Your local backcountry gear shop in the Sea to Sky Corridor, BC, Canada. With two retail locations in Whistler and Squamish and our Alpine Demo Centre rental location in Whistler, we have everything you need to get out and explore the backcountry.
We specialize in product reviews from brands such as Mountain Hardwear, Red Paddle Co, DPS, Dynafit, Black Diamond and more. We also love partnering up with other outdoor experts to share backcountry knowledge & tips!
The point about testing your gear and getting comfortable using it can't be highlighted enough. A lot of great new gear out there, but you need to be able to use it quickly and easily in the dark, when cold, tired, etc. New tent or hammock or pad or whatever, set up camp in your backyard or close by for a night to see what it's like. Cook dinner on your back porch with your new stove, etc. You might find an issue, or at least get a little practice with what works best or what order to do things most efficiently.
Hi, I'm 5'10" and 150 lbs. Would you recommend the 12' or the 13'2" voyager? I'm a beginner but don't mind the challange of learning. Believe I have good balance, doing yoga, etc. Like to enjoy mostly calm lakes and some slow rivers.
nylon floor that will draw up moisture and if water gets under the tent (and it will) this type of floor material will let in the water. Pass on these as I've had this tent style ruin an outing. Also this tent has way too much mesh and when chilly at night, you will not be a happy camper.
thanks for the video. do you know how long a siliconed material lasts? ans what about the gum made holders for the places where the inner tent is connected to the poles? i think this could be a weak point as gum becomes old very fast. do you know anything about this?
Gotta wait for a five or six year review of this product. Anyone would expect good results over two or three months. I remember when they said Round up was an inert harmless substance.
Getting into paddle board camping and this is one of the absolute best videos on packing and planning I have found. Lots of great tips and items to pack specific to paddling and safety on the water. Would love if you continued more videos along these lines. Great to share all of the info from experienced paddlers.
I had an ultra compact Ultralamina which unfortunately they don’t make any more.. I love that Mountain Hardware makes a short version, it’s amazing other brands don’t. When you have a more snug fit you’re maximising the heat efficiency instead of having wasted space that can get cold.
I can see a beginner having one of those but not someone that's Advanced and/or Expert, Professional like Ski Protrol or anyone else and for $499.00 to me, it's not worth it.Lower the price,$350-$390.00, then your going to have better luck selling them but not at $500.00 a shot, no way.
Is the harness good for all types of mountaineering? Or is it too light? Everything from the smaller mountains to large everest treks? Or would you recommend the Aquila instead?
The way i would assess is, ask yourself the question. Will I ever purposefully hang in the harness? If yes, I would go for the more comfortable harness. If no, and it's just incase, altitude is a winner.
I’m currently in 27.5 TLT6 boots. Would I go to a 27.5 in the rad pro? I noticed the sole length in the 26.5 is the same as my 27.5 TLT6s. Seems strange.
The reason for the BSL discrepancy is that the TLT6 is a non-normed sole So the heel and toe overhangs are shorter and the sole is more rockered. The TLT6 is much lower volume than the Radical overall, although their internal lengths are quite similar. The most relevant difference when choosing size is that the Radical toe box is much squarer, wider and deeper than the TLT6.
I did it on my Back Diamond skins. Some glue shifted to the edges. I found it easier to remove by cutting along the skin with paper still attached. I put the skin paper down for this. Not sure if the glue shifting was because of too high temperature or because BD is applying thick glue...
BD definitely puts the glue on too thick in my opinion. Any glue that is dripping over the edge can easily be removed when cool just by picking it off with your fingers or with a small piece of paper between your thumb and forefinger.
I came here hoping to hear more about how they handled, rather than more of a spec review. (There are lots of the latter available--the ones where an experienced paddler takes it on the water and then talks about how it feels and handles on the water are the ones that help substitute for a test drive, and are really the most helpful for people that aren't able to try before buying. Otherwise, nice review--thanks!)
How would you size the boot compared to like Scarpa boots? Also, I am looking for a boot to do fast and light ascents of climbs like the Grand, the Matterhorn, etc... Would you think this fits the bill? I typically use Scarpa Phantom Techs, but I think for summer ascents it might be a little over the top .
This boot would tick the fast and light, the rockered heel and toe make it nice to move fast in. We have found that people don't tend to fit both the scarpa and the arcteryx. Reasons seem to be inconsistent but a combination of wider heel in the and narrow mid foot in the arc compared to scarpa.
Thanks for the video! I have some trouble with the Dynafit Radical (non pro) and I thought of buying the Pro model but as I could see in the video the structure inside is similiar to the non pro model. So I would have the same problem as I have now with the non pro model :(
I have some new skins. Some of the glue managed to get on the skin side. I tried to wipe it off, but now a 1" by 5/8" area is kind of "gluey". I wiped it enough that it feels petty close to normal. Any way to get it out better? I know I should have used tweezers from the getgo... I am kind of new to skinning.
Brown paper bag and a quick iron with the skin on the ski will absorb it. Make sure you don't get the skin hot enough to activate the glue on the other side. A light touch on low heat should be enough to clean it off.
