplacing when doing woodwork or for the iPad stylus in the office.
I am 5’11” and the jacket I am wearing is a Large.
Please note that United By Blue is an affiliate to Huck Adventures, and at no additional cost to you, Huck earns a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the links above.
Backcountry radios occupy an interesting niche in the outdoor community. They’re used operationally by heli guides, ski guides, mountain rescue teams, some mountain guides and ski patrol, but rarely by recreational users. I think the vibe is that they’re too sophisticated for whatever mellow multipitch we’ve decided to do today. In a word, embarrassing for weekend warriors, but I’ve seen so many people yelling at each other from rope lengths away, often making life-or-death decisions based on the muffled cry of their partner. Wild that people do that.
The established radio in the outdoor world is the BCA Link, which helps the above phenomenon make sense. It’s a 2-piece unit, and it’s burly. Beyond being a little intimidating, finding a place for all that in your pack feels like a lot. And it’s expensive ($180).
In the smaller, single body radio world, there’s not much on the scene, apart from crappy Motorola and Chinese radios. Having used both options for mountain guiding a number of times, I can say that they are unsatisfactory. Poor, poor battery life and functionality not built for the mountains makes them far from my first choice. With cell service, I would rather use my iPhone.
Enter the Rocky Talkie. It aims to bridge the gap, offering a slim, backcountry oriented design without all the bulk and presumption of the BCA offering. It’s marketed not only as a skiing radio, but a climbing radio, making long, windy alpine routes a touch less scary. With huge battery life and range specs and a much lower price point that the Link, I was highly intrigued.
Performance:
In my first two months of use, I’ve found these radios to perform on par with larger units. My local ski area is two large basins divided by a prominent ridge, and the radio has had no problem receiving or transmitting signals several miles through this ridge, and the fidelity has been strong. The performance is comparable to the larger sets used by patrollers across the mountain. Even in tight, rocky gullies facing away from the rest of the ski area, I can still pick up what’s going on.
The battery life has also been quite impressive. I’ve not charged them once since I picked them up two months ago, taking them out at every opportunity (maybe two dozen times). They still sit at about 70% battery life. While they will not sit ‘on’ for hours on end, they will stay on for about an hour without input before sleeping. If you are base comms, this is a little inconvenient, but these radios are designed for on-route on-demand communication.
Design:
I’ve also found the design quite inspiring. Attaching radios to backpacks is always a pain. Where do they go? Do I just cinch them on crane my neck in to speak? How floppy is the attachment? How large and obnoxious is the unit? Do I have to run cords to my backpack? The Rocky Talkie has two attachment points, with one pre-setup on a spiral extension cord. This means I can keep the radio secure on my bag, and unclip the main carabiner easily to bring the radio right up to my mouth. While orienting the radio initially was a bit of a pain, once I found my spot, it has lived on my bag ever since, even on ski tours where I didn’t need a radio.
The single unit design has also been quite nice. When I do find myself swapping bags often (Black Diamond Cirque 35 to Mammut Pro X, depending on avalanche conditions and terrain), it is really convenient that I don’t need to rethread the mic and transceiver through a port in the bag with every swapover. It clips on and clips off. Done.
Will I keep it on my backpack?
What Rocky Talkie set out to do, which was to create a safety tool that climbs and skiers would carry every day, is a daunting task. For people cutting grams out of their equipment lists, creating a radio that could be compelling for disasters yet still sleek enough for a recreational is hard. But I think they did it. This is a no-frills radio that doesn’t seem handicapped by that feature. It’s powerful and will go on my bag deep into the backcountry without (much) complaining from me.
I am a big fan of companies that listen to feedback from their customers and use it to actually make changes to products! That’s exactly what Lems did when outdoor enthusiasts let them know that their women’s Trailhead shoes were not quite perfect yet.
I reviewed the first version of Lems Trailhead back in June. I enjoyed the shoe but did find it to be a bit narrow. A lot of Lems loyalists also found the shoes to be narrow, as well as stiff with its rock plate.
So, Lems took the shoes back to the drawing board. They redesigned them to make adjustments where needed while maintaining the functionality that attracted me to this shoe in the first place. The alterations range from practically non-noticeable removal of the bunion area overlay to ahhhhh-inspiring increases in toe box width (read the full list of changes HERE).
One difference from the original Lems Trailhead design is that the lacing system. It used to have two loops, but Lems reduced it to one to release pressure on the top of the foot. I noticed that with this change, the tongue has a bit more tendency to shift to the side. By paying a bit of attention when lacing up, I can ensure it stays where it should.
They also widened the toebox, but if you have wide feet, these may still be too narrow for you. Even with the increased width in the toe box this shoe is narrower than others in Lems product line.
Flexibility has increased from the first design to the second with the removal of the rock plate. There is adequate tread and cushioning on both of the designs to provide comfort while trekking. The biggest difference is your foot feels more of the impact and terrain with the newer version. I would limit this shoe’s use to walking around town or for day hikes where the added flexibility increases comfort. I appreciate rock plates in my shoes for backpacking to minimize foot fatigue on longer multi-day hikes.
These shoes have become the workhorse of my footwear. They are comfortable for the mundane mile-long walk to school with the kids in the morning, and stylish enough for travel to far-off places where we are on our feet exploring all day long.
I recently took them on a four-mile hike in the foothills of Boulder, Colo. I was pleased with their grip on the sandstone boulders we climbed over. The onyx color does have a tendency to show dust after hikes. But, I can are easily restore them with a quick wipe down. They also pair as easily with leggings as they do jeans or even a casual dress.
Scarpa’s Ribelle range of boots represents the future of fast & light alpinism. It is part of a growing industry trend towards fast and light alpinism, where we’ve seen a lot of new products, such as Petzl’s Irvis Hybrid Crampons, Patagonia’s Hybrid Sleeping Bags, and Edelrid’s Skimmer Pro Dry 7.1MM rope.
Alpinism is certainly cutting grams, and enabling safety through speed.
Scarpa sent us the Ribelle Tech OD Boot to review. It’s a three-season alpine boot that is a hybrid between an approach shoe and mountaineering boot.
For this review we decided to attempt Mount Massive in Lake County, Colo., in mid-May when it had record snowpack. Unfortunately, we didn’t summit, but we did put in 11 miles on snowshoes, crampons, and microspikes.
Customization.
Scarpa’s standard liners are quality. However, after a 4 mile test hike, I realized these were closer to my Scarpa Phantom Techs than my running shoes, and replaced the standard liners with my custom orthotics from Bent Gate Mountaineering in Golden, CO.
Once the orthotics were in place, these boots were comfortable enough to wear all day. In fact, I wore them for an entire day preparing for the trip. They were comfortable enough to drive in, run errands, and set up our camp. My goal was to make sure they had a full-day of sweat in them before bivving for the night.
Warmth: Don’t Stop Moving
We got to the campsite late around 8 p.m., and decided to start at 2 a.m. the next morning. As soon as my fiancé and I climbed into our bivvies, it started to snow. Perfect! In addition to sweat from the day before, now my boots had snow covering them.
Thankfully these boots are warm. After knocking the snow out, and breaking the ice off the boots they warmed up quickly. As long as I was moving, I stayed warm in the 15 degree morning air.
Stability: Like a Tennis Shoe
Lacing up the boots reminded me of a tennis shoe. There is one set of holes around the ankle, but it doesn’t provide much support. That last set of lace holes appears to function solely as a way to snitch the gaiter “sock” down further. You will need good, flexible, and strong ankles for this boot, and I don’t recommend spending much time in Grade V climbs: your calves will get pumped.
Traction
The sole on these boots are very soft and grippy. It took me by surprise when after a mile of hiking on snow ice, I realized how confident I was without extra traction. Plus, the rubber seems to be held up well. Hopefully, they hold up well over the next year of climbing.
Running
You can run in these. However, being able to run in a mountaineering boot, doesn’t mean you should. On a “test” hike, I put in two miles on this boot, and I was done. The soles are really stiff and unforgiving, so while you can trail run in them, don’t plan on putting in a ton of miles.
Gaiter: Holy Gaiter Batman!
This year’s historic snowpack in Colorado combined with mid-May snow rot made for a lot of deep post-holing. The Ribelle’s Sock-Fit Plus Gaiter held up to nearly three hours of postholing. The Sock-Fit Gaiter was simple and effective, and I would recommend it for all except the dryest powder days.
Crampons, Snowshoes, and Mircospikes.
Sticking with the fast and light approach, I decided to use the Petzl Irvis Hybrid crampons. While these boots have some flex, they were stiff enough for the Dyneema cord and held the semi-automatic crampons on securely.
Their stiffness also made snowshoes a dream. I could crank down the straps on my MSR Snowshoes and never experienced any wiggle.
I would recommend sizing up on Microspikes for the Ribelle Tech’s. While not as bulky as a full mountaineering boot, they are higher volume, and I had trouble getting my size L Kahtoola Microspikes to fit my 44.5 boots. I should have used XL Microspikes.
Summary
At 1220 grams, this boot has me excited for more four-season fast and light 14ers, and further stoked about the future of fast & light alpinism. I will continue to use this boot all year round.
Please note that Scarpa is an affiliate to Huck Adventures, and at no additional cost to you, Huck earns a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the links above. We appreciate your support!
As a new father a few years ago, I knew I wanted to get my kids involved in all of the outdoor adventuring that my wife and I enjoyed, but struggled to find gear that was suitable to their tiny little frames. It seemed that outdoor companies were more focused on the 12-year-old age range and older, but didn’t make much for the 2-10 year-old range. It was a struggle.
Fast forward six years and the selection of gear has grown significantly. To the point where my two daughters have now been through three sets of climbing shoes each. With the 2019 climbing season upon us in Utah, Scarpa sent my girls the newly-launched Scarpa Piki Climbing Shoe for our review, and they are LOVING them!
We’ve now climbed with their new Scarpa climbing shoes both indoors and outdoors, and the feedback the girls are giving me is excellent. A few of the features that set the Scarpa Piki climbing shoes apart above the rest from my perspective are:
They’re super easy to take on and off. For me, trying to manage the ropes, setup, getting access to an appropriate route, etc., takes plenty of energy. So, having a shoe that the girls can take on and off without my help is great.
The grip and toe point of the sole is awesome. My youngest daughter was climbing with another brand prior to these and had trouble getting her toe to stick to smaller platforms. After her first pitch with the Scarpa Piki’s, she yelled down to me that she felt like she couldn’t fall!
No Midsole Construction. When I first read this, I wondered if the shoe would be too flexible. But after using the shoes for weeks, it’s actually a huge benefit. Having the extra flexibility with a slightly asymmetrical curve has made the shoe very comfortable for them, but it still has plenty of grip for them to climb difficult routes.
Lastly, but in the eyes of my girls, not the least, they love the colors and the way they look. I know from a functional standpoint, this doesn’t matter at all. But, the excitement on the girls’ faces when they opened the Scarpa box and saw the yellow and blue was enough for me to realize that the appearance mattered.
Overall, I’ve been super impressed with the Scarpa Piki climbing shoes and would recommend them for kids in the age range of two to eight years old without hesitation. After about eight years old, I personally think finding a shoe with a slightly more aggressive sole suits the older and more agile kids better.
Please note that Scarpa is an affiliate to Huck Adventures, and at no additional cost to you, Huck earns a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the links above. We appreciate your support!
Finding Father’s Day gifts for the most deserving father can be difficult. We get it. So, we’ve put together an extensive gift guide with 15 adventure-inspired products in hopes of making the search for Father’s Day gifts much easier.
Whether your dad’s passion is hiking, biking, or any type of adventure, we’ve got the perfect gift idea for you organized below by price point. Browse useful multi-tools, trendy outdoor gear, and everything in between for Father’s Day gifts your dad is sure to love!
Keep it casual, dad knows how much you love him (below $50)
Hydroflask: From ice cold water to hot coffee, Hydroflask’s high-performance, insulated cup will keep your dad happy and refreshed. Perfect for baseball games, out on a hike, or for when he’s simply on the go.
SAXX Underwear: Why buy your dad another tie when you can get him something he’s sure to use everyday? Check out SAXX Underwear.
XPOT: Are you sick of dad’s only dinner option being hot dogs on your weekend getaways? Expand his cooking horizons with these collapsible pots for easy and efficient backcountry cooking.
FLOW 35L Dry Backpack: Whether it’s water sports, bike commutes, hiking, or anything outdoors, this water-and-snow-resistant backpack makes wet adventures doable.
The thoughtful-yet-affordable Father’s Day Gifts (Under $100)
Skullcandy: Dad doesn’t understand why your headphones are always in? Show him what he’s missing out on. Portable headphones perfect for running, skiing, or biking.
Shower’s Pass: Hauling a cycling backpack around can be a hassle, and it is especially rough on the old man’s back. Give dad a break, and help him pack light with Shower’s Pass RainSlinger Waterproof Hip Pack. With wet-weather protection and reflective LED trim, he’ll be wearing it on every bike ride.
Shower’s Pass:Cold weather can be hard on the hands. Whether it’s fishing, or biking or running in the rain, Crosspoints Waterproof Knit Gloves will provide your father with outstanding dexterity and waterproof protection that will keep his hands warm and dry.
For a little extra love on Dad’s special day (Between $100-$300)
Rocky Mountain Underground: The new Corepack 15 backpack is designed for trail sports. It not only holds a water pack, but comes with a built-in-beer holder so he can celebrate after a long trek.
Otterbox: Help dad enjoy staying happy and hydrated on weekend outings with Otterbox Coolers.
Vivobarefoot: Give the gift of healthy feet and introduce him to minimalist shoes with these recycled, lightweight shoes used for hiking, running, and everyday wear.
BioLite: Your dad will want to bring this portable smokeless fire pit on every camping trip. The BioLite FirePit burns both firewood and charcoal depending on your dads needs. It also has a blue-tooth controlled fan that allows you to control the flames. Get the cover to charge the battery with solar power.
Borrow Dad’s credit card and give him something nice ($300+)
Kokopelli Packrafts: Inflatable, packable, and easy to use, your dad won’t be able to wait to take this one out. Great for whitewater rafting, paddling, and of course, pack rafting. Made with cutting edge materials, your dad can enjoy weekend getaways in this trusted, lightweight, high performance packraft..
Giant Bicycles: Get your old man out of the house and into the mountains with the Giant Talon 29 3 (2019). This classic hardtail bike is made for singletrack riders aspiring for outdoor adventure.
Scarpa: Scarpa’s Ribelle Tech OD is the perfect mountaineering boot to allow dad to run, climb, and stay dry on his next mountain climb.
Sea to Summit: For ultra-light backpacking, Sea to Summit’s Specialist Shelters are one- or two-person tents that can be pitched quickly for dad’s next trek.
Please note that this article contains some affiliate links to our brand partners. At no additional cost to you, Huck earns a commission if you decide to make a purchase by using the links above. We appreciate your support!
