Observant readers will have noticed that I was very quick on my hiking trips in the last 16 months. That had less to do with an increase in fitness and speed on my end, but more with the colour of my shoes. It is a well known fact that red shoes make you walk faster, so the increased speed is due to the Inov-8 X-Talon 190 I was wearing. And while this is structured like a living review, these sweet trailrunners are nearing the end of their lifecycle, and might soon need to be brought to the place where trailrunners go to run on the eternal fjells. But before that happens, lets take a look at them.

Hectic times in which last minute orderes are put in, gear lists are made, discussed, re-made, backpacks packed and tried on, and then there’s a lot of anticipation for flying down to Slovenia and meeting the nine other participants of the UL Summit.

Check out the Bergfreunde Super Summer Sale and save up to 50% on great backpacking & climbing gear from Haglöfs, Mountain Equipment, Icebreaker, Mammut, Fjällräven and others!

This is a crowdsourced version of TWIR. Please direct possible complaints towards the crowd who curated this post.

Possible complaints about the new design of this site you may tell me; Twitter is best for that, while I sort out the bugs.

Less than two weeks till the <a href=”http://ultralightsummit.com/”target=”_blank”>UL Summit</a> starts!

The Boilerwerks have <a href=”http://www.theboilerwerks.com/2012/07/coming-soon-that-new-product/”target=”blank”>a new product coming out soon</a>.

Sean has been busy with <a href=”http://oookworks.com/OookBlog/?p=164”target=”_blank”>the modular OookSystem</a>.

<a href=”http://andrewskurka.com/2012/stupid-light-not-always-right-or-better/”target=”_blank”>Why light is not necessarily right, and why lighter is not necessarily better</a>.

Helen has been <a href=”http://helenswonderings.blogspot.fi/2012/07/rondane-sketching.html”target=”_blank”>sketching Rondane</a>.

Take a peek at the REI Coupons & Rebates

A photo set of a <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/verbouwenoelem/sets/72157630132879712/”target=”_blank”>Morocco High Atlas bikepacking trip</a>.

<a href=”http://sweepingthegarden.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/sierra-xc-loop-73-thru-782012/”target=”_blank”>Sierra XC Loop</a>. Recommended.

<a href=”http://mcalisterium.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/torridon/”target=”_blank”>Torridon</a>.

<a href=”http://walkers-anon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/guest-blog-summits-in-sun-meall-nan-eun.html”target=”_blank”>Summits in the Sun: Meall nan Eun and Stob Ghabhar</a>.

Forrest McCarthy in the <a href=”http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com/2012/07/bob-marshall-wilderness.html”target=”_blank”>Bob Marshall Wilderness</a>.

<a href=”http://www.kenilgunas.com/2012/07/hiking-rockies-with-andrew-skurka.html”target=”_blank”>Hiking the Rockies with Andrew Skurka</a>.

<a href=”http://blakeclimbs.blogspot.fi/2012/07/liberty-crack-liberty-bell.html”target=”_blank”>Liberty Crack - Liberty Bell</a>.

<a href=”http://gridnorth.blogspot.fi/2012/07/west-coast-stravaiging-packrafting-trek.html”target=”blank”>A Packrafting Trek Through Scotland</a>.

A Trip Report from the <a href=”http://www.backpackingnorth.com/2012/07/trip-report-nordkalotten-trail.html”target=”_blank”>Käsivarsi Wilderness Area</a>.

<a href=”http://therepublicofdoom.blogspot.fi/2012/07/fowler-tour-day-3.html”target=”_blank”>Fowler Tour Day Three</a>.

Willem checks in from <a href=”http://transscandinavia.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/the-last-mountains-of-southern-norway/”target=”_blank”>the last mountains of southern Norway</a>.

<a href=”http://imaginegnat.com/2012/07/09/big-big-country-on-film/”target=”_blank”>Big, Big Country on Film</a>.

Toni reports from his first <a href=”http://tonilund.blogspot.fi/2012/07/event-report-tahko-mtb-2012.html”target=”blank”>Tahko MTB</a> experience.

10% off Regularly Priced Merchandise at Moosejaw.com with code CJSAVE10 (Exclusions Apply)

<a href=”http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.fi/2012/07/gps-for-wilderness-navigation.html”target=”_blank”>GPS for Wilderness Navigation</a>. Recommended reading if you’re considering a GPS for said activity.

Brian muses on his <a href=”http://www.briangreen.net/2012/07/goruck-challenge-gear-loadout.html”target=”_blank”>GORUCK Challenge gear</a>.

Peter has been <a href=”http://www.yetirides.com/2012/07/some-sewing-required.html”target=”_blank”>sewing framepacks</a>.

<a href=”http://whileoutriding.com/2012/07/05/leanified-ogre-ecuador/”target=”_blank”>A Leanified Ogre</a>.

Chad unboxes some mighty fine <a href=”http://sticksblog.com/2012/07/09/picharpak-workshop-unboxing/”target=”_blank”>PiCharPaK WorkSHop gear</a>.

<a href=”http://www.nielsenbrownoutdoors.com/2012/07/tale-of-2-jetboil-sol-tis.html”target=”_blank”>The Tale of two Jetboil Sol Tis</a>, also known as the world most dangerous gas stove, now also the most unreliable stove when going on long hikes, coming in many dresses.

<a href=”http://gavinmacfie.blogspot.fi/2012/07/montane-atomic-stretch-jacket-review.html”target=”_blank”>Montane Atomic Stretch Jacket Review</a>.

<a href=”http://walkwildscotland.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/mountain-equipment-supercell-an-update/”target=”_blank”>Mountain Equipment Supercell</a>.

An <a href=”http://www.journeymantraveller.com/2012/07/arcteryx-venta-pant-initial-analysis.html”TArget=”_blank”>initial analysis of the Arc’teryx Venta Pant</a>.