REVIEWER: KARL FORCEY OK, so the APEX Pro has just turned one, and the original APEX is three years old now. Hardly a new release, so why are we reviewing them? Well, firstly because for some reason we here at Trail Run Mag haven’t had a chance to write about the APEX yet. And secondly, it sets the scene for the awesome new release from COROS that I will be reviewing in depth…
SHOE REVIEW: LA SPORTIVA HELIOS III
REVIEW BY KARL FORCEY Someone once advised me that you should never race in a new pair of shoes. Wise words, but to hell with that! My La Sportiva Helios IIIs arrived the day before a night-time 21km race in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, which included the notorious “Dungeon”. It was too good an opportunity not to put these shoes through the wringer! La Sportiva is an Italian brand that started way back in 1928. They originally made hand-crafted wooden…
GEAR REVIEW: RONHILL PIONEER 8L VEST
REVIEWER: LAUREN FORCEY Good value, durable, comfortable and lots of pockets – all things you want in a running vest! The Ronhill Pioneer 8L Vest ticks all these boxes and more. Soft yet robust, this is a versatile pack that will be your go-to for commute runs, day hikes, trail runs and ultras of 50km to 100km. Firstly, I was surprised at how comfortable the overall feel and fit of this vest was. I typically have a lot of…
Shoe Review: Hoka One One Mafate Speed 3
REVIEWER: TEGYN ANGEL I’ll be frank, I’ve never been a fan of maximalist shoes for trail running. I spent years being a Hoka Hater before I ever laced a pair up. With that said, I do try to keep a relatively open mind and avoid letting unwarranted bias colour my experience. It just took me a little while to realise I was being the sort of close-minded, self-important zealot I would otherwise write off. You see, I love mountain running and…
Improved all-rounder
SHOE REVIEW: HOKA ONE ONE TORRENT 2 Written by Tegyn Angel Building on the success of the highly popular Torrent, the Torrent 2 adds several functional and cosmetic improvements without messing with the original “single track allrounder” recipe. That bit hasn’t changed; the Torrent 2 is still a great performer on just about anything off the bitumen, combining the best of other Hoka One One trail models into a lightweight, low-stack (at least, for Hoka), low-drop, responsive hybrid that is…
Review: Razer Black/Lime Socks
I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for socks that keep me cool while I run and prevent rubbing and blisters from forming. While most people seem happy to grab a multi-pack of generic socks, the active among us know that that just doesn’t fly. If you run, hike (or even power walk), then you know you need socks to boost performance and offer protection. Luckily, I found Rockay’s Razer Black/Lime socks. Pros The technical mesh helps control…
Unleashing The Knog Bilby…
Runners, joggers, campers, and adventurers know just how important a high-quality light source is. In an ideal world, that light source would be easy to charge and hands-free. Welcome to Knog Bilby – who have gifted the world with a high-powered head torch which is easy to charge via USB port, lightweight, form-fitting, and waterproof. It doesn’t matter what your adventure is – you can choose it and rest easy knowing it will be lit. It’s always hard to find…
Shoe review: Hoka One One Torrent
Torrent on Trail : TRM Editor Chris Ord trail tests the Hoka One One Torrent Everybody loves a mongrel. But nobody likes marketing bollocks. Which is why, when researching the Hoka One One Torrent, I had a giggle. Check out The Ginger Runner’s review of the Torrent and you’ll notice a bad overdubbing – like a kung fu classic with English voice over – whenever he says (obviously in the original filming) “One One”, it’s been overdubbed to “Ohnay Ohnay”….
Gear preview: Coros Vertix – mountain muncher
For some people, Game of Thrones is an addiction where the next fix of intrigue can’t come soon enough. For others it’s all about – believe it or not – trail gear and the ‘what next’? We find our tech dude, Dr David Lipman, hanging anxiously in front of a screen – not to see the final GOT instalment – but to see what next from his latest obsession, wrist nav tech from Coros. *Disclosure: David is a member of the COROS Global ‘Advocate…
Shoe Review: The North Face Flight RKT
Did I just kick a skunk? Or eat licorice allsorts and throw up on my feet? Or did someone just inject heroin between my toes? Without wanting to glamourise drugs of addiction, it must be the latter because 1. I love animals (so I would never kick one, plus there are no skunks in Australia to kick); 2. I hate licorice allsorts (especially the black and white ones that would have resulted in such a vomitus display); and 3. my…
