Back from a 4 day Trip: Sock Review.

Hi,

I am back from a 4 day trip.
It was sunny and warm (34-38°C at noon). Non rain and I walked around 100 km. (in about 3,5 days)
I tried out 2 different brands of socks. Here is the review:

1) The Smartwool Midweight Hiking Socks
These great socks are made of 74% merino wool. And like we all know (or most of us) wool products are just splendid.

1. They breath very well.
2. They isolate just amazingly good.
   
3. You don't faint everytime you take your foot out your shoe..

But I found out one drawback.

1. They aren't so strong. After washing and using them for 2 times, they started to loose some fluffyness.

Now there is no reason to panic and loose hope: I bought another pair.

2) The Bridgedale Endurance Trekker
These socks are amazing. They are a blend of 41% New Wool
37% Nylon/polyamide
21% Endurofil™/polypropylene
1% Lycra®/elastane

1. There is less wool in it.
2. They are a bit warmer.
3. Just fit amazing.

Drawbacks:

1. A bit sweaty and warm.
2. They kinda stink after you a day.
   

End decision:
I tested both of them in hot sweaty environment. And what did I think.
Well my feeling and thought goes toward Bridgedale . Why?
They just fit me so well, and they are just good enough
Although I must admit that the Smartwool kept me much better ventilated.
But still I prefer Bridgeldale, they just ar so strong.

Dries

365 days...

Only 2 weeks and this blog exists 1 year!!!
Time to look to the past AND future.

First off all I told i was gonna buy a new backpack. Well I have ordered one, but it's not a deuter or a macpac. Well what is it?? Here i go:
I ordered a Kajka from Fjällräven:

• Height: 76 cm
• Materiaal: Vinylon F
• System: Perfect Fit
• Total weight: 2900 g
• Webbing: Nylon
• Volume: Approx 75 liter
• Zips: YKK

Some nice things about it:

1. It has a special pocket for your water bottle. You can reach easily for it.
   
2. It is made from a really strong fabric.
3. and what I really like: It has a special wet compartment. You can put in wet clothing and it will stay ventilated and will keep drying!!!

Here is video from the makers.


What I did this year:

1. I went to the coast. I hiked a bit but I returned for a job (wich I now do fulltime).
2. I bought a Fleece and softshell (reviews coming up)
3. I decided that I am not going to scotland this year. But I am going the summer of 2012. Scotland or South-Sweden.

What do I have planned the next 365 days:

1. Review Hiking socks (coming in April)
   
2. Hike the complete Belgian-coast. Not just part of it. :-p
3. Review my new backpack (coming VERY soon, propably a video).

Now that was it.

See you guys (:-D) next time,


Dries

Sanyo Review

I bought this camera mostly for on travel.
But it is just real goood

720 HD. wich works real good, it gives a really good picture. As it says it is indeed waterproof. (for 1 hour at 1.5M atleast :-D).
Very nice color when lighting is good.
But when you go above ISO 200 it gets grainy and a lot of loss of quality.

See here for a a small test video: http://vimeo.com/19356999)


It is small and perfect.
But because it's small it has sometimes shaky pictures
Thats all

Dries

Camcorder

Hello everybody (if somebody is reading this),

I got myselve a camcorder. Mostly for filming travels but also for some video reviews. Normally it will arrive this week.
Oh, and by the way it's the Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA9.

It is very compact and waterproof ( to a depth of 1,5m). I really like this cause this means I don't have to worry if it gets a bit wet while filming in the rain.
But enough about this camcorder. I will post something review like after i tested it a few days.


Wolves have no king

Dries

Review:Sleeping Bag millet Baikal 1000

After some downtime I am back.
And as promised: The review for the Baikal 1000.

I bought this bag end October. I first wanted to buy the Baikal 750 but the nice lady in the shop told me it was not a good allround bag, more a summer bag.
So after some thinking I walked out with this beauty.

It weighs 1 kilo and has a lenght of 185 cm.
I used it for 1 week continuously. And it did its job pretty well. I felt no cold and was really comfortable. The average temprature at night must have been between 5°C and 0°C.
Millet claims it will easily withstand temperatures of 3°C and it truly does.
The only small problem is that it is a tight fit. I am just (but really just) big enough.
But that's personal.

I haven't done a in-field test but that will come later in the year 2011.


This sleeping bag is just a good bag that does its job. A fine and light bga that is ideal for hiking.


I can't wait until i get it into the field.


Dries

Winter is back in town!!!!

The first snow fell this day!!
Finally the best season of the year is coming.



I have some news: I bought the biakal 1000 of Millet. And i'm gonna do a nice review about it.
You can expect it before 6 december!!!


Dries

We travel to where our soul is...

Today I thought up this little sentence. I was looking at the movie Into the wild and this sentence just came up. It is the second best sentence that tellls what I feel about traveling and hiking.

I mean, When people travel to some far away they easily say that they could live there for ever. We go to new places to flee away from the stressfull life. We wanna relax.

I just wanna feel freedom. Not to worry about going to a specific place and need to get there at a certain time. Just to walk and stop when I wanna stop...


Wolves Have No King....

Dries