Hello everyone! By now I think you have gathered that we love to hike and talk about gear, so when REI reached out and asked us to put some gear to the test, it felt like a match made in heaven! We decided to make a real adventure out of it! Though this video and blog post were made in partnership with REI, the opinions are entirely our own.

Here are the results! After you watch the video if you want any more information about the hike or the gear, keep scrolling, because we got all the details!

Death Valley National Park is famous for being the home of the lowest point in North America, Bad Water Basin, which is 282 ft below sea level. Every time we’ve come to the park we’ve focused on the geographical low points, but never on the high peaks that are often covered in snow. The reason we chose to hike Telescope Peak is because it’s the highest peak in Death Valley. The contrast from Bad Water Basin to the summit of Telescope Peak is incredible.

On the climb up you quickly start to get views of the arid valley below. At roughly three miles you come to a saddle that gives you views into Panamint Valley to the west. In the last mile and a half to the summit, the trail takes you through old growth Limber Pines and Bristlecone Pines (which are some of the oldest living organisms on earth). The Bristlecone can live to be 5,000 years old and then stand for an additional 2,000 years after it dies. The summit gives clear views for 100 miles in all directions on a clear day. 

Being that this hike has a pretty substantial elevation gain be sure to give yourself plenty of time for breaks on the way up. A 4x4 vehicle is also recommended for getting to the trailhead.

Telescope Peak stats:

Location: Death Valley National Park, CA

Total Distance: 12.68 Miles

Ascent: 3264 ft

Highest Elevation: 11,049 ft

Time on Trail: 5hrs 54mins

Trail information: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/telescope-peak-trail

Now… Let’s dive into one of my favorite subjects! GEAR!

Smartwool Shadow Pine Crew Sweater

(Provided by REI)

The Good:

• Made of wool making it warm, functional, and a renewable fiber

• The texturing on the arms has helped it keep its shape

• Nice to have a casual sweater for days we spend in town

• Not as bulky as a conventional wool sweater

• I like how long it is, looks great both tucked in and at its full length

The Bad:

• I’m struggling to find anything I don't love about it. Seriously.

Patagonia Better Sweater Quarter-Zip Fleece

(Provided by REI)

The good: 

• Comfortable, warm, and functional… are we seeing a theme here?!

• Made of recycled material and dyed with a low impact process

• Great for outdoor to in-town activities

• Knit construction makes it warm yet breathable when you’re working up a sweat

• High collar keeps the neck warm

• Arm pocket convenient for carrying small items such as chapstick, your id, or a few bucks

• Fitted, making it comfortable to buckle a pack around your waist

The Bad:

• Because it’s more fitted sometimes it pulls my shirt off that I have on underneath when I take the sweater off, but that’s about it

Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Pattern Crew Socks

(Provided by REI)

The Good:

• Love the mid-shin height to protect from sharp plants and poison ivy 

• I only like to hike in wool socks because they stay warm even if they get wet

• Great casual socks with a cool design

• Crazy soft and nicely fitted

The Bad:

• They start to stretch out on longer hikes and slide around in my shoe, which can lead to blisters

• The lighter colorway has been difficult to wash out stains

Alite Monarch Butterfly Chair

(Provided by REI - the new ones)

The Good:

• Super compact and easy to travel with

• Long time favorite travel/camp chair

• Very comfortable to sit in 

• New updated design is so much stronger than the previous connection joints

• They are durable and last a long time. Our last set is over 8 years old

• Lifetime warranty

The Bad:

• Being that the chairs only rest on two points of contact with the ground, if the ground is soft or sandy you will sink in for a while before they get settled

BearVault BV500 Food Container

(Provided by REI)

The Good:

• Higher capacity than other bear cans of a similar size on the market. The 11.5 liter capacity can hold 7 days worth of food, when the competitor can only hold 5 days worth of food

• Lighter: 2 lbs. 9 oz. vs the 2 lbs. 12 oz. that the Garcia Bear-Resistant Container weighs. Which is what we carried on the JMT

• The textured ridges on the outside of the can allow you to strap the can to the outside of your pack more securely than other options on the market 

• Makes for a great seat at camp

• Doesn’t require a tool of any kind to open it

• Clear construction allows for you to see what you’re looking for without having to dump out the contents to find it

The Bad: 

• Being that they are slick on the outside, sometimes it can be hard to hold onto it enough to open it

We’ve been REI members for as long as we can remember. We love that we always feel confident in our purchases and that every piece of gear allows you to go out there and make a memory. They also happen to be having the biggest sale of the season, so you can Gear up and Get Out!

One last thing that I want to mention, and this isn’t something that anyone asked us to talk about, but it’s near and dear to our hearts. This year on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, REI is urging people to spend their time outside rather than shopping. But while you’re outside, spend some time cleaning up whatever space you find yourself in! If you are wanting to be apart of an organized clean up, REI is teaming up with different organizations all over the US. Though we personally don’t know where we’ll be this Black Friday, we too will be out picking up trash so we can leave it cleaner than we found it. For more details about the #Optoutside and Opt To Act initiatives head to the link below. There you can also find the full list of organized cleanups!

From the bottom of our hearts we want to express our real gratitude for REI, the communities they have fostered, and the real change they support in the outdoor industry. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with a company that we love so much. - Love MAK & Owen

NOTE: Some of the links provided in this blog post are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing some of these pieces of gear we get a very small portion of the sales. Thank you as always for supporting us and our life on the road, it gives us the opportunity to share so extensively with you all!