Reviewing new or noteworthy gear from my hikes in the High Sierra.
- Gossamer Gear — Mariposa ★★★★★
- ISDIN — Fusion Gel ★★★★★
- Sea to Summit — Mesh Stuff Sack ★★★★★
- Feathered — Friends Flicker 20 ★★★★☆
- Airalo ★★★★☆
- True Traveller Insurance ★★★☆☆?
- Glenn Randall — Great Landscape Photography ★★★☆☆
Gossamer Gear — Mariposa ★★★★★
890 g — 300€
Oh, how much I love my Mariposa! It’s 800 g lighter than my previous Osprey Kestrel 58 while being more flexible and convenient.
The main compartment is 36 liters, but the top lid is a tube that can be extended for more capacity. A killer feature is the 4 big side and front pockets that add another 24 liters. Several parts are optional like the aluminum frame, the hip belt, and the back pad that can be removed for sitting. That’s also great for machine washing.
Bonus, the main compartment fits perfectly a Sakabouf and as hand luggage for flights.
ISDIN — Fusion Gel ★★★★★
125 g — 20€ for 2 months
Fusion Gel is a sunscreen in the form of a thin alcohol gel. Unlike a traditional cream, it’s very dry, transparent, and almost odorless. No more zombie look or grease stains!
A small application midmorning on my face and hands was enough to protect me all day. The cap has a screw so it doesn’t pop on its own. And ISDIN is based in Poblenou, Barcelona.
Sea to Summit — Mesh Stuff Sack ★★★★★
10 g — 18€
Unsung hero, this venerable bag is now my oldest piece of gear. After 5 years of heavy use, on trail and in all my other travels, I patched holes in it for the first time.
I use it to store everything except the pieces of gear that are big enough to be stored on their own. The mesh makes it super easy to find even the smallest things in the blink of an eye.
Feathered Friends — Flicker 20 ★★★★☆
715 g — 500€
The Flicker is a sleeping bag with no hood and a full-length zipper to open it as a quilt.
I’m a side sleeper who spins all night long, so the hood of traditional sleeping bags is a nuisance and a dead weight. The 950+ fill power down is very lofty while packing almost as much as my previous Rab Ascent 500 for 345 g less.
I’m only giving 4 stars because I find the accessories (zipper, collar clips, and drawcords) too cheap for the expensive price tag.
Airalo ★★★★☆
10€ for 3 GB and 30 days
Airalo is an app that lets you buy eSIM cards for pretty much any country. Prepaid SIM cards are hard to get in the US, so I gave Airalo a try. It’ll now be my go-to solution when traveling.
The installation was very easy on my Samsung Galaxy. The top ups are no bullshit: 7 days really means 168 hours GMT. Additional packages activate automatically when the previous one expires. You are reminded when you have 25% and 10% of data left.
I’m only giving 4 stars because Airalo did not always pick the best available carrier. Despite advertising Verizon, it only connected to AT&T in Tahoe and T-Mobile in Yosemite. I should have got a bit more coverage sometimes.
True Traveller Insurance ★★★☆☆?
220€ for 37 days
Health expenses are notoriously expensive in the US, so I didn’t want to take the risk and bought travel insurance for the first time.
Several of the insurances most used by digital nomads and international hikers don’t accept European customers. I ended up choosing True Traveller, which is based in Europe (it’s a subsidiary of AXA), has a clear and good policy regarding hiking (the Adventure Pack covers hiking up to 4600 m), and includes search and rescue.
I’m only putting 3 stars because I didn’t have to fill a claim. They are good at selling insurance, but I don’t know how good they are at reimbursing actual expenses.
Glenn Randall — Great Landscape Photography ★★★☆☆
Glenn Randall is a professional photographer who makes classic pictures of spectacular landscapes, the kind that your grandma might hang on the wall, but of stunning quality.
I read several photography books during my trip and this was the most instructing. It’s frustrating to read everything about aperture, focal length, and tripod techniques when all you carry is a smartphone on a schedule, but the sections on light and image composition changed how I’m taking photos.
Randall’s writing could be more efficient with more diagrams and less personal anecdotes.