Hike New Jersey » Gear Reviews

Quick Review – Mountain Hardware WINDSTOPPER Half Flex Balaclava

Chris Casciano — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:34:53 +0000

It’s been a cold, windy and snowy go of it here in New Jersey this winter. Though I’ve left my real gear monkey tendencies behind years ago, each season it seems I pick up a few new things and one of them really stands out and makes me wonder how I ever did things without it. This winter it was the Mountain Hardware WINDSTOPPER Half Flex Balaclava.

A lightweight neck and face mask great for those winter activities.

One key to keeping warm in the winter is staying dry by regulating temperature and avoiding sweat. I find being able to pair this half balaclava with different weight hats or just rip it off when too warm [instead of wearing "double" hats like rolling a full face balaclava up] goes a long way towards helping regulate things. Whether its for hiking and snowshoeing on the local trails, biking, or going on slow paced photowalk with lots of stops and starts the thin weight windstop fabric keeps the cool and wind off without making my face sweat from my own breath. I’ve used full fleece windstopper balaclavas in the past and they can be just too bulky and overly warm for the 25ºF winter weather we see most of the time in this area. As its made for mountaineering it also works well and doesn’t get in the way of a bike helmet.

This is a “one size fits all” item and I’ve found it fit me well and I think it would be comfortable going up or down the spectrum. Those with small heads may want to find a way to pin or sew a small pleat to get it to fit snugly and stay up.

MSRP for the Half Flex is $30 and it was money well spent. I purchased this in the beginning of the season at Paragon Sports in Manhattan, but check the Mountain Hardware product page for dealer locations. Product photo from the Mountain Hardware site.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Twittering And Upcoming Winter Updates

Chris Casciano — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:21:50 +0000

I’ve got a few articles and updates and reviews in the works for the Hike New Jersey web site — some more park guides as well as reviews of some hiking and trail guides. Winter is approaching, but that doesn’t mean the outdoor activity should stop. There are great spots in the state for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and since most of the season will be snow free you can still go out hiking and trail running. I’ll be posting info on some of my favorite spots. If you have suggestions of a favorite place to spend a wintery weekend in New Jersey let us know in the comments below.

Follow us at @HikeNJ

While the Hike New Jersey web site is intended as a reference site, sprinkled with news and trip reports, I’ve been using @HikeNJ on Twitter is a more active way to pull together news and other info of interest to locals who like to enjoy the parks around the state and the outdoors in general. Aside from my own trip reports, photos and general chattyness there are a few Twitter Lists I’ve started curating:

@HikeNJ/hiking-gear – A collection of outdoor gear retailers and manufacturers like @Campmor, @BlackDiamondUSA & @thenorthface
@HikeNJ/outdoor-organizations – Non-Profits and other trail and park services dedicated to protecting land and the environment like @NatlParkService, @NYNJTrailConf and @nature_org
@HikeNJ/new-jersey-news – General news feeds from up and down the Garden State including updates from @StarLedger, @AsburyParkPress and @HeraldNews

I look forward to hearing from you and keeping a conversation about hiking in this great state going.

REI Opening East Hanover Store

Chris Casciano — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:58:43 +0000

While New Jersey has been blessed with a few great retail stores like Campmor or EMS for many years, this weekend REI is having a grand opening celebration for their 2nd NJ store in East Hanover. As part of the October 9-11th event they’ll be giving away gift certificates, water bottles, t-shirts and other gear.

I’ve been an REI co-op member for a few years now and their prices, customer service, and quality of their in house brand clothing and gear are all top notch, and they also carry some of the top names in clothing and gear like Black Diamond, Mountain Hardware, Patagonia and The North Face. So if you’re looking for a new jacket or fleece for the Fall, you’ve warn out your trail running shoes over the summer, looking for snowshoes or ski equipment, or just like drooling over gear you wish you had a reason to use and you’re in the area it would be worth a visit.

More information on the opening event, door prizes, and directions to the location on RT 10 is available at http://www.rei.com/easthanover. If you’re an REI member check your mail for a recent flyer with a 20% off coupon.