Comparing Your Water Treatment Options: Part 1
Choosing the best way to treat your backcountry water can be tough. From pump filters to UV light, the market is full of options, and navigating today’s advanced technologies is intimidating.
In the Footsteps and Handholds of Genghis Khan
When Genghis Khan and his armies charged west across Mongolia on their way to conquer foreign lands, they traveled alongside a granite belt of mountains that stretch from central Mongolia to the Gobi Desert.
12 Secondary Uses For Trekking Poles
I’ve got a few basic philosophies when it comes to gear selection for any of my adventures. First and foremost, I look for equipment that is the perfect combination of strength, weight, reliability and repairability.
The Spirit of Alpinism: A Photo Journey
At MSR we have the privilege of working with many talented, worldclass photographers. One such photographer is Peter Mathis. Hailing from Hohenems, Austria, Peter has long captured MSR products in the demanding environments they’re engineered to endure. His images are always stunning, seeming to pause time and capture the raw and challenging nature of adventure. Take this photo journey with Peter as he explains his five favorite MSR shots, their backstories and what he finds inspirational about each.
Backcountry Cafe: DIY Mashed Potatoes with All the Fixings
We had just turned the corner on the final ridge of the day when my husband stopped. “You’re sure there’s a lake?” I checked the map again. It was a scorching day in late summer,
A Recon Mission in Patagonia
The crew from MSR sent me a quick note asking if I would share details from my recent reconnaissance trip to Patagonia. They were specifically wondering about my gear,
Field Testing MSR Snowshoes in Switzerland
Designing gear can’t happen in a cubicle. Sure, there’s a lot of computer work that goes into creating CAD drawings and engineering specs, but the real solutions—the big ideas—come from the field. Chris Barchet, category director for MSR Water & Winter products, is a perpetual field tester. He recently headed to the Andermatt region of Switzerland on a snowshoe R&D trip to reacquaint himself with the terrain and chat with mountain guides and users to find out what works best for them. Here’s a quick look at one of the many professional recon missions Chris takes in the world’s most incredible places.
Behind the Shot: Light, Shadows and Snowshoeing
My assignment was to shoot the new MSR Revo Explore snowshoes in their element: long distance treks without a defined trail, without getting into the realm of technical terrain. I pulled together a group of outdoor athletes with some serious snowshoe experience, and booked a yurt in the Oregon backcountry to make the most of a late spring snowpack.
New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail: Tramping vs. Hiking
Perhaps it was the face plant into ankle deep mud, my feet ensnared in slippery roots and grasping vines, my pack pressing me deeper into the sludge. Or maybe it was bushwhacking through a tunnel of needle-prick gorse, my arms and face cut by a thousand tiny, green swords. Or, no, it could have been the time an electric fence was stretched directly across the trail—when I realized New Zealand’s famed Te Araroa might not quite be what I was expecting.