by Alicia MacLeay
XterroBrando and the family on a hike in Arizona
Meet XterroBrando, the Trailspace community member who wrote our 20,000th review this week (it was for a four-star spork).
So, who is grand winner XterroBrando? He's Brandon, a trail runner from Temecula, Calif., who lives just one mile from trails that lead to the Agua Tibia Wilderness.
Here's a little more about Brandon, in his own words.
Activities: I love trail running, and have participated in the Xterra Pro-West all-terrain triathlon.
(He also hikes, backpacks, skis, snowshoes, and climbs; check out his profile and photos.)
Favorite Trails: My favorite trails are the Pacific Crest Trail (only explored a very small portion of it to date — hoping that will change), Long Canyon near Sedona, Ariz., and the North Fork Quinalt River Trail up to Mount Olympus in Olympic National Park.
Favorite Gear: Being a simple man inspired by food, it would surprise no one to know that two of my favorite pieces of gear are my Primus EtaPower EF stove and my Guyot MicroBits utensil set. Both are models of efficiency in their classes and show some creative thinking. They just work so well. I try to write a review for every piece of gear I own. When I hit 100 reviews (94 and counting) I think I'll retire ;)
(We're pretty sure he's joking about retirement. For those keeping count, Brandon has about twice as many reviews as any other top contributor, so we shouldn't be surprised that he wrote number 20,000.)
Ultimate Outdoor Fantasy: My ultimate outdoor fantasy would be to do the PCT while hiking, cross-country skiing/touring, snowshoeing, and mountain biking. Unfortunately the MTB part will never happen, which I understand completely. That's why it's a fantasy :)
More About Me: Outside of outdoor endeavors, I enjoy playing classical piano and playing Just Dance on the Wii with my wife and kids! I'm so excited to win, and obviously will have to write "killer reviews" of whatever prizes come my way.
Brandon's gear loot
For his milestone review, Brandon will receive:
-
eight different Nikwax cleaning and maintenance products to keep his gear in top shape,
- a Primus ExpressSpider stove,
- a CamelBak Groove bottle with carbon filter,
- eight different Clif bars for his trail runs,
- seven different Leave No Trace awareness hangtags,
- Trailspace hats and stickers,
- and a $50 gift certificate to REI to buy more gear for his adventures.
Congratulations, Brandon!
Thanks to Nikwax, Primus, CamelBak, Clif, and Leave No Trace for donating the prizes.
