GearFlogger

MBT Hurracan 3000 Road Running Shoe

Fat shoes are all the rage the past few years, and for good reason. A thick (or as the kids say, THICC) midsole combined with a generous rocker (kids: PHAT) takes a lot of the pounding out of pavement running. So if you're putting in the miles (kids: KILOMETERS) on the hardball you might want to do your dogs a solid and check out the new Hurracan from MBT.

MBT is a pioneer in this type of footwear, and they've tailored the Hurracan for road runners who want a soft heel strike, smooth pivot and easy send-off into the next stride. The Hurracan makes stitching together the miles a lot easier on your feet.

Fat shoes have had a couple of complaints lodged against them in the past. First, they were ugly. Rest assured the Hurracan is a good-looking shoe and the design elements work so well together it's not obvious you're wearing a fat shoe at all. This was a relief to our fashion-conscious SheFlogger who tested the woman's version; she's a solid five-foot-nuthin' and appreciated not just the good looks but also the extra inch and a half of lift. The second complaint you'd see a lot was about stability. The Hurracan has no problem with sure-footedness, thanks to a subtle amount of splay from the insole to the sole, and also a nice touch on the bottom: a channel running fore-to-aft that allows each side of the sole to adapt to uneven surfaces independently, kind of an independent suspension for your foot. It works nicely, and as a bonus provides a channel for water to escape in wet conditions.

The fit and finish of the Hurracan are top notch. The mesh construction is breathable, and the heel retention is great. The only thing to keep in mind is that the fit runs about 1/2 size large, so order a half size smaller than your normal and you'll be good to go. And go. And go...

$199.95 at MBT - Use CYBER30 on November 30 for 30% off!

Carhartt 2 in 1 Fleece Hat

When we originally reviewed this at the beginning of 2020 - remember pre-pandemic days? - we filed the Carhartt 2 in 1 fleece hat under odd but useful. Fast forward to today, with winter coming on and the pandemic coming on even stronger, a hat with a face mask built in is not at all odd, it's just plain useful.

The 2 in 1 fleece hat is a standard dome hat with earflaps but wait! What is this hiding 'neath? Lo, it is... half a balaclava! Or a third of a balaclava, depending on whether you're using the European or American International Balaclava Classification Standard. The fleece hat part is nice but pretty standard. It's worth noting that Carhartt doesn't skimp on the ear flaps (looking at you, Mountain Hardwear!), and said flaps should cover even the dumbo-esque among us. But attached underneath, and permanently so, is a partial clava that can be pulled up above the nose or anywhere lower.

Oddly the hat and clava together do not cover the back of the neck, although since we generally wear a jacket with a hood that bunches up back there it was not a problem for us. It's not windproof - it would be a supercool upgrade if the headband part was made so - but overall it's an inexpensive and functional hat that adds a nice touch for the occasional cold snap. Winter bikers, skiers and shoulder season athletes take note.

$19.99 at Amazon

Casio Pro Trek PRT-B50 Watch

A Casio Pro Trek is "just a watch" in the same way that KITT is "just a car," which is to say... not even close. The Pro Trek is the watch series formerly known as Pathfinder, and it has been steadily improving in both the quantity and quality of features and performance over the years. The PRT-B50 model is notable for two major improvements: bluetooth connectivity to your smart phone, and a feature set that is incredibly rich for the price. The former was a mix of promise and frustration, but the latter provides solid value in the end even if you totally ignore the app.

First, the basics: on the wrist, the resin cased B50 is large but light, with a mineral glass face that is fairly tough and can be polished if light scratches appear. The metal band on our model came with a tool that allows fast resizing of the band by removing segments, and unlike the Casio G-Shock watches the lugs do not prevent the B50 from laying flat on a surface. The compass bezel rotates in both directions, facilitating somewhat the "boy scout" method of roughly determining where North and South are. The buttons are large and easy to operate even with gloves, which we pretty much always had on. The hands are luminescent but not any of the markings, so if you wake up in the middle of the night you're going to have to activate the light with the big button at 6 o'clock to read the hour. The small digital display is used for an amazing amount of data and can be customized to a degree.

The PRT-B50 is an ABC watch that tracks altitude, barometer and compass data. That's all standard for Casio's three-sensor models, but the B50 has a four sensor system that adds an accelerometer to track your step count. It's not super accurate - we found it had problems registering steps on soft surfaces like carpet indoors and snow outdoors - but it gives you a rough idea of the quantity of walking you're doing, even if it won't substitute for pace counting or ranger beads. You can set waypoints and use the second hand to guide you back to them. The wide variety of time zones, timers, alarms and ABC trend data is accessible through clever use of the watch hands and the small display.

The software... is a challenge. We had no problem installing the Pro Trek app on our iPhone X and pairing the B50, but then we got the privacy agreement where you're warned that profile data (height, weight, sex, birthday, time zone, system settings, serial number, etc.) may be shared. It also informs you that location data is shared with Adobe, app usage data with Google and unspecified data with Amazon. You're allowed to opt out of some of this, but even then it's not entirely clear what you're sharing and what you're not. Once installed, all the supposedly customizable watch settings - display units, etc. - were grayed out for us, so we couldn't change them in the app after setting them once. The step counter shows steps and calories, but neither is particularly accurate or - and we realize this is a larger issue with the whole idea of step counting and calorie estimates of activity - all that useful.

The route logging using the phone's GPS and mapping display is potentially the most useful feature, but we found that to be buggy as well. Sometimes it captured waypoints and sometimes it didn't, and often it terminated a route shortly after we started for reasons that are not entirely clear. So the three functions the app provides - step/calorie tracking, route logging and watch settings - were all buggy to a degree that they were more frustrating than useful to us. But here's the thing about the Pro Trek PRT-B50: if you totally ignore the app, and diligently RTFM to learn the display modes, features and functions, the B50 is one of the best values in ABC watches on the market. You get bombproof Casio reliability in a proven design with just about every feature you can imagine, at a price that beats the competition like a drum. If you want a full-on connected smart watch or a combat-ready trust your life to it showpiece, look elsewhere. But if you want 90 percent of all that stuff at a price that can't be beat, and in a package that rides large but light on your wrist, check out the Pro Trek PRT-B50.

$220.00 at Casio

Brazos Backpacker Walking Stick

As the saying goes, four legs is better than two, especially for tough terrain. Trekking poles make us all into four-legged animals, which is great, but a good old-fashioned walking stick can be a boon companion on the trail as well. Three legs is still 50% better than two by our math, so when you're ready for something different than the high-tech trekking poles you see everywhere, you'll want to check out a tool that provokes a much more primeval and satisfying feeling, courtesy of Brazos Walking Sticks.

Brazos Walking Sticks makes a breathtaking variety of canes and walking sticks. We tried their twisted oak Backpacker model and it's as gorgeous as it is useful. Available in 48, 55 and 58 inch lengths, and in aromatic cedar (straight or twisted), hickory and oak in a few different stains, we went with the 48" oak model as appropriately sized for the smaller members of our family.

We upgraded with the Brazos brass spike tip, a truly useful accessory here in Alaska with icy conditions half the year. It also crossed our minds that a spike tip had applications beyond traction, and while it might not deter a moose or bear it would certainly provide a means of self-defense for anything smaller. The spike comes with a rubber tip for more general use. Walking with the Backpacker is as natural as you would expect. The weight is perfect, solid but not too heavy, and the leather wrist strap provides extra support if you need it. The cross section of the Backpacker is oval, which makes for a great feel in the hand as well as preventing it from rolling if you set it down or lean it against a rock.

As Teddy Roosevelt said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick. You will go far." If you want that big stick to help you over rough terrain and provide an extra margin of safety in all conditions, all while drawing gazes and appreciative comments for its timeless classy looks, check out the Backpacker and similar models from Brazos Walking Sticks.

From $71.99 at Brazos Walking Sticks

Cozy Noze Face Masks and Neck Warmers

In these pandemic days face masks are everywhere, but what if you wear glasses and the fogging is driving you nuts? Cozy Noze has a solution with a styling range of full-on neck warmers with a clever twist for glasses wearers, now available as face masks too.

Cozy Noze neck warmers are available in a wide range of cool colors and patterns. They have a fleece bridge across the nose, and under that is a bendable strip that allows you to conform it to your face and nose. As you exhale the warm air that would normally fog your glasses gets trapped and dispersed, and your view remains unfogged.

The system works pretty well, especially for low-output activities like just walking around, bird-watching, photography etc. In these times it also serves as a face mask so you're socially compliant. Speaking of face masks, Cozy Noze has those too now, with the same form-fitting design element for fog-free operation. Bonus for the bearded folk: high-volume versions are available to accommodate your facial hair.

From $15.00 at Cozy Noze