New Tester Bio

Greetings!
 

 Name:  John Roelofs
 Age: 36
 Gender: Male
 Height: 68inches (1.72m)
 Weight: 185 Pounds (84kg)
 Email address: [email protected]
 City, State, Country: Raleigh, NC USA
 Date: 25 September, 2016
 

 Backpacking Background:  I starting backpacking in college in the Appalachians, Got bit by the hiking bug pretty hard, the next decade found me in mountainous terrain all over Eastern United States, then the Sierra Nevadas, Cascades, and Olympics. A military combat officer, I hiked for a living over unforgiving landscapes in various middle eastern vacation destinations, with the addition of firearms and ammunition to the standard hiking kit. My current outdoor motif finds me in the Appalachians, Cascades and environs for 2-10 days at a time, moving between 10 and 25 miles a day depending on weight and terrain. I hike and camp in all seasons and weather conditions, and prefer high-performance lightweight gear that increases autonomy, range, and duration of trips. 
 

 70% of my time is spend in the Raleigh, NC area, 20% in the Seattle, WA area, and 10% in other locations. In the Seattle area, I spend most of my time on technical mountain routes, especially Mt. Rainer. 
 

 I've spent a small fortune on outdoor equipment, and expect a lot out of my gear. I take good care of my equipment, but I expect performance on par with price and reputation. 
 

 I recently acquired a hearty pup that accompanies me on certain backpacking trips. I'm open to testing gear aimed at canines as well.