Gear We Love Summer 2022

Writing about gear we love has been a staple of the TWR since we started up in 2017. We’ve been doing so in three main ways: (1) writing detailed reviews of products we use regularly, (2) assembling recommended gear lists for activities we do all the time, (3) and writing seasonal-themed recaps of gear we love that’s made a difference in our outdoor recreation over the past few months, like this one from 2021. 

In the past few TWR pieces, we’ve returned to this latter theme, with Doug, Tim, and Gen writing separately about gear they loved for Summer 2022. Doug wrote about his new favorite running short (the Black Diamond Sprint Short), Tim wrote about his gravel grinder, and Gen dished on how much she loves two pairs of Nike running shoes. To round things out, here are Mickey and Scott’s Summer 2022 favs. 

Mickey: In my old age, I’ve started to realize that I need more cushion and stiffness in my trail runners. So where I once loved trail runners that allowed me to “feel” the terrain, now I need a shoe that lets me hammer over rocky sections while feeling like I am running on clouds. The La Sportiva Lycan II Mountain Running Shoe totally fits the bill. 

The Lycan II has a decent amount of foam between me and the ground (4 mm of LaSpev cushioning, with a 6 mm heal-to-toe drop for you sneaker nerds out there), but it is not so much that it makes me feel unbalanced or too high in the shoe. It also has a wider toe box, which helps a lot with control on slick terrain or when things start to move a little too quickly while trail running. 

And the sneaky awesome part of this shoe (which I totally wasn’t expecting) is how firm the grip and how well the traction is holding up with regular use. 

For all these reasons, the Lycan II is my favorite piece of footwear that I’ve purchased in a long time. I like it so much that I even convinced the girlfriend to get a pair. Check them out for yourself and see what I mean. 

Scott: Easy communication is critical when venturing into the backcountry. And whether I am hitting a steep slope or venturing up a multi-pitch climb like Henderson Ridge, the Rocky Talkie is my radio of choice. Here are three reasons why. 

First, the Rocky Talkie’s rugged design stands up well to hard use in the mountains where other FRS radios might get damaged. It attaches with a carabiner instead of a belt clip like most other radios. This attachment is much more secure on a harness or pack, and is further enhanced with a secondary lanyard.

 Second, the Rocky Talkie is simple to use. It has 4 buttons, a toggle, and a simple display. When turned on, the radio displays the percentage of the battery remaining and then the channel. Normal FRS radios have many options like privacy codes which you apply to a given channel. The Rocky Talkie takes each of those possible combinations and simply calls them a channel. This simplifies operation in the field, especially with non-tech savvy partners. 

Third, the combination of rugged design and ease of use means I can trust any partner with them. Even Doug. And the Rocky Talkie works so well that I even bring the pair on resort days at Ragged when my group is larger and likely to split up. 

All in all, it’s an awesome backcountry-specific radio that you should check out.