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Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010: Day 1 – Lightweight Gold!
OR never ceases to amaze – always something new, something different, and something bizarre! The gear just keeps getting better and lighter.
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010: Day 1 Blog Tasty Treats (from the first-timer)
The daily perspective of an industry vet on the show floor for the first time: "A fantastic all-systems overload."
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010: Open Air Demo
While the first day of Outdoor Retailer is dedicated to water sport, we found a few products that could carry over for backpacking as well... plus some that are just plain fun, no bones about it!
Outdoor Retailer Summer 2010: Update on Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) Technologies
SPOT and DeLorme introduce the DeLorme PN-60w with SPOT Communicator, and ACR announces the SarLink View. Both allow text messaging via satellite from remote locations, which goes beyond just chatting, enabling you to provide important information to people on the outside.
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010: Introduction and Tribute to Small Ultralight Gear Companies not Exhibiting at OR
Summer OR is underway! We begin our coverage with new products from small companies who specialize in ultralight backpacking gear, including some new names.
Performance Appraisal of the Tarptent Moment
A quality, lightweight shelter that's easy to assemble, but does a condensation issue leave us all wet?
GoLite Demaree Canyon Jacket and Anorak Review
Attractive fully-featured multi-purpose insulated down garments, but are they warm enough for our backpacking needs?
MYOG: Silnylon Backpack
A gem of MYOG: with an 11-ounce weight and 3500-cubic-inch volume, this pack is simple to make and elegant to behold.
Nemo Espri 2P Tent Review
While not the lightest of tents, this shelter can handle such a wide range of multi-tasking to make it worth a closer look.
The Global Test: One Gear List for Two Years and Five Continents
Part 1: Backpackers are all over the map when it comes to answering the question... What should I pack?
Salomon Minim Down Sweater Review
This is one of the more impressive jackets in our ultralight down jacket roundup, but it has a few shortcomings and uncertainties.
Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 Trekking Pole Review
What happens when you take the highly rated fixed length Lightrek 3 poles and add adjustability and optional straps? Are extra weight, flexibility, durability, and slipping concerns, or does Gossamer Gear nail it with the Lightrek 4 poles?
Lyme Disease: Challenging Old Stereotypes
Mark Bailey knows danger. A now-retired ship’s chief engineer who recounts his life experiences with bright-eyed fervency and an occasional chuckle, Bailey, 61, has circled the world four times. He spent a night in jail in Zamboanga, Phillipines, in 1981 after getting mixed up with communist rebels. He’s been tossed around the Tasman Sea in a small sailboat. In the spring of 2000, a few years after retiring, Bailey set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. He considers it the most dangerous thing he’s ever done.
Ultralight Three-Season Down Jackets State of the Market Report 2010 Part 3
Multi-purpose three-season down jackets balance light weight, warmth, and features. These jackets are designed to please as many people as possible, in as many activities as possible, while keeping the overall weight light enough to impress the average consumer. Our evaluation includes comparative specifications, calculated parameters, warmth testing, ratings, and identifying the standouts for different situations, needs, and preferences.
Benchmade 530 Folding Knife Review
Many walkers find a razor blade adequate, but there are plenty of situations where a bit more is needed. This knife, with a blade over three inches long yet weighing only two ounces, may suit many lightweight walkers.
Ultralight Three-Season Down Jackets State of the Market Report 2010 Part 2
Seriously lightweight down jackets – those most suitable for ultralight backpacking and other lightweight pursuits. Our evaluation includes comparative specifications, calculated parameters, warmth testing, ratings, and identifying the standouts for different situations, needs, and preferences.
Monatauk Gnat Stove Review
A big burner head, simple design, minimal use of materials, and light weight (1.7 oz) put the Monatauk Gnat at the head of the pack for ultralight canister stoves.
Ultralight Three-Season Down Jackets State of the Market Report 2010 Part 1
A state-of-the-art overview of ultralight down jackets – we analyze the components and discuss “baffling” issues like shell fabrics, down quality, fill weight, packing density, loft, and warmth.
New Balance MT876OR Review
The latest in the New Balance 87x series of light low-cut joggers - and they're even better than the previously-reviewed MT875ORs.
Rapids, Wolves, and Winter
With amazingly light loads that included skis, packrafts, dry suits, winter camping gear, and a week’s worth of food, we set out to visit the Frank Church Wilderness in winter to prove a point.
Sierra Designs Gnar Down Sweater Review
Coming out in fall 2010, the Gnar is a good balance of sizing and fit, features, and overall light weight, but it could be a little warmer.
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