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MSR Missing Link Tent REVIEW

Review of the MSR Missing Link Tent - a single wall, two person shelter that can be pitched with a pair of trekking poles.

45 Miles in 47 Hours: What You Can Do With a Weekend Using Lightweight Backpacking Gear

What can you accomplish in a three-day weekend with lightweight gear?

Commentary on Sleeping Bag Rating Specifications (2004)
Real World Testing By Alan Dixon   Moisture management plays a significant role in sleeping bag performance and selection. A synthetic-fill bag’s resistance to performance degradation as it gets wet...
GoLite Infinity Backpack REVIEW

The 50 liter GoLite Infinity provides stable load carrying with an innovative internal frame and enough options to sufficiently organize your gear, for less than three pounds.

Internal Frame Backpack Review Summary
Alan wearing a GoLite Infinity at the top of a 13,000 foot (4,000 m) col in the High Sierras. The Infinity is one of our favorite light packs for alpine...
Osprey Aether 60 Review

Comfort and load support are the hallmarks of this lightweight internal frame backpack.

ULA P-2 Review
Overview Photo 1: ULA P-2, shown with the optional top hood pocket. At 2 pounds 15.2 oz (1,338 g) without options, ULA’s P-2 is one of the lightest, large volume...
Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone and Nimbus Latitude REVIEW
Overview Photo 1: Ryan Jordan, carrying Granite Gear’s Nimbus Ozone, and dog Maia in the Bitterroot Wilderness. Granite Gear’s Nimbus Ozone (top loading) and Nimbus Latitude (panel loading) are exceptionally...
Granite Gear Vapor Trail Review
Overview Granite Gear Vapor Trail (manufacturer’s photo). The Granite Gear Vapor Trail uses a flexible high-density polyethylene (HDPE) framesheet in combination with a virtual frame to transfer the load to...
Mountainsmith Auspex Review
Overview Photo 1: Mountainsmith Auspex The Mountainsmith Auspex is a top-loading internal framed pack offering extensive options and exceptional load carrying capability at a lighter weight than many of its...
Gossamer Gear Mariposa Backpack Review
Photo 1: Gossamer Gear Mariposa Overview The Gossamer Gear (formerly GVP Gear) Mariposa represents a significant step forward in the ultralight backpacking industry; a 1-pound (0.5 kg) pack capable of...
Gregory 2004 G Pack Backpack Review

Performance review of a lightweight frameless pack that focuses on utility and comfort.

Shorts from OR: Tidbits and First Looks at New Backpacking Gear (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
BIVY SACKS. We found two new minimalist waterproof breathable bivys at the show – an 18 oz 3-layer eVENT bag cover from Integral Designs and an ultralight (7.0 oz) PU...
More New Lightweight Shelters Announced (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
Lightweight shelters aren’t getting too much lighter, but you’re getting more for your weight. Solo tents from Marmot, Sierra Designs, and YES! Eureka! are getting bigger, smarter, and/or stronger, and...
Atsko Sport Wash First Looks (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
Washing clothes is definitely not exciting, but using the right cleaning agent could make a big difference in how well your eVENT jacket keeps its water repellency. Atsko launched a...
Trends in Ultralight Sleeping Bags: Mainstream Down AND Synthetic Bags are Breaking the One Pound Synthetic Barrier; Hybrid Down-Synthetic Technologies (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
For the first time since the introduction of the Cat’s Meow, we were more excited about synthetic bags than down ones at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004. It’s not that...
New High-Powered, Lightweight LED Headlamps from Princeton Tec, Petzl, and Black Diamond (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
Princeton Tec EOS Princeton Tec is releasing a one watt led headlamp with a lens/collimator. The Princeton Tec “EOS” has current regulation for constant light output for as long as...
Shell Shocked: Raingear and Soft Shells are Getting Lighter and Breathing Better (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
After reporting on sub-10 oz waterproof breathable jackets yesterday, we had a chance for a long talk with Patagonia’s garment R&D team. Now that we understand the physics of it,...
2005 Trekking Pole Trends: Poles for Women? (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
Women’s Poles (Not) Have Been on U.S. Market For Longer Than We Think We were interested in women’s specific trekking poles and did a bit of inquiring at the Leki...
Education as a Means to Foster an Appreciation of Lightweight Strategies for Backcountry Travel (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
It’s no secret that pushing ultralight technique and gear to its limits requires a significant amount of consumer education. Few people simply drop their fifty-pound packs mid-way through a PCT...
OR News – Day 2 Roundup: New Products for Lightweight Backpacking, Hiking, and Camping (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2004)
M Commentary on the State of Declining Backcountry Wilderness Activity Participation by End Users Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) released its state of the market report suggesting that wilderness activity participation...

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