It’s amazing how some backpacking gear myths persist, even when there’s ample evidence to the contrary. Here are my favorites.Most two person tents are too small to actually fit two people unless they’re 8 years old. If you want *any* extra space in a two person tent, size up to a three person tent and make sure it as two separate doors, so you and your partner can get out at night to pee without falling over each other.If you’re too cold in your sleeping bag, put on some long underwear and a hat or a down jacket. The math is simple: the more you wear, the higher the combined R-value of your night-time sleeping insulation.Most long distance hikers don’t wear hiking boots anymore. They wear running shoes which are much cooler to wear in hot weather, dry faster when they get wet, and are much softer than hiking boots so they don’t cause as many blisters.Backpack rain covers are a hassle: they get ripped, torn off and lost, and they don’t do a very good job at keeping your pack dry in rain anyway.
Most experienced backpackers line the inside of their backpack with a trash compactor bag instead which is much more effective and less expensive.Footprints are just an easy way for tent companies to milk you for more money. Tent fabrics has come a long way in the past 40 years and almost all tents have bomb-proof waterproof floors that aren’t going to wear out unless you live in them full-time. Even Kirstin doesn’t bring a tent footprint backpacking. Need I say more?So-called breathable fabrics, such as Gore-tex and eVent, have been so over-hyped that their breathability claims are not believable anymore. If you want to stay dry in a rain jacket, get one with pit zips so you can vent your sweat the old-fashioned way by cracking a zipper.Most three season backpacking tents work as well in winter as during the rest of the year. If you expect heavy snow, a tent with steep walls is best, but there’s usually no reason you can’t camp in winter using your existing tent if you have a warm sleeping bag rated for cold temperatures.
A lot of people I meet on backpacking and camping trips think that it’s ok to pour soapy water into streams and rivers if they use biodegradable Campsuds, Sea-to-Summit Wilderness Wash, or Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap to wash their hands, shampoo their hair, or clean their camp cookware. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Getting any soap in a water source is not acceptable. The soap can cause all sorts of issues from increased nitrogen to actually causing significant harm to aquatic inhabitants. Plus, no one wants to drink water that you’ve washed yourself, your clothes or cookware with. Carry all dirty or soapy water away from water sources and bury or disperse it at least 200 feet away.Waterproof hiking boots are only as waterproof as the coating applied to their exterior which degrades rapidly with use, or the integrity of the Gore-tex lining which quickly breaks down with wear so they start to leak. Waterproof shoes, even those with so-called breathable liners, trap perspiration from your feet, which makes your socks damp and increases blistering.
Except in winter, when waterproof boots can increase insulation by trapping warmth, you’re better off hiking in non-leather boots or shoes that have some mesh so that they drain and dry faster when you get the wet and your feet sweat.No. You should always carry a map and compass and learn how to use them. GPS devices (including cell phones) can complement a map and compass, they don’t replace them. While battery-powered devices are a convenience when hiking, you can’t rely on them in the backcountry. GPS devices are power hogs and you don’t want to be stuck in a lurch with dead batteries with no idea where you are or how to get to safety.Irregular Choice’s Star Wars shoes are a thing of geeky beauty, so we were over the moon (or space station?) when we heard a second set of designs were being released in the collection. We’re very giddy to report that Phase 2 of these Star Wars shoes are now live and fully operational! We have nine brilliant new styles from the creative minds at Irregular Choice—some flats, some heels and, brand new to our site, some awesome sneakers!
Star Wars: A Licensing Empire [Infographic]Remember a long time ago, here in this galaxy, when Star Wars was just a movie? It’s no surprise that Star Wars is one of the most valuable franchises today and it’s mostly due to all the licensed merchandise that’s available out there. Sure, things started small with books and action figures (have you seen how many Luke Skywalker action figures there are?), but it’s grown into a colossal business. You can get Star Wars shoes, purses, slippers, bathrobes, pajamas, toasters, jewelry... pretty much anything you can think of! If you add everything up - all the way down to Star Wars branded macaroni and cheese - you’ll find that Star Wars merchandise sales exceeded a quarter of a billion dollars last year alone! That’s a whole lot of noodles! As much as we’d like to go into every detail, we’d prefer to use our time to keep watching Star Wars movies on the regular. Here’s a look at amount of Star Wars movies, books, and toys produced since the franchise launched 40 years ago.
Geek Gifts to Satisfy Your Nerdy SideThroughout history, the t-shirt has been the traditional method of broadcasting one’s status as a geek and/or nerd. The Geek/Nerd Shirt acts as a powerful magnet, attracting others wearing similar shirts, or repelling them in the case of Star Trek and Star Wars shirts. Few people know this, but they also award Credibility Points, which one can spend to gain access to exclusive locations, such as comic and gaming stores. But anyone can earn Credibility Points by giving geek gifts and by loitering around their cool gadgets. Are you interested in upping your nerd game or helping others develop a geekitude of their own? You’ve Seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Now Buy These Toys We're going to go out on a limb here and assume that you saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's a safe guess. Most of the world did. As one of the highest grossing films of all time, The Force Awakens is not only raking in the cash at the box office, but also at the toy store.
Star Wars has been one of the most successful film franchises in harnessing the power of licensing and branding. A new Star Wars movie means the Star Wars characters will be slapped on just about any product imaginable. There are some questionable items out there with the Star Wars logo emblazoned on it, though, so we've set out to help you sift through the pile with this handy list. We've broken down our favorite Star Wars products into easy-to-understand categories: Heroes, Villains, Vehicles, and Robots. From Finn to the First Order, from Rey to Ren, now that you've seen The Force Awakens, grab some of these toys!...Well, Star Wars and other geeky things, like comic books and video games and books about teenage wizards. (You get the idea.) But we also like puzzles, and you may be surprised to find out that there aren’t many Star Wars-related puzzles out there. So we made our own crossword with clues based on the Star Wars universe, especially the Black Series of action figures. (Hey, we also like action figures.)