GEAR REVIEW SCARPA MESCALITO TRK PLANET GTX BOOT Super tough. Environmentally conscious.  (This review originally featured in Wild #190, Summer 2023)  By Ryan Hansen. There’s a bit to unpack about Scarpa’s new offering in the bushwalking-boot department, the Mescalito TRK Planet GTX, not the least of which is the name (what a mouthful!). But don’t let this bamboozle you; there’s a lot to love about them. And what better place to start than with their most appealing feature: their ‘greenness’. With the Mescalito TRK Planet GTX, Scarpa’s gone all-out in its goal of manufacturing ..read more

 Wild #191 is on sale now I have a big call to make: I think collectively the 2023 issues of Wild had the best imagery of any year in the mag’s 43-year history. That’s right—ever! There were so many amazingly, inspirationally photographed stories that I just don’t think any other year can beat it. But 2024 is starting off similarly strong, kicking off with Wild #191, Autumn (which just went to the printers). For starters, wait ‘til you see this issue’s photo essay on the Kimberley. Photographer Ben Broady was born and bred in the area, and has over the years amassed a collection of scen ..read more

THE NORTH FACE VECTIV ENDURIS 3 Cushioned but responsive. (This review originally featured in Wild #190, Summer 2023)  By Megan Holbeck. Shoe reviews are hard: So much is subjective, from how they fit, to cushioning, to the sole. What you like depends on your feet, the type of trails you run, and where you fit on the trade-off of cushioning versus being able to feel the ground. The other hard thing about reviewing shoes is that you soon forget what others feel like: The new ones quickly feel normal, and you can no longer really compare them. So I decided to wear one old and one ne ..read more

RAB VEIL 2L VEST Light and dry. (This review originally featured in Wild #189, Spring 2023)  By James McCormack. Are you a trail runner who is sweaty? Inflexible? Clumsy? One who needs to shave a few grams? If, sadly, you’re like me, you’ll be answering yes to all of the above. And if that’s the case (and frankly, even if it’s not the case), Rab’s Veil 2L vest, as I’ve discovered in the last three months of heavy use, is a vest that deserves your attention. Let’s start with the sweaty bit, because I’ve found the hydrophobic mono mesh that forms the vest’s chassis to be remarkable. R ..read more

GEAR REVIEW RAB VEIL 2L VEST Light and dry.. (This review originally featured in Wild #189, Spring 2023)  By James McCormack. ARE YOU A TRAIL RUNNER who is sweaty? Inflexible? Clumsy? One who needs to shave a few grams? If, sadly, you’re like me, you’ll be answering yes to all of the above. And if that’s the case (and frankly, even if it’s not the case), Rab’s Veil 2L vest, as I’ve discov- ered in the last three months of heavy use, is a vest that deserves your attention. Let’s start with the sweaty bit, because I’ve found the hydro- phobic mono mesh that forms the vest’s chassis to ..read more

Himalayan guides can be tremendous assets in the hills, but swapping mountain solitude for so-called safety is a dubious trade NEPAL ENDS A GOLDEN AGE OF TREKKING No-one disputes Nepal’s right to regulate its trekking industry, but that doesn’t mean serious concerns can’t be raised about the mindset and methods involved. Words:  Catherine Lawson Photography: David Bristol (This story originally featured in Wild #189, Spring 2023) When Nepal banned independent trekking on April 1st this year, lovers of solitude and snowy, mountain-teahouse treks were left reeling. Introduce ..read more

GORDONVALE RESERVE 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of this special reserve by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Words: Jane Rawson Image: Rob Blakers (This story originally featured in Wild #189, Spring 2023) The walk to Lake Rhona is one of Tasmania’s iconic hikes. Long a trail known only by word-of-mouth, this eight-hour one-way walk to a glorious alpine lake reminiscent of Pedder has recently become more prominent thanks to social media. But while more hikers are setting out to see Rhona’s quartzite shores, not many of them know their track passes through ..read more

SOLO (WO)MAN What are the joys and pitfalls for women venturing out into the bush on their own? Tracey Hawke sets off to find out. Words & Photography: Tracey Hawke (This story originally featured in Wild #189, Spring 2023) My first multiday solo hike happened due to a COVID- 19 related tantrum. The lockdown of a neighbouring area left me without work for a week, and without a playmate, so I made a snap decision to go for a six-day hike in Central Queensland, a place with few people and limited mobile phone coverage. Four hours into my eight-hour drive to the middle of now ..read more

Logging in Tamban State Forest within the proposed boundary of the national park. Credit: Victoria Jack GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK Pilfered as it’s planned: the rush to log a proposed national park in NSW.   Words: Meg Bauer, Wilderness Society (This piece originally appeared in our Green Pages of Wild #190, Summer 2023)   The NSW government promised a park to save koalas from extinction, but won’t stop logging it in the meantime. Every year in NSW, around 14,000ha of native forest — home to an astounding array of globally unique plants and animals — is torn apart by logging. This ..read more

GEAR REVIEW SUUNTO VERTICAL SOLAR CANYON GPS WATCH The best battery life and GPS on offer. (This review originally featured in Wild #190, Summer 2023)  By James McCormack.   I t’s funny how things change. For most of my life, getting outdoors meant I eschewed technology entirely. Wasn’t adventure meant to be an escape from gadgetry? From electronics? From the world out there? Slowly, however, my attitude has evolved, although it took a recent event to comprehend how fully that change has been. I was in the Victorian High Country, when my GPS watch, a high-end Garmin Fenix 7, was ..read more