Feathered Friends Blog

“And That’s Just the Way She Goes”: An Alaskan Trip Report

Alec Bergoef and Colten Moore set out on a trip to the Ruth Gorge in Alaska this past April/May 2018. Read about their challenges and overcoming adversity in the trip report below. Words and images by Alec Bergoef.

We’ve been sitting in Talkeetna for a couple days now, waiting for the weather to break so we can fly into the mountains. Just when we are about to give up hope of getting a flight into the gorge that day, Colten’s phone rings. We have been waiting for two days. I am pushing the longboard back up the hill to where his van is parked and he is yelling for me to hurry. I hop in the passenger’s seat and we rush down the road to grab our bags from the bunkhouse and pick up the pizza we had on hold at the pizzeria. Hastily, we grab our personal belongings from the hostel and rush over to the restaurant. When we arrive, our pizzas are ready and we head to the airstrip. We park and I stride happily over to the plane with two piping-hot pizzas to bring to the glacier with us. There are four others waiting, along with a pilot and Jim, the grounds manager for the air taxi service. We make small talk while we wait for our luggage to be loaded on to the plane.

Then it is time for us to board...

Continue reading
Down Care Guide

Down is an absolutely amazing material, and with a little extra love your gear can be the gift that keeps on giving for a long time.

Below are the best practices to keep your favorite jacket, sleeping bag, or comforter fluffy and warm for years to come.

 

Continue reading
Summer on the Divide: A Thru-Hiker’s Notes on the Continental Divide Trail

Our own Tessa McGee reflects on her time hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Words and images by Tessa McGee.

I’m not sure how to tell this story. I’m not much of a storyteller and there are a lot of ways to sum something like this up. A recap feels a bit like trying to tie a little bow around some unruly pile of junk. I find it hard to talk about thru-hiking without making too much out of too little, or too little out of too much. It’s not for anybody else, so sharing it feels a bit uncomfortable. But here it goes – in the spirit of reflection in the start of a New Year – I’ll try to strike a balance!

It was 136 days with 21 zeros (days off). June 28th – November 10th, 2017. Canada to Mexico through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. My hike was a little over 2700 miles.

 

Continue reading

Join Patagonia Climbing Ambassador Colin Haley for an evening presentation about his last season in Patagonia. He’ll talk about the record-shattering climb he completed with Alex Honnold of the Torre Traverse; a 20 hour, 40 minute traverse of Cerro Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger, and Cerro Torre. Get inspired, drink a cold one, and score … Continue reading Store Event: Torre Traverse with Colin Haley and Patagonia

The post Store Event: Torre Traverse with Colin Haley and Patagonia appeared first on Expedition Tales.

Continue reading

The Spoonbill is one of our most unique sleeping bags, and gear-tester-epic-adventurer Max Neale put the bag through it paces over the last four years. Here is a snippet from his full reivew (which we highly recommend you read!): The Best Ultralight Four-Season Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends Spoonbill Review. “I have tested at least 60 … Continue reading Max Neale Spoonbill Review

The post Max Neale Spoonbill Review appeared first on Expedition Tales.

Continue reading