Ryan Rumpca loves terrible weather. “When the wind is going crazy, and it’s snowing and gross out, and everyone wants to stay inside, that’s when I want to go outside,” says the Duluth, Minnesota–based professional adventure photographer. “I love those rugged, raw moments when you get to experience the full force of the environment.”

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Rumpca’s affinity for questionable conditions is obvious in his art. His photos are full of sailboats navigating icebergs, surfers in full wetsuits trudging through snow, and dogsledders braving the arctic tundra. Rumpca started taking photos in college, using a GoPro to make short videos of dirt bag road trips. He got serious about photography after graduating from college and moving to Duluth, where the access to the great outdoors was right out his back door.

“You have so much flexibility in regards to activities in this town,” Rumpca says about Duluth. “The outdoor activities are endless. You can surf. You can climb. You can mountain bike. If there’s an outdoor sport, there’s a community for it here.”

Gear Patrol Studios

Ryan Rumpca

HOKA’s Kaha 2 Frost GTX was made for the kind of conditions Rumpca seeks out in Duluth and beyond. The brand new hiker has HOKA’s signature plush footbed, but is also a fully waterproof and insulated to maximize warmth. We talked to Rumpca about his passion for photography as well as his obsessive search for gear that works in brutal conditions.

Ryan Rumpca

Q: Do you remember the first great photo you ever took? 

Rumpca: Yeah, one of my first favorite photos was of the Milky Way. I was blown away by the fact that I was able to see something with a camera that I couldn’t pick up with my naked eye. It was like a super power. I remember being absolutely astounded by it. I still like taking pictures of the night sky. 

Q: Do you have a favorite spot for photographing the night sky? 

Rumpca: I like to go a little further north, into the Boundary Waters, which has some of the darkest skies on earth. It’s a place where you can see the northern lights really well. No matter how many times I see them, it’s still amazing. 

Gear Patrol Studios

Gear Patrol Studios

Q: What’s the most challenging shot you’ve ever gotten? 

Rumpca: I was an on-trail videographer for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race last year in Alaska. What that means is you’re on a snowmobile alongside all of the teams for the full length of the race, which is 1,000 miles through Alaska’s tundra. You’re moving when they’re moving and trying to sleep when you can, mirroring the patterns of the mushers who are racing to the town of Gnome. From a photography side, to mirror that, was intense. I slept maybe an hour in the first two days, and it’s negative 40 degrees out at night, and you’re still trying to get the shot. It’s difficult and it’s challenging. But it’s so much fun. 

Q: That sort of situation has to tax your photography equipment. 

Rumpca: It does, but I like the challenge of that weather from a photography standpoint. You have a lot of technical things you need to do right in conditions where it’s not easy to do them right. Keeping your camera dry, keeping yourself warm…all of those different aspects come into play in order to get the shot you want. 

Gear Patrol Studios

Gear Patrol Studios

Gear Patrol Studios

Q: I imagine you have to be particular about the gear you use in those elements. 

Rumpca: Absolutely. I’ve dialed it in over the last couple of years. You have to be able to trust your gear in the cold. You can get by in the summer with lesser gear, but when it’s really cold, you can’t get by with sub-optimal sleeping bags or boots. You have to have your geared dialed in and test it enough that you trust it. 

Q: What do you think of the new HOKA Kaha 2 Frost GTX? 

Rumpca: This is actually my first HOKA experience. The terrain around Duluth is really rocky, and these have handled it beautifully. I like the high ankle and the traction is amazing. They’re beefy, but not super heavy, and while they have a big footprint, they don’t feel overbearing in terms of finesse and foot placement. I’m excited to get these out when the temps drop below freezing. 

HOKA Kaha 2 Frost GTX

Gear Patrol Studios

Just because the weather is questionable, doesn’t mean you have to stay inside. That’s the concept behind HOKA’s new Kaha 2 Frost, a fully-waterproof hiking boot with 400 grams of insulation and a reflective liner, all designed to keep your feet warm in the worst weather. The high-top style adds ankle support in rough terrain, while the Vibram Megagrip outsole offers traction over wet and snowy conditions. The boot is even easy to put on when you’re wearing gloves, thanks to the oversized heel pull tab. 

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HOKA Kaha 2 Frost GTX