When I am not working with technology, I can often be found in the backcountry; always happiest in the presence of mountains. In 2014 I successfully completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with my three kids. I am the founder and principal developer of Outsideways. Husband of @reneetougas, and father of @celine, @mypictograph and @brienne.
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Today @reneetougas and I went out for a short urban hike to explore an area around Mont-Royal neither of us had been yet: the cemeteries. Mont-Royal, a large park in the middle of Montreal with tons of trails for hiking and running, has more of it's surface covered by burial plots than parks.
I have a new pair of trail shoes for 2018: the Xero Shoes Terraflex. It is about time these guys made something a little more backpacking worthy! They have nice lugs (not unlike the Vivobarefoot chevron lug), a nice flexible outsole, and maintain a smilier design to the Prio which is probably my current favourite minimalist running shoe. I added a pair of elastic laces, which is a minimum requirement on all my sports shoes these days.
We shall see if this overtakes the Altra Superior, which is my current trail favourite. Currently, one strike against the Terraflex, is that it does not have a built-in velcro patch for my Dirty Girl gaiters.
My new backpack just arrived today!
My Gossamer Gear Mariposa has seen many days on the trail, and is in need of retirement. I decided to try something new this time: The ULA Ohm 2.0, which ticks all the boxes:
- It is light (36 oz on my scale) with all the goodies (some of which I will not be using, which will drop the weight a little more).
- It is durable, made of Robic fabric which seems to be the choice of several lightweight pack manufacturers these days as it has a very high toughness-to-strength ratio.
- It has a roll-top closure, which is an optional add-on feature.
- Nice big side pockets, that can be cinched tight via an elastic drawstring.
- A mesh back pocket for stuffing things and drying things.
- Compression cords on both sides that can be cinched down to reduce pack volume.
- Nice big hip belt pockets.
- A light aluminum/carbon frame to add some structure.
- Suitable for a base weight of 12 lbs or less, and is designed to carry up to 30 lbs comfortably.
I am looking forward to taking it out this season!
Since our AT thru-hike in 2014, my backpacking gear has been in varying states of decay. I have slowly started to replace things as funds permit and as I find things on sale. I recently replaced two of my most-used-in-all-seasons pieces of gear: my cool weather hoodie, and my mid-weight puffy coat.
My current hoodie has a permanent hiker stink, which makes me smell like a thru-hiker within 30 minutes or so of moderate activity. That has been replaced with an Icebreaker Merinoloft Ellipse Long Sleeve half zip hood. I am hoping that having some merino in the mix will help keep the funk out longer than the synthetic one it replaces.
My current puffy coat (a Rab Xeon) has started to fall apart (after having survived the entire AT) and is being handed down to @mypictograph who will finish the job. That has been replaced by an Arc'Teryx Atom LT hoody. Based on an excellent article posted on Backpacking Light recently about synthetic jackets, it looks like the installation in this one should also be much more durable than that of the Rab.
Lucky for me, I was able to find both of these on sale at a substantial discount.
Back at the base-camp cabin for a quick debrief, some cold beer, a couple bottles of wine, and a hot meal prepared by Katie (on the left in the green Jacket). Katie is responsible for organization and administration of the trips offered by Randonnées du Pèlerin. We really appreciated all the hard work she put into making this trip a success.
Day 3 was an easy day. We got up, had a leisurely breakfast, then headed on the most direct route back to the trailhead - about a 3.5 hour trip, including a prayer stop along the way. The weather was cool, but not cold, with some sunshine, a little snow, and generally good spirits all around.
Upon reaching our destination, a delicious hot Easter meal (including beer and wine) was waiting for us, prepared by our hosts. It was a fantastic way to end the trek. These guys really know how to pull off a good great trip!
On the home stretch, after a long morning of hiking back to the parking lot.
Shortly after our arrival at the cabin, @brienne made short work of picking her bunk (with a nice bonus: a mattress!), unpacking her sleeping bag, and getting settled- in with a bag of fruit snacks to rest her tired legs.
Smiling faces, happy to have just arrived at our destination for the evening.
Danny, our super (-human) hiking guide, on the left. We got to talk a lot about gear, telemark skiing, and beautiful places to explore in Quebec. I am looking forward to taking advantage of his recommendations on future adventures. There are a lot of interesting places to explore in this province, it is really nice to have met someone who I can consult with about future trips.
Journals
When I am not doing the bigger trips, I try to get out and enjoy outdoor activity at least once a week, no matter where I am. This journal is for random snapshots of my weekly micro adventures ...
This journal chronicles my thoughts, discoveries, acquisitions (or divestiture), and critiques of the gear I use on my adventures.
Les Randonnées du Pèlerin (i.e. Pilgrim Hikes) is a Quebec Christian organization that offer spiritual pilgrimages/retreats through an outdoor activity. We recently got to know the founders of the organization, and thought what they are doing is pretty ...
The family tradition continues... since 2006 our family has attempted to spend one entire day per week outdoors together doing something active. These are random snapshots of those micro adventures from 2017. #onedayaweek
A 9 week family road trip that includes Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta with (hopefully) lots of outdoor adventures along the way.
After landing in Reno to visit with @Amelia and do some backpacking in the Sierras, we have learned that the huge snow year is going to make things difficult for us. We have decided to attempt something with ...
Our family has developed a ritual: attempt to spend one entire day per week outdoors together doing something active. These are randoms snapshots of those micro adventures in 2016. #onedayaweek
This trip marks a number of firsts for @reneetougas and I... It is our first in the Adirondacks of NY. Since moving to Montreal just over a year ago, we have been slowly getting to know the outdoors ...
Hike #4 of our 2016 Montana trip: The last hike of our trip, we leave for Alberta tomorrow. We had a big group for this hike, our family (five of us) my business partner Martin, his son, a ...
Hike #3 of our 2016 Montana trip: As my knee has slowly started to heal, we decided to embark on more epic day hike: Pine Creek Trail just outside of Livingston, MT. This hike took us through beautiful ...
Hike #2 of our 2016 Montana trip: Today the weather was going to be potentially sketchy at higher elevations, so we decided to try something a little more sheltered. We did a 10 mile hike (5 miles out-and-back) ...
Hike #1 of our 2016 Montana trip: This is a short 6 mile round-trip hike over relatively flat terrain in Montana's Absaroka Range. This is the first hike I have been on since my traverse of the Presidentials. ...
A south to north traverse of New Hampshire's Presidential range. The last time I was here was in 2014 on our thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. This time around we will be doing something completely different, and taking ...
Followers
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Fitness coach and outdoorsman living in the Northeast USA.
Believer, Husband, Father, Adventure Seeker. #optoutside
A teenaged geek living in Montreal who loves both being active, and just chilling out with a video game. Class of 2014 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, and daughter of @toesalad.
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Born in San Francisco and living in Sonoma County surrounded by vines and the great outdoors. 3 hours from the Sierra Nevadas, 30 minutes from the Pacific.
Naturalist, writer, social media, homeschooler, backpacker, cross-country skier. Currently in Montana and planning a year-long European adventure. Chronicling our family's fun at www.travelingmel.com and on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/travelingmel
Recently married to a wonderful woman. We have committed to making outdoor adventures a big part of our lives. Step one was moving to Colorado so we could be close to the mountains. Let's get this party started!
I enjoy backpacking and hiking adventures with my family, though many of my adventures now start with my motorcycle.
homeschool mom of 3 teens, writer, beauty seeker, hiker, skier, backpacker, tea drinker, gardener, maker of stuff, keeper of home, montreal apartment dweller,married to Outsideways creator @toesalad.
I am a hiker that enjoys building new trails, hiking as light as safety warrants, learning new things about hiking, and sharing things learned with others.
Aka Picnic! I am an 18 year-old homeschooler and college go-er in Reno, NV who likes to backpack and hike. I did the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2015, the John Muir Trail in 2016, and I am currently ...
Ex ultra runner and now distance hiker. Hitting the trails in 2017.
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My family (hubby and two kids) and I moved to Thailand last year for me to teach second grade in Bangkok. We come from California, where we owned an outdoor retail shop from which we guided backpacking and ...
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Just a normal guy who likes to try and live an extraordinary life. I am a Missionary, Photographer, Outdoor Educator, Climber, Thru-hiker, and all round Fun-Hogger.
Martin is a hardware innovator and problem solver who specializes in embedded systems and power electronics. He’s worked as an intern on offshore wind turbines for Siemens in Germany, fully restored a 1947 Navion airplane in rural Montana, ...
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We're a family of five living in semi-rural Connecticut in a town known for its hiking trails. We love to road-trip and camp on the East Coast. Pre-kids, we hiked the Wonderland Trail at Mt. Rainier for three ...
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Computer Engineer by Education, Systems Engineer by 'design', and non-fan of cubicles/corporate life/'the system' by choice. Currently creating automotive robots in Northern Utah while exploring everything around me.
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir Avid hiker and of all things outdoor. If it's outside and gets you moving then I probably love it!
NOBO Appalachian Trail 2018
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I’m here to look at other people’s adventures; I don’t have too many of my own. ;^-^
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Journals (21)
Autumn Camping in the Pacific Northwest,
Wandering the Rain Forest,
Beyond our Boundaries,
Trekking the Arizona Trail,
PCT Thru-Hike 2017,
The Wild West,
Prepping,
Watkins Glen Summer Road Trip 2017,
Redding Trails,
Pacific Crest Trail 2018,
Flying in the Rocky Mountains,
U.K. Walks 2017,
Grand Manan, New Brunswick, Cda 2017,
The AT, 4 Kids, and Me,
Koh Lipe Island เกาะหลีเป๊ะ,
AT 2018,
Vivian2018,
Pct journey,
Pacific Crest Trail 2018,
PCT 2018,
Continental Divide Trail
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