Boyz in the hoodie
by Aaron Teasdale
HEAD GEAR
Beartooth Merino Wool Hoodie $110 • www.backpackinglight.com After being banished to the outdoor gear wilderness by the shimmering allure of synthetic fabrics for the last few decades, wool has made a triumphant comeback in explorers’ wardrobes. The reasons are many. Like synthetics, wool breathes well and insulates when wet, but it also offers a greater comfort range, delivering more warmth for its weight. Unlike petroleumbased synthetics, it’s also a renewable resource (thanks, sheep!). Lastly, and in sharp contrast to synthetic fabrics that seem to capture and magically amplify body odor, wool’s inherent anti-microbial properties keep it amazingly stink-free, even after several days of use. The value of this for activities like backpacking cannot be overstated, especially by your hiking partners. The ultralight gurus over at Bozeman-based Backpacking Light know a thing or two about functional garments, which is why they created the Beartooth Merino Wool Hoodie. Ryan Jordan and Alan Davis, both outdoor-loving engineers, launched the Web site Backpacking Light in 2001 to give intensely technical
reviews of lightweight backpacking products, and soon became some of the foremost authorities on lightweight gear and techniques. Their site also sells 150 products, 70 of them carrying the Backpacking Light brand, including titanium cookware, 3-ounce fly rods and clothes. The wool hoodie is Backpacking Light’s top-selling clothing item and it’s full of smart features to lighten your load. Thumb loops and a balaclava-style hood mean you can leave the gloves and hat at home in midsummer, or get by with lighter ones in shoulder seasons. The partial zipper vents well on warm days and, combined with the hood, offers excellent temperature regulation. For minimalists, this 8ounce shirt combined with a light shell might be all you need for lightweight summer trips. It’s also a fine base layer in colder temps. As you would expect for a $110 shirt, overall quality is high, with stout seams and edging, and ultra-smooth, itch-free 18.5-micron wool. It’s a technical top and looks it— this is not a piece you wear to look dapper around town— but for the savvy backcountry enthusiast, it might just be the perfect shirt. Note: besides the dizzyingly informative website, Backpacking Light also operates a wilderness trekking school with multiday courses on ultralight backpacking techniques.
Sole non-sacrifice Sawtooth Shoes • $100 www.obozfootwear.com If you’re making outdoor shoes in Montana, they’d better be tough and trail-worthy, especially if you’re putting a satellite image of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem on your shoeboxes. Fortunately, Oboz understands this. The company doesn’t make shoes for corporate meetings, subway rides or driving to the salon. It makes shoes for the great unpaved—from trail runners and multi-sport shoes to full-blown, waterproof hiking boots. And it makes them to be used hard. Oboz, whose name is an amalgam of “outside” and “Bozeman,” its home base, was started by Josh Fairchilds and John Connelly, outdoor-footwear veterans who once worked for the climbing shoe company Five Ten. The brand was unveiled in early 2008 and already sells at more than 150 retailers, including REI and Pipestone in Missoula. Perhaps the best allpurpose Oboz is the Sawtooth, a low-top hiking and cross-training shoe clearly meant to go places. When you slip your dogs in the Sawtooth the first thing you notice is the super-supportive sole—it’s beefy, plushly cushioned and clearly designed to eat up miles of trail. The footbed tilts forward, too, putting you into an active, ready-to-go stance. It’s clear the founders know something about traction. The proprietary rubber
on Sawtooth soles is ultragrippy, while the heavily lugged, triangulated tread pattern digs into soil at all angles for unbeatable purchase. The tread also wraps around the sides and heels of the shoe to help with sidehilling and scrambling. (It’s no surprise the shoe shares the same sole construction as some of Oboz’s hiking boots.) You can really feel the Sawtooth’s robust heel support. It cradles and holds your foot solidly in place when you’re hiking on uneven ground. For people who appreciate non-toe-mangling footwear, the wide forefoot is another nice touch, keeping the Sawtooth supremely comfortable on all-day treks. And Oboz puts in a legit insole instead of the skimpy foam wafers most companies use. No need to buy expensive, after-market footbeds— these shoes are good to go out of the box. In a final flourish, Oboz makes trees grow on money; for every pair of shoes sold, the firm plants a tree through a nonprofit eco-group. That’s not to say you can’t wear Sawtooths in the world of pavement. They’ll certainly keep your feet happy. And even if you won’t be getting into the hills that day, it just feels better knowing you could. If an opportunity presents itself, the Sawtooths will be up for the challenge.