As guidebook authors logging up to 1,000 miles each summer, we began using Leki trekking poles way back when poles were a rarity on North American trails. Having never seen poles, other hikers frequently commented on them. Each assumed his quip was oh so witty. But it was almost verbatim what everyone else said: “Hey, you forgot your skis!” We tolerated this tedious sarcasm for years. But eventually the fatuous comments slowly decreased, while the number of other hikers using poles increased. It was as if we were observing the evolution of the hiker, from cretinous bipeds to astute quadrupeds. What a relief. We could stop wincing. And our faith in the intelligence of our fellow hikers was gradually restored. So thank you, Leki, for refining trekking poles into precision instruments and for popularizing them. You’ve made hiking easier, safer, and more enjoyable for all of us. And you’ve saved some poor fool—the guy who would have said “Hey, you forgot your skis!” once more than we could endure—from getting whacked with a trekking pole.

Beeline for treeline, Tararua Range, New Zealand

Because we publish hiking guidebooks, whenever we enter an outdoor gear shop we notice if it carries guidebooks. If it does, we always take a few minutes to examine how the books are merchandised. We just visited Yeti, an outdoor gear shop in Montreal, Quebec. Yeti carries few guidebooks and displays them behind the sales counter where customers cannot reach them. Our intention here is not to criticize Yeti in particular. It’s an otherwise well-stocked gear shop. The salesperson we spoke with (regarding waterproof gloves) was knowledgeable and helpful. Our point is that how Yeti handles guidebooks is typical of nearly every outdoor shop we’ve ever visited. They seem to believe guidebooks are peripheral to their business and of scant interest to customers. With the exception of MEC*, the big chain stores are no different. For example, every REI store we’ve visited in the U.S. has only a small, token bookshelf virtually hidden where customer traffic is minimal. This is a mistake. Outdoor gear shops are overlooking the fact that hiking guidebooks ARE gear. Guidebooks are essential to hikers’ enjoyment and safety. Besides, guidebooks drive experience. Experience then drives interest in gear. If outdoor shops recognized this truth and acted on it by stocking more guidebooks and merchandising them more effectively, they’d boost clothing and equipment sales. (Case in point: us. We took interest in Yeti’s extensive selection of gloves because of our experiences hiking with wet, cold hands.) Outdoor gear shops, wake up! You’re ignoring a significant revenue stream. You’re failing to serve an important customer need. And you’re falling short of what must have been your original goal: help more people enjoy the outdoors.

*Mountain Equipment Co-op stores in Canada do a superior job of stocking and merchandising hiking guidebooks. Way to go MEC!

Spending about four months a year hiking in all kinds of conditions, all over the world, means we thoroughly test our hiking boots. So far, we both agree that one brand is superior: Asolo. Boots that are light weight yet have a stiff shank are rare. But we find these qualities essential for long days in rugged backcountry. And many models of Asolo boots are precisely that: light yet stiff. (Here’s the critical test. Hold a boot with the heel in one hand, the toe in the other. If you can bend it easily, it’s too flexible, and your feet will tire quickly.) In particular, we’ve found the Asolo Voyager (pictured here) to be one of our all-time favourites. They’re light (2.5 lbs per pair), extremely stiff, and have a moderately high shaft (5 inches). A Gore-Tex XCR membrane keeps them reasonably water repellent. (No boot, regardless what the manufacturer claims, is truly waterproof.) And the Voyagers’ construction and materials tolerate a beating. We’ve purchased several pairs. If you can’t find Voyagers, consider other Asolo models. We’re confident they’ll serve you well.

Asolo Voyager