Greetings Hikers,

There are three updates regarding cottage companies that I thought I would pass along this week.

I am sure that with the OR show taking place the hiking blogosphere is going to be flooded with new gear and such, but as most of my readers know, I like to stay focused on the cottage outdoor gear makers. Continue reading “Cottage Updates: Black Rock Gear, Klymit, ZPacks” →

Greetings Hikers,

A little over 5 months ago I posted an article called Yes-Gear For 2012! in which I detailed some of the gear that I had already bought this year and some of the gear I was thinking about buying.

I figured that with it being just a week or so short of 6 months after that article, this would be a good time to review how my list has gone so far.

As most hikers eventually realize, there is an initial period of your hiking life when it seems all you are doing is buying gear, buying more gear, selling off gear, and than buying new gear in hopes that it will work better. At times it seems I encounter hikers who bought some initial gear when they got into hiking and use it for years without every buying or trying anything else. That has not been me – I have easily bought and sold over $10,000 worth of gear – granted a rather large percentage of that has been for the express purposes of building prototype gear, and paying to have a lot of my custom hand-made gear that simply did not exist before I went through the process of prototype development and eventually seeing at least three of those items now in the market place and being used by hikers around the world, which is really awesome.

But over the last year, my buying of gear has very much started to slow down. Two years ago I went through six different shelters, costing well over $3,000 bucks for them. Thankfully I was able to recoup most of that money when I sold them. I have also slowed down the process of buying backpacks. While not as expensive as shelters, at $150-$200 bucks each, they add up rather fast. And I do not even want to think about how many stoves and pots I have bought, sold and even thrown in the trash some of the truly horrible ones – and of course a few of them have blown up (err: had catastrophic failures) on me, as I have shared on different websites over the last few years.

So back when I posted my Yes-Gear For 2012! article I had hoped that the article would help me slow-down on the buying-gear-addiction that I was having – and thankfully it did. It helped me really stay focused on the gear that I knew that I needed to buy, and give me time to think about some of the gear I had thought about buying, but I was not sure about. It was a quest to end the “oh, now that I have just got to get” whenever I was reading another blogger talk about gear, or watching a youtube video, or keeping up to date on what was being released from OR events.

I have still been testing gear that has been in prototype development, and I have been testing gear for a few guys getting ready to bring products to market, and I have added a couple of new sponsors this year – so the gear is still flowing, but not so much and thankfully, it is not costing me much or anything at all.

 

Yes-Gear Progress:

So, how have I done on my Yes-Gear For 2012! so far? Let us take a look!

Here is the gear that I stated I was planning to buy:

Black Rock Gear Vest — I have bought this and I freaking love it!!

Montbell U.L. Super Spiral Down Hugger #1 — I plan to buy this in the next month or so before the winter season arrives.

Icebreaker Layer 1 and Layer 2 Clothing — I have now purchased three IB items. A t-shirt and two top base layers (120 and 160)

LifeProof iPhone Case — Have not bought this yet. Not sure if I will not or.

Suunto MC-2 Global Compass — Purchased. A truly exceptional compass, far from the lightest compass out there, but it can do double-duty as a signalling device, as a mirror to shave or other medical needs, and much more!

GoLite Race Visor — I decided to go with the ‘Kavu Chillba Hat’ instead for this hiking season – it is heavier but provides the best protection of any hat I have ever used.

Rite in the Rain DuraCopy paper — I have not needed it yet, so have not purchased it yet.

Sealskinz Waterproof Thin Socklet — I actually decided to go with NRS Wetsocks.

ZPacks Heximid Solo w/o Beak w/Netting — I decided against buying this and instead decided to devote myself fully to the Six Moons Design, Skyscape X.

ZPacks Zero, Size Small — I actually decided to go with the Hyperlight Mountain Gear, Stuff Pack. (I will share why in a future article)

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Cuben Stuff Sack Pillow — Have not talked myself into buying this yet. It seems high priced for what it is.

 

Gear I Stated I was Considering Buying:

Here is a list of items I stated I was thinking about buying but I was not sure about.

Numa Optics Prescription Glasses — I have not bought these yet, but got my eye-doctor to fill out the information to send them.

Iridium Extreme Satellite Phone — The hike I was planning on using this for never happened, maybe next year!

Mountain Laurel Designs, Patrol Shelter — Decided to not go with this, as I am trying to give the SMD SX a lot more use!

Kestrel 4500NV Pocket Weather Tracker  — Decided I did not need to spend 400 bucks on this.

BushBuddy Ultra — If my QiWiz FireFly does not work out on my new pot I will probably end up buying this, though at 5.1 ounces, it will be a hard choice.

Evernew 900ml Ti Pot — I just ordered this pot today!! A crazy heavy 6.2 ounce pot and pan. I might not like it, but hopefully I will.

TiGoat The Bug Bivy — I still very much want one of these, but giving the SMD SX a go for its money!

KUIU Skeleton Caper Knife — The guy that makes these knives sent me an email offering to make one for me, I responded back to his email, and never heard back from him. Sigh.

Other Gear I Have Bought:

Not a whole lot, as I indicated above I have been trying to stick to this list of gear.

I have bought a couple of different shoes trying to find something that fits me better. The Inov-8 X-Talon 212 that I have been using for the last few years I have started to have trouble with. My feet continue to get flatter and flatter and I have gone up almost two full sizes in shoes, and I have noticed that the larger these 212’s get, the worse that they provide side protection. Not sure what I am going to do, nothing else I have tried seems to be working as well as the 212’s do, yet provide lateral support.

I have also bought some more carbon fiber stakes, a North Face Windstopper High Point Hat (because I have gotten tired of waiting for Black Rock Gear to make a hat that protects my ears), and I bought (tried and than sold) one of the Gossamer Gear, Murmur Hyperlight Backpack (2012 editions) which end up just being 1000 cubic inches too big for me. I also bought some of the Bonnie’s Balm that Skurka has been pimping lately, as a potential replacement for Hydropel and after using it discovered it to be a total and absolute joke and waste of money. And lastly, I spent another $25 bucks for another year of membership at backpackinglight.com which is still the best backpacking website that exists (the forums are worth the money/support) and I also picked up a Mountain Hardware Way2Cool t-shirt to try (which worked really well, except it has a seam point at the very top of the shoulders, thereby making it totally suck-worthy for hikers with backpacks on their shoulders)

Anyway that about does it for my update on my 2012 hiking gear!!

-Abela

Greetings all,

A few days ago I posted a message explaining I was selling off all of my hiking gear to prepare for a “new adventure” in life.

Since than I have received countless messages from hikers around the world sharing their thanks and stories with me – it has been touching, so thank you to all of you as well.

The messages that I have received from folks I have emailed once, to the folks that I email on a weekly basis, have all been truly heartfelt.

There have also been the handful of typical ‘haters’ out there that I expected and like always they stayed true to form. Not really all that much to say to them (you?) other than if you are so filled with turmoil in your life that you have to trash talk other hikers, than I hope you stay in front of your computer and not out on the trail because the trail does not need people like you out there. Continue reading “The “New Adventure” Explained” →

Hello Everybody,

I felt it was time for me to sit down and share with everybody my 10 favorite pieces of hiking gear that I have used in the 2011 hiking season. This is not going to be an easy list to put together by any means. If I were to be fair about it I think my list would have to be around 15 items. But I did narrow it down to just ten items of what I feel are truly exceptional pieces of hiking gear.

Now I want to note right off the bat that a couple of these items are not necessary defined as “hiking gear”, none the less there are certain items we come across in our search for the perfect pieces of hiking gear that sometimes nice surprises come from outside the hiking industry. Two of the items on my list are such.

I would also like to note that some of these items I have only used for a short period of time. In the constant quest to find better gear we often find ourselves replacing exceptional gear for truly exceptional gear. Likewise some of the items on the list I do not use anymore. But that does not mean that there are not exceptional pieces of hiking gear. In my case it just happens to be that my hiking style has changed beyond the needs of the item(s) and I rarely find myself using them, but they are still at the very top of what is out there, so I personally feel it is the just and right thing to keep them in my list.

The first four items on my list I can put in their exact spots without any thought or hesitation. The remaining six items I feel could be placed in a near parallel line with each other in how amazing I feel they are. None the less I will still list them out from five through ten just to keep my list of ten consistent and organized.

With all that explained, onto my list!

#1 Black Rock Gear Down Hat

Ask anybody that I hike with what my favorite piece of gear is and they will probably tell you the Black Rock Gear hat! Man do I love this thing. Actually, I have two of them. I have the Original (and warmer) and the Hadron (xul level light!) and neither one of them is any better or worse than the other – the Hadron just weighs less and is for the summer and shoulder season (the hadron) and the Original is a bit heavier and is beyond awesome for when it starts getting – and is – cold outside!

The Hadron uses SevenD Fabric and uses 900fp Grey Goose Down and is 30% lighter than the Original. For my review on the Hadron visit here.

The Original uses 20d DWR Coated Ripstop Nylon and uses the same 900fp Grey Goose Down.

My Hadron hits the scale at 18.3 grams for the larger version!

#2: Montbell Dynamo Wind Pants

It should come as no surprise to those that know me that the Montbell Dynamo Wind Pants are at the top of my list. They are a piece of gear – that for me – have gone beyond exceptional and into the truly exceptional category.

These pants are 2.8 ounces of awesomeness! I have used them for two entire hiking seasons, plus the vast majority of the non-hiking season while I have been out and about around town. I never thought I would say that about a pair of pants but there is just something amazing about these pants.

You can read what I had to say about these at backpackinglight.com by visiting here.

#3 ZPacks Zero Cuben Fiber Backpack

Early this year I finally got my BPW down to the XUL level and thus I was able to go out and by myself a ZPacks Zero Cuben Fiber X-Small (1,000 cubic inch) backpack, made with 1.26 oz/sqyd cuben fiber, and designed by the awesome folks at ZPacks.Com, which has supplied around 30% of the gear that I carry (Montbell supplies around 30% of my gear as well, and other companies put together fill in the rest.) For a couple of hiking seasons I have been using a ZPacks CF Blast backpack which hits the scales at the 6 ounce range and is what I use for the winter season and longer hikes when I cannot resupply every four of five days.

The backpack hits my scale at 72.85 grams (2.569 ounces) and that includes a sternum strap, and a Cuben Fiber Shoulder Pouch. Here recently I added a ZPacks Multi-pack in a lighter weight (1.26 oz/sqyd) cuben fiber material so it came it at just under one ounce. It adds another 215 cubic inches (3.5 liters) worth of space to my Zero and helps perform weight off-set from the back.

I was at one point able to load up around twelve pounds worth of gear and supplies into this little backpack – but it was not fun for the first two days of hiking (until my food weight went down.) The ZPacks Zero backpack (in size X-Small) really tends to excels if you can keep your total pack weight at under five pounds. I have used it for every hike I have been on since I bought it. I would not be able to use this in the upcoming winter hiking season as it just does not have enough cubic inches worth of space. I can get all of my winter gear into it but not my food. Of course this is not really designed to be used as a winter hiking pack so lets not knock it for something it is not designed to be doing!

If you are looking for a day-hike pack this is the one to get! If you are at the lower end of the SUL and into the XUL weight levels, this is absolutely the backpack you should be using!

#4 Montbell UL Super Spiral Down Hugger #3

When it comes to staying warm at night I have depended on the Montbell UL Super Spiral Down Huger #3 sleeping bag for two seasons now. It is a thirty degree bag which I have pushed down to the eighteen degree mark while wearing all of my down clothing. I have used it in the summer as a quilt and into the shoulder season as both a quilt and as a bag, and into the winter season it gets all zipped up and has done an excellent job of keeping me warm. Only once have I gotten cold and it was my feet because I did not have a third extra pair of socks with me and the temperature dropped down to around thirty – for the record I suffered frostbite on my toes so they are pretty much always cold. This was my fault not that of the sleeping bag.

I tend to be a bit larger than the vast majority of hikers at 6’1 and 200 pounds (I start myself at 210 at the start of a long hike.) While it is true that more and more guys over 6 feet tall are getting into hiking we are still yet the minority. I am also a side sleeper that tosses and turns a lot! This is the only sleeping bag I have used that provided me the stretch-factor I need as a side-sleeping-tosser. It is a hard thing to be in the hiking world because sleeping bags are just not usually designed for that. Thankfully this bag exists and it has performed its duty well.

#5 Patagonia Capilene 3 Top/Bottoms

Love these things! Patagonia Capilene 3 top/bottoms make my list because they have performed beyond expectation for me! I have had people tell me “Capilene stinks” and think I am some kind of hiker that does not know what he is doing. Fair enough. Perhaps they stunk for that person. But I know of a lot of people that wear these and feel differently – that feel the same way that I do! The Patagonia Capilene material is soft, warm, handles a tremendous amount of abuse and does not stink for me!

I have used the the Patagonia Capilene 3 tops and bottoms for over two hiking seasons (and while at home when I get cold) and they will continue to go with me for a long time I suspect. I have been tempted by other companies to switch (icebreaker approached me a couple months ago, for example) and until I actually get something in my hands that can perform better than the Patagonia Capilene I am sticking with them!

#6 Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 Trekking Poles

Simply the best of the best! I am not going to get into the argument of whether the Gossamer Gear LT4’s are better than Leki. I have yet to use a single pair of Leki poles that can match the Gossamer Gear LT4 hiking poles! Yes people break them. They are carbon fiber after all. If I wanted an indestructible hiking pole I would go with one that was not made of carbon fiber. Just seems like one of those “duh factors” to me. Does that mean I give my poles a bit of extra care than I would perhaps other poles, yes. But in the SUL/XUL world all of our gear is pushing the boundaries and therefore it deserves that extra bit of care and attention! You do not hike as a XUL hiker and not pay close attention to your gear. But enough of that, this is a gear article and not a philosophy of use article!

The Gossamer Gear LT4 hiking poles are considered by most to be the lightest hiking poles on the market. My regular size poles are 3.6 ounces (103 grams) per pole!

#7 ZPacks “Hexamid Solo Tarp”

The ZPacks Hexamid Solo Tarp is a truly exceptional solo tarp for those who do not like the traditional rectangle tarp! One of the major aspects of what makes this tarp so unique is its hexamid shape. This is a tarp shape that is starting to catch on throughout the hiking industry, to some varying degrees.

I have bought and used a lot of tents and tarps over the last few years and this tarp is at the very top of my list. Here recently ZPacks released a slightly taller version which will be really nice to get and try out.

The ZPacks Hexamid Solo Tarp uses .51 oz/sqyd cuben fiber which has thus far proven to be amazing. At 4.2 ounces (with the beak) I dare this is one of the lightest and most solid tarps I have ever used.

You can read my full review of this beyond exceptional solo tarp by going here. You can see my video review of this tarp by going here.

#8 Hyperlite Mountain Gear “ECHO I Ultralight Shelter System”

There has been a lot said about the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo I tent all over the internet! I have been one of those people saying a lot about it. I firmly believe that the HMG Echo Tents are the most bombproof cuben fiber tents on the market! They are not the lightest, they are not the cheapest, they are not the most used. But they are the best engineered, the best for harsh environments, and my go-to tent when I know I am going to be going out in some really bad weather. But even at that, for a hiker looking to invest some serious money into one single tent that can get them through anything, be it summer or hard winters, at 23.7 ounces (1.48 pounds) I firmly believe that you will not find a better tent on the market at this weight range! More and more folks are starting to buy these and talk about them and that is a very good thing.

Without a doubt I think that my reviews on the HMG Echo tents is what really got me started in gaining some respect in the hiking industry. I was willing to be straight forward about something that was wrong with this product while at the same time giving it the highest praise that I could. That one “wrong thing” was not really “wrong” per se, rather it is just the nature of the beast when it comes to gear designed for a specific purpose not meeting the needs expectations of hikers. None the less I have been attributed to the quote “the most bomb proof cuben fiber tarp in the industry”. I have also had news publications use quotes of mine regarding this tent in write-ups that have been done to promote it. I have been honored by all of these facts because I truly do believe that if you want the finest quality cuben fiber tent that is made, the HMG Echo is the only option to consider. Since it was released it has shaken up the industry. The HMG is built not only to the same quality as everybody else, but above and beyond it. I heard one cottage industry business owner make the statement that “HMG is over engineered” – and to be honest I think it is too. But guess what, that is exactly what makes it the best out there! Sure it might weigh more than other cuben fiber tents on the market, sure it might have tie-outs that are over strengthened, yes it ships with guylines that could probably hold an oil liner to a dock, but all of those are what makes the HMG Echo Shelter Systems the finest on the market! The facts are simple folks, if you want a cuben fiber tent that you have to be very concerned about how much you treat it, the HMG is probably too much for you. If you are somebody who just wants to setup a tent and to hell with being gentle with it – yet still want the weight savings of cuben fiber – than the HMG is exactly what you want. I made famous the quote “the most bombproof cuben fiber tent in the industry” for a reason – because it is dead on accurate! From the (yes) over engineering of the design to the high bathtube floor (which is a personal favorite, and the highest bathtub of any inner tent I know of on the market) to the quality of gear used, the HMG Echo Shelter Systems are my go-to when I know I am going to be out in a really nasty storm.

#9 Ecowool Possum & Merino Plain Glove

The Ecowool Possum & Merino Plain Gloves Without a doubt the most unique and beloved gloves I have ever owned. I import them directly from New Zeland as they are very hard – almost impossible – to find here in the USA. They are made from a possum/merino wool mixture and are just amazing. I can stick my hand in a freezing cold river and though the gloves and my hands are soaking wet, somehow, almost as if miraculously, my hands continue to feel warm!

Now I am going to be honest and say I have no idea of the natural wonders at work with this mixture of possum fir and merino wool, but whatever it is it works! Just be careful to keep them away from flames… they sing rather easily. Trust me. lol

#10 ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava

I cannot begin to explain how much I love the ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava. It has saved me from suffering a number of times over the last few hiking seasons. Simply put, this balaclava has a unique ‘ventilator‘ which creates a sort of micro climate within itself, helping to insure that the air that enters your body is significantly warmer than what the actual outside air temperature is. I am not going to get into the science of it all here within this article so I would encourage you to check out their website to learn about it some more.

As a long distance hiker I have found that the balaclava itself is perfect for both hiking in and sleeping in. Where the ventilator has come into use, for me, is at night. A few times I have been out on a hike and the temperatures all of a sudden dropped much lower than I had expected them too, and having the ability to put on the ventilator to help control the cold air while I was trying to sleep greatly helped me to be able to control my core temperature. It might seem like an odd thing for a SUL/XUL hiker (ok, for any hiker) to be taking along with them, but it has proven itself to me to be both a high performance piece of hiking gear and a valuable addition to my survival gear, and for those reasons it has made it into my top-ten gear items for 2011.

In Closing:

Believe me when I say I would love to keep this list going. But I doubt most folks out there would not want to read a “my top 30 hiking gear items” article. I would encourage you to read through my gear lists – I have a winter setup, a shoulder season setup, and a summer setup. Just click on the tabs on the bottom of the gear list page to view each of them.

Allow me to just close with this: please, continue to support the cottage hiking companies as much as you can!!