2012 – Gear in Review – Good, Bad and In-Between

With 2012 over, I wanted to revisit the gear I used and reviewed in 2012 and give you a summary of what I liked, what I didn’t, and any change of opinion on a particular product. Sometimes a few months can shake out the bugs and show us what is REALLY made of.

BEST OF THE BEST

 

Tilley Tec-wool Hat – Gear of the Year This water-resistant wool hat with fold-down ear warmers is both stylish and functional. This is my fall, winter, and spring Tilley. It dresses up well and yet is at home on the roughest trail. It even has a lifetime warranty!

Treksta Assault GTX Hiking Boots – The nestfit design meant no break-in time at all. This is my go-to hiking boot for heavy loads or when I need more ankle support. I like them so much, I bought my wife a pair of Trekstas for next summer. The odd, offset lacing system is no gimmick.

 

Vapur Anti-bottle – This is my go-to water bottle on day hikes and weekend trips. Although late to the soft-bottle market, Vapur made some important improvements: the bottle is more durable than other soft bottles I’ve tried and easier to pour and open. The spout is the best I’ve seen for ease-of-use for soft bottles.

Sea to Summit Ultra Sil View dry sack – This ultralight-weight dry sack is made of durable Cordura fabric and comes with a view port on the side. It is my favourite of the Sea to Summit dry sack line. Nothing beats being able to see what’s in my bag without having to open it up and remove its contents.

Klymit X-lite – At a surprisingly comfortable 6.1 ounces, this sleeping pad packs down to the size of a Red Bull can! This is a close second for gear of the year. Aside from being a bit delicate (something that all inflatable sleeping pads are), it is definitely going to be a permanent component of my ultralight gear system. It sprung a leak after 60 nights of use, but I was able to repair it easily with the included kit. I’m planning on picking up the ULA equipment AirX which is designed to use the X-lite as a back pad.

Columbia PowerDrains – I was honestly disappointed when I received these… until I started wearing them. They have outperformed my expectations. With effective Omni-Grip and super comfort on even steep, wet, and rough terrain, I’m looking forward to next year’s model. After almost a year of hard use, it developed holes in the upper and the toecap started separating. These flaws have been eliminated in the newer versions of the shoe.

Kahtoola K10 Crampons – I’ve been extremely impressed with these crampons. The multi-directional spikes made for good traction and the leafspring design made these remarkably comfortable. They were impressive on steep slopes and slippery snow.

Geigerrig Rig 700 Balistic Nylon – What made this hit the best of the best list is the innovative pressurized system. This will be a constant companion on cycling trips.

Quality Gear

Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Nano dry sack – It is waterproof and almost weightless. Even for ultralight backpacking, this is worth bringing along for the benefit of organized and dry gear.  After several outings, the clip developed a crack, but it still holds together and keeps my stuff dry. If you’re rough on gear, this may not be for you.

Fold-a-cup – Hugely underrated.  This fun little no-frills folding plastic cup weighs an ounce and folds down small. Although purchased for my kids, this finds its way into my pack on solo trips where space and weight are a factor.

Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro – A heavier-duty Trail Crampon with forward pointing spikes. Another great hiking crampon that stands up well to snow and ice. They would have made Best of the Best, but on my boots the front points weren’t long enough to be useful. I also felt the K10s had the edge on traction.

Spot Messenger 2 – On Backcountry adventures this is almost always in my kit. This handy device made my wife feel comfortable sending me into the depths of South America. The ability to track progress and send messages to say “I’m OK” is a huge comfort. The downsides were its effectiveness with low battery. It doesn’t always send messages if the battery is low (even if it says it does). Bring a spare set of batteries for emergencies! The progress tracking feature drains the battery in one day.

Cyclops Atom Headlamp – Nothing impressive, this lightweight headlamp is cheap and lightweight.  It makes it on my short UL trips, but it isn’t for your night hiking or early summit attempts.

Discovery Trekking Wicking Towel – More of a travel tool, their smaller versions would be great for ultralight packing. It dries out quickly, but doesn’t absorb water as fast as I would like.

Stanley Adventure Cookset – Very reliable and convenient, I take this with me on day trips when weight is not an issue. Designed for car camping, this sturdy pot with lid and set of 2 matching insulated cups is a great luxury. The Stanley quality and warranty mean I’m not afraid to be rough with it.

Polarmax PMX hoodie and Comp Tech 4 Tights – a super comfortable, moisture-wicking base layer by American Polarmax. I’ve used this on more than one winter expedition with great results. The thumb holes should be better positioned, but a good product overall.

Here are other items that were reviewed by our other reviewers that I personally didn’t get to try but are worth a look:

 

Jansport Carson 80 External Frame Pack – If you’re looking to do some heavy lifting on your next backpacking trip like any parent with multiple toddlers would and don’t want to dish out a lot of money take a look at this pack.

SOL Origin Survival Tool – Put out by Adventure Medical Kits this little survival kit boasts a variety of good survival tools minus a first aid kit. The concept is neat, but the price was a bit high for my tastes.

AMK waterproof/ultralight medical kit – Another great product to take backpacking. A pre-made kit for those who don’t like to DIY, it has pretty much everything you need for basic self-repairs on shorter trips.

Clothing

Merino Wool Buff – Our reviewer had only positive things to say about this buff. Buff is a go-to brand and merino wool is a go-to natural material. Put that together and Buff produced a stellar product!

 

Sport Science T-shirt – Our reviewer loved this for quick drying odor-resistant activities. I use mine for daily tasks and trips in town. It’s not quite a technical base layer, but it beats cotton any day!