As a new dad I’ve been eager to find ways to include my daughter in all the outdoor activities I enjoyed before she was born. Of course the jogging stroller was a no-brainer but for our summer trip to Colorado we wanted to hike trails like Mt. Sanitas where even a burly stroller just wasn’t an option. After a little research we chose the Kelty FC 1.0 for its simple, lightweight design, kid-friendly features, and comfort on the trail.

At just under 5 pounds empty, the FC 1.0 is surprisingly lightweight thanks to its aluminum frame and lightweight fabric and padding. The pack features two decent-sized storage compartments behind the kid cockpit with about 1,000 cubic inches of capacity, though unfortunately the pockets aren’t easily accessible when wearing the pack. Kelty has included a small mesh pocket on the hip belt that is easy to access, though it really doesn’t provide room for more than a Cliff Bar or cellphone. If you plan on going longer than a day hike, consider a pack with more storage like the FC 2.0 or FC 3.0.

The FC 1.0 features a patented auto-deploy kickstand which is super handy when you’re strapping your future hiker into the pack. Once you put the pack on your back and adjust the shoulder straps, the kickstand is pulled in so you don’t have to worry about snagging branches or bushes on the trail. Just don’t forget to loosen the shoulder straps before taking the pack off so the kickstand can spring out (especially important on uneven ground). I was a little uncomfortable standing up and sitting down with my daughter in the pack without a spotter, though others may find it more natural.

The kid cockpit in the FC 1.0 is best described as outdoor luxe. The entire cockpit is lined with padded and ultra-soft material that kept my little one smiling for miles. Child straps are easy to buckle and unbuckle and there are several levels of adjustments that let the pack grow with your child. On summer hikes the padding seemed a little hot and confining but for fall and spring hikes this pack should be just right! Kelty also thought to include toy hooks to keep kids entertained for times when the scenery just isn’t enough.

Of course comfort is just as important for the person wearing the FC 1.0 and Kelty has clearly used their experience designing serious backpacks to make this pack a winner. The padded waist strap does a good job shifting the pack’s weight to your hips (saving your shoulders) and it’s easy to cinch thanks to Kelty’s patented Scherer Cinch. My only complaint is the waist strap seems way too long and there’s no system for managing the excess strap length. The FC packs feature mesh on waist and shoulder straps which kept me cool on the trail, even in mid-day summer sun. There’s also a mesh back to improve air flow even further, though my daughter enjoyed kicking me in the back through the springy fabric. A chest strap rounds out the harness system for a great fit for most any body shape and size.

The nylon fabric covering the pack is easy to clean with soap and water which is good; you are, after all, transporting a random mess generator. As a dad I wasn’t too excited about the color choices (no pink fortunately) and I’m surprised the pack colors aren’t more subtle like the outdoorsy-looking Kelty adult packs.

Easily the best thing about the FC 1.0 is its ability to transport a child into the great outdoors and our entire family loves this pack. If you’re looking for a child carrier backpack, the FC 1.0 offers one of the best values you’ll find. No more excuses – get out and hike with your family!

If you’ve been following the Tripleblaze blog for a while you know I’m really into reading outdoor adventure stories. This summer I got an early read of No Way Down by Graham Bowley which offers a chilling account of the 2008 climbing season on K2 when 11 climbers died in a series of accidents on the mountain. Despite the dramatic death toll the book is an inspiring read about those who survived and provides yet another exciting glimpse into the world of extreme mountaineering.

Most of the climbing books I’ve read focus on Mount Everest, the highest peak on the planet, but it turns out K2 is a much more difficult mountain to climb. In fact, reading this book I learned only around 300 people have summited K2 compared to well over 1,000 who have made it to the top of Everest. One out of every 4 climbers who attempt K2 will die trying.

No Way Down follows several climbing expeditions from the 2008 season and attempts to recreate the circumstances of the tragedy via first person accounts, photographs, and interviews with friends and family members of the fallen climbers. Bowley is not a climber himself but became fascinated with news accounts of the events on K2 which allows him to present an unbiased perspective (unlike 1996 Everest books Into Thin Air and The Climb). The downside is some descriptions and character introductions felt a little dry, particularly in the early chapters. Part of the challenge with this story is the sheer number of teams and individuals that were involved and fitting everything into a roughly 200 page book is difficult.

Without giving away too much about the story (read a short plot description or view a video preview below), things get very interesting about halfway through and I found myself cold and shivering in my seat on more than one occasion. No Way Down allows the reader to place himself in the characters’ shoes and to imagine what it must be like to make life and death decisions at 26,000 feet. I know I’ll never experience climbing any of the world’s tallest mountains but I’m OK with that if I can read stories like this one.

From the back cover:

(H)indered by poor judgment, lack of equipment, and overcrowded conditions, the last group did not summit until nearly 8 p.m., hours later than planned. Then disaster struck when a huge ice chunk from above the Bottleneck, a deadly 300-foot avalanche-prone gulley just below the summit, came loose and destroyed the fixed guide ropes. More than a dozen climbers and porters still above the Bottleneck—many without oxygen and some with no headlamps—faced the near impossibility of descending in the blackness with no guideline and no protection. Over the course of the chaotic night, some would miraculously make it back. Others would not.

This book is a great summer read that may just inspire you to get out and explore. It’s also full of lessons about respecting your surroundings and making good decisions in emergency situations. Bring this one with you camping and I promise you won’t want to put it down!

Here’s a video preview of the book:

Thanks to HarperCollins for an advance preview of No Way Down.

If you do any amount of camping you already know the Coleman brand but what you may not know is Coleman outdoor equipment is available online at Kmart.com/Camping. Kmart’s online camping section even features a camp packing checklist, outdoor tips, and camp game and entertainment ideas. Just about the only thing missing is campground reviews!

And that’s where you come in. Add a review to any campground listed on Tripleblaze.com through August 1 and you’ll be entered to win the Coleman 2 Mantle Quickpack Propane Lantern from Kmart. This lantern pumps out a blinding 967 lumens on high and runs for nearly 8 hours. The best part is the new design packs down easily for transport and storage.

The more reviews you add, the greater your chance of winning the Quickpack Lantern on August 1!

Thanks to Kmart.com for providing the Coleman Quickpack Lantern for this contest.

I’ve had the Hi-Tech V-Lite Altitude Ultra hiking boots for several months now and I’m excited to finally share my review. Last month I even got a chance to hike with the boots on a couple trails near Boulder, Colorado and I have to say I’ve enjoyed every mile.

The Technology

I should start this review by pointing out that I’m one of those guys who does a ton of research before selecting outdoor gear. In the 8th grade I saved up what seemed like a ridiculous amount ($150) to buy the best hiking boots I could find on the market. Luckily my feet had stopped growing at that point and I continued to wear those same boots well into adulthood (I still have them today and aside from a few busted stitches and worn soles they’re still waterproof and mostly functional).

So when it was time to replace my old boots I did my homework once again and found the Hi-Tec Altitude Ultra hiking boots. A lot has changed since I bought my first pair of boots in the early 1990s and I was blown away by the technical advancements Hi-Tec has made over the years as prices have fallen.

Perhaps the most technically advanced feature in the Altitude Ultra boots is something Hi-Tec calls “ion-mask technology.” The company claims ion-mask makes the boots waterproof, hydrophobic, breathable, and lightweight which almost sounds too good to be true. However, I can confirm the boots are waterproof and hydrophobic, though I imagine the latter will fade a bit over time without regular maintenance. In dry environments like Colorado the boots certainly felt breathable while in humid environments like the southeast breathability suffers just a bit. The Altitude Ultra boots are surprisingly lightweight based on their appearance thanks to the fact that they don’t gain water weight on dewy trails or stream crossings.

The Vibram outsole on the Altitude Ultra boots has also seen its share of technical innovations with engineered grip and flex zones optimized for light to moderate hiking. Under the toe box the sole tread is wide, giving you maximum grip on sketchy slopes while the heel end features a stable “brake pad” for slowing descents. The inside of the sole is designed to flex more than the outside giving you great control while minimizing the chances for accidental ankle rolls (ouch!).

Performance on the Trail

Right out of the box I was hit with just how lightweight these boots are and on the trail they felt nearly as airy as a tennis shoe. Yet, this is still a full-function hiking boot with solid ankle support, waterproof protection, and a stiffly flexible sole. And while Hi-Tec may not market this as a backpacking boot I found it more than adequate for hiking with a moderate pack load (my 20 pound daughter and day-hike gear!).

The Comfort-Tec sockliner feels great and offers more than enough padding to keep my bony ankles secure without producing uncomfortable pressure points. Even on hot days when I wore short socks that didn’t quite extend to the tops of my boots the sockliner felt ok against my bare skin. I did notice the stockliner picked up a number of hitchhiker seeds in grassy areas and getting them out at home was a bit tedious.

Many of the trails I’ve hiked in my Altitude Ultra boots have been dusty, rocky trails and in these conditions the boot performed extremely well. Even on steep, hard slopes the boots rarely slipped and I didn’t feel like I needed to pick my steps carefully to maintain stability on the trail.

The Look

Most hikers will tell you they don’t really care how a boot looks as long as it performs but let’s be honest – no one wants an ugly pair of boots. Fortunately the Altitude Ultra sports a classic hiking boot look with real leather (in brown or dark brown) and rustproof metal hardware.

Looking more closely, the Altitude Ultra features some design details that really show how much thought has gone into this boot. For example, parts of the sole tread look like birds of prey and the shoe laces look like real rock climbing rope. Hi-Tec isn’t shy about promoting all the technology that goes into these boots with badges and logos that look a bit like NASCAR sponsorships; the upside is the logos are fairly subtle and mostly invisible from a distance.

Bottom Line

The Hi-Tec Altitude Ultra is a full-featured hiking boot with a lightweight footprint, perfect for hikers who go all day long with lightweight to medium packs. I plan on hiking with my Altitude Ultras for years to come and recommend you check them out for yourself – you won’t find a better value!

Thanks to the folks at Hi-Tec for providing the Altitude Ultra hiking boot for review.

Congratulations to this month’s top review and photo contributors, flbikerrunner (Palm Bay, Florida) and papasmurf454 (Vista, California). Each will receive a $25 REI gift card via email for sharing their favorite spots to camp and hike.

In addition to the ongoing contribution contest, this month we’ll also be giving away a Coleman camping lantern courtesy of kmart.com/camping. Look for details about how you can win in the coming days. Now get out and explore!

Johnsonville Sausage is giving out $30,000 in prizes this summer and there are two delicious ways to win.

For the creative types, there’s the Share Your Ville video contest where you can upload a video of you and your friends enjoying Johnsonville Sausage. You know, grilling brats on an open campfire or breakfast sausage and eggs in a frying pan in the great outdoors. Organize your video around one of four categories (family, friends, events, or locations) and get your friends to vote for your video online!

If your outdoor excursions are decidedly lower tech, you should definitely enter the sweepstakes online by playing the Grillville game before you head out the door. Play as many times as you like!

As an added bonus, readers of this blog can get an extra FIVE entries to the contest and sweepstakes by entering a special code word. This Week’s Johnsonville GRILLVILLE Secret Code Word is BRATS. Good luck!

We’ve been asked about camping gear rentals before and a recent blog posting got us thinking about the subject once again. Springwise reports on Contented Camping, a UK-based company that lets you try camping gear before you buy (which is a fancy way of saying camping gear rental). A one to six day tent rental will set you back just over $30 US which seems like a good deal for anything longer than a quick weekend trip.

An even better idea than renting tents, sleeping bags, stoves, etc. is to ask a friend to take you camping so you can mooch off their gear! Seriously, most campers I know are always dying to introduce friends and family to the joys of sleeping outdoors and would be happy to scrounge up some extra gear for you.

If you don’t happen to know any camping enthusiasts, you might be surprised to find that entry-level tents and sleeping bags aren’t all that expensive. For less than $100 you can buy an easy-to-pitch, medium-sized tent at any major sporting goods or department store. And don’t feel like you need to get specialized equipment to make it outdoors: blankets work almost as well as sleeping bags and kitchen pots and pans can substitute for fancy camp cookware.

These days there are more options than ever for outfitting a family camping adventure. No more excuses, get your crew outside this summer!

At first I thought this news item was a joke or perhaps one of those co-branded things like the “Boston Marathon in Iraq.” Nope, it turns out Appalachian Trail enthusiasts are serious about adding the “other half” of the Appalachians to the world-famous route.

To be honest I didn’t realize there was already the 2,175 mile Appalachian Trail AND the 1,862 mile International Appalachian Trail (IAT) which extends far north into Canada. Unfortunately portions of the Canadian IAT require train and ferry connections and as such only about 100 folks have completed the whole thing.

Technically the Appalachian mountain range exists in Europe as well (you know, the whole Pangea thing) and runs through Greenland, the UK, Norway, France, Spain, and Morocco. The newest IAT extension will also require train and ferry connections and perhaps even a passport. Could the IAT one day become the longest (non-continuous) trail in the world? Stay tuned.

This month’s contribution contest was a close one but in the end, SCGuide1 and papasmurf454 reigned victorious. If you want to get your hands on a $25 gift card to REI in July, just add your campground and hiking trail reviews and photos in June to earn points.

Also this month we just added forums to the site and we’d love to have everyone drop in and introduce themselves. The idea is to provide a space where people can ask questions and give advice about camping and hiking. So stop by and tell us where you like to camp and hike or try to stump everyone with your outdoor question.

As if you needed another reason to go camping this month, according to the North Face, June is National Camping Month. This is the second annual National Camping Month and the company’s retail stores will be:

offering a series of free clinics on topics such as how to select appropriate camping gear, pack a backpack, pitch a tent, make campfire meals and where to camp locally. The stores will also celebrate National Trails Day on the weekend of June 5 in partnership with the American Hiking Society

So find a great campground and sleep out under the stars at least once this month!

If you read Outside magazine, you’re probably familiar with Jordan Romero, the 13-year old California climber who was training for an Everest Summit attempt. Well, on May 22, Jordan and his team made the summit and blew away the previous record for youngest climber to scale Mount Everest (16 year old Temba Tsheri from Nepal).

Not content with just bagging Everest, Jordan hopes to complete the Seven Summits challenge in December when he marks #7 off his list, 16,000+ foot Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Well done Jordan, glad you made it safely to the top!

Here’s a new camping/hiking product you may not have seen before: The JakPak. Although the name implies a jacket backpack, this thing is actually part jacket, part tent, and part sleeping bag. Waterproof and breathable fabric make this a super versatile 3 season jacket where the “sleeping bag” folds down and the “tent” comes out of a hidden rear pocket.

Of course with any design there are always tradeoffs (like tent poles in your back if you decide to lay down in your jacket) but hey, you’ve got a tent strapped to your back! Let’s just say the tent and sleeping bag could be good survival items to have in such a convenient package. Then again, who knows – ultralight backpacking may have just gotten even lighter!

via Springwise.

How’s this for a warning sign? I think it means hikers should beware of man-eating trees along this trail.

via digg.com.

Congratulations to our contribution contest winners for April, 2010: SCGuide1 and F3. These guys have been busy uploading their best camping and hiking pics and earned themselves $25 REI gift cards.

We’re already a third of the way through May but there’s still plenty of time to catch our current leaders, flbikerunner and SCGuide1. Add camping and hiking reviews, pics, and info in May for a chance to win!

The Look

The V-Lite Snowflake Chukka 200i is, in my opinion, the best looking boot offered in Hi-Tec’s Winter 2010 outdoor insulated footwear lineup.  Although I’m not usually a brown shoe wearer, I chose the honey/sable/taupe color, and it’s actually working for me. Hopefully next year this boot will be available in some combination of black and grey. The fur lining and collar add a feminine touch to what might otherwise look a bit like a men’s work boot, and the leather-like buttons add a rustic flair.

Function

I have another pair of tall, lace-up boots that take more time than I would like to get in and out of but the Snowflake Chukka is great because it slips on and off so easily.  The elastic bands around the buttons can be undone but I found that I can just leave them fastened all the time. I can slip the boots off at the front door when I get home, grab the dog for a walk, and put them back on without much more trouble than wearing flip-flops.

Wearing these boots my feet have stayed toasty warm and completely dry during the recent Colorado spring snowstorms.  I often walk through snowdrifts and puddles without worrying about my socks getting wet.  As for the traction, I have a hill right outside my place that I often slide down in my skateboarding shoes but I have not slipped in these boots. Thus far, these boots appear to be well made and should last me many winters.

The Fit

I have narrow feet, and I usually wear a size 7.5 shoe.  I ordered my Snoflake Chukka 200i boots in size 7 based on reviews I saw online and it turns out the smaller size gives me plenty of room even with thick socks.  The boots fit loosely and my feet and slide around slightly but this is a trade-off I’m willing to make for the easy-on and easy-off feature. When I first wore the Snowflake Chukkas there was a weird pressure on the outside of my foot that almost felt like I had the boots on the wrong feet.  After a few days this feeling subsided but the footbed still feels just a little awkward.

The top of my Snowflake Chukka sits about 6 inches above my ankle and has a gap between my leg and the boot of about an inch.  Because of this these boots probably wouldn’t work very well in knee-deep powder but for walking around town or aprés ski they work great.

When I ordered the Snowflake Chukka 200i boots I was worried about my pant-legs not fitting over them.  I wear mostly wide leg pants and I didn’t want to be the one who has the bottom of my pants tucked into my boots while my pants billow out of the top (the peg-leg-jeans with a muffin-top look).  Luckily my pants easily fit over these boots.  For someone who favors the skinny-jeans or leggings these boots would work equally well.

Overall

The Snowflake Chukka 200i from Hi-Tec is a high quality boot well suited to the cold and sometimes wet conditions here in Colorado. This boot packs serious performance into a fashionable package that’s convenient and comfortable. Lace up a pair today!

Thanks to the trekkers at Hi-Tec for providing the Snowflake Chukka 200i for review.

The National Park Service is hosting National Park Week April 17-25, 2010 which means free admission to all 392 US National Parks! Just in time for spring, this is a great opportunity to get out and hike, camp, trail run – whatever – in some of the most pristine and beautiful spots on earth. Our recommendation? Hit up the parks with the highest entry fees to get the most out of the opportunity – Grand Canyon ($25), Yellowstone ($25), and Yosemite ($20) come to mind. Free or not, National Parks are a great place to get into the outdoors!

Springtime (and pollen) is in the air here and we’re happy to announce our March contribution contest winners: SCGuide1 and bigsweet. SCGuide1 has been filling us in on the best places to camp and hike in South Carolina (natch) while bigsweet has been concentrating on reviewing and posting photos from outdoor spots in Tennessee and Mississippi. Thanks to everyone who contributed in March, things are definitely heating up here on Tripleblaze.com!

The contribution contest continues in April so get in your campground and hiking trail photos and reviews before the end of the month. Stay tuned for a new contest format this summer and a chance to win some great outdoor gear!

If you’ve ever been geocaching you know how fun it can be to use your GPS to find hidden treasure (at least the first few times – then you realize most caches are full of junk). Sylvan Sports has hidden their own cache of outdoor gear somewhere in the world – and they’re giving out a series of video clues to help you find the goods.

The prize is a Go travel trailer filled with outdoor stuff including a mountain bike from Niner, camping equipment from Kelty, a Kayak, assorted car racks, and more. So far just one clue has been revealed and don’t worry – you haven’t missed much. Apparently the Go is somewhere between northern Canada and Bermuda. At least we can rule out Miami and extreme southern Texas!

Good news smartphone users: The Tripleblaze Camping & Hiking blog is now iPhone-friendly! Just fire up the blog on your mobile browser as usual and you’ll see an easy-to-read version of the Tripleblaze blog. No app to pay for or download, this thing just works! The site also works for other mobile platforms as well (Blackberry, Droid, etc.).

The iPhone-friendly blog features reduced image sizes so the pages load lightning fast (thanks m.obile.us!). Stay tuned this spring and summer as we make more of our content available on the go. Just be sure to get trip deets before you head too far outdoors – cell range can be pretty limiting.

Outdoor gear manufacturer Kelty is getting in on the Haitian relief efforts too and has sent nearly 300 tents to the earthquake zone since January. In one case, some of the Kelty tents were used to house 750 children left without parents after the disaster.

Recovering from a natural disaster like the quake in Haiti can place millions of people into a survival situation that looks and feels a lot like an indefinite camping trip. Water must be purified, shelter needs to be found, and fresh food can be difficult to prepare. It’s great to see outdoor companies like Kelty and Hi Tec recognizing the needs of the survivors and are willing to offer items to make the recovery a little more comfortable!