Avex Travel Mug

Don’t you hate it when your water bottle leaks in your bag? I do.

I admit it—sometimes I just toss my water bottle into my purse or drawstring bag with everything else I’m toting around. I expect my water bottle to be able to hold its own even when it’s not tucked neatly in it’s own compartment on the side of my backpack.

So I was thrilled when I had the chance to use Avex’s Highland Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug. By the way, the only real difference I can see between an Avex water bottle and an Avex travel mug is that the travel mugs can handle hot liquids as well as cold and the water bottles specialize in keeping cold liquids cold for a longer period of time.

The travel mug features a simple locking device that is easy to use with one hand. Its snazzy AUTOSEAL® technology makes it leak-proof and spill-proof. Not only that, but it has all of the other qualities I really value in a water bottle.

First, the Highland allows for one-handed drinking (there’s no cap to unscrew)—a huge plus. Next, its insulating qualities keep hot liquids hot for up to five hours and cold liquids cold for up to 14 hours. It’s also top-rack dishwasher safe. And finally, it’s not made out of plastic. All of its materials are BPA free.

You’ve heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, right? Plastic is not biodegradable and is causing all kinds of problems. Plastic isn’t even recyclable, it can only be down-cycled into products of a lesser quality. A reusable, non-plastic water bottle like the Highland is the environmentally responsible way to go. I recommend this terrific water bottle by Avex that is designed with active people in mind.

Kate Lewis, Alpenwild Trip Leader and Marketing Specialist

What is a Buff®?

Buff headwear is a stylish, functional and versatile product that can be worn as a hat, headband, neck gaiter scarf, or balaclava. The folks at Buff have even come up with chart showing a dozen ways to wear a Buff—pirate hat, sahariane, blind chicken—you get the idea.

I was first introduced to Buff headwear by a fellow Haute Route hiker in the Alps who was wearing one on the trail in a number of different configurations. He talked about the comfort and protection the Buff offered in outdoor and recreational activities. At the end of the trip he gave me a Buff as a gift—a red and black version that perfectly matched my trail wardrobe.

The name ‘Buff’ comes from the Spanish word ‘bufanda,’ which means ‘scarf.’ It’s basically a tube of 100 percent polyester microfiber which is 20 inches long and 9 inches wide when laid out flat. It’s wind-resistant, breathable, and wicks moisture. When washed, the Buff is colorfast, dries in minutes, and retains its elasticity.

A Buff is a one-size-fits-all performance garment that I found to be comfortable and provided protection against the cold, sun, and wind encountered hiking in the Alps. I wasn’t carrying any kind of scarf or similar protection in my pack, and since its small and fits in my pocket or in the top pouch of my pack, it was an easy addition.

Within a week my Buff had become a standard feature of my outdoor arsenal. I even found a new use for my Buff when one of my clients took a bad spill on a mountain bike and needed a cloth to clean the area around the wound and stop the bleeding. Buff to the rescue! Who needs a pirate hat and style statement when it’s time to apply first aid?

Hydro Flask

It was 1892 when British chemist Sir James Dewar developed the vacuum bottle for storing liquid gases. He discovered that by placing one bottle inside another and creating a vacuum between the two bottles he could prevent heat loss by convection. What goes in hot, stays hot. What goes in cold, stays cold.

Hydro Flask has taken that simple 120 year-old technology and created an amazing product—a double wall vacuum insulated stainless steel bottle that does what it’s supposed to do—and does it better than any bottle on the market. Basically your hots will stay hot for 12 hours and your colds will stay cold for 24 hours. Perfect for year-round outdoor use.

The Hydro Flask is made from 18/8 stainless steel which means that it’s about as tough a bottle as you’ll ever need. Far sturdier than aluminum or plastic, it’s not going to crack, burst, or bulge when dropped or frozen. It comes in various sizes and shapes—narrow mouth, wide mouth, bottle and food flask—Even a 64 oz. “growler” for serious thirst.

The top seal, made sure and firm-fitting with a rubber gasket, is absolutely leak-proof. The lid is easy to open and easy to hold. The superb insulation makes the bottle sweat-proof. And the bottle is so durable that it comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty.

Our field testing was done while cross country skiing in temperatures at 9°F. We filled the bottle with hot chocolate before leaving the inn, and three hours later we were awestruck when we opened the bottle on the trail and the hot chocolate was still too hot to drink—we couldn’t believe it. We were so impressed with the Hydro Flask performance that we ordered a couple cases of the standard 18 oz. narrow-mouth bottle in Lychee Red with a nicely etched Alpenwild logo as a premium for our cross country ski clients.

The North Face Paramount Peak Pant

The Paramount pant from The North Face is likely the best-selling convertible hiking pant in the world. It’s been around for ten years now, so I guess it qualifies as iconic. You’ll find it not only at outdoor retailers like REI, but also at most major sporting goods stores for about $65.

As a guide, I take just two pair of pants for the entire summer; so I’m taking two pairs of the Paramount—one in beige and one in dark grey—at least by changing colors my clients won’t think I’m going out to dinner in the same pants I’ve been wearing all day on the trail.

The Paramount has been updated a bit in its latest version. The fabric is a heavier, more durable nylon that stands up to plenty of varied use, and even some abuse, without ripping like a grocery sack. The new heavier fabric is also better suited to the cool weather hiking you’re likely to find in the Alps, and yet the pants still easily dry overnight, even in a cool hut.

Another smart new design feature is color coded tabs on the convertible leg zippers—red for right, and blue for left—so putting the legs back on is no longer a hit-and-miss guessing game.

It’s also a great traveling pant, with a sturdy nylon mesh belt with a plastic buckle that needn’t be removed when going through airport security. You’ll be treated to seven pockets—one of which is zippered, and four have Velcro (a Swiss invention) closures.

Guys like me, who don’t happen to have trophy legs, will enjoy the 10-inch short which also makes it easier to wear around town and even out to dinner without looking like you wandered in off the trail. If anyone actually wanted to see more of my pasty leg flesh, I could always go with the 6-inch Paramount Valley pant—not likely.

Deuter Futura 32 Pack

In an earlier post I noted how European packs offer features in smaller packs that are generally reserved for larger packs in the US. Since most hikers in the Alps are going hut to hut, they don’t have to be burdened with carrying a tent, pad, sleeping bag or camp kitchen—that’s all taken care of in the huts.

Deuter’s Futura series is an Alphiker’s one-stop shop. The line features nine packs ranging from a 22 liter suitable for a hut overnighter to a 50 liter tanker for the guy in charge of carrying everyone else’s gear.

So let’s turn to my pack of choice, the Deuter Futura 32 (32 liter), weighing in at 3.5 pounds. You might expect a guide in the Alps to carry a bigger pack, but this really loads well. It’s made of 210 ripstop nylon and comes in a fire/cranberry color scheme that can probably be seen from outer space.

Now for the features—which due to their abundance, I won’t elaborate, but just let you imagine:
· Durable spring steel frame for solid and exceptional stability, even when trotting
· Nylon back mesh to keep the pack close to, but not rubbing against your back—allows for superb flexibility
· Top stabilizer straps, four side compression straps, and sternum strap
· Heavy-duty, ergonomically-shaped hip fins and contoured shoulder strap
· Front zip pocket for easy access to maps
· Bellow side pocket offering 3.5 liters of volume
· SOS label in top cover with international emergency numbers
· Bottom compartment with removable separator
· Integrated rain cover
· Ice ax and pole loops
· Elastic side pockets on each side for bottles.

This is my first summer in the Alps with the Futura 32, but when a pack links this kind of innovation with proven performance, I can tell I’ll be using it for many years to come.

Hiking Shoes - Vibram Outsoles

When it comes to selecting shoes for hiking in the Swiss Alps, comfort and fit should be your primary concerns. But the most overlooked part of a hiking shoe is the part that never comes in direct contact with your foot—the outsole—the bottom of your shoe—the traction.

The outsole protects your foot, absorbs and redirects shock, and provides a stable base for your foot. It gives youa sure footing on wet or unstable surfaces. Virtually every hiking shoe on the market today uses a rubber outsole.

The most widely used type of rubber sole is Vibram, a proprietary brand of vulcanized rubber used by over 1,000 shoe manufacturers worldwide. You’ll find Vibram soles on hiking shoes from all the top manufacturers. Because of its exceptional grip and durability, Vibram is our recommended outsole for hiking and walking in the Swiss Alps.

Vibram was born in the Alps in 1935, following the death of six climbers in the Italian Alps. The tragic accident led one of the survivors, Vitale Bramani, to develop a new sole for mountaineering boots. Two years later, Bramani patented the first rubber soles, with the financial backing of Leopoldo Pirelli of automobile tire fame. The sole provided excellent tractionon a wide variety of surfaces and superior abrasion resistance. Look for Vibram soles when you select your hiking shoes for the Alps.

SIGG Bottles

Why is it that the simplest and most universal piece of hiking gear—the water bottle—comes in such an endless variety of shapes, sizes, and materials? In my decades of hiking, I’ve used them all and have a storage crate full of bottles and hydration systems I no longer use. My sole choice for hiking in the Swiss Alp is the SIGG 1.0L/34oz aluminum bottle.

This one liter champ is perfectly suited to hiking and trekking in the Alps. In a hot or dry area like the Grand Canyon I’ve hiked with and cached gallon jugs of water along a trail. Butin the cool of the Swiss Alps with pure water abundantly available, I’ve never had the need to carry more than a liter. It makes no sense to carry a 3-liter hydration system in the Alps. One liter is all you need.

SIGG bottles have been manufactured in Switzerland since 1908. Today their bottles feature the EcoCare liner, made from BPA-Free and Phthalate-Free Ingredients. The plastic cap with the rubber washer it durable and failsafe. It has never leaked a drop in all my miles of use and abuse.

SIGG makes bottles in sizes from 10oz to 50oz and in a dazzling array of colors. They have retro bottles and wide mouth bottles. But I don’t want floral designs. No wide-mouth splasher for me. Just give me the Swiss Cross Red (shown here).

Because the SIGG bottle is single-wall aluminum, it’s lightweight. It slides easily into the bottle sleeve on the side of my pack. Stainless steel bottles will be heavier, and frankly, more durable. So after summers of rugged use, my SIGG is dinged and the paint has been chipped off in places, but it’s like an old friend and trusted trail companion. My SIGG will complete its 8th Haute Route this season and be ready for more next year.