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REVIEW: Epic Hikes of the World

August 17, 2018 By Jeff Hester 1 Comment

Book Review: Epic Hikes of the World

What hiking adventures are on your “life list?” What the heck is a life list? Many people have a bucket list, filled with things they’d like to do before they “kick the bucket.” I prefer a list that helps me plan a full and satisfying life. I call it my life list. With each year […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: book, Lonely Planet, review

REVIEW: The High Sierra Trail

August 16, 2018 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

The High Sierra Trail - A Documentary

The High Sierra Trail is the thru-hike for people who can only spare a week of vacation. Unlike the longer John Muir Trail (JMT), which follows the Sierra Nevada north-to-south from Yosemite to Mount Whitney (or vice versa), The High Sierra Trail (HST) traverses the range from west-to-east. And unlike the JMT, the HST only […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: documentary, High Sierra Trail, Outmersive, review

Book Review: Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest

August 1, 2017 By Jeff Hester 2 Comments

SoCalHiker Book Review: Base Camp Las Vegas

I have a lot of hiking and backpacking guides on my bookshelf, but Deborah Wall’s Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest is a guidebook that threw me a curveball. I received a copy from the publisher while I was traveling and didn’t get a chance to take a good look at it […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: book review, Las Vegas, review, Southwest

SoCalHiker Tech: DeLorme inReach Explorer Review

June 9, 2015 By Dara Morgan 8 Comments

DeLorme InReach Explorer review

My first experience using the DeLorme inReach Explorer was along the John Muir Trail last summer. Not only was it reassuring to know that if I needed emergency care or evacuation, I would have dependable communication with search-and-rescue (SAR) but it proved useful in many other ways. The DeLorme inReach Explorer can provide you with […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: Backpacking, Gear & Tips, review

Review: Cairn

January 9, 2015 By Jeff Hester 1 Comment

Monthly boxes of curated goodies seem to be everywhere, these days. Cairn has created one perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. What is Cairn? They describe it as “your monthly box of outdoor discovery.” It’s a monthly subscription service. Each month, you receive a box of curated products. It might include a hammock or headlamp, hiking socks, snacks, skin […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips, Reviews Tagged With: cairn, getcairn, review

Gear Review: Vargo Titanium Ascent Tent Stakes

September 13, 2014 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

It’s been said that to reduce weight backpacking, you should “count the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves.” With this credo in mind, I took the Vargo Outdoors – Titanium Ascent Tent Stakes out on a couple of recent backpacking trips. Here are my findings. Titanium is corrosion-resistant and has the highest strength-to-density ratio […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: review, tent stakes, titanium

Review: Grand Trunk Double Hammock

October 17, 2013 By Jeff Hester 3 Comments

Have you tried camping in a hammock? Neither had I, so I was happy to give it a try. In conjunction with National Hammock Day (pretty sure I didn’t get the day off), Grand Trunk offered to let me take their Double Hammock for a test ride. We took it with us on our recent […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: Grand Trunk, hammock, review

Movie Review: Flip Flop Flippin’

May 8, 2013 By Jeff Hester 7 Comments

Long trails have a gravity that pulls thru-hikers toward them with irresistible force. I’ve answered the call of the John Muir Trail — twice. But of all the long trails in the USA, none is better known than the grand-daddy of them all: the Appalachian Trail — or simply the AT. My curiosity about the AT was first piqued […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Appalachian Trail, documentary, Flip-flop, Herriott, hiking, Man's Search, movie, review, Scott "squatch" Herriott, Squatch, Squatch Films, The Appalachian Trail, Thru-hiking

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About Jeff Hester

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking trails throughout Southern California--and occasionally beyond. I personally hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more...

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