Short clips
Trailers to full length videos and stand-alone quick tips; everything we make that is under 60 seconds
Preview to: Build Your Own Pulk Sled to Access Winter Camps or Mountain Climbing Objectives
Winter climbing trips are often extended from one to two day affairs, or even longer. Trailhead access can be further away as only main roads remain open. And then approach hikes take longer due to difficult conditions, as well. If we need more time out in the backcountry, and now need to set camps, we may want to haul, rather than carry in all that bulky, winter gear. The full video goes step by step building a Pulk Sled that is light and efficient enough for those local trips but also robust enough for expedition rigors.
Preview to: Our Climbing, Backpacking, or Trekking Expedition Retrospective
No climbing, backpacking, or trekking expedition goes perfectly. We get some things in planning and executing the expedition just right, but we also don’t do enough of some things (like, maybe, communication) or too much of others (like, maybe, overtraining). So, this previews a facilitated retrospective on a completed expedition. What we learn from everyone's unique perspectives helps leverage strengths and avoid pitfalls when we head out on the next big trip.
Preview to Climbing, Backpacking, or Trekking Expedition Team Dynamics Starts with Prep
Trust is key to any team endeavor, and belief in our teammates is just as key to an expedition's success. It doesn't matter if we are climbing, backpacking, or trekking. Multi-day adventures in the outdoors can hinge on our ability to lean on one another. Our family's trek of the Tour de Mont Blanc proved to be one example. The full video describes how the training we put into fitness and shared systems, which we have to do anyway, can be multiplied in the value they bring to expedition teams.
Preview to: Getting Your Gear Where It Needs to Go! Logistics Planning for Expeditions
For any expedition, whether to climb, trek, or do anything else, we’ve got to get ourselves and our gear to the right places at the right time. What we need for the travel segments will be different than what we need during the adventure portions of the trip, and we need to make sure that - as silly as it sounds - the people and the gear meet up when needed. That’s logistics. And there is a lot that goes into logistics planning for an expedition. The full video offers a mental model to help get us started.
Preview to Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound - Adding Load Lifting Straps Without Any Sewing
Not too long ago, I was asked about how I might be able to add load lifting straps to The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound Ultralight backpack. The full video provides a walkthrough of how I did that.
Preview to a Review of the Deuter Climber 22L Kids' Pack: 3 Years of Backpacking & Climbing
Our boys, now age 8, have been using the Deuter Climber 22 Liter Kid's backpack for over three years. It's been the pack they take on just about every hiking, backpacking, camping, and climbing adventure. So, with that much wear and trust put into the backpack, we thought it would be worth a review. The full video shares what we dislike, like, and love about this pack.
Keeping Larger Particles Out of Your Hiking, Backpacking, and Climbing Snow Melt Water
Finding purified water is easy on winter and alpine climbs and hikes when you are boiling snow melt, but larger particles like pine nettles can still infest your water despite boiling. Your kitchen cabinets already hold an affordable solution.
I've Used the Bōn Dry Hydration Pack Dryer for Years and It Keeps My Hydration Packs Fresh
My family gets outdoors a lot for climbing, backpacking, and hiking and we use hydration pack systems when the weather is right. The convenience of having water accessible helps us drink more. But hydration packs are hard to keep from molding. That's where the Bōn Dry hydration pack dryer comes in to play. I've never had to replace any of my families' hydration systems since I started using it.
Keeping Kids Hydrated when Backpacking, Hiking, and Climbing: Water Bladder Size Matters
Being outdoors with my kids for climbing, backpacking, and hiking is a blast, but getting them to do some of "the small things" on a consistent basis can be a challenge. Staying hydrated is one of those things. Having water always accessible with a water bladder system can help, but I need to make sure I have the right water bladder for their little bodies and little equipment.
Climbing. High Altitude Hikes. Winter Backpacking. Maybe Take That Metal Ring Off?
When we head outdoors for climbing, hiking, or backpacking, we always try to dress for conditions. But one part of our kit that maybe we haven't thought about is any rings we might usually have on. A metal ring can be a hazard when there are opportunities to either catch it on something or if the environment is cold. It's a lesson I've had to relate to many the adult climbing student.
Gloves, Jackets, and Watches: Keeping that Smart Device from Catching on Gear in the Alpine
Many climbers, mountaineers, hikers, and backpackers wear a watch. Often times, it doubles as their GPS. But once we add the necessary gloves and jackets for cold days in the alpine, that watch can be in our way. Here's how it keep my watch from getting caught in my clothing while also keeping it available as I need it.
How to Mount a GPS Device, Satellite Communicator, or Radio to Your Backpack Strap
On some routes, I know I am going to need to be able to access a radio or a GPS device or satellite communicator more frequently. Maybe winds or terrain will make it hard to talk with my climbing partner. Maybe it's a new area and I'm unfamiliar with the landscape. Maybe it's a big expedition, and I need to be able to stay in regular contact with a team that is spread out all over the mountain. If I need to keep the device available, I want it out of the way, high on my shoulder, when not in use; but I also need to be sure it's secure and still attached when I am using it. Here is how I rig a device to my backpack when facing these types of situations.
Climbing, Mountaineering, and Hiking Travel: Don't Split Systems When Packing for Flights
When we travel for hiking, climbing, and mountaineering, we have a little less than a 1% chance that a checked bag will get lost, damaged, or delayed. Compounded across multiple bags for multiple people, and you can quickly end up with a much higher likelihood of a baggage handling error. So, here is one tip to help you avoid having partial systems and incomplete gear should you run into one of those baggage problems.
Traveling with Climbing, Mountaineering, and Hiking Gear: Getting the Right Duffels
When we travel for hiking, climbing, and mountaineering, some of what we need to take with us are longer items that don't fit well in most luggage. Here are the typical airline dimensions you need to know and a recommendation on having at least one of these types of duffel bags.
Trailer to Loadout Days Ensure the Right Gear for Mountaineering, Backpacking, Camping Trip
Mountaineering, backpacking, and camping trips require a lot of gear. If you are traveling across states, provinces, or even countries, the stakes of having too much gear can be costly, and having too little gear can even be dangerous. The full video presents the single most important day of my travel/expedition planning process to help insure that I, and my team, don't make either of those mistakes.
Trailer to Five Tips for Flying with Mountaineering, Backpacking, and Camping Gear
Hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering trips require a lot of gear as well as gear for which airline security policies add complication. As COVID restrictions ease up and trips for outdoor adventures become plausible, again, we provide five tips to make your air travel in-country or abroad more manageable and less stressful.
Trailer to Winter Gear We Take When Mountaineering, Hiking, and Snowshoeing with the Kids
My twin seven-year-olds love mountaineering, climbing, hiking, and camping. But making sure we have all the right gear for winter trips comes with larger consequences for getting it wrong. The full video is a load out of what we take for a winter day-trip in snowy, cold conditions
Trailer to Full Video of Hiking Gear I Take to Climb a Colorado 14er in the Summer: Loadout
Wanting to hike to the summit of a 14er? Here is a loadout of the equipment I take on a typical summer climb to above fourteen thousand feet.