15 Best Hiking Trails in Norway: Our Top Picks for This Year

by

15 Best Hiking Trails in Norway: Our Top Picks for This Year

We write a lot about jackets, performance fabrics and outdoor gear here on our site.

Jackets that are made to provide the best experience outdoors are our main focus in the selections, reviews and comparisons that we write, but what good is a jacket that will not be put to use?

Hence, now that we have expanded our jacket selections so much, it’s finally time to turn the attention to one of the best activities that you can wear a jacket to, hiking.

Hundreds of thousands of hikers and trekkers take it upon themselves to explore some of the world’s most beautiful hiking trails and they can all vouch to the importance of a good jacket.

You can find numerous of our selections and reviews for jacket recommendations (like this one or this one) that would be the best for your next hiking adventure.

With all this talk about jackets over, let’s now take a look at the best hiking trails you can find in Norway, one of the most impressive countries for those who enjoy nature and the outdoors.

Read more

Merino Wool vs Cashmere: Differences and Comparison

by

Merino Wool vs Cashmere: Differences and Comparison

High quality and expensive clothing come in all shapes and forms. They vary in design, style, colors, embellishments and, ultimately, in the materials they are made from.

Any of us can list a number of fabrics and materials that are well known for their high price tag. Silk, Cashmere and Merino are only some of those that would make the list.

We have yet to look at Silk, but Merino was recently featured in one of our comparisons and Cashmere is part of this one.

Today, per the title, we will take a look at these two popular types of wool, Merino and Cashmere.

We will learn more about their origin, their use and the differences between the two, in the hopes of understanding their purpose better and the reasons why they are expensive.

Read more

Viscose vs Rayon: Are They the Same Material? A Comparison

by

Viscose vs Rayon: Are They the Same Material? A Comparison

Comparing fabrics and materials is now a regular segment on our site, where we look at two different materials and the differences between them. We do this in order to learn more about them and to understand their qualities, their purpose and use.

Our main focus is the use of these materials and fabrics in jackets and how they affect their performance and quality.

So far, Polyester has been the most featured fabric, due to it being the one most commonly used in technical and outdoor garments.

Today we will add another comparison to our ever increasing list, in which we will be looking at Viscose and Rayon.

We picked these two materials to clear some misconceptions about their differences and especially their similarities.

Are Viscose and Rayon the same material?

Let’s find out!

Read more

Merino Wool vs “Regular” Wool: Differences, Warmth, Which One is Better?

by

Merino Wool vs Regular Wool: Differences, Warmth, Which One is Better?

Comparing different types of insulations has now become a regular topic on our site. We have looked at a number of insulators, including renowned synthetic ones, such as PrimaLoft®, as well as natural insulators like Down.

Insulation, however, is not solely limited to fill-form, meaning that it is not only in the form of padding and filling that is used in jackets or sleeping bags. Insulating fabrics have been around for much longer than that.

We have also looked at several insulating materials that are made into fabrics and wool is one of them.

The use of wool dates millennia ago and its manufacturing and processing has evolved alongside humans. Nowadays wool garments come in many varied forms, but their purpose has remained the same despite the times, to provide insulation during winter.

Today we will be looking at two types of wool, which is the renowned Merino wool and the “regular” sheep wool that is most commonly used.

As a disclaimer before we move any further: we are well aware that regular wool is not a thing per se, but we are using that term to refer to sheep wool that is not sourced from Merino sheep.

Our purpose for this comparison is to understand wool better and then try and conclude as to which type of wool would be the best fit to your requirements.

Read more

Pajar vs Canada Goose: Which Brand is Better?

by

Pajar vs Canada Goose: Which Brand is Better?

We are back with another addition to the brand comparison series and this is one that you don’t want to miss.

This time, we are comparing two popular Canadian brands, Pajar and Canada Goose. Pajar is a newcomer in this series, whereas Canada Goose has been extensively featured.

Both brands have been around for decades and are still standing strong by focusing on customer satisfaction.

Let’s see which one would be the right choice for you.

Read more

Marmot EVODry Water-Repelling Technology: Review and Performance

by

Marmot EVODry Water-Repelling Technology: Review and Performance

Being out in the woods is a favorite pastime for many people. Nature does wonders for the mind and body, but sometimes the weather does not really permit for a good time.

Enter waterproof clothing, developed specifically to keep you dry in the worst rain and snow.

These past years, we have tried our best to bring you the top performing waterproof technologies and jackets, so that your time outdoors will be safe and enjoyable, without worrying about what weather has in store for the day.

Fabric technologies have come a really long way and we have included several of them in our selections, reviews and comparisons.

Today, we will take a look at another waterproof technology and learn more about its qualities and how it works.

We chose Marmot’s EVODry waterproof technology for this review.

Let’s get started!

Read more