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Great question! These are some heavy duty spikes and would do great on hard packed ice, regardless of where that might be. I know that in more urban areas I’ve seen people use coils such as Yak Trak to provide extra traction. I once busted my ankle on a job on some ice because I wasn’t wearing my traction, so I can relate. Enjoy that vacation

Several of the Spot models does and definately my Spot 400 if you want them to. Long pressing mode button will turn it on in red mode. You turn it off normally and since it remembers the mode you can turn it on normally after this and it stays in red mode. If you switch to white mode you'll have to redo the long press of course.

Right on Dog6288! I absolutely love that area. Happy trails

Agreed. Especially when it gets cold, I’m totally worried I’m going to snap that backing right off. Good call out

Hey! That’s an interesting question, and I’m not really sure. I’m in Arizona so we both don’t get a lot of rain and the relative humidity is very low, so I haven’t had any noticeable condensation in this headlamp. I could see how a little bit of moisture could get trapped inside if you are in a more humid area, likely from the area around the clear covering. Then when the temps drop it condenses inside. I’d say if its not affecting the lights performance, it’s probably ok. If it is affecting the performance, I might suggest reaching out to Black Diamond about the issue. Thanks for asking!

@@steamboatadrift4225 yep, I’m in California halfway between Sacramento and Tahoe. Thing is the distance 1500 is IPX7 so it’s waterproof so I’m guessing it’s humidity trapped inside during the manufacturing process. I don’t think I could get the humidity out even putting it in a bag with rice so like you said as long as it doesn’t affect the performance it should be fine.

Great questions. While I am not an authorized expert on BD products, here is the best I can gather: 1: The internal Li-Ion battery should be able to charge from a power bank as the cable is a USB type plug to the power source. Most rechargeable devices I’ve used for hiking, backcountry, etc are Li-ion and have no problem charging. Do keep in mind that the rechargeable battery does need to sit in its own caching/docking station, which adds one more electronic complement to keep track of. 2: I can’t speak to NiMH rechargeable batteries. The product instructions suggest alkaline, lithium or the rechargeable bank, as mentioned in (1). It certainly cautions against mixing battery types. Overall, if you’re unlike I am and have hundreds of AAA batteries around, it would probably be work to the extra $15 to upgrade to the rechargeable version, so as not to worry about the batter situation. Thanks for asking and happy hiking

@@steamboatadrift4225 thanks for the reply 👍

I have this lamp, I can only answer your first question. It can be charged from a power bank!

@@ism1759 I ended up buying one and tested it charges 👍

This is my absolute fav headlamp. I run it exclusively on rechargable 900mAh AAA:s from Ikea (the white ones are supposedly rebranded Eneloop) which has been great.

Keeping it choppy!

Agreed. After answering questions about battery types, use and other options, I agree the rechargeable version is the way to go. Still very happy with this headlamp for now until its time to add another one.

@@steamboatadrift4225 no I mean the current rechargeable model is micro usb and needs to be usb c. I’d get the one that takes batteries until they switch.

@@Buckeyes216Thanks for the info. It's 2023. USB-C should be a standard now.

@@vphamm1i know right.. I actually emailed BD about it. they said their next models will be usb c and have new models that already are. neither appealed to me so will have to wait for spot/storm update.

Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed! Happy hiking

Very nice! Thanks for that info. Happy hiking

That’s hilarious, I’m flattered. Somewhere in the ballpark lol 🎂

That’s a great recommendation! I’ve totally caused small holes in the side pockets going pointy side down. Thanks!!

Great information and suggestions! Always nice to have supplies ready on hand when making town stops. Thanks!

Genius right there. I’ll take two please. Happy hiking

Very nice choice. I think that will serve you well as an alternative to sunscreen. Have a great trip in the Alps.

Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed. Hope you enjoy the pack of you decide to get one for yourself.

Thanks for the comment about those shoulder clips! Also great observation about the coverage on the back and helping to mitigate that uncomfortable back feeling

Excellent advice! I’ve used tech sprays/washes for other items but I’ll keep it in mind for my rain gear. I usually have lay it safe and hang dry bc I get worried things will melt to themselves or weaken seams. Happy hiking!

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Dang! That sounds super uncomfortable. Hope you’ve found a pack that works better for you!

Great question. While I’m not familiar with the 350, I think either would probably be great choices depending on your needs. When running at night, I almost never have the 400 on full brightness. But I do like a little more light output while night hiking under darker conditions. Being that I live in Arizona, there is very little overhead cover that would ‘black out’ conditions in the back country. However, my time in Washington State was much darker under the canopy and I may have preferred a little more light to stay comfortable. Like I said, either is probably a great investment. Happy hiking!

Hey Sofia, be careful - the Spot 350 is a completely different animal. The 400 shown here is compatible with Black Diamond's BD 1500 rechargeable battery pack, if that's something that tickles your fancy. The latest version of the Spot 350 (which has actually been discontinued by BD) is not. If you don't care about rechargeable batteries, the Spot 350 is a great lamp. If you do want rechargeable (and less expensive), I would recommend the ReVolt 350 (also discontinued, but easy enough to find). It includes a rechargeable battery in the box, and even has a charging port on the lamp itself instead of an external charger, while still accepting AAA batteries as a backup. Just be aware that it's less waterproof (IPX4 vs IPX8), and it uses the older BD 1800 battery pack vs the BD 1500. It can also be tricky to find the right version; before discontinuing the ReVolt, they had updated the design twice without changing the name - just make sure it comes with the BD 1800 for the newest/best one. Both are great choices - do you want a rechargeable battery (ReVolt 350), or better waterproofing (Spot 350)? The Spot 400 gives you both, though the battery is sold separately. Happy trails!

Question 1. Don't those Annies mac and cheese require milk? Do you use creamer or something? Question 2. is it possible to ship fuel cannisters? ...and how?

Hey thanks for the comment and glad you found this helpful. 1. With Mac and cheese I just add water. While it does taste better with butter and milk, leaving a small amount of water in the pot to mix it with does just fine. I have carried powered milk at times and have added a little bit of this too. 2. Fuel canisters CANNOT be shipped with priority mail. You may be able to send these via Ground, but the rules are a little weird. More often than not, cans are easy to come by in trail towns and other stops

Thanks, glad you enjoy. Excellent question about the shoes. Those are Crocs Men’s Swift water sandals. I usually use these as my camp shoe as well. Happy hiking

@@steamboatadrift4225 Thanks so much. 🙂

Well, it’s held together thus far. Gives good light in both white/red modes. But the one thing that has been tricky, is ‘locking’ the light so it won’t inadvertently turn on in my pack. Other than that, pretty solid

@@steamboatadrift4225 someone suggested switching one batteries polarity while stored in packs. Makes sense. Happy new year

“Power tap” is a button on the side of your lamp that allows you to quickly switch between the spot and flood light function so you don’t have to cycle the top buttons. I’s a “quick tap” feature.

Thanks for the comment. Spent a couple years in Jacksonville and know how muggy it can be and hard to find rain gear. Hope you enjoy the umbrella and happy hiking!!

Hey, thanks for watching!

Thanks Doggorunning!

Heck yes! That’s a great hack right there. Thanks for sharing that. Happy hiking.

Thanks for the comment! I absolutely loved the woods on the north shore and can’t wait to get back.

Hey there! Hope y’all are enjoying your time in a Arkansas! I hear it’s a real treat. Thanks for watching! Stay safe, have fun!

Thanks! Only had a week but it was great to visit Minnesota! Highly recommend.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed!

Thank you! I was such a treat to be out in Minnesota for the start of fall.

Right on! Sometimes I think about your time schedule for finishing the CT. Like how the hell he do that? Stay classy!

@@steamboatadrift4225 haha yeah, 3 weeks was too fast.

For sure! Thanks for watching and for the comment.

Thanks for watching and for the comment. I’m on my second Southwest pack and still love it! Happy hiking.

Thanks for the comment. As you could tell, I really like both these packs. I’m now on my second Hyperlite SW if that says anything. If you can spend the extra money, it’s a good investment. But love ULA too! Happy hiking!

@@steamboatadrift4225 thank you so much! I had seen a lot of good reviews on the ULA but you really showed the Hyperlite for what it can do. Also, thanks for actually putting these bags through their paces too! Awesome.

Hi DGP! I have heard of Toastmasters, although I haven’t participated in any of their workshops. I’ve had a couple other people bring this to my attention and it’s something I’m working on. Awareness is key to making improvements both when filming and also when I get to public speak on a weekly basis in my professional life. Nonetheless, glad you still found value here in your consideration of the umbrella. Happy hiking!

Thanks Todd for watching and for the comment! Glad you found this useful!

Right on. That’s a track I put together. Glad it wasn’t too distracting. Happy hiking.

Thanks for watching. Aside from putting the bag in first, it’s a choose your own adventure I guess. I see charts on how best to organize gear but the infographics never seem to translate to reality. Happy hiking!