review

Summer is practically upon us and that means that it’s time to lather-up with sunblock and/or cover-up with a good sun hat. One I can happily recommend, having put to a lot of use, is the Armachillo Sun Cape cap by the Duluth Trading Company.

Hats are my primary form of sun protection. I try to avoid sunblock because of the chemicals and because of how often I need to re-apply it on long, sweaty hikes. I rely on large brims or capes to cover my neck, so when I got talking to the Duluth Trading Post, it their hat with the micro jade cooling was the first thing I asked for.

So, let’s talk the facts and then I’ll tell you how it performs:

• Ultra-light nylon with quick-dry, wicking performance
• Made-in-the-Jade fabric feels cool to the touch
• Antimicrobial finish resists odor
• UPF 40+ sun protection
• Breathable polyester mesh vents
• Polyester mesh sweatband
• Rear bungee with cordlock adjusts fit
• Extra long, wide brim for superior sun blockage
• Removable 11″ long sun cape secures with hidden snaps for a low profile when not in use
• MSRP: $24.50

Testing:

I used this hat extensively last summer, on fishing, backpacking and thru-hiking trips. The most notable test was the 221 miles of the John Muir Trail in 16 days.

Performance:

The Made-in-the-jade fabric has micro amounts of jade embedded in the nylon that it claims provides a cooling effect. The fabric itself is very lightweight as well. The result was that I could wear it in the very hot summer conditions of California without my head overheating. When I started sweating, the wicking effect helped cool down my head. The sun cape didn’t make me overheat or feel uncomfortable either.

The sun protection allowed me to avoid all sun-burns on the trail with just the long, wide brim and overlapping sun cape.

There is plenty of venting on the hat to increase breathability if you choose. It was useful for those times when I wasn’t moving and/or when there was no breeze.

Odor:

Sixteen days averaging 15 mile a days was enough to test any odors, but despite the constant sweating, my hat didn’t pick up the typical B-O that synthetic fabrics are typically known to present.

The sun protection allowed me to avoid all sun-burns on the trail with just the long, wide brim and overlapping sun cape.

Sizing:

Although the cap comes in 5 different sizes, the bungee cordlock is a nice addition to make sure it stays comfortably on your head.

Look:

I’ll be honest, my wife isn’t a fan of the cape. She just doesn’t like capes in general. She does appreciate the functional aspect, but would choose a wide brim sun hat instead.

The cape attaches to the hat by way of some plastic snaps that can be hidden out of the way when not in use. It makes it much more versatile if you’re wearing a rain hood over it, or simply don’t need to wear the cape.

Conclusion:

The Armachillo Sun Cape Hat by Duluth Trading Co. performs really well in the hot summer sun. It provides excellent sun protection, is light weight, keeps you cool and is comfortable to wear. When other companies are charging $60+ for sun hats, the $24.50 asked by Duluth is a refreshing, dare I say cool price for a really nice hat.

I’ll continue to pull out this hat (and my made-in-the-jade Armachillo shirt) in 2014 to fight off the sun and heat.

Check out their Armachillo line of products see what others have to say in the reviews.

Innate Caravan Compartments

One of the big challenges about adventuring with kids is the unbelievable amount of stuff you need to bring with you. Keeping track of what’s where, and keeping daughter A’s clothes away from son B’s can be a hassle, let alone keeping it dry.

Since last summer, we’ve been testing out a set of Weatherproof, RF sealed, heavy-duty storage containers by Innate Gear called the Caravan Compartments. We take these literally everywhere we go, and we have a least one of them on hand 95% of the time, whether adventuring in the back country, or just heading out to town (which can be the most challenging adventure with 4 kids!)

We’ve used these storage containers on canoe and backpacking trips, to the beach, on day hikes, picnics, snowshoeing, you name it, and we’ll be bringing them with us on our adventures next summer as well.

Let’s take a look at the features:

• Weather proof construction thanks to PU coated zips and stitchless welded seams,
• Exterior RF welded grab handle,
• Translucent recycled PU top panel,
• Repurposed fabrics for sidewalls and base panel.
• MSRP: $22 to $42 CAD

Sizes:

• LARGE: 36cm x 24cm x 10cm (14.2″ x 9.5″ x 4″), 80g (2.82oz)
• MEDIUM: 25cm x 18cm x 10cm (9.8″ x 7″ x 4″), 60g (2.12oz)
• SMALL: 22cm x 12cm wide x 8cm (8.7″ x 4.75″ x 3.1″, 40g (1.41oz)
• NEW! EXTRA SMALL: 16cm x 12 cm x 5cm(6.3″ x 4.8″ x 2″), 22g (0.8oz)

Performance:

You’ll notice that these are called, “weather proof” containers. That’s because they all have a weatherproof zipper access. As a result, they’re not truly waterproof, but like a good zipper on your jacket will still keep the majority of the water out. Frankly, that’s been good enough on all our adventures.

We live and hike in the Pacific Northwest and have never had problems with damp clothes or gear. Even while canoeing for a week, all the gear stayed dry, despite several rainy days.

The materials used are really sturdy and the construction has really proven itself. Despite getting chucked in with kids’ gear, cooking stoves, etc. and jostled around on weekend backpacking trips, portages and car-camping expeditions, we haven’t managed to puncture, tare or otherwise damage them.

Oh, and the translucent window really helps one identify what is inside, so you don’t have to sit there opening everything in your bag to find that dry pair of pants for your son (who yet again thought it would be fun to go wading in his clothes).

Shape:

One thing that separates these containers from other storage options is the shape. All my other clothing and storage containers for outdoor adventures are tubular stuff sacks. I’m sure there’s a good reason for this, but the shape makes it hard to optimize space in backpacks and duffels that aren’t cylinders.

When I pack for backpacking, every inch of space in the backpack matters. I don’t want to carry a 50 liter pack if a 40 liter one will do the trick. Being able to optimize the space in my pack with a cuboid storage container was a useful, and refreshing change. It also meant that the clothes inside endured a few less wrinkles than those in my other stuff sacks.

Carbon Footprint

It’s nice to see that Innate is keeping a bit more waste out of the system.

The Innate website says,

“All woven fabrics used are re-purposed scrap that were previously going to an industrial incinerator. The carbon footprint reduction is significant: 1 kg of re-purposed fabric results in a carbon footprint savings of roughly 1.8 kg that was used to manufacture the original material based on data we have gathered from the original material supplier. Recycled pu film is used for the window panels; data provided from our supplier indicates a significant footprint reduction of approximately 30% after transportation.”

Oh, and there is no compromise in quality as a result.

Improvement:

There isn’t that much room for improvement for these storage compartments. The one thing I would change is making a slightly larger size available for longer adventures (like week-long canoe trips). Kids go through a lot of clothes and you can’t always wash and dry everything the same day.

I’d like to see the price of these come down a bit from the MSRP. MSRPs on weatherproof/waterproof stuff sacks are high typically, but I think there’s a bit of room to drop the price. That said, amazon carries these for about 27% lower than the MSRP.

Conclusions:

The Innate Caravan Compartments are a great weatherproof line of storage containers that have a ton of uses for outdoors individuals and families. The form-factor is a refreshing (and useful) change to typical storage sacks. They are a durable, high quality piece of gear that fills a gap in the weatherproof storage market, and that we will continue to take out this summer on our outdoor adventures.

Disclaimer: I received three Caravan Compartments free of charge from Innate for the purposes of this review. All opinions are just what I’d recommend to friends and family.

When I hiked the John Muir Trail last summer, I needed lightweight base layers that would handle cold alpine mornings were lightweight and breathable enough to handle the hot California summer sun, and were odor resistant, durable and good looking. I chose to bring my Terramar Sports Smartsilk Dri-release base layer crew and tights and I was impressed.

Before we get into the facts and my review I have to say that Terramar Sports no longer produces this product. That said, you can pick it up here on amazon (affiliate link). I’m kind of hoping they will bring it back, because for me it’s the quintessential summer baselayer.

OK, so let’s look at the facts:

• Fabric: 65% polyester, 19% nylon, 12% silk, 4% spandex
• Fabric weight: 140 gram
• UPF: 25+
• Seamless construction (i.e. flat seams)
• Body Mapping (comfort designed for a better fit)
• Dri-release technology
• Freshguard (inhibits growth of odor producing microbes)
• MSRP: Top: $60, Tights: $60 – but available cheaper online

Long term testing: I’ve worn these for close to a year now, and they still perform like new, feel incredibly comfortable and show no sign of wearing out. I wore this almost exclusively on the John Muir Trail while backpacking, as well as on many other hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing treks.

So let’s look at the features and how they held out:

The Fabric

As you can see in the above, it’s mostly synthetic, with only 12% silk. That said, I think they’ve nailed the blend here (which is why I’d love to see them bring it back).

First off, the blend is really, truly comfortable. A combination of the blend of materials, the lightweight (140 gram) and the Seamless construction, I never feel itchy or uncomfortable in these layers. Even when I was in the hot Californian sun, was sweaty and wearing a loaded backpack I never got a rash or developed hot spots. I wear a minimally padded backpack, so flat seams are essential. They’ve done it right with this set.

After 9 months of hard use there is slight pilling in the fabric, but not more than is typical for synthetic fabrics.

One thing to note is that while wearing a front pack on the JMT the seams on the arms started to fray a bit. I trimmed the “fluff” off and it has not affected the look, feel or strength of the seams 9 months later.

The Fit

I found the body mapping to be excellent for me. The spandex provides a snug fit, but it doesn’t restrict motion or make you feel uncomfortable in spots like the underarms, shoulders or chest.

I lost about 10-15 pounds on the John Muir Trail  and these base layers remained comfortable and well-fitting throughout that transition.

The Odor

2 weeks backpacking? Can anything survive odor free for that long? Well, truth be told, nothing can win against two weeks of 18-24 mile days fueled by freeze-dried meals. That said, they handle odor a lot better than most of my synthetic base layers.

There are no magic fabrics (not even merino) that can hold back odor forever. That’s why we bath and wash our clothes! The Terramar Smartsilk layers do hold their own and help out a lot in preventing the development of body odor.

Weight

These layers weigh in at 6-8 ounces for the top and bottom in a size medium. It’s the perfect 3-season base layer set for those who are conscious of backpacking weight, but who are looking for packable, warm and versatile layers.

The Price

Knowing how well these layers perform and how well they hold up to time, I feel that the $60 price point is actually a steal for these layers.

Conclusion

Because Terramar stopped producing these base layers I wasn’t obligated to write a review about them. I chose to because you can still get them in stores (like amazon) and because I have been so impressed with their performance and quality.

Check them out and check out the other base layers that Terramar Sports has to offer.

What base layers do you use? Do you prefer synthetic, natural or blends?

Disclaimer: I received my Baselayers on request as a member of the Terramar Sports Ambassador program. That said, all opinions are my own and are what I’d recommend to friends.

When out and about, whether in the wilderness or not, there are some items that we like to keep on our person at all times. A sharp knife is often one of those items (for me at least) which can be indispensable to have when prepping meals as well as dealing with the small sticks needing preparation, zip ties and wrappings that are frequently encountered  on outdoor adventures, work, and children’s toys. The trouble with knives though is that some are a bit bulky for everyday use, and some multi-tools are either heavy or don’t cut all that well.

For those who really just want to have a simple blade at the ready for whatever life ends up tossing you, then the Vargo Titanium Wharn-Clip knife may be the knife for you. This knife weighs in at a minuscule 1-oz total (0.7oz knife and 0.3oz sheath) and features:

• A wharncliffe shape to the point (see the sidebar)
• A straight edge single bevel cutting blade
• A titanium alloy construction that is harder and stronger than pure titanium.
• MSRP: $59.95

The Wharncliffe blade, not to be confused with the sheepsfoot blade, is very much like a standard blade shape turned upside down. This type of blade has a totally flat cutting edge, and the spine of the blade drops gradually until the tip forms a point.
source: http://faq.customtacticals.com/geometry/shape_wharncliffe.php

At 5.4 inches long, it is only just barely longer than a somewhat average smartphone, while being decidedly thinner.

This knife has a lot going for it, particularly when it comes to the blade. At 2.7 inches long, the blade occupies half of the knife’s length, giving you a solid amount of straight edge cutting surface. The knife edge is incredibly sharp and I managed to nick myself on it at least once. As a result, cutting through food was absolutely no trouble at all, with the knife easily cutting though a good size steak along with various fruits, vegetables and bagels. On the top surface the knife’s blade tapers into a point giving it a ‘wharncliffe’ shape more gradual than other shapes. The benefit here is that you can comfortably put you thumb on top of the blade for leverage, giving a decent amount of control when creating marshmallow sticks or getting kindling ready for a fire. The point itself is perfect for foods with tough skins such as avocado as well as being able to get the blade into tight spots where zip ties are conveniently placed on electronics and children’s toys.

This knife does make a couple compromises to the handle to deliver its low weight and profile. It feels short in my hand and while you can use the sheath to extend the handle out a bit, it’s still not the ‘perfect’ feel and might even pose a challenge for those with larger hands. The lack of material on the handle is also affects the comfort of the knife. As a whole, while these compromises do make the knife a bit more difficult to handle, I am prepared to accept them given the enhancement to the knife’s weight and pocket profile.

I only have one proper gripe about this knife. Given that this knife is branded the ‘Wharn-clip’ knife, the clip itself has no appeal to me. I don’t really want a knife hanging (swinging) from my pants or pack, and a 5.4 inch knife doesn’t fit well on my key-chain. Finally, I found it easy to pop the clip off, almost without thinking. The best place for this knife is the front pocket, and that’s where it was.

The sheath does its job simply and dutifully. Vargo smartly places the rivets of the sheath so that the blade itself will not cut through the sheath, and has a good thickness to it to feel confident that you won’t stab yourself on accident. The sheath’s construction is a single piece of Kydex folded in two, and there is a small section where the blade can be pulled out without having to remove the sheath. However, realistically it takes a lot of effort to get the blade out through the gap. From a parent’s perspective, it reinforces the wise council to not leave the knife out where children can get at it.

In review, I found this to be an excellent general purpose knife that is easy to have with you when you need it. With an incredibly low weight, a slim profile, and the versatility to handle the small stuff with ease, this is the perfect knife to have in your pocket with minimum bulk.There is a large group of people out there who would benefit greatly from the Vargo Titanium Wharn-clip knife. If the most important item on your multi-tool is the knife, if you want to be able to carry a knife without looking like you’re carrying a knife, or if weight is the most important factor you are considering in a knife, then this is definitely a knife worth your consideration.

by Graeme A.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Vargo Titanium Clip Knife for free from Vargo as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations in consideration for review publication.

All opinions are those of the reviewer and reflect our honest thoughts and what we would recommend to friends and family.

Although there are a lot of camping mattress manufacturers, there are few that seem to master their market. Klymit is one of those companies that does it right, and the Klymit Static V is a great example of this.

The Static-V is Klymit‘s entry-level inflatable mattress, but don’t be deceived by the price, it’s performance is excellent.

Let’s start with a look at the specs and move on to my thoughts.

• Weight: 18.1 oz,514 g
• Dimensions: 72″ x 23″ x 2.5″,183 cm x 59 cm x 6.5 cm
• Type: inflatable Sleeping Pad
• R-Value: 1.3
• Packed Size: 5″ x 9″, 12.7 cm x 22.8 cm
• Includes: Stuff Sack, Patch Kit
• Fabric: 75D Polyester
• Warranty: Limited Lifetime
• MSRP: $59.95

I’ve tested this out for close to a year now and have yet to find a fault with it. You will be hard pressed to find a comparable air mattress that offers the quality and comfort of the Static-V at this price-point.

Klymit is big on “body mapping”, that’s their concept of making sure the padding is where you need it, while balancing the mount inflation needed and the overall size of the pad. This pad packs down to the size of a nalgene bottle,  takes no time to inflate (in 10-15 puffs) and it is incredibly comfortable. In three-season conditions it provides plenty of warmth, while not being overly heavy (18.1 oz is better than the majority of pads on the market.

I was a bit worried about the 75D polyester for puncturing, but after many nights it has held together without issue. If it does leak, the included patch kit will take care of any leaks.

I can’t praise Klymit enough for this far too cheap (in my opinion) inflatable sleeping pad that’s packable, comfortable and lightweight. Competitors products are 2 to 3 times the price.

Check Klymit products out here on amazon (affiliate link).

Disclaimer: I requested this item to review via a PR company, but all reviews are the same as I would give to close friends or family.

It’s not every day that you see a pair of MICROspikes facing off with a golf cart. I’m guessing the thought hadn’t even crossed your mind. But, we endeavour to please and we want to make sure that gear can stand up to our rigorous testing.

Oh, and we like to have fun!

Last year I tried out a set of Kahtoola’s K10 trail crampons and was really impressed with their deep spikes that really dug in when I needed them. This year I was given a set of MICROSpikes to review and give my honest opinion of. I’ll tell you upfront, they’re pretty sweet.

Here are the stats for you:

• Made of: 400 series heat treated stainless steel and synthetic rubber upper
• 12 3/8” (1 cm) multi-directional spikes (10 on the extra small)
• Weight: 13.6 oz for the medium (S: 12.2 oz, L 14.4 oz, XL 15.6 oz)
• Warranty: 2-year
• MSRP: $64.95

What are they for?

I’m sure you can add to this, but these are great for everything from trail running to ice fishing to hiking to shovelling the driveway. Everywhere I’ve tried them they’ve given me excellent traction. They are ideal for non-technical hiking or peak bagging where trail crampons would be overkill, but where your typical footwear is insufficient. I even recommend keeping a pair in your car in case of emergencies on your winter trips. Oh, and they’re good for tug-o-wars too.

Ease of use

The rubber on the upper grips footwear really well. This is great as it keeps them from slipping off your footwear. It requires very little effort to put them on and I didn’t bother looking for instructions. They’re very intuitive and within a minute I had them fitting tightly and correctly centered on the bottoms of my boots.

Quality

They haven’t gone cheap with materials. The rubber is rated to stay flexible down to -76 degrees and is quite beefy. I can say the same for the chains and spikes.

What do I think?

The MICROSpikes by Kahtoola are a solid piece of kit that I strongly recommend you take a look at. The price is really fair for the product and I’ve already heard of people finding it on sale for 20% off the MSRP.

Check out the MICROSpikes at your local gear shop, or if you want to support us, feel free to shop at amazon through the following Affiliate link: http://amzn.to/1csiwEr

I have my share of jackets in my closet and all of them have a role. One thing I didn’t have was a work jacket for all those DIYs and outdoor projects that shred lighter weight fabrics. When I was asked to review something from Carhartt, I jumped at the chance.

Carhartt is the go to name in work-duty outdoor wear. They’re the construction workers choice as they’re built to last. You tend to pay a premium for them, but that pays out in the long term. To some that means it lasting them for decades and to others that means picking them up for a steal second hand.

The Bad Axe jacket is a waterproof breathable jacket. It has a Nylon shell (with durable water repellant finish) and a 3-layer breathable/waterproof membrane. It’s seam sealed so you’re not going to get moisture in it. All of the zippers are water resistant which will keep just about all water (except when swimming!).

As for the breathability let’s start by stating that there is no such thing as a jacket that’s 100% breathable AND 100% waterproof. That said, the jacket doesn’t suffer from the sauna effect that some jackets suffer from. To increase breathablity, Carhartt adds full length pit zips.

The jacket’s pockets are huge. There are two waist pockets, an exterior chest pocket that they term a “map pocket” (which gives you an idea of capacity) and an inner pocket for your wallet or other. There’s even an internal media port so you can put your mp3 player in your map pocket and have the earphones snake out through the inside and over your ears.

What I liked about this jacket apart from the other things was that it uses heavy duty Coralast reinforcements in typical wear zones  around the shoulders, elbows and cuff.

The MSRP for the jacket is $280 and that’s the typical price that you see it at. It’s a high price for a jacket, but as anything carhartt, you’re paying for the quality, which as many people will tell you lasts decades, if not a lifetime.

So, what Carhartt gear o you own and love? Would you buy this jacket new? I’d love to see your comments down below.

Over the past year my Platypus Origin 32 has served as an ultralight weekend pack, diaper bag, laptop bag, Mountain biking hydration system and oh, even a day pack. Let’s just get right to the point, It’s hard to beat the versatility of this day pack and I’d recommend it or its successor to anyone looking for a daypack.

Here are the major features:

• Weight: 2 lbs 2 oz
• Capacity: 32 liters
• Material: Waterproof Ripstop nylon
• Waterproof zippers
• Separate Hydration Compartment
• Waterproof waist belt pockets
• 3 liter “Big Zip” Platypus hydration bladder included
• Double main pocket zip
• Exterior stow pocket
• 4x compression buckles (for smaller loads)
• Ice pick / trekking pole loop
• Waist belt
• MRSP (of the Sprinter) $149.95

Let’s keep this short and talk about what I like and what I think could be improved:

Likes:

• Capacity – Perfect for day trips with family or lightweight multi-day trips
• Waterproof – whether in a tropical rain, or just keeping moisture from a sweaty back out of your pack, it does a great job
• Weight – The weight is awesome for a mainstream brand. It’s just the right padding on the back and shoulder straps
• Double zip – Having a double zip allows you to full stuff out from either side without opening the whole pack
• Waist pockets – It’s awesome to have waist pockets and more main stream brands should start including them
• Hydration compartment – with hangers for the Big Zip and a way to keep the water separate from the main compartment, Platypus nailed this.

Dislikes:

• Waist pockets – This pack needed more packing on the hip side of the pocket. Hard items dig into your hips
• Breathability – The pack is frameless and it could be better with more airflow on the back.
• The Shape – I’d prefer a longer more traditional shape instead of the half oval style
• 1 ice axe loop – I’d like another loop for my trekking poles

UPGRADE

When I was researching for this review I talked to platypus and they told me that the new pack (the Sprinter) replaces the origin 32 and is geared more towards backpackers. They also have other versions for cyclists etc. The Sprinter as you can see has better waist pockets, a more pleasing shape and what looks like better breathability.

I have a lot of tripods… scratch that. I have a lot of broken tripods. Some of them are light (12-14 ounces) and broken (the plastic heads invariable break at the mounting plate) and one of them is a massive aluminum tripod that weighs several pounds (despite my having hacked away at weight by substituting pins, etc.)  The Achilles heel is always that plastic head. It breaks when I’m miles away from anywhere and need it. My only option is copious amounts of duck tape or leukotape until I get home and invest in another one. In a final desperate attempt I decided to find the lightest metal headed collapsible tripod I could find. My result was the Giotto RT8150.

Let’s look at the features:

• Maximum Height 40.6″ (103cm)
• Minimum Height 10.8″ (27.5cm)
• Folded Length 11″ (28 cm)
• Load Capacity 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg)
• Leg Sections 8
• Pullout legs
• Male Thread Size 1/4″-20
• Weight 1.1 lbs (530 g) – 18.7 ounces
• $35 on amazon

I guess I should mention my motivations. I wanted a tripod to take backpacking. I wanted something small and compact, but robust enough that it wasn’t going to break on me if I dropped it while I hiked.

Probably the most impressive part of this tripod is just how compact it is. It’s just under 11 inches, which you don’t really appreciate until you put it along side whatever tripod you currently use. It’s tiny. It does have its downsides as it only opens to 41″ tall. I get creative with my use of terrain to get fun angles for my video to make up for it being a bit short. I have a taller tripod, but it packs down to 20″ and weighs in at well over 3 lbs.

To make it so compact it has 8 snap-lock leg sections. This keeps weight down, but limit its carrying capacity (1.8lbs) That’ll be fine for most handycam-style video cameras and even entry level DSLRs, but might be a problem for some of the bigger and more expensive cameras on the market. The weigh limitation is in part because of the snap-lock sections and in part because the number of sections can make the legs bow a bit with weight.

My favourite part of this tripod is that it has a metal head, mount and mounting screw. All of my other tripods that have broken have broken at the head, making them completely useless. Most lightweight tripods use plastic to cut down weight, but as I’ve learned you can’t cut down on quality at the head. It uses a ball style joint which can articulate 180 degrees vertically and 90 degrees horizontally. It can handle pretty much any shot you need.

I’ve seen tripods that use trekking poles, etc. and while those projects are good for the odd DSLR shot, I can’t just chuck it down for a video angle of hiking, etc.

Conclusion

Obviously my ideal tripod would be lighter than this one, but I’ve gone that road and faced the consequences. The Giotto RT8150 is the best balance I’ve seen yet for weight, size and compactness that doesn’t compromise sturdiness. I’ll be testing it out this summer and if it survives my abuse it’ll make it onto my permanent gear list.

What do you use for a tripod on the trail? or do you? What’s your philosophy for camera gear on the trail?

If you see me on the trail there’s an almost 100% chance that I’ll be carrying trekking poles. They just provide so many benefits for hiking that I don’t even think about not taking them. You don’t have to drop a lot of money to pick up a good pair either. Right now I’m carrying a $30 pair of carbon fiber trekking poles by Cascade Mountain Tech.

Here are some of the features:

• Carbon Fiber Construction
• Cork Handles
• Anti-shock (with the ability to disable it)
• Tungsten Carbide Tip
• Agressive Traction Feet
• Standard Rubber Feet
• Sand/Mud Basket
• Snow Basket
• Twist Lock
• Neoprene Strap
• 16 oz weight (for the pair)
• MRSP: $29.95

I’ll just say it up front. For the price, you can’t beat these trekking poles. They’re built incredibly well, come with a whole pile of attachments (baskets and feet) and they’re pretty light too! I’ve put them through a lot of testing in lots of climates and I still recommend them.

Being Carbon fiber you’d expect them to be much lighter than they are, but what they’ve done is taken advantage of the Carbon Fiber to allow them to build a sturdier pole. I’m rough on my trekking poles, so I need to balance weight with strength. Being able to have a sturdier pole and still coming in at an ounce less than me supposedly “ultralight” aluminum pair was an obvious choice. Especially at the rate I go through trekking poles.

The Cork Handles do an excellent job of absorbing moisture and keeping your grip from slipping. Cork handles aren’t usually found on $30 trekking poles, but somehow they’ve managed to include that and carbon fiber in that price tag.

The baskets are also are twist on instead of pressure fit so I haven’t lost one yet. It’s nice to have the included buckets and baskets that many higher end brands will sell separately to make a few extra dollars.

One of the downsides of Carbon Fiber (not a design issue, just a common issue with the material) is that it doesn’t bend well. It provides great strength, but if you slip and bend them (as I did) you’re going to snap it. If you’re an average user this isn’t likely to happen. I abuse pretty much all my gear and on a slippery trip down Incan paving stones I caught the tip of mine on a rock and broke the bottom third.

I was happy to see that I could buy replacement pieces for only $7.95 on www.cascademountaintech.com along with other replacement feet and buckets. I put in my order last night and will be back on the trail with repaired poles as soon as possible.

Conclusion

If you are new to trekking poles, these should be high on your list. If you abuse your trekking poles and go through pairs regularly, these should be high on your list. If you’re on a budget, these should be high on your list. I can’t fault the design of these trekking poles. The Carbon fiber and cork handles make them compete with $100+ trekking poles and the twist locks are very sturdy.

Do you use trekking poles? What brand do you use? If not, why not?

My first ever rain jacket was one of those DWR numbers that had a strange ability to let all the rain in and none of the perspiration out. My second jacket was slightly better, but no seam sealing and problems with the liner. Finally, I’ve found something that I like in the Mountain Hardwear Versteeg Dry Q jacket.

I’ve had the jacket for a few months and have taken it to snowy mountain summits, down tropical jungle trails as well as through hot sun and heavy rain storms.

Take a look at the written and video reviews below. If you’re looking for 25% off already discounted Mountain Hardwear gear at the Sierra Trading Post, click here: http://stp.me/MHVersteegDQCJacket

Specification:

• Dry Q. Waterproof breathable Membrane
• 50D Ripstop Nylon
• Fully seam sealed
• 2 Large exterior hand pockets
• 1 exterior chest pochet (WR zipper)
• 1 inner mesh stuff pocket
• 1 inner mesh zip pocket
• Waist cinch
• 2 Hood Cinches (vertical and horizontal)
• Velcro zip cover
• Velcro cuffs
• Weight: 14 oz average
• MRSP:$160 (much cheaper on the Sierra Trading Post)

Full Review:

Let’s start with the Dry Q. membrane. Dry Q is Mountain Hardwear’s response to the need for waterproofing while keeping it breathable. The technology is tested for 500 hours in a washing machine to make sure it has a long life. Obviously it’s impossible to have something completely breathable and yet waterproof, so don’t get unrealistic expectations.

That said, the Dry Q. does a really good job at making sure you don’t get clammy when wearing it. I have not once felt that wet feeling of getting stuck to the jacket like you do with some jackets. I usually prefer a jacket with a mesh liner to prevent the damp feeling, but the Dry Q means it’s completely unnecessary. Add the fact that it has 2 large pit zips and you’re set for temperature regulation.

Speaking of temperature, this jacket performs really well in warm and very cold weather. At a 16000 foot pass I was comfortable in this, a T-shirt and Merino wool base layer (150 weight) despite the snow storm going on. In the tropics It was really comfortable, despite hauling around a backpack on a 3-day thru-hike.

The pit zips (which use water resistant zippers) are a great size. They’re easy to open and almost as easy to close. I can unzip with 1 hand, but need 2 to zip them up, which I feel is pretty standard, especially with a water resistant zip.

All the pockets have great capacity without being too large. Adding the water resistant zips was a great choice for the chest pocket. The mesh pockets inside cut down on weight.

Mountain Hardwear put a lot of thought into the hood. The use of 2 cinches was a great idea. Normally what frustrates me about hoods is that you turn your head and the hood doesn’t turn with you. The horizontal cinch does a great job at keeping the hood stuck to your head so that it turns with you. The vertical cinch keeps the opening nice and small to keep out breezes and inclement weather.

My only criticism is that loosening the cinches on the hood takes some getting used to. They work well, but you need to fiddle with them the first few times to get the hand of how they work.

The sizing is perfect. I’m a pretty perfect medium and the length and arms are an ideal length for layering over base, mid and insulating layers. The cinch on the waist is everything you’d expect for keeping out wind and weather.

The average weight is listed as 14 ounces, but my medium weighs 12.7 ounces. It’s always nice when a company overestimates their product’s weight.

Conclusion:

The Mountain Hardwear Versteeg is a great balance between weight and functionality. It’s a great breathable, but fully waterproof jacket that can handle pretty much any weather you would throw at it. I’d definitely recommend this jacket to anyone looking for a all-round hard shell.

Do you use Mountain Hardwear gear? What items do you have and what do you think about them?

Disclaimer: I received this jacket from the Sierra Trading Post for review. All opinions are my own and are what I would recommend to friends.

Two years ago I was looking for a lightweight, compact, warm jacket at a reasonable price. After a lot of research and the promise that I could choose my birthday present, I picked up the Golite Beartooth down jacket. At the time it was less than $70 so it was an easy choice for a reasonably high lofting down jacket. I’ve had 2 years to test it so I figured it was worth a review.

Golite has update the jacket adding an extra 2 ounces (now 18 ounces), so here are the current specs:

• 650 fill power goose down
• 130 g of fill
• 100% polyester DWR outer
• 100% polyester inner
• Included stuff sack
• Micro chamois chin liner
• 2 exterior zip hand warmer pockets
• 1 zip exterior chest pocket
• 1 interior zip chest pocket
• Suggested price: $200
• Actual current price on Golite: $59.99

And now for my thoughts.

As I’ve said, I’ve had the jacket for about 2 years. In that time my wife and I have taken it up to nearly 20000 feet, to salt flats and well below freezing, in rainy, tropical climates and more. We’ve really put it through its paces.

My version of the jacket comes in at 16 ounces (1 pound) and for such a light weight it does a great job of keeping me warm. The hand warmer pockets are a savior. they honestly feel like heated pockets. I make great use of them.

The lightweight polyester liner does a great job breathing, but has its downside. When I active in it I never work up a sweat, unless I have a waterproof shell on. In that case the moisture obviously can’t escape and the jacket gets damp. The one downside of the lightweight polyester is that it occasionally sheds feathers. That’s a combination of the lightweight fabric and 650 down. It doesn’t she a lot, but you will see the odd white piece of fluff creeping through the jacket.

To save weight, they’ve use lighter weight zippers. It was a good move for the pockets, but for the main zipper I think a slightly heavier zipper would have helped prevent snags and catching. One thing I really like is that the zipper is 2 way. You can unzip from the top or bottom. It’s great for getting access to pockets, or as my 8 month pregnant wife found, great for making child number 4 a bit more comfortable.

Having the micro chamois around the collar was a simple, but great decision, especially for bearded men (or women for that matter). I’ve had a few jackets where beard hair scratches the jacket or gets caught in the fabric. It’s not a problem with the beartooth down jacket.

One thing I found on my 2010 edition jacket is that it is a bit short on the length and arms. I’m an average medium and when I lift my arms my wrists are a bit exposed and breezes can come in around my waist (despite the shock cord waist band).

People talk about down being a pain for wet weather. I have gotten mine wet a few times, but the lightweight shell allows it to dry very quickly. Hanging it up in a breeze or in front of a heater dries it out in no time.

A huge benefit is how small it packs down. You can squish it down incredibly small for packing (about the size of a softball in a compression sack) and know you’ve got a ton of warmth for when you need it.

Conclusions:

The Beartooth down jacket is an excellent entry level down jacket. It’s packable and warm and a great choice for someone on a budget.

What I like:

• Weight
• Warmth
• pack-ability
• Price ($60 for a 650 down jacket!)

Improvements (that may have been made already)

• Runs a bit small
• Sheds small amounts of down
• Main zipper catches from time to time

Check out the video below to see the jacket in action. What Golite gear do you own? Are you happy with Golite as a brand?