Escape, by Carolyn Jessop

I added this book to the COVID-19 reading list not because it’s empowering and uplifting (it’s not) but because it’s so gripping and engaging you will finish it in a day. That’s a full day of not thinking about COVID-19. Escape is Carolyn Jessop’s memoir of growing up in the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) freak show and the pivotal turning point that made her say, “What the fu–???” and escape. Except that she couldn’t exactly hire a good divorce lawyer and get in her car and abscond with her kids and dignity. It required a great deal of planning and finagling…

Gear Pairing for Escaping a Religious Cult

A pair of Brooks Ghost 12’s. You’ll appreciate their responsiveness and performance and fluffy cloud-like feeling of their 12mm drop.

Deep Water Passage, by Ann Linnea

The pace of Deep Water Passage is as relaxing and unhurried as a sea kayak on Lake Superior. Which is exactly what it’s about, making it a good choice for the COVID-19 reading list. Ann Linnea—nature writer, lecturer and avid sea kayaker—realized one morning that she wasn’t getting any younger and it was time to do some serious thinking about her life and her future. Significant topics, indeed. Is there any better place to contemplate them than in a sea kayak on Lake Superior? It also happens to be one of the few places you can escape COVID-19. If she succeeds, she’ll be the first woman to do so…

Gear Pairing for a Sea Kayaking Lake Superior

An Icemule Classic Cooler. I’ve used this on Lake Superior paddling the Apostle Islands. The size medium drybag design fits into my sea kayak’s large dry hatch behind the seat and it holds ice cubes for about 24 hours.

Into the Forest, by Jean Heglund

The term “social distancing” was still at least a decade away when Jean Heglund wrote this page-turning novel about a dystopian future in which a strange and unnamed highly contagious disease cripples the country. The main characters of this book are two sisters who are socially distancing themselves from the unnamed viral plague in their rural home in a northern California forest, trying to survive. While it’s ending is somewhat predictable, I did find within in its rapidly turning pages essential COVID-19 survival tips and new ways to cook vegetables!  

Gear Pairing for Food Preparation when the Electricity goes out

The GSI Pinnacle Backpacker stove. I fell in love with this stove sea kayaking the Apostle Islands for six days because its set-up (two-liter pot and strainer lid, skillet, two 14-ounce insulated mugs and two 14-ounce bowls) allowed a wide variety of meals beyond ramen noodles and instant oatmeal. The carry bag also doubles as a wash basin.

Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

The main character of Where the Crawdads Sing is a young girl who grows into adulthood while living completely on her own without no parental supervision in a North Carolina marsh. What could possibly go wrong! There was so much I loved about this book—the will of the main character to survive, her resourcefulness to make money to buy food, to learn to read, keep herself safe. All the things children don’t normally have to worry about when they have parents or responsible adults in the home. This is on the COVID-19 reading list because you’ll also find plenty of survival tips and recipes in this book as well. What I loved most though was the ending…

Gear Pairing for Living Alone in the North Carolina Marsh

An SOG Terminus XR knife. A good knife is an indispensable piece of kit for nearly any situation. It’s in a class that some refer to as an “Everyday Carry” or EDC, making it eligible to perform a variety of everyday-type tasks from gutting a trout to carving a spear for hunting and self-defense. 

A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar, by Suzanne Joinson

If you like cycling, and plots that run parallel between past and present, A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar will take you for a pleasant ride – pun intended. In the 1920s, Evangeline English follows her missionary sister to the ancient city of Kashgar, a stop on the Silk Road. While the missionary sister spews hellfire and damnation 24/7, Evangeline is shredding the gravel trails on her bike and penning a memoir about her cycling adventures. Meanwhile, in modern day London, another character strangely inherits the contents of an apartment that belonged to a dead woman she has never heard of. This is by no means an apocalyptic book. It’s on the COVID-19 reading list because we can still ride our bikes — something we all should be doing while we can. Some cities have mandated shelter in place rules.

Gear Pairing for Gravel Riding in Kashgar

A set of ReTyre Ice Racer tires for that one set of bike tires for year-round use that easily zip on and zip off from summer slicks to winter studs.

Circling the Sun, by Paula McClain

Circling the Sun is both a biographical novel about Beryl Markham, an aviator, horse trainer and overall path-blazer in 1920s Kenya. Freedom is what Beryl is searching for. I’m not giving away any spoilers when I say that it’s obvious from my opening sentence that she achieves plenty of it by pursuing occupations, adventures and hobbies that are not needlepoint, sewing or sketching local flora and fauna. Within McClain’s pages you’ll experience the beauty of Kenya and a woman who spat on traditional roles. But just don’t plan any travel to Africa right now. They have reported their fair share of COVID-19 cases.

Gear Pairings for Racking up Frequent Flier Miles

A Deuter AirContact Lite SL 60+10 multi-day backpack full of ethically-sourced clothing perfect for long hours at 35,000 feet.

Wild, Cheryl Strayed

Wild isn’t exactly a happy book to read. Hiking solo on the Pacific Crest Trail has its moments of metaphorical, emotional, psychological and physical peaks and valleys. But important to remember that hiking is something we can all still do during these times of COVID-19 quarantines and social distancing. What better way to lift your mood and spirits than a long hike outdoors? That’s why it made the COVID-19 reading list.

Gear Pairing for Thru-hiking Solo

A pair of Garmont Tower Trek GTX hiking boots. If they could take our writer Julie to Everest Base Camp, the Pacific Crest Trail will be its bitch. 

The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of all the books on the COVID-19 reading list, this one is the most relevant. Many of us have read this series as young’uns. Who doesn’t enjoy a story that takes one back to a time before overpopulation and pollution began killing our planet? The Long Winter is Laura’s tale of the brutal winter of 1880-1881 that shut down the railroad, leaving the residents of DeSmet, South Dakota on their own to make it through the long winter without even the barest of necessities that were available at the time. Even salt pork and molasses couldn’t be had! They were starving, cold, scared and hopeless. Given the circumstances, stockpiling toilet paper was the least of their concerns. We would all do well to remember that these days.

Gear Pairing for Sheltering-in-Place

Dreams of warmer places and happier days ahead, like Long Caye, Belize or scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.

Candy Girl, Diablo Cody

Candy Girl is Diablo Cody’s memoir about her year as a stripper in Minneapolis. To be perfectly transparent, I find the “strippers have the power!” justification to be ludicrous. Power is not about convincing some guy into withdrawing stacks of twenties from the ATM machine to stick in a 95-percent-naked-dancer’s thong while she strokes his ego for two minutes before moving onto the next one. But I add this one to the COVID-19 reading list because Cody knows all of this and isn’t glamorizing it. Its fast-turning pages are packed full of original quips and hilarious revelations like, “Could there be anything more grosser than pleading with undesirable men for three minutes of their company? The whole ritual defied logic, nature and the time-honored tradition of ‘Schlub Chases Babe’”. We could all use a diversion of continuous laughter these days. You may need a pair of Depends should you read this.

Gear Pairing for Recovering Strippers

The MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry poles—to make the transition from stage and thong to the hiking trails effortless and enticing, like.

The post COVID-19 Reading List (and their gear pairings) by Women Authors appeared first on gritandgearonline.com.

I like to have some things in my car so I am ready for an adventure when it comes. I am able to keep these poles in my car with out them getting in the way.

What I Liked

Lightweight

Anytime that I am about to go on an adventure, the weight and durability of my equipment always goes through my mind. The MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles are made of light, high-strength 7075 aluminum in the lower sections for increased durability. They felt light and strong on my hikes and I will not hesitate to bring these poles along for my future adventures.

Comfortable Grip

The extended EVA foam grip of the MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles is a great feature! The main handle fit well in the palm of my hand when hiking. The extended portion helped keep my grip on steep inclines and scrambling.  The straps on the handles are very soft against my wrist and are easy to adjust, even on the fly.

Easy to Adjust

The poles have easy to open, tighten and close external locking system (DynaLock).  They lock very tight and do not slip under heavier loads.  No tool needed.  I also liked how it has incremental measurements for setting the length of the poles.

Easy to Pack

I really like how the MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry poles have three sections and break down small enough to strap on my daypack and they don’t poke out and get in the way.  This is a big deal to me because I am small and usually everything seems to be too big for me.

Winter and Summer Baskets

Having two sets of baskets, one large one small, is a great feature so the same set of poles can be used throughout the changing seasons.

What I didn’t Like

I think the only thing I didn’t like was losing one of my small baskets. It was all my fault. I hadn’t even put it on my pole yet. The good news is that I contacted MSR and they are sending me a new one free of charge! That is service and reliability I can stand behind.

Final Thoughts

I have really enjoyed having the MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles for my adventures. If I were you I would plan something fun and give them a try!

The post MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles Review appeared first on gritandgearonline.com.

Kora Shola 230 Crew

Merino sheep all over the world are baa’ing a sigh of relief. For once it’s not them getting sheared with sharp objects. Yak wool is the new natural fiber in town and the Kora Shola 230 Crew ($145) is a technical baselayer that is made entirely of yak wool. I put this to good use hiking the Superior Hiking Trail over a long weekend as well as camping on the edge of the Boundary Waters in early October. Fortunately for me, it was cold and blustery with gale-force winds. I wore this under only a softshell windbreaker jacket and was amazed at how warm it kept me and its breathability. You will especially love how soft it feels against your skin and the amount of wearings you can get in before you start to smell like a yak. Full review coming soon to a Grit and Gear near you! Kora | $145

Fjallraven Keb Trousers

The Fjallraven Keb trousers are made from weighty G1000 fabric that is reinforced where you’re most likely to come into contact with rocks: The rear, front of legs, knees and inside the bottom of the legs. Despite all this reinforcement and heavier fabric, mobility is superb. I especially like the hem hooks on the legs that secure the legs to my boot laces à la gaiter-style and the wide, flat thigh pockets that are set directly on the front of the thigh instead of on the thighs—as if anyone needs more bulk added to their thighs. Should it start to drizzle on your hike? No worries. The Kebs are fully coated with Greenland Wax, a blend of beeswax and paraffin to resist drizzle. Fjallraven | $225

GORE R3 GORE-TEX Active Hooded Jacket

It’s brutally hard—impossible really—to condense the GORE® R3 GORE-TEX Active Hooded Jacket’s sheer amazinglyness (<<yes, it’s a real word now) in a snippet for this list. A full review is coming though. Until then, the high-level highlights will have to suffice. My first time using this jacket was the weekend of the Superior Hiking Trail in early October. I couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was either drizzling or raining non-stop all day and frosty, miserable gales blew from all directions. The non-GORE R3 GORE-TEX Active Hooded jacket-wearers of my group waxed endless poetic about the less-than-perfect hiking conditions. Me? I didn’t feel a thing. I’m always astounded at how GORE can produce a piece of gear so light and miniscule that works as brilliantly as it does in blocking wind and keeping one dry. Gorewear | $200

SOG Terminus XR Knife

The SOG Terminus XR is a lightweight (3.2 ounces) “EDC” knife that virtually disappears into your pocket but still inspires plenty of confidence on the trail. With a three-inch blade length and 7.2-inch overall length, it is just right. It travels very discreetly due to the deep-carry style and reversible pocket clip. The material is D2 allow, which was created for making the dies that stamped out metal parts for World War II aircraft. This means it is tough and very resistant to abrading – even against other metals. SOG | $70

LOWA Aerano GTX

The nimble and lightweight  LOWA Aerano GTX day hikers can’t be any more ideal for fall hiking, thanks to their Gore-Tex waterproof laminate and side ventilation outlets that allow foot sweat and other moisture to escape from the bottom. Fit and stability is outstanding and traction is very good. Although the lugs aren’t as aggressive as full-on hiking boot, they work well at shedding mud and debris. And wow, the comfort. These are boots that you won’t race to kick off at the end of the day or plunge your feet into a cold lake. LOWA | $210

DRYGUY Travel Dry DX

The DRYGYT Travel Dry DX is a shoe and boot dryer and warmer that dries and warms your shoes and boots after, say, a day of hiking that turns to rain. The reason we love this piece of gear so much is its portability. It plugs into an outlet at home, it plugs into your car, and it fits neatly into a carryon or daypack for when you travel. Brilliantly easy to use, too. Just put the fan piece that blows heated air in to your shoe and plug it into your home or car. DRYGUY | $40

Katadyn BeFree

The Katadyn BeFree is an ultra-lightweight and compact/collapsible water bottle with an integrated microfilter that allows you to filter water for drinking. The reason I love this so much for hiking is that it’s water filtration at its most nascent and basic core: Just unscrew the cap, dip the bottle into a lake or river, re-screw the cap and drink. The filtration process takes place with each suck or blast and filters the invisible fluvial zoo that is lake and river water. The container decreases in size, allowing more room in my pack. I’ve been using this since 2016 and not just for day hikes. I take it on travels where I’m staying in hotel rooms so I can filter hotel room tap water into something that is drinkable. I have yet to be admitted to the ER with “intestinal discomfort” from Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E-Coli and Salmonella. Yay Katadyn BeFree! Katadyn |$40

MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles

While the MSR DynaLock Explore Backcountry Poles are sturdy and versatile for hiking on just about any terrain or conditions, we love them most for their functionality in all seasons as well as their collapsibility. Sometimes on the trail, you need sticks. Other times you don’t. For the times that you don’t, they squish down to a size that is easily stashable in your day pack. The handles are comfortable, and with each strike, we can feel the lateral stiffness and durability. MSR | $100

Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 Backpack

Other than the fact that the Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 is a “kick-ass pack with easy access to your gear and perfect for a good, long day-hike with superb durability”—as stated by writer Erica–it doesn’t hurt that it’s a sharp-looking pack. For those fall-color day hikes, it holds all your necessary items like snacks, GORE R3 GORE-TEX Active Hooded Jacket, Katahdyn BeFree, MSR DynaLock Explore hiking sticks and your SOG Terminus XR knife. MysteryRanch | $169

The post The 9 Best Pieces of Gear for Fall Hiking appeared first on gritandgearonline.com.