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What if you could chew your coffee? Does that sound like a stupid idea? Maybe. Maybe not.
I love coffee and I love the outdoors, so I'm always looking for the best portable coffee for hiking, skiing, and backpacking. I picked up a free sample of Dry Brew at a Spartan Race and decided to give it a try. They call it a cup of coffee in a single bite. One chew has 65mg of caffeine - about the same as a small cup of coffee. The first ingredient is actually coffee, which is a good sign. It's small, portable, fits in your pocket, and doesn't require any equipment. Dry Brew Coffee on Amazon https://amzn.to/4pAWVFL Dry Brew Coffee website https://drybrew.com But would I actually use it? I pull out my old thermos to explain - and tell the story of the time I got hypothermic. Trust me, it's related. What I cover: What Dry Brew coffee is and what's in it Taste test and first impressions When chewable coffee makes sense (and when it doesn't) Why I'll never skip a thermos on a winter outing Timestamps: 0:00 What if you could chew your coffee? 0:22 What is Dry Brew? :01 Ingredients check 1:33 Taste test 2:19 The Lake Placid thermos story 3:28 My honest take—would I use it? 4:21 When would you use chewable coffee? Daylight savings hit and suddenly it's pitch black at 5pm. But I didn't want to give up on my walking habit. Six weeks ago I made a commitment: 25 miles a week. That's about 3 miles on weekdays and 5 on weekends. Before I had a desk job, that would happen by accident. Now I have to be intentional about it.
In this video I share the simple gear that keeps me walking after dark - a rechargeable headlamp with a rear flashing light, a cheap reflective vest, and a 16-pound weighted vest for when I want to turn a walk into a workout. Walking has been helping me clear the stress of the day, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and just feel better overall. Movement and thinking are really good for the brain. What I use: • Rechargeable headlamp with red rear light BioLite 800 Pro • Lightweight reflective vest • 16 lb weighted vest What would you go back to if you could? For me, it was skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail and and skiing down the Sherb (Sherburne trail) in the White Mountains. It's been 25 years. An accident, then life, kids, and career stopped me from taking the trip I originally planned. Now, two kids and 25 years later, I'm heading back with the same old K2 Telemark skis and leather boots. Despite battling the flu ... and some unreasonable fears I join a Women's Intro to Backcountry group run by Inclusive Ski Touring and skin up to Tuckerman Ravine. It's not about the biggest mountain—it's about not settling and finally making good on a challenge to myself. This is what it feels like to finish something 25 years in the making: not dramatic, just satisfying.
I tested five instant coffees for backpacking and camping. After my first backpacking coffee test, you asked me to try these instant coffees: Mount Hagen, Cafe Bustelo Espresso, Trader Joe's Instant Coffee Packets, Nescafé Classic Espresso Original, and Cusa Cold Brew Instant Coffee. I made each coffee with my camp stove in the snow and tested each coffee both black and with creamer.
0:00 Introduction 0:21 The Coffees Being Tested 1:02 Mount Hagen Test 2:43 Trader Joe's Instant Test 4:04 Cusa Test 5:39 Nescafé Test 6:54 Cafe Bustelo Test 10:18 Final Rankings The test: I used my Jetboil, coconut milk powder creamer, and bulletproof creamer (grass-fed butter and MCT oil) for all the tests.The results are NOT scientific; this test is based purely on my own personal taste. Watch Part 1 of my backpacking coffee testing here: • I Tried 5 Coffees for Backpacking, He... Let me know in the comments: Should I do a blind taste test? Want me to test the Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee? Have other instant coffees you want me to try? Did you find this video helpful? (Sometimes making these feels like talking into the void!) Real-world review of the women’s Altra Lone Peak 8 after taking it up Mount Washington, across the Grand Canyon, and through a Spartan Race.
Here's what I found - - I like the wide-toe box - I like the tread for climbing and descending dirt and mud trails - The tread was not super sticky on the wet rocks of Mount Washington - I need more cushioning for running on pavement I describe how the show worked for me in multiple conditions: hiking the Grand Canyon, climbing Mount Washington, hiking Vermont trails, and running on pavement. My son and I had planned to take a hike on Vermont's Long Trail. We started at 4:15am I think this is a vlog But, I had a chance to hang out with two friends. Both were hosts of a podcast I spent eight years producing for Spartan Race, and hang out in the town we lived in for 28 years with two old friends, Joe DeSena, the guy that started Spartan, and Zach Even-Esh from Underground Strength. It meant getting up at four in the morning to get out to Pittsfield by five. Joe and Zach were helping with an intensive wrestling camp. It was pouring rain, but we did one of my favorite hikes and crossed the river. The wrestlers at the camp had to carry each other up the hill. I just had to hike, and we got to this cabin, and I remember when that was just a hole in the side of the hill. And getting footage of this guy, Miguel Medina, who was going to be building a cabin there. In fact, I did a whole video series: "Could Miguel be forged into a Spartan?" The goal is to live in this cabin that's being built in the ravine. My son and I finished the trip down memory lane with a stop at the Swiss market for our favorite sandwiches. Then we headed to the Long Trail. I had big plans for a long hike and a YouTube video all about that section of the trail. I was tired, and I didn't get half of what I had planned done. But I am planning to hike a 23-mile section of the Long Trail next weekend with my two grown sons. Let me know what you want to see from that. It was a perfect day if your idea of a perfect day is getting up at four in the morning to hike in the rain.
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What is this?I switched from outdoor work to a corporate job, and sometimes the desk life feels soul-crushing. This channel is me figuring out how to keep life interesting. Archives
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