Olympus Binoculars: the latest gadget

These little binoculars are the latest craze I have, apart from my Stoke backpack; these binoculars are tiny yet powerful, and they're really fun to have with you on a hike. They're 10 x 21 (which means that things are viewed as 10 times larger than they are in real life), and that's a great optical zoom to have in such a small, reasonably priced package.

They fold up to be much smaller than they look in the pic above; they are small enough to fit in the waist strap pockets of my Stoke 19, which is not a huge pocket. You don't have to wrestle them into the pocket at all. Really impressive.

I used to have this optical tool:


But this gadget was so small, I misplaced it somewhere in my house, and it will turn up, undoubtedly, in a few years when I finally open a drawer and move a piece of paper and find them there, waiting and lonely.

The monocular was also fun to have; I used it on my Tomales Point hike to look at the cormorants and rocks. I learned, however, that, with a monocular, you have to have a pretty steady hand to see the image clearly, particularly when the item was pretty far away and you were really focusing in on it. I learned also that, while it's fun to feel like a pirate using a telescope, now I've used binoculars on hikes, I can see why there are many more pairs of binoculars around than monoculars. It was just harder to squint through the single lens using one eye instead of two. The optical vision is similar between the two, but if you can fit in the binocular into your pack and budget, it's worth doing, I think.

So, happy with the bins. You probably would be too. :)

New backpack: REI Stoke 19 Ultra Light pack

I've loved and used my REI Venturi 30 backpack with great success so far, and I plan to continue to use it for many hikes to come. It's a great backpack, with plenty of pockets for big and little gear, bottles and hydration packs. It's truly a comfortable backpack, and I am very happy with it.

Below: My Venturi 30 pack:


BUT--(you could tell a 'but' was coming, no?)--for summer hikes, I've often felt that the Venturi was just a little too much pack for the hike--a little too much room, a little too much weight.

My latest purchase, therefore, is a lighter ultra-light REI Stoke 19 backpack for the warmer hikes when I don't have to worry so much about where to put the layers and layers that inevitably get peeled off as the day warms up.

The Stoke pack is the perfect size for the ten essentials, a fleece, a snack, a rain jacket, and your water (either in bottles or in a hydration pack). I haven't tried the pack with a hydration pack [UPDATE: see below], and logically, using a hydration pouch will cut back on the storage room within the pack.

Still, the point of the pack is to store stuff for summer hikes, when you just don't need the necessary room for several layers, so the room taken up by the hydration pack is likely to be somewhat 'spare' anyway.

The pack has a decent-sized nicely organized front pocket for your keys etc; this small secure pocket has two little mesh pockets for little items like chapstick, id cards, and your phone, and it's surprisingly deep and holds a remarkable number of items. You could probably fit most of your ten essentials in there, actually.

The pack also has an outside open storage flap for your fleece, rain jacket, map etc--things that you need to access quickly. This pocket has cinch straps that allow you to adjust the storage flap pocket to meet the needs of the contents, and the cinch straps also allow you to condense the pack when it doesn't have too much in it.

The pack also has a dedicated hydration pocket inside, with a hook for your camelback bottle (although any two liter pouch will work probably). The hose fits through a little slit at the top back of the pack, and then it comes out on either side shoulder strap. These straps also have an stretchy band under which you can thread the hose to take it on the hike.

The main compartment is plenty big enough for a fleece, a rain jacket, some snacks, a first aid kit, and even some flip-flops or water shoes if you have a water crossing. Anything that doesn't fit into the big compartment (which is surprisingly big--you just keep putting stuff in, and it all seems to fit), can go into the storage flap pocket on the front or be tied on with ties.

If you're using the pack for water and it's otherwise mostly empty, you can cinch it further closed by using an internal cinch elastic, accessible by a pull at the very top of the pack. I haven't had to use this yet, but when I do need it, it's there, which is cool.

Finally, pocket-wise, the pack has some slanted side net pockets for maps, bandannas, what-have-you. They're fairly accessible, but as always, some flexibility (or a friend) is good to help you reach back and get whatever you need out from any side pockets. The pockets are a useful size, and they would seem to hold most smallish items pretty securely.

The shoulder pads are remarkably comfortable, I've found. They include porous sponge pad under a net cover, both of which work well in terms of light weight and breathability. The efficacy of the shoulder pads allow you to hike along with nary a care about the weight of a full hydration pouch and the pack. I can't get over how light this thing is, even when packed.

The Stoke's shoulder straps also have a sternum strap (with a surprisingly loud orange safety whistle attached as the sternum clip). The pack also has a waist strap with small zipped pouches big enough for cameras/compasses/binoculars, GORP etc. Pretty ingenious.

I used the Stoke 19 on my recent Smittle Creek hike, and the pack worked out very well. It was very light and comfortable and could easily accommodate all my gear for the day. I didn't use a hydration pouch with this hike, so I just had a bottle in the pack, and it worked out fine.

One feature the pack doesn't have are the pole loops at the bottom of the pack that allow you to attach your poles easily to the pack. This feature isn't essential by any means, and perhaps they would just add weight and complexity to an otherwise fairly simple and highly effective pack. It does have a small loop in the center of the bottom of the pack, upon which you could perhaps rest the poles and then use a tie to attach them to the pack if you needed to do so.

I also don't think it's going to be as waterproof/resistant as the Venturi; the Venturi has sealed zips, for example, and the Stoke appears not to have that feature.

In terms of the Stoke's water-resistance, I think that, if I wanted to use it on a pretty rainy hike, I would just put the contents into ziplock bags and solve the problem that way. For me, this water-resistant question is not a deal-breaker; the weight and capacity far outweigh that minor inconvenience.

Since the Stoke is an ultra-light pack too, I also think that the material is likely not as tear-resistant as the Venturi; to be light-weight, a pack necessarily has to be made of thinner material than a more resistant pack. I'll be watching this part of the pack with interest to see how it lasts, but again--the point of the Stoke backpack is to travel lightly, and you really can't have 100% features of both heavy and light weight packs in a light weight pack. They're just different beasts.

Still, with decent care and realistic expectations, I think the Stoke will serve me well out on the trail for several years.

Overall--it's nice to have a choice in packs, and I'm happy I've chosen these two packs to accompany me on my journeys.

Update: I've used the Stoke pack now on several 8-12 mile hikes, both with and without hydration packs (2 liter), and in both situations (with/without hydration pack), I'm happy to report that the pack feels completely invisible to your back. You really don't notice you have it on at all. Quite an amazing little bag; I really highly recommend it. I can't believe how great it is.

Finally, the hiking shoes I love

After much gnashing of teeth (and toes and heels), I have finally settled on my hiking footgear--Keen Targhee II hiking shoes.

I wore them for today's hike up to Blue Ridge, with no problems at all.

No toe bashing? Check.

No heel rubbing/hot spots? Check.

No hot spots with laces? Check (once I'd reconfigured laces like the local running store showed me).

Good for plantar fasciitis? Check--no problems, very supportive.

Waterproof? Check.

Comfy? Check.

Cool (in all meanings of the word)? Check.

Happy hiker?

Check.

Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots

My new boots: I love them. They're great straight out of the box (see the Castle Peak hike); since that hike, however, I've gone up a size (same boots) because a) I wear socks and liners and b) my exact size is too small; in the last pair, my toes banged against the toe box.

These boots, however? Sigh. I hope they're great. I'll go for a short test hike today.

New Boots

I bit the bullet, and after some research, bought these boots today:

Vasque Breeze GTX

I tried on several pairs of intermediate weight boots, but these Vasques were by far the most comfortable in the store. Reviews are good on the whole. People love their comfort; waterproofing seems a little spotty. Hopefully, mine are good versions of the waterproofing ones. :) The ankle support feels great, so hopefully, they'll work out well for me on future hikes.

I've signed up for a hike to Castle Peak up by Donner next week, so I'll break them in over the next week and try them out then. It's a 9.5 mile total hike, and I'm guessing rocky in places. To be safe, I'll likely take along my Salamon shoes in case I need to change shoes midway. I'll wear some longer hiking socks and liners too to reduce the risk of blisters.

I'm excited to wear these new boots. They're really comfortable already, and I'm optimistic they'll work out. I guess we'll see.

No big hikes planned for me for this weekend; we have a busy family weekend instead. I'll be doing neighborhood and nearby trail walks instead. No worries.

My Gear

I always think it's interesting to see what gear people use on their hiking trips. Here's my gear:

My Pack: REI Venturi 30 pack:

I really like this pack; it has great pockets, its zippers are (said to be) waterproof (but I haven't tried that attribute out yet), and it's just the right size. It has a waist belt with pockets (for digital camera, compass, and small snack), and it has plenty of pockets for other stuff.

It has a concave internal frame which keeps the pack off your back to keep you cool. Camelback bladder can go inside the pack (in a pocket) or between concave back of pack and trapeze netting (which goes next to your back). Everything's adjustable, so you can get it to sit just right.

Things I carry in the pack:

1. Essentials: the ten essentials and a first aid kit. What are the ten essentials? http://www.wta.org/hiking-info/basics/ten-essentials


2. Personals: bathroom stuff, tiny pack towel, and bandanna


3. Food: snacks, sandwich, trailmix, vitamin water


4. Cold weather/rain gear: fleece, beanie, gloves, spare socks, compressable rain jacket--I only take this gear if I'm going up the Hill or if the forecast indicates inclement weather is a real possibility. If it's a tyical Valley summer day, and I'm staying in the Valley or the foothills, I'll leave this equipment at home.


5. Camelback bladder (2 liter--enough for a hot 12 miles/6-7 hour hike)


6. Getting Around: map, compass, animal track laminated sheet (because I'm nerdy that way)


7. Civilization: phone, keys, money, health card
   

My Shoes: Salamon X4 Comp 4 GTS Trail Running shoes.

They're great mid-cut trail shoes which are waterproof and supportive. I've replaced the insoles with Superfeet, which help a great deal with my arch problem. I have an earlier version of these, but they're the same type of model.

I'm looking for hiking boots to have additional ankle support on such hikes as the Echo Lakes hike, which had plenty of ankle turning rocks on it. I didn't realize I needed the additional support until my ankles were tired and started acting up on the rocks on the hike back to Echo Lakes.

My Socks: I use these socks: Wigwam Cool-lite Hiker Pro Quarter Length socks.

They're muy comfortable, padded (but not too padded). I've never had any blisters or even hot spots with any of my socks or my Salamon shoes. My Trekking Poles: Leki Diva Aergon Antishock Women's Trekking Poles.

I've just recently added trekking poles to my hiking gear paraphernalia, and so far, I really like them.
They really do help reduce stress on your knees as you go up and down slopes, and they're useful for pushing plants and branches off the trail to let you pass. Yes--they're an additional thing to carry as you hike, but their advantages outweigh their disadvantages. I noticed that in the hiking group, about half the people use trekking poles. The people who didn't tended to be still in their 20/30s, so give them time, my friends, give them time. :)

I'll add my cool weather gear in a different post. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, so by then, I'll be able to add some commentary on performance perhaps.