In August of 2018 we went on our (somewhat) annual camp out to Sun Lakes State Park in Eastern Washington. I brought along a nice little bundle of SOG Knives to shoot while I was out there. Check out a few of my favorite shots below.
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Before our 3 month trip to Spain in Early 2018, Laura and I were sent 2 Alps Mountaineering Solitude 24 Packs. Our plan was to bring only carryon baggage for the whole trip, so we would each bring a regular 22” carryon size suitcase and then we would use these Alps packs as our main day packs for all of our adventures throughout the trip. After 3 months of heavy use abroad, and then regular action back home here in the NW after that, I figured it’s time to check in with a gear review.
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I’m a huge fan of merino wool. It’s no secret anymore that it’s one of the best materials for outdoor enthusiasts like myself. Ever since I started shooting images for Minus 33 in 2016 I’ve been able to try out some of the best merino wool gear on the planet, and I’ve never taken this privilege for granted. This fall I was able to be apart of shooting some photographs for Minus 33’s upcoming 2019-2020 catalog. Laura and I went out into the woods for a few days and had blast shooting together. We came back with a ton of awesome images for Minus 33. You can order a catalog for yourself at Minus33.com to see everything we contributed and you can check out a few of my favorite photos from the shoot below.
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I’ve had the pleasure of trying out several SOG backpacks over the last few years from the biggest to the smallest versions, so I was stoked to try out the SOG Seraphim 35. This thing is *packed* (wink) with a long list of features. In fact, it has far too many features to list off every one but I’ll give you a few of the real world things I like most about it. First off, it’s a super clean looking pack, and all black is always a good move for a color way. I also really enjoy the ability to strap my gear to the outside of the pack. There’s several ways to attach stuff either with the pack’s shock cord tie downs, the Hypalon MOLLE field, or the endless loops and lash points. Also, the fold down panel on the outside of the pack has the ability to carry long items like an axe, fishing rod, rifle or if you’re like me, a tripod!
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The Coast TX399 Knife is a tactical folding knife. I love the way it looks and feels. It's long and sleek with an all black finish. It's built extremely well for the price, with durable construction and a lightweight design. The TX399 is part of Coast's Spec-Ops line, geared towards tactical and industrial use as a heavy duty cutting tool. It has a 4" blade made from super strong 9Cr18Mov stainless steel. The exterior has a glass bead finish with an all black titanium nitride coating. I really like the handle on this thing. It's textured stylishly and made from a nylon/fiberglass composite that keeps its weight down. The pocket clip on the knife can be switched for right or left handed carry, and it sits deep in the pocket for an easy carry. Overall, the Coast TX399 is badass knife for the price. It's well built, good looking and easy on the budget.
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I have been testing out and shooting for Minus 33 for several years now. One of the products I've been wanting to get my hands on is the Kodiak Expedition Wool Hoody. Earlier this month I got a box from Minus 33 and lo and behold there was the hoody! What better way to break it in then take it up to Mount Rainier and see how it holds up to the cold.
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I've been a big fan of Seattle's Dave B since he dropped his project with Justo (from The Physics) years back. Now, I can't seem to find that project anywhere to link you to (help?) but that's not the point! This week he released his new album to Spotify (and everywhere else) and it's another great piece of music from Dave. Go listen, enjoy and vibe!
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Rhone is a premium mens activewear company. They make high quality gear that's great for the gym, yoga studio, mountains, travel and just about anything else you could want to do. I’ve had the pleasure of testing out a lot of their products, but the Rhone Commuter Pant is what I'm reviewing today.
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Wherever, whenever and however we travel, we always bring a bag. One of the main things people worry about when planning a vacation is what to put in their bag, and although I could write 10 different posts about that, it's not what I'm worried about today. What I'm focused on isn't the items inside the bag, but the bag itself!
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I've shot photos for SOG for several years now. I'm a huge fan of their products. The fact that they are based out of my home state of Washington gives them a special spot high in my list of gear manufacturers. Needless to say when they sent me my Backcountry Axe, I was stoked to try it out!
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I discovered Liberty Bottleworks several years back when I was perusing the internet looking at blogs, review sites and top 10 lists dedicated to products Made in the USA. They are the only metal water bottle manufacturer that is produced fully in the USA, and better yet, they make them right here in my home state of Washington. The take pride in making the bottles here because they get to provide living-wage jobs, use quality US suppliers, and make everything in an ethical, responsible way at a safe factory.
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As a stomach and side sleeper I've always struggled with sleeping bags for camping or backpacking. I've tried almost every type from old school car camping sleeping bags to mummy bags and even the new spoon shapes, but up until I got this EE Revelation I had never tried a quilt before.
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The SOG Tomcat 3.0 is the third generation of the award winning Tomcat series. The original Tomcat folder was released back in the 1980's and was met with widespread love. The newest version of this awesome knife resembles a bit of the original look but adds modern features and updated styling. The Tomcat 3.0 is a beast that anybody will love from the hardcore knife enthusiasts to the amateur knife consumer (like myself).
Read MoreThe theme of this blog is that I'm not an expert. There's a lot of stuff I like to do and lot of stuff I'm interested in, but in general I'm amateur at best with most things I do. With that said it's still worth noting that I am by no means am I a frequent flyer. There's plenty of business travelers who would laugh at how infrequently I fly by their standards. What is probably true though, is that I fly more than the average Joe and I have picked up my fair share of tricks of the trade.
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Lets just address the main complaint first, price. Yes, it's expensive. All of the good Sony lenses designed for APS-C-format E-mount cameras are expensive. Why? Sony wants to make money of course. While I'm not happy about it, can you blame them?! In my opinion though, using a cheaper Sony mirrorless camera body like the a6500, a6300 (or even cheaper a6000) with expensive glass like the 10-18mm delivers beautiful images that can hang with any full frame camera body and lens combo. The only noticeable difference is the extra few thousand dollars you will have in your bank account to go do fun shit 😊.
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