If you’ve ever watched even a single episode of Vikings on History Channel, you’ll know that the craft of knifemaking in Norway is an art form that is deeply rooted in their history and culture. Granted, the real Vikings tended to prefer the axes and longswords in battle. But when they weren’t raiding they were farming land and raising animals as part of their agrarian society. This is where knives really came into play.

What I Liked

Materials and Quality Craftsmanship

The Helle Mandra—like all Helle knives—are hand made in Holmedal, Norway, one at a time. I love this because it means my knife wasn’t mass produced in a factory. As a result of this meticulous, slow-batch handmade manufacturing, no two knives are exactly the same. From handle to blade, what I ultimately hold in my hand is a heritage-style knife that is the result of a long tradition.

Helle starts the process with a high-alloy steel that is surrounded by two layers of 18/8 stainless steel, making it triple laminated. The blade extends the full length of the knife from tip to grip. The handle portion of the blade consists of two slabs of curly grained birch. The tang can be seen along the edge of the entire handle of the knife. This is called “full tang construction”. The benefit of full-tang construction means you can apply greater force onto the blade without the risk of it snapping shut at the bolster or snapping it off completely, possible with a finger in an unfortunate location.

Weight

If you think all this sheer strength of blade and handle equates to a heavy knife you’d be wrong. The Helle Mandra tips my scale at a mere 70 grams, excluding the leather carrying sheath. Add the sheath and even then, the weight climbs to a scant 110 grams. My Victorinox Trekker knife weighs in at 129 grams.

Not that I’m comparing the two knives side by side because that’s impossible. I only point this out because I’ve been carrying a 129-gram knife for more than a decade. For the ultra-lighters out there, all grams count. Still, the weight of the Mandra feels hefty enough to inspire confidence when the moment calls.

Minimalistic Traditional Design

The Helle Mandra is a traditional design. It comes with a leather carrying sheath and thong. The sheath is also made painstakingly by hand, one at a time, in the Holmedahl factory. You can wear it around your neck or you can wear it looped through your belt.

Since I don’t wear a belt, and I didn’t like the feeling of a knife dangling from my neck neck, I looped it through the waistbelt of my backpack and centered in the middle. If you do this, you’ll just need to figure out for yourself where the placement needs to be so that it doesn’t interfere with your normal walking gate. In my case I had it pointing down the middle. It looks a lot more awkward than it is. I’ve also carried it laced through the sternum strap with good results.

Performance

I ran it through the usual paces that I would put a knife through. I carved a sharp point into a stick to see how precise and smooth it cut (it was very precise and smooth), sliced a sheet of birch bark in half that had been naturally shed from a tree to start a fire with wet wood, cut a climbing rope with an impossible knot tied by someone else’s negligence, freed a snagged fishing line, shaved off intricately thin slices of cheese and sausage for crackers on a trail lunch. As much as I wanted to dress a lake trout to see how easily the Helle Mandra made it, it just didn’t happen. When it comes to fishing, I’m on a multi-decades losing streak.

I even fashioned it into a spear by securing the knife to a stick with its leather thong. I didn’t kill anything with the spear, I was simply evaluating its potential for long-range weaponry as a means of fishing without a pole. Something one would see in an episode of Survivorman, for example.

The effect turned out to be more Hollywood than realism. The blade doesn’t have a barb and the blade secured with the leather thong isn’t stable enough to securely hold a fish to the bottom of the lake or river bed until you can grab it. Seriously, don’t try this at home and expect to harpoon a Walleye or a wild ungulate. While the blade is sufficient as a spear, the three-inch handle is too short to really gain purchase.  

That brings me to…

What could be Better

Short Handle

At three inches in length, the handle is short. Even for my small girly hands. For whittling a sharp point onto a stick—for roasting hot dogs or fashioning a tent stake to replace one that got bent (it performed great at this unfortunate task, too)—or cutting rope, fishing line and food, I didn’t need to really grip it that hard to gain a solid purchase. It both met and exceeded expectations in this department.

But when I had to put some weight and effort into a downward cut, the back neck of the blade protruded into the soft fleshy palm of my hand. I get that the Helle Mandra is intended to be a minimalist EDC knife, one made in collaboration with a professional survivalist, but it can still be minimalist with an extra two inches added to the handle.

Final Thoughts

A good knife is an indispensable piece of kit for nearly any situation and Helle crafted a solid knife in the Helle Mandra. The blade is strong, it’s capable of performing most of the knife-type situations you would encounter on the trail, at the campsite, in the boat, etc. Its blade is small, sharp and mighty.

For me, it’s the combination of the heritage style and high-quality materials and craftsmanship that makes me love this knife. In an era where so much gear is mass produced to meet the demands of stockholders and evolving trends, it’s a pleasure and honor to own a piece of gear that keeps it simple, traditional and made one at a time.

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After more than a decade of memorable trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with a traditional Duluth Pack, the time had come for reflection. It was heavy (especially when wet). Uncomfortable to carry over long portages. I had been eyeing Granite Gear canoe packs for a few years but angst and guilt shamed into closing out the browser. How could I even consider a replacement to the artisan-class pack made in Duluth, MN? (Side note: After Duluth Pack hosted Ivanka Trump, a representative of polarizing administration that is a proponent of the Twin Metals mining project proposed for the BWCA, at their facility, whose backyard IS the BWCA) it’s a little easier to justify my deception.

In July, a Granite Gear Quetico sample arrived just in time for a seven-day canoe trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Below is a story of angst, guilt, conflict and reconciliation.

Size

Granite Gear has four portage packs in their line-up. All accommodate torso sizes of 18 to 21 inches in length but vary in capacity size. To be transparent I’m 5’ 5” in height, weight 125lbs and on the small side.

The hulking Superior One, with 121 liters of capacity, was immediately nixed. I’m not an ultra-lighter. If I have 121 liters of space to fill, I’ll fill it. If the sheer cargo weight doesn’t sink the canoe it’ll destroy the cartilage in my knees and ankles as I plod laboriously over a long portage on my way to a double knee replacement.

Next in size is the Traditional #4 at 98 liters. In my opinion this was still too big for me. Next was the Quetico at 82 liters. The smallest pack in the lineup is the 57-liter Traditional #3.5. I chose the Quetico because it seemed more in line, capacity-wise, with my Osprey Xenia 85 multi-day pack. My Duluth pack is about 70 liters so the Quetico provided a little extra room.

It turned out to be the right size for me. Not only did it hold my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, stove, fuel, bowls and utensils for two people, headlamp, book, cleaning supplies, fire starting kit, toilet paper kit, ditty bag, water purifier, pack towel, hammock (no really!), solar charger, binoculars (for loon watching), sun shower, rain gear, wool pull-over, three clean shirts and one pair of long pants, I could carry it and portage the canoe.

Weight

I didn’t weigh the packed pack for two reasons:

1. The days leading up to departure were crazy and chaotic and I didn’t fully pack the Quetico until an hour before I hoisted it into the canoe at Sawbill Lake.
2. Why? I needed everything I had packed–even the hammock and the sun shower. And my longest portage was 180 rods (roughly half a mile). I could suck it up for that.

However, when the Quetico arrived, I noticed right away that it was lighter despite offering more volume. This wasn’t surprising because the Duluth Pack is made from a heavy-duty canvas and the Quetico is made from 420D Cordura Ripstop Nylon. Although now the Duluth Pack is heavier with the weight of hosting a proponent of mining in the BWCA.

In terms of packed weight to carry, it didn’t feel exceptionally heavy. I wasn’t moaning and grunting and on-my-god-how-much-longer-is-this-por-tahhhggg-because-I’m-dying?!

Harness

The Granite Gear Quetico’s harness is more in line with a multi-day backpack than that of a traditional portage pack with just standard shoulder straps. It has a padded back panel, contoured and padded shoulder straps, three sets of compression straps on each side, load stabilizer straps, and a comfortable waist belt. All told, it contributed to a more comfortable experience for both me and my back when portaging between lakes.

This is a big step up from my Duluth Pack’s harness system of just two leather shoulder straps—and that’s it. No hip belt to offset weight from my back to my hips and no back panel. I carried the weight of my burdens entirely on my back.

Having this upgraded harness made for faster portages. The ideal portage should be done in one trip but in my Duluth Pack days, I always made two trips. The first trip was carrying just the pack, which required both to help balance the load and offset some of the pack’s weight from my back. The second trip was to fetch the canoe paddles and food pack. I had never been able to carry both the canoe and the Duluth Pack because the combination of a heavy pack hanging entirely off my back and a canoe pressed uncomfortable on my spine and vertebrae.

With the Quetico, the harness absorbed all the manual effort of the Duluth Pack days. Portages only required one trip. On portages that I wasn’t carrying the canoe, I carried the food pack on my chest and the canoe paddles in both hands while the weight of the Quetico sat comfortably on my hips. When I did carry the canoe, I had no issues carrying both at the same time.  

Durability

I evaluate durability based on the potential failure points: Fabric, stitching, hardware and a reinforced bottom. Stitching is important because if the thread is too thin, and the seams are flimsy, they will degrade over time and rip, usually in critical places like the shoulder and compression straps. Hardware made from lightweight plastic provides opportunity for disasters and other malfunctions. And if the pack isn’t made from a high-quality fabric, it will won’t be resistant to abrasion and tears.

The Quetico was designed and built with all this in mind. Granite Gear anticipated canoers over-stuffing the pack and hoisting its hulking weight in and out of canoes and across portages and then slapping it down on rocks and gravel with heaving sighs of relief and gasps of air. So they constructed it with 420D Cordura nylon, which is pretty much the breed standard for higher-end packs. The seams, with are tight and neat, are sewn with heavy-duty thread that is reinforced in the high-stress areas that secure the shoulder straps, compression straps and at the two side handles.

In addition, all buckles and d-rings are all made from industrial-grade plastic. Webbing straps are heavy-duty and the pack’s bottom panel is reinforced with a layer of ballistic nylon to improve its resistance to tears and scuffs. It also protects the pack from the fluvial zoo of canoe paddle splash that pools in the bottom of a canoe from .

Features

Because canoe packs are designed to spend most of the time in the canoe rather than on your back, they don’t usually offer a wide range of features beyond straps and a cavernous main pocket. But Granite Gear added a few extras that you’ll appreciate as much as I did.

• Two side pockets: At eight inches deep and 9.5-inches wide they securely held the items I wanted quick access to like my knife, whiskey flask (no judgement!) and bug spray.

• Six d-rings: I used of them to attach a bug net, a visor and a small drybag with first aid kit.

• Large external flat pocket: I used this to stash the map, my book and rain gear.

• Interchangeable hip belt: A size medium unisex hip belt comes standard. If you need bigger, smaller or women’s-specific, you can purchase the Ultralight Belt for an additional $40. I knocked out seven days with the standard size medium unisex belt with positive results. My hip size of 33-inches at the point where the hip belt sits puts me within the span of the medium anyway.

Final Thoughts

And thus concludes my story of angst, guilt, conflict and reconciliation. It wasn’t an enjoyable task pitting the Granite Gear Quetico against my Duluth Pack. After all I did choose it all those years ago and we had many portages, many happy memories. But the Granite Gear Quetico has blown me away with its performance, comfort and functionality. 

I always strive to be objective when reviewing products. After all, my opinion is but one opinion in a sea of thousands. Still, I usually can find at least one point of contention. Maybe it’s overly complicated to operate or a cheap zipper was added to reduce weight. Sometimes a superfluous feature adds weight, or the price tag will feel like taking a bullet.

I can’t conjure any points of contention with the Granite Gear Quetico. I can’t think of a single reason not to buy this pack over Duluth Pack.

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Humane Innards

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody’s 800-fill down comes as a result of a partnership between Outdoor Research and  a supplier who sources its down globally from farmers who have pledged allegiance to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).

Before I dive into the review, I think it’s worth mentioning how the down in jackets and other down-insulated products comes to be, the varying types of down and its origins. It isn’t always a process that is as warm and cozy as your down jacket or sleeping bag.

Lucky Geese vs Unlucky Geese

In a perfect world, the down in your jacket, sleeping bag, gloves and comforter come as the byproduct of the food industry. Geese and ducks are raised on farms with good food, fresh air, clean water and warm beds. When big enough, they’re slaughtered for their meat and the sleeve of a down jacket is filled. These are the lucky birds.

Unlucky geese are forcibly live-plucked several times a year for their entire lives to increase their meat production and their down is collected post-humously. The really unlucky geese are the ones who get live-lucked up to six times per year while being force-fed and then slaughtered for their bloated livers.

Responsibly-sourced Solution

These grisly practices have prompted the outdoor industry to search for a more ethical solution to obtaining down. Which ALLIED Feather & Down, a supplier who sources its down globally from geese farmers who only raise birds for meat and sells to companies, has done. ALLIED Feather & Down has responded to this scourge of animal abuse in two significant ways:

1. Created the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) which certifies and oversees a global network of goose and duck farmers that adhere to the standards and supply their partners with responsibly-sourced and processed down.
2. Created Track My Down, a program that enables ALLIED partner products like the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody to include a TrackMyDown.com hangtag with a lot number that traces the origin of the down (Europe or Asia), content (goose vs duck), fill power, care tips and information on the differences between European and Asian down.

TrackmyDown.com Hangtag

Think of the TMD hangtag as the 23andMe of your down jacket or sleeping bag.

My Outdoor Research Helium down hoody’s down comes from the perfect world side—as told by its TrackmyDown.com hangtag of 1508L19F2577 where I learned its full story and then some:

• The down in my Helium came from Europe. European birds live longer, grow larger and produce a higher quality down. Their Asian counterparts aren’t as lucky due to the need to feed the denser Asian population. Plus, birds in cold climates naturally grow warmer down.
• The down in my jacket is 100% grey goose! Goose down is better than duck down.
• Its verified fill-power is 810 fill power, which traps more air for its weight than 800 fill power. Bonus warmth. Woot!
• The specific break-down of the 810 fill contents is 91.3% down cluster, 4.3% down fiber, 1.8% feather fiber and 2.1% waterfowl, 0% broken feathers and quill, 0.4% landfowl and 0.1% residue.
• The differences between European and Asian down, old geese and young ducks. For example, a mature goose that lived on a farm Northern Norway will have a denser down than the youthful duck in Southern China—but a mature duck from Southern China will have a higher-quality down than a youthful goose on a farm in Northern Norway.

Warmth

Outdoor Research states that the Helium Down hoody offers 800 fill power; however, per its Track my Down hangtag, my jacket is actually insulated with 810 fill power.

So far this fall and winter, Minnesota has had an odd variety of normal seasonal temperatures (high 30’s) and abnormal (high teen’s, snow and gale-force winds to seventy-five degrees and sunny). On the high teens days, it has translated to a very warm jacket that performs well running around town on errands, walking outside and even a late fall hiking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail.

The hood is phenomenal and, when its bungee cords are tightened, stays on even in gusty 30-mph winds. It’s also helmet compatible for you ice climbers and mountaineers.

Fit

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody performs as expected in this category. It’s designed to be worn as a stand-alone down jacket or as an insulating midlayer under a rainjacket or softshell.

Since fit is oftentimes aligned with size, I feel it is sized correctly. I’m a size small in general so that’s the size I went with. It was the right call. What impressed me the most in the fit was the length of the arms. They’re plenty long enough to cover my wrists when I’m stretching or reaching.

Packability

There is no reason to ever leave the Helium down hoody behind. If you don’t plan to wear it out the door, it packs down into a hand pocket so that you can stash it in any pack or bag. I’m dating myself by saying this but I consider the Helium down hoody to be in the “down sweater” category—but on caffeine. Unlike other 800-fill down sweaters I’ve had that easily stuff into their own pockets, the Helium takes a little more effort. This came as no surprise. The Helium has more down, it has a hood and its exterior fabric has more oomph to it (more on that in “Durability”).

Anyway, to make what could be an unnecessarily long story short, I did get the Helium packed into its own pocket—but was afraid to zip it all the way in case it ripped from its own girth. And as you can see from the photos above, despite having more insulation, a more durable exoskelten and a hood, it’s still just as packable in size as the unhooded, 800-fill Patagonia down sweater.

 Weather & Abrasion Resistance

The Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away here. Like really blew me away. It actually has waterproofing in the shoulders and hood, thanks to the Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology. It is the same technology found in Outdoor Research’s Helium Rain products. To be clear, the Helium is not a rain jacket. But if you’re outside hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, winter camping, etc, and it starts to snow, the waterproof Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology will ensure snowflakes that melt on you hood and shoulders will not seep into the lining.

This also translates to increased durability and abrasion-resistance. Pertex Quantum is essentially very tightly woven yarns with diamond-shaped fibers that resist snags, block wind and have beading properties to repel rain and melting snow.

Final Thoughts

Warm with responsibly sourced down from Europe, versatile, packable, durable, weather- and water-resistant, the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away.

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It’s goes without saying that with more traffic into the backcountry due to the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to filter your water.

Capacity

The MSR Guardian Gravity holds 10 liters of water. This is a significant size for one person but close to perfect for groups of two or more. When I used this, it was on on a two-day backpacking trip on the Sioux-Hustler Trail in the the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. I didn’t find the size or capacity to be overkill for just me. It’s always good to have more than water than you need versus not enough.

Weight

When packed, the MSR Guardian Gravity is a little bigger than the standard 750 ml wine bottle and weighs in at 1lb, 2 ounces. Obviously, this is bigger (and heavier) than my Katadyn Hiker Pro which weighs in at a scant 15 ounces.

To be clear, the Katadyn Hiker Pro and the MSR Guardian Gravity isn’t an apple-to-apple comparison. The Katadyn Hiker Pro is a standard pump-action, labor-intensive water filter. The MSR Guardian Gravity is a self-flowing goliath that frees water of the invisible fluvial zoo of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E-Coli and Salmonella hands-free.

I didn’t notice the extra weight, especially considering the benefits. Ultra-lighters, however, may feel their knees buckling and spinal discs bulging under the ample weight.

Ease of Use

The MSR Guardian Gravity is a lazy hiker’s dream come true (e.g. me). Gravity, as the name implies, is the key component. This means you will need a tree or some apparatus sturdy enough to hold the filled bag at least six feet above the ground for optimal flow rate. If your backpacking plans include the vast desert or open plains where there are no trees, or you’re spending the majority of your time above treeline, this may not the best filtration system.

Filling the bladder was easy – I just scooped up all the lake water it would hold and rolled the top to closure. Hoisting the full ten liters of water six feet above my head to secure to a tree—not so easy. Impossible, actually.

Filling

After dumping half the water back into the lake, it was manageable. I repeated this process a couple of times as needed at camp. It was all good. Once I secured the bladder to the hang strap tied from a tree, the purge and purification process began without any hitches. Note: The ideal water-to-weight ratio for me to lift is six liters. That’s plenty for me to drink.

Purifying

The MSR Guardian Gravity has two hoses – one short, which is the “purge” hose, and one long, which is the “input” hose. This is the hose that empties into your pot, water bottle or hydration bladder. There is no way to confuse these hoses, by the way. The purge hose is short, black and has a visible “do not drink!” tag.

The very first step to purify your water is to “purge and purify”. To do this, ensure both the purse and input hose clamps are clamped. Unclamp the purge hose first. This flushes the purifier of gunk. MSR recommends you purge about a half-liter of water. I did about a full liter just because. You’ll want to do this every time you fill the bag with new water.

After the ceremonial purge, lock the purge hose clamp and open the inlet hose (the long clear one), and let gravity do the rest. 

Top Tip

Find the right branch first, detach the hang strap and secure it around the said branch. Then fill the bag, carry it to the branch, hoist and secure to the clip. My first time around I was trying to do this all at the same time. A bit of a stupid, bumbling, inefficient way to do it.

Flow Rate

Flow rate is all dependent on how high you can hang the bag. A point of contention here is the length of the inlet hose. I think it could be considerably shorter. If I was seven feet tall and had the strength to lift 100lbs over my head to a tree with a branch seven to eight feet off the ground, I could get the flow rate gushing. But I’m 5’ 6” tall and cannot lift 100lbs over my head so all I got was a consistent, easy trickle. This wasn’t a deal breaker for me but I think MSR should provide the option of shorter hose lengths to accommodate the height and strength of the non-Viking warrior body types.

When timing the flow rate, it was all over the board due to the availability of tree heights and accessibility. On one time trial, I hung the bag the on a tree branch that allowed the bag to hang about four feet off the ground, but with lots of slack in the inlet hose. It filled a 32-ounce Cambelbak Chute in 3:45. Another time trial involved a tree with a branch that I could easily reach, with the bonus of being situated at the precipice of a downward slope. I hung the bag on the low branch and twisted it around to the slope where it hung at least seven or eight feet above the ground. There was no slack in the inlet hose this time. It took 2:12 to fill the Camelbak Chute.   

Water Taste

The water tasted like clean, purified, delicious, refreshing lake water. I tasted no hint of plastic.

Cleaning

The beauty of the MSR Guardian Gravity is that it is self-cleaning. Every time you do the purge and purify process with the purge hose, it’s a cleaning process.

Final Thoughts and a Parting Shot

Is the MSR Guardian Gravity worth the $250 price tag? In my opinion it is. From this day forward, the only reason I would use a hand-pump is if my hike took me to a treeless place. It’s faster and less labor-intensive than my Katadyn Hiker Pro. It’s incredibly well made and reliable. The hose assembly never leaked. The bag is light but incredibly strong with a reinforced bottom to protect it from twigs or rocks should you have to set it down. The filter is designed to last for about 3,000 liters and has a cartridge indicator that tells you when it’s time to change.

The MSR Guardian Gravity is also the only purifier that meets military-grade NSF protocol P248 testing standards. P248 is the most rigorous certification for proving a treatment device removes claimed contamination from challenging wilderness water sources. My only grievance is the long input hose—it could be shorter. Again, hardly a deal breaker.

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Mounting System

The Po Campo Bergen II’s mounting system consists of two webbing straps that attach to your pannier and secured by two magnetic buckles that clip back to the pannier’s underside. Both the webbing straps and the magnetic buckles feel solid and durable. All told, the mounting system’s max weight is about 25lbs, per Po Campo.

The mounting system can be either fast and simple or fiddly and laborious, depending on your bike’s rack and the placement of the side stabilizer bars. I used the Bergen 2 on both a Gazelle Tour Populair and a Civia Highland. The racks are a little different but have similar stabilizer bars.

Attaching the Po Campo Bergen II to the Civia Highland was the fast and simple. I just flopped the webbing straps over the bar and the magnetic buckles magically found their way to the pannier’s attachment point. Removing it was a gentle tug upward the buckles released from the rack.

The Gazelle, however, with its more intricate rack and thicker rear side stabilizer bars, made attaching the Po Campo Bergen II fiddly. Flopping the webbing straps over the top bars and hoping they magically attached to the pannier was a lottery. Most of the time I had to wedge my fingers between the rack’s stabilizer bars and hope for the best.

Once attached, regardless of the rack, a convenient pull-down anchor hook attaches to the bottom of the rack for additional security and stability. And let’s not forget the Kinga handlebar bag! It attaches easily with two velcro straps.

Weather Resistance

Both the Po Campo Bergen II and Po Campo Kinga 2 come with coated zippers. The Po Campo Bergen II has an integrated rain cover that tucks neatly away in an easy-to-access zippered pocket. Bonus points that the Po Campo Bergen II ’s rain cover is a loud and obnoxious neon yellow to help drivers in driving rain see you.

Organizational Features

When commuting or shopping, organization options are definitely a nice-to-have. The Po Campo Bergen II provides quite a few organizational features, some great, some not so.

Exterior Pockets

The Po Campo Bergen II comes with a small pocket on the front of the pannier that is secured with a waterproof zipper (great!) and an unsecured pocket on the side on the end and is unsecured (not so). I use secured zipper for for my phone and wallet. The unsecured pocket is intended to be a water bottle pocket. At just under six inches deep, this pocket was too shallow to hold my water bottle or folding lock securely; however, it’s perfect to store the shoulder strap when not in use so that’s what I use it for.

Main Compartment

The main compartment (great) provides a laptop sleeve (not so), three organization pockets (not so) with elastic tops and a secured zippered pocket (great).

What makes the three elasticized pockets not so great is that they protrude out and every item I loaded got hung up on the pockets. Organization in a pannier is always good, however there’s a balance to be struck between just right and superfluous. If Po Campo removed these three pockets, balance inside the universe of the Bergen will be achieved.

The paddled laptop sleeve (not so) holds a teensy, tiny laptop. Of which I don’t have. But it holds an iPad, Kindle, Nook or any flat item that you’re transporting. The problem I found with the laptop sleeve is that it bulges inward and, like the three organizer pockets above, caused any item I loaded to get hung up.

This is due to the raincover pocket being on the opposite exterior side. The raincover pocket is small, so when the raincover is stashed, it’s like a wadded-up ball—which causes the laptop sleeve to bulge inward. So basically, adding items to the main compartment is a two-handed job. Not a deal breaker, just a minor annoyance.

Functionality

With 22 liters of cargo space and a suggested max load of 25 pounds, I found the Po Campo Bergen II ’s sweet spot to be for jaunts to the tap room, coffee shop or light shopping in which I wasn’t buying heavy items.

Since COVID19 has me working my day job from home, I’m no longer commuting to the office. But if I had to commute to the office, the Po Campo Bergen II would not be my first choice due to its smaller size. However, it’s ideal for shopping, thanks to its sturdy double-handle and detachable and padded shoulder strap that converts it from pannier to stylish cross-body purse or shopping bag.

And speaking of COVID19, many of us (mostly me) go all Howard Hughes at the thought of touching a shopping basket or shopping trolley in a store. The Po Campo Bergen II mitigates this because I can use it as my shopping bag. It also ensures that I don’t over-shop and over-load the pannier beyond its suggested weight limit.

Final Thoughts

There is no arguing that the Po Campo Bergen II is a seriously stylish pannier if you go with the color scheme Mosaic. If you don’t want to stand out in the crowd of bike commuters, Po Campo Bergen II offers a nicely-muted black.

What I like most about this pannier is its easy conversion to cross-body purse or messenger bag, making it a pannier that works just as well off the bike as it does on. Sure, there are some opportunities for interior modifications to make it a bit more functional, but for everyday light shopping and errands, you can’t beat the Po Campo Bergen II.

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Versatile, Multipurpose Use

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie arrived in late January. In Minnesota, January means snowshoeing, fatbiking, bike commuting, Nordic skiing, travel and staying warm when binging on Netflix.

Its construction and style make it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, but doesn’t look like it fits specifically in any real sport or activity category. This is a good thing because its non-binary style and purpose increases its versatility—a must, in my opinion, if one is going to spend $180 on a garment.

Bulk-free Warmth & Performance

As I said above, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie works equally well as a mid-layer and an outer-layer. With light-weight merino wool baselayer, I wore it as a midlayer with a Northface Apex softshell jacket or down vest while snowshoeing. The temperatures on these tests runs ranged from 10 to 20 degrees and I was plenty comfortable. Mostly, though, I wore it as an outer layer fatbiking, commuter biking and Nordic skiing with only a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer Merino wool baselayer.

As with anything, you have to temper your baselayers to the temperatures. For example, I was sweating like cold beer glass on a hot day the day I Nordic skied in 20 degrees with a heavyweight baselayer. When fatbiking on a -5-degree day with just a heavyweight baselayer, I was freezing (and with freezing comes whining, moaning, cryonics, etc). You get the picture. Use your best judgement.

Features

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 is a blend of Merino wool and recycled polyester to combine breathability, warmth and durability. While 100% Merino wool is my fave, I honestly didn’t feel any difference with the polyester blended in. A couple other interesting features that the Cobra 3.0 offers are:

Two-way Zipper

For fatbiking and commuter cycling, this is a must for me because I’m generally wearing bulkier bottoms. Opening the zipper four or five inches below makes for a more comfortable ride when in the aggressive cycling position in the saddle. The zipper pull here is nicely glove-friendly, too.

Thumbholes

Of all the garments I own that have thumb loops, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 is the only one in which I don’t feel any biting at the base of my thumb. This is because the arms are delightfully long. Noice.

Rear Pocket with a Full Pass-through

Great for carrying tools, ID, money, and what have you but they need to be re-thought. The zipper pulls are microscopic and most definitely NOT glove-friendly. The Cobra 3.0 is an evergreen staple in the Chrome line, going back a decade with incremental updates made each year. So I’m kind of scratching head wondering why nobody thought to add glove-friendly zipper pulls to the pockets on a Merino wool hoodie intended to be worn in cold weather. (Note: the front zipper pull is glove-friendly, just not the pocket zipper pulls.)

Style

Beautifully longer in the back as a cycling jacket should be, I love how it has an element of being form-fitting but still has just enough room to accommodate any size baselayer. I also love how high the front zipper comes up, how it doesn’t sit at my throat and the delightful snuggle-effect it gives when fully zipped. My only criticism on the style is the color. It’s only available in black. This is not to say I want an option that includes pink (hell no!) but maybe a nice dark red.

Final Thoughts

If I was anal enough to do a rating scale on a scale of 10, I would give the Chrome Merino Cobra 3.0 Hoodie a solid 9 (I had to subtract a point for the microscopic zipper pulls). It is a highly-functional, highly-versatile, warm, breathable, well-designed and durable cold-weather Merino-blend hoodie for absolutely every type of cold-weather activity on your agenda. It’s even a fantastic piece for the shoulder seasons and for Spring and Fall hiking and camping. Even you yoga-goers will love it.

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Women-specific Design

So much of the outdoor industry’s spin on women-specific gear feels like a pervasive marketing gimmick to “reach women” and “engage them in the outdoors”. Apparently, swirls, pastel colors and cute graphics are thought to be the clincher that seals the deal. Wrong!

When it comes to backpacks (and bike saddles), there is some validity. Compared to men, women tend have narrower shoulders, shorter torso lengths, and different hips (for some archaic, barbaric, biological practice called “child bearing”). It makes sense that backpack design is sensitive to that. But are narrow shoulders, shorter torsos and hip size limited to only a woman’s body type? No. There are lots of scrawny dudes and broad-built women out there. That being said, the Osprey Tempest 40 looks unisex in its design (until you put it on) and is mercifully devoid of swirls, pastel colors and floral graphics.

40 Liters Holds more than you Think

Until recently, I’ve been using the Osprey Tempest 40 as a long dayhike pack and summit pack. Let me tell you that it works amazingly well for that. However, it’s like owning a Porsche 911 and never exceeding 55 mph. It can do so much more! Like when I took it on a two-day solo hike on the Superior Hiking Trail for a 19-mile hike between Lutsen and Grand Marais.

Could I really carry enough gear in the 40 liters that make up the Osprey Tempest 40?

Weight

Fully empty, the Osprey Tempest 40 weighs 2.4 lbs. When it’s all packed for a two-day solo hike, with the basic necessities, it weighs in at…

Top-loading design

Front-loading vs top-loading will almost always be a subject for debate, even among the best of friends. There’s merit to each depending on the objective of the mission. But top-loading design, at least for me, means lighter weight and fewer failure points. We’re not talking five pounds of weight, more like mere ounces. But when you’re on an all-day hike or a multi-day thru hike, and you’re carrying a sleeping bag, tent, food, water, camp stove, etc, the extra ounces add up.

Zippers can also break. Should that happen when you’re days from civilization, whaddya do when all your gear tumbles out? Or the zipper jams to the point where you need the jaws of life and you don’t have a pair? For the record, the pro-front-loaders dis the pro-top-loaders because front-loaders are easy to organize and access that dry pair of socks smushed at the bottom of the pack without unpacking the entire pack to find. But us top-loaders mitigate this by packing with intent: Dry socks are packed at the very top.

Outstanding Organization

Floating Removable Top Lid

Like its bigger multi-day, top-loading sisters, the Osprey Aura AG 65 and Osprey Xena 85 (of which I have older versions), the Osprey Tempest has a floating removable top lid with exterior and interior zippered pockets. This where I stashed the items that I would need quick access to, like first aid kit, dry socks, phone, trail snacks, sunblock, rain jacket, rain pants, bug spray, etc.

Stretch Side Pockets

Another hold-over from the big sisters Aura and Xena are two stretch side pockets. I rely on these for holding a trail map, smartphone and, like any reasonable human hiker, a flask of brandy.

For a pack’s side pockets to be of value to a hiker relies on their position and depth. If they’re positioned in a way that you can’t easily access them while wearing your pack, or they’re so shallow that your contents fall out, they’re of limited use on a hike.

The Osprey Tempest kills it with the depth of the pockets. They’re deep, cavernous and my map and smartphone have no way of escaping unaided. I liked this. However, the angle of those deep pockets is straight up/down making it harder to access my map and phone while wearing the pack. I can do it, I just don’t always get it on the first try and it’s never pretty.

Main Compartment

The Tempest has a 40L main compartment. For an overnight hike on the Superior Hiking Trail, it held food for four meals, pillow, sleeping pad, change of skivvies, long-sleeve pullover, sleeping shirt/shorts, small ditty bag, fire-making supplies, camp stove, bowl, fork, spoon, trashbag, water purifier, biodegradable soap, camp towel, bear line, headlamp, book in addition to a handful of other trail necessities.

A convenient zipper located at the bottom of the pack allows you to gain access to items stashed in the pack first. In my case, it was the bear line and my sleeping bag. Osprey calls this zipper access the “sleeping bag compartment” but it isn’t an isolated compartment. Personally, I’d be happy to see this zipper go because it just adds extra weight.

Hip Belt Pockets

The Osprey Tempest 40 has two zippered mesh pockets on the hip belt. What I carry in these are items like lip balm, Swiss Army Knife and, like any conscientious person these days, a face mask. I encountered a few other hikers on the Superior Hiking Trail and that always invites opportunity for light conversation: Where did you start? Where are you hiking to? Are you from the Cities? Wow, love those colorful hiking socks! Because I’m not 100% certain I’m COVID19-free, I wear a mask to protect others.

Shoulder Straps

This is one of the spots where a women’s-specific design is appreciated. The Tempest 40’s straps are made with a soft foam that is not too thick, not to thin and are curved to create a nice and comfortable fit for a woman’s shoulder and chest. They’re also perforated to allow for ventilation.

Backpanel

The Airscape backpanel is unique in that it is comprised of a lightweight mesh attached to a backpanel of raised foam ridges in the design of an “accordion”. The shape of the ridges, coupled with the mesh, ensure good airflow between the pack and your back.

Hip Belt

The hipbelt is made with a soft foam that conforms to hipbones and allows for a comfortable load transfer. After four months of hiking with this pack carry varying weights, the hike that I noticed the comfort the most was on my two-day solo trek on the Superior Hiking Trail when the Tempest was loaded with 22.8lbs of gear and a full bladder of water. As with any pack it takes some finagling and tweaking of the shoulder straps and load balancer straps to find the sweet spot of comfort. Once I found it, the pack’s load was always well-dispersed and comfortable to carry for 8-10 mile days.

Size is Accurate

I have a 17.25 inch torso so I went with the S/M size per the Tempest’s official sizing for S/M (17”-20″). It was the right size. That means I have plenty of room to grow! If you ever wonder how to measure your torso length, check out this neat little vid from Backpacker mag.

What Could be Improved

As with most Osprey products, there isn’t much to improve upon. But I did find two things!

Kill the “Sleeping Bag Compartment”

It’s not a separate compartment so why add the extra weight and potential failure point of a zipper?

Add an Integrated Raincover

C’mon, Osprey. You’re really going to make me carry an extra rain cover??

Conclusion/Final Thoughts

To summarize the Osprey Tempest 40 in one word is easy: Amazing! It’s small enough to be a solid day pack for short or day-long hikes but it’s big enough for a two-day, self-supported solo hike, carrying everything you need, including tent, sleeping bag, camp pad, water and food. It’s a pack for a slow, meandering hike. It’s a pack for fast-hiking.

All the features are thoughtful, purposeful. There is nothing on the pack that is superfluous. In addition to the biggies that I listed earlier in this review, it also has stow-on-the-go trekking pole attachment system, a total of eight pockets situated in the most useful places, ice attachment loops (if you’re into that), emergency whistle on the sternum strap and the most wonderful feature of all? Osprey’s Lifetime Warranty.  

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For me it was the late 80’s in a European’esq coffee house in Flagstaff, AZ where I was going to college. That’s when and where I made my pledge. While today you can pick up a bag of small-batch, sustainably grown and roasted whole bean or fresh-ground in any grocery store, in the dark years of the late 80’s, the choice was Folgers or Maxwell House. It would be years before pretentious coffee habits could be had by a visit to the local grocery store.

Today, thanks to the Miir Pourigami, pretentious coffee habits can be had on the trail, at camp or while traveling!

Setting up the Miir Pourigami

The Miir Pourigami is a compact pour-over system comprised of three powder-coated stainless steel panels. All panels have an interlocking edge and groove that allows them to connect to each other, Origami style, to form a little three-sided boat that sits atop a coffee cup. I used a Miir 12-ounce Camp Cup.

And that’s it. The first few times through it was a little fiddly with more misses than hits but now it’s second nature.

Making the Coffee

Like setting up the Miir Pourigami, the first few times were hit and miss, mostly misses. I either made the coffee too strong, too weak, or the grounds splattered and caked to the sides of the filter, making for uneven saturation and an inconsistent brew. One ill-fated trial resulted in only the dripping of boiling brown water into the cup. My pour technique clearly needed work so I turned to Sam Spillman for guidance.

I finally came up with a decent brew that was a blend of pour speed, swirl technique, amount of water, amount of grounds and the size of grounds.

Because I was using a 12-ounce mug, I finally settled on four rounded tablespoons of medium-ground Caribou Coffee Mahogany dark roast. The dark roast is simply personal preference. I like the intensity of it. I poured a bit of water into the filter to make it conform better to the Pourigami and then dumped it out. Next, I added just enough boiling water to bloom the grounds. When the grounds were bloomed, I slowly added more boiling water, evenly and gently, and swirling it from the center out and back to center. Then I added the remaining water, achieving brewvana.

The Result

I don’t usually make pour-over coffee. French press is more my style. But now I get it. Pour over has its place! The blend of the Miir Pourigami and medium-ground Caribou Coffee Mahogany dark roast created a rich, robust, full-flavored coffee.  

Clean-up

Clean-up is easy, depending on where you are. If you’re making pour-over coffee at home or in the office, you just toss the used filter into the trash. The Pourigami itself just needs a quick rinse with water.

If you’re making pour-over coffee while camping or backpacking, there’s a few more steps to dispose of the grounds and filter properly. If you live and breathe Leave No Trace, you will need to pack it all out – soiled wet filter and grounds – in your pack. If you have a little wiggle room in your Leave No Trace ethos (e.g. me), dig a hole to bury the grounds and then seal the soiled filter into a Ziplock bag and pack out. Rinse the Pourigami, dry it, pack it into its case and hit the trail.

Weight & Size

The Miir Pourigami on its own is 5.1 ounces (the website says 4 ounces, but it’s 5.1). When packed into its storage case, which is a little smaller than a smartphone, the total weight comes to 5.3 ounces. When I brought this backpacking, I was also carrying the Miir 12-ounce Camp Cup which, at 9 ounces, isn’t featherlight. All told, the Pourigami, storage case, and Camp Cup tilt the scales at 14.3 ounces – on top of all the other gear I carried, like tent, sleeping bag, camp pad, food, etc.

If you’re an ultralight backpacker, 14.3 ounces worth of coffee-making gear is enough to make your lumbar discs bulge and burst. No judgement!

Final Thoughts and a Parting Shot

I think the Miir Pourigami is a brilliant set up. It’s compact, it’s simple, it brews a great cup of coffee no matter where you are. You can use it with any camp mug or cup, too. Filters are required but you can purchase them anywhere and you can stash the filters in the storage case.

But it isn’t perfect for every mission due to its weight. I really loved the flavor of the coffee the Pourigami delivered in the morning. Pairing it with the Miir Camp Cup made it all that more enjoyable because its double-wall construction and sippy cup lid kept the coffee hotter longer. Still, for home or office use, or for travel that does not include having to carry it on your back in a backpack, it’s brilliant.

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No Lacing Required

With a five-inch shaft height, it’s not too terribly an ordeal to enter the traditional way. However, the LOWA Casara GTX offers two convenient access points: zip on/off or lace on/off. My preference is to just zip and go. It took me a few iterations to get the laces dialed in for zipper entry.

If the laces were too loose, the Casaras had too much wiggle room and felt a little clumsy (this could be a recipe for blisters if you’re going to walk in them all day). If I laced them tighter, they felt nice and snug (although still very comfortable) but then I put them back, zipping the zipper required a degree of strength I didn’t possess in my fingers. So, experiment. Find your sweet spot. When you do, you’ll never have to touch the laces again.

Warm and Waterproof Innards

The LOWA Casara GTX’s derive their insulation from a GORE-TEX Panda® lining. I’m going to be completely transparent in that I have no idea what GORE-TEX Panda lining is. I searched and searched and searched, all over the GORE-TEX site for a technology description but no go. What I can say is that there are two ranges of GORE-TEX products: Original and Infinium. Original is “best-in-class waterproof protection”, as well as windproof and breathable. Infinium is “high-performance in drier weather conditions. The label in the Casara’s delivery box was that of Original. Therefore, they offer waterproof protection.

Has this been my experience with the Casara’s? Yes. With the exception of walking in deep snow, I wear the Casara’s everywhere. Minnesota’s winter of 2020-2021 has been a lottery. It came on like a lion in early November, giving me hope that we’d have a cold winter with ample snow. But then it went out like a lamb in December, melting our snowpack into slurries of slush. Then came a week of below zero temps, followed by a week of milder temperatures and snow.

This cycle has repeated itself ever since. I tell you this because I have worn the Cassara’s through all these cycles (in an urban setting) and the GORE-TEX lining has kept my feet dry and warm — especially on the day I renewed my driver’s license and had to wait outside in a line for 40 minutes when it was 22 degrees. All around me, miserable souls jogged in place or tapped side to side in a futile effort to keep the blood flow circulating in their feet. I just stood in one place, feet warm, loathing the DMV like any normal day.

Traction

LOWA named the Casara’s outsole the “LOWA® Sneaker Winter. It has a serrated stud arrangement that helps to shed snowpack on sidewalks, which helps to resist and mitigate slips, skids and slides.

If you plan to be walking on frozen, icy snow or ice you’ll be happy to know that they are Kahtoola MICROspike and Kahtoola NANOspike compatible. Should you want to walk snow that is deeper than 2-3 inches, they’re also compatible with Kahtoola INSTAgaiter Mid gaiters. 

Fit

The Casara’s run true to size—your actual shoe size. I wear a size 7.5 shoe but always go up to an 8 in hiking boots, which is the size I requested in my sample pair. At first I thought I should go with a 7.5 since technically they’re a shoe not a boot. But I went with the 8 figuring if they felt on the big side I could wear a thicker sock.

The bottom line is that the 8’s work because I’m wearing a thicker sock. My advice is if you have the opportunity to try them on, try on your actual size and a half-size up for comparison. Just be sure to try them on with a sock weight that you expect to wear with them. I wear a merino wool hiking sock; the same type of sock I wear in hiking boots. If you aren’t able to try them on first, go with the half-size up and plan to wear a thicker sock. Either way, I think, you’ll be fine.

Final Thoughts

Just when I thought my LOWA Alba II GTX’s were my go-to winter boot for wintry city streets, LOWA came up with the Casara’s. While the Casara’s don’t have the same terrain range as the Alba II’s, they still have all the finely-tuned details that makes a LOWA a LOWA: Outstanding traction, supportive, comfortable, warm, rugged, durable, well-made (in Europe, not China) and generally just good looking.

Well done again, LOWA.

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Road

GORE C7 CC

The GORE C7 CC Jersey ($130) is the fastest jersey of the Best Cycling Jerseys. First, a walk through its impressive aesthetics. Three deep and roomy rear stash pockets hold snacks, tool, phone or iPod. A secured zipped pocket on the outside of the middle stash pocket for key or ID.

Second, you’ll find its fit outstanding. Road cycling jerseys run the spectrum from being so slim-fitting to minimize wind resistance that they are uncomfortably constrictive to “athletic” fit, which gives you a little room to breathe normal. Neither are optimal. The ideal fit is a jersey that makes you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all. That sums up the GORE C7 CC jersey. I give it extra bonus points for a front hem that covers my belly when off the bike.

Gravel

GORE C3

The GORE C3 Jersey offers the functionality of a high-end performance jersey without the look and feel of one. Specifically, it has a relaxed fit through the shoulders, a 21-inch belly button-covering front hem (on size small), versatile (I’ve used this for urban, gravel, road and mountain biking), highly breathable (for humid rides), non-choking collar and soft. Yes, soft.

The texture of the fabric, which is actually 100% polyester, feels more like a merino wool blend. It has four highly functional pockets in the back: three unsecured (great for holding your iPod) and one secured zipper pocket for things you don’t want to lose, like a key, ID, credit card, cash or phone.

Urban

Maloja Curuna

Maloja may not be the first name that comes to mind in cycling apparel but the German brand deserves to be on everyone’s radar. The Maloja Curuna has a beautiful, relaxed fit that is comfortable and functional. This is a jersey that I’ve worn to grocery stores, farmer’s markets, Sierra Trading Post, commuting to work and everywhere else in between.

It has one secured zipper pocket on the back that is ergonomically placed to make it easy for me to reach behind and adjust my iPod or grab a packet of Gu without twisting my arm into the Gomukhasana pose. It’s also made from Maloja’s AirDry Polyester fabric, which contains millions of tiny perforations, making it feel more like a tight mesh than a piece of Polyester fabric. This means breathability is optimized and odor from sweat is mitigated.

A jersey for the serious cyclist who doesn’t want to look like a bike tool.

Mountain

Kaden Florence Jersey

Of all the jerseys in this review, the Kaden Florence ($80) stands out the most. First and foremost, Kaden Apparel is woman-started, woman-owned, women-centric. Without openly admitting my age, I remember (with no great fondness) mountain biking when there was no such thing as women-specific gear. I also remember when the industry’s needle of evolution turned ever so slightly that a few big brands begrudgingly instructed their male designers to make women’s shorts and jerseys (with lots of pink, flowers, swirls and questionable quality).

Fortunately, we are now living in an era where most cycling apparel brands have women designers designing the women’s lines. But, even better, we have boutique brands that are started, owned and designed by women—for women. This casts a much wider net for selection and choice.

Soapbox aside, the Kaden Florence jersey lends a simple practical style to the art of singletrack. There is no pink. No flowers. Swirls? Yah right. Think performance jersey cross-pollinating with skateboard fashion. The end result is a high-quality mountain bike jersey made in the United States that is soft, supple, comfortable and breathable in humid weather. A jersey to put on your radar for sure.

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