2019 Staff Picks

I’ll have to concur with two of Dan’s picks- the Uberlite has been a nice addition; have found it good to 32 degrees (give to take a little) so it sees pretty decent use ~ April-September.

The inReach Mini is really nice- started with a SPOT, moved to the inReach and then the Mini- all good, but the Mini fits the bill for me the best.

My single favorite item is the Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Hoody for cool/cold weather activities. Without wind protection the grid weave lets air flow through letting heat vent out and with a shell it insulates. On cold days that warms up I start with a shell and the hoody fully zipped, hood on, sleeves pulled over hands as ad hoc mitts. If it warms up my progression is the shell gets unzipped then removed, I open the zipper to neck, drop the hood, pull sleeves back to wrists, fully open zipper, pull sleeves above elbows. My personal comfort ranges (your experience will vary… I run hotter than some people):

• Running: 25-55F no shell / 5-30F shell
• Hiking 35-65F no shell / 20-50F shell
• High energy cycling 45-65F no shell / 25-45F shell
• Sitting around after an active day  55-75F / 45-65F shell

Besides an excellent comfortable range in regards to temperature, I continue to be impressed with how well it deals with moisture. Moisture gets wicked away from the body and into the outer fabric where it dries fairly quickly. After a hard effort that has me sweating I find the against the skin material feels dry against my skin in say 15 minutes after I return to “normal” activity levels, even though the outside feels damp to the touch. In moderate conditions when I know I will be able to dry out, I wear this base without a shell and just get wet rather than a lighter base + rain gear because it is more comfortable for me.

I am generally very happy with my kit which has stayed largely the same since 2012.  I also keep a list of everyday life posessions which I generally love.

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The new Gossamer Gear Vagabond Packable version is my current daypack du jour. It works for EDC, day hikes and travel. 23 liters, 11.2oz and a great feature set that can self stow in the front pocket for $59.

<p style=”text-align: center;”>Never mentioned on BPL but one of my favorite pieces of clothing is the Minus33 Kodiak Expedition Wool Full Zip Hoody. 400g/m*2 Australian merino wool. Comes with  full front zipper, one zippered inside pocket, two outside hand warmer pockets, and thumb loops. All for $199.00. My favorite for 3 season use.</p>
Russ

I recently used a friends Seek Outside Gila pack.  Wow.  It is by far the most comfortable small pack that I have ever carried.  Intended for heavier loads and certainly heavier than many ultralight packs (I was hauling 8 litres of water and gear), I was blown away by the outstanding comfort.

Still think the MLD Rain Kilt / Skirt is Da Bomb!

My favorite 2019 items include Dan Durston’s X-Mid 1-p tent (I like it so much that I then placed an order for the 2-P version, which should show up in April and likely be my favorite item for 2020). Then there are the Byrnje fish net layers for winter insulation.

My third gear item is the new, redesigned version of Fizan’s trekking poles now back in stock at Massdrop. I ordered them around Christmas, and they showed up 3 days ago (does that count as a 2019 item?). I first tried the Fizan poles when our dear Jen Mitol sold me her earlier version Fizan poles a few years ago. I’ve hiked over 600 miles with them, mainly in my nearby open spaces. The Fizans employ likely the most dependable twist-lock mechanism. I prefer a definitive finger rest for my index finger, and I like rubber tips. Also, I don’t like to use wrist straps except for snowshoeing or XC skiing. So I had to do some hacking to customize things to my liking. I wore out the stock rubber tips the first year, and the U.S. Fizan rep located in (I think) New Hampshire (Vermont?) mentioned that the rubber tips were not designed for actual use, but were intended for protection during transport. He sent me 2 pair of tips to keep me happy. Then I found that the much more durable re-branded Komperdell tips that REI sells fit the Fizan poles nicely.

The new version of the Fizan poles are a great improvement. They have a nice foam grip which has a great finger rest, and they come with very robust stock rubber tips. In addition, they have very innovative wrist straps which are quite light weight and adjust very easily (I simply leave them in place and keep them out of the way with a silicone hair tie, so they are there if for some reason I might want to use them).

While I generally prefer poles with flick-locks for quick and easy adjustment (for example while snowshoeing when you have to adjust the pole length for varying snow depth), for routine hiking I just set the pole length and leave it. These Fizan poles are the bee’s knees, and they are so light. While my Jen Mitol hacked poles come in at 12.7 oz. for the pair, my new ones are a scant 12.0 oz. (which could be a bit lighter if I removed the straps). Anyway for a cost of $63, these new poles have me feeling like a happy puppy.

I just filled a Mountain Laurel Designs packing cube, which made me realize how much I like one feature of Hyperlite Mountain Gear pods.

The top of an HMG pod opens much like a flap, so you can lay it down flat, zip it open, easily see everything inside, and fill it to the brim without stuff falling out.

Six Moon Designs pods also have that feature:

With the more common packing cube design, the zipper runs through the center of the short sides and doesn’t wrap around, which is harder to use.

The slightly longer wrap-around zipper might add a couple of grams. Also, HMG pods are shaped to fill my HMG pack and others.

Sometimes it’s the little design details count. Are they worth the HMG premium? Your choice.

— Rex

Dale, I’ll piggyback a bit…I have some HMG pods, and they  are an absolutely fantastic product. But I can also order 3 for $30 silny pods from Six Moon Designs and they are a beautiful thing. I use them for business travel as well as backpacking.  Highly recommended.

@gatome83 “But I can also order 3 for $30 silny pods from Six Moon Designs and they are a beautiful thing.

That is a bargain price. I see they offer them for $12 each too. Those are nice fat cubes; I wouldn’t need more than two for a long urban travel journey, but who wouldn’t want 3 :)

https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/products/pack-pods?variant=12903073415210

Danner was my boot of choice…when I still wore (waterproof) boots.  Gave up on that idea and have worn light, breathable, quick drying trail runners since, but for some reason never considered the 2650.

Dale – how do the 2650s drain after a stream crossing, and how quickly do they dry?

Has anyone used the Buffalo system clothing? It’s been around for a looong time. I never had any of the  buffalo clothing but I did have a Patagonia Infurno jacket which works on the same principle and it was the best piece of clothing I ever had. I can’t believe they stopped making it. I wore it right next to my skin like is recommended for Buffalo clothes and it was the only thing that ever kept me dry in driving, above tree line, rain. the shell was permanently impregnated with silicone so water always beaded up on it and the thick pile lining was always dry next to my skin because my body heat would cause the moisture to wick outward. Goretex doesn’t even come close.