MSR Tent Tech: 3 Ways to Field Repair a Rip in Your Tent’s Rainfly

Jun 17, 2021

All MSR tents are designed with long-term durability in mind, but anything can happen in the backcountry. Even a small rip in your rainfly can expose your tent to the elements, and a little tear can quickly migrate and become a bigger problem. Repairing it in the field can be your best bet, preferably before it starts to rain. Here are three solutions for tent rainfly repair recommended by MSR engineers and designers who have field-tested tents to their limits. Solution #1: Use duct tape or medical tape While not an elegant remedy, duct tape is a versatile solution to all sorts of problems you might encounter. Medical tape can be a useful temporary fix as well. Remember to remove the duct or medical tape as soon as you return…

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MSR Dromedary Bags: My Guardian Angels For More Than 50 Expeditions

Jun 1, 2021

MSR Dromedary Bags have become my guardian angels, providing me life—yes, literally providing life—on more than 50 expeditions around the world to complete major athletic goals. From first desert crossings in China to climbing huge first ascents on vertical rock walls in Greenland, on every continent and beyond, they have kept me alive. Let me explain: Water. It is the sweet giver of life. This transparent fluid forms the world’s streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of living things. We are water and water is life. And, of course, life is sweet. My body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water, depending on the day or my activity. To function properly I need to drink between one and seven liters of water per…

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From Sea to Source: Misadventures & Camping on the Hudson River

May 27, 2021

In August of 2019, my friend Kirk and I fulfilled a childhood dream, paddling the Hudson River from source to sea. Growing up, my friends and I would explore my small hometown and go as far as we could get before making it home for dinner. We would go paddling, swimming, cliff jumping, hiking and occasionally jump trains when they were moving slow enough. Setting off to wander our town each day was an exploration, even if we had been there before. As kids, my friends and I were too naïve to even realize that our exploits rarely took us more than a mile or two from home, yet they still had a sense of adventure that built the kind of lasting friendships that are only forged in the outdoors….

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Bikepacking Through Death Valley: A Loose How-To Guide

Apr 8, 2021

Something about bikepacking Death Valley drew us in—maybe it was the iconic sand dunes, the deep canyons, salty-dry basins, or moving rocks, but more likely it was just the empty space and lack of cell service. After a year of chaos, we all wanted a break. What better way to get out the angst than to hammer pedals for a week in the middle of the largest National Park in the country? After getting tested for COVID (a qualifier that’s nearly a prerequisite these days), the five of us met at Saline Warm Springs, a hidden gem in the northwest corner of the park. The pools were closed and the wind was gusty, but we had work to do anyway. That afternoon we went through and packed all our food,…

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