GearFlogger

Huel Meal Replacement

Huel is a meal replacement available in powder or liquid form: human fuel to supplement or replace whole foods. We all recognize that "real food" is best, but we can't eat organic grass-fed fair trade locally sourced whatever all the time. We'll leave aside that whole issue and focus on what Huel claims to be: "nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food with minimal impact on animals and the environment."

Nutrionally Huel calories are 37% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 30% protein and 3% fiber, from a vegan mix of pea protein, gluten-free oats, medium-chain triglycerides, brown rice and other stuff. Huel is nutritionally complete from a macronutrient perspective - think all the amino acids - so it can compete with whey, the gold standard of protein supplements. That doesn't mean it contains all the micronutrients that you get from real food, so it's best to use it as what it's designed for: supplementation.

Huel is definitely convenient. The powder mixes easily with water using their shaker cup, or even better a dedicated shake blender like our good ole standby Hamilton Beach. Huel is also available in a ready-to-drink liquid bottle for 400 quick calories on the go. Both powder and liquid have a good taste and consistency, even when at room temperature. You get the oat and vanilla flavors strongly, and if you want to alter the taste Huel will sell you flavor boosters that do about what you'd think they do. They do use Sucralose for sweetener, and we know some people find that offputting although it didn't bother us. We had no problems with gas or the like, although all powder drinks affect some small percentage of people in that way. Note that Huel powder is low FODMAP, but the liquid isn't.

So nutrition and taste, check and check. When it comes to impact, that's a lot harder to judge. There are studies that show organic agriculture is better in many respects, but Huel is up front that their products are not organic. They do provide copious information on ingredient sourcing, so we'll let you be your own judge on this issue.

Overall we found Huel to be at least as tasty and convenient as our other preferred meal replacements, and the cost of Huel is competitive with other high-quality alternatives. We also appreciated that Huel is very transparent about how their product is made and what it is designed for, a refreshing change from a lot of nutritional marketing. If you're training hard and need the extra calories or just need the occasional convenience of a meal replacement you should give it a try, particularly if you're looking for a vegan/vegetarian option.

$75.00 for 7.7 pounds at Amazon

Zoku Pocket Straw

Clearly all the extra plastic in the world is a problem, and with over 500 million plastic straws being used every frickin' day there's an easy way to do our part in fighting for our planet's oceans, and it's not like it's a big change to make: use a resusable straw.

The Zoku Pocket Straw is a great example. Relatively inexpensive - you're just buying once, after all - the Zoku is made of stainless steel and expands from four inches to nine inches. Yeah, yeah, write your own joke you guttersnipes.

It's dishwasher safe, comes with its own carrying case with lanyard loop, and even includes a cleaning brush. BPA and phthalate-free, with a soft silicone mouthpiece, the Zoku Pocket Straw will be your new travel buddy. Bonus: it's a surprisingly effective way to get your campfire started, substituting for a full-on bellows.

$9.99 at Zoku

MSR WindBurner Stove

You really can't go wrong with any MSR stove, and the WindBurner is no exception. The WindBurner is billed as a stove system, which basically means that it comes in a dizzying array of combinations and configurations. The stove itself is the same in all but the Personal Stove System; that one is a hybrid of the Reactor and Windburner feature sets and technologies. We took a look at the WindBurner Stove System Combo, designed for small groups and perfect for our little flogger family of three, and came away quite impressed.

The Stove System Combo configuration includes two versatile pieces of cookware, a 2.5L pot and an 8 inch skillet. Both are ceramic-coated for excellent nonstick performance and easy cleaning, and both come with the excellent Talon folding handle - not just one, which would have been fine, but two of them. The Talon can be separated from the cookware for cleaning, storage and transport, and it also locks into the open position for extra security while handling. The slot in the handle folds over the rubber nipple handle on the included strainer lid for the pot.

Both the pot and the skillet have a protruding ring on the bottom that helps capture heat and transfer it efficiently to the bottom of the cookware. Both pieces are self-centering, meaning they have a little bit of play as you place them on the stove, just enough to allow them to find their own center without tipping over. It works very well in practice and after using it a few times you'll appreciate the ability to just set it and forget it, no worrying about perfect placement here. The pot also has two clips to secure the strainer lid in place for easy one-handed operation; no more burning your fingers while you try to hold the lid in place while you strain your noodles!

The stove itself is the usual clever and practical MSR design. The practical is the remote canister configuration gives you stability and flexibility in where you place the stove. The clever is the design of the arms, which hide in the vertical supports and spring into place as you raise them. Also clever is the encapsulated burner design, which really does make it easy to use in windy conditions. And speaking of performance, you backcountry chefs out there will really enjoy the adjustable flame. Everything from delicate simmering to raging snow-melting boil can be done quickly and confidently. The regulator will ensure a consistent flame output even as your fuel level drops while you cook.

The whole system nests together, with room even for a small fuel canister, and weighs under two pounds, a real weight saver for a system that will work for a small group. With the availability of even more accessories - even a hanging kit - the WindBurner Stove System Combo is quiver of one when it comes to stoves. Whether it's just you and the dog or you, the dog, the dog's friends and some people who let you hang out with them, you'll be able to do it all with the WindBurner.

$259.95 at REI

X-Bull Recovery Traction Mats

If you're venturing off-road in a vehicle you need to be prepared to extricate that vehicle from the inevitable sand, snow or mud trap. A Hi-Lift jack and a shovel are mandatory equipment, and a good winch won't hurt either, but often all you need is a little extra traction to get unstuck and that's what traction mats are for.

There are a lot of different mats out there at a lot of different price points. X-Bull mats are a great occasional-use mat for light and medium duty at a price that won't have you cringing. Their mats are made from a UV stable nylon mixture for long-term exterior storage, have a nice nesting design to minimize storage space, come with a storage bag and are available in a few different colors.

Careful use is necessary as with any recovery device. First things first: if you come to a dicey section of trail, you can always lay the mats down before you get stuck to ensure easier passage. If it's after the fact, air down your tires, dig out as much as you can in the direction of travel, get the mats down as low as possible in contact with the tire and go easy on the throttle so you don't sandpaper all the little nubs off. You might want to prepare ahead of time to recover your recovery devices by tying off some colorful nylon webbing in case they get covered in muck or are just hard to reach. And pro tip: don't stand behind the mats in case they turn into a missile.

The X-Bulls are straight models and have the advantage of being bidirectional. They also fit perfectly in the back of a Jeep Wrangler sideways. If you've got a smaller vehicle you can look for hinged mats, the reputable brands seem to be plenty durable, just check the weight limit.

The X-Bulls are also fully rigid. Some say a little flex in a traction mat is good, aiding in getting the mat into position and lowering the effective angle of attack as they conform to the ground as you climb out of a hole. This does not mean you should rely on soft carpet-style mats, which are generally useless as they ball up and squirt out the other side. If you want to use your mats for bridging, the X-Bulls are not designed for this and in fact few mats are, and the ones that are will be some heavy metal designs, and you better know what you're doing. It's possible you could double the X-Bulls up for a very short bridge, but don't blame us when that plan goes south.

$102.00 a pair at Amazon

myCharge PowerFold 8000 Solar Charger

Power good. Solar power better. Especially for small applications like backcountry or other expedient/emergency recharging of phones, tablets, e-readers, watches, cameras and other small devices. Until recently we had to choose between a portable solar panel, a portable battery pack, or lug along both. myCharge makes our lives a little simpler with the PowerFold 8000mAh solar charger and power bank.

The PowerFold is about a quarter-inch wider and longer than an iPhone X and a little more than twice as thick, about an inch, and can charge devices through two USB ports at the same time. This compact package unfolds to reveal three solar panels that will charge the 8000mAh power bank enough for one phone charge in about four hours, a number that proved out in bright sunlight for our test unit. Fully charged either through the solar panels or micro USB port the PowerFold will deliver three charges for phones and about one for a tablet, again numbers that proved out for us.

As much as we appreciate the versatility and portability of the PowerFold, we really like its simplicity. The display on the top shows a sun icon when solar charging, and four bars of varying heights show the power status. One button on the side when held down activates a very usable flashlight on the back, with additional presses activating fast and slow flash modes.

So, to recap: portable, flexible, solar, flashlight. Got it? Go get it, and when it saves your butt in the field remember Gearflogger recommended it.

$59.99 at Amazon

Simply Shredz Premium Dried Pulled Pork

Beef jerky has been a trail staple since people invented fire. These days there's no reason to settle for old school jerky when there are so many tastier and healthier alternatives. Simply Shredz adds yet another option that hits all the right notes.

Simply Shredz makes premium dried pulled pork. They start with lean pork that is slow-cooked and marinated before being dehydrated, resulting in a really tasty low-fat high-protein snack that is a perfect pick-me-up on a hard day's hike. Besides having a list of natural ingredients you can actually understand, Simply Shredz isn't high in sodium with only 230mg - that's 10 percent of the American Heart Association's daily recommendation - per one ounce serving.

We tried both flavors and like them both. Even our eight-year-old loved it, although he found the sriracha a little too spicy for his young palate. We tried it in ramen too, and can confirm it's a great addition to any pasta-based freeze-dried food. We also tried it with BBQ sauce and that's just a good combination, especially with some quality rolls to build a slider. If you're looking to wake up your taste buds on the trail, give Simply Shredz a try.

$5.99 at Simply Shredz

Learning to Climb Indoors, by Eric Horst

Eric Horst is well-known as a climbing coach and author, and his latest book Learning to Climb Indoors is his latest and greatest. We still have a copy of his 1997 How to Climb 5.12 on our bookshelf, and it still holds up well.

LTCI is really a fantastic one-volume reference for beginning and intermediate climbers, and even advanced climbers will get a lot out of it because it does a great job of systematizing a complex sport. Chapters two and three cover gear and safety and chapter four sets the stage by talking about how to learn in general terms, e.g. concepts and tactics to keep in mind as you strive to master the skills.

Then it's off to the races with five solid chapters on basic and advanced techniques, lead climbing, the mental game and conditioning. All are very well thought out and presented, for example the basic techniques chapter is built around five clear fundamentals and the advanced chapter around six.

The conditioning chapter is very climbing specific with instructions for building finger and tendon strength and endurance. Another nice feature of this book is that while it is targeted at adults it doesn't ignore kids, for example pointing out that kids are better served in full body harnesses, and there's even a full chapter on youth climbing. At the end there's a great summary chapter on building a home wall and on transitioning to outdoor climbing. If you own only one book on training to climb indoors, this should be it.

$24.37 at Amazon

Weatherproof Lightweight Men's Flannel Shirt

We occasionally make the pilgrimage to Costco, and one of our favorite finds is the Weatherproof brand for socks, shirts and pants. For an early fall wardrobe upgrade we picked up the Weatherproof men's lightweight flannel shirt, an absolute steal at $9.99, on sale from $12.99

The flannel is a perfect weight for cooler temps at high altitude and hanging around the campfire in the evening. The print is good looking enough to do business casual with jeans or slacks. We've had good luck with Weatherproof flannel holding up to repeated washing and wear, so we're confident it's not cheaply made.

The only thing to be aware of is that they do shrink just a bit in the dryer, so either line dry or if you're normally on the edge size-wise, go bigger. Get them while you can.

$9.99 (on sale from $12.99) at Costco