The Ruffwear Approach Pack is a day hiking harness for dogs that offers saddlebag storage, a performance fit, and all-day comfort for your four legged friends. In this review, I’m going to cover the build, fit, and performance of the Approach Pack, as well as provide photos and anecdotes from our 3-month review period.
The Sense Ride is a new trail shoe from Salomon that’s being marketed as a “quiver killer”. To put this claim to the test, I brought the Sense Ride along for a two week trip to Iceland as my only footwear option. I’ve also taken the Sense Ride out for a few hikes in my local mountains. I don’t think the Sense Ride will replace ALL of the shoes on my shoe rack anytime soon, but so far they’ve done a great job at tackling a wide range of trails and conditions.
The La Sportiva Bushido is an aggressively built shoe that’s equipped to handle the toughest of trails. The low-volume upper allows for very precise foot placement with zero slop or movement. The 6mm drop midsole is stable and handles very well with a heavy pack. The FriXion Red outsole provides phenomenal traction on a wide variety of surfaces, and although the outsole pattern isn’t the most aggressive, it provides more than adequate grip when things get sloppy.
The Sigma 19mm f/2.8 is an affordable wide angle prime lens that’s available for Sony E-mount cameras and micro 4/3 cameras. I will be reviewing the E-mount version of this lens. In this review, I will cover the build quality, construction, and handling of the Sigma 19mm, as well as provide sample shots from a wide range of exposure settings.
The Salomon Sense Pro Max is a max-cushion trail shoe from Salomon that comes in at 12.8oz (12.5) and has a 6mm drop. With 33mm of midsole stack height in the heel and 27mm in the forefoot, the Sense Pro Max provides a lot of underfoot protection. Unlike the softer max-cushion offerings from Hoka and Altra, the Sense Pro Max feels pretty firm and responsive on the trail.
At around $130, the Neewer 35mm is a tempting alternative to Sony’s $450 35mm offering. The two key features that account for the $300+ price difference is a lack of auto-focus and image stabilization on the Neewer 35mm. The Neewer 35mm is a lens that punches well above it’s weight though, providing impressive build quality, optics, and performance at the $130 price point.
The Sony 16mm f/2.8 is a lens that’s all about compromise. There’s a lot to love about this 3.5oz pancake lens that can turn a Sony mirrorless camera into a pocketable hiking and travel dynamo. At only .8″ in length, only the Sony 20mm comes close as a pancake lens option for a Sony a6000/6300/6500. The best part about the Sony 16mm, is that it only costs $250.
The Horizon RTT is a new trail shoe from Under Armour that’s built to provide cushion, comfort, and protection for long days on the trail. The Horizon RTT comes in at 14.1 oz in a size 12.5 and has a 7mm drop. I’ve been putting the Horizon RTT through their paces this spring and will detail my experiences in this review.
The Akyra is the newest trail running shoe from La Sportiva. With a burly upper, plush 9mm drop midsole, and an aggressive and grippy outsole, there is a lot to love about the Akyra. I wrote a preview post for the Akyra after a few outings with the shoe. Now that I’ve logged a few more outings, I’ll be adding additional thoughts in this full review.
The Adidas Terrex Agravic is a stable and rugged trail shoe that’s made to tackle the gnarliest of adventures.