If you stroll through an outdoor shop and check labels on their products, it is very likely that you will besides quick-drying, moisture-wicking, durable etc. also see lightweight. There is a lot of debate in outdoor circles whether lightweight gear is overrated, and ultralight indeed means making compromises. But is it worth to make compromises?…
Many new sports watches feature wrist-based heart rate tracking and ever since I bought the Suunto 9 Baro watch with wrist HR, I’ve been wondering how accurate the readings actually are. I’ve read a lot about the accuracy of wrist heart rate monitors online, but I haven’t found a single article that would be based…
Greece is mostly known for its cultural heritage and beaches, but the country also offers beautiful nature for outdoor enthusiasts to explore. We were so fortunate to go to the Ionian island of Zakynthos (also called Zante) in the middle of October when the weather was great, but not too warm for hiking. After a bit…
Several months ago, I purchased the new Suunto 9 GPS watch and since then I’ve been wearing and testing it on a daily basis. I’ve been wearing the watch for activities such as hiking, running, cycling, walking and more. I decided to switch to Suunto 9 from my old Suunto Ambit 2 because I was…
A couple of months ago, I got into contact with the German company Solestar which manufactures insoles for different types of sports. They have just launched a new hiking-specific insole and I was eager to test it – not least because the original insoles in my Lowa Innox shoes started showing signs of wear and…
Many Suunto watches are equipped with a barometer which is indeed a very useful feature because it allows you to predict the weather and alerts you if thunderstorms are developing. A barometer measures atmospheric pressure which is the weight of the air from the top of atmosphere all the way down to you. Since the…
In the summer of 2018 we decided to go to the Dolomites in northern Italy for a few days. After a brief research online, we concluded that we wanted to stay near the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo because this area is known to be a paradise for mountaineers, hikers and…
High quality hiking base layers are these days made either of polyester or Merino wool and online you will find a lot of information about these two materials, especially pros and cons. Polyester is labeled as quick-drying, durable, light and cheap while Merino wool is considered breathable, pleasant to the touch and extremely moisture-wicking. Many…
After climbing the 2164 meters high Batognica in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, we decided to continue our “Hiking the Alps” tour by ascending a peak called Vrtaca (Wertatscha in German). Vrtaca is a 2181 meters high peak in the Karawanks, on the border between Slovenia and Austria. The Karawanks mountain range is a…
Batognica is a 2164 meters high mountain in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. It lies just next to the 2244 meters high Krn which is much more popular. Batognica is, however, a very interesting mountain – also historically. In the First World War Batognica was occupied by both Austro-Hungarian troops and Italian troops which were fighting…
