Favorite Three Pieces of Gear Used in 2004?

1) Gossamer Gear Lightrek Poles — the featherweight is sooo luxurious! Plus they multitask as shelter supports.

2) Montane Litespeed Jacket — used for running, skiing, backpacking. Comfortable over an extremely wide range of conditions.

3) Reynolds Oven Bags — finally a cheap, tough, light, completely waterproof stuff sack.

Happy Holidays!

-Mike

1. eVent ID rain jacket. This thing is the real deal, it fulfills the promise of early Gore-tex!, so many uses, soon they will have the pants also!

2. icebreaker superfine shirt. 4 season use, great with the eVent jacket.

3. Possum gloves and hat, super warm great temp regulators, really better than other wool products!

1.Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent–best 54 oz. of
shelter I’ve ever used.
2.Ibex Icefall softshell jacket–my single most
versatile jacket in all seasons.
3.ULA P-1 backpack—ultralight backpacking in
comfort.

1. Oware Cat Tarp- I finally broke down and ditched my tent, could not be happier.
2. Bozeman Torsolight Pad- Ultralight and comfortable, great pad.
3. Nunatak Gear Arc Ghost- I was hesitant to try this style of bag but am glad I did. Very well made and extremely light. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet but am looking forward to it.

Great thread.

1) McHale 0-Sarc BackPack

2) SilNylon Poncho/Shelter

3) Vasque Velocity Shoes

1 – MSR 0,85 Titanium pot
2 – Berghaus Infinity Lite smock
3 – RAB Quantum top sleeping bag

/Moe

1) Nunatak Arc Alpinist & Bacalava. Amazing gear.

2) New Balance 803 trail runners. Switched from boots to trail runners two years ago and never looked backed – love ’em.

3) Still my Golite Gust, awesome pack for weight and comfort.

2005 new gear:) Golite Breeze, and Sharpena Rhumba child carrier. Won’t be leaving two year old at home this year.

Chuck

WM Iriquois–the perfect bag for 90% of what I do. Light. Beautiful.

GoLight Cave–finally got the hang of pitching it

MSR Pocket Rocket–lots of heat in a little package

Smartwool clothing–from socks to boxer briefs to tops. Worn every day for all activities. Great stuff.

Aqua Mira in Bozeman Mountain Works dropper bottles–simple, elegant, very light.

Superfeet insoles–I don’t leave home without them.

GoLite Umbrella. Keeps the sun off better than a hat, and doesn’t have the heat build up a hat does in the summer. Also comes in handy for those summer showers, or if you need quick shelter while you dig gear out of a pack. Seemed silly at first, but once you get over it, a great idea.

Second place, those Photon lights. Took me a long time to realize they worked as well as the other, much larger and heavier led flashlights and headlamps.

A couple standouts for me this year:

-GoLite Jam: This one comes with me for long day hikes/runs, week-long trips, and just about everything in between.
-Montane Featherlite or Litespeed: Indispensable for use in town or country. It’s usually the only garment I know I’ll have every time I leave home.

-Mark

1. ULA P-2
2. Tarptent Virga
3. Vargo Triad Alcohol Stove

honorary 4th item is my Vargo Titanium Stakes.

1. Tarptent Squall
2. Tinman’s AntiGravityGear pop-can alcohol stove
3. SnowPeak Ti pot

Tarptent Squall
GoLite Jam Pack
WM Ultralight

Tarptent Squall
Bozeman Arc Alpinist
Brasslite Stove

Tough to choose… its been a big year in gear! In no particular order:

BMW Vapr Bivy – been using since it came out, in a wide variety of conditions, w/ down and synth bags… can only agree with what’s been said.
Montane Lightspeed – hood extends Aero into colder temps or lower aerobic level, the full zip extends into warmer temps / higher aerobic. 2 oz well spent.
Nat Geog Topo – used to spend nearly $80 on quads for a weeklong trip. Now I get the whole state!

Cave 1 tarp. The effectiveness of this tarp in British conditions came as a big surprise. I sleep really well under it.

NB XRTerrain training shoes. Perfect for dryish moorland.

Nokian Trimmi wellies. Perfect for sodden moorland.

Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack – I have actually forgotten I have this pack on with my normal loads of less than 25lb. There are a number of ways this pack could be improved, but it has removed the back and/or shoulder pain I used to have at the end of a long day.

Wright Double Socks – Becuase I haven’t gotten a blister since I started to wear them.

Montbell Thermawrap Vest – Finally a worth successor to the original Patagonia Puff Vest. Light, compact, and covers my 3 season needs (e.g. warm standing around to 20F with a windshirt a good base layer, and warm hat).

Runners Up:

Patagonia Dragonfly Hooded Pullover. Super light. Windproof. Enouhj breathability while still being highly water resistant.

Photon III LED Light for everyday task lighting.

Tarptent Squall for three seasons in the Sierras. Light, fast and easy to set up, just the protection I need, looks great.

WM Ultralight
sil poncho
new LW thermarest–the thicker one–3/4

1. Nunatak custom modified Arc-Ghost. 13 oz sleep system (not including 6oz pad) that has kept me warm enough down to temperatures where there was 1/4″ of ice in the canteen. (With just normal clothing on.)

2. Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket. 10 oz of luxury around camp and insurance for the possiblity of real cold. Also Flight vest when temperatures aren’t so bad and saving 5oz is justified.

3. Snow Peak Ti Giga-power stove with piezo lighter (also custom copper wind screen made at home–wrapped in Tyvek to protect pots and stove and save weight of plastic container in which it comes.)

In no particular order:

1) O2 Rainwear – Yellow Jacket
2) Gossamer Gear Lightrek Poles
3) Backpack – Fanatic Fringe Thompson Peak w/o hip belt.

With Honorable mentions for my:
Hennessey Hammock and Arc-Edge blanket and all of my Pot/Zip Cozies from Anti-Gravity Gear.

I guess I have two top three lists.

(I could go on and on …..

So many great new pieces of gear this year which have helped lighten my load and tickle my gear fetish… where to start? Here’s a few off the top of my head:

1) Petzl TacTikka (an all black version of the Tikka with a neat red lens which flips up for mantaining night vision and flips down for night navigation.

2) Nunatak Arc Ghost sleeping quilt. Not as robust or warm as the Arc Alpinist (or Arc X), but lighter and perfect for warmer western climes.

3) AntiGravityGear Pouch Cozy (boil in a bag meals reconstitute faster and stay warmer longer with this lightweight addition to my cookset – a Braslite Turbo F, Snow Peak 600 titanium mug, with homemade lid and windscreen)

Other gear I love:
Tarptent Virga w/ Floor
Single Leki Makalu trekking pole (use with shelter)
ULA Fusion pack (love those hipbelt pockets!)
Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Short (use with ULA pack)
Patagonia Balaclava (it’s a hat, a balaclava, a gaiter!)
Terramar silkweight long sleeve hiking shirt

1. Nunatak custom modified Arc-Ghost. 13 oz sleep system (not including 6oz pad) that has kept me warm enough down to temperatures where there was 1/4″ of ice in the canteen. (With just normal clothing on.)

2. Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket. 10 oz of luxury around camp and insurance for the possiblity of real cold. Also Flight vest when temperatures aren’t so bad and saving 5oz is justified.

3. Snow Peak Ti Giga-power stove with piezo lighter (also custom copper wind screen made at home–wrapped in Tyvek to protect pots and stove and save weight of plastic container in which it comes.)

1. Tarptent Rainshadow

2. Marmot DriClime windshirt

3. OR Flextex gaiters