Hey all, hope you’re well. In case you missed it, I jumped on The Rock Fight podcast this week for the 10th time 🤯) to chat with Colin about my AI gear reviewer piece and it turned into a pretty interesting convo about the industry and media as well.
As always, thanks for reading.
It’s the season of gear guides. I don’t write about gear too often…there are plenty of folks doing that. But this time of year I typically highlight the things I actually used, and much of the time, it’s the same stuff I used last year.
I’m not some paragon of sustainability. I love following trends in design, and I get excited about new stuff as much as the next person. But outside of running shoes, I’ve decreased my overall gear consumption over the last few years and my day-to-day wardrobe is more weighted toward secondhand than it used to be.
So, without further ado, here are few things I used this year that I also used last year (and a few things I did add to the pile). There are no affiliate links 🤘.
1. Relwen Superfleece hoodie
Few things that Relwen makes are cheap. But if we’re looking at a price-per-wear, this hoodie is definitely of the cheapest things I own. I am probably wearing it more than I’m not wearing it during the winter. I don’t think they make this exact version anymore, but they have a Superfleece popover and a full-zip version.
2. Black Diamond Stormline Stretch
I think this jacket is now called the Fineline stretch, but I’ve had this one for close to a decade. It has handled downpours in Alaska and Austria, dozens of days backcountry skiing and even a fair amount of resort days when I didn’t have another shell. I wore it this summer in Norway’s fickle weather and couldn’t be happier. It’s probably due for another waterproof treatment soon but it’s not going anywhere.
3. Raide Research LF 40
Believe the hype. I have the v1 of this pack, and although the v2 definitely made some improvements, mine is going nowhere soon. Hut trips, backcountry days, sidecountry resort laps, and even a surprising amount of general travel (the shovel sleeve works perfectly for a laptop). Durable, flexible, well thought-through.
4. Salomon Adv Skin 12
I’m not even sure how long I’ve had this. It’s just a great running vest. A few tears here and there but nothing I can’t work with or repair. I don’t even know how far I’ve run in this thing. A long ways.
5. Roark Bless Up shirt
I have two of these, and they’re a key part of my summer run/travel wardrobe. If I’m packing light, I’ll use one as my “hard day” shirt and the other as my “chill day, I didn’t sweat quite as much so it’s fine to wear around town” shirt.
6. Blundstones
Old reliable. I wax them every fall, and I’ve replaced the insoles, but other than that, still great.
Honorable mentions
I will put Injinji toe socks on every list of suggestions forever
Rab Vapour Rise - Very much my “daily driver” jacket for all manner of activities.
I have an Arc’teryx wind shell that I use for both running and touring. I’ve had it for long enough that I’m not sure what model it is, I think it’s probably a Norvan/equivalent.
Sony RX100 vii – The best travel camera money can buy. Fits in a pocket, takes great photos, has a good zoom.
Like I said, I’m not immune to new gear, and running shoes do wear out eventually. Hopefully these things graduate to the YOY list as well.
La Sportiva Prodigio Pro
I ran through a pair of these training this year and then picked up another pair for the end of the summer and my race. Fantastic combination of comfort over long distances and technical capability. Possibly my favorite trail shoe ever.
Peak Performance Freelight Hoodie
I jumped on the Alpha Direct craze toward the end of last year. You can probably find a identical layer from just about every brand at this point. It’s been a new staple for me both for skiing and as a consistent part of my trail kit for longer/colder days when paired with a lightweight windbreaker. I run pretty warm, so it’s been an ideal layer for me.
Mount to Coast H1
This was my daily trainer around London (my Evo SLs got a bit scary in the wet winter months) and on a big portion of trails. It’s a fantastic shoe, and a great “travel shoe” as well. Even pushed the limits a few times on light snow and was pleasantly surprised. UK muddy trails, not so much 😂.
Terignota Sendero Shorts
Inexpensive, great running shorts. There’s not a lot else to say. Big fan of what Terignota is up to. Feels a bit like they’ve managed to bring Decathlon to the US (at a much smaller scale), without Decathlon’s branding baggage.
Kiprun Kipsummit Max
I didn’t get on these until later in the summer, but I’ve been wearing them a lot. Feels almost like a “nicer” version of a Speedgoat, and if I’d had more time on them I might have had a more difficult decision deciding between these and the Sportivas for my race.
Raide 2L belt
I replaced an older Salomon belt that was falling apart and had lost its stretch. I still like my Adv Skin 12, but more and more often I’ve been wearing the belt and it was a constant companion on long runs both in and outside of London.
Honorable mentions:
Smith Optics prescription sunglasses — I only started wearing glasses recently and I hate putting contacts in, so these were a lifesaver. Turns out I should have been able to see the people on that ridge over there! Now I just gotta figure out my ski goggle situation.
Salomon Mtn Lab helmet — Was trying to keep ski gear minimal living in London and this really is a do-it-all helmet for backcountry and resort skiing.