Steve Mullen (Gearmansteve)

INCENTIVIZED REVIEWER
Reviewer of the Month: August 2016

2,551 reviewer rep
17 forum posts
joined Jul 2, 2016

I am a: 70-year-old backpacker
Location: Kenwood, CA
Occupation: Outdoor gear tester
Website: http://www.Trailspace.com/people/Gearmansteve

Affiliations: I have many relationships with company public relation firms through my participation as a member of the media at the Summer and Winter Outdoor Retailer shows. I also work with my wife Inga Aksamit a writer and blogger.

Activities

Hiking
Backpacking
Snowshoeing
Rock climbing
 Canoeing
Mountain biking
Skiing
Stand Up Paddleboarding

Vitals

Height5'9"
Weight165
Boot/Shoe Size9
Jacket/Shirt Sizemedium
Pant Size33 waist

A life long outdoorsman with over 45 years of hiking and backpacking experience, I spend 40-50 days a winter skiing all over the west and the rest of the year is filled with hiking, backpacking, long distance canoeing, mountain biking and traveling the world. With 5 tents, 5 stoves, several packs and sleeping bags, I am a bit of a gear junky. Retired, I spend a great deal of time volunteering at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, California. I have hiked the JMT, High Sierra trail, numerous parts of the PCT, the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska twice, the Santa Cruz trail in Peru, the Tour of Mont Blanc and paddled over 500 miles on the Yukon River. With my wife, a writer, we have traveled all over Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Latin America, Indonesia, and Canada. I have been photographing outdoor gear for about 10 years and have been reviewing products using the written word  since 2014. My past reviews can be found by searching Steve Mullen or gearmansteve.

Gear Reviews (127)

user rating: 4 of 5 Dickies Tough Max Flex Duck Pants 9/06/2018
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Ecco Terracruise II 8/04/2018
user rating: 3 of 5 Sole Active Medium with Met Pad Footbed 6/08/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Run Gum Energy Gum 5/12/2018
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Craghoppers Woodridge Cagoule 5/07/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Bolle B-Rock 5/07/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Popticals PopGun 4/01/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Muck Boot Arctic Outpost Lace Mid 4/01/2018
user rating: 4.5 of 5 DryGuy Force Dry Shoe & Glove Dryer 3/26/2018
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Mishmi Takin Cayambe Soft Shell Jacket 3/03/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Shwood Canby 3/02/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Cube Set 3/02/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Arcade Nomad Belt 2/24/2018
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Craghoppers Men's Venta Lite II Jacket 2/20/2018
user rating: 3 of 5 Dharma Bars Endurance Bars 2/13/2018
user rating: 5 of 5 Mountain Equipment Citadel Jacket 2/12/2018
user rating: 4 of 5 Toad&Co Cache Cargo Pant 1/03/2018
user rating: 5 of 5 HikerBot 11/13/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Urban Armor Gear Outback Phone Case 11/13/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Toad&Co Ventilair Short Sleeve Shirt 11/10/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Giesswein Vent Lodge Shoe 10/05/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net 9/28/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Dr.Cool Short Sleeve Cooling Shirt 9/28/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Craghoppers NosiLife Prospect Long-Sleeved Shirt 9/21/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 OOFOS OOmg Low Shoe 9/20/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 MPG Elite Seamless T-Shirt 9/20/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Cusa Premium Instant Tea 9/20/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Native Eyewear Eddyline 9/15/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Adidas Terrex Climacool Parley Boat Shoes 9/13/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow 9/10/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Black Rock Gear The Original 9/10/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Granite Gear Men's Crown2 60 9/09/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Motionize SUPerior Paddle Sensor 8/19/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Ecco Exceed Low 8/07/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20oz 7/16/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 ExOfficio Sol Cool Boxer Brief 6/08/2017
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Tepui Expedition Series Gear Bag 5/23/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Hydrapak Shape-Shift 2L 5/10/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Mountain Equipment Ibex Pant 5/08/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 OOFOS OOahh Sport Slide Sandal 5/03/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Dish & DUER Stay Dry Denim Relaxed 4/15/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Timberland Britton Hill Plain-Toe Waterproof Boots 4/02/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Dale of Norway Bykle Masculine Sweater 3/31/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Allett RFID Slim Sport Wallet 3/31/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Chaos CTR Stealth Heater Glove 3/26/2017
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Chaos CTR Adrenaline Combo Skully 3/26/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Seirus Heatwave+ Burst Glove 3/26/2017
user rating: 3 of 5 Seirus Heatwave Sock 3/24/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Shred Slam Cap NoSeason 3/24/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Fox River PrimaHike Socks 3/24/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Zeal Slate Goggles 3/20/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Chaos CTR Glacier Air Protect Glove 3/20/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Opedix KNEE-Tec 2.0 Full Length Tights 3/09/2017
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Clothing Arts Cubed Travel Jacket 2/07/2017
user rating: 5 of 5 Darn Tough Men's Over-the-Calf Light 1/21/2017
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Eddie Bauer Men's IgniteLite Hybrid Vest 1/06/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Sockwell Ski Medium Compression Socks 1/03/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Native Eyewear Treeline 1/02/2017
user rating: 4 of 5 Showers Pass Syncline Jacket 12/24/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 The New Primal Turkey Jerky 12/23/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Thunderbolt Sportswear Mark II Original Jean 12/18/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Toad&Co Aerium Shirtjac 12/17/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Opedix BLADE-Tec 2.0 V-Neck Shirt 12/13/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 MyPakage Pro Series 2-in-1 12/12/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Swix Cyclon Packable Wind Jacket 12/12/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Merrell Men's All Out Crush 12/11/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Sockwell Stabilizer 1/4 Sock 12/09/2016
user rating: 3 of 5 Redd Superfood Energy Bars 12/08/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Darn Tough Men's Vertex Tab No Show Ultra-Light Cushion 12/02/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Pearl Izumi Pursuit 7" Shorts 11/30/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Icebug Insoles FAT Medium 11/29/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Smartwool Men's PhD Outdoor Light Mini Socks 11/28/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Merrell Duskair Moc 11/23/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Muck Boot Muckster II Low 11/21/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Cotopaxi Men's Tikal Active Shell 11/19/2016
user rating: 3 of 5 PROcure Epsom Salt Rub 11/17/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Icebug Men's Zeal RB9X 11/07/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Chamois Butt’r GoStik 10/26/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 EnerPlex Jumpr Slate 5K-L 10/26/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 High Sierra Wheeled Double Adjustable Ski Bag 10/21/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Patagonia Men's R1 Hoody 10/16/2016
user rating: 3 of 5 VIM & VIGR Nylon Compression Socks (20-30 mmHg) 10/15/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Darn Tough Coolmax Vertex Tab No Show Ultra-Light 10/10/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Obermeyer Charger Jacket 10/10/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Wolverine Crossbuck Waterproof LX 10/10/2016
user rating: 3 of 5 Honey Stinger Snack Bar 10/05/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 90L 10/03/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Thule Men's Stir 35L 10/03/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Under Armour Storm Moonraker GORE-TEX Jacket 10/02/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Simple Squares Organic Nutrition Bar 10/01/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Skechers Men's GOtrail Ultra 3 10/01/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Native Eyewear Backbowl 9/30/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Body Glove Dynamo Rapid 9/03/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Honey Stinger Organic Waffle 9/02/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Jetboil CrunchIt 9/02/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Red Paddle Co 11'0" Sport 8/20/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Falcon Guides Backpacker The National Parks Coast to Coast: 100 Best Hikes 8/19/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Avalanche Wear Striker Crew 8/17/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Native Eyewear Hardtop Ultra 8/17/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 The New Primal Beef Sticks 8/16/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Trace 8/15/2016
user rating: 2.5 of 5 EnergyBits and RecoveryBits 8/14/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 OOFOS OOriginal Sport Sandal 8/13/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Chaos Stratus Sombrero 8/12/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Hoka Men's Challenger ATR 8/09/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Leki Instructor Lite SL2 8/07/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Altra Men's Lone Peak 3.0 NeoShell Mid 8/05/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Kora Shola 230 Zip 8/04/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Darn Tough Men's RFL Over-the-Calf Ultra-Light 8/02/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Lawless Jerky 8/02/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Platypus Meta Bottle + Microfilter 8/01/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Pearl Izumi Pursuit Long Sleeve 8/01/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 MyPakage Action Series Boxer Brief 7/29/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 Chaos Summit Pack-it Hat 7/28/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Petzl e+LITE 7/28/2016
user rating: 3 of 5 Adidas Terrex Boost 7/27/2016
user rating: 4.5 of 5 Zeal Cascade 7/26/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Sierra Designs Men's Backcountry Bed 800 3-Season 7/26/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 ExOfficio BugsAway Sandfly Jacket 7/26/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 ExOfficio Mundi Check Shirt 7/25/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Kelty Redwing 50 Reserve 7/25/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Julbo Aero 7/18/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Ahnu Ridgecrest 7/18/2016
user rating: 3.5 of 5 ExOfficio Sol Cool Cryogen Plaid Long-Sleeve Shirt 7/16/2016
user rating: 5 of 5 Tamrac Corona 14 7/10/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 REI Screeline Shirt 7/09/2016
user rating: 4 of 5 Toad&Co Debug Cool Weave Pant 7/05/2016

Forum Posts

Do I really need a climbing helmet for bagging 14rs with class 3 routes? June 22, 2017
Drying Out a Platypus Bottle (or other) September 30, 2017
Trekking Poles: Do you really need them? September 21, 2017
One last snow trip from March May 3, 2017
Congratulations, Sheila, Winner of a Year's Worth of Nikwax November 30, 2016
Daughter's First Vertical Caving Trip November 21, 2016
Bushwacking Trip Planning September 17, 2016
Congratulations, Sebastian, our Hilleberg Tent Winner September 30, 2016
"Chart a Good Course" and Meet Phil, Solo Backpacker, Reviewer of the Month September 10, 2016
Rating or over rating. April 29, 2016
Fancy Dinners at 9,800 Feet July 31, 2016
Rethinking Lightweight BPing July 31, 2016
Luke-warm water? June 13, 2016
Yosemite Campfire regulations July 13, 2016
Two year old mystery solved. May 27, 2016
Backpacking iwith cows July 27, 2016