In the beginning of the year I was contacted by the American start-up FreeReign which after a successful Kickstarter campaign launched their Everyday tank Top which has a built-in bra. As I’m a big fan of tank tops with a built-in bra for hiking, trekking and other low to medium impact activities, I thought it…
CamelBak is a synonym for high-quality hydration gear such as hydration packs, running vests, bottles and of course also hydration reservoirs. At the end of last year, me and Laura received the Rim Runner backpack and Circuit hydration vest for testing. Both products came with Crux hydration reservoirs. The Rim Runner came with a 2.5-liter…
In the beginning of 2021, we received the Sherpa Makalu jacket for testing, and since then I’ve been regularly wearing it for hiking, everyday use and even cycling. The Makalu jacket is a robust shell layer which is designed for outdoor activities in the toughest weather conditions. It is made of Sherpa’s own 3-layer Himaltec…
In the end of 2020, I received the CamelBak Circuit hydration vest for testing and since then I’ve been regularly wearing it for running and speed hiking. I was very excited to test the Circuit vest because I was really curios about the advantages of hydration vests over traditional hydration packs. Before getting the CamelBak…
In fall 2020 we received, tested and reviewed two things from the American start-up Arms of Andes, which specializes in Alpaca wool outdoor clothing: The brand’s hiking socks (reviewed here), and the 110 V-neck t-shirt for women (reviewed here). While I was impressed by the fabric of the latter, the shoulder construction was too narrow…
In the end of 2020 we were so fortunate to be offered to test several CamelBak products in return for unbiased reviews. While Blaz has his beloved Osprey Talon backpacks, I actually haven’t owned a proper hiking backpack – till now! I received the CamelBak Rim Runner 22 hydration daypack with an included CRUX water…
In January I received the Sherpa Renzing Hat for testing. The Renzing hat is handcrafted in Nepal like many other products from Sherpa Adventure Gear. The brand does not only produce top-quality outdoor apparel but also has a noble cause. While manufacturing their products sustainably in Nepal, Sherpa also funds children’s education there and supports…
Merino wool clothing is in our opinion the best type of base layers for all but the warmest of summer days. British Isobaa makes soft and durable Merino apparel, which we have already been so fortunate to test before. I was, however, exactly looking for a zip neck base layer as I’m a big fan…
American CamelBak is nothing less than a household name, and basically synonymous with high-quality drinkware and hydration systems for outdoor activities. We were therefore thrilled when we were contacted by CamelBak in late fall and offered to test three of their products in return for unbiased reviews. In the end of November, we received the…
Three months ago, I received the Arms of Andes Alpaca Wool socks and since then I’ve been regularly wearing them for hiking and other sports. I was very excited to test these socks because I was really curious about the performance of Alpaca wool in sportswear. Alpaca wool is not (yet) as popular as Merino…
Since the spring we’ve been testing various hiking apparel from the Czech brand Lasting. Lasting specializes in base layers and socks, and most of their products are made of Merino wool. Therefore, it’s no surprise that they also sent us Merino socks for trial. Both me and my girlfriend received a pair of their WLS…
In early fall we were contacted by the American startup company Arms of Andes, which specializes in making mid- and base layers in Alpaca wool. Alpaca wool is said to have similar and/or superior characteristics in comparison with Merino wool, so we were of course thrilled to receive some apparel for testing in exchange for…
Merino base layers are to prefer over synthetic ones for all but the hottest summer days. Unlike the itching wool sweaters you remember from your childhood, Merino wool is soft and not itchy at all because it is made of wool fibers from Merino sheep which are much thinner (<20 microns) and suppler than conventional…
In September we were contacted by Silverlight, a startup specializing in hiking socks. They offered us a pair of their socks in return for an unbiased review. I did a quick research about the company and figured out that they raised almost $40.000 on Indiegogo in 2019 to develop odor-resistant hiking socks with durability in…
In the spring we got in touch with the Czech company Lasting which specializes in hiking base layers and socks. They offered us some of their products in return for unbiased reviews. I specifically asked for the Lasting Adam boxers because they are made of polypropylene (often referred to as polypro). While polypropylene is not…
The American startup Morrison Outdoors has been very successful since its Kickstarter campaign for its unique baby sleeping bags in early 2019. Quite unprecedented, the brand already had its products featured on the shelves at the iconic outdoor retailer REI the very same year! We were thus over the moon when Morrison Outdoors contacted us…
In a time where the majority of the (outdoor) apparel industry produces their products in more or less questionable facilities in Asia, far away from the homely headquarters, it is refreshing with a family company like Lasting which is based in and manufactures its apparel in the Czech Republic, in Central Europe. We were therefore…
In May we bought the Osprey Poco child carrier backpack for our daughter. She just turned eight months and since she was able to sit balanced by herself, we decided it was time to introduce her to hiking. At first, we were a bit worried how she would react when we put her in, but…
