Author: Brandon Chase

Brandon Chase is a writer, endurance athlete, and guide based in Maine. He is a former Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State and spent nearly a decade overseas serving at embassies in Egypt, Cyprus, and Pakistan. Along with a 98-day thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, he has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked the West Highland Way, fastpacked in the Himalayas, and trekked around New Zealand and South Africa. He also regularly competes in ultramarathons at the 50k, 50-mile, and 100-mile distances.

November 27, 2021 Brandon Chase

Sale Alert! Enlightened Equipment up to 20% Off

It isn’t often that ultralight cottage gear companies have sales, but this year Enlightened Equipment is bucking the trend by

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November 10, 2021 Brandon Chase

Gear Preview: Sea To Summit Spark Sp III Sleeping Bag

ver since discovering backpacking quilts, which offer many of the same benefits as sleeping bags but are both lighter and

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November 3, 2021 Brandon Chase

The Best Sunglasses for Fall Running

Fall is my favorite time to be outside in Maine – the temperatures are warm during the day, the leaves

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August 5, 2021 Brandon Chase

Wildfires, Reroutes, and Records: The Future of PCT FKTs

This article first appeared on TheTrek. On July 22, 2021, activist and ultrarunner Timothy Olson reached the northern terminus of

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July 21, 2021 Brandon Chase

Gear for an Outdoor Summer in 2021

Summer is officially in full swing, and I’ve been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time outside this

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June 18, 2021 Brandon Chase

Losing Light: Joe McConaughy’s Long Trail FKT Documentary

This article first appeared on TheTrek. On June 10, 2020, in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Joe “Stringbean”

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November 24, 2020 Brandon Chase

Gear Review: Merrell MQM Flex 2 GTX

This article first appeared on TheTrek. Merrell is no stranger to the outdoors, having produced highly-acclaimed hiking shoes and boots

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August 1, 2020 Brandon Chase

Gear Review: Leatherman Signal and Free T4

This article first appeared on TheTrek. Leatherman multi-tools are widely regarded as some of the highest-quality and best-value appliances on

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May 8, 2020 Brandon Chase

Coaching With Joe McConaughy: 1.5 Years Later

Over a year ago, I wrote an post explaining Why I Hired a Running Coach. In it, I outline my

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May 1, 2020 Brandon Chase

Gear Review: Somewear Global Hotspot

This article first appeared on TheTrek. UPDATE 3/25/2021: Somewear has dropped the price of its Global Hotspot from $350 to

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