Kuhl Radikl Hiking Pants

Kuhl Radikl Hiking Pants

I'll admit it, when I put my mind to getting something, it's typically all I can think about. Lately, it's finding the perfect hiking/camping pants. My prerequisites? They had to dry quickly, be tough, look good and hold a lot of stuff.

There are a ton of outdoor clothing manufacturers making these outdoor pants now, and I've tried on what seems like a zillion of them. Each had something that initially drew my interest, but none had put it all together until I tried on Kuhl's Radikl pants.


When I put them on, they fit so well that I feel like the folks at Kuhl might have snuck into my bedroom and measured me while I was asleep. They wouldn't have done that, would they? Seriously, every part of these pants--from the waist to the crotch to the knees--fits perfectly. When I crawl into my tent after a long day of hiking, normally all I can think of is getting my heavy (sometimes wet) jeans off. But with these, I often sleep right in them. They are THAT comfortable. I suppose that's because they are 88% Nylon and 12% Spandex, so they stretch wonderfully. They also have a gusseted knit crotch, which adds to the flexibility.

I also like the fact that they have not one, but two cell phone pockets. I only have one cell phone, but I have a front pocket wallet that fits perfectly into one of these, so I don't feel weighted down by having too much stuff in the traditional front pockets.

The other thing I like is that Kuhl understands colors: what works and what doesn't. All their options would be colors I'm comfortable wearing around the campsite or out to dinner.

It's been nice to see the Kuhl brand get more of a foothold in the extraordinarily tough outdoor clothing industry. I hope they keep innovating.

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles

We understand your class reunion is coming up and you've decided to throw a little pre-party for your old high school buds. They haven't seen you in 10 years, but you've kept in sporadic contact with them, mostly filling them with b.s. stories of your fantastic accomplishments since matriculation. You've really put yourself out there, haven't you? You told the boys that you ran with the bulls in Pamplona. That wasn't quite right was it? Sure you were in Pamplona, but from what we hear, you were getting sloshed on grappa in some quaint little taverna 20 miles away.

Another doozy is that you worked as a deep-sea diver on a treasure-seeking vessel and that you recovered millions in gold coins. C'mon now, you can't even swim, and you won't let the ocean even nibble at your toes since you saw Jaws.

Our favorite of your fabrications is that you climbed Mt. Everest. Uh-huh. Did you take the southeast route from Nepal or northeast route from Tibet? How did you handle the Khumbu Icefall? Yeah, we've all read "Into Thin Air" so you better have your facts straight. 

You may also want to consider having a few props laying around the house to make this fairytale seem plausible. We would suggest some climbing rope, some crampons and perhaps a nice set of hiking poles staged in the corner. We're particularly fond of Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles. If any of the guys are still listening to you by this point, you can explain to them that these poles are made of 100% carbon fiber, so they are super light and strong. You can also tell them that the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork features a premium cork grip and the supremely functional adjustability of dual FlickLock Pro, which makes them efficient and simple to operate even with Everest's 100-mph wind gusts. Finally, make sure to tell them that the poles come outfitted with interchangeable carbide Tech Tips, low-profile Trekking Baskets and Powder Baskets.

We hope you have a great time at your pre-party. We hope your buddies show up too.

Teva Verdon WP Hiking Shoe

The big fishing trip had finally come. Five days on the Snake River in Hell's Canyon fishing for Steelhead. I was excited to say the least. I mean, who doesn't want to spend those five days standing at the back of a boat, shivering in pouring rain with a rod & reel in hand waiting for some fish to bite a shiny object at the end of a rope? Sounds wonderful if you ask me. But only wonderful if you're comfortable. Comfortable translating into a good set of waterproof rain jacket and pants, a warm cap, and of course a great pair of waterproof shoes.

Well, I had two of those three. The shoes not so much. My old Nike hikers had been with me for some time and although they were supposedly GoreTex, I came to find out that Gore had left Tex many miles down the trail as these things acted more like sponges than liquid defenders. By the end of day one, I felt like I had two sacks of wet flour strapped to my feet. I could literally wring the water from these things. To make matters worse, by the end of day two, the sole had delaminated at the tip so I was walking around like a scuba diver with flippers on.

I vowed there and then to get me a pair of hikers that would stand up to this type of weather. After much research and multiple visits to the same outdoor goods store (the girl in the shoe department thought I was stalking her,) I finally decided on the Teva Verdon WP. Not only are they among the cheapest (translate: inexpensive) waterproof hiking shoes on the market, they are definitely the most comfortable. And, thanks to their undersizing technique, I felt like a much bigger man having to go with size 11 (when my normal shoe size is 10.)

With the advance of the wet fall, I've been taking every opportunity to put these shoes through their paces, trudging through puddles, six inch wet grass and standing a soccer games in an all-day rain. So far so dry. I like to be dry.

I can't wait for our next Snake River adventure so I can again stand in miserable conditions and catch no fish. At least I'll be comfortable.

Welcome to BigFire Camping Gear!

Just a quick note to say hi. I own BigFire Camping Gear Reviews. We review all manner of camping and outdoor gear and apparel. In the past, I've owned my own camping gear retail site, so I've had first person use of the types of products featured on this blog. 

So once again, welcome to BigFire. And Happy New Year!