Columbia Ravenous Trail Running Shoe
June 30, 2010
My gear has an interesting life. I love hate to brag but I travel to some pretty unique places. Nothing worthy of a reality show or anything, but definitely places that most people never get to go to at all. Lots of such places, lots and lots. Most of those types of places are not exactly known for their amenities or easy ways to restock with supplies. As a result I have learned the knack of the packing balance; the fine art of bringing exactly the things I need to survive and those few extra things that will make survival fun. So on a recent trip to the wonderfully remote Aleutian Islands, I considered my packing balance carefully. I like to pack light (because, remember, I hate to carry things) but I also don’t like to suffer, so I had to pack my food, cooking gear, clothing, sleeping bag, decent work attire (like, normal work, not gear testing work) and research materials into one medium size duffel bag. I chose well, as far as duffels went, so I didn’t worry much about my gear getting wet as it sat on the open deck of the 100-foot crabbing vessel that was making its way through 15-foot seas to take me to my destination. I told you, things get interesting when I travel. However, seeing my tiny duffel teetering on top of an overflowing crab tote, swinging wildly in the wind while being hoisted over the water to the deck brought a flash of alarm and one thought: “My shoes!”
You see, my essential luxury item for this trip was running shoes. Running shoes are a tried and true way to get a workout in the bush (that’s what Alaskans call remote communities). I knew I wouldn’t be able to run out of the main village because of the very real and very substantial threat from grizzly bears, but even running circles around town is better than nothing. So I packed my latest true love, my Columbia Ravenous trail running shoes.
The Ravenous(es? Hm. Grammar conundrum) made the cut out of my impressive collection of trail running shoes in large part because they are my lightest pair. If I have to schlep bags I may as well make my life as easy as possible. I had a few running days on the Ravenous before this trip, but I wanted more time before writing a review so that I could get to know them better. The Ravenous shoes also came along because they are, quite simply, exquisite running shoes.
I’m a neutral runner with high arches, strong quads, and a penchant for running fast when she shouldn’t and therefore need a lot of padding. I put in a lot of miles, all of them off road, so I need good tough soles. However, I’m a delicate running flower with high, sensitive arches and touchy shins thanks to a healthy dose of pain-ignoring back in my team sports days. This is a balance that most shoes cannot strike, hence my joyful hysteria when I find good ones. The Ravenous hits the mark squarely and surely; appealing to a broad spectrum of runners while addressing the very specific (some might say fussy) needs of a small number of runners who just like it the way they like it.
I admit, I had my doubts about the Ravenous. It was so lightweight and flexible that I didn’t take it seriously as a trail running shoe. Until I ran in it. My first few runs in the Ravenous were in the Pacific Northwest of the US and the lower mainland of British Columbia, with loamy, smooth(ish), winding forest trails under my feet. I immediately knew the shoes were something special; they conformed to the trail yet kept my heel anchored in place. Ninety minutes into my first Ravenous run, my shins weren’t complaining, which is rare. On those first, early runs, I found that the Ravenous’s one weakness is twisty trails; the shoe is just too flexible to give a ton of support in those conditions. The heel cup helps to stabilize as much as possible, but I did experience ball-of-foot slippage during high-speed sharp turns. What can I say, I run on “interesting” trails. Anywhere else, though, you can’t go wrong. The soles are grippy and dependable, the heel cup is just stupendously cuppy, and the light weight minimizes fatigue. They are unbelievably comfortable with zero break-in time. If you encounter water, you will get wet; these are not waterproof in the slightest but they are not supposed to be. The good news is that they will dry fast and stay light.
Best of all is that they do have a women’s specific version. Of course they do, or else why would I be reviewing it here? The fit might be a tad bit better for long, slenderish feet, but I have normal sized, average feet with (as I mentioned) high arches, and they fit just fine in my regular size. For the first time in years, though, I’ve been able to run long enough for my feet to swell, making me wish I had 1/2 size up. So if you are buying the Ravenous you may want to consider that – it’s such a great shoe that you will want your runs to last forever.
So, all that is why I took them on my trip. And, no lie, I had two of the best runs of my LIFE in these shoes on that trip. I will never forget those runs. True, there were some other factors involved in making those runs so good, but as any runner knows, when you get in that zone you remember every detail. I remember the strange, particular volcanic gravel that made up the roads and how it felt like miles and miles of ball bearings, making things not slippery but easy, feeling like the world was rolling away from under my feet and rising up to meet my steps, and knowing that my next stride will feel the same. And I remember the shoes, the light, marvelous shoes, making me surefooted and strong, propelling me forward and on, under the Arctic sun. Which is really more like Arctic fog, where I was at. Regardless, now, when I head out for a workout, I just think back to those runs and remember that feeling, and try to get it back.
Brooks-Range Avalanche Safety Gear
June 26, 2010
Why am I always doing reviews on things that are just plain out of season in North America, I have to wonder. I don’t wonder long, because the fact is that I have an “interesting” travel schedule and the seasons at my destinations tend to not match up with the home hemisphere of the web site. While North America is breaking out the bikinis, I’m bundling up and heading South – way south. To where it’s still winter, south. Oh, and also north, way north, where it is ALWAYS winter. I am usually going to these destinations for work, but where there is work, there is also play, right? And research and trips to be had, skis to be brought along and used, and new toys to play with courtesy of the Geargals “needs to be reviewed” pile.
So, to my latest excursions in the many lands of snow and ice, I brought along a pile of fantastic Brooks-Range avalanche and snow safety gear to check out. Brooks-Range is a company out of California, which is NOT in fact named after the Brooks Range of Alaska. This makes Alaskans huff and puff, but considering there is a whole airline named after Alaska that really has nothing to do with Alaska and they don’t seem to mind that, they really should just get over it. Brooks-Range is in fact named after its founder, Matt Brooks, whom I actually know nothing about beyond the fact that he has designed some pretty sweet snow gear. What can I say, we are the Geargals, not the Outdoor Personality Review Gals. Though, you know, some outdoor personalities really could use some review. But probably not Matt; he’s probably all right.
A consistent goal of mine is to stay educated about snow safety and avalanche hazards. This means that I have to spend a lot of time digging snow holes and shifting grains of snow around on little cards, punching pencils into the walls of my snow hole, and stomping on blocks of snow to see what they do. This sounds simple, but in reality requires some pretty decent tools to accomplish. Brooks-Range has developed a line of admirable snow safety tools that can help you on your path to preparedness.
First up is the snow saw. Sorry, no pic of this one, but I do have a handy link for you, in the very next sentence! The Igloo 35 Folding Snow Saw is no lightweight; it’s a burly, sharp tool that rips through the stoutest of crust layers. I remind you that it is sharp, because you will need this info when putting this saw into your pack. The fact that it folds will help you out immensely, but don’t forget to cover those wicked blades with something that will protect your lightweight pack material. Really, I can’t emphasize this enough – Brooks-Range says this saw can cut both snow AND wood, and I believe them. You know, maybe it is called the Igloo because it is good for cutting blocks for igloos – that would make sense. I am not at all a winter camper so I’ll let someone else weigh in about that part. The Scientist snow saw series from Brooks-Range also folds and is lightweight (more so than the Igloo 35) but has smaller teeth and isn’t quite as damn scary. For most skiers/backcountry travelers, the Scientist saw will be fine for checking out avalanche conditions. If you climb in the alpine, are a professional avalanche person, or just like to saw through ice and wood, then the Igloo is your tool.
New to me was the Snow Density Gauge, which measures water content in snow with a simply balance mechanism. It’s a very lightweight and very cool tool, perfect for avalanche forecasters and enormous avalanche nerds. It’s unlikely that I would carry such a thing for a day of backcountry skiing, but if you really need precise snow pit data this is a simple and accurate tool that will help you increase your snow sense (apologies to Fredston and Fesler. Incidentally I have run into them a few times in the mountains and they are quite lovely. Way back in the day Doug Fesler gave me the best winter camping tip ever – fill your Nalgene with hot water and tuck it in your sleeping bag. You’ll be warm and comfy all night. I still use that tip on chilly nights and pass it on to all my students. Thanks Doug).
Brooks-Range also makes a great series of field organizers, from skiing to racing to professional guiding. I use mine for search and rescue stuff, but they are useful in many situations. The lightweight covers hold a small field notebook and a pen as well as the info cards. Most of the organizers come with map tools and field info such as helicopter safety, and kit-specific things like guide cards and snow cards. The ski and guide cards contain avalanche safety info, field checklists, briefing checklists, and other standard information good to have on hand. Personally I find that I don’t need to carry the info cards with my everywhere, and have custom built my kit to have a map tool, snow card, pen, field notebook, compass, snow pit probe (otherwise known as a pencil) and lat/long ruler. It is handy to have all my writing/mapping utensils in one easy-to-find place. I also love that the organizer does not use velcro; it uses string to tie it shut. I despise velcro and I think I’d hate having to fight getting my base layer stuck on my notebook all the time. So yay for string!
So there you have it, some more tools in your arsenal for staying safe in the backcountry.
Sugoi RS Short
June 24, 2010
FINALLY some bike shorts I can say only good things about. Except for one thing: these shorts snag on stuff. Stuff like Velcro, brush, sticks, etc. So there, the bad stuff is out of the way. Now I can tell you the good: the RS short is a lighter weight short than your typical spandex offering. It’s also kind of textured, as in, not really smooth and shiny. Which is good! At least from my perspective. I think this is some sort of aerodynamic roadie thing to which I say pffffft. Stop worrying about the texture of your shorts and start worrying about your training. Seriously, the aerodynamics of spandex shorts CANNOT be the deciding factor here. What can I say, I’m not a racer and not a roadie. Maybe I just don’t get that fussy roadie thing where you have to worry about whether your spandex is textured. I like the fabric because it’s nice and light in the heat. I’ve taken these out mountain biking and I really like them for hot weather, especially because the chamois has little ventilation holes that provide a refreshing breeze on the downhills. Now, you have to understand; heat is not typically a significant problem in Alaska so heat-reducing features are all new to me. But I like this one, because there is no chamois in the world that has enough ventilation for the fairer sex, believe me. And the way my boyfriend’s laundry smells, there’s not enough for dudes either, but let them hash that out on a dude blog.
Like most bike shorts, the magic is indeed in the chamois, ventilation holes or no. Sugoi seems to really “get it,” or at least gets the simple fact that women’s chamois should NEVER be textured. Soft and gentle is the only option, and Sugoi chamois are smoother than most. They are pretty nicely padded, too, and I’ve not yet experienced any significant discomfort from the RS chamois. As is typical, I am left feeling as if the, um, frontal central area as well as the seat bone area can never get enough padding, but I pretty much feel that way about ALL bike shorts so this small weakness is not a standout. Others with less sensitive nether regions might not even notice.
A Sugoi strength is the length of their typical bike short, a category in which the RS fits nicely. It’s a lovely length, juuust after the hamstring tie-in, reducing muscular discomfort and self-consciousness-induced discomfort as well. Since I’m a mountain biker, I spend a lot of time out of the saddle, and I don’t like shorts that are so short that the saddle rubs my thighs. The RS does not ride up or cause such unfortunate chafing. The fit is standard; I’m not a fan of insanely tight shorts so I stay with a medium and all is well. The RS is not too snug in the thigh for ladies with big biker quads, and even if you do have bigger legs than most, the well-thought out length will ease your mind since the legs hit at the slimmest part of the thighs.
My pair came in chocolate brown which is unusual for bike shorts but also kind of fun. The short comes in other great colors including of course the standard black, but watch out for the white, because it is, like most things white, see-through especially when wet. Er, good luck with that. Oh, and speaking of wet, when these shorts get sweaty they will regale you with some pretty interesting squeaking when they rub against the seat. If only Alaska was hot; squeaky bike shorts would be a good bear-avoidance method. Don’t let the squeak factor deter you, though, these are good shorts.
La Sportiva Boulder X Approach Shoe
June 24, 2010
Ah, the age old debate: what exactly IS an approach shoe? To what are we approaching while wearing this shoe? Traditionally, the answer is “the crag” but that still doesn’t explain the difference between a snazzy, official “approach” shoe and a regular old hiking shoe. This grizzled old gear tester doesn’t even know. When I go to the crag I wear hiking shoes. I suppose that approaching a rock route would be a reasonable inference; after all you need rock shoes to climb a rock route and it is SO not fun to hike in rock shoes. I know, because I have tried. What can I say, I hate carrying stuff. If I were to approach anything bigger, say, an alpine route, I sure wouldn’t want to bring along an extra pair of shoes just to approach the route, because then I’d have to carry them UP the route, unless of course I just discard them.
No chance of that with these babies; they are just tooo sweet to cast aside. Their value as an “approach” shoe is going to be dictated by the wearer; if you want to use them to approach something you go right ahead, they’re made for that. They have a climbing-boot look to them though they don’t have the beefiness of tread that climbing boots offer; most likely to up their “sticky” factor. They are nicely stiff which is a cool feature if you’re approaching anything steep. They’ve got enough padding for long hikes and enough stiffness/support for carrying loads. The sticky soles cling to steep inclines which I guess is a good warmup since you’re allegedly approaching a crag where you’ll don even stickier shoes. The fit is nice thanks to a longer-than-usual row of eyelets; you can really dial in the fit from arch to toe. The rubber sole extends up along the toe piece to keep your tootsies dry if you’re gauche enough to step in the mud in these high-class hoofers.
As usual with La Sportiva offerings, the Boulder X excels (ironically) on the downhills; the Impact Brake System footbed nicely cushioning your footsteps. I thought the steep-walled heel piece would be tricky and lead to ankle rolling, but so far so good. La Sportiva makes a really stable shoe and these are no exception. I’m sure the sticky rubber excels on red rock-type terrain, but we don’t have any of that here so I’ll just take La Sportiva’s word for that. In Alaska, we have razor sharp unstable choss piles for crags; that’s about the same thing as red rock, right? Shh, let me maintain my delusion that rock climbing in Alaska is a reasonable pasttime.
Though I love the looks of the Boulder X too much to abuse them as much as I could, I can recommend them as a light hiker. I’d even like to see a mid or high version of these for more burly, er, approaches. Fair warning; they do require a bit of a break in period so don’t go hitting the PCT on your first weekend in the Boulder X. Give it a few wearings and you’ll be happy as a well-shod clam. Quite a visual, that.
Other approach shoes I’ve tried tend to be on the heavy-on-style, low-on-function side, but the Boulder X covers all your bases. For once the women get a better-looking version than the men; the grey/sage looking nicely understated which my readers know I like. I do looove grey. Ooh, I even got some great grey bike shorts this week so I can wear a grey shell, grey bike shorts, and these lovely grey approach shoes. What? I can rock that look, just watch. But seriously, this is a great looking shoe with oodles of function, if you’re into that type of thing.
Living Out
June 19, 2010
