Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOlite Sleeping Pad

I hate inflatable sleeping pads. Unless you are willing to spend a lot of money on them they are cold and uncomfortable. I can’t help but thinking that expensive mats are going to be like expensive sunglasses. I’ll spend the money and promptly lose or scratch the damn things while my cheap ones last forever. I will also admit that despite years of dancing I’m klutzy when I walk. So I’m always worried that I’m going to put a hole in my mat. This fear is multiplied by the fact that my backpack is kind of narrow, because I’m small, so it doesn’t easily fit most mats along with the other gear that I have to stow on the inside so I tend to have to carry them on the outside of my pack.

So here I am stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. If I spend the money to actually buy a comfortable mat I’m going to pop it, and if I don’t I don’t get very good sleep, not to mention being sore and grumpy in the morning which is not exactly a great way to start your second/third/n+1 day of hiking (math jokes are awesome).

The Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Sleeping pad is a pretty decent compromise. It’s quite durable since it’s a foam mat. I was skeptical about how effective the metallic finish would be at reflecting heat, but it works pretty well and I run cold in general. It’s also pretty light and I can carry it on the outside of my pack without fretting about every stray branch that hits it or every time I set my pack down.

It is not the plushest sleeping pad, I have to sleep on my back or my hips hurt from pressure on my bones. I also have a bit of a sway back, so sleeping on a flat surface on my back all night tends to lead to some lower back pain in the morning, which is usually walked off pretty quickly. It would take a fairly plush mat, either foam or inflatable to counteract that anyway though.

Overall it’s a pretty good product, especially since price-wise it’s very reasonable and I’m pretty happy with it. At some point I might invest in a thicker foam pad, especially for when weight is less of an issue, but for now it’s working just fine.

Specs
Packed size 8x20 inches
LxW 72x20/183x51cm
Thickness.62inches/1.5cm
Weight 14oz/0.4kg

$19.95-$39.95 (depending on size) via REI

Product Review: Osprey Hydraform Reservoir (70oz/2L)

Uses: Day Hikes, Over Nights, Possibly multi-days (see below)
Cost $27 at Campmor.com (links below)
Times Used: 10+

Two posts today since I'm going to be out at Deception Pass on Whidbey Island this whole weekend, camping and hiking. There should be a post on that either Monday or Wednesday. My plan is to try and post MWF, but yesterday was super slammed and I'll be working in the office tomorrow, so no blogging. 

I know a lot of people get nervous about carrying bladders (including myself), especially on multi-day trips where the concern that you would lose your water container and get your gear soaked to boot is very legitimate. I might go more old school for multi-day trips, but I think for over nights and day hikes you absolutely should be using a bladder. I have a big hydration problem when I hike, I just don’t stop as often or drink as much as I should. So despite my own reservations, I decided to go shopping for a reservoir for myself.

I did some research and ended up going with Osprey, even though it’s on the pricey side, for a few reasons. The material is SUPER durable. It has a frame that contours with your back, so it’s not weird or uncomfortable as you drink. It’s anti-microbial with a wide mouth that helps it dry out faster. It’s BPA and PVC free. It also has an attachable magnet that you can put on your bag so the bite valve isn’t flying all over the place and getting in your way. This sounds kind of frivolous, but I’ve tried carrying this thing without something to hold the bite valve and line in place and it’s irritating when it flaps all over.

The one thing I don’t like is that even though it’s got anti-taste stuff it still tends to taste a bit like plastic, unless I rinse it out a bunch before using it. I’m very sensitive to tastes though. I am also considering upgrading to the 3L instead of 2L since I tend to go through 2L on a warm day in a few hours. It is a little on the heavy side, so if you do ultralight or trail running I would recommend something else. Also every bad review of this product I’ve seen comes from trail runners. They seem to get leaks, too much jostling around maybe? I have never had a problem with leaking of any kind and no problems with the valves. I would definitely recommend it for hiking though, especially day use.

Version I have here 

Updated Version ($30-$35 here

Inaugural Post

ME.
I am Allison.I love the outdoors. I was raised in a really rural area of northern California and spent most of my life playing in tide pools, wandering around redwood forests, running around the local reservation and just generally being a crazy kid. About two years ago I started hiking again on a regular basis. I hike with my boyfriend Chris and our dog Jaxxson.

Chris and I are really great compliments to each other in terms of our outdoor style and experience. He's a former boy scout and is very much into preparation and planning. I'm a little bit more impulsive, but the knowledge I've gained of edible and medicinal plants, mushrooms, sea-life (and how to eat it) just based on where I live means I have some pretty good knowledge when it comes to being outside.

Jaxxson, well he's just himself.

WHY.
There are a few reasons why I want to start this blog. The primary reason is to help hikers, particularly people who are just starting and people who hike with dogs. I also want to help people learn about different types of edible plants, mushrooms, traps, survival stuff etc. Of course to tell stories, I really enjoy writing, and to show off some photography. My last reason for starting this blog is I think that one of the best things we can hope for in a capitalist society is getting paid for something you love. So I'm hoping that I can make a little money off the site.

CONTENT
My plan is to do several types of entries. Trail reviews, Product/Gear Reviews and Recommendations, Backpacking/Camp Food Recipes, Book Reviews, Tips and Techniques (including some primitive/survival stuff), and hopefully some guest content occasionally and anything else I think is fun or relevant (look out for an upcoming post on making a tiny freshwater tackle box).