Some of you already know the story of Carl. Somehow he's been on my mind a lot these past few weeks as I roamed the Norwegian high plateaus in the company of no one but my dogs and the occasional herd of wild reindeer. PJ and I have been talking about him on numerous occasions… Continue reading Carl
Tag: Great Himalaya Trail
Shadows of the Himalaya
Nearly seven months ago I left Kathmandu on a panoramic flight over the himals of Nepal, beautifully outlined against a clear winter sky. I looked out the window, recognizing many of the major landmarks I had come to describe as the ‘white giants’. I remember feeling emotional at the sight of them, just as though… Continue reading Shadows of the Himalaya
Primus Omnilite Ti
Since gas is only occasionally available in Nepal, we wanted to take a stove with us that could burn whatever fuel we found available on the way. After lots of research we decided to take the Primus Omnilite Ti in cooperation with Sqoop.no, a titanium and lighter version of the Primus Omnilite. Though not the… Continue reading Primus Omnilite Ti
Devold of Norway: Island/Ålnes and Breeze products
Wool is the most basic of items anyone going out in winter should have with them. Wool not only keeps you warm, it also keeps you dry: wool absorbs sweat and can regulate body temperature so you neither cool down nor overheat too much. Staying dry is important during winter to avoid hypothermia and frostbite.… Continue reading Devold of Norway: Island/Ålnes and Breeze products
Arc’teryx Alpha SL Hybrid women’s jacket
Arc’teryx is well known to make top-notch shell jackets. Their Alpha product line focuses on alpinism and climbing and stands for “lightweight, minimalist climbing and alpinism products that protect from alpine environments.” Weight was a main concern while researching our gear list for the Great Himalaya Trail: we needed to have gear warm enough to… Continue reading Arc’teryx Alpha SL Hybrid women’s jacket
Helsport X-Trem Kvitbreen Lady Review
The coldest hours of our days in the Himalayas were the nights. It could be nice and warm during the day – even up to the point where we could walk in t-shirt, but temperatures consistently fell below freezing during the night. This regularly included double-digit negatives: it was not uncommon experiencing -15ºC after dark,… Continue reading Helsport X-Trem Kvitbreen Lady Review
Norrøna Bitihorn Zip-off pants
Breathable, lightweight and durable pants are a must-have for any long hike in the backcountry. I’ve used the Bitihorn pants on two separate long-distance hikes: the Bitihorn lightweight pants in New Zealand (the zip-off model did not exist yet at this time) and since I was happy with them I wanted to use one again… Continue reading Norrøna Bitihorn Zip-off pants
Haglöfs LIM Essens Down Jacket
The model reviewed in this article is the very first Essens model and is difficult to find in stock anywhere as Haglöfs has released several newer models, so the specs and features mentioned may differ from the newer models. Haglöfs described this jacket as following: "The L.I.M Essens Jacket is our premier down jacket when… Continue reading Haglöfs LIM Essens Down Jacket
Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Parka
Montbell is a Japanese brand which was founded by Isamu Tatsuno, a mountaineer, kayaker and an all-round outdoorsman, in 1975. I first heard of the brand Montbell many years back, but with the bigger and more famous (at least in Europe) brands such as The North Face, Fjellräven and Arc´teryx dominating the market I had… Continue reading Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Parka
Petzl Leopard crampons
"Agile, tought, and razor sharp. Snow is its natural habitat,"that is what Petzl announces in their informative video about their Leopard crampons, after having spent quite some time with this product on our feet we most certainly agree to that statement. Specifications Number of points: 10 Boot sizes: 36-46 Certification(s): CE EN 893, UIAA Material(s):… Continue reading Petzl Leopard crampons