The purpose of the shell is to protect you from environmental conditions. Finding the right shell is quite challenging because staying dry and comfortable requires managing external moisture from rain, sleet, and snow as well as managing internally generated moisture from perspiration and sweat. There is … “Rain Gear”
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Often people will have a single layer of clothing for their legs. Generally legs need less protection from weather than the torso for several reasons. Moisture management is typically less challenging and in most activities (other than climbing) your legs generate more heat than your … “Pants”
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The purpose of the insulation layer is to keep you warm. (I have some notes about layering clothing). There are a number of factors which affect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions. The most significant … “Insulation Layer”
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Everyone has their own definition of “softshell” which makes the marketplace quite confusing. My definition of soft shell is any single layer garment which is designed be worn in a wide range of conditions putting an emphasis on breathability over absolute protection from external conditions. … “Softshells”
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Windshirts, sometimes called windbreakers or wind-shells are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can use. A simple, unlined windshirt can ounce per ounce provide more warmth than many other clothing items because it helps prevent convection cooling which increases significantly when windy. … “Windshirts”
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Good base layers will wick moisture away from your body. In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide significantly more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. A base layer can provide addition surface area only if … “Base Layers”
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In extremely cold vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing or sleep system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when … “Vapor Barriers”
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I recommend clothing that can be comfortably worn day after day for a wide variety of activities. My clothing is typically made from technical fibers or merino wool which provides good mobility, decent durability, is light weight, fast drying, and odor/stain resistant. I use mostly … “Recommended Clothing”
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Make sure that you are bringing footwear which is comfortable and appropriate for your chosen activities. Nothing has the ability to spoil your entire adventure like wearing uncomfortable footwear! Shoes are extremely personal. Just because a shoe is well regard doesn’t mean that it will be good for you. … “Footwear”
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There have been numerous articles such as You Walk Wrong, Your shoes are killing you which promote the benefits of going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes. These articles note out feet is well engineered and actually does a better job on removing stress from your knee and hip than … “Barefoot & Minimalist Shoes”
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The best source of information is your EARS. Form your own opinions, don’t just accept what other people say. Believe what your ears tell you when listen to music! Remember that many people who write about audio are biased in one way or another. Beyond that, … “How to Evaluate Audio Equipment”
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You should always chose your speakers first, and then select components which work well with the speakers you have selected. All speakers have flaws which you must choose between so speaker preference will be extremely personal. This is often demonstrated by people who agree about … “Speakers”
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Headphone amplifiers were almost un-heard of until the 1990s, though many receivers and integrated amplifiers had fairly good quality headphone jacks. As headphones have grown in popularity, and fewer people are purchasing classic stereos, headphone amplifiers have emerged as a product category. The “headphone jack” … “Headphone Amplifiers”
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Today, most music content is digital. This content might be stored locally in a computer file system, on CD/DVD media, or is streamed from some service such as Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, etc over the Internet. To play this digital content you need a device … “DAC, Players, Streamers”
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Audio Communities Audio Asylum Audio Circle Audioholics avforums diyaudio Hydrogen Audio Steve Hoffman music forums Headphone Community Sites head-fi.org super best audio friends head-case.org headphone.guru “Magazines” Stereophile The Absolute Sound (TAS) What HI*FI? Enjoy the Music Positive Feedback tnt-audio – old school website Audiophile Style … “Audiophile Websites”
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Headphones are becoming the dominant way people listen to music as people shift from using records and CDs played through a stereo to streaming services played through a smart phone. Unfortunately, many people are using the earbuds provided with their smart phone, tablet, or laptop … “Headphones”
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Review Item: ZPacks HexamidOptions: Cuben with NettingManufacture Year: 2010Listed weight: Cuben shelter, guylines, and bag 8.9ozWeight as delivered: tarp+attached guylines 8.3ozMSRP: US$259 (current version is $425) I have a first generation which uses three zippers that meet at the top peak. Joe has now switched to a … “ZPacks Hexamid”
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When I started hiking as a child everyone knew you should wear hiking boots, ideally made in Italy with Vibram soles and leather.uppers. Only stupid people wore tennis shoes while hiking, though often they were brought for river crossings and for relaxing around camp. Years … “Boots or Trail Runners”
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For most conditions provided you are carrying less than approximately 40 lb, I would strongly recommend trying trail running shoes because they can be quite comfortable and will be lighter than the more traditional hiking shoes or boots; I have heard the following concerns about … “Trail Runners”
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