Gadling gear review: Mountain Hardwear Jovian Jacket

by Kraig Becker on

The line between a once in a lifetime adventure, and a miserable trip that can’t be over fast enough, is a fine one. There is nothing worse than finally visiting your dream destination, only to have inclement weather ruin the experience. The right gear can make all the difference in those situations however, turning a potential disaster into an amazing outing. Mountain Hardwear is one company that has earned a reputation for creating equipment that performs well under the worst of conditions and their Jovian Jacket definitely lives up to that legacy.

Incorporating Mountain Hardwear’s proprietary DryQ technology, the Jovian is a super lightweight shell with a minimalist design that still manages to include all the features you should expect out of your active gear. It has been cut to be form fitting without restricting motion, and when worn while on the go, you barely notice that you have it on. The jacket includes large, zippered pockets that keep their contents well protected from the elements and are conveniently placed to allow access, even while wearing a backpack or climbing harness. Internally, the Jovian features a small zippered pocket, as well as a water bottle holder, which is much appreciated on cold days in the mountains. The large, adjustable hood fits over a helmet, but can still be drawn up snugly, even if you’re not wearing anything on your head at all, and the high quality zippers feature pull tabs that are easy to use, even while wearing bulky gloves.

The Jovian was designed for alpine adventures, but I found that it performed very well in a wide variety of settings – particularly when used with an effective layering system. In warmer weather, the jacket works great on its own, keeping moisture out, while still regulating temperatures, thanks to its outstanding ability to breathe. Adding base and fleece layers underneath extend its use into much colder temperatures, while the jacket’s included pit-zippers provide plenty of ventilation, without compromising protection from the rain or snow. This is a nice feature not found on a lot of similar jackets from other manufacturers, but it is much appreciated when you find yourself overheating despite the weather.As someone who likes to travel as light as possible, I appreciated the fact that this jacket packs so much performance into such a small package. The Jovian weighs in at just 17 ounces and packs down nicely so as to not take up much room in my backpack. I appreciate the fact that I can stuff it in a bag as a “just in case” option, and rest assured that it is there when I need it, without adding bulk or weight to my gear.

The MSRP on the Jovian is $475, which is likely to induce sticker shock for the average traveler who doesn’t need the kind of performance from their gear that this jacket provides. But Mountain Hardwear‘s core audience are hardcore adventurers and mountaineers who travel to some of the most remote places on the planet. Those men and women require that their gear performs at a high level at all times, and as such, they are willing to pay for superior equipment. The Jovian, for example, is the type of jacket that will not only perform well for years to come, but will also withstand the rigors of being used in active outdoor pursuits in some of the worst environments on the planet. In fact, the gear is so good, that Mountain Hardwear offers a lifetime warranty on all of their equipment. Consider that when your cheaper jacket falls apart on your next trip.

If you are the type of traveler who rarely has the need to battle the elements or face inclement weather, than this probably isn’t the jacket for you. But if your travels frequently carry you to remote places, where you either endure the conditions or miss out on the adventure, than Mountain Hardwear has built a shell that will serve you well for many years to come. Its ability to keep you warm and dry, while not restricting your movement, makes this jacket worth every penny to the audience for which it is designed. The Jovian gets a big thumbs up for adventure travelers, mountaineers, climbers, cross country skiers, and anyone else who takes their outdoor pursuits very seriously – rain or shine.

Colombia’s Lost City gets long-term preservation plan

by Sean McLachlan on


Last year, Gadling’s Aaron Hotfelder braved the mountainous jungles of Colombia to visit Ciudad Perdida, the nation’s famous “Lost City“.

These remote ruins were built by the Tayrona, a culture that thrived from 200 AD to c.1650 AD. More than 250 of their stone settlements have been found in a 2,000 square-mile area. The Lost City is the largest Tayrona site known with more than 200 structures over 80 acres. One highlight is a strange carving, shown below, that appears to be a map of the city.

Unknown to the outside world until the 1975, the site now attracts an increasing number of tourists willing to make the five-day trek, and this is destabilizing some of the structures. Erosion and local narcotics traffickers are also taking their toll, Popular Archaeology reports.

Now the Global Heritage Fund has teamed up with the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, which runs the Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida Archaeological Park, to preserve the site. The area will be fully mapped and examined, and they’ll create a management plan to reduce natural and man-made damage to the site. One good aspect of the plan is that it’s incorporating the local indigenous people. They’ve always known about the Lost City and consider it sacred, so their input will be crucial to ensure its future.

Photos courtesy William Neuheisal.

Video: An ultra high resolution look at the American Southwest

by Jessica Festa on

Time lapse photographer and filmmaker Tom Lowe has been working on his new and innovative creation for over two years now. The video is actually a clip of his soon-to-debut film, TimeScapes, which showcases the beauty of the American Southwest using Canon RAW and Epic Red still cameras. Because the movie was filmed and edited at 4K resolution, which is four times greater than regular high definition, the moments and places really come to life on the screen.

Watch sunsets at Salton Sea, coastlines, Redwoods, and waterfalls in Big Sur, and meteor showers at Bristlecone take on a life of their own as firefalls, eclipses, cultural dances, lakes, mountains, starry skys, concerts, and unique landscapes are shown like never before.

To see a stunning preview of what’s to come, as well as hear music by John Stanford, check out this video:


TimeScapes 4K from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

Gadling gear review: Bushnell Backtrack D-Tour GPS

by Kraig Becker on

Handheld GPS devices are a popular tool for outdoor enthusiasts who regularly hike or backpack deep into the backcountry. They can be an indispensable piece of equipment that comes in handy for navigating through remote regions, and for those who know how to use them, they can quite literally be a lifesaver. The problem is, the devices can also be quite complex to use, which is very daunting for those who would like to be able to take advantage of their basic functionality, without having to earn a degree in computer science to do so. The Backtrack D-Tour from Bushnell is designed specifically with those people in mind. The tiny little device is a perfect companion for casual hikers, runners, or other active people who are looking for an easy to use alternative to a more full functional GPS device.

Weighing in at just six ounces, the Backtrack still manages to pack in some great features. The unit functions as a digital compass, while providing such data as the current time, temperature, and altitude. It also allows users to mark up to five different locations and then navigate to those places. The Backtrack will record your path as you hike, measuring distance traveled, current speed, and average speed as well. And when you get home, you can connect the device to your computer to save your routes and share them with your friends too.

If all of that sounds like what you would expect out of a full-featured GPS, then you’d be right. Those are all features found in more expensive and complex models. But the Backtrack user interface is designed to be easy to understand and provide everything you need to know at a glance, and it does that very well. In my testing of the product, I was able to learn the basic use of the Backtrack D-Tour in a matter of minutes, and I was off and running with the device shortly there after. Along the way, I was never confused as to how the device operated or what exactly was being shown on the display at any given time.
Bushnell has built the Backtrack to be withstand the rigors of the trail, and when you hold it in your hand, it does indeed feel rugged, despite its lack of bulk. It is also weather resistant, which means it can be used in the snow and rain, although I wouldn’t recommend submersing it in water. Unlike its more sophisticated cousins, the Backtrack probably wouldn’t survive a good dousing in water.

Battery life was another strong point of the Backtrack. While many GPS devices suck through batteries very quickly, this device sips power, keeping the unit up and running for as much as 20 hours on three AAA batteries. I used my Backtrack for more than 15 hours while testing it, and it has yet to run out of juice. I also like that it uses batteries that are easy to find, so carrying a spare set isn’t a problem on longer treks either.

Of course, this simplistic approach to GPS means that we are giving up some key features that many would expect on other devices. Most notably, the Backtrack doesn’t include any kind of base maps at all and uses only arrows to indicate which direction you should be going. It also doesn’t have much memory, nor is it expandable, which limits the number of waypoints that can be set at any given time. As you would expect, there is no turn-by-turn navigation at all and forget about a database of points of interest, such as campsites or trailheads. I also found that the Backtrack was a bit slow to lock on to the satellite that provides its navigational data, although once it did connect, it held the signal well, even while under a canopy of trees.

But the lack of those options is not meant to be a limitation of this device, but a strength. As I’ve mentioned several times, this is a GPS unit for the common person, and when viewed in that context, it does its job very well. Bushnell has stayed with the “keep it simple” philosophy, and as a result, the Backtrack is a great option for runners, hiker, cyclists, and others who want to track their routes, speed, and distance. With a list price of just $119, it also is a rather inexpensive way to get the GPS features you really need, without breaking the bank or struggling to learn how to use the device.

The Backtrack would make a great holiday gift for the outdoor enthusiast on your list. Even if they already have a more fully featured GPS device, they may appreciate this one as well, as it makes a perfect companion for those outdoor excursions that don’t require more complex features. It is also a great gift for those looking to track their fitness progress as well.

Video: skiing and snowboarding from the summit of Denali

by Melanie Renzulli on



What does it take to ski Denali, North America‘s’ tallest mountain? In addition to a large, metaphorical pair of cojones, which all of the men and women of this film possess, it takes sheer endurance and will to want to climb 20,320 feet just to ski right back down.

The Denali Experiment is a 15-minute film that follows a band of some of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders on their quest to ride the powder from the top of Alaska. But this is hardly a film full of hot dog moves. Director Renan Ozturk gives viewers a good sense of how difficult the trek to Denali’s summit can be, as well as shows us how fulfilling it can be to complete an adventure one once thought was impossible.