What a week. Super hot and humid. Amazing support for Ultralight A-Z. Great trip reports. Some fine gear reviews.



The winner of the Psyche II Raffle is Commentor number seven, Daniel! Congratulations! Get in touch so you can get the DVD!



Dave's down-to-earth-honest, philosophical and just plain awesome writing resulted in what is likely the best trip report thus far this year. His 2011 Alaska WIlderness Classic report. Read it now or save it to Instapaper.

Thomas writes up week one of his Jotunheimstien hike. Featuring sheep, bogs, Joe, Leif, hammocks, UL ground dweller shelters and Wilderness TV, Channel 1.

Fraser's Loch A’an – High Winds and Tent Failure also ranks high up there of what you should read.

Roger continues his write-up of his Nordkalottleden hike. Join him from Vajsaluokta to Gautelishytta: along the Norwegian border, the third great report.

And to fill out the majestic five, Steven wrote up his The Mamores report which he did with Colin and Phil. Pointy bits in splendid weather, UL style - yeah, read it!



Maria has some ace photos from her Tuohilampi and Salmi day walks with the children up, tasty & beautiful.

Tomas was a little dictator when it came to fire-lighting on his climbing trip at Ågelsjön.

More climbing trip reports come from Toby with Bohuslän climbing.

I asked about your hiking and everyday essentials and still am hoping to see and hear a bit more - c'mon, don't be shy ;)

Dylan's "The junk I schlep into the woods" post has some ace photos about food and the little bits and pieces which often get overlooked.

Fils made a combined a 1 PyraNet InnerNest with his SuperMid. To kepe the bugs out and the wife happy.

Terry told us in a Guest Article about Filming The Great Outdoors And Me, a recommended read for all of you who want to bring home stunning moving pictures from your trips.

Rob is back from Philmont. There were rattlesnakes. And overloaded Mariposa Plus.

Brian tweaks the handles of his SnowPeak 600 cup. Sweet - now where do I get that stuff in Finland?

Martin asks "Is the TrailStar the best lightweight shelter ever?".

Amy always has the latest gear scoops, so sit tight: Montane enters the backpack market.

Tim and Robin wanna know your dream hik in the August Outdoor Blog Carnival.

Jack shows off his affordable Ultralight Bicycle Fly Fishing Rig.

Geoff wrote up his two day Eastern Arenig circuit walk.

Chad slimmed down his cooking setup, and now only carries 2.2 oz!



Tookie walked the The River Ayr Way.

Errin went on a LA River bed ride, which combined a nature and urban setting. Fun!

Jack knows some useful Buspacking Olympic National Park Basics.

Brawny made an UL Silnylon Rain Jacket-Prototype.

Read the final installment of the Death Hollow trip report.

Janek earned this.

Phil uses spreadsheets and asks if the Jetboil Sol Ti is an UL solution?

Mark celebrates A Year in Outdoor Blogging Land. Congratulations!



Josh. Mount McKinley: A Summit Unbagged.

Jill. My night on the PCT.

10 days sea kayaking trip in southern part of Archipelago National Park, Finland.

Ryan: Long Trail Side-To-Side Part 6: The Great North.

James. Making the most of the sunshine.

Lauren. Nemo Zor ‘Hyperlight’ Mat Review.

Karl. I Came Back! Mount Washington for Seek the Peak!

One Hiker's Trash Can Yield a Treasure for All. Includes a raffle!

Doom. Yakutat to Gustavis Part 2.

Today I want to reach out to all readers, and be a nosy bastard about what are your essential items carried when you're out backpacking, and when you're in the city! The idea came to me when I was reading a German Photography blog, and I thought it would be interesting to do something similar for the readers of Hiking in Finland. Lemme show you:


My UL essentials when backpacking.

My essentials, which I nearly always carry on me, are my knife in its sheath with a Light My Fire firesteel attached to it, a small compass with thermometer, and my kuksa. These allow me, should I in some miraculous way lose my backpack with all my belongings, to navigate, make a fire, drink water and build a shelter and backpack frame and rope, etc. I carry the knife usually in a cargo pocket of my pants, and clip the kuksa and compass with the carabiner to a belt loop. In that way they're always close and ready when I need them. To be honest, I also often still carry the phone and wallet + keys in a pocket - I learned this lesson the hard way once, as I lost the latter ones in a bus accident. They're useful when you get back into civilization, I hear ;)

Compare that to the stuff I carry when I am in the city:



Yeps, a whole lot more - somehow all that modern stuff in civilization adds up! Wallet, keys, money, and phone go into the pockets of my pants, sunglasses on my head, and the rest packs into the Sacoche bag from Locus Gear. It gives me that incredible outdoor UL nerd look, when I walk with my Spinnaker man-bag through the park! With the good weather we have, I often venture into the nearby park with the iPad, notebook and book to work. Thanks to free tethering of iPhone to iPad I can also browse the net then, which is useful. I find when I sit in the park, in the shadow of a birch with a light breeze going, that I get completely other ideas when sitting inside. It is fantastic for creativity and getting another perspective. Try it!

Notebook and book are there for me to plot down ideas, draw, read and get new, fresh ideas. I belong to the group of people who remember and learn best by writing the read stuff down, so if I go through a good book (like REWORK above) I want to have a pen & paper at hand to write down the ideas which I get while reading, and how I could apply them. I could use the iPad, but writing with a digital keyboard just is not the same as writing with old-fashioned pen and paper.

So, that are my Everyday & Hiking Essentials - now I want to know yours! Snap a photo of your hiking & everyday essential, and either write a own blogpost about it and post the link into the comments, or post the link to the photo & description in the comments. In the end we will have an interesting collection of what people carry from all over the world when out hiking and in civilization!

Psyche II is a climbing movie, made by Alastair Lee / Posing Productions in the UK. If the names Leo Houlding, Jason Pickles, El Capitan and Yosemite are familiar to you, then lemme tell ya, you gonna enjoy this movie - a lot. How about a little teaser:



Looking sweet, doesn't it? In case you don't take my word for it, take that of some who definitely know: The Kendal Mountain Film Fest gave it its Grand Prize Winner and Best Climbing Film Awards, which is only the top of a whole bunch of other awards. But as you're reading here, I reckon you're also slightly interested in what I think of it. Well, as a hobby climber this was a very inspiring movie to watch. It actually had me very psyched to go climbing and bouldering with my mates, which is a good measure on how good a movie is, me thinks. If it motivates you to go out and do what's shown, then that is pretty damn good in my book. If you follow me since a while you know that I love the scenery and wilderness in the USA. I think the country has such a vast amount of impressive wilderness beauty to offer, that every time I read about the adventures of my digital friends I get all excited and wanna go there. Anyway, I digress.

Yosemite NP is on my must visit list, and it is a prime destination for climbers and backpackers alike. The Prophet gives spectacular views of this beauty, together with a first ascent of an impressive wall. The quality is crisp & sharp and the filming offers nice perspectives, with a good mix of music and humour which make the about 45 minutes pass quickly. But that ain't all there is to see on the DVD. Hollow Caves, Bleed in Hell, Oceans of Fear, Dusk till Dawn as well as the 20 minute Extras are equally impressive, with the Hollow Caves section being my second favourite of the DVD. How about a complete trailer to give you an idea:



So, Posing Productions was kind enough to provide me one DVD for a lucky reader. You're gonna be able to enjoy this climbing movie spectacle from the comfort of your home, and all you gotta do is

1. Leave a comment and tell me what's you're dream mountain climb
2. and Like Posing Productions on Facebook if you're so inclined to get an extra chance in winning!

The competition is open till Friday noon (that's 29.07.2011, 12:00 o'clock for those who need it more precise). By consulting with the gods of climbing I shall determine a lucky winner. If you don't believe in luck, the gods of climbing, or can't just wait to see it, then Posing Productions has it all figured out for you: You can rent and HD download the movie from their website. Which means you already could watch it tonight.

But patience you have, haven't you, young UL Jedi?